Well at our house we’ve been battling colds, sore throats and coughs.My oldest daughter always gets a cough that seems to hang on forever and we usually end up at the doctor’s with a $20 co-payment and a really expensive prescription cough syrup that doesn’t do much.This year I thought I’d seek out another option.
I found this homemade cough syrup.We figured it couldn’t hurt being all natural and she doesn’t like the taste of commercial cough syrups anyway so this couldn’t be worse, right?It’s got cayenne pepper, ginger, honey and vinegar in it.I won’t say it tastes awful but not good either. It sure does open you up!
My oldest son was battling the stuffy nose part and he really liked it for that.
Another thing you may or may not have tried is the neti pot.I know even the name sounds weird but it’s wortha try.I’m not even going to attempt to explain it just click on the site I’ve linked.It really does help.Oh, and neti pots can be kind of pricey but did you notice (if you click on the site) how similar it looks to a personal tea pot like you see at the dollar store?Works for me!
Well despite my efforts I finally gave in and went to the doctor for antibiotic since I do have a sinus infection.Part of the problem I think is that I didn’t start using the neti pot soon enough.I kind of forgot about it until a friend say, “…are you using a neti pot?”Then I remembered but I think it was too late.
How do I forget these things?
Well I hope this finds you healthy but if not give some home remedies a try, it just might save you some time and money!
• Nov. 22, 2008 - Computers Help People Help People(Marketing credit: IBM)
Posted By Darla
Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what
is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it
may benefit those who listen.
There are many ways computers help us. It is a wonderful way to stay in touch with family far away, "meet" other christian women around the globe, and it can be such a blessing with homeschooling.
Assignment: Share some of your favorite homeschooling sites. The only "rule" for this assignment is that you have to list at least one "free" site.
Perhaps three years ago I wouldn't have appreciated this statement as much as I do at this point in my life. Moving around the world has opened my eyes to the resource that laid at my finger tips. So my post today will be about some of the things that have been a tremendous help to us.
1. Communication with family.
During an emergency call home on our pre-employment trip we spent 29 minutes on the phone. Our bill came to $130. YIKES. Obviously we needed to find a cheaper way to make our long distance phone calls.
This is VoIP - Voice over internet phone. It acts like a regular telephone - telemarketing calls and everything. The advantage is that our phone number didn't change from when we lived in the states and there are no international charges.
With Skype you can make free calls over the internet to other people on Skype for as long as you like, to wherever you like. It is free to download. www.skype.com
This is a new service and is great tool for video chats. It does require that you have a computer as does the previous application. The bonus is there isn't a monthly service charge for this service.
Con: Occasionally our service provider blocks this service.
2. Postal Delivery
As far as snail mail there are options such as Aramex or USAbox. Neither of these services are free and actually cost quite a bit. They are two of the choices for having your mail delivered if your company does not provide a mail forwarding service. There are advantages and disadvantes to both services. It depends on what you want to accomplish.
We haven't chosen one yet but we are close. I like some of the features of USA Box but it takes more work to set up initially. In the long run I believe it will be worth the inconvenience.
Our company does offer a mail forwarding service and so many pounds of materials a month for no extra fee. They will send us a bill or hold our boxes until we have the available free pounds. The downside is that they restrict some of the items going through and they open everything.
3. Favorite Homeschool websites.
There is a wealth of information out there and sites as well. So I'm going to list the ones that I use the most.
www.rainbowresources.com
This company will ship directly to Qatar. If we make a bulk shipment then they will sea freight our materials to us with a significant savings on shipping. It can take up to 3 months but it is worth it when I consider the savings on shipping.
www.simplycharlottemason.com
This company lays out a simple curriculum plan for those following the Charlotte Mason Method. Reviews of the books are available and some curriculum that they write.
www.amblesideonline.com
This is a conglomerate of mom's following the Charlotte Mason method that put together schedules for K-11th. I believe they are working on 12th grade. Most of the materials are available online. It is a great option for low budget homeschool families. The schedules are a bit intense. The materials are great. It takes getting used to reading materials that aren't twaddle. Well worth the effort in my opinion.
