Aug. 30, 2009 - Mudroom Makeover in Progress
Several years ago we enclosed our back porch and turned it into a mudroom/bathroom/pantry. The bathroom (the priority) and pantry were quickly finished up, but the mudroom remained unfinished all this time. I knew how I wanted it, but it never seemed to be a priority. Plus I detest mudding and sanding drywall and that's where the project left off. My mother-in-law took the kids last month so I could work on a project. Dang! That meant I had to actually work on a project! lol I decided to tackle the mudroom once and for all. I did manage to get the room mudded, sanded and primed that weekend. I then had to wait for hubby to put the flooring down.
This weekend we made another Home Depot trip to pick up cabinets. I painted the room at 8pm last night so that we could get the cabinets up today. Sadly, I'm only manager to average about one day a week to work on the project. Still, we're finally at a point where I can see the end in site. Here's the very attractive "before" pictures. It's kind of funny, because directly to the right of the first view, is a totally adorable bathroom. You just had to walk through this mess to get to it!
And the "during" shot. (A view of the same area in the picture directly above) Not close to being done, but at least you can get a feel for the desired outcome. I can't wait!
Aug. 25, 2009 - Don't Forget the Coupons (not the paper ones)
Just a reminder to do some checking around before you order online. Just today, I managed to save $230 by spending a few extra minutes doing a bit of searching.
First I needed new Quickbooks business checks and envelopes. After placing the items in my cart I did some Google searches for "intuit coupon code" and "quickbooks checks code". The first couple of sites I went to had nothing current. I nearly gave up. Thankfully, I clicked on www.retailmenot.com where there were several active codes. Most were 10% off or free shipping but one was for 50% off and it worked! Saved me over $100!
Then, my daughter needed new piano books. I first checked the site recommended by her piano teacher and found they would be right at $30 after shipping. I then checked Amazon.com and CBD. No bargains. Finally, I decided to check ebay. Wouldn't you know, someone was selling all four books, in excellent condition, for $13.97 with free shipping! Again, less than half what I would have paid before.
So, less than 30 minutes of searching (for both purchases combined) saved me well over $100.
Aug. 14, 2009 - Free Accounting Software - Use for School!
Jul. 22, 2009 - Let's Finish Some Sentences!
Taking my cue from Jamin! These are actually pretty hard. If you complete them, be sure and link to your post in the comments so I can see!
1. Maybe I should be.... doing bookwork.
2. I love....... sunny days on the beach.
3. People would say that I ..... think too much.
4. I don't understand...... SOOOO many things!
5. When I wake up in the morning..... I just want my coffee!
6. I lost.... all hope of completing these home repair/remodel projects anytime soon.
7. Life is full of...... twists and turns.
8. My past taught me.... that I will survive and that we are tougher than we think.
9. I get annoyed when..... people whine and complain.
10. At a party I...... like to watch people.
11. I wish......we lived in the country.
12. Dogs...... are a wonderful thing.
13. Cats...... well, cats are cats.
14. Tomorrow.... is a busy day.
15. I have a low tolerance for..... whining. Did I mention that?
16. If I had a million dollars..... I'd finish our house, fix up our church, help out my kids, travel on mission trips with the kids.
Jul. 14, 2009 - ~Good Deal Alert! Today Only~
This site has some great daily good deals. Today you can get a Wilson Leather Youth Baseball Glove for $4.99 and $5 shipping. So under $10 for the item, shipped. Have a birthday coming up? Or just think ahead for next spring. This site is worth keeping an eye on.
A couple months ago I bought a Polaroid 7.1 MP camera for my daughter (it’s pink) for $39.99. It’s put away for Christmas.
Jul. 12, 2009 - RunPee??!!
Oh my goodness! This is so funny! This website tracks currently playing movies and lets you know when is the best time to “run pee”. Sadly, for those of us with weak bladders, this tool may actually be worth using!
Not only does it tell you when to run to the bathroom, there is a box that you can “unscramble” to see what you will miss if you stay gone a bit too long.
What do you think? Cool idea, or just weird?
Jul. 10, 2009 - SpellQuizzer Review
Are your kids great spellers? I have some that are and some that aren’t, but those that are, come by it naturally. Spelling is one of those subject areas I seem to find myself skipping more often than I should. I purchased AVKO spelling and my kids really liked it. The problem was that I never got around to quizzing them. Since AVKO is a “start at the beginning” program, I was working with my 9 and 11 year old on the same list. First, when one child was available, the other was working and, two, one child was much quicker than the other.
I kept reading about SpellQuizzer spelling software on different blogs and forums and decided to give their 30 day free trial a whirl. The website had a list of frequently misspelled words by grade level so I imported those and let my kids try the program. They LOVED it! In fact they regularly asked if they could “play” SpellQuizzer. Um…sure! lol Since I was just getting an idea of how the program worked, I never got as far as trying to make my own lists.
