This blog is a place where I can share things that we have learned (both good and not so good) in the educational environment and on the home front. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:59:00 -0600 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:59:00 -0600 According to the “Simple Dollar “ one should find their base store at least every few years. This store is where you buy the majority of your groceries. The first step is to make a list of staples used in your household. As you shop in the next few weeks, write down the prices of your staples. After you researched the stores in your area figure out which store works best for you. Price is only one factor to consider, location, quality, and cleanliness are also some others to consider. We use Walmart Supercenter as our base store because it is only 10 minutes away, has a wide selection of foods, is a clean & friendly store, and we can do household shopping at the same time. Food Lion is closer, but more expensive and doesn't have the less common ingredients; Harris Teeter and Kroger have a better meat and produce selection, but not enough to warrant a trip across town ; Aldi has great prices on their canned goods, but they are across town and their produce seems to go bad faster than Walmart's. Once every two or three months, we go to other stores and stock up on their specialties. Having an outside freezer helps immensely when stocking up on meats and bread, as is having two pantries for the dry goods. My children don't like shopping days because it is a long day, so I try to do my shopping in as few stores as possible. An important thing to remember is that your time is money, and there is vehicular wear and tear to consider when making shopping trips. An item might be 10 cents cheaper elsewhere, but if it costs $5 in time and gas, you haven't saved anything Our goal is to do our shopping every two weeks, but even just going just once a week has saved us money because of the time factor. Our shopping time is limited because we do it on music lesson days, causing us not to go to stores that aren't a necessity because we don't have the time. The envelope system has also saved us a lot of money, but that will be in a later post. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/748102/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:59:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/748102/ With this week being Thanksgiving, it seemed appropriate to write about being thankful, but how does that tie in with being a good steward?  1) Making a list of things you're grateful for makes you realize how much that you have.  During the next few weeks the emphasis will be on getting new things.  Realizing just how much we have may help to curb the MErry Christmas syndrome and help us to focus on the real meaning of CHRISTmas.  2) Making a list of your blessings can lighten your mood when you're feeling low.  This pick-me-up is a lot cheaper than a shopping trip, or even a cup of coffee, and it lasts a longer.  Usually I start to feel low when I start to fret about things, or talents, that I wish I had.  I can get in a real funk real fast if I let feelings of jealousy, inferiority, or competitiveness take seed in my heart.  My favorite hymn is "Count Your Blessings"- it might seem a little trite and simple, but it has a lively tune and cheers my heart.  Have you ever tried singing this hymn with a frown- it is very difficult. BTW- It's tough to count your blessings and woes at the same time! 3) Realizing what we have may help us to better use our money and/or time.  If you are thankful for your family, you will spend more time with them.  Investing time in a quality relationship with your spouse and children will reap far bigger dividends than all that over-time at the office.  Don't get me wrong, God wants us to work hard, but not at the expense of our families. These are a few of my thankful things: 1) My belief in God.  During difficult times, it helps to know that He is in control of ALL things. 2) My husband- he lets me indulge in my crafts, but doesn't allow me to become obsessed.  He puts his family first in such a way that no one around him doubts his love for us.  It doesn't hurt that he's very easy on the eyes. 3) My children.  I'm supposed to be teaching them, but they seem to teach me something each day. 4) Friends 5) Family 6) Quiet 7) talents 8) time 9) being able to help others 10) knowing how to say "no" There are so many more that will be on the list to be written later this week.  I really do need to count my blessings on a more regular basis. Being aware of all that you have to be thankful for shouldn't end when Black Friday begins, let's try to give thanks in all things at all times.  This is something that I have to work harder on. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/746555/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:45:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/746555/ Yikes! I almost forgot to write this post today.  