Yahoo groups. I've made good use of the support living so far away from active homeschooling groups. I usually join one or two groups based on the curriculum or methods of learning that we are following. They are invaluable for reviews of books or help during times of struggling. Currently, I regularly participate in
TJED Muse
Doha Home Educators
LDS Scripture Study
Artist Study CM
All American History
Ambleside Online Year 3
Homeschool Blogger has been an invaluable resource for inspiration. I subscribe to a number of different blogs. Most of those I subscribed to were members of a previous Yahoo Group that we shared.
Some of my favorites are...
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Jimmie/
Jimmy is the homeschool mom of one following a Charlotte Mason approach. Her site is filled with great ideas for lapbooks and cultural interest they are an expat family living in China.
http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/
Barb is following the Charlotte Mason approach with particular emphasis on art lessons and nature study. The nature study is on a different blog but you can find links there. I enjoy the beautiful pictures of flowers and find myself inspired to figure out our local flora and fauna.
There are quite a few more that I follow via my google reader. These are my favorites.
Harmony Art Mom recently posted about using StudentNewsDaily.com We were looking for a current events source that was more positive and less censored than our daily paper.
4. Library?
The cost of shipping charges now have an added fuel surcharge, I'm running out of physical space to store books, I've pared down our current selections as much as possible and we are trying to pay off our debt. I'm sure some of this sounds familiar.
We are very fortunate to have a fabulous
For our family there is an initial cost involved with this method. We are purchasing ebook readers for a majority of our books next year will be ebooks. It is a trend I can't fight with and when you consider that they can carry so many titles in a small space how could we argue with that. It won't be all our materials but mostly literature and reading.
I'm not sure what else to add except pictures. :) They are coming soon!
All of you living in Oklahoma need to read this article. They are trying to pass a law to allow child welfare officials to come into your home if you're child is overweight! It's time to call your legislators!
The Master's Loft has been Blessed to be a part of Kingdom building work in the Triad for 12 years (we opened November 15, 1996!). Now we are getting ready to announce some new and very exciting changes to our store and ministry. Stay tuned to your email...God is doing a very exciting work in our midst!
In the mean time, we have a lot of inventory we have to move and we just received a truck load (literally) of Art & Gift items so, our sale now includes:
20% off Art & Gift including Seasonal gifts and Christmas cards!
Everything in store is now on sale and we have our largest selection of the entire year - right now. So be sure to come by and check us out as we offer all of our great Books, Bibles, Music and Art & Gift items with sale prices from 15%* to 75% Off everything in the store!
We will be announcing details of our new and improved design in the days ahead. We look forward to seeing all of our friends over the coming weeks as we get ready for our changes and look forward with excitement and anticipation to what the Lord has ahead!
Most church supply items are 10% off.
All Books, Art & Gift, Software - 20% Off
All Bibles, Music, DVD's, Toys, Jewelry, Apparel, Accessories - 15% Off|
Dated Calendars - 25% Off
Come on in while we have our best stock of the year, a great time to get All your Christmas shopping done!
We are very excited about this new stage in our growth as a store and a ministry.? Our growth in serving The Body of Christ has been both a blessing and a pleasure and we look forward to what the Lord has 'in store' for us all on this new part of our journey!
Blessings,
The Master's Loft Gang
50 Miller St
Winston Salem, NC 27104
(336) 722-1825
This year there are lots of Christmas events going on here at the Jamestown Library.
Christmas is coming early; our festivities will be the weekend of Dec. 6 & 7.
Saturday, Dec. 6th at 10am:
We will be having a family movie morning, showing the kids classic, Polar Express. Hot chocolate and cookies will be available for everyone. Plus, we have invited a very special guest to join us that morning. (Hint: He's coming all the way from the North Pole!) Free entertainment for all ages.
Sunday afternoon, Dec. 7th:
After the Jamestown Christmas Parade, we bring the holiday cheer indoors. Something of interest and enjoyment for all: children's choir, authors to meet and greet, crafts to make and cookies to eat! Santa will read stories to all the children. There will also be an art exhibit to view and hot apple cider to keep you warm. As you leave the library after all the fun, you'll see the beautiful Friends of the Library Luminary display on the front lawn.
