Red Bluff Musings! - Homeschool Blogger

Online Creation Science Classes for kids!

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:16:00 -0500

There is a fun exciting series of classes coming up that you don't want your kids to miss. Its a series of 6 classes on Creation Science for kids K-8th. The live dates every monday from September 22- October 28 2008.The classes are every monday from 10:00-11:30 and both you and your kids can listen from the comfort of your own home. My kids will be there and it sounds like its going to be a LOT of fun. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/creationscienceclass

Now if you happen to be reading this after the classes have started or long after they're done, DON'T WORRY! All of the classes will be recorded and available for you to download anytime along with the handouts. So what are you waiting for? It's going to be GREAT!

Here is an article to whet your curiosity! Felice Gerwitz is just a really wonderful speaker and author!

Experiments Taken from Creation Anatomy: A Study Guide to the Body
by Felice Gerwitz and Jill Whitlock

http://tinyurl.com/creationscienceclass

1. Squeeze a tennis ball. The force needed to squeeze a tennis ball is like the force needed to squeeze blood out of the heart. Measure your child’s pulse rate (for example, sixty-six times per minute.) Squeeze the tennis ball that amount of times. Can you imagine how hard your heart works in one hour? One day?

2. Has your child (or you!) had a cut or scraped knee lately? The next time you do, observe the injury. What happens to the wound once the bleeding is stopped? How long does it take to clot or for a scab to form? Why does this happen?

3. Observe how uniquely God made us by fingerprinting each child.
a. Make a pencil smudge by shading a two-inch square until there is a layer of graphite.
b. Next have your child rub his index finger into the graphite
c. And then place a piece of clear tape over the darkened finger.
d. Remove the tape
e. Stick it on a sheet of typing paper.
f. Repeat this process until all the fingers are done.
g. Observe the patterns with a magnifying glass. Have several children do this activity. Are any of the
prints the same?

4. Demonstrate osmosis of a cell membrane (a semi-permeable barrier).
a. Put two tablespoons of cornstarch into a small sandwich baggie and mix it with water until the bag will sink in a small beaker of water.
b. Put a twisty tie on the baggie and place it into a beaker making sure it is above the water level (so that water won’t seep in).
c. Add a few drops of iodine to the water turning it a pale brownish color.
d. Leave overnight.
e. Observe the effects on the cornstarch mixture.
i. Why did this happen?
ii. Why didn’t the water change color?
iii. How could evolution explain the complexity of cells to allow certain molecules, such as water, free passage through the cell membrane, while other substances, such as proteins, can only pass through at a certain site? (How the Body Works).

5. Study the art of fingerprinting. How did this practice begin? When was it discovered to be an effective means of identification? What is the latest trend in identification? (eyes) What steps are being taken in various forms of identification?

6. Take a glass of water and add several teaspoons of salt to it. What happens? (This is an example of a decomposition reaction. The water molecules break the bonding of the salt crystals into sodium and chlorine ions.) Continue to add salt, a teaspoon at a time, until no more salt will dissolve. Keep track of how many teaspoons you have added. Now heat the solution. Can you add more salt? Record how much salt you added in all. Let the water evaporate and observe. What happened and why?

About Felice Gerwitz...

Felice Gerwitz has lectured extensively on the topic of science fairs. She is an award winning author and her book “An Insider’s Guide to Successful Science Fair Projects” was chosen book of the month by God’s World Publishing. Let Felice help you teach Creation Science to your children each Monday morning from September 22-October 28. Learn more here:

http://tinyurl.com/creationscienceclass

Friday part 4: Got Debt? Here are TWO freebies to help!

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:06:00 -0500

This is the fourth and last installment of 2 freebies for you from Cindy Rushton's Talk-a-Latte seminar coming up this week. Part 1,2 and part 3 are in previous posts that you can find in the archives. Cindy will be welcoming Leslie Valeska (from http://www.LeslieValeska.com) for a fantastic online seminar TODAY, starting at 9 a.m. CST. The Seminar is calle, A SIMPLEJOURNEY TO DEBT-FREE LIVING. Now listen carefully, its not too late to join us even if the seminar has started or is completely over. Read on!

You see one of the neat things about Cindy's online seminars is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the seminar in one place--it includes audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $29.95. It is truly amazing! Especially with this seminar.

EVEN IF YOU GET YOUR TICKET AFTER THE SEMINAR IS OVER, ITS NOT TOO LATE! YOU WILL STILL GET TO ACCESS EVERYTHING! EVEN THE LIVE SEMINARS WILL BE RECORDED AND DOWNLOADABLE!!

I Can’t Live Simple Until…
By Leslie Valeska

It’s summer now; officially. For everyone summer usually marks a time of relaxation. Some of us homeschoolers school year round. For our family, we school throughout the summer because it is so hot here. We prefer to take time off in the winter when the weather is cooler and more enjoyable for outdoor play. However, we still have time during the summer that we use to relax.

It’s important that you schedule down times throughout the year regardless of your schedule. For example, if your children attend school, you may schedule a week during the school year that they have off from school as a relaxing week for you at home as well. Don’t schedule any activities. Do not make appointments for that week. Although it may seem more convenient to schedule appointments and activities for that time, you will find that those activities can be squished in to your schedule during regular time and make no difference. But having a week that is planned for nothing can make all the difference.

Take time to look at your schedule for the next few months and see when you can schedule a few days for nothingness. If you have it in you, try to schedule down time through the end of the year. RESPECT the schedule that you set up and say NO to anything and everyone who puts pressure on you to schedule something during those days. This period of nothingness is PARAMOUNT to re-centering yourself and gaining the benefits of simplicity. Life will keep spinning forward, don’t miss the opportunity to schedule time to STOP and enjoy it!

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Need MORE Help?

Need more help??? Join us for our NEW Talk-a-Latte Seminar with Leslie Valeska on September 12-13 ONLINE. Leslie will be teaching her amazing seminar, A Simple Journey to Debt Free Living! Learn more and grab your ticket here: http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

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Quick Debt Attack Tips!
By Harold and Cindy Rushton

Do you just HATE debt? Has it ever felt like a noose around your neck? Ready to come away from the slavery? Here are some quick tips to help you attack that debt and find the freedom that you are longer for!