I guess if I wrote it tomorrow it could have been called Good Steward's Sunday . Two years ago, our neighbor( and fellow homeschooler) suggested that we make our own laundry detergent as a school project.  We looked online and found oodles of recipes, but the one we used came from the "Simple Dollar" site- altered, of course, because we follow very few recipes as written. 1 bar soap ( you can also use scraps) 4 cups water 1 cup washing soda 1/2 cup borax 3 gallons water 1) grate soap and melt with 4 cups water on med heat 2)When a soapy soup, pour into 5 gallon bucket or tote 3) add 3 gallons hot tap water 4) stir in washing soda and borax 5) let mixture set overnight The laundry  detergent will resemble a huge container of jello but will turn gel like after some stirring.  We tried using our old ALL containers that had a spigot, but the gel was too thick and didn't come out easily.  We then tried filling up old dish detergent bottles.  It was easy to squeeze the detergent out but difficult to get the laundry soap in the bottles.  Someone suggested  filling bulk- sized ketchup bottles( the kind with a pump top) with the laundry soap for easy dispensing- it worked wonderfully! Some have wondered if this is ok  to use with a high efficiancy washer- it does.  We have a HE washer because of it having a sanitizing cycle and us having allergies.  We usually fill the dispenser 1/2 full, unless it is a very dirty load, in which case we fill to the max line. Why do we make our laundry detergent? 1) It's cheaper.  We were spending about $70/ year on ALL CLEAR from BJ's.  Now we spend around $10/year. 2) It's great for those who are sensitive to frangrances or dyes.  My son and I are bothered by most frangrances, but this has none.  My dear MIL washed my son's clothes while he was staying with her for a week and his exema got really bad, but when he came home and wore clothes that had been washed with our detergent, the exema cleared up. 3)It's fun to make.  About 4 times a year we make a big batch and count it as a science time.  The kids like to put their hands in the "cold  white jello" 4) It's customizeable.  You can use essential oils(use caution as they may cause damage over the long run) to get the smell you want. We followed a suggestion to run your clothes through a second rinse, just to make sure all the soap is out.  You can also put vinegar in your fabric softener dispenser to freshen your clothes without the cost and issues associated with fabric softeners. A reason not to- difficulty in finding the washing soda. We had difficulty locating the washing soda, but finally found it at Kroger's.  Raising Olives has a recipe using ingredients that you probably already have at home.  She has nine test subjects children, so if she says it works, I trust her. Maybe next week I should do a post about how procrastinating is not part of being a good steward. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/744781/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:56:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/744781/ Exploramania's motto is "Get fit, Get smart, Have Fun!".  Too many times we can focus so much on working out our mental muscles that we forget about the physical ones or the other way around.  We should be good stewards of all that God has given us, including our physical bodies. Gymathtics gets the kids (and you) off the couch and moving around while learning math facts.  You may be so focused on trying to say the prime numbers that you forget that your shoulders were hurting or maybe the moving around makes you forget that you wouldn't mind if math followed the way of spoken Latin and died. A warm up, callenstitics, and cool down are done by an adult, a male teenager, a female teen, a pre-teen boy and a cute litlle girl (around the age of 6?).  These people make you feel more comfortable because they're not perfect, but are fun to watch.  At one point in the cool down it looks like the little girl is trying to take a nap on her mat- very cute! As conservative Christians we are careful about the videos that come into our house.  There are few exercise videos where the women are dressed in such a way that I don't mind my impressionable son watching-this one was fine.  All the kids are wearing loose, long sport shorts and loose t-shirts.  The lady wears a t- shirt that is semi loose and black pants.  The music was acceptable, dress was appropriate and everyone seemed to have good attitudes. I had heard that some kids found this DVD hokey, but my kids loved it!  I thought the high-fives were a bit hokey, but my children had a ball with it. The Price $24.99 There's nothing objectionable, and the children love Gymathtics, but our children have other avenues of exercise, and I'm not sure this DVD would be a wise expenditure for our family.  