I am a stay-at-home homeschooling Mother (which no doubt makes my feminist mother roll over in her grave) I like to blog to offer $$$ saving ideas, recipes, encouragement to other homeschooling mothers, and rants about the news. And I am an absolutly HORRID SPELLER. I have accepted that. If you are a good speller, I envy you. Do not email me to fuss at me for spelling errors. I know they are there. Its ok. If you want to know more about me (why, I do not know) view my profile. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:58:00 -0600 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:58:00 -0600 Ok, many of us have  children of varying ages and maturity levels.  When we are at the museums and see something we really  want our teens to see or we really, really want to see ourselves, we generally have two choices: missing out or praying our younger children do not really get it. I have a solution that might work for you. Here in SC, the state museum has an exhibit put on by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum called Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race.  In their own words, “the exhibit traces the journey of eugenics from its start as a scientific concept in the late 19th century to its deadly use by Nazi Germany as a justification for the sterilization and murder of millions of people. Viewer discretion is advised. “  As a matter of fact, when I was at the museum picking up the info, the curator looked at my kids and pointed to the younger ones and HIGHLY advised me not to take them in to that exhibit.  I told him I wasn’t I was just getting info.  Well there are many mothers out there who in the same boat.  Here is the solution we came up with: tag team.  Get a group or just one other mother and go to the museum (ps most museums have free or deeply discounted prices with current homeschool IDs)  While some of the mothers are taking the kids through the other parts, the moms & teens can go in groups of two or more and go through the exhibit.  This way, no one misses out but you do not expose kids to something you do not think they are ready for.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/745892/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:58:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/745892/ This is one of the most favorite recipes I post every year about his time ...judging by the emails I get.  Well, it is starting to get chilly.  (unless you happen to live in SC where the four seasons are almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas; none of which are cold)  With all of the left over chocolate bars from Trick or Treating I thought I would share my recipe for homemade Hot Chocolate.  We usually make this on Christmas Eve in my house.  Now I warn you, this is NOT low fat in any way shape or form. So it goes without saying, this is probably the tastiest recipe known to mankind. Hot Chocolate 1 Chocolate bar per person (Hershey’s is still the best) or a hand full of Hershey's kisses 1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream per person sprinkle of cinnamon for garish (optional) Pour the cream into a heavy sauce pan.  Heat slowly over med heat.  If it starts to scorch, remove from heat. Chop up the candy bars (in a food processor works best). Add to the cream and use a whisk to stir it in.  It should only take a minute to melt the chocolate.   Pour in a cup and enjoy.  You can sprinkle on some cinnamon or put in a candy cane.  Lastly, if you drink more than 1 cup a day for a week, avoid the scale for a week or two.  MMMMMMMMM Oh, Yeah, that is good. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/745304/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:47:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/745304/ With Thanksgiving Day coming up, I wanted to share a great resource with you.  I found this a couple of years ago and I can not tell you how great this works!!!    This little book is incredible. But do not let the title Primer fool you. This is for adults as well. It has a complete history of the American tradition,  a section of the Pilgrims as people, recreating a Separatist Service, the manners of the time and recipes from that time period (ps they probably did not have turkey on the menu), the real way they dressed and charts of all garments worn (if you are good at sewing you can easily make these), Pilgrim games, what the children did and something else I love.  They have a traditional picture of the first Thanksgiving meal with the Pilgrims and Indians. The author then goes through and tells everything that is wrong.  There is also a list of the passengers on the Mayflower.  There are great pictures & drawings. This Primer is a “complete guide to re-creating the first harvest festival for your family, friends or church.” There is also a package deal here that includes a hardback reprint of William Bradford’s own diary which if very enlightening. If you can swing it, I highly recommend it.  You can see in their own words why the Pilgrims came to the New World.  No, it was not for religious freedom.  But I will be doing a post on that closer to Thanksgiving. I am also going to get some free resources up for Thanksgiving, but I have to be honest, I think this book beats anything out there.    This book is only $6  but well worth it.  Like I said, I have used it quite a bit in this year and for the years to come. If you order it now, you should get it in time for Thanksgiving.   Now before I give you the web address here is my disclaimer.  I am an affiliate of Vision Forum who sells this book.  If you click on the Vision Forum icon in my side bar they will pay me a percentage of your purchase (no charge to you).  If you click on the link here, I will receive no pay. This is a direct link.   I really think this book would be of great use to so many out there that I do not want anyone to think I am recommending it so I can make money.  I want no one to be able to say Mrs. Dani is dishonest.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/744098/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:18:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/744098/ This but one day we take from our busy lives to remember, pray, and think about those past and present who fight to keep us free. We should do this everyday.  My Grandmother told me yesterday that she thinks the reason young people today do not have the respect for their country and those who sacrificed for it is because of us: the parents.  