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Top 3 Ingredients For A Successful Homeschool

April 14, 2010 By Allie Leave a Comment

Your success on your home school adventure is measured by your willingness to evaluate and change things when necessary.  Your success will not be measured by your education or even by your childrens grades. I have found there are three important things to encourage success.

Is Your Family Relationship Healthy

You need to start at the top with this one.  Is your marriage healthy?  Make sure you are both on the same page about home schooling.  When you make your initial decision to home school you need to both agree as I mentioned in a previous post.  Make sure you are providing an encouraging and secure environment for your children.  This will require initiative and discipline.  You need to be wiling to put aside other things to concentrate on getting this effort off the ground.  I am not saying your home needs to be perfect but you do need to take the overall health of your home into account in order to be successful in home schooling.

Make sure your home is educationally stimulating

You want your home to encourage your children to learn.  Our home is filled with what many would call, too many books.  We want our children to have access to books so they can look things up and read at their leisure.  Our kids read not because it is an assignment but because they enjoy it.  You want your home to reflect your commitment to education.  I like to have materials available for my kids to work on projects spontaneously.  Education is enjoyable when you make it easy for your kids to learn.

You need a support system

I have to say without our support system we would really struggle with home schooling.  Initially it can be hard to garner support from family who does not understand the home school process.  My husbands parents had a hard time initially with our decision because they did not understand it, my father in law was a public school superintendent for many years.  They are now are biggest champions.  A support system does not mean you need to only surround yourself with others who home school.  Most of our close friends do not home school their kids.  The important thing is to have people around you who stand in the gap with you through your home school adventure.

Filed Under: Homeschooling Tagged With: curriculm, God, healthy family relationship, homeschool, homeschool coop, homeschool success, in laws, self help, support system

Not The Sum Of Your Parts

April 14, 2010 By Allie 1 Comment

We need to talk to our children about their body image. This starts with us, as parents. We need to understand our part in this problem. Parents, especially mothers, do not understand how detrimental it is to our children to put our bodies down in front of them.

Psalm 139:14 tells us about someone who has the right image of themselves. David is praising God because he understands that he was wonderfully and fearfully made. When I was young I had a poster in my room, it was the picture of a small child and at the top it said, “God doesn’t make junk”. That says it all.

Many people today, especially women, get hung up on what they weigh and what size they fit into. God created us, we need to appreciate His creation. This is what we need to impress upon our kids. God created us in His image.

This concept however is not a free pass to not take care of your body. We need to model for our children what they need to do to care for their bodies. We must model healthy eating and the importance of exercise in our lives. 1 Corinthians 6:19 gives us a reason why we need to take care of our bodies, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we truly understand that concept we will see the importance of teaching this to our children.

We must teach our children that they are not the sum of their parts. 1 Corinthians go on to say in 6:20, “we were bought at a price”, we are to honor God with our bodies. Our model is the best way to show our children how to live this out in their lives.

Filed Under: Dinner Conversations Tagged With: 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 6:20, beauty, body image, body is a temple, created in his image, Dinner Conversations, exercise, fearfully and wonderfully made, God, healthy eating, help, parenting, raising children, religion, self, weight loss

26 iPad Wallpapers

April 13, 2010 By Allie Leave a Comment

Here are 26 free 1024×1024 photography wallpapers for your Apple iPad. These iPad wallpapers are available free for personal use, but may not be used commercially. They are photographs my husband took.  Click the thumbnail and then save them to your computer with a right click.  Enjoy!

Filed Under: Resources Tagged With: apple, backgrounds, free, images, ipad, nature, photography, pictures, wallpaper

Tomato Pie Recipe

April 10, 2010 By Allie Leave a Comment

Here is a recipe for all those tomatoes you will harvest this year from your garden.

Ingredients:

2 frozen pie crusts (thawed)
2-4 tomatoes (depending on size & fresh as possible) – sliced
2 bags shredded cheese of choice (I usually use cheddar &/or Mozzarella/swiss)
Olive oil, basil & minced garlic – see mixture below

Mix in a bowl:
¼ – ½ cup of Olive Oil – start with less & add if seems dry
1 ½ Tablespoon basil (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

In the pie shells add one layer of cheese of choice
Add one layer of sliced tomatoes
Spoon ¼ mixture on top of tomatoes in each pie shell
Add another layer of cheese
Add another layer of sliced tomatoes
Add the remaining mixture ½ on one pie ½ on the other
Add another layer of cheese

Bake at 350º for 30-40 min. until crust has browned & cheese has melted

Filed Under: Food and Garden Tagged With: fresh tomato, garden, harvest, ingredients, recipe, tomato, tomato pie

3 Simple Steps To Composting

April 10, 2010 By Allie Leave a Comment

I love composting because it really improves the dirt in your garden and makes great use of some of your household waste.  Compost improves soil by helping it maintain it’s neutral pH  and helps it retain more water and nutrients.  The nice thing about compost is that it does not matter what type of soil you start with, compost can improve it.