However, I was thrilled to be asked to do an actual review of the program, recently. To do the review I had to re-download the program to make sure I had the latest version. The download process was simple and easy to follow. After download, you’ll find a SpellQuizzer icon on your desktop. Simply click the icon to start the program.
Now, you may be caught off guard when the program starts as there are no instructions. You’ll simply see a screen with options for “Quiz me on a list”, “Create a spelling list”, “Edit spelling lists”, “import spelling lists”, ”Export spelling lists”,and “Help”. And, really, it’s so simple instructions are unnecessary.
First, click “Quiz me on a list”. You’ll find the program is loaded with several grade level sample lists. Click on one and then click “OK”. The program immediately starts quizzing the student. For the Grade 1 sample list, you’ll hear “Cat. The cat played with the ball of yarn.” In the box provided, your child will type the word cat and then either press “enter” or click the “check spelling” button on the screen. If the answer is correct, the program reads the next word. If the answer is incorrect, a small screen shows the child how they spelled the word and how it should be spelled. Click the “OK” box and continue with the quiz. When the quiz is finished, a small screen appears telling you how many errors you made. Click “OK”. You will then be asked if you want to retry the word you missed. Click “Yes”. Try the missed words again. When finished, a box tells you that you’ve correctly spelled the word and another asks if you want to start over. Click “No” and you’re done. A sentence showing “5 of 20 words” displays over the spelling screen as your child works through the test so they always know how many words they have left. The whole process is simple and intuitive.
For my free trial I imported all the frequently misspelled word lists from the SpellQuizzer website. My 6th grader quickly worked through them all, even the “college and above” list! The import process is very simple. I just saved each list to my computer then, in the SpellQuizzer program, clicked the “Import spelling list” box. A screen asks me where to import the file from, I choose the file, check the box for that file in the import box and check “OK”. That’s it. The list will now be available in my “Quiz me” list.
One thing I had not tried with my free trial, was creating my own list. I was a little concerned about setting up the microphone, but that proved to be simple as well. I had a microphone headset I use with our Rosetta Stone software so I just used that. If you don’t have a microphone, you can buy one for around $10.
I plugged in the headset and clicked the “Create a spelling list” icon. First, a box appears asking you to name the list. Since I use AVKO I named they by the book and day. For instance the 7th day list in Book 1, I named AVKO 1.7. A screen will appear with the cursor in a “word to add” box. Type the word. If the word is case sensitive (August, Joe, Mr. Wood) there is a box to check. Then, under the sentence “click Start button to begin recording”, click “Start”. Say the word and a sentence using the word, then click “Stop”. To hear how it sounds, click the “Play Back” button. If it sounds good, click “Add Word” and the word is in your new list. My recordings were a bit crackly, but perfectly acceptable. I’m not sure if that’s because of the cheapie microphone, or what.
At the bottom of the screen is a box to “Adjust Audio and Recording Levels”. When I first recorded there was silence when I hit the “Play Back” button. Oh dear. But I checked the “Adjust Audio” button and got a screen that allowed me to increase the Master Volume, Wave Volume, and Microphone. I moved the Master Volume and Microphone sliders to the top and it worked fine. (I don’t have a clue what Wave Volume is) Once your list is all in, click the “OK” button at the bottom and the list will be in your “Quiz Me” options. If you accidentally click the “OK” button instead of the “Add Word” button (like I did the first word I tried to add) you can easily fix it. Go to the “Edit spelling lists” icon, find the list you were working on, and keep going.
If you don’t have, or don’t want to use a microphone, you can still use the software by typing in “reminder phrases”. For example, for the word “dog” you might put “ours is named Sam”. While I like the idea of this, I’m not sure how well it would really work in practice. Microphones are inexpensive and well worth purchasing to let the program work well.
The program has some really nifty features. The lists in the “Quiz Me” section can be sorted by either name or by date created which makes it nice if you want to quickly find the last list you entered. You can also export lists that you have created. That means if you are part of a co-op and create a list based on your lessons, you can export that list and email it to your members, who can then import it to their own SpellQuizzer software.
The SpellQuizzer spelling program website also has a lot of resources to take advantage of. There are several lists available on the site including holiday lists, religious themed lists, seasons, months and days, and much more. You’ll also find video demonstrations showing how each part of the program works, in case you have any problems.
The only thing “missing”, in my opinion, is a way to record scores or see progress. My kids are good about honestly telling me how they did, but if you had a problem child, that could be an issue. Still, you could have your child show you the screen with their score when they finish and again, once they’ve fixed the misspelled words.
I really like this software and my kids love it. I can just upload my lists when I have time and assign them to the kids to complete. They can move ahead at their own pace. The program can be used by all your children and, in my opinion, is well worth the $29.95 price. If you’d like the software available on up to 5 PC’s (and includes a CD), you can purchase the Family Pack License for $49.95. If you need help with fitting in spelling quizzes, be sure and check out the free trial, for sure!
