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 19^th 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!)

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 Books^TM, a division of

Knowledge Quest, Inc.

www.KnowledgeQuestMaps.com

1.877.697.8611

A good month! :-)

A Facebook friend recently let me know about Pandora.com internet radio. I LOVE this site. You simply type in the name of an artist you like and it will start playing songs that are musically similar. THEN, you can click the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on each song it plays to further fine-tune and allow it find your likes.

I started out by entering "Jack Johnson" and have been pleased with almost all the songs that have been pulled. This is a fun and FREE way to hear new music and find songs you might like. (I can't wait to add "Todd Agnew" and "Creedence Clearwater" stations to see what I get for them)

New music works for me! To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

We're very proud of Brad and haven't updated about him in some time. He spent this last summer fighting fire for the DNR around Spokane, WA and was promoted to Engine Leader. He really enjoys this work, though it seems it's not an "undangerous" as I was initially led to believe. Here are some pics from this summer.

Apparently, they DO have time to stop and pose during work. lol (Most of these were taken with camera phones, so aren't high quality)

I thought this was a neat picture, with the light shining down like that.

When Brad got his evaluation he had great marks and a comment that he was their first interview choice, from 41 applicants!

Brad is now back at Eastern WA State Uiversity, finishing up his Criminal Justice degree, but seriously considering a switch to fire. He got hired on at the Cheney volunteer fire department and is getting paid to complete the rest of his fire training.

Last week, Brad applied to the cadet program, which would allow him to work with the police department. They usually like to hire students with two years of school left, so the fact that Brad only had one, was somewhat of a detriment. We weren't sure how much it would count against him. The department had four slots and forty applicants.

Brad made it! He should be starting work this week. He had planned to finish school in March, but will now take extra classes and take the last quarter, since he has to be in school to participate in the cadet program. That way he'll get a whole year of experience. His supervisor said he wanted to help him build a great portfolio and make sure he got a job upon graduation.

Congrats, Brad!!

 We are using Mystery of History this year and the kids are loving it. I also purchased Illuminations (currently in beta testing) to go with it. I'm not using many of the components of that program but love the scheduled read-alouds, Family Study Guides, Graphic Organizers and Netflix movie suggestions to go with the lessons.

So far this year we've read:

Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick. I almost didn't get this book because it sounded a bit dry and studious. I'm SOO glad I did. It was great! It really helped me with the who's who in the Bible.

The Secret of the Scribe is a great book about a slave that escapes death and disguises herself as a boy to earn a living as a scribe in Ur. Exciting and full of good info on early Sumeria.

And this week we will be finishing up The Golden Goblet. This story is kind of a detective story that takes place in Egypt. Again, lots of references to the culture we've been learning about. This book is a real page turner. The main character, Ranofer, is involved in many difficult situations that make for good, "What would you do?" discussions.

 We've also watched:

-Greatest Places: IMAX

-Noah's Ark

-Dinosaur

-Project Dinosaur (recommended)

-Great Pyramids of Egypt

-Mummies

Below, the kids are excavating fossils from "dinosaur eggs". They were then able to put their skeletons together. I also have pictures of our Cuneiform tablets and Brayden's Zigurrat, but seem to have misplaced them. I'll try and find them and get them up shortly.

 I'm really pleased to have a curriculum that we are all (me included!) enjoying so much!

This Saturday you can get into any Smithsonian affiliated museum at no charge. Simply go HERE to find a participating museum in your area (there were several in my area and we're pretty rural). Then click on the "Admission Card" tab to print out your free pass. Free field trips Work For Me! To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips visit Shannon HERE.

And, from earlier posts this week, see how to keep the family from dumping stuff on your dining table HERE. And my loose shoe solution HERE.

I have a good friend with impeccable taste. It's always so fun to visit her house and just soak in the serenity and beauty. One of the things she does, is to always have a fully set dining table, with her pretty dishes out, and seasonal decor. In fact, she cracked me up because they are just building a new house and moving. She was not even close to moved in, with boxes everywhere, but had set up her dining table. You gotta love it! As she said, "Priorities!" lol

When I was at Walmart last week I found a tablecloth, napkins and napkin holders that I really liked and thought, "why not?" I'd purchased gold chargers on sale after Christmas last year and by everyday dishes matched just fine. (I have a large set with plenty left for everyday use) So I set up a "pretty" table that I plan to leave set.  I really enjoy walking in and seeing it each time I come in the door.

But the real added bonus?? NO ONE LEAVES PILES OF STUFF ON THE TABLE ANYMORE!! That was normally, the first place "stuff" would get dropped when someone came in the door. What a lovely solution to an annoying problem.

And we did use the table for Kevin's birthday. Brad will be home on Monday, for two days, and I think we'll use the dining table then as well. Gee...we might actually start using this room now!

