12/7/2011

Last weekend my family enjoyed a "Bethlehem Live" holy walk. In our area there are at least two churches that do these in December. They re-enact the Christmas story and we get to participate, as fellow travelers.

This is a great way to see the reality of the story that we commonly see as all clean, pretty and tied with a bow. Of course the reality was smelly, lonely, difficult, wearisome, and totally unexpected for those who first experienced it.

My kids were both able to enjoy it and understand at least some of what we were seeing.

I strongly encourage you to seek out opportunities like this in your area and enjoy seeing the Christmas story come to life in a whole new way!

It works for me!

11/16/2011

Recently I was inspired when I read about using cookie dough as a teaching tool in this blog post.

So this week we used her cookie dough recipe and had some cookie fun. My daughter was doing a unit study on bugs and was encourage to make a bug poster. Instead I had her create some edible bugs with our cookie dough. Then my son got involved and we just started creating for fun.

And of course we enjoyed eating our creations later!

When the time comes to study state history, we are definitely making an edible map of Indiana! :-)

Homeschooling with cookie dough - works for me!

10/5/2011

I've heard before about Brown Bag Burritos. You know, a way to make a super cheap make-ahead lunch that is good for you too.

My husband and I decided recently to give these burritos a try, with a twist. Most recipes call for ground beef, but we made a meatless variety and used beans as the main protein in the meal.

Here's a picture showing the assembly line process.


We spread a layer of beans (refried beans or just mash up cooked black beans) on the tortilla.

Then add a layer of cooked barley (rice would work fine too).

Top that with a heaping spoonful of this mixture: a package of taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, chopped green peppers, chopped onion, a can of corn, a few jalapeno peppers and whatever else we have on hand to throw in this mix ("everything but the kitchen sink").

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Wrap in foil and freeze.

When ready to eat, remove foil and heat in microwave for 1 minute.

It's very easy to make 10-20 of these at a time. The ingredients are inexpensive and easy to prepare. You could customize these with whatever ingredients suit you. And these burritos freeze easily.

My husband has been enjoying these for lunch on the days when there aren't other leftovers to eat. A cheap but filling lunch.

Brown Bag Burritos - they work for me!

9/21/2011

Bring out the dice!

We own an over-sized pair of foam dice, but any dice will do. Roll them and start talking your child through the math problem that the dice present. Factors won't be larger than 6, so that makes dice perfect for beginners.

Of course you can use the dice for other math problems too. We have used our dice for basic addition and subtraction problems. My 3-year-old son now uses them for simple counting as well.

If your children are like mine, they get excited over anything new and different. Using dice for math problems is much more fun, according to my daughter, than using flashcards or doing a math worksheet.

Give dice a try. It works for me!

9/8/2011

Ok. I'm a day behind. Monday holidays seem to throw the rest of the week off. It's Thursday but this is my "Works for Me Wednesday" post.

My daughter is reviewing the books of the Bible. We know songs that we often sing to help us remember the order of the books. Here is a visual and hands-on way to practice ordering the books of the Bible (or anything else you might want to memorize in a certain order).

Clothespins and hangers. You need to have 1 clothespin per item you want to memorize. For us, that was 66 clothespins for the 66 books of the Bible. On one side of the clothespin I wrote the name of the book (ex. Genesis). I did this for all 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. I used a black Sharpie for Old Testament books and a red Sharpie for New Testament books, as a visual aid for my kids.


Hang the clothespins in the correct order on hangers. Then turn the clothespins over to the blank side. Use this second side to create a way for your child to self-check their work by using numbers or letters.


The New Testament has 27 books so that is almost the same as the alphabet, which has 26 letters. So I put an A on the back of the Matthew clothespin, B on the back of Mark, etc. I had one extra left after Z so I put a smiley face on that last one to finish off the 27 clothespins.

For the Old Testament, I just numbered the clothespins from 1 up to 39.

Here's my daughter holding one hanger with the Old Testament pins (the one with more pins, which have to curve around the edge of the hanger) and one hanger with the New Testament pins.