We ask you to join us. Please, forward this invite to all your friends and fellow homeschoolers.
Merry Christmas !
Eleanor Ratterman
Library Manager
Jamestown Library
PO Box 1437
200 West Main St.
Jamestown, NC 27282
(336) 454-4815 PH
(336) 454-0630 FAX
We woke up this morning to a beautiful sight, the first snow! I've not been feeling good and my throat hurts so I'm not singing but I'm humming and thinking this song:
The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
It sure looks like splendor and majesty to me! God could have made snow dull but I'm so glad he made it beautiful and I'm so thankful I live where I do and get to enjoy it right at my home.
• Nov. 15, 2008 - Niles Homeschool Make and Take it
Posted By Gina Reynolds
MAKE IT TAKE IT
What a great event for kids of all ages at the Evangelical Free Church in Niles. November 11th 2008, Moms got a small break while watching the creativity of their young ones unfold during the Make It Take It Christmas projects. Organized and directed by Michelle Prillwitz, who's hard work was greatly appreciated, was able to round up volunteers and enough materials to allow the children an extra special boost in gift giving this year. Grandparents, and parents alike, will be able to unwrap a gift made especially for them from tissue paper flowers to painted stockings and more, with each item created with love from the little hands they cherish.
There were even a few new faces and as new comer mom Sarah Snyder put it, "My kids had a blast making these gifts. Everyone was so kind to them and that it made it all the more special. We can't thank you enough."
So thank you Michelle, and all the volunteers, who worked hard to give our children confidence in creating reflections of themselves and Christmas gifts to give their loved ones this Christmas.
If you missed this special event this year, don't fret, there is always next year!
In History this week we did the Aztec’s among other things.My daughter Ariel decieded to do the diorama project of an Aztec home.
At our co-op we also did a little “lapbook” page if you will on Aztecs.Here’s my sample and one of the kids too.
We are finishing our Mystery of History book II after taking a break to cover government and the election.Below is the mom’s page that I do for our co-op with all the links for all of you interested in Mystery of History, it includes the last four weeks of semester II.You can find the rest of the 2nd semester from my previous post, here.
Each week I’ll try and post some of the finished work like I did above so check back if you’d like to see samples.
MOH rest of book II planning
The activities in red are ones we are planning on doing during the co-op and the blue links are optional for more information on your own.NB stands for notebook page.I have most of the notebook pages pdf (they are turned blue within my red, hope that makes sense) and linked but there may be a few I’ve not got pdf’ed yet so check back after those weeks are done and they are likely to be there.
√11/13 lesson 73 Dante Alighieri, poet of the middle ages
√11/13 lesson 74 Aztecs (The Mexica) All eat tortia’s by age and drink Aztec cocoa
ALL Folder book W/ cocoa recipe, sun calendar, codex (for codex cut 8 1/2 /x11 in half long ways then fold twice and refold accordian style, make "bark" construction paper covers) see picture above
• Nov. 14, 2008 - BFS 109 - We Bring Good Things To Life
Posted By Darla
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are atrue, whatsoever things arebhonest, whatsoever things arecjust, whatsoever things aredpure, whatsoever things areelovely, fwhatsoever things are of goodreport; if there be any gvirtue, and if there be any praise, hthink on these things. Philip 4:8
The passion to sing, the passion to draw, the passion to build, the passion to ride, the passion for reading, the passion for nature… the list is endless. Some children exhibit their passion from day one, others need an experience to spark that passion
Assignment: Share a field trip/lifestyle learning experience where you really felt you were bringing good things to life for your children, where something came alive for them, or ignited a passion.
These assignments are funny. Did you read my mind this week? There hasn't been much expression of passion for anything lately. The question I had is how to spark that passion? So I've been reading about it in Charlotte Mason's books and TJED.
