Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Sometimes a little lazy goes a long way-- at least when it comes to a fun breakfast.  Because if it requires a lot of effort when it's early in the morning (okay, DO NOT look at the clock in the background!), then we will never get fancier than a bowl of cereal. :)

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

What is a blog carnival?

**From Wikipedia: A blog carnival is a type of blog event. It is similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks to other blog articles on the particular topic.

Weekly Topics

To Submit

Please email the following to carnivals@heartofthemattermagazine.com before the above due dates at 9:00pm EST. You may send all your information in one email or in separate emails as the weeks go on.

• Your name (first name only is ok)
• Name of your blog
• Title of your post
• Direct link to your post
• Brief summary of your post
• Week you are submitting for
• For an extra giveaway entry: the link to the post in which you told your readers about the carnival

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

My littlest man...

*sigh*  I miss him.  Christian was so excited when we gave him his own big boy bike.  Funny thing is that he never figured out how to pedal it!  He'd sit on it and want us to push him around.. or he'd just walk it around and around and around the driveway.  It makes me smile just thinking about it.

You can see him on the front cover, inside front cover and inside back cover. :-)  Thank you dear Amy and Amy for remembering Christian and celebrating his life with me!  Y'all are the bestest donut-loving-cajun-talking-mind-reading-fun-loving-separated-at-birth friends a girl could have.

Anyhow, back to the magazine!  We are very excited to announce that you can now view our magazine in THREE ways:

1. Click here to be taken to the flipbook version, where you can click and turn the pages as you would a print magazine. Be sure to turn your sound on.
2. Click here to download the magazine in pdf format.
3. Or you can visit HOTM to see the articles in blog format.

(The flipbook version is my absolute favorite!  I just love the sound it makes when you turn the page... oddly satisfying.)

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I saw this over at my friend Amy's blog (DandelionSeeds): 

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

From the team that brings you Heart of the Matter Online, HOTM Magazine (in print Jan 2009) and the annual HOTM Virtual Homeschooling Conference, we are proud to present Heartbeat Live!

Please join us for the launch on Tuesday, November 11 at 3:00 CST, as we welcome Mrs. Amy Grant Bayliss as our first speaker.

So if you are tired of the same old stuff on the radio and you crave a serving of encouragement with a side of laughter, please register HERE. Simply enter your name and email address and you will receive log in instructions within 48 hours. You only have to register once to access all the weekly events. And since you should never keep fun to yourself, be sure to tell your friends so they can join us too.

As a very special treat everyone who attends Amy’s session will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com!!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I thought I wouldn't have a problem posting this for Heart of the Matter's Friday VIDEO Meme... but ummm... yeah (or yah or yea or whatever!)...  Here is yours truly in all my goober glory!

I hope y'all will join in on the fun!!! 

Pleeeeeease?

PS Do I really sound like that?  I think I'm louder in real life.  Oh and I mumble and talk MUCH faster!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

In this month's issue:

12 Essential Back To School Ideas For Mom
Headsprout Reading Online AND Giveaway!
Only "Actual Teachers" Should Read This!
How the Other Side Thinks
Hypocrite Proofing the Home
Battle of the Sexes
Homeschool Built On Christ
Nature Study - Relaxed and Fun
Teaching Emotions Through Conversation
How To Tell Why Your Child Is Struggling part 4
A Tour of Cheapville
Idols and Effigies
All The Validation I Need
Snippets of Time
Let the Games Begin
Public school administrator calls for homeschool exposé
Getting Out of the Way
Give Me the Simple Life
Think before you jump!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Tomorrow is the official start of the Heart of the Matter Online First Annual Virtual Conference!

From HOTM:

We are so excited and from all of your emails and posts we know that you all are too! This is the last day that you can get the tickets for the price of $29.95. Starting Wednesday it will go up to it's official price of $39.95 and will remain that cost for the duration of the conference.

The speakers and vendors for our conference have been very generous with their donation of freebies and door prizes. Our freebie package alone exceeds $170 and it is worth every penny of the cost of that ticket!

Some of the freebies include:

• Author's Project-Pak: five projects rotating around twenty four 19th and 20th century authors from Home School in the Woods.
• Bees Project Pack Lapbooking Unit written by Hands of a Child, provided by CurrClick.
• Teaching and Evaluating Writing audio from The Institute for Excellence in Writing.
• Dr. Funster's Creative Thinking Puzzlers A1 from Bright Minds BRAIN-athon Emporium.
• 8 Great Ways to Save on Groceries from Simple Journey Ministries.
• What Really Happened During the Middle Ages from Knowledge Quest.

...there are so many more but we'll leave that as a surprise. We can't spoil all of the fun now can we?

We also have some more than 25 fabulous door prizes to award to some lucky attendees. Just think... you could be the lucky winner of:

• A set of Creation to Christ timeline figures or an Activity-Pak of choice from Home School in the Woods.
• An autographed copy of Heather Paulsen's book Emotional Purity.
• An autographed copy of one of Kelli Crowe's books…Designing with Details: A scrapbooking idea book or DW Recipe Book: Recipes for great scrapbook pages.
• One of five signed copies of Luke Holzmann's children’s book Time for Friends.
• A $25 Amazon coupon gift certificate from Tiany Davis, founder of The Homeschool Lounge.
• A $50 gift card to Blue Thistle Book's online store.
• A $50 Amazon gift certificate from the team here at Heart of the Matter.