Exploramania also carries an exercise mat:and Thumballs: As a member of the TOS Review Crew, I received this product free, in return for my honest OPINION. I am a Jane of all crafts, master of none, Homeschool my children, a daughter and son. Been married to my sweetheart for 18 years filled with joy, frowns and happy tears. I don't always have it all together, But with God's help, I'll get better. I'm no expert, and all I can do, is to say how it works for us and share it in a review. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/742999/ Sat, 7 Nov 2009 22:21:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/742999/ We put chocolate in our granola.  Want to find out more about it?- see the  recipe at the bottom. What is Granola?  According to wikipedia, granola is "a breakfast food and snack  food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey, and sometimes rice, that is usually baked until crispy. During the baking process the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose, breakfast cereal-type consistency. Dried fruits, such as raisins and dates, are sometimes added. HISTORY of Granola The names Granula and Granola were trademarked terms in the late nineteenth century United States for foods consisting of whole grain products crumbled and then baked until crispy; in contrast with the contemporary invention, muesli, which is traditionally not baked or sweetened. The name is now trademarked only in Australia (by the Australian Health & Nutrition Association Ltd.'s Sanitarium Health Food Company). Granula was invented in Dansville, New York, by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium in 1894. The Jackson Sanitarium was a prominent health spa that operated into the early twentieth century on the hillside overlooking Dansville.  It was also known as Our Home on the Hillside; thus the company formed to sell Jackson's cereal was known as the Our Home Granula Company Granula was composed of Graham flour and was similar to an oversized form of Grape-Nuts. A similar cereal was developed by John Harvey Kellogg  It too was initially known as Granula, but the name was changed to Granola to avoid legal problems with Jackson The food and name were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it a health food that was popular with the hippie movement. At the time, several people claim to have revived or re-invented granola. In 1972, Jim Matson, an executive at Pet Milk (later Pet Incorporated) of Saint Louis, Missouri, introduced Heartland Natural Cereal, the first major commercial granola  At almost the same time, Quaker introduced Quaker 100% Natural Granola. Within a year, Kellogg's had introduced its "Country Morning" granola cereal and General Mills had introduced its "Nature Valley." In 1974, McKee Baking (later McKee Foods), makers of Little Debbie snack cakes, purchased Sovex.  In 1998, the company also acquired the Heartland brand and moved its manufacturing to Collegedale. In 2004, Sovex's name was changed to "Blue Planet Foods." Granola is a healthy , but expensive if you buy it in the store.  When we buy it, it's usually around $4 for a small box that may last 2 breakfasts.  We buy generic or other low-cost granola and we only have four people in our family, but granola still took a bite out  of our budget, so we usually only had it occasionally.  We usually ate cereal or toast because it fast and simple. A friend gave us a basic recipe and we played with it until we found something we all like and still have it be healthy. Makes about 8 cups 1 cup butter                  ($1) 1 cup Brown sugar       ($.50) 4 cups quick oats        ($.75) 4 cups old fashioned oats   ($.75) 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup raw chocolate bits (found in local health food store) ($1.50)- very healthy for you 1/3 cup chopped banana chips ($.50) Melt butter and sugar in a large pot.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add salt & cinnamon.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Mix until evenly coated.  Place into two cookie sheets with edges.  Bake at 375 degree for 10 minutes. Let cool and place in air tight container.  For about $5  1)  you have enough "gourmet" granola to last a week. 2) the children think it's great that mom is letting them have chocolate for breakfast. 3) you have a breakfast that's filling. 4) you're not feeding your children lots of preservatives. 5) you have a quick breakfast To have a product that is easier to eat with your fingers, double the sugar and butter.  This will help clump the ingredients together. We use this for snacks and church funtions. To make a trail mix, use the snack recipe and add whatever you want to after the mix cools. Making your own granola allows you to make it the way your family like it.  My dd despises raisins, but most granola contain raisins. If you can't find the raw coaoa bean bits, or if it's too expensive, delete it.  You can add dates, nuts, dried berries, or whatever else your family likes.  Experiment and have fun.  Below is a picture of the batch we made this morning- it also has 8 oz chopped dates in it. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/742883/ Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:41:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/742883/ Hello All, This will hopefully be the beginning of a beneficial blog series.  What is "Good Steward Saturday" and why should you spend your valuable time reading it- good questions, I hope to answer them in a satisfactory manner.  The beginning: "Steward's Steno" started as a way to post reviews regarding products sent to the TOS review crew, and I hope to branch out a little more through better time management and blogging knowledge.  I started reading other crew members' sites and there are several great blogs that spoke to me, but the one that inspired me the most was Kimberly at Raising Olives.  Kimberly has included DIY tutorials, homeschooling tips/information, and other information she is gleaned from helping to raise 9 children.  Many blogs contain great information, so what made "Raising Olives" stand out?  It was Kimberly's humor.  She has a blog series "Not Me Mondays" that had me in tears from so much laughter.  She helped me to remind me to look for the fun side of homeschooling and raising children. I wanted to share some of the lessons I'd learned, but I'm not very funny, or maybe I should say that only a few select (usually those who love me) find me funny.  I'm more punny than funny- you can pray for our children because they seem to have the same odd sense of humor . The name: In our state, we can't change our homeschool name once we've registered, meaning the name you choose when your child is 7 stays with them and is on their high school diploma and transcripts.  This encourages you to be careful with your school name.  After much prayer and thought, my husband chose "Good Steward Academy"- not because we are great stewards, but because we are striving to be good stewards with everything God has given us. What does it mean to be a good steward?  To me good stewardship requires us to use and take care of everything God has given us to the glory of God.  That sounds nice, but how does that show itself?  It means not wasting time- plan your work, and work your plan.  I am good at making a schedule, but not so good at implementing it. It means not wasting money.  You can make all the budgets and do all sorts of systems, but you can get around any system if you really want to. It means learning and teaching what God wants us to do, and how God wants us to it. It means taking care of our bodies- OK, not so great at that either. It means enjoying the intangibles in life, the laughter and excitement of those we love, amazing sunsets and sunrises, the lessons learned through trials. It means not just living for today, but also investing in tomorrow. Good stewardship basically boils down to: "two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self (The Wilds Christian Camp)." I'll be giving my take on finances, crafts (I am a craftaholic), recipes, and others.  I'm not an expert or someone that has it all together, but hopefully you can pick up a tidbit or two. Hope to see you back next week. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/740899/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/740899/ Benefits of AVKO Individual Membership Discounts on AVKO printed materials Hundreds of dollars worth of FREE e-books (PDF) The Patterns of English Spelling (All 10 Volumes) with Word Families in Sentence Context To Teach a Dyslexic Starting at Square One The Teaching of Reading & Spelling: a Continuum from Kindergarten through College. The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words Access to the Member Only section AVKO Newsletter with freebies, discounts, resources, and promotions Access to Don McCabe's most popular workshop recordings in MP3 format. Supplemental Curriculum Materials including word games, worksheets, activities, and more! Access to Pretests and Placement Tests Access to the Answer Keys for the Unscramblers and Family Reunion exercises of the Engaging Language Kits             For those who suspect that dyslexia might be in their families or for those who have poor spellers, AVKO will be the best thing since sliced bread.  Mr. McCabe has dyslexia and was a teacher in the Michigan school system.  In the audio "I Think My Child Might be Dyslexic", McCabe tells you the characteristics of dyslexia to be used as a teaching tool , but not a label.  I appreciate it that he doesn't  think it is important to have proof (being officially diagnosed) before trying techniques that work for dyslexia.  If your child is showing the signs (such as consistantly misspelling words in a logical manner),  then it may be beneficial to implement some of these spelling/ reading techniques. What about those who have great spellers and "dyslexia" is only a word in the dictionary-  can AVKO be beneficial to you?  I think it can.  In the audio "The Mechanics of English Spelling", Don McCabe breaks words down into a few categories; basic, fancy, odd, confusing, and scrunched up.  