The first thing you need to do is you need to pick a spot in your yard for your compost “pile”.  There are also compost bins and containers you can purchase for a more aesthetic looking compost pile.  Whichever you choose, make sure it is at least 3×3x3.  If you pile is too small it will not heat properly.  If you pile is too large than it becomes difficult to turn.

The next thing you need to know about is moisture, oxygen and heat.  The stuff you put in your compost pile should not be sopping wet, but moist.  You keep the oxygen flowing through the pile by turning it.  If you have a ready made bin, usually it comes with a crank you turn which turns the pile.  If you have a pile in your yard, you can use a pitch for or rake to literally turn the pile.  The oxygen from turning your compost will helps the microbes that break down your pile.  If you don’t aerate the pile it will break down slowly.  Heat is your compost piles friend.  The heat helps break it down faster.  As the pile breaks down it will generate heat which in turn speeds up the break down process and so and so on.

The last thing you need to know is what to put in the pile.  You want to have as much “brown” carbon rich matter as possible.  Leaves, straw and sawdust are great “brown” materials.  You also want “green” matter in the pile such as vegetable peel and grass clippings.  You will want to add these materials in a ratio of 3 to 1, 3 parts brown to 1 part green.  This ration will keep your pile from becoming to smelly or slimy.

Enjoy composting.  My family likes to collect the matter and adding it to the pile.  It really helps cut down on the waste you throw away in the trash.  Composting helps you and your plants.

Filed Under: Food and Garden Tagged With: brown matter, compost, compost pile, composting, container gardening, Gardening, green matter, organic gardening, turning compost

Manners Matter

April 10, 2010 By Allie 1 Comment

Manners have gone by the wayside these days.  I have noticed a decline in the use of manners in society today.  I have to say it makes me feel bad when someone does not use their manners.  We need to show our children that manners still matter.

I will admit I struggle with manners but I am continually trying to do a better job.  My husband and I have always tried to use our manners with each other.  When we don’t use our manners it implies we don’t care for the other person.  It is good to make a habit of using our manners at home and it will spread to our everyday life.

When we talk to our children about manners we need to be prepared to be held accountable.  We need to be prepared to model what we are teaching them.  Children learn from what they see.  Ever notice how your children do things the way you do them because they have seen you do things?  There are three things that we need to take into account when we are teaching our children about manners.

The first thing to consider is custom.  We have certain customs in this country.  There was a time when everyone would shake hands.  This was an important part of society.  Shaking hands was important because it would show others they were not carrying a sword in their hands.  Today shaking hands is polite when you meet someone.  Custom is important to take into consideration when addressing manners.

The next thing to take into account is consideration.  Consideration takes the focus off of us and onto others.  When we are considerate we are always being well mannered.  This is the most important concept surrounding the use of manners.  When we don’t take others into consideration it hurts their feelings and we show our ruthlessness.  Simply put, consideration is thinking about the way another person feels.

The last thing to take into account when discussing manners with your children is common sense.  This one is harder to teach.  Children have a hard time using common sense until they get a little older.  Younger children see things from their point of view.  Even adults have a hard time using common sense.  It is not impossible to teach children to use common sense when it comes to manners but it is challenging.

Manners matter.  It’s imperative that we teach our children manners in all aspects of life.  Manners are an integral part of our society and we need to teach our children to use them.  Take the time to bring up this important topic at your next meal as a family.

Filed Under: Dinner Conversations Tagged With: common sense, consideration, custom, dinner converstion, manners, value

Talking Money With Kids

April 10, 2010 By Allie 1 Comment

this is the first entry into the dinner conversations category.  Dinner conversations are the things we need to address our children with during our meals.  We are very fortunate in that we get to eat every meal with our children.  Most families only get one meal together at best.  I want to share some conversation starters with some very important topics for our children.  Spending time together during meals is great for our families.  When we do this with purpose then we have a chance to mold our children.  I love meal time conversations with my kids I hope you enjoy using these topics to start conversations with your children.  The first conversation is about money.

Money is an important topic.  The mishandling of money is big news today.  It is imperative that we discuss this topic with our children.  This is not only a topic we need to discuss but we also have to model what we preach.  We need to be good stewards of our money and show our children how to do it right.

1. Teach them how you earn money

Your children need to know, money does not grow on trees.  We must work to receive money.  Many children do not understand how parents come upon money.  Once your children understand this concept then they will be ready to understand stewardship of money.

Give your kids the opportunity to earn money.  Give them a task that is appropriate to their age.  Pay them accordingly for their work.  You can then show them how to use the money.  You want to show your children that giving is a big part of getting.  We want to help others so we give part of our money away, right off the top.

2. Saving

It is imperative to teach them to save money.  This is the first step in staying out of debt in life.  If we teach them to save money then we give them the ability to keep from using credit cards later in life.

3. Spending

We need to show them to how to spend their money wisely.  There is no shame in seeking out a great deal on something we want to purchase.  The key component  is waiting, we must show our children how to be patient with purchases.  Again this is a situation where we need to model this concept for them.