Substantive Education quotes Karen Andreola’s, Charlotte Mason Companion, Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning book. “Charlotte urges us to give children a regular feeding of ideas through sweeping tales of history, wonderful inventions and discoveries in science, lives of great men and women, stories that relate to the moral life as well as paintings, plays, Psalms, poems, symphonies, and everything else wonderful we can think of. She says these ideas are the children’s very breath of life. A child draws inspiration from the casual life around him." There is more to this article and I encourage you to go to her website to read the rest.
On page 65 of Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion by Oliver DeMille, Rachel DeMille and Diann Jeppson we read, "Education includes our whole heart, and our whole mind-everything we have and all we are. We should never stop improving who we are, our hearts and our minds."
Here is a poem written of the pioneers by Vilate Raile.
They cut desire into short lengths
And fed it to the hungry fires of courage.
Long after-when the flames had died-
Molten Gold gleamed in the ashes.
They gathered it into bruised palms
And handed it to their children
And their children's children.
Within them is the passion and the fire, I just need to sift through the ashes to find the gold gleaming in the ashes when they have burned out and hand it to them.
This week we started with looking at the children's interests. We made a "Big List" of all the things they wanted to learn or do. It could be anything. Blank lists were also presented so they could add to this list as they desired. Each child had their own individual time with mom in a quiet place. We said a prayer for inspiration and then proceeded to write, mom as scribe. [This comes from the TJED Companion.]
At a separate time, we sat down together and each person picked things that they were interested in learning. Wow the creative juices were flowing. They were off. I don't think I saw until it was time for lunch then they were off again.
The next morning I took dh to work and then went to the grocery store. When I returned at 8:30 am, I anticipated that they would be getting their breakfast and ready to start family studies. No they were done with all their individual work, breakfast, chores, dressed and started their individual projects. WAHOO. This continued for the rest of the week. It was electric.
Each month we will sit together and revise the daily plan of what we will study. MY list was too enthusiastic and I need to fix it. I put things on my list that I won't have the resources to complete until January. Keep it Simple Sweetie.
Here are some of the things they did.
Samuel started making block creations along with his older sister. Then she moved on to making a Lego representation of the Swiss Family Robinson house. This is our current read aloud and it is very inspiring. I want to live in a Tree House at least for a vacation.
Sewing has been my passion. Here are some of the fabrics that inspired me on a recent shopping trip. It is quite difficult to find corduroy here. Not this trip. Wow the colors and patterns were amazing. We found t-shirt material, cotton knits also another unheard of commodity. My favorite purchase were these two Debbie Mum prints. OH and wait we also found flannel. It was beautiful and good quality cotton for shirts or quilts. It felt like heaven.
Here are some of the vibrant colors I found.
This week has been a true blessing to express our joys and to do whatsoever is of good report.
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and benticeth to do cgood, and to love God, and to serve him, is dinspired of God. Moroni 7:13
The Piedmont Science Fair for Non-Public Schools is open to
homeschoolers in grades 3 to 12.
It will be held on January 31, 2009, 8:30-5:00pm, at High Point University.
There will be a science demonstration and hands-on science activities. There will also be campus
tours available for high school students and their families. Lunch is on your own. There are restaurants on campus or at Oak Hollow Mall.
Winners of this fair can advance to the Region 5 Science Fair at SciWorks in Winston-Salem, if they live in Stokes, Forsyth, Davidson, Rockingham, Guilford, Randolph, Caswell, Person, Orange, Alamance, or
Chatham counties.
If they don't live in these counties, they will have to contact the regional director of their area. For a list of regional directors, refer to www.ncsta.org/sciencefair/regions/index.html .
============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ======
Registration fee is $10 per student, payable at check-in on the day of
the science fair. Team projects are allowed.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Rose Bate
Coordinator of the Piedmont Science Fair for Non-Public Schools
Hi! I'm Ronda! You're invited to come along with me as I share about what the Lord is teaching us in this wonderful adventure called homeschooling! My husband, Mike and I are the homeschooling parents of six. We will begin our 14th year of homeschooling this fall and our children range in age from five to twenty-two.
We are finishing our Mystery of History book II after taking a break to cover government and the election.