==> What's in Your Hand? Yep! What do you have in your hand to battle that debt with? Do you have a skill? Do you have stuff? Do you have a product? Do you have equipment? Want your dreams to come true? Well, offer up those "fish and bread" in your hand to the Great Provider. Watch Him do a miracle! He may ask you to use your skill of cleaning to begin an office cleaning business--talk about a great business model with a very limited investment. Maybe you have tons of old books that are just collecting dust--hear the call to sell on Ebay? What about those purses that you make...or books that you have written...or even parts from that junk car in the yard--sell it on Ebay! What about that lawn mower...or that bobcat? Put that ad in the paper and offer up what you have in your hand. Watch God bless!

==> Stop the Leaks! If your money bucket is leaking quicker than you are filling it up, stop everything right now. Find a way to stop the leak! Write down every penny you spend for a week. Shock you? Little things will make a HUGE difference. Just cutting out soft drinks for our family of four saved us hundreds of dollars. Don't believe it? Just do a bit of math--

Family of 4 drinking 2 soft drinks per day--1.25 each--$10.00
Hummm..7 days a week all month---$310.00
JUST ON SOFT DRINKS! That doesn't count the calories or the health problems!

==> MAKE a budget and LIVE the budget! First, write down all of your necessary expenses--tithing, housing, utilities, gas, food, financial commitments. Decide which part of the month you will need to pay each. Next, look at all of the other things that you spend money on-- Find any of the leaks on your budget and apply the money from those leaks to get rid of debts one-by-one. Not enough money for all of the month? Take a look again at what is in your hand--what can you do to make more money? Nothing? How about looking around you for an extra job--we can truly testify that we always need help with our businesses but few people genuinely want to work hard for money. Debt hurt bad enough? It only takes a little while to catch back up and be free. Find that extra job. Or get rid of of those extras for a little while. There may be things that have to be set aside until the debt is retired. More than likely just using a budget will help to give the accountability needed to get rid of most debt and debt problems. My favorite resources for figuring up a budget (and all of the incidentals) can be found here: Dave Ramsey's Website or at Living On a Dime's Website.

==> "Live like no one else today so you can live like no one else tomorrow!" Anyone know who says that one? Yep! My favorite writer and speaker, Dave Ramsey. Dave is SO right! If we will just tighten our belts for a little while, in only a little while, we can have our dreams! I don't know about all of you, but I cannot stand being in captivity to the debt taskmasters. I want to go for all that God can give me in this life. I cannot do that if I am serving the master of debt too. I remember the day that Harold and I with our children decided that we would commit to live like no one else for a period of time so we could live like no one else later. The dream of having daddy home with us is worth it! The dream of having a business that our children can have as a heritage is worth it! And...it really only takes a little while!

==> Don't presume upon the future. This is one HUGE lesson that God spoke to my heart about my debt. He let me go through a period of not having "enough" to pay off the debts that I owed. It was a long, stressful, frustrating time. At any time, He could have removed that "thorn" from me. Yet, He didn't. He left me in the wilderness--in the heat of the journey. Talk about one I do not EVER care to go through again! If He spoke this word to my heart once, He spoke it a million times--no exaggeration there! Really any debt is presuming about our future. It assumes that we will have another heartbeat--we will have another chance. It assumes that the check will be here. It assumes that the needs for tomorrow will be less than the needs of today--unlikely! Boy! That will bite us! There are no guarantees. Even when people owe us money, there are no guarantees that *they* will be able to pay us--not even employers. We just cannot commit to spend tomorrow's money until it gets here and God gives us a clearance to spend that money. God is so very faithful. I have not finished my study through the entire Bible on money and debt (that is what I am studying right now). However, the very first thing that I remembered being taught as a little girl was to pray that God would give us our daily bread. Remember that? Jesus taught us to pray that request. However, it was not to pray for next year's daily bread so we could have extras today. That is just not how it works. We have to learn to use great self-control with our finances. Every single need will truly be provided faithfully by our Heavenly Father. Plus...watch out! Faithfulness also brings His lavish blessings upon our household. He is certainly our good Master!

==> Hit Debt Bit-by-Bit! Got debt? Want out, but have no idea how to begin? Beloved, first know that it won't take but a little while! Hate the debt and hit that debt! In a little while you are going to be free from the shackles. True Freedom! Get started by stopping the leaks to your finances. If you are going further and further in debt each month, take a long hard look at your finances. Are there things that really need to go? Soft drinks? Eating out? Lessons for the kids? Cable TV/Satellite? Cell phones? Telephones? Those car notes (sell and buy a cheap, good vehicle)? Going too much? Cut those extras! Add up how much all of those things are costing you. For a season, fast from those things. It won't take long and your debt can truly be mastered. Also, simplify everything! Cook meals in bulk--we always save tons with crock pot meals, staples like red beans and rice or soups, and eating sandwiches. We also save on entertainment by checking out videos for free from our library rather than renting, paying extra for cable/satellite, or going out to the movies. Really those things are great money savers, but they also save the family life--you can make sweeter memories with your family all together. What a perk! Finally, also write it all down--be accountable on paper. Every single penny should be logged. Let the whole family see the expenses. Talk about accountability! The kids have helped me to see the waste in Latte's and how much nicer it is to be able to exercise and afford regular family memories every single month with that one commitment!

==> Get God's Vision! Lastly, we want to encourage you to look past the debt for a little bit. Look past the hard times and the struggles to get past this desert in your life. Think about the joy set before you! Can you imagine the difference in your family life? Can you see Daddy coming home for his dream business? Can you see that monthly income without all of the envelopes and threat letters in piles? Can you imagine the joy of seeing your children build their own homes and have their families without all of the debt? Can you see your children's children walking in freedom and liberty? Yes! It is worth it today! This is truly only a small period of time for you. It will be the thing that will make tomorrow a joy and delight. Read Deuteronomy lately? I have been camping there myself this past few months. I have been studying several things in depth in that book. One thing that is an underlying theme of that book of the Bible is God's plans for us financially. They are good plans! He wants to lavish us with blessings. He wants for us to pass on a legacy to our children that distinguishes them among our culture. He wants for us to be the lenders and givers to those who are in need--not to be the ones in need. He has chosen us to be His precious children--ruling and reigning in dominion over the world we are in. And...great news! He has a wonderful plan, complete with how-to's for how we are to get there! So, grasp for His best! Get a vision of all He desires and go for it! You have treasures awaiting you!