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

It all started with this horrid rust stain inside my toilet.  (I never thought I'd begin a post with those words!)  You see, we have well water and it is quite hard.  No matter the amount of toilet cleaner, Soft Scrub with Bleach and Daivd's elbow grease applied, this stubborn ring around the water line in my toilet would remain. 

After my mom came to visit last week, I was quite embarrassed about this nasty stain... and it really was a clean toilet, it just didn't look like it!

Well, wouldn't you know it, just as soon as she left I found this product at Wal-mart:  Whink Rust Remover. 

After about 20 applications-- pouring it on, letting it sit, and then flushing-- a little light scrubbing made that horrid, ugly ring of nastiness disappear!

Oh it really IS a sad day when I post about this, isn't it?!  Then why oh why am I so happy about it all?  Good grief, I am such a dork.  I better stop before I start sounding like an infomercial.

And I won't mention the excitement when I found these XLT undershirts online... and that David actually thought they were super comfortable.  Have you tried finding undershirts in Tall sizes lately?  Hard to find and super expensive.  But these were great.

Okay, I'm going to go now.  I don't know when I turned into an old person that would get so excited about these kinds of things.  Maybe I'll think of something fun to post about tomorrow to redeem myself from the depths of dorkdom.

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

First of all, thank you dear friends for all of your kind words in my previous post.  David and I are going out of town tomorrow for the viewing and funeral.  We would really appreciate your continued prayers-- for safe travel and for David's Uncle Ronald.  Uncle Ronald is mentally handicapped and has been at his dad's side FOREVER.  When he was little, his parents chose to keep him with them instead of sending him off to some institution.  They literally did everything together and had an incredible bond!  Uncle Ronald is extremely sorrowful and I'm sure confused and frightened as to this new part of his life-- his life without his father right by his side 24/7.  Please, please lift him up in prayer!

*******

And in completely unrelated news, God has sent us some very encouraging news-- and NO, it is nothing like 2 pink lines or anything... 

GUESS WHO is going to be speaking at the Heart of the Matter Virtual Conference???!!!  Ahhh!  Seriously, just GO LOOK and then come back here and tell me what you think.   Isn't that a fabulous lineup?  God is SO gracious to allow HOTM to host these amazing members of the homeschool community!  I am so excited I could scream!  All of my favorite people-- in ONE place... and I can listen to them at my leisure (and in my pjs) and even ask them questions LIVE through the conference software!  (If you could see me now, I would be jumping up and down like a lunatic).

Oh and one more thing, when I get back in town I will be having a little contest here on my blogola to give away 5 (FIVE!!!) tickets to the HOTM Conference.  So please spread the word and come back really soon, okay?

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

The June 2008 Issue of Heart of the Matter Magazine is published.  Come check out the great articles and giveaways!

Love,
Marshiemellow

June 2008 Edition

What is it about long road trips that cause you to become closer as a family unit all the while getting on each other's nerves? The first 2-3 hours are great. You read, snack, sing songs, discuss what is to come, and look forward to it with anticipation. The next 4-5 hours are still manageable but with a lot less joy. You just keep tolerating it because you hope that it will be over soon. But those last few hours, heh, they are a doozie to make it through. You're bored, anxious, and then you start to get excited. Just excited enough to realize you still have a little ways to go and then a bit disappointed again. Then you finally make it and realize that the destination was worth the long journey even though it became very difficult at times.

Homeschooling is a lot like that. We are overly excited in the beginning and we buy all the books, attend all the conferences, join all of the groups, then we start to ware down. It takes more motivation to continue now and encouragement becomes necessity. Let me encourage you. The destination will be worth the journey. Let us encourage you along the way!

My husband drove most of the way. He was definitely the captain of the ship, er uh, car. Even though I navigated and kept the kids occupied and fed, he still was the driving force (pun not intended but hey, if it works)! We want to acknowledge our amazing dads this month as we celebrate Father's Day.

Focus on Fathers will be June 9th through the 18th. We have a giveaway everyday! Some of our articles are addressed to the men and some are just for the ladies. Our guest writers have outdone themselves and we can't wait to share their articles with you so be sure to check it out!

We also have a new devotional this month: To Love, Honor and Vacuum by Sheila Wray Gregoire. You can sign up for the new devotional study here: Sign Up.

We have the First Annual Heart of the Matter Online Virtual Homeschool Conference coming up July 31 - August 3. We have many amazing speakers lined up as well as vendors to meet all your homeschooling needs...and wants! You can check out the new conference site for more information and to sign up for the event. The schedule for the speakers will be posted next week.

Don't forget to sign up for our new weekly newsletter, which will begin next Sunday. Our newsletter will contain a recap of the week's posts, who won what contests, highlights from that week's meme, freebies, and more! To be included on the list please subscribe here: Subscribe to Newsletter. All who subscribe will be registered to win a prize!!

Please welcome our new writers!

