I'm sorry that I have not been able to blog as much as I had hoped. Spring has been a busy season for us! We took a trip to the greenhouse (or "the bluehouse" as our little son calls it) and bought our onions and potatoes. We love onions, so we were sure to buy plenty. We didn't stop to count the bundles until we got home and realized that we had over 800 onions to plant! I think we'll have quite a bit to share and sell at farmer's market.

The next morning at 6:30 a.m., we all worked together (my family and my sister's) to plant everything! Look at these sweet little hands.

"Hands to Work"

   "Do you think they're ready yet, Mom?"

 It's times like this that my sister and I really miss our grandparents. They were the garden "experts" in our family and always enjoyed it so much. Still, it's a blessing to be out on their farm, with their great-grandchildren working up the land and watching both the gardens and the children grow!

As an avid reader and collector of books, who is also unfortunately limited on space, I absolutely love e-books. It's great how they're available for instant download, so I can have them for a lesson right when I need them! I’m also a huge fan of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, so when they introduced their WeE-book™ line, I was thrilled! With over 40 titles to choose from ranging from encouraging devotionals, informative articles on subjects taught in every Homeschool, and things that are just plain fun, these books can’t be beat. Each is what I would consider to be “bite sized” because they aren’t as long as a typical e-book, but don’t let that fool you; they are not skimpy on content! These books are very well put together, with lovely, color photographs and illustrations. They are written by some of my favorite TOS authors, and the price is definitely right! One that I particularly enjoy is A Naturally Clean Home and Baby by Lisa Barthuly.

Most families are aware of the dangers of chemicals in household products and cleaners, but what about the everyday things like toothpaste, laundry detergent and shampoo? Did you know that many can contain ingredients like chlorine and even formaldehyde?

I am especially concerned about what we use in our household and farm. I’ve been doing some research about making my own cleaners and laundry detergent, but I wasn’t really sure where to start. Now that I’ve read this ebook, I feel that I have a great foundation on which to begin! Lisa is the owner of Homestead Originals; a family owned and operated company which produces natural cleaning, beauty and other lovely products for the homestead. After perusing their website, I was excited to read her thoughts on this subject. This book contains just a sampling of Lisa’s wealth of knowledge on natural cleaning products, but she’ll give you the basics to get you started on your way to a “healthier clean”  and savings for your family's budget.

She explains things that every parent should know about harmful chemicals that could be lurking in everyday products in the home and even provides a link where you can type in the name of any specific household or personal care product to see what ingredients it contains. I was surprised (and disgusted) with some of my findings there!

There is also a list of “the basics” to get you started on making your own cleaning kit. Many of these items are inexpensive things that you probably already have on hand! This e-book continues with the recipes and step by step instructions for several cleaners for the home. They’re great! You can make your own laundry soap, bathroom scrub (with a clever shaker), dishwasher soap and even a “weed buster” from a very basic non-toxic ingredient that I’m sure you already have in your pantry. (That tip will definitely come in handy for us this garden season!) We're all concerned about being a little more "green" these days, so these recipes are in line with being "earth friendly" as well.

Lisa’s tips don’t end there. She also gives great advice for Baby. As a mom with a little one, I am very concerned about what comes into contact with her sweet sensitive skin. I can’t wait to try the recipe for non-toxic baby wipes! I’m sure we will see quite a savings as well. I see that there is another e-book that is similar to this which is also written by Lisa Barthuly and I look forward to reading it as well. I would highly recommend this WeE-book™ title for anyone who is concerned for their family's health and looking to get started on the path toward being “naturally clean.”

This is just one fine example of the WeE-book™ line. Stop by the Schoolhouse Store and browse around. I’m sure you’ll find something that will be a perfect fit for your homeschool. At the affordable price of $1.95 each, you can choose as many as you like. While you’re there, don’t forget to download your FREE brightly colored binder covers for your WeE-book™ collection!

Hello~

This is my first entry and my very first blog ever! I was encouraged by my sister to journal our homeschool journey, so here I am. I'm excited about blogging and sharing my family with you. I hope to learn from this community and to be a blessing. I look forward to getting to know you.

   I'm so happy that Spring has finally sprung. We all look forward to getting out in the gardens and enjoying the sunshine. This will be a busy weekend. I will be hosting Easter dinner on Sunday, and tomorrow, my sister and I will start preparations for it. We purchased a fifteen pound ham this year (as I have mentioned, we have a large family with LOTS of boys!) so hopefully, that will be enough! It will be an exciting weekend for the children.

Wishing you a blessed Easter.