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Need more help??? Join us for our NEW Talk-a-Latte Seminar with Leslie Valeska on September 12-13 ONLINE. Leslie will be teaching her amazing seminar, A Simple Journey to Debt Free Living! Learn more and grab your ticket here: http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

Dont forget! Even if you're reading this long after the seminar is over, ITS NOT TOO LATE! You can still access everything on the membership site with your ticket AND the live sessions will be recorded and available for download too! So grab your ticket and dig in!

Sincerely,

Suzette

Wednesday Part 3: Got Debt? Here are TWO freebies to help!

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:16:00 -0500

This is the third installment of 2 freebies for you from Cindy Rushton's Talk-a-Latte seminar coming up this week. Part 1 and part 2 are in previous posts that you can find in the archives. Cindy will be welcoming Leslie Valeska (from http://www.LeslieValeska.com ) for a fantastic online seminar next week. The seminar is called, A SIMPLE JOURNEY TO DEBT-FREE LIVING. It sounds FABULOUS!

You see one of the neat things about the Cindy's online seminars is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the seminar in one place--it includes audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $29.95. It is truly amazing! Especially with this seminar.

I will be posting 2 articles each day until the seminar this weekend so check back again TOMORROW for the next installments!

Combat the Cost of Gas
By Leslie Valeska

Think the cost of gas is high? Me too! Today I heard a news report that predicted gas would reach $5/gallon before summer's end. The same report included information about a raise in electricity prices as well. Although it wasn't included in the reports, this will directly affect the cost of other items, especially groceries and other necessities. With all these prices rising and our paychecks remaining constant, how can a family stay within their budget?

One way to combat prices is to take a stern approach to re-evaluating your gas usage. If gas is your main source of heat and cooking energy, you are going to do a bit of number crunching as the prices continue to rise. The good news is that the winter is behind us, so there won't be heating costs. But summer is around the bend. For those of living in the south, we already have been running our air conditioners for the last few weeks.

With home cooling costs, think just inside the comfort zone. By turning your thermostat up to 78-79 degrees, your a/c will run less. If you have an automated thermostat, use the day night settings. This can really be an energy saver. If your home is cooled by means of window units, only run them when you are home during the mid season. As the hotter months come around, keep the units at a constant temperature; preferably at the warmest you can tolerate. If you still have need of a heat source and you have some type of wood burning element (stove, fireplace, soapstone insert) consider using it exclusively.

Cooking is another issue. I have spent time today trying to forecast the most efficient method of cooking with the estimated rise in cost of energy. As best I can figure with "ghost" numbers, small electric appliances will be the best methods of cooking with the least amount of money spent on gas and electric. The small appliances I evaluated and found to be the best were the crock-pot, electric skillet, counter-top grill, and microwave.

I have never cooked in a microwave (ours is nothing more than a bread box). However, using the energy sticker (your appliances will either have a sticker or an imprint of wattage on them) I was able to calculate that it would be less expensive to use the microwave to roast a chicken than either a gas or electric oven. The crock-pot yielded an even higher energy savings for roasting the same chicken. The good news for us is that spring is here and summer is fast approaching. This means that we are less inclined to want to heat up our kitchens by using the oven and stove top. Small electric appliances are an excellent resource for the homemaker to help cut energy costs.

A much over looked resource for energy efficient cooking today, is the old fashioned charcoal grill. Gas grills are wonderful (we have one). They are quick to light and heat up. However, with the cost of gas today, it can be costly. Even if you already own a gas grill, consider purchasing a charcoal grill. They can be very inexpensive for a bare bones model. Either way, grilling keeps household energy costs down.

One more food preparation option that will help with slashing home energy costs is "uncooked" dinners. These are meals that are comprised mostly, if not solely of uncooked or previously cooked ingredients. For example, salads can be made in abundance and with a great variety. Left over meat from another meal will make a great protein topping. Sandwiches are another wonderful option to use leftovers. Sandwiches can be simple or complex, you choose. Planning ahead for these types of meals is the way to go. When you are making chicken for dinner one night be sure to cook enough to stretch for another two or three simple uncooked meals. In this way you are using the energy source and heating up your kitchen only once.

These are some tips to get you thinking about how you can change a few methods you may be more accustomed to that will help you to reduce your energy costs. The next post will focus on ways to cut back on vehicle energy costs.

Check out the wonderful Simple Journey to Debt Free Living Seminar here:

http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

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Meet the Debt Family Tree
By Leslie Valeska

So where did debt begin?

Truly, debt began with the fall of man. How many people were on the earth at this time? Two. It only took the creation of two people before we began our debt filled lives.

Remember, debt can be defined as sin. The moment Adam and Eve chose to disobey God (Genesis 3), they entered into debt. The definition of sin is to voluntarily depart from God’s commandments. Clearly Adam and Eve chose to depart from God’s commandments when they fell. This sin is a debt we have being repaying ever since, yet God’s desire for us is to be debt free. Intense thought, isn’t it?

We will never be perfect. Yet the process of transformation promises that we will one day be like God. This is not a minor issue for God. He makes it abundantly clear how strong His desire is for us to be transformed.

Romans 12:1-3 instructs us to cast off our old selves to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This illustrates the serious need we have to correct our thought process about money, debt, and spending habits.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 tells us that we are being transformed into God’s likeness as well as the freedom it brings. This is ever so true when debt no longer has you bound as a slave.
Philippians 3:20-21 backs up the previous stated verses about our promise of transformation.

While we will never acquire this deliverance here on earth our rewards (in part) in Heaven are based on our journey to debt free living while we reside in our earthly form. In the simplest terms this means that we are commanded to make deliberate decisions that follow God’s commandments to assist repayment of this debt. Each of us has this responsibility. The best part about our head banker is that He accepts whatever payment we give without penalty or expectation as to the speed of the repayment. However, the idea still remains that the debt we accrue is our responsibility to repay.

One thing you will need to continue to remind yourself is that you did not get into debt over night. It didn’t take one day to accrue the debt that has bound you to a life of servitude. It will take time to dig out.