Amy of Allen Academy
Andrea of The Honest Woman
Angela of Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
Celeste of Busy at Home
Jamie of Life & Love in Rose Cottage
Jen of Jeneric Jeneralities
Julie of Jewelz Sightings
Lisa V of Pockets of Time
Nikowa of Knowledge House Academy
Renae of Life Nurturing Education
Valerie of SoCalVal's Homeschooling With Encouragement
Yvonne of Grateful for Grace

In this month's issue:

Why Homeschool?
What's in Your Beach Bag?
Density, Buoyancy, Viscosity, Oh My!
How Does Homeschooling Benefit Society?
Planning our Preschool
When Friends Stop Homeschooling
Creating a Mission Statement
Money Management for Children
How To Tell WHY Your Child is Struggling
So We've Chosen to Shelter Our Children
Teaching our Children is More Than "Doing School"
Making The School Year Easier On The Teacher
Teaching to the Heart
Why Charlotte Mason?
Rejoicing in Weakness
End of Year Organization

*********************

Did you know that we have a Heart of the Matter daily blog, which is updated daily and packed full of inspiration, encouragement, phenomenal resources, and weekly giveaways? Here is a taste of what you might have missed:

Feeling Forgotten?
Homesteading? Me? No, absolutely not me
Do You Know My Friend Worry?
It's Ok To Laugh
Be the Beauty That You Are.... QUICKLY!

*********************

This month's printables, courtesy of Christian Homeschooler's Association of South Carolina

Yearly goal sheet
Weekly goal sheet
Portfolio checklist
Blank evaluation form
Attendance form

Important Upcoming Dates:

June 9 - 18 - Focus on Fathers
June 13 - Friday Meme: "Wordless Daddy" Share your favorite picture of your husband and your children.
June 14 - Devotional Study: Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, Chapter 4
June 15 - Darnelle's Birthday
June 20 - Friday Meme: Tried and True Recipes
June 27 - Friday Meme: Your Questions for Us
June 28 - Devotional Study: Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, Chapter 5
July 4 - Friday Meme: Healthy Ideas for Picky Eaters
July 6 - Unit Study Day

 

Download the June Issue PDF

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

My very talented friend Jewls has created a fully interactive planner called The Master Plan--  and IT IS NOW AVAILABLE!!!   Just look at all the features that are packed in there!  She is having a special sale on it right now so please go check it out and spread the word!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

May 2008 Edition

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I swiped this fun video from Nancy.  (Most of my "good ideas" originate elsewhere-- just goes to show that it pays to have smart and resourceful friends!).

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Please spread the word!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Click on cover for PDF version (links not available in PDF)

From the Amies....

We have already begun preparation for next school year. We have purchased some curriculum, begun lesson plans for some great literature (which will be available for download next month), and we’ve started re-organizing our school area. The kids are preparing to have a fun break at the end of May and mom is looking forward to a bit of leisure time as well!

We also have many great things to look forward to here at Heart of the Matter Online....
For starters, we will be having a generous contest for Mother’s Day that is going to bless the socks off of one mom who gives her all to her family. The prizes for this contest are valued at well over $500 but we will wait to reveal those details! ;o)

For the week surrounding Father’s Day we will be letting the DADS take over the Heart of the Matter Online. Yes, you read that right. The dads will be writing some articles for the site and you just won’t believe the topics they will be discussing! It will be educational as well as entertaining. We have great dads and we look forward to sharing their thoughts with you.

We also have the First Annual Heart of the Matter Online Virtual Homeschool Conference coming up. We have many amazing speakers lined up as well as vendors to meet all your homeschooling needs... and wants!

The speaker lineup includes: Amy Pak , Jennifer Steward, Crystal Paine , Heather, otherwise known as Sprittibee, Dawn from Barefoot Blogs, DeeDee, from the widely popular blog, It Coulda’ Been Worse, Jeannie Fulbright, Luke McDonald, Amy Grant Bayliss, Marybeth Whalen, Kelli Crowe, Gina Conroy, Kelly, from A Spacious Place, Angela DeRossett, Ami Brainerd, the creator of Homeschool Share, Robin Sampson, Sheila Wray Gregoire, Todd Wilson, Angela Parsley, Linda Lacour Hobar, Heather Paulsen, and Lee Binz.

You can check out the conference site for more information and to sign up for the event.

And what would a great website be without contests?

We have many BIG contests coming up in the next month so be sure to check back every day to see what is currently up for grabs. We’ll start it off with this Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots giveaway. To enter, simply leave a comment on at least two articles in this month’s edition. See "Through the Microscope" for more details.

As always, we take submissions for cover photos, articles, projects, and more. Please see our submissions page for more details: Submissions Link.

