This week's Featured Blogger is Diamonds In The Rough!
"Mrs. Diamond" and I have been getting to know each other through our blogs. Her "Diamondettes" (I refuse to cal them lumps of coal), have been blog friends with my girls for awhile now. It's fun to meet families as a family on HSB!
Now there are TONS of blog posts I could link you to, but I had such a hard time deciding what to go with. I've opted to link to categories, that way you can see a bunch of posts at one time.
The first category up is Emily's 400 Questions, and Mrs. Diamond isn't kidding when she makes that claim! Some of the questions her daughter comes up with will surely make you chuckle and wonder where that question came from. Others are very thought provoking. All are fun to read! Now if Mrs. Diamond would put the answers she'd have her own Q & A Encyclopedia!
Ever wonder what it's like to live in the desert? Then the category Life in the Desert is what you want to click on! It's hot, it's cold, and it's always full of blessings--and lessons from the Lord.
With the holidays coming up you are more than likely looking for some new recipes. Try this little recipe "book" Recipes From My Kitchen. The recipe that is a family favorite for my family is the Dutch Baby. Yummo!
My all time favorite category though is Diamonds and Other Gems. Wow! There are some lessons to learn here! Like the worth of diamonds--and souls.
Please click on over and say hello to my friend, DiamondsInTheRough!
Tia Linchied
Senior Editor of HSB
It is so sad that events occurred yesterday at Fort Hood, north of state capital Austin, near Killeen, Texas, during the same week that we had chosen to honor our Veterans and write about honoring them. I'm assuming by now everyone has heard that a shooter, a psychiatrist major, opened fire upon his fellow soldiers, killing 12 and wounding 31. Thankfully, he was stopped before the statistics became higher, and in this case, he survived and is in stable condition (as of Thursday night). It is sad that for whatever reason he snapped. Sadder still that he happens to have an ethnic name, helping others to automatically put blame towards domestic terrorism. (Although things are coming out that his religion, Islam, might have contributed to his thoughts and actions.)
Last night, I was at my dog class, which is held at an National Guard Armory in Fort Worth. In fact, due to the Fort Hood event, they were asking us to lock the front door behind us as we came and went. We voiced our support to them. Being there and having to be in a "lock-down" situation helped to put a face on those who serve us by being willing to protect us and our country.
You never know when your path will cross with those who have served (or who are serving). I want to encourage you to voice your support and appreciation for and to them. It can be a simple "thank you for your service;" it doesn't have to be anything elaborate or overly formal. (I usually include our police officers and fire-fighters also, since they serve and protect us "closer to home.")
Reach out to those who come across your path and show them your appreciation for their service. They deserve our respect and gratitude.
Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, Donna's mother, Charlotte, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completed his homeschooling in the fall of 2008. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One in 2003, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can find these free resources, including a message board for those who HOO, on her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC
copyright © 2009 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.
In researching for this post I found this quote on the VA website,
"A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."
VA site for kids
Why join the military? The money isn't terribly good. Starting pay is nice but it doesn't keep up with the private sector. The locations are great but even a tropical island is blah after the third holiday you don't see your family. Then there is boot camp and the continual physical tests and challenges that are just plain hard. So why join the military?
I can tell you why we did. My husband and I both chose to serve. Someone must stand on the line and say no further. I will protect my family and friends. I will stand up for my rights and those of my neighbors. I chose to serve because it is a responsibility as a citizen of the United States of America that I am able to fulfill.
Times change and now we are no longer in the military. I am glad that I had that chance. Now how can I continue that sense of service to country? This year we are looking into sending packages and cards to soldiers around the world.
American Red Cross Cards for Heroes
I would like to thank the veterans out there! Thank you for your dedication and willingness to serve and protect. God bless!
Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 8 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's page at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/ or at Special Needs Homeschooling.
Photo Treasures--
With today's digital camera capabilities, we have awesome opportunities to snap those perfect shots of our own families, and often we do--only to have them sit for years--unused or lost somewhere in computer limbo.
Plus! You can get this month's November Molly's Digest for FREE when you buy a Molly's
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Smile BIG now . . . Molly's Special Feature for November is:
Whether you long for new ideas for feasting, frolicking, or festooning during the coming months, Molly offers help and insight through this fun and fascinating issue. Keep your camera handy though, and get ready to seize and snap those unforgettable moments.