Some days the journey may be slow or even seem stagnant. Rest assured that allowing God to transform your mind on this matter will keep you moving forward and you will succeed, because of His guidance.

Be patient with yourself, as God is patient with you. God knew that you would be on this journey and allowed you to make these choices to grow you up. All of the trials and affliction in your life are there to aid in your transformation. It is never the trial that is the important aspect in your life; it is how you handle it.

Colossians 1:10-12 helps to define God’s outline for the process of long suffering and its overall reward in our lives. The concepts of the process of long suffering are as follows:
1) Stress (what is causing the negative issue) in this instance, your debt issue,

2) Wait, taking time to gather all facts about a situation before making any decisions on how to proceed. This includes prayer and being in constant communication with your spouse,

3) Looking for a solution (accepting responsibility and using kindness) as God presents it to you.

Refer back to this verse as often as needed to remind yourself that God is at work here, producing in you great things and the ability to succeed at conquering debt.

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Dont forget to check back again tomorrow!!! Tomorrows posts are titled "I Can't Live Simply Until..." by Leslie Valeska and "Quick Debt Attack Tips" by Harold and Cindy Rushton

Sincerely,

Suzette

Tuesday Part 2: Got debt? Here are TWO freebies to help!

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 13:28:00 -0500

This is the second installment of 2 freebies for you from Cindy Rushton's Talk-a-Latte seminar coming up this week. For the freebies posted on Monday, see my previous post. Cindy will be welcoming Leslie Valeska, from www.leslievaleska.com for a fantastic online seminar this weekend. The seminar is call A SIMPLE JOURNEY TO DEBT-FREE LIVING. It sounds FABULOUS!

You see

one of the neat things about the Cindy's online seminars is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the seminar in one place--it includes audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $29.95. It is truly amazing! Especially with this seminar.

I will be posting 2 articles or MP3 downloads each day until the seminar this weekend so check back again TOMORROW for the next installments!

The Simple Way to Maintain Your Budget

By Leslie Valeska

In the last two years it has been noted that Americans use their debit and credit cards more than their checkbooks. In fact, their usage has more than doubled! This is great in some ways, but it can be a nightmare for the budget conscious. When I left the envelope system of budgeting, in lieu of my debit card, something amazing happened. My expenses went up. In short, it is so much easier to spend one or two dollars here and there when the actual paper cash isnt' coming out of your hand. It's like we aren't spending that money or something.

However, you CAN have a debit card AND stay within your budget. Actually, you can do this for all your budgeting needs for the household. The best part, this is a simple process.

Use a separate bank account and debit card for all your household purchases. For the most ease, you and your husband might want to look into opening another account at your current bank of choice if you are pleased with their services and they offer no fee banking. You will likely have to place a minimum of $25-50 dollars in the account when you open it. This is a good thing, because it will enable you to use your entire budget without penalty. Confused? Read On.

One good reason for this set up is that your husband can transfer money weekly or monthly, in an amount that totals your family's total budget for the month. When you go to the grocery store, you will know exactly how much you have to spend and not a penny more. a way to provide accountablility for yourself is to agree that if you go over your budget by $2, then that amount will be deducted from the next month's stipend. In this way, you will have not only an incentive to stay within your budget, but a method of discipline for your budgeting. One extra bonus with this method is that it is much simpler to track your household expenses.

The beauty of this process is that you will do nothing differently than you do now. You will simply have a separate account with which to do it.

Check out the wonderful Simple Journey to Debt Free Living Seminar here:

http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

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Secrets to Making the Most of Your Money

By Harold and Cindy Rushton

Got more month than money? Want to make the most of your money? Want to build a legacy for your children to follow? I have some secrets that just might help. Let's dig in...

==> Cut eating out! Even eating out as frugally ast you can adds up. If you must be out, take sandwiches or snacks along. Otherwise, make a commitment to be home for meals.

==> Cut soft-drinks and juice! Drink water! No only is it better for your health. It is much better for your pocket-book.

==> Got room for a flower bed? Flower pot? Grow a mini-garden! Grow a few vegetables. Not only is it yummy and more healthy, but it will help your budget.

==> You may not LIKE It... but, hang out your clothes instead of using the dryer. Save electricity drying the clothes and cooling the house...and get the laundry done faster too. Don't have a clothes line? Have a deck? Yep! Hang them out--in just a bit they will be dry and ready to put away!

==> Simplify meals! Cindy has always helped with our budget by making hearty dishes that go far like red beans and rice, homemade chili with red beans and turtle beans, spaghetti, soups, etc. I really like those foods better than eating out. It has been amazing to watch her spread a package of meat for a whole week in dishes like that. Not only is she spreading the meat, she is spreading our finances further as well.

==> Contrary to popular belief.. You don't HAVE TO HAVE a cell phone...or cable TV...or a phone. Buy a pre-paid phone. Cindy only spent $49.99 on her phone and only tops it up every month-two months with $20.00. Her phone bill went from $100.00 per month to minimal amounts. Cringe over the TV thing? We don't do without entertainment. If you want entertainment, check out your library. Ours has videos that can be checked out for free. Get movies at the library and plan a movie night with your family. Or...read more!

==> Get rid of those car payments! Making car payments? Talk about a noose! Sell those cars! Get a $2-3,000.00 car. I have been all across the country in my $2,000 truck. No monthly payments. I save money every time I crank it up with its gas efficiency. Plus! Every month, I save on my insurance since I do not have to have comprehensive insurance to make a bank happy.

==> Kids and teens can save too! Don't make this just a "parent-thing" in your family! Kids can save too! They don't have to have a cell phone--in fact, going back to pre-paid cell phones, they are actually safer for your children. We bought the least expensive model for each member of our family. They do not take pictures or send/receive pictures. Yes, our teens are surviving this! Actually, Cindy was in a Bible study at church when she learned that several teenagers in the church were upset about a friend who had let a young boy take a picture of her nude. The first thing the boy did with the picture was forward that picture to all of his friends. Think YOUR children aren't doing this? Won't ever see anything like this? Well, Matthew was in charge of some teens at a church event several months ago. He caught several of his teen boys were sharing porn pics from the internet. Long story short, you not only SAVE their purity, you also save on your budget. Also, keep those teens HOME! Bring their friends into your home with video nights...game nights...paintball in your yard...food. Also, give them great ideas for inexpensive outings with their friends. Let them be a part of your attack on debt!