We do not take the time or effort to show them all they have to be proud of, to be thankful that they live in this great country.  Let’s not fail.  I have some wonderful FREE resources for you today. But first, I encourage you to attend the Veteran’s Day parade in your nearest city.  I know it will be at 11 am.  How to I know that? Out of tradition for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, ending WWI was signed at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Military.com has a wealth of info form the history, to things you can do to links for Veterans.  You can access that info by clicking here. You can go to  this site  and/orthis site to find out the history of Veteran's Day. This next website has some great printables.  They have a coloring page for the younger ones, vocabulary pages, wordsearch and a really cool quiz that even I had to think to complete.  You can get that site by clicking here. Plus you can sign up for their weekly newsletter and get some great links each week to a variety of subjects. Another great site with a lot of great printables is here. This is a 4th of July site but there are some great printable flags & pinwheels.  You can click here for that. Now here is the free lapbook from CurrClick.  You do have to go through checkout but it does not require any kind of credit card info.  This is an incredible that site that gives away a lot of free stuff (my favorite kind).  You will be signed up for a newletter that lets you know about freebies.  You can access that by clicking here. I have mine printed up and ready for the kids to do tomorrow.  I also have pictures of some of the Veterans in our family printed up to put in it.  (you can meet one of them, a true hero by reading last year's post, here) Now some extra clipart for the above lapbook or any notebooking . For the military branch seals, click here.  Now at this site (click here) scroll down on the page and you will see links to more military clipart than you knew existed.  You will also find some really cool clipart here.  Well, this should get you started.  I wanted to get this up early in the week so it would give you time to design and print up what you need.  Again, please make plans to attend the parade. If you are a Veteran, thank you.  I may not know your face or name but you are in my prayers. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/743205/ Mon, 9 Nov 2009 06:15:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/743205/ If you read my previous post (click here) you know we have a new addition to the family. Yeah!  If you know me, you know that “yeah” was sarcastic.  Sigh.  Well, some of you have asked for updates on the beast. She is doing well. When she came home a little over two weeks ago, she weighted just over a pound. The vet said she was terribly underweight. Well, she has fattened up!  Not sure how much but boy has that rear spread out!   Another great surprise was the tests revealed she has NO intestinal parasites.  EEEWWW!  Anyway, I found a great free toy for her. Our church goes through a lot of soda.  We do not buy carbonated sugar except on rare occasions.  I generally get the bottles for free and use them for gardening purposes.  I will do a post on that another time. Anyway, I was cleaning them when the cap fell to the floor. The kitten went nuts.  She loves chasing the caps across the floor, pawing them and boy is it funny when she skids them under the stove and cant reach them. She sits there meowing as loud as possible until someone gets it or gives her another one.  Imagine, my kids insisted on paying $4 for a stuffed mouse and $2 for a jingling ball and the cat loves the free stuff!   Ok, maybe this kitten may work out well in the family after all. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/741946/ Wed, 4 Nov 2009 06:35:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/741946/ Tis the season to save up to 80% off of fans for the summer….and winter energy bills. Have I got a great tip & deal for you today!  Here in the south fans are a necessity in the summer to help keep homes cool but did you know they help keep your house WARM too. Heat rises so when you are heating your home a lot of the warm air is hanging around the ceiling!  By having the fan on low you can cycle the warm air down helping to save on your energy bill in the winter as well as the summer.   PS  In warm weather the fan should be going counterclockwise and in the winter it should be going clockwise. Took me forever to get that straight.  Anyway, my nieces wanted some fans for their rooms. As you can see from the pic they are pretty and pink with flowers and butterflies.  These are both Hunter fans; the industry leader and most quiet you can buy-translation: the best but expensive.  Side note: five or more blades are the quietest. These generally run $90 each.  Not too bad as far as Hunter fans go.  But by waiting until this time of year we were able to pick these up for…..drum roll please………$30 each. That’s right we paid less for both of the fans than for one by waiting until the end of the season! Now is the time to pick these up for your homes.  If you ever wondered if these make a difference....trust me they do ( we have 6 in our house)!  So check out your local home improvment stores and see what deals they have!  Also, if you are buying more than two, sometimes you can get a manager to make you a deal! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/741364/ Mon, 2 Nov 2009 07:18:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/741364/ Ok, I found a great deal the other day!  It seems Wal-mart is getting ready to sell its own brand of spices so they are no longer going to sell McCormick Spices.  Generally speaking, I am a big fan of store brand whatever…except spices.  I come from a long line of cooks and learned at an early age how there is a difference in taste.  So I tend to use fresh or if I can not grow it (or run out) I will use McCormick’s brand spices.  (FYI You can go on their website and get a newsletter and additional coupons sent to you) Ok, back to Wal-mart.  I found a clearance cart in the diary section with all of the McCormick spices on them.  I stocked up on Allspice, Cinnamon sticks, dried Oregano (in case I was not able to dry enough from my garden this year), Garlic Salt, Cayenne Pepper, even Vanilla Extract and so many others.  I generally pay anywhere from $2.34 to $4.20 a bottle.  This time I got bottles for $.85 to $1.25 a bottle!  Yes, you read that right.  