- Become a master at taking meaningful photos, and do more with them!
- Learn about digital photo editing, options for photo storage, and benefit from many hyperlinked sources of information.
- Take a blow-up photo idea to create a lovely, multi-functional, display piece.
- See what one creative mom did with old curtains.
- Enjoy saving with coupons--when you know where to find them.
- Start scrapbooking and do it less expensively!
- Discover how one family's dream of owning their own home came true with an antique fixer-upper!
- Save time, and feed your hungry family with a week's worth of delicious slow-cooker recipes, including some yummy slow-cooker desserts.
- And much more!
Take a more detailed look at the many topics you'll find:
- Family Photography (November's Feature): Grab your camera and the kids and get ready to "create a memory, not just a picture." (You'll love all the photo examples too.)
- Take Great Pictures of Your Family: By Becky Emerick, professional photographer and homeschool mom. Why pay big bucks when you can do it yourself? Create lasting memories with the who, what, when, where, why, and how of taking pictures of your own kids. You'll learn practical information and expert advice. What backdrops should you use? Think of using great-grandma's rocking chair. How do you discipline during your photo shoot? What about digital photo editing? Becky lists good software programs--including some that are free. Become inspired to really capture the photos you want with some wonderful tips and examples.
- Be Your Family's Best Photographer: Take Great Photos and Do More With Them! Digital photography has revolutionized picture-taking in most homes. What can you learn about storing photos? There are many links to further your photography education. Have you thought of making personalized photo gifts? Want free online lessons? Links to craft and project sites? Think Thanksgiving and Christmas--you'll love the ideas presented to use those perfect family photos.
- Slice Grocery Spending in Half and Double Your Groceries: Couponing, Part 3. This third installment on couponing will give you more than enough reason to pull out your scissors and get serious! The Sunday newspaper is a great place to find the bulk of your coupons--but not the only place. Online? At the store? In magazines? In the mail? Coupon clippers? Have you ever thought to just ask the manufacturer for them? Amy Howard shares her experience and advice once again to help you enjoy saving with coupon basics.
- On Sale in November: Thanksgiving items, Halloween candy, and Black Friday sales come to mind, but don't stop there! Every month different items are discounted, and you won't want to miss out. What items will you stock up on for the approaching holiday season?
- Save Money on Scrapbooking: What's the drawback to digital photography? Do you have years' worth of photos stored on your computer? Don't lose those memories! Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby, and it doesn't have to cost a lot. Learn many things about storing, sorting, and saving photos, as well as how to scrapbook on a limited budget. Where do you look for clearance sales? Discover the time-saving method of digital scrapbooking and get the list of free digital scrapbook supply sites. Your children can have fun creating their own pages too!
- A Room With a View: Aubrey Lively shows off her creative talents with a lovely room-divider version of the family photo frame. Wow! Check out this functional but priceless treasure, complete with instructions and lots of photos.
- Favorite Slow-Cooker Meals and Desserts: Starting with the recipe for Slow-Cooker Lasagna, you'll find complete recipes for seven meals and three desserts. Your family will gobble up this slow-cooker smorgasbord: Vegetarian Chili; Cheesy Chicken; Pot Roast; Southwestern Egg Casserole (an easy breakfast!); Fish Chowder; Baked Ham; Cherry Cobbler; Turtle Cake; and Baked Apples. Yum!
Get your scissors and scrapbook supplies ready . . .
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There's much more in the November Molly's Digest . . .
- What to Celebrate in November? Thanksgiving, of course, but you probably didn't know that it is Peanut Butter Lover's Month or that the 3rd is Housewife's Day and the 15th is Clean Your Refrigerator Day. And the 17th has three different holidays to celebrate all at once. Liven up a few special days and make yours a very interesting November.
- Smile More--Stress Less: Laugh along with Familyman Todd Wilson's cartoon in this month's Parenting That Pays. The holidays can be stressful times when we find ourselves getting impatient with the children and losing our focus of what's important. Most parents could probably use these tips on smiling when you just don't feel like it. Enjoy a thoughtful poem and a suggestion for taking that family holiday photo. (Molly always has such encouraging thoughts for parents.)
- What to Do About Grandmother's Curtains: This was Aubrey's dilemma when two boxes full of old, mismatched curtains didn't quite meet her window needs. These lovely curtains turned into lovely _______. Well, you'll just have to read the article and see the results for yourself.