==> Cut going! Each trip for our family to town costs us at least 2 gallons of gas--that does not count going a lot around town in traffic. We already have several commitments in town per week with church and business. We have cut any extra going and limited it to only the times that are on our schedule. Not only does this save our precious time with our family, but it helps our budget drastically each month.

==> Be accountable! Write down your budget and chart all expenses on paper. Let the whole family see it. There is just nothing quite like seeing the little "foxes" that steal from the budget. Our teens would much rather have a regular family treat than drink soft drinks. They would rather see us invest in big expenses than drink a soft drink or chit-chat on the phone. Also, it helps us make better decisions when we know that we have to show our children what we are spending our money on--hard to buy junk when they are sacrificing at the same time! Not only that, it is also an amazing testimony for our children to see God's blessing upon our finances in meeting our needs and also shocking us with the desires of our heart. They have a "history" with God that has been charted through their childhood. Hopefully it will build a legacy for them and their children and their children's children.

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Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:

http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

Dont forget to check back again tomorrow!!! Tomorrows posts are titled "Combat the Cost of Gas" by Leslie Valeska and "Meet the Debt Family Tree" also by Leslie Valeska

Sincerely,

Suzette

Monday part 1: Got debt? Here are TWO Freebies to help!!

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 11:48:05 -0500

I just got an email from my friend, Cindy Rushton. She was telling me about the Talk-a-Latte seminar coming up this week. She will be welcoming Leslie Valeska (from http://www.LeslieValeska.com) for a fantastic online seminar next week. The seminar is called, A SIMPLE JOURNEY TO DEBT-FREE LIVING. It sounds FABULOUS!

Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...

Cindy just sent me permission to give you several samples of her free gifts that are included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give them to you! The first is an audio workshop featuring Leslie Valeska that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site (and to YOU!).

I will be posting 2 articles or MP3 downloads each day until the seminar this weekend so check back again TOMORROW for the next installments!

Trim the Fat! Cutting Costs from YOUR Grocery Bill
with Leslie Valeska

Who doesn’t want to reduce their grocery expenses? Grocery shopping can be low cost for all types of food purchases…as long as you know how. Trim the Fat includes topics such as:

How to shop each store the SMART way!
Tricks of the Trade
Fresh Produce for Less
Meat for Less
Organics for Less
Recipes
How to buy convenience for pennies
Bread
Pizza
And SO MUCH MORE!

STOP giving so much money to your local grocer and keep it in YOUR bank account, where it belongs!

Download by Mp3
http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/UHSE-LeslieValeska2.mp3

Check out the wonderful Simple Journey to Debt Free Living Seminar here:

http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

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Homeschooling on a Shoestring
With Cindy Rushton

Stretched budget? Planning to homeschool, but need some ideas that won't break the bank? Join Cindy Rushton as she takes you by the hand and gives you ideas for how to stretch your homeschool budget while making your homeschool fun and easy. An excellent education is NOT out of reach for you!

Download by Mp3
http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/BTSBSession3.mp3

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Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:

http://tinyurl.com/5zankl

Dont forget to check back again tomorrow!!! Tomorrows posts are titled "The Simple Way to Maintain Your Budget" by Leslie Valeska and "Secrets to Making the Most of your Money" by Harold and Cindy Rushton

Sincerely,
Suzette

Featured Author- CINDY RUSHTON! "Psst! A Secret to Scheduling Success!"

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:18:00 -0500

I thought I would feature one of my favorite inspiring authors this time. Cindy Rushton is a wonderful motivating speaker and I hope you will be as blessed by her as I am! Here is an article she wrote on scheduling. There is also info about her new 2008 Back to School Blast in the links and at the end. ENJOY!

Psst! A Secret to Scheduling Success!
by Cindy Rushton

http://tinyurl.com/6expwd

Want to know one of my biggest secrets to homeschooling the easy way? Want to know one of my biggest secrets to scheduling success? This one secret can make your daily schedule finally fit. It can end your scheduling frustrations forever.

I am not a "schedule by the minute" type of person. (GRIN) I fail with schedules like that. They don't meet my needs. My life includes too many areas that have different needs daily. Timed schedules just do not work for me.

So, what has worked for me? Setting up a framework to my day. This is one incredibly powerful tip. It can make a HUGE difference in your day as well. It just might be the secret that has alluded you through the years.

Wondering what I mean by a "framework" for your day? By framework, I mean a general flow to each day that includes all of the areas of my life that I juggle. But, how do I do that? Here are some quick tips:

1. Decide what should be included in your daily schedule. Look at what you are all about. Look at your goals, activities, values, priorities. Look at your husband's schedule--wrap everything around him. Look at what you need to include in your day to get everything done--quiet times, lessons, homemaking, read alouds, work, etc. This is important. Otherwise, you will include things in your schedule that may not be the very best choices. And...one big risk...you may never get around to the things that matter the most. Decide what really needs to be a part of each and every day for your day to be successful.

2. Decide the best time for the tasks you need to complete each day. This will help you get a good flow to your day. For me, quiet times are just best at the beginning of the day. Chores are great right after them--I need them completed so my brain can focus on the table time. Our business work and errands need to be done in the early afternoon. Read alouds are best before bedtime. You get the picture. When I tried to read aloud over lunch, we had so many distractions that we could never fit it in. Trying to work the business in the morning would never work...and of course, we couldn't take care of business errands at night. See how important it is to really look at the best time to get tasks done. Look at the best time for all of the tasks that need to be done. Look at the best flow to get everything done easily each day. You may not get this right at the beginning, but you will get closer and closer each day. You will love it!

3. Balance your day. Don't let any one area of your life get out of balance. Everything that we do in our day has a tendency to grow into a big time thief--homeschooling, homemaking, home business. Those important aspects of our life can easily grow out of their boundaries. While I love each of them, they can get rather exhausting if we don't keep them in balance with the other things that we have to do. The best way for me to stay balanced is to be reasonable about what I expect for each day, keep things simplified and easy, and keep everything inside of its time of the day. I don't mind those days that we want to dig deeper in a topic that we are studying. I also don't mind those days that we tackle a messy room. I don't even mind those days that we have a special business project that needs more time. But, if those areas were demanding extra time every day, it would be easy to get burned-out, frustrated and battle with our time each day. Want to make it work? Find a balance for your day.