I like the fact that she can check her own work, by flipping them over and seeing the alphabet or numbers on the back. And now with my 3-year-old son I realize I can give him one set and work with him on letter or number recognition too.

Easy to create. Easy to use. Works for me!

PS: I originally created these clothespins 3 years ago and posted this tip way back then. I'm so glad these are still coming in handy today! You can see that original post here.

6/29/2011

If you've got some sticky goo that needs to be removed, peanut butter is your solution!

It's true. If you have sticker adhesive or tape residue that you want off most surfaces, rub some peanut butter on it. Within minutes, the residue should wipe right off and leave a smooth clean surface.

I shared this tip with my mom recently and she couldn't believe that she'd never heard of this. She's used it twice and been amazed at the wonder-working power of peanut butter!

Works for me!

Disclaimer: this is meant for most surfaces (like window glass, metal, counter tops, or plastic) but you should always try a small amount in an unnoticeable area first; do not try this on clothes.

6/8/2011

Summer is here and here in Indiana we have had the 90-degree temps to go with it! One of my favorite things about summer: summer reading programs that reward my kids for reading.

• Check out your local library. Many libraries offer summer reading programs with prizes and reward incentives. Our local library has a program offering free restaurant gift certificates and 1 free book, based on the number of books your child reads.
  
• H.E. Buddy is offering a free t-shirt when your child reads 10 books.
• Barnes and Noble is offering 1 free book when your child reads 8 books.
• Borders is offering 1 free book when your child reads 10 books.

4/20/2011

Last night we headed to the local homeless shelter to serve dinner, alongside our friends Josh and Christie.

This is seriously such a simple thing to do, yet we all enjoy it so much!

When we started this, over a year ago, we just showed up to serve on the day we had chosen. I had talked with the agency's volunteer coordinator to pick a day that they could use our help. Easy. Show up. Just do what the cook and other workers tell you to do.

After that first time, we told them that we would not only show up but wanted to also bring one part of the meal - usually the dessert. This means that both Christie and I bake tons of cookies to bring with us to serve.

Now we've taken a step further - we bring enough fruit to serve 100 people, along with the cookies and we show up to serve! We decided after last night, though, that we'd try to do even more next time, maybe by providing the vegetable dish too.

There is power in service. It is humbling. It is truly taking the nature of a servant. There is something so special about looking into the eyes of another human being who is hurting and at least for a moment helping meet their needs. To be a small part of the solution feels good and is simply the right thing to do. Not to mention that we always walk away with a new appreciation for all that we have. We are blessed with so much. Why? To be a blessing to others!

Without a doubt, the homeless shelter nearest to you would LOVE to have you volunteer every now and again to serve a meal! Right now, head to Google and put in the name of a local rescue mission. Find their website and contact information. Call them and ask to speak with their volunteer or meal coordinator. Ask them when the next available evening is to come and serve a meal. Schedule it. And do it! You'll be glad you did!

Serving the homeless - it works for me!

4/13/2011

I know a place where you can go and find almost any book imaginable and take it home and read it at your leisure... for free! The only catch is that when you're finished, you have to return it for someone else to have the chance to enjoy it. Better still, these places exist in almost every city in America, so I can almost guarantee you have one nearby!

What is this magical place, this book-readers paradise?

THE LIBRARY!

We have gotten so much use out of our local library in recent weeks. My daughter is reading through the Boxcar Children series. She is reading them at the rate of one per day and there is no way that I could afford (or have to room to store) all of the books in the series. This is where the library comes in so handy! We can find the books ourselves on their shelves or I can put a book on hold from my home computer and it will be waiting for me to stop by to check it out. I'm working a few books ahead of my daughter currently, to have the next book she needs ready and waiting.

And my son, being 3, is not reading yet but loves to look at picture books or "I Spy" books or pop-up books. All of these are readily available in the children's section of the library, even categorized and labeled to make finding these types of books very easy.

And the absolute best benefit of all is that all of these wonderful books and resources are available to us for FREE (because public libraries are funded through public money - taxes).

So make use of it! The library exists for you!

The library - it works for me!