He also has words separated into different word families.  According to Don, you can teach someone how to spell a difficult word that they have never seen before by leading then into it gradually, using word families. AVKO  Members can get a file containing these word families and an audio on how to make your own spelling program. We have great spellers, and we have a program that works for us, but I'm still contemplating using what I've found on the AVKO site instead. Students will like this program because THERE IS NO STUDYING involved! The audios made me aware of how mixed up the traditional way of spelling is.  For example: "yellow" is a first grade word (color), "yell" is a third grade word and "low" is a fourth grade word- seems kind of mixed up to me. On the AVKO site there are some reading comprehension exercises, but I would recommend previewing them to make sure that the humor is appropriate for your family (my favorite is "Daddy's Girl" and "Smiles from the Bible"). An AVKO membership is $25/ year and very worth it (in my opinion)!  It also allows you to receive a 20% discount on any products that you order.  We will be getting the "Tricky Words" to help with homophones. Word of advice:  When you become a member, just take it slowly and step-by-step or it can be a bit overwhelming. Based on the available audios, we are looking into changing from a loved spelling program to Sequential Spelling because of the word families.  Maybe we'll follow McCabe' suggestions on making your own spelling program-  we'll have to see what works best for our family, both time-wise and financially. As a member of the TOS review crew, I received this great product free, in return for a honest opinion. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739235/ Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:34:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739235/ In honor of November being American Heritage month, the American Heritage Education Foundation wants to bring the attention of teachers( including homeschoolers) to the wealth of free information available from their site. The Mission AHEF is a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation (501.c.3) dedicated to the understanding and teaching of America's factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility among our students and citizens. AHEF accomplishes this patriotic mission by writing, producing, and distributing FREE K-12 lesson plans to teachers, students, and families in all 50 states and through additional initiatives, programs, and partnerships. AHEF is inclusive of individuals of every race and creed and every religious or non-religious persuasion. (taken from AHEF's website) BASIC CONCEPT The three founders of AHEF believe that America and its beginnings could be explained using 4 basic themes: 1) Freedom 2) Unity 3) Progress 4) Responsibility They believe that Americans should use these 4 themes to realize that no matter how diverse we are as a people, we have to remember that we are all part of the same nation and should act accordingly and not forget what this country was founded on.  AHEF's founders feel that the teaching and learning of these 4 important themes aren't being taught or learned by today's youth in K-12 and even in college.  The PRODUCT We were sent a CD that contains the K-12 lesson plans that you can download free from their website. The down load is divided into 3 sections: 1) Elementary-include lessons about the colonists' experience under monarchy; the context for the writing of the Declaration of Independence; the creation of important American symbols, songs, and holidays; and the character traits modeled by great national leaders and presidents. 2) Middle school- include lessons focusing on concepts within the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and other important texts and American symbols as well as the ideals for which many fought and sacrificed their lives. 3) High school- include lessons for in-depth analysis and understanding of the ideas, intentions, arguments, rights, and meanings addressed in significant texts from the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence to Federalist 47, the First Amendment, and a government letter on religious expression in public schools. Since we have two in the seventh grade, we used the middle school lesson plans.  At the beginning of each lesson plan the following is stated : Purpose Objective Theme NCSS standards Time needed Material list Preparation list Each of the 15 units has the following: Focus Activity Closure Assessment Some lessons also include an enrichment activity. I had heard that most Americans are only focused on the United States and don't know much about the rest of the world- I'm afraid our family is the opposite.  We were so concerned that our children learn about world history, but  somewhat neglected US history.  