4. Set up routines. Talk about a HUGE help for me. Without routines, things can get so frustrating every day--there are constant decisions, there is more strife in the family, there is no consistency. Routines help us to make things go faster, without the strife and struggle of figuring things out DAILY. Routines reduce the stress of making decisions daily. Routines help our children to know what to expect so they can move through all of the things that they need to do each day. Routines are crucial. They assure a smooth ride. They keep us on track. They keep us out of the ruts. They take us in the direction that we want to go. One of the toughest things I ever did was develop routines in my home. However, one of the most rewarding things that I ever did was develop routines in my home. When I got very, very sick, everything kept going. During those times that I have been stretched, things kept on going. All because of routines. Set up routines. Then, your children will know what to expect. They will learn what is next and next and next. The decisions will be made for you. They will be able to "just do it" with or without you. Set up routines for your family. Develop one set of routines at a time--look for the time of day that things go haywire. If it is morning, for example, look at all that needs to be done. Brainstorm. Make a to-do list for that routine. Write it out. Work it as a checklist until it becomes a habit. If you see other things that need to be added into that set of routines, add them. Tweak it until it is smooth. Then, move to the next troublespot. Do this for all of the times of your day. Watch to see how much it helps!

5. Prune anything that is not necessary. Truth is, we cannot do everything. What we do in our day keeps us from doing other things. It zaps our time, energy, strength. We need to be picky about what we add to our day. Every single thing that we do costs us something. We need to constantly prune those things that are not necessary. Prune anything that hinders, distracts. Be honest. Be ruthless. Prune. Even the good things! Go for the best!

6. Take the squeeze out of your schedule. Watch out for the squeeze in your schedule. Don't fill every minute of your day with something to do. Why? Because there are always going to be crisis situations, interruptions, melt-downs, delays. If we have our schedule maxed out, we will constantly be overwhelmed, overworked, and squeezed. Find ways to take the squeeze out of your daily schedule--cut out extra running, watch out for time thieves, prioritize your daily to-do's (and eliminate any that make the day too tight), cut out extras that are unnecessary, keep the day simple and easy. Keep a relaxed atmosphere. Constantly, take the squeeze out of your daily schedule.

7. Stay flexible! Stay adaptable! Actually, one of the reasons that we really want to develop a framework to our day is so we have more flexibility, so we have more "space" in our day to be adaptable. We want to be able to seize opportunities that come our way. We want to be able to slow down and enjoy our children. We don't want to miss teachable moments. These days just go by too fast. We want to enjoy every second. We want to make sweet, sweet memories. This requires that we stay flexible and adaptable. So, take the time to develop your own framework to your day. Do the tough work. Get your plans together. Work on these suggestions. Then, stay flexible. Stay adaptable. Grasp on to all that God has in store for you!

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About Cindy Rushton…

Cindy Rushton is the hostess of the Back to School Blast, her annual back to school fling for homeschool mothers around the world. She is recording Preview Chats for the Back to School Blast RIGHT NOW! Join her wonderful guests FREE for the next weeks as they count down to the Back to School Blast (August 8-9--BUT! NEVER ENDING because it is an ONLINE seminar!). Get your ticket NOW and receive her awesome A Quick Start for Notebooking Mini-Set FREE today! Check out all of the details here:

http://tinyurl.com/6expwd

Sincerely,
Suzette

There's a FREEBIE in here and it's fantastic!

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 10:50:01 -0500

I'm so excited about this weekend (July 11-12th 2008)! Cindy Rushton is hosting an online seminar called "Let's Get Organized for the New School Year"! I've attended several of her seminars from the comfort of my computer chair and WOW! they are so jam packed full of resources! Cindy always packs her Membership sites with a ton of free audios and free ebooks!

This seminar is about getting organized and planning out the details of the new school year! Everything from planning out your goals, deciding on new curriculum, setting up your schedule and leaving room for all those other things we homeschool moms have to do!

Everything is hosted online and you can join in live in the Conferance Room each day. You can also download the MP3 audios after the event too. The neat thing about being there live is you can text chat with other moms and really dig into the topic, sharing links, tips and experience!

Did I also mention the jam-packed Membership website???

It's like sittng down with your best homeschooling friend and hashing the coming school year all out then coming away excited, motivated, and PREPARED! I'm ready!

Here's the link for more info: http://www.CindyRushton.com/LGO2008/html

Oh! Now for the FREE part! You can attend the talk on July 8th at 1 p.m. absolutely FREE!! The details are below!

Here is the schedule and how to's for joining this seminar:

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 1PM CST

F* R* E* E*!

Let's Get Organized for the New School Year!

Cindy Rushton from Http://www.CindyRushton.com

Talk-a-Latte Online Conference Room

(See our complete Summer Preview Chat Schedule here: http://BacktoSchoolBlast.com/)

Scheduled Start Time:
11:00 AM Pacific Time
12:00 PM Mountain Time
1:00 PM Central Time
2:00 PM Eastern Time

How to Join Us Online in Our Conference Room...

We provide the software download-free. Here is the link:

http://www.cindyrushton.com/Conference.exe

Click to begin download or copy/paste into your internet browser and click ENTER. It will only take a few minutes to download into your computer, but you want to do it ahead of time so you don't miss a minute in the Conference Room. After it is downloaded on your computer, it will set up an icon on your desktop that says CONFERENCE. Then, you will only have to click it to open up the room. Here are your instructions from there:

When you are ready to enter, you will enter your NAME or EMAIL ADDRESS in the first blank.

Add the following information when prompted:

Name of Room: Talk-a-Latte
Password: letschat (password is case sensitive-do not enter any extra characters or spaces-password is only in effect during the actual chat) Remember...your password is different for chats and other classes. It only works for the room when the room is open for the study.

This Weekend--July 11-12

Let's Get Organized for the New School Year Virtual Seminar!

Sign up today to join us live (just register with your name/email for us to send you the passwords and schedule updates) or grab a ticket for access to our Membership Site AND free ebooks/audios!

See you there!!!