Spices kept in dark cool places (think the bottom drawer of the fridge.) will last at least a year or so.   If you do a lot of baking for the holidays, now is a great time to stock up! We use a lot of Oregano in our home so I bought several bottles!!!  Good spice hunting! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/739638/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:45:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/739638/ I have a really great tip that works incredibly well.  Ok, now before I go on, those who know Mrs Dani are saying, “Why in the world is Mrs Dani giving tips on pets.  She can’t stand animals.”  I think it is fair to say I do not like to see them abused or neglected, I just do not like animals in general. I really, really, REALLY can not stand them in a house. I will avoid eating in a home with animals living inside it because I literally get sick to my stomach.  Well God has proven He has quite a sense of humor by giving me children who are animal lovers.  Yeah, I have aquariums all over the school room. I can handle the creatures, like turtles or fish, if they are contained.  Last week we went camping with some friends.  We were not at the camp ground for an hour when a kitten decided my wheel well was a great place to hang out.  Yeah, a lot of you see where this is going.  She hung out there the entire time sneaking out to steal our buddies’ dog’s food and run back under the tire and into the motor.  On the last day, we had to get her out of the motor.  With 9 kids (I think. I lost count after 5) and five adults we literally fished her out with a net.  We took her to the grounds keeper who asked us to please take her. The dirty look I gave him was not befitting of a Christian.  It turns out a lot of people think a camp ground is a great place to dump kittens & cats.  How terrible! Fine, I understand you do not want them but do not dump them somewhere. Anyway, the kids begged their father (they knew better than to try to beg me) to keep him.  Well, he relented and boy is he in trouble. But I digress.  The kitten had fleas of course.  I used my Aunt Janice’s old home remedy.  The vet agreed.  She hates the chemical stuff sold over the counter at Wal-mart or other retailers and advise against using them. Have you even read what is in these things?  This tip I am about to share with you works better and is safe for the kids. Take a bar of pure Ivory soap.  Yes, the bath soap you get 3 bars for a $1.  Also, it has to be Ivory.  Sorry, Irish Spring, love ya but you will not work.  Anyway, soap up your animal and with tweezers, and then pick off any fleas you see crushing them with the tweezers.  The soap will kill or at the very least slow down the fleas.  Concentrate on the areas under their legs (for lack of a better term, armpits) tails, neck under their chin, around the ears and face.  This will take bit of time, but it will be well worth it. Ok, I have to go clean out the bathroom and remind the kids to clean out the kitty litter box.  Those of you who know me are laughing their rears off about this kitten but I am battling a sick stomach over this.  Sigh.  Well, at least the kids are happy.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/736022/ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/736022/ Ok, I know I am about to horrify some dentists somewhere. Do you have any of those wonderful non-spill sippy cups laying around?   Ah, how I loved them. I have no doubt there is a special place in heaven for the man who created them….along side the guy who created Cheerios. My dear rug in the living room and my car has been saved from many a devastating stain by these wonderful plastic creations. But when your little ones grow out of them (or perhaps they still use them)  what to do? I held on to mine even though many of my kids are too old to use them.  I use them at night to hold cold water when the kids are sick.  Sometimes, especially around flu & cold season which we are suffering through, a child can use a sip of cold water but of course you would not dare leave a cup in their bed and we know while they are half asleep there is a good chance of knocking a glass off the bed stand and it would be nice to get at least one extra minute of sleep without the usual, “ Mommy! I’m Thirsty!” .  These sippy cups (though the child is too old) are nice because they can have a sip of water, not spill it in bed and if you nestle it in the stuffed animals on the bed, it will stay colder longer.     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/734314/ Thu, 8 Oct 2009 08:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/734314/ Ah, yes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day; far too important for dry, sugary cereal.  Yeah, I get it. I know I am not the best mother for giving my kids probably the least nutritious of meals.  The problem is I am generally lucky to fall into bed by midnight and to be honest, morning comes far too early.  I have problems getting out of bed…unless of course one of the kids comes running in and informing another one is pooking (it happened last week with all the flu and viruses in the house.)  I WANT to make a more nutritious meal but I just do not seem to get up in time to make it! …nor do I really have the energy.  So I was thinking about this the other day when I noticed my crock pot. Ok, so any of you who have been following this blog know I am always on the lookout for great, easy crock-pot meals.  Now, while I know there are a lot of great recipes out there, but so many of them call for special ingredients.  While I know they are great I just do not have the time, energy, or patience to find exotic ingredients nor do I have the money for two pages long of ingredients. I found a great site with some really (and easy) crock pot meals.  These can be made the night before and ready in the morning.  Also a great plus if you are heading out early in the morning for a day of field trips. These are recipes with eggs, cheese, potatoes, oatmeal and the like.  In other words, normal. What is also great is all of these are so versatile.  You can easily cut these in half or double or triple the recipe depending upon the size of your family.  Plus you can add or take out ingredients depending upon your family’s taste buds.     You can find the site at http://www.thatsmyhome.com/slowcooker/breakfast.htm http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/733341/ Mon, 5 Oct 2009 09:37:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/coffeewithmrsdani/733341/