In this month's issue:
Good Citizenship
Bumps in the Road
Raising Boys vs. Raising Men
Don’t Be Afraid To . . . STOP!
Keepin’ It Real
We Were There With Lewis and Clark REVIEW
Learning Love Languages At Home
20 Ways To Becoming An Eco-Friendly Family
Homeschooling As a Matter Of Public Discussion
Can You Afford That Second Income?
Organized Expectations
The Computer Savvy PreSchooler
God and History of Art I & II REVIEW
How Should We Respond To Criticism & Questions
An Empty Backpack
A Mom’s Decision to Homeschool Her Child with Autism
Through the Microscope: Gardening with Kids
Give God YOUR Details
How To Attend A Homeschool Conference
Faith Through the Bad Days
From Our Readers

This month's printables:

Core Knowledge Sayings and Phrases (grades K through 3)
Art Appreciation with Lucy Micklethwait books
HWT cursive alphabet wall strips (cut out and tape together)
All of these printables are courtesy of Angi from Peakmore Academy


Cover photo courtesy of Keri from Sunny Blog

Important Dates In April
Friday, April 11 - Meme - How I Got Started Homeschooling
Sunday, April 13 - Featured Homeschooler
Tuesday, April 15 - Field Trip Tuesday
Friday, April 18 - Meme - The Things My Child Taught Me During Homeschool Lessons & Unit Study announcement for Outer Space
Saturday, April 19 - Jessica’s Birthday
Sunday, April 20 - Around the Web in a Dozen Links & Amy Bayliss’ Birthday
Tuesday, April 22 - Lisa B’s Birthday
Friday, April 25 - Meme - Quote "Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand." ~Chinese Proverb
Sunday, April 27 - Featured Homeschooler, & Marsha’s Birthday
Friday, May 2 - Outer Space Unit Study Day, & Lori AND Rachel’s Birthday

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

My fabulously funny and fun friend JenIg is having a contest on her blog that you just HAVE to enter!!!  You can win Rosetta Stone's newest version AND pick which language you'd like to learn!

I suppose I shouldn't tell everyone so I have a better chance of winning... but I like y'all too much to keep this bit of information all to myself.

So enter away, my friends!

Love,
MarshaMarshaMarsha

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE! 

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.

This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program.  Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking.  Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included!  For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports. 

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/  and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it.  And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it.  And good luck!  The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg.   And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win.   Yay for free stuff!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Click On Cover to Download PDF version

Can you believe that it’s March already? Spring is just around the corner and you know what that means: flowers in bloom, cool crisp air, and Spring Cleaning!

We have several articles this month that will help you organize and prioritize your house and homescool. Not only that but we have some great downloads available including one from fellow homeschooling mom, Melanie - The Election LapBook is my favorite! We have already begun using it on our lessons. This issue is jam packed with information that you can glean from. We also welcome a new columnist and contributor this month: Marybeth Whalen from Cheaper by the Dozen and Kysha from Love’s School have joined the team and we are ecstatic about it. They brings years of wisdom and experience to the table and they are ready to encourage you in your homeschooling journey.

Something new to look forward to at HeartOfTheMatterOnline.com is:

A Research Panel- We are looking for 250 homeschooling parents or teachers that would like to join our research panel. The purpose of the panel is to give us insight into what YOU want in a homeschool site and magazine. As a member of the panel you would:

• Answer questions pertaining to homeschooling that are asked by our team.
• Be the first to hear about upcoming events, news, contests, and opportunities.
• Be eligible to review products and once you are done then they are yours to keep!
• Give your input on event coordination.
• Get the magazine before everyone else does!
• Participate in contests that are exclusively for HOTM Research Team members.

Would you like to join and make your voice heard? Good! Simply email us at: homeschoolinghearts@gmail.com and tell us who you are and why you are interested.As always, we take submissions for cover photos, articles, projects, and more. Please see our submissions page for more details: Submissions Link.

In This Issue:

Classical Education: Narrations
Planning Maps Out Success
Art Museum Scavenger Hunt
Homeschool In the News
Let’s Play
Organized Clutter?
Standing In the Gap
Knee-High Homeschool
A Life Lesson
Motivate Your Child to Learn Using These Four Steps
Science In the Kitchen
Delightfully Discipled: An Interview With Natasha
Weapons AGAINST Mass Distraction
Holiday Leftover Ideas
Five Things That Make School Run Smoothly
Review by Sallie: "The Easy French"
Right Brain Learners/Left Brain Learners
So What About Socialization?
College Safari
Book Review By Sprittibee:"The Organized Home Schooler"

Downloads:
The Election LapBook courtesy of Melanie from Notebook Learning
Pioneers Unit Study
Behavior Bucks

photo courtesty of Sprittibee

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

• Jacque wrote an amazing post that you must read!  It is so very true and dear to my heart.
  
• Check out the Homeschool Care Package Contest at The Heart of the Matter.

That's all.  This is my shortest post EVER (almost).  Hmmm... it seems a shame to just end it like this but well, I don't really have anything else to say right now that could be finished saying before I have to make dinner!  But at least I've said this much before the information totally slipped my gray matter.

Okay, I'm going now... 

Man, this is awkward.  I feel like I should say more! 

Vanilla syrup from Starbucks is yummy.  The gray shirt I'm wearing has holes in it.  I played Clue Jr. with the boys today.  I won.  I don't like that game very much but the boys did.  I thought it was too slow.  BBQ ribs has become my go-to easy meal to make.  Weird, isn't it?  It was a good school day.  We did science for the first time in over 6 months (it's my back-burner subject when things get hectic-- which is always. Apparently.)