Suzette

Resources for Saving Money on Groceries

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:20:00 -0500

Have you filled up at the gas pump lately? Wow! What used to cost me $36 dollars at the gas pump not too long ago, now costs me $75. Ouch! That’s a huge chunk out of our budget for just one vehicle. I think that gas has become one of the largest budget categories rivaling groceries, utilities, and mortgage payments. It has everyone stretched thin.

So what are you doing to cope? Leave me a comment with some of the ways you are coping with higher gas prices.

One of the ways we are cutting back is at the grocery store. Groceries are another one of those big budget categories. What people don’t know is that there is a surprising amount of flexibility within this category. Since I’m the manager of our home, I have been doing quite a bit of studying on how to revamp our budget to counteract the soaring gas prices. While my kids do their schoolwork, I’ve been studying how to save at the grocery store. Since I don’t have a lot of time to teach myself all of this on my own, I have found quite a few inexpensive, (and some free) resources to help speed up my learning curve. On most of these, I not only recouped what I paid for the resource but saved even more money on top of that (usually 3 times the amount). Here are some of my favorites:

The first fantastic resource that comes to mind is Teri Gaults’ website, The Grocery Game http://www.thegrocerygame.com . This website is a huge timesaver. I spend about 30 minutes a week clipping coupons from the Sunday paper and filing them in my coupon organizer. (Now, I don’t actually have a Sunday Paper subscription but I save my change up and buy one after church or have family and friends save me the coupons out of theirs.) Then, I go online to The Grocery Game and look up the 2 grocery stores in my area that I’m tracking. Since I live in a very rural area, I use the zip code of the area where I shop. The Grocery Game lists all the sales this store is having AND it also calculates which coupons to use in combination with the sale price to get the best rockbottom price possible. I make my weekly meal plan around this list. I am also trying to stock up a 12 week supply of basic pantry items and dry goods (like toothpaste and paper towels). Grocery store sales tend to run on 12 week cycles. If you watch for these cycles (The Grocery Game does it for you) then you stock up enough of an item when its at a rockbottom price (sale + coupons) to last 12 weeks. This way you NEVER pay full price. I’m starting small by just concentrating on building a stockpile of one or two grocery categories (cooking staples and dry goods) but I think in 6 months that I will have a good supply of just about everything on my list. This will free me up from having to buy an item NOW so I can watch and wait for the best possible price to stock up. The first week I used The GroceryGame, I saved $45. The gentleman behind me in line about fell over when he saw what I saved. My average savings each week so far has been about $30 and I haven’t even implemented everything yet. My grocery budget went from $500 to $350 for a family of 5. Average cost for tracking 2 grocery stores is about $7.50/month. I not only recouped my expenses the first week but saved almost $40 on top of that. Pretty cool! Right now you can sign up for a 4 week trial for $1. Please use my email address in the referral box when you sign up (PS139.13@gmail.com).

The second fantastic resource that I have used is Leanne Ely’s Saving Dinner (see link in the sidebar on the right). Leanne’s goal is to bring families back to the dinner table. She does all the menu planning and making out a grocery list for you. She has many many types of menu plans from weekly to monthly, freezer to crockpot and heart healthy to vegetarian. Many of her recipes are easily converted to Kosher. You simply print out the menu and recipes and post it on your fridge. Print out the grocery list, add whatever else you need from the grocery store to it and you’re all set. Because she uses recipes with basic ingredients and in season produce, you can easily slash your grocery bill by 1/3 (I did). My favorite menus are the Five-For-The-Freezer ones. You assemble all the ingredients possible beforehand (I usually did it the afternoon after grocery shopping). Put them in freezer bags and freeze them. Then each evening I would pull out the next day’s meal and stick in the refrigerator to defrost. The next evening, it would take me all of about 15 minutes (30 at the most) to have dinner ready and most of that was cooking time. These differ from most freezer cooking recipes in that you don’t cook, freeze and then eat but rather freeze, cook, and eat. I think it tastes and looks better cooked just before eating but I like the time-saving features of freezing ahead. Leannes recipes get rave reviews from average moms like you and me too (and their families). I’m not the greatest cook but I feel like a gourmet chef with her recipes because they use basic ingredients but have delicious variety and flavor. Definately not Hamburger Helper and its wonderful to eat something that looks and tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant that YOU cooked and your family raves about. So see the link on the sidebar to the right and try it out.

Another favorite resource is an e-course on Crystal Paines’ Biblical Womanhood website www.tinyurl.com/3zpqh7 or see the sidebar to the right). It’s called Supermarket Savings 101. This is a downloadable collection of e-books and audios that show you how to save BIG at the grocery store. Some of the topics covered are: Designing A Menu Plan that Really Works, Menu Planning on a Budget, Simple No Fuss Frugal Menu Ideas and Recipes, Creating a Workable Grocery Budget and How to Stick with it, Learning How to Find Good Deals, Time Management and Efficiency in Frugal Shopping, The Basics of Using Coupons, How to Make the Most of the Deals at CVS and Walgreens. Right now, it also includes 6 more free ebooks on saving money on groceries, menu planning, and recipes. Crystal actually spends about $30-40 per week on groceries and household items for a family of 5. Best of all, its downloaded to your computer and you can study it at your own pace when its convenient for you. There is such a wealth of information contained in this course that you can use to slash your grocery budget. This course normally is priced at $17.97 but if you use the link to the right, its only $8.97. Click on the grocery bag full of groceries and it will take you to the Supermarket Savings 101 e-course page. This was another resource that I not only recouped the cost of the course on my first trip to the grocery store but saved more money on top of that.

My next favorite grocery frugal website is Leslie Valeska’s website Simply Journey Ministeries http://leslievaleska.com/bookstore/. She has written several ebooks on grocery shopping and menu planning that are fantastic. Her book "Menu Planning: Simple and Delicious" puts an end to boring, tedious menu planning and brings in fun and flexiblity to fit your family’s needs. She has another book called "Trim the Fat: The Ultimate Book in Cutting Food Costs" which shows you the tricks of the Grocery trade (you wouldn’t believe the lengths grocers go to get you to buy, buy, buy.), how to buy meat and produce for less, and how to shop for convenience foods and pay less. Leslie also has several books from her "Simply Frugal..." series as well as an 8 week class on Digging out of Debt God’s Way. I highly recommend all of them and have learned a lot (and saved a lot). I’m eagerly awaiting her upcoming book on the art of pricebooking (keeping track of what you pay for certain items in a notebook so that you’ll know a good deal when you see one).