It's like telling your children about all the religions of the world but forgetting the one you believe.  We are proud to live in the United States and our children should be able to see where we stand by observing us!  The COST Downloads -instant & free Lesson plan CD- order for free Binders - $19.50/ level We plan on using this along side our world history curriculum so our children will have a better rounded education. As part of the TOS review crew, I received this CD free in exchange for an honest review, but you can get it free and not have to write a review- good deal, right? http://www.americanheritage.org/index.html http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739234/ Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:33:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739234/ ABC TEACH  has two parts to their website.  The first part is free and open to the general public.  On it, you will find thousands of worksheets and fun printables.  Some of the categories include: Reading Comprehension Flashcards Clip Art Themed Units Learning Centers Homeschoolers and Parents and Languages These worksheets and printables are pre-made and can not be edited, but there is a wealth of resources for your classroom/ homeschool. For those who want more ready-made worksheets and/ or the ability to make up their own worksheets, you'll need to purchase the ABC Teach member subscription ($40/ year or $70/ 2 years). What do you get for $40 of your hard earned money? 1) Members get access to 30,000 worksheets and other printables 2) Members can use worksheet generators to create documents for a specific topic 3) Their are 19 video tutorials available to make sure you get the full benefit of the abc tools. The abc tools are custom worksheet generators to help make learning fun.  They include: 1) ABC sort 2) Handwriting 3) Shapebook and border paper 4)Word Wall 5) Word Search 6) Unscramble 7) Crossword 8) Desk tag 9) Bingo 10) Sudoku 11) Word Shape 12) Spelling 13) Missing letter 14) Circle and Spell 15) Word list We no longer use a lot of worksheets and I wasn't sure of how much we'd actually use it, but there are a few things that have been great for our family.  Number 1 on our list is probably Sudoku.  Our daughter is on a Sudoku kick right now, and she's trying to teach our two younger students how to play.  This worksheet generator allows you to choose themed pictures, numbers, and shapes in the 4, 6, & 9 square formats.  You can choose whether or not to allow hints- this allows you to make a sudoku that is is easy enough for beginner or difficult for an advanced player. Another good generator is the word search.  How would you like to do a word search about butterflies with a butterfly-shaped word search?  There are hundreds of shapes to choose from including: animals, basic shapes, the 50 states Canadian provinces food science Sports Besides being able to make up your own worksheets, membership also allows you to choose from many more ready-made worksheets. Let's take French as an example. Free section Paid member section French vocabulary sub- categories 12 36 French vocabulary (colors) worksheets 2 12 Total # of French Vocabulary worksheets (all categories) 36 311 As you can see from the table above, a member has about 10x more worksheets available than a non-member. The down side to ABC Teach is that although they have some things for middle school and jr. High, most of their worksheets are for elementary aged children, The worksheet generator would work for any age , level and subject because you are importing the information. Another side note- Some worksheet sites require you to destroy any worksheets you made after your membership runs out- ABC teach does not. You can save your worksheets and use them for younger children without having to destroy them after you aren't a member any longer. If you have young children and a decent printer, this is an excellent buy for you. We decided this was worth our hard earned money because of the worksheet generators and Mini Offices. Mini Offices are a few sheets highlighting the rules for a certain topic. You, or your child, cut and attach this information to file folders for portability. This product was sent to me free, as a TOS crew member, in return for my honest opinion. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739233/ Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739233/ I am particular about my hair.  It doesn't always matter what it looks like, but it has to be healthy!  If I see more than 5 split ends, its time for a haircut. Due to a great sylist, minimally applied heat, no chemical treatments, and moisturizing products, my hair usually only needs to be cut once a year. I have spent several years trying to find the right methods and products for my hair and I thought  I had found the perfect combination for me,but I'm proof that old dogs can learn new tricks.  