Okay, that's better.  Much better.

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

The very new and very awesome online magazine The Heart of the Matter has debuted!!!

Not only will you find insightful, encouraging and just plain old useful monthly articles, but there will also be fun things like Giveaways, Homeschooler of the Week (maybe the next one will be you?), FORUMS, and even bi-monthly posts from various contributors (including yours truly and two of my fav mom's of boys-- Tiany and Amy).

So please stop by THOM to read the great articles, browse the Forums, and be sure to say Howdy! to The Amies who have worked so hard on this venture.

~Marshie

In This Issue:

A Tale of Two Home Schools by Darnelle / Fill In the Blanks
Darnelle discusses learning difficulties that children can have and the struggles that homeschooling parents face. She invites you to give your input.

How Did That Happen? by Lee / HomeScholar High School
Lee talks about graduation and how to prepare for college.

Why Bother? by Christine / The Finer Things
In this article, Christine addresses a common concern with home schoolers about the involvement of the fine arts in day to day lessons.

Diagnosis and Bringing Them Home by Sallie / A Square Peg
Diagnosis and treatment of disabilities in children. Focus: Asperger Syndrome

Just What is Co-Schooling by Stacey / Standing In the Gap
Stacey brings to light another rapidly growing form of home education in this article about co-schooling.

Learning Is What Happens, Naturally by MandyMom / The Natural Noggin
Myths are dispelled and creativity emerges in this article from MandyMom about their decision to unschool their children.

How To Make It To High School by Gina / Reaching High
20 years worth of homeschooling brings Gina to this place in their journey. Learn how you can make it there too.

So, Why Do You Do What You Do? by Kristine / Ducks In A Row
With this question in the forefront of you mind, Kristine will offer some sound biblical principles to help you decide.

Garden of the Heart by Heather (Sprittibee) / Heartstrings for Homeschoolers
This is a timely message about God's love and the heart of the family. Heather brings it home with this heart tugging lesson about the true heart of homeschooling.

The Daily Balancing Act by Dianne / Blueprint for Balance
Let Dianne help with a new perspective on the balancing act of motherhood, homemaker, and homeschool mom. Printables included.

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons by Heather H / Practical Penny Pincher
Heather knows what it is like to have a want to save money. Learn from her experience with these tips on using coupons.

Of Public Education, Politics & Homeschooling by Dana / Homeschool In the News
Dana gives an objective point of view on Mike Huckabee and the effects of appointing Kristin Maguire, a homeschool mom, to the Board of Education.

Let's Start At the Very Beginning by Lori / Raise Your Hands
WooHoo! If you need a homeschooling pick-me-up then start here. Lori will inspire you to homeschool while feeding you the Word of God.

Deciding to Homeschool a Preschooler - Where To Start? by Mandy Z / Knee High Homeschool
If you are contemplating a decision to homeschool your little ones then Mandy's article is for you!

Discover the Biggest Mistake Made by Homeschoolers by Robin / Sowing Seeds
Robin reveals the mistakes that can be made unintentionally and she will tell you how to overcome them.

Through the Microscope by Amy S
Science at it's most magnificent is God's handiwork. Amy will provide you with a biblical lesson alongside experiments using common household items.

We Are All Different by Amy B / The Open & Closed Book Education
Amy gives you a look inside the home and heart of an eclectic homeschooling family.

Projects:
Thanksgiving Project
School Ideas
Paint Cans, Loose Leaf Binders, & Index Cards

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I checked out this fantastic book at the library the other day.  It is called Gifts to Make for your Favorite Grownup by Kathy Ross.  It really has some neato-benito ideas in it!  Since my boys were not so savvy about saving up their money for Christmas gifts this year, they will be creating their gifts instead of buying them (which is the kind of present *I* prefer anyway!).




Another gift/stocking stuffer that the boys will be making is chocolate dipped spoons.  Y'know, the kind you stir into your coffee (or hot milk or just eat until it's gone...)?

Very simple to do.  Melt some milk chocolate (or whatever kind of chocolate) chips in a bowl.  Take some plastic spoons (colored would be a nice touch) and dip into the chocolate.  Cool on wax paper until set.  Wrap in cellophane and a bit of ribbon.  We also plan on dipping the chocolate spoons into crushed candycanes.

Are your kids planning on doing any simple homemade gifts this year?  I'd love some new ideas-- especially since our current gift selection will not be a surprise to my blog reading familia.

CHRISTmas is only 13 days away!!!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

The title does not mean that a part 2 is impending, but it just seems likely that a Favorite Things Part Deux will probably happen at some point in my blog life.  Because it's F-U-N!

In no particular order:

1. COFFEE!!!

I love my little coffee bar area.  There are several things that make this a favorite (besides the obvious java addiction). 

- Bunn coffee maker- normally $140, clearance for $33 at Target.  Coffee in 3 MINUTES!  Need I say more?
- Superautomatic espresso machine- no more Starbucks for me and a great excuse for my friends to come visit.
- Granite countertops- Lest ye thinkest that I spent a gazillion dollars, they are actually granite floor tiles that are rather inexpensive.  Impressive, no?
- Colorful wall.  That my husband actually likes as well.  Some say it is orange, but it is really SPICED PUMPKIN, Y'ALL.