- Goal-Getter Spotlight: It's a story full of hope and the labor of love an entire family of eight worked on to make their dream of owning a home come true. Buy a house with their $5,000 savings? Make it livable only two months later? Yes and yes! Renovating their new, 110-year-old home provided a lot of excitement for this family. Michelle tells the cheerful story of their fixer-upper "palace."
- Readers Write In: Even more photography tips and a frugal craft idea are shared by Molly's readers.
- Molly's Question of the Month: Have you ever made and kept a New Year's resolution? What was it, and how did you succeed? Molly would love to hear your story!
- Words Worth Saving: Consider these relevant quotes and apply them to your daily living!
- Directory of Links: For those of you who print and bind your Digests, you'll have easy access to over two dozen fantastic links worth saving in the back of this issue. It makes your Digest easier to use!
when you purchase
Molly's "Family Photography" issue!
Molly's readers are enthusiastic about the November issue. Here are some of their comments:
"One of the 'school' projects that we're going to work on next summer (okay--I'm disguising schoolwork as fun!) is digital photography. . . . The November issue of Molly's Digest is going to really help me out with our lessons. I've been learning tips from how to set up a photo and how to suit the photo subjects, to how to get interesting angles and perspectives (e.g. getting down on my knees). All of these tips will help us in learning how to take great photos--ones that are really interesting. Let's not forget that once you get finished taking the pictures, you need to do something with them . . . after reading Molly's November issue, I have been enlightened to the many ways to organize a photo album (by trip, event, by child, etc.) other than just by date order. These tips are really going to come in handy. . . . If you haven't ordered your November issue yet, don't wait, and order it today. It'll definitely be worth the small investment!"
"As Molly's niche is being frugal, this month's Digest also has part three of couponing written by Amy Howard, who now tells us where we can find coupons to help us save when we are shopping. Doesn't everyone want to save in the current economic climate? The usual places like the newspaper are not the only ones she lists--some of these places I never would have thought of to obtain coupons from! This is a great resource for anyone wanting to gain more knowledge about couponing. . . . There is so much more in Molly's November Digest, and I could continue to rave about it but I won't. . . . Once you get the November issue, you'll want to get the back issues; they are truly worth their weight in the money-saving ideas that are included each month . . . !"
"To start off this November's Digest, she talks about saving money grocery shopping; how to make purchases using coupons, sales, and store-saver cards. Can you imagine saving $19,000 in one year of grocery shopping? How awesome that would be! . . . I looooove scrapbooking, but with the kids home all day everyday with homeschooling them, fitting scrapbooking into our daily schedule has been a chore. But after reading this E-Book, I'm so hyped to begin scrapbooking again. . . . I have a new digital camera and I am planning to use lots of Molly's advice (well, not technically Molly's advice but Becky Emerick's). Great pointers!"
"For years I have been spending money on cameras, film, and processing just to have them sit in a box waiting to be placed in an album--if they ever were processed at all. I found myself frustrated at the piles and piles of pictures that I had gathered from those I had taken and the many given by family and friends and even more frustrated that I had lost some pictures in all the chaos. I did not know where to start to get my photos in a presentable format, but I knew it was going to cost a fortune! It had never occurred to me that I could stretch our dollars and get great pictures that were arranged and presented in creative ways at the same time. That is, until this month's issue of Molly's Money-Saving Digest! . . . I am looking forward to those crisp days of fall with my stack of pictures and a plate of Slow-Cooker Cherry Cobbler. Who knows--by spring I just may have a scrapbook or two to share!"
Think of all the money you save by using a digital camera--no film to buy and process or unwanted pictures going to waste! It's worth the small price of $4.95 to come away with fabulous tips and information you can begin to use right away--minimizing frustrations while helping you create, rescue, and hold on to all those treasured photo memories! Plus, you get all the rest that Molly's Digest has to offer--wonderful recipes, creative projects--well just go back and reread all of the above!
Molly's Money-Saving Digest has another treat for you in December. The special feature is Comfort and Joy for Christmas, focusing on faith, family, and friends, just in time for frugally maximizing your holiday home. You won't want to miss it.
You'll more than recover your investment and find encouragement to keep going strong in your commitment to the Lord and your family. That's what Molly's Digests are all about.