Another series of books that I’m studying thru are at Living on a Dime http://www.tinyurl.com/4duwna. The Living on a Dime ebook series is chockful of ways to save in Money Management, Grocery Savings, Menus and Leftovers, Cleaning, for the Holidays, and even how to get your kids to start saving (the way things are going they’re going to need a good headstart!). I’ve listened to Tawra Kellum, the author of the Living on a Dime ebooks and she has such practical advice on how to slash expenses in just about every area. Go check it out for yourself!

Another website that I've found very helpful, especially in cutting grocery costs is The Hillbilly Housewife http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com . Yup, I said Hillbilly. She even has tips and tricks for cooking without electricity! Every month when I get my electric bill, I think about her website and ponder the fact that it IS still possible....She has a menu plan for feeding your family on $35 a week (and one for $70/week). She has many great recipes and tips that I have used over and over. For instance, I will NEVER buy a frozen pizza again and the Pizza restaurants don’t look all that great anymore either now that I found her page on making Pizza. Since several of us in our family are allergic to dairy, its been torture giving up Pizza or eating something else while the boys enjoy pizza. Now, I make pizza and just leave off the cheese. Believe it or not, my husband raves about this recipe and he is a cheese lover to the max. I make the dough earlier in the day in the bread machine, get my toppings and sauce ready, flatten the dough out into 2 baking sheets, add my toppings (pepperoni, sausage, canadian bacon, onions, and jalepenos) and bake away in the oven for 20 minutes. It’s actually very easy and its one of our favorite meals. Best of all, we can ALL enjoy it. She has many other fabulous recipes, tips, and tricks on her website so be sure to check it out.

My last juicy resource tidbit is Marilyn Moll’s website Urban Homemaker http://www.urbanhomemaker.com. She has written many articles specifically for homemakers of all ages interested in the timeless arts of cooking, baking, canning, and homekeeping in the spirit of Titus 2. I have been surprised at how much I can save by getting back to the recipes that use basic ingredients (which you already usually buy in small bulk amounts, like flour and sugar). The price per person per meal drops dramatically and yet no one feels like we’re skimping. If anything, they feel like we’ve splurged because there will be rolls and other things on the table (I don’t normally splurge on frozen rolls at the grocery store) and yet it wasn’t a whole lot more effort on my part.

I hope that you will check out these fantastic money-saving resources that I heartily recommend and leave me a comment and tell me what you think. I have used all these resources and found many many ways to stretch a dollar wisely. I hope to turn this into a series of articles, a newsletter, and eventually a series of ebooks on saving money, getting out of debt, and stretching resources wisely so please bookmark my blog and check back often!

In the spirit of Proverbs 31 and Titus 2,

Suzette May

FREEBIES! and It's NOT too Late!!

Fri, 30 May 2008 11:03:00 -0500

It's NOT too late if you missed the live portion of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 08! It has been an incredible blessing to me and I want to share a part of it with you!

You see one of the neat things about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that even though the live event is over, everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place--it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $40. It is truly ULTIMATE! Don't wait to get a ticket because the price is going up to $99 any day now!

Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...

Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. I just finished working thru the workbook and the audio and it was a fantastic planning tool for school next year. It gave me quite a few new ideas, things to ponder, and several things I hadn't even thought about! Download it for yourself and read thru it at your leisure.

Here is the link: (If you will right click on the link and select "Save Target As", it will save directly to your computer)

Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year Super Set!

Let’s Get Ready for the New School Year Mommy Planner…
Ebook by Cindy Rushton

Need some help gearing up for the new school year? Wish you had a friend to take you by the hand and help you plan your year? You will LOVE this! It includes a quick Mommy Planner with a potpourri of planning sheets from all of Cindy's products to help you get started on the right track with your homeschool planning. It is full of goodies! AND YOURS...

Download Part One
http://www.cindyrushton.com/pdfs/GearingUp1.pdf

Download Part Two
http://www.cindyrushton.com/pdfs/GearingUp2.pdf

PLUS! Companion Audio! :)
Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year–Audio

Download by Mp3
http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/GetReadyNewSchoolYear.mp3

Isn't that FUN?

You know the saying that a picture captures a thousand words,well...what about a a gift like this??? And, just think...this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site. There are hundreds more!

Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:

http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=PS13913&pid=1

Sincerely Yours,
Suzette

I have an excuse!

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:14:00 -0500

Well, I sprained my ankle saturday. I would have welcomed the convalescence that follows if the house hadn't been a wreck. My wonderful DH did several loads of laundry and dishes on Sunday and the boys are stepping up and doing all sorts of things I didn't think they could do! Amazing how inability on my part, brings out hidden abilities on their part. It's like their maturity and responsibleness take a leap forward at such times.

I'm kind of glad I have a legitimate excuse to sit around and do nothing though! Cindy Rushton's Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008 is going on this week and talk about AWESOME!!! It's only $40.00 and you get a ton of freebies and audio downloads on top of the speakers and vendors. I'm looking forward to the speakers today (Successful home management with Toddlers, Socialization: understanding the issue and seeking options, and Teaching your children a lesson they won't forget: writing, drawing, and learning from nature, What does God see when he looks at me?).

The rest of the week is just as awesome: From Chaos to Order: Organization in your home, Creative playtimes, Blogging with a purpose, The Value of Motherhood, Helping your Child Find Their Life Purpose, Homeschooling at the Speed of Life, Secret to Supermarket SAvings, The only kind of mom God uses, Unit studies, God is Sufficient, Spirit-led homeschool, Homeschooling Toddler to Teens, Finding Freedom and Simplicity while seeking Biblical Excellence, Hands on HIstory, STraight talk to dads, Unleashed into your Future, WHo are your Child's Heroes, FAmily Routines: Keys to a Peaceful, Productive, Purposeful homelife, How can I teach Art when no one taught me?, What will they remember?

It's not too late to get a ticket if you still want to attend : www.tinyurl.com/4jw74e. The seminars that have already happened will be available in a few weeks on the website. I'll probably NEVER attend an IRL conference again! Nearly everything on the website will be available indefinately. There are 3500+ in attendance at UHSE 08!! Please join us!

Suzette May