Filed Under: Dinner Conversations Tagged With: credit cards, Dinner Conversations, education, raising children, saving money, staying out of debt

4 Easy Steps to Building Raised Beds

April 10, 2010 By Allie Leave a Comment

If you speak gardening you know what the title of this blog means.  Over the last few years I have learned a lot from my gardening experience.  I have had large gardens and small gardens.  This year I decided to tackle raised beds.  I have a small usable garden space this year.  Raised beds can be a challenge but I was able to tackle it in four easy steps.

The first thing you need to do is pick out the frame.  There are many ready made kits for raised gardens.  I looked at many ready made kits and none suited my needs or my budget.  My wonderful father in law agreed to help me build my own.  It was easier than I thought.  Just find the wood you want to use and cut it yourself or find someone with the right tools to cut it for you.

Next thing you want to do is make sure it drains well.  We drilled holes in the bottom of my bed.  I then added a layer of newspaper to the bottom.  If you bought a kit check to make sure it can drain well and then place a layer of newspaper to the bottom.

This next step is very important.  You need to do your research and fill your raised bed with quality soil.  The type of soil you put in will determine the healthiness of your harvest.  I chose organic soil and natural compost.  I will go into why I chose organic soil in another blog post.  It is important to make sure the soil you use is rich in natural nutrients to help your plants grow.

The last step is the most fun.  Choose your plants and put them in the beds.  The best thing to do is make sure you grow things you eat.  I also like to try to grow something new each season.  I also use lots of herbs to cook, so I like to include an herb section in the garden.

Gardening is a very relaxing experience.  Enjoy the season and stay on top of your garden.  Make sure to read about the pests and diseases that may plague your plants.  Keep track of your harvest so you know what you need to do the following year.  Let me know how things go with your raised bed.

Filed Under: Food and Garden Tagged With: build your own raised bed, clean soil, container gardening, garden, Gardening, large garden, organic gardening, rasied beds, relaxing, small garden

Is Everything Permissible?

March 23, 2010 By Allie Leave a Comment

1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “Everything is permissible for me” – but not everything is beneficial.  “Everything is permissible for me” – but I will not be mastered by anything.  This is a fully loaded verse.

Paul is referring to sexual immorality in this verse.  I think we can take this verse a step farther and use it in our everyday life.  There are times we think something is ok to do just because we can do it.  It’s easy to get caught up in something you never intended to do.

These issues can be embarrassing for us but they can be horrible if we ignore them.  Paul’s message may be a little more direct than we want it to be but it gives us freedom and love from God.  The enemy would rather have you sit in your puddle of sin than to let you see the freedom God offers you from sin.

God is aware of what we are doing.  God can see right to our hearts.  He knows our intent, we can’t hide it from Him.   We must come to realize that our bodies are not our own.  Our bodies belong to God.  When we realize this we will learn to take care of our bodies.

Freedom in Christ does not mean we are free to do whatever we want.  When we come to Christ and we follow Him we want to be helpful.  We do not want to continue to be slaves to our former way of life.  Let us remember the cross, Jesus died so we may have life, abundantly.  We have free will to do whatever we want but is that how we want to live?  In our hearts we know what we should do, let us surrender our old selves and become helpful in the kingdom of God.

Filed Under: Devotions, Featured Tagged With: 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Corinthians 6:12, courage, discipline, freedom in Christ, God, hope, life, permissible, prayer, religion, self help, strength, struggling

Running To Surrender

March 19, 2010 By Allie 1 Comment

One of my favorite stories from the Bible is the story of the Israelites being freed from captivity.  It’s really hard to believe Pharoah was so thick headed that he refused to let God’s people go after all the plagues unleashed upon him and his people.   Pharoah refused to release God’s people from slavery even after the plagues of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness.

The Bible tells us many times that “God hardened the heart of Pharoah”.  I thought it was odd at first that God would harden the heart of the man who was holding God’s people in captivity.  I thought the whole reason for the plagues was to soften the heart of Pharoah.  The more I read I started to realized that perhaps the plagues were not persuade Pharoah to let the Israelites go but to show God’s power.

Pharoah and the Egyptians were under the impression that Pharoah was all powerful, God stepped in with the plagues it showed everyone who was all powerful, God.  Pharoah may have thought he was in control but as the plagues progressed it showed that Pharoah had no control over them.  Pharoah’s heart was hardened out of anger, he realiezed there was nothing he could do to stop the plagues, except to give in and let God’s people go.  Many times in our lives God uses tough situations to show us who is in control.

It it easy to believe we are in control, but then something happens in our lives to make us realize that we are not.  God is always in control and we need to be reminded of that often.  We need to completely surrender to God, it’s the only way to live.  When we give God the glory for all He gives us we will have a life that is complete and truly faithful to God.

Filed Under: Devotions, Featured Tagged With: captivity, discipline, Egypt, Exodus, Exodus 9, Exodus 9:16, God, God in control, hardened heart, hope, Israelites, pharoah, plagues, prayer, religion, self help, strength, surrender
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