2.  Writing and drawing that did not involve tears!


Thanks to Draw Write Now Book 3.  AND it so happens that this particular book includes information on American Indians that will be quite useful for our American History 1 studies this year.

3.  I found a place for the precariously placed games.  And I didn't have to buy a new bookcase or cabinet. 

I did, however, have to rearrange.



Speaking of games, if y'all are looking to buy some games for Christmas this year I highly recommend the following:

- Blink! - it really is the fastest card game ever AND it is super fun!
- Zingo - very easy version of Bingo (not that Bingo is difficult-- but even my just turned 3yo can play it)
- Spelldown - great way to incorporate spelling into gametime (or vice versa)
- Bananagrams - I have not played this personally but it comes highly recommended by some of my friends and is very portable.
- Monopoly Jr. - because I don't want to play the full version with half-pints.
- Scrabble Jr. - simplified version of the classic.

4.  And finally but not in bold because that would just be embarrassing, I'd like to thank the minimum of three of y'all that nominated me for several categories for the 2007 Homeschool Blog Awards. 


THANK YOU!  Voting begins December 3rd and I hope y'all will cast your vote-- even if it's not for yours truly.  There are some great blogola's out there and I am honored that y'all would remember my URL well enough to nominate me. :-)

Love,
Marshie

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

It's that time of year again... time to make your nominations for the
2007 HOMESCHOOL BLOG AWARDS!

It was really hard to choose just one nomination per category, but I finally did it.  Have you made your nominations yet?

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

The Perseid Meteor Shower will best be seen TONIGHT!  And it is best viewed with the naked eye-- perfect since I have no telescope.

Thanks for the tip and the video, Kelli!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I do not usually watch movies with my children.  There are just a million other things that I could do while they're occupied in such a manner.  You know, fold laundry, read a book, do the dishes, check e-mail...

David is working again and won't be home until Wednesday and since there will always be more laundry, more dishes, more e-mail and even more books waiting to be read, I decided to do something different.  I popped some popcorn and watched a movie with the kidlets before bed.  They even got to stay up late (10:30pm)!

We watched The Last Chance Detectives #3: Escape from Fire Lake.  The boys and I really enjoyed it.  Not too long, not too short.  Christian message.  Decent actors.  Good quality video-- even with slight cheesyness (cheesiness, cheeziness? sp?) that is inevitable in a video for children.  Definitely one that you can enjoy with your whole family and not worry about the content.  I just wish there were more than three videos in the series!  Oh well, at least there are additional stories in audiobook form... always handy-dandy when we're travelling in ze drewsmobile!

Just remember, it IS a good movie.  But it is most definitely not Narnia or a real book that has deep characters and a complicated plot.  So adjust your expectations accordingly, okay?  And don't ruin it for the kids.  If I were watching it with my sisters or with David, I could've had SO much fun making fun of a few of the scenes... ;-)  Be proud of me-- I resisted!  And it was not an easy thing to do...

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Fruit flies!

I'm going to try this homemade trap today.  Has anyone tried this before?

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Nope, not Country Club.  But the HSB Literary Club! 

C'mon, all the cool people are in it... Gena, JenIg, Kate, AnneMarie, SuperAngel, Jaybird, redmom, creech7s, workinprogress, Maria, Jenn and moi...  Plus a bunch more!!!  You don't want us to have all the fun without you, do you?

Don't worry, we won't charge dues or make you do some silly initiation stunt or dare... (right, Jen?)

We'll be starting our first book Ishmael by E.D.E.N. Southworth in March, so please join us!!!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Dash and Tank were kind enough to assist in the scientifically random drawing of ze vinners of ze contest.  I just wrote numbers on small pieces of paper and had them pick five.  Ze corresponding vinners are:

deedeeuk

mamaduso

Not1Worry

mom26kidz

mamatc

Okay, that was seriously fun reading all of your replies!!!  I will most definitely have to have another contest soon...but this time giving away something more fun than just a car magnet (although it IS a cool magnet!).

I'm tired.  It is waaaay past my bedtime now.  I braved the stores today to try to get all of my Christmas shopping done.  Silly me.  Like the long lines and terrible traffic would allow me to do anything quickly. 

So I will do what I should've done in the first place-- wait until MONDAY when everyone is working or in school!  Yet another perk of homeschooling...flexibility and being the one in charge.  (I can skip school without the worry of detention!)

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

However if you stare at the black "+" in the center,
The moving dot turns to green.

Now, concentrate on the black "+" in the center of the picture.
After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you will only see only a single green dot rotating.

It's amazing how our brain works.
There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear.
This should be proof enough that we don't always see what we think we see.

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I have finally gone through my entire Summer Issue of TOS!  When I first got it in the mail, I did a quick flip through...and then I slowly went through it a second time to get to all the meaty information in there.

One of the interviews was about the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.    You have to check out this site and join!  It's FREE and the more members we have, the better the group purchasing power (read: DISCOUNT) we can get!  It's a very user friendly site, and they have great info on not only new/existing discounts on curriculum, computers, clothing, etc...but free stuff and information on contests throughout the country. 

