Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I'm Bored!

Using Old Games to Cure Boredom

There is something about time passing that leaves some of the old but good time passers in the dust. Did you play kick the can when you were a kid? Likely not, but I bet your grandparents did. See what I mean? Kick the can is a TON of fun, but one of my favorite professionals, the marketing executive realized that kids have more buying power and began marketing bigger and better toys. Don't just think of games that your grandparents played, though. What games did you play as a child, that don't seem to be part of your children's lives. Can't think of any off the top of your head? Try some of these:

• Kick the Can
• Hide and Go Seek
• Hopscotch
• Ollie, Ollie, Oxen Free
• Red Rover
• Dodgeball
• Cats Cradle
• Duck Duck Goose
• Tic Tac Toe
• Freeze Tag
• I Spy
• Stick Ball
• Four Squares
• Charades
• Simon Says
• Scavenger Hunt
• King of the Mountain

Ask your parents and grandparents what games they played as a child. Ask them to explain the directions. Then pass those games on to your children. Most of all HAVE FUN!

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

The Simple Way to Maintain Your Budget

In the last two years it has been noted that Americans use their debit and credit cards more than their checkbooks. In fact, their usage has more than doubled! This is great in some ways, but it can be a nightmare for the budget conscious. When I left the envelope system of budgeting, in lieu of my debit card, something amazing happened. My expenses went up. In short, it is so much easier to spend one or two dollars here and there when the actual paper cash isn't coming out of your hand. It's like we aren't really spending that money or something.

However, you CAN have a debit card AND stay within your budget. Actually, you can do this for all your budgeting needs for the household. The best part, this is a simple process.

Use a separate bank account and debit card for all your household purchases. For the most ease, you and your husband might want to look into opening an other account at your current bank of choice if you are pleased with their services and they offer no fee banking. You will likely ahve to place a minimum of $25-50 dollars in the account when you open it. This is a good thing, because it will enable you to use all of your budget without penalty. Confused? Read On.

One good reason for this set up is that your husband can transfer money weekly or monthly, in an amount that totals your family's total budget for the month. When you go to the grocery you will know exactly how much you have to spend and not a penny more. A way to provide accountability for yourself is to agree that if you go over your budget by $2, then that amount will be deducted from the next month's stipend. In this way, you will have not only an incentive to stay within your budget, but a method of discipline for your budgeting. One extra bonus with this method, is that it is much more simple to track your household expenses.

The beauty of this process is that you will do nothing differently than you do now. You will simply have a separate account with which to do it. Simply Frugal!

These are my thoughts. 

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Green Living

Yesterday I posted a GREAT idea for using gallon milk jugs AND having FUN along the way on the Front Porch. What could this SHNAZZY idea be? Building an igloo! All of this is, of course, FREE! I didn't stop there, though. There are lots of other uses for those milk jugs. So don't throw them away; RE-USE THEM!

You can find the article in it's entirety by CLICKING HERE!

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Organization

Simple journey Ministries Presents

Keep it Together, Girl!

Getting Your Magazines Organized

I have a confession to make. I LOVE magazines! I enjoy them so much, I often ask for subscriptions and renewals for gifts. I pick magazines up at yard sales and thrift stores. I purchase them at our local library's sales. I just love them!

What do I love about magazines? Well, mostly I enjoy the format of delivering information. Due to limited space and guidelines, authors write articles that are chock full of information that are short and concise. Craft magazines have lovely detailed pictures and instructions for projects. Information for websites and other goodies on the Internet are all located right in those articles. Any time I can gather research in a time effective format, I am a happy mama! Here is a sampling of some of my favorite magazines:

• Paper Crafts
• Mother Earth News
• National Review
• Martha Stewart Living
• Countryside, World News
• Biblical Archaeology
• Writers Digest
• Simple Scrapbooking
• Vegetarian Times
• Watercolor Magic
• The Old Schoolhouse
• Creating Keepsakes
• SEW News
• Digital Photographer
• Writers Journal
• Today's Christian Woman
• Crochet!
• Crochet Today
• Country Gardens
• Christianity Today
• TEACH
• Camera
• American Artist
• Sewing Savvy

As you can tell, I have not only an eclectic taste for magazine titles, but a LARGE list of the ones I enjoy reading. But what's a girl to do?

The only draw back is that I have found myself with piles of magazines from time to time. There was a time when I had boxes, shelves, and baskets filled with magazines. One day I realized there had to be a way to organize them so that I could refer back to them at anytime. The answer...BINDERS!

Yes, yet another great idea for binders. I use binders of all different sizes for magazines. I determine the size of the binder by the type of magazine. When I sat down and sorted through my magazines, I made 2 different areas: 1)Magazines to be kept in tact & 2) Magazines that had special articles or pictures. I had to be very discerning, meaning I had to go through each magazine. What I found was that magazines with art, such as Watercolor Magic, had so many great pictures & articles, I rarely wanted just one from the magazine. Other magazines, like Simple Scrapbooking, may have had only one or two pictures or articles that I wanted to keep for reference.

Magazines that I want to keep in their entirety, I slip into a page protector. This can be tricky with thicker magazines; and some will just not fit in the protectors. For those larger magazines I found project folders that would hold them AND fit in a binder. I group magazines either by title or by subject. They are kept in large 3" binders.

Those magazines that have only a few articles or pictures per issue that I want to save are stored in one of two ways: Subject or Magazine Title. I keep LOTS of scrapbook ideas, but never from just one source. I use 2" binders with page protectors. I carefully rip the ideas from the magazines and store them in the page protectors. Most of my crafting ideas are stored in binders that are simply grouped by the type of craft; sewing, scrapping, photography, crocheting, etc. There are some magazine titles that I pull articles from every issue I get, and may already be grouped, i.e. Biblical Archaeology. These are kept the same way, but the binders are for articles from those specific magazines only.