Jul. 6, 2009 - Finally!
When you decorate with yard sale decor, patience is required. For instance, we really needed some kind of side table next to a chair in the living room, but I didn't really want an traditional end table. I found a couple of old suitcases I had, put a tray on top and it served the purpose. Still, it was definitely a bit too low. That's where the patience came in. We just lived with it this way.
Now my end table is the perfect height. Not only that, I can store stuff inside! :-) Good deal for $5.00, right?
Jul. 2, 2009 - Simple Summer Planning
June was so busy it didn't really feel like much of a break at all. Today we sat down and made a summer wish list. Seems like quite a bit to fit in eight weeks, but I'm thinking we can do it. At least it'll help me make sure we're having some fun, as I tend to get overly focused on work. I'm looking forward to seeing if we can get it all checked off!
Jul. 1, 2009 - No-Cost Homeschool Resources
Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest Maps has generously let us share the below, very helpful, article.
5 Must-Have, No-Cost Resources for Homeschooling
This past year has not been an easy one for many Americans, that’s for sure. With businesses downsizing and laying off staff, many loyal employees find themselves out of work. With the bursting of the real estate bubble, many hard-working homeowners find themselves in a house they can no longer afford to keep and yet can neither afford to sell. We live in hard times, but often it is these very hard times that generate the most creative thinking. As they say… Necessity is the mother of invention. I believe that was first spoken by Plato. Or you could say... “Invention is the mother of necessity.” Thorstein Veblen, the author of that quote, was a U.S. economist and social philosopher who lived during the latter portion of the 19th century until the Great Depression. He lived in times not unlike our own. Swift change can cause turmoil.
So, if invention and creativity is spurred on by necessity or difficulty (and vice versa), then now is a great time to look for and use no-cost resources that will serve us well during this economic downturn.
There are many of you who cannot afford homeschooling curriculum this year. Does that mean that you should put your children into public school? No, what it means is that it is time to get creative, even inventive, when it comes to our children’s education.
And this is your place to start. I am going to share with you my top 5 “must-have” homeschooling resources that won’t cost you a dime. Bookmark each of these sites and refer to them often as you prepare and teach your children during this upcoming school year.
Top 5 Must-Have No-Cost Homeschooling Resources
(These are not listed in any particular order because they are all good! Bookmark or sign up for them all!)
- Jim Erskine’s Freebie of the Day - http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/. If you are not aware of this site, then I am excited to share it with you. Jim works with homeschool publishers to provide you with 1 freebie each day. The link to the freebie is only active for 24 hours, so you have to act fast, but these are quality offerings and not just filler junk. Trust me, I have participated in this program and we have given away a full U.S. geography curriculum on one occasion and another full ebook on another occasion. Other publishers are doing the same thing. So sign up using the “Join List” tab at the top of the page.
- The Old Schoolhouse’s Teacher Toolbox - http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/E_News/index.php#teacherstoolbox. Most of you are probably aware of their Freebie Friday newsletter (if you are not, then sign up for that one as well). But the Teacher Toolbox newsletter is a lesser known treasure. The Teacher's Toolbox is a great way to inject something extra into your teaching plans especially when you are homeschooling on a shoestring.
- The Homeschool Mom Unit Studies - http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/unitstudies.php. Actually, the entire Homeschool Mom site is a gem and you should spend some time there getting familiarized with it and find out what it has to offer. But I specifically highlighted the unit study page because unit studies are a great way to homeschool your children especially if you are working with limited funds. You can teach them all the same topic but at varying levels. You can often utilize library books and online information resources – all for free.
- Donna Young Printables and Resources - http://donnayoung.org/index.htm. Yes, this site is a treasure trove of lessons, planners and forms. There is a form for everything you could ever need. I especially like her diplomas! If you are looking for a specific form, a planner or a lesson for a certain subject, make sure that you check here! Donna Young has so many useful forms and resources that you will think you have hit the jackpot.
- Homeschooling ABCs Free 5 Day MiniClass – http://www.homeschoolingabcs.com. Sometimes when you are throwing it all together yourself and not using pre-made curriculum, you can start to wonder if you are on the right track. Worry no longer… sign up for the free 5 day mini-class at the site above and receive information on:
Ø What to Teach and When
Ø 4 Steps to Homeschooling Success
Ø Homeschooling on a Dime
Ø Getting the Help You Need
Ø Planning and Scheduling
There you go – 5 “Must-Have” No-Cost Resources for Homeschooling. Take advantage of them. Let them be the fuel that starts your creative engine and keeps it going strong. My hope and prayer for you is that you have NOT been hit hard by this financial mess our country has found itself in. But if you have been, then look for the silver lining amongst the gray clouds. As Patti Handy says, “Don’t let a good financial crisis go to waste.” (www.teenscashcoach.com)
Warmly,
Terri Johnson
Bramley BooksTM, a division of
Knowledge Quest, Inc.
1.877.697.8611
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