3/23/2011

With spring just arriving on the scene, it's hard to think ahead to the dog days of summer and the local 4H County Fair. But now is the time to be thinking of it, if you want your kids to participate. Both my kids are too young to be full-fledged 4Hers, but that doesn't mean they can't participate.

"Clover Buds" is for children age 3 to 5. To sign your child up costs very little ($2 is the price here in Indiana) and they are then able to choose a 4H project from a short list of very simple ideas (painted rocks, coloring a picture, etc). This will be my son's first year submitting a project, as a Clover Bud. He's 3.

"Mini 4H" is for children in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade. Again, the cost is minimal and the children are able to choose from a longer list of projects that are geared to this age group (collections, model car or airplane kits, other hobby projects). This will be my daughter's 4th year submitting a project, even though she's only in 2nd grade.

Not only is your child able to submit a project (and earn a ribbon), but you will receive free passes to get into the 4H County Fair.

To get in on this, most 4H chapters require registration within the next few weeks. Here is the link to find your local 4H chapter's contact information.

Lots of fun. Good for the kids. Easy on the pocketbook. It works for me!

My related posts:

To see my post about 2010's 4H project, go here.
For my post about 2009's 4H experience, go here.
To see my daughter's first 4H project from 2007, go here.

3/16/2011

Cutting onions. I hate it. I cry every time.

Recently I came across this tip: cut the onion in your sink while running a slow stream of water over it. The water will wash away the vapors, instead of them being released into the air and bombarding your eyes!

I tried it. It worked. I will never again be brought to tears over an onion! :-)

I've also heard - but not tried or verified - that putting the onion in the freezer for 15 minutes before you cut it will tame the vapors.

No more tears! It works for me!

3/2/2011

The thought of having a meeting about a budget may send some folks running for the hills. That'd be my husband. On the other hand, I am a numbers nerd who actually enjoys balancing income and expenses, creating Excel spreadsheets and knowing exactly where our money will (and does) go. One of my household duties is to track our expenses and to create a budget draft for us to discuss. At the start of each new month, we sit down together and have a Budget Committee Meeting. :-)

My hubby's job is to be a part of the discussion. He doesn't have to do anything but be present and participate with me in a discussion about how to spend our money. We look over the budget draft I created based on this month's expenses. Although I do the prep work, my husband is a vital part of the discussion. "We" does not mean "me" when it comes to our money. We talk about it. We decide together how much money we could spend this month on any negotiable areas (such as home improvement projects). In the past, we have actually both signed the budget as a way to say "we agree" to carry out the plans we established here on paper.

Here are some benefits of holding a monthly Budget Committee Meeting:
1) Accountability - we both look together at the previous month and see where we stayed on track and where we overspent. The numbers speak for themselves - no hiding anything here!
2) Just in Case - since we discuss our financial situation monthly, if anything ever happened to me, my husband would be fairly current on our financial status. There would be no surprise bills showing up. And he knows where to find our financial documents, just in case.
3) Shared Goals - there is power in working together to make shared dreams a reality. We discuss our goals together and then come up with a game plan to baby-step our way to them. When we aim for a goal and reinforce that importance of that goal each month at our meeting, we are both more likely to do our part to curb spending in other areas and to do our part to help accomplish our shared goal.
4) Celebrate Financial Victories - to be on the same page, working together financially, makes each financial victory so much sweeter! To see how far we've come in paying down debt, to celebrate together as a credit card is paid off and cut up, to take a vacation together after saving our pennies for months and months, to save up to give extra to a special missions project... all of these are sweeter because we can celebrate together. We each did our part and can see the fruit of our labors.

It works for me! Visit "We Are That Family" for other Works-for-Me-Wednesday posts.

I found this idea at Courtney's Blog here and decided to try it recently. It was easy and delicious. My kids gobbled it up, so this recipe is definitely a keeper!

I made one change - instead of using a refrigerated pizza crust, I made homemade pizza dough (using the bread machine). Otherwise followed the recipe. Rolled our the dough. Layered on cheese and pepperoni. Rolled up. Sprinkled with a few seasonings. Baked. Dipped in pizza sauce. Enjoyed!