One particular contest that has caught my eye is this one below-- it also looks like one that Dash and Tank would enjoy entering!

New York Institute of Photography Contest
Subject: Speed and Motion

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I know many of y'all have already checked out googleEarth, but this site is even better!  While the info is a little inaccurate at times, the pics are fairly recent (2005 or 2006).

Kinda scary though...I feel like someone is watching me...

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Wowzers!  Have y'all seen my new do?  Yup, no more boring blah blog for me...I'm now out of the stone ages with my fancy schmancy fantabulously fantastic blog!  Maybe not for content, but definitely in appearance.

You likeeeee?

I wish I could take all the credit for this...but I can't.  While I do have a few html codes up my sleeve, the elegance and talent and very cool graphics are courtesy of our dear Amber's new venture-- Ambers Heart of Art. 

THANK YOU AMBER!!!

I still can't believe I have a look that actually expresses my own personal taste.  Weird how it changes your perspective of a person, huh?

Okay, that's all for now.  Be sure to check out Amber's Heart of Art and tell her how talented she is!  I'm sure she can cook up the perfect graphics that expresses your own personal tastes and style.

Love,

Marsha who is so extremely excited about my fabuloso new look!!!

PS  Check out Amber's latest contest for some free graphics-- all you have to do is take a poll!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Nope, not your kids or your nose!  Time to pick your own fruit!  I know the Ig's have already gone...Coie's posted some great pics of their strawberry endeavors.  Here in Texas, strawberry season has only a couple of weeks left and we still have two more to go until the blueberries are ready.

Click here to find out what's available in your state!  Don't forget to CALL AHEAD to see what's available... Also, be sure to pack sunscreen and insect repellent.  You may even be able to bring a picnic and make a fun day of it!  I usually go blueberry picking twice-- once by myself (for the sheer solitude and quiet) and once with the kids (because they just love it!).  Have fun!!!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Sagerats is having a contest to help promote The HSB County Fair where you can sell and buy used curriculum, EVEN teacher edition's/guide's/answer key's, with no host percentage fees!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I was looking through my friends' blogs and came across a post that was a bit frightening.  Sagerats was writing about some information she got from her sitemeter.  I have a statcounter but no sitemeter on my blog.  Apparently, you can find information about the people that visit your blog-- like the site they came from and the site they went to after visiting.

I know Amy (DandelionSeeds) has mentioned at length about internet safety as well...and using safe codes for our children.  If you haven't already thought about nicknames or using the safecode, maybe now would be a good time to do that.

Also, AmyBeth has written a good post on The Company Porch on how to keep your blog from showing up on a Google Search.  I haven't done this yet, but I will now!  I was rather surprised at church last night when a friend mentioned that they had come across my blog!  What???  No one at church knows about my blog.  Apparently, they were doing a search on radiant barrier paint (which I mentioned in a previous post complaining about my electric bill).  Zoiks!  No telling what I've talked about in previous posts that could lure some sicko to my site (implies no reference to my friend at church).

I hope this has given some of y'all food for thought.   I know we can't live in fear or anything, but it doesn't hurt to take some simple measures to increase our privacy.  And be careful which words you choose to use in your writings...at least throw those weird a*ster*isk*s* or other symbols to mix things up.

Speaking of privacy...  

On Sunday night, someone charged 1.00 to our credit card.  The fraud department notified us since the transaction detail only came through with a bunch of letters (instead of a store name, etc).  We were told that it is common for a low amount such as a dollar to be used to "test" the card first...before further fraudulent charges are made.  I am SO thankful that they found it in time and we were able to cancel our card immediately and reissue a new one!  So be sure to always check your statements VERY carefully!  Our cards have been in our possession so I have no idea where this fraud originated.

I promise a peppier post tomorrow (hopefully!). :-)

Love,

Marsha

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Great post written by one smart momma!  I'll have to remember what she tells her children...

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Our electric bill is going up every month.  Last year, the fuel surcharge was almost as much as our usage bill.   I just got a letter from our electric company saying that they are anticipating the fuel surcharge to be more than the usage bill this year!  With temps already being in the 90s, we cannot afford another summer of high bills-- especially with  summer being almost year-round here in Houston!

We have put in additional insulation, got all new double-paned argon gas windows, attic fans, radiant barrier paint on the inside of the attic, new front doors, and caulked and sealed every nook and cranny.  Plus, we have one of those programmable thermostats (set at 77) and ceiling fans in almost every room of the house.  And yet, our bill for March was still over $160.  That means that when it really gets hot, it will be waaaay over $350 (at least).  I have no idea what prices are in other parts of the country, but that is really high!!!

Since we will be in the market for a new roof soon (a metal one this time), I thought I'd start researching alternative energy sources. Do any of you use photovoltaic cells (solar energy)???  Do you know anyone who does?  I would LOVE to hear any advice, info, etc. that you can share about your experiences!!!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Well, we finally survived our week of ickiness.  Littlest man (aka Chunky-Monkey) showed a glimmer of wellness today.  It has been one very l-o-n-g week!!!  My parents, on the other hand, didn't fare so well.  My mom and dad were both sick all weekend...my mom is still recovering.  *sigh*  Poor babies...even if they are my mommy and daddy.   I wish I could take care of them like they take care of me.  But the last thing they need is for me to bring even more sick germs their way!