Do you have this problem?

This really makes me nuts. You see, we have a lovely entry off the front door, with plenty of space inside for shoes, but NO ONE uses the front door. Seriously.

We also have a mudroom off the back door, with a basket reserved just for shoes. Guess what? No one uses the back door, either.

Everyone uses the side door that comes directly into our dining room. I HATE the messy pile of shoes that is always outside the door and have been trying to come up with a viable solution for some time. Well, yesterday I was walking to the store and our little gift shop had this wheelbarrow display case sitting out front for $35. They'd bought it to use as a display for the store, but it didn't work for them. (It still had the $149 price tag still on it)

What a perfect place to put shoes. It was cute as could be but the color, a pretty springy green, really clashed with the house. Still, don't those shoes look ever so much better on their shelves?

Today, I painted the doors on the house and went through my odball paints to find something to paint the little cart with. I showed dh my choice and he was confused because it didn't match the house. I mean, I have all this house paint, why wouldn't I just paint it with that? Honestly, I TRIED to explain that I didn't want it to "match" but rather, wanted it to "coordinate". I think he thought I was nuts.

Nonetheless, I think it turned out lovely. In fact, I think I might even use this color on the porch floor. (If I can figure out what color it is) Up until now, we were thinking the dark chocolate that is on the trim. But is shows dirt and dust terribly. What do you think?

Oh! I plan to reserve the top shelf for seasonal decor to make the shoes even less noticeable. Next trip to the store I'll grab some pumpkins to put up top.

You know, if you compare the pic before the cart and door were painted and the pic after they are painted ... isn't it amazing what a difference a few coats of paint and the right colors make?

Kevin turned 19 on the 16th and joined us for dinner with his girlfriend, Bethany.

This was taken post-dinner, hence the plateless chargers. And that Christmas hotpad was covered up during the meal. I promise. ROFL

Opening gifts...

....see, when you hit "adult land" you get "fun" gifts like towels and sheets!

Actually, we did get him a DVD player as well. But he was most impressed by this...

Wanna see a close-up? (We find this amusing because Kevin is hard to get to smile or show a lot of emotion, so this is way out there for him)

And just what is this amazing gift? An Alien ID card that Paige found when we visited Seattle and insisted I get it for Kevin. (It cost a whole $2.95) I guess I need not worry about him being too grown up yet. ;-)

I've been promising updated house pics for weeks and keep putting it off. Unfortunately, I'm not getting as far along as I'd like. Today I'd hoped to do the stairs and start on the porch posts and corbels. However, the weather failed to cooperate and it sprinkled most of the day. I went ahead and painted the doors and finished some trim under the porch.

We need to replace the porch skirting by the driveway before I paint it. Well, I guess there's one small piece I could paint. then I need to sand the rails, posts, corbels and soffit area so I can paint it. I'm totally burnt out on this project but would really like to have the porch put back together before the weather gets bad so I'm hoping I get a second wind and get back to it this week.

Here's where we started. Well, not really. That was after quite a bit of sanding. The house didn't really look that bad! lol

The last update I took was a few weeks ago.

And below is today. Now, since then, I did the entire left side, which isn't in the photo. lol Please ignore all the little oddball things. Like that white corner piece of trim on the porch that should be dark. Yes, I know it's there. I had to patch some wood and have yet to sand. There are quite a few things like that.

I also had dh chop off all the bushes by both steps. I wan't to do some actual landscaping next spring and some of the bushes were really overgrown. I just want a clean start, even if the stumps do look weird for now.

You can finally access the front door, too! The porch and posts are all replaced.

I painted the doors today. That was fun and gave it some punch. i also found a wreath that matched the house colors perfectly and dh put up the new porch lights. And I put up the house numbers as well. (This pic looks dark)

And here's the side door. The color is a bit more true here. Actually, it might be a bit more red than it actually is. The actual colors are somewhere between the two. lol Maye I should paint the front screen door red, too. What do you think?

And no, the porch will not be blue. I'm still not sure what color it will be. But not blue. I painted that little cart today and I'm kind of thinking that might look good on the porch. Of course, I have no clue what color it is as it was one of my oddball quarts and the label is faded. lol I'll post more about the cart later.

For those of you, like me, that already have children out of the home, you already know. The time DOES go fast. Yep, that little old lady in the grocery store who smiled sweetly and assured you that you'd cherish this time (as you wiped the runny nose of one child and grabbed candy from another) was right! I know, you probably knew that, even if it did seem a bit hard to believe at the time.

But as #1 is finishing college and preparing to marry and #2  has been out of the home for over a year, the reality of those words hit home. They do make me better appreciate the time I have with the three that are still here.

Familyman Todd Wilson has a great post on this over on his website, titled Marbles Matter. It's geared to dads so you can pass it on to the hubby, but it's a good read for moms, too.