Over 30 Pages--A wealth of information and support for a wonderfully low price!
November Molly's Money-Saving Digest!
Join Molly daily and follow her
adventures in fiscally-responsible homemaking at
www.Econobusters.com.
And then keep watching for next month's Molly's Money-Saving Digest.
This week's entry will be brief (perhaps a welcome alteration from my usual ramblings for some of you busy homeschool moms!). As always, the homeschool high school does not typically have a lot of "room" for "extra projects" or holiday crafts. So what to do about Veteran's Day in relation to my blog's focus, homeschooling through high school?
It is my personal opinion (and ONLY my personal opinion) that one of the greatest gifts this country can give to our veterans is to teach our children the history of our nation's battles. The very fact that the Korean War is nick-named "The Forgotton War" belies the lack of intentionality which most American's apply to their study of American history.
Philosopher, poet, literary and cultural critic George Santayana is known to have penned, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In the grand scheme of world history, America is but a babe of a nation. In comparison with, say, Europe or Asia, we here in America really don't have that much history to remember! Homeschool moms and dads, as I reflect upon Veteran's Day, we owe it to the brave men and women who have fought and/or died in service to this great nation of which we have been blessed to be a part, to teach our children their history, and to teach it to them well. Require a deep consideration of history at this, the high school level. And, most importantly, unfold our nation's history...our world's history...by looking at it from the overarching viewpoint and plan of the Author of human history. It is, afterall, HIS-story.
I have recommended it before, and I'll recommend it again: the best history curriculum for high school that I have come across is Diana Waring's "History ALIVE!" Beginning with Creation and ending with the VietNam War, the curriculum is a three year tour through the history of the world ALL presented in a format that is glued to the Guiding Hand of God as presented in the Bible. You and your students will learn to see His purpose in each and every event for achieving His desires for His people, all laid out in Scripture. In the process, you will cover history, literature, composition, geography, art and architecture...even cooking! Every learning style is accomodated with Diana's coursework, and the course is a dynamic learning experience.
Give a veteran an important gift during these important years in your homeschool. Give a veteran a young adult who comprehends the gift that our veterans have given us.
May God bless you and your homeschool this week!
Lori
Lori Havens has been married to Kevin for 24 years. They live in Illinois with their two sons, Bryan (17) and Nathan (16), and dog Sunny (9). Lori enjoys writing, gardening, reading, and the outdoors. She is the author of "Should I Be A Nurse? A Journey of Self-Exploration for Those Considering a Career in Nursing" and "7 Essential Questions Every Future Nurse Must Ask." You can find her blogging at both Homeschool Blogger and Homestead Blogger .
- Fields with God--enter by Nov. 15 for a chance to win this encouraging book!
- A Journey Home--Lisa's offering this delightful DVD again! Enter by Nov. 15.
- Easy Homeschooling Techniques--Hurry to enter this contest! Deadline is Nov. 5.
Veterans Day is an opportunity to create some red, white, and blue treats with your family.
A Flag Cake or one of the ideas from my 4th of July Fun post are all tasty possibilities.
For a bit of history, try this War Cake recipe created during wartime when many food items were rationed.
Perhaps your family would like to bless the veterans in your community with some home-baked goodies. How about a plate of star-shaped sugar cookies topped with red, white, and blue decorations? If all that rolling and cutting is a bit much for your group, make something simpler like a batch of drop cookies, and let the children decorate white paper bags to put the cookies in with markers and patriotic stickers. You can be sure that your thoughtfulness and generosity will be appreciated no matter how fancy the cookies.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Blessings,
Catherine
Catherine Love lives in the heart of Texas with her husband Carl, and their 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. They enjoy cooking, gardening, and learning new things as they pursue a lifestyle of learning together as a family. You can read Catherine's Kitchen Adventures and more on her blog- Seeds of Love.
Her article "The Cart Before the Horse" is a fabulous reminder to put first things first. I so often get derailed and the things that should be my highest priorities become usurped by foolish wheel-spinning. I also thoroughly enjoyed her reflections in her "Mommy's Toolbox" on order. Not every post is abstract and philosophical--several are hands-on, practical application. If you poke around her blog, she'll even give a detailed account of precisely how she deep cleans a bathroom.
Domestic Chaos Tamer and Homeschool Mom of Five, Dell writes about home, heart and hearth.
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