So your continued prayers are coveted.  Especially for my parents.

Meanwhile, I've been meaning to post this absolute cool idea from Jennifer.  She wrote this comment regarding my post about Tank's new fabulous world of reading...but it's also great for celebrating littlest man's recovery from what ailed him.

Something we do in our family, that I should probably blog about, is lighting the victory candle. When someone in our family accomplishes something or a blessing happens or we just recover from illness, we light a victory candle, usually at dinner time. We then praise Jesus for allowing the accomplishment and have the person pray and thank Jesus for what they did.

For example, when our son learned to ride a bike, we lit the candle and he said, "Thank you Jesus that I can now ride a bike" and we elaborated and thanked God for the healthy body that works properly and for providing the bike. It's a great way to show excitement for the child, but to give the credit to Jesus.

Isn't she one smart cookie?!  While I forgot about this idea tonight, we will definitely have to light a victory candle tomorrow at lunch!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

I am proud to announce that we have one more reader in the family-- Tank!  I am so very proud of my big-but-little-4.5yo guy!

This last week we started Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (see link in my sidebar) and finished 12 lessons in one week.  Every time he read a word correctly, he'd excitedly suck in his breath and clap his hands.  Words cannot adequately express how cute and amazing he is-- and how my heart melts when he'd clap for himself.  You'd think he just won a million dollars or something!  I must admit that I had my work cut out for me since he already knew all of his letter sounds before we started (thanks to Leapfrog's Letter Factory DVD).  Plus our lessons are extra short since we leave out the writing part of 100 Easy Lessons.

What I love the most about this book is that the lessons are short enough for their limited attention spans.  It is also fully scripted-- so it tells you exactly what to say and when.  It even tells you what to do!  So no advanced planning or prep work is necessary...you just pick up the book and get going.  The biggest bonus by far has to be that they are reading real words within the first week!!!  Talk about a sense of accomplishment!

Another little incentive I cooked up for him was to create a 100's chart.  Actually it started with 0 and went to 100 (in Math-U-See fashion).  So every 10th number was green and number 100 was in large, bold, very red print.  After each lesson, Tank is allowed to place a small sticker on the number that corresponds to the lesson we finished.  When he reaches a green number he and his big brother get a small treat like a piece of gum or candy.  When he finishes Lesson 100 we ALL get to go to Chuck E. Cheese!  I used this same technique with Dash and it worked wonders-- so well, actually, that he never made it to 100.  After Lesson 80 I couldn't bear to keep him "dumbed down" by forcing him to read the stories in the book when he could read real books instead.  So there was no CEC for him since he never reached 100-- just don't tell him that, okay?  He has yet to make that connection!

Oh and we make a very big BIG deal about getting his own library card at the end as well.

HIP-HIP-HOORAY FOR TANK!!!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Dh and I are making plans to spend a week in China next month.  It is going to be very, very, very cold but also very affordable...after all, it is winter!  Only the crazies go to China on vacation during the winter!  And only the uber-crazy choose to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary (albeit a few months early) in such a cold place...Have I mentioned that it is going to be really cold?

Dash expressed his concern to daddy the other day.

Daddy, you better be careful in China!  If you read your Bible there, the church police will put you in jail for a very, very long time!  And you can't pray in China or read your Bible or go to church.

This all came about when Dash noticed my Voice of the Martyrs poster on the wall of our schoolroom.  It was a great springboard to talk about how we need to be thankful for the country we live in and the freedoms we have.  It also allowed us to talk at length about how we need to pray for these people in other countries and even send them cards and letters.

I ran across this VOM site today that is more suited for children.   Check it out and read it with your kids!  Take every opportunity to encourage a heart for missions, a compassion for lost souls and to show them God's power in these people's lives!

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

Our extremely talented friend Tammy, whom I have been ooohhhing and aaaahhhing over lately, is having her very own super-duper CONTEST!!!

Trust me, you are NOT going to want to miss this!!!

I must confess that it was a battle just to post this on my blog because the more entries there are, the slimmer my chances of winning...

Posted in Good Ideas and Interesting Stuff

We LOVE our TV Guardian!  It not only filters language on movies but on most TV shows as well.  We bought it from our local Family Christian Store but I know you can buy it online as well.  Here's a link: http://tvguardian.com/gshell.php 

The best thing is that it filters out whole phrases instead of just the bad word.  If it was a single word, I know we can all mentally fill in the blank.  We also have it set to insert a written phrase when one is deleted.  When the new phrase pops up, you automatically read it (you can't help it!) and it keeps you from mouth-reading the offensive phrase.  Cool, huh?

We've been really pleased and it has really opened our eyes to the shows that have so much bad language we seem to have "missed"-- when there's more reading than sound, you know it's bad!  I highly recommend this to everyone...it even has several settings from moderate to strict (we have ours set to the highest level of filtering).  If ya'll have any questions, just send me an e-mail!