Because of Virginia Soaps and Scents, I learned a few things about hair that will change what we will be using for our hair in the future. It seems that most shampoos and conditioners contain plastics and other substances that coat your hair and make it unhealthy. We were sent :  Honey and Oatmeal, Coconut and Lemongrass, and Fresh Orange soaps ($4.50/ 4.5 oz bar), unscented shampoo bar($5.50/ 5.5 oz bar),and laundry soap kit($4.95-makes 2 gallons) My daughter confiscated the oatmeal soap and took it to her bathroom as soon as we opened the box.  Lemongrass is one of my favorite scents, so that one ended up in my bathroom, and our son got the orange one for his bathroom.  The shampoo bar came to our shower because my husband is the only one in our house that shampoos his hair daily- the rest of us have dry hair that doesn't like daily washings.  DH has such oily hair that he sometimes has to wash his hair twice a day if we are going somewhere in the evening.  He liked the way his hair felt clean and looked clean, but the shampoo bar didn't help his dandruff problem. By the way- VSS currently doesn't have a "dandruff" shampoo bar, but they are working on it.  In the meantime they suggested the clarifying shampoo because it has helped others suffering from dandruff. I used the shampoo bar every 2-3 days because I have thick wavy/curly hair that looks like straw if I shampoo daily.  My hair felt like straw the first time I used the shampoo bar, and I was ready to let my husband have the bar all to himself until I read the advice of some of the TOS crew.  It seems that some hair types, especially thick, curly hair , need help  to make hair the best it can be.  In my case, an apple cider vinegar rinse was the key to soft manageable hair- just be careful that the vinegar is sufficiently diluted.  I also learned about "plopping" my hair to encourage nice looking curls.  Before trying the shampoo bar, vinegar rinse,and "plopping",  I would have to use styling products and a diffuser to get the same curly results, and I would have to wash my hair that evening because I can't stand going to bed with gunk in my hair.  I had been using the shampoo bar for several weeks when the results were first tested.  Recently we went out of town and brought dandruff shampoo because everyone in our family can use it and only one bottle has to be packed.  I used the dandruff shampoo with and without the vinegar rinse, but still had an itchy scalp and a head full of tangles.  When I plopped my hair, the curls weren't as well defined and my hair looked lifeless. Some crew members didn't seem to have the same results, maybe it had something to due with hard water.  Soaps are affected by hard water, but detergents aren't.  Because all of us like the way the shampoo bar cleaned our hair, we thought about making our own and use natural ingredients for dandruff control, but there are some roadblocks. 1) Because lye is being used for illegal purposes, it is very difficult to find, regulated and usually expensive. 2) Lye is extremely caustic and great care needs to be taken when working with it. 3) Some of the recommended oils can only be found in special health food stores. 4) Good essential oils are expensive. 5) It takes about three weeks for the soap to cure so you can use it. We are going to try making soap because we try to make things ourselves to see how things work, but many times we find it is better stewardship to buy from those that know what they are doing- this may be one of those times. We have been making our own laundry soap for about a year.  It started out as a science experience, but we've kept it up because it works and is much cheaper than store bought detergents.  My son seems to be allergic to most laundry soaps, but he's never had a problem with the homemade stuff. Virginia Soaps and Scents has put all the ingredients (except the water) together in a convenient kit so that  everyone who wants to make their laundry can.  Sometimes it is difficult to find the washing soda locally, and the Spargurs have done the time-consuming job of grating the soap bar already.  We live near three major cities and can usually find the ingredients without too much trouble, but for those who don't , VSS's laundry soap kit may be a good option. My children liked the hand soaps, but I'm partial to liquid soaps because they seem to make less mess.  VSS does sell a wooden soap dish that keeps the soap up and away from the excess water, thereby reducing the "goo" factor. As a whole, our family liked the soaps and if our foray into soap making flops, VSS, here we come! To see what other crew members had to say about Virginia Soaps & Scents click here. P.S.- VSS is a homeschool family owned and operated business- they do everything.  They even do their own printing on the premises.  This is a family that, with God's grace, has turned a tragedy into a God honoring business. As part of the TOS crew, I was sent this product free in return for my honest opinion. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739196/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/goodstewards/739196/