Currently, I keep new magazines for three months in magazine boxes. At the end of every three months I go through the magazines and store them appropriately. In this way I can keep the information I want, without having stacks of magazines everywhere! Additionally, I find I am more diligent about reading my magazines, knowing that I will be going through them!

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Honey Muffins

Today I will be sharing a recipe that came to my inbox from my dear friend Heidi Jo. Being that we just got home from our week long camping holiday, you know I was tired this morning. Why is it that mom's are always tired after holidays? LOL! Anyway, I was so happy to find this in my inbox last night and decided this would be breakfast for today. These muffins are DELICIOUS!

If you haven't recevied a Bahama blessing today, hop on over and visit Heidi Jo! She will bring the blessings of the islands to you, in more ways than one! I encourage you to sign up for Heidi Jo's newsletter, Bahama Blessings. She discusses easy homeschooling and scheduling ideas, recipes, lots about island life with her family, and the special things the Lord puts on her heart. This is one of my most special newsletters each month!

Honey Muffins

2 Cups Flour

½ cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

¼ cup butter, melted

¼ cup honey

1 banana

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter and honey.  Stir into the dry ingredients until moist.  Add mashed banana.  Fill greased muffin cups ¾ full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  Remove from pan and serve warm.  Makes 1 dozen

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can't Live Simply Until...

How to Begin Achieving a More Simple Life

So many moms desire a more simple life. A life that is encompassed by more time for family devotions, read alouds, story telling, art, journaling, game nights, movie  nights, or just time to stay at home. Homeschooling moms are often especially desirous of more time at home. Often times we find ourselves on the run for so many activities. We search for outside activities that will round out our children's education such as music lessons, book clubs, co-ops, science classes, 4-H, theater, voice lessons, youth groups, mission trips, community service, sports, etc. Somehow we have all succumb to countering the old adage that homeschoolers are unsocialized. We go so far in the other direction to counter this, that we find ourselves rarely home.

It has been discussed in many venues that American children are over scheduled. What is often overlooked, is that homeschool children are more than over scheduled to say the least. In our own circles we often joke about schooling in our vans, because there is simply no time at home to do so. How can we possibly school at home when we are gone 4 days a week with activities. Not only does this leave our children with a harried sense of what life is, but it leaves mom worn out with a constant thought of what comes next and what needs to be prepared for it.

Once we are involved in this complex lifestyle, it can be hard to get out or even pull back. We over commit not only ourselves, but our children as well. Often times we find ourselves dreading that our commitments control our lives. But we can regain our lives for our own. It can be done. YOU can help your family return to a more simple lifetstyle.

In desiring a new lifestyle, it is most important for you to consider God's desire for your lifestyle and that of the lifestyle of your family. Unfortunately, all those social and academic activities are a distraction from God's desire for us. There are so many things in our world that can distract from God's set priorities for our lives; even those that are related to our church. When our priorities are mis-ordered, it can be easy to rectify by going to God. Deuteronomy is filled with God's command for us to follow Him fully in His way. we are human and as such we let our self desires get in the way. We can turn this around, by acknowledging that we have gotten away from His priorities for our lives and asking Him to help us.

In the same vein it is necessary for us to use the direction given us in Titus 2 to train our daughters. It is crucial for us not to cover up our weaknesses and our stumbles. Talk with your children about God's priorities for their lives as well. Discuss how your family has allowed distractions (be specific here) to swerve away from God's priorities. Pray together as a family for guidance to return to God's desire for your family. This will mean sacrifice from everyone. Children may need to scale back to one or two activities. You may decide that you can continue to be involved in your Boy Scout pack, but that you will need to step down as Scout Master. Whatever it is, discussing and maing decisions as a family will enable your children to not only see the importance of God's priorities in their lives, but to also learn first hand how to return to them when life takes over and leads youa stray.

By giving God your busy distracting lives and asking Him to help you to return to His desires, you will find simplicity. This will likely mean baby steps. You may need a few months to get things in order with any commitments you may personally have. You may be the volunteer organizer at your local hospice center, the children's theatrical director, a leader in your church's youth group, or head of decorating your altar. If God leads you to sicontinue any of these activities, then you many need time to give notice and/or train a replacement. Whatever your steps, your children will benefit from working through a process to a more simple life with you.

These are my thoughts.  

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please!

Food for When You are Away from Home

Did you guess what today's post would be? I bet you were at least thinking about the fact that our family is away from home AND food is a HUGE cost when away.

A great way to cut costs when your family is away on vacation is to prepare some of the meals yourself. One of the ways to do that, is to use a handy little appliance like a snack maker.  These little beauties are easy to pack and are light weight. But don't let their size fool you, they can supply your family with a LOT of food at little cost. As you can see in this picture, this snack maker can handle 2 "sandwiches" at a time. There are several meals you can make in here with little more than bread. Any type of grilled sandwich is the obvious meal, but consider some other options. Add a little scrambled egg mixed with vanilla and sugar and you have french toast. If you are in a hotel, you can use the ice bucket for a bowl to mix the eggs and dip the toast and cook, or you can pour a bit of the egg on top of the bread and cook. Pancake batter works exceptionally well, as does biscuit and muffin batter. As you well know biscuits and muffins can be either sweet or savory opening you up to a WIDE variety of options for meals.

There are other snack cookers that work equally well. Some have deep wells that are perfect for cooking small meals that will hold a wider variety of foods. These are equally portable and light weight. However, you can make belly filling omelets, stuffed sandwiches, hot pockets, biscuits, pancakes, biscuits, and just about anything you can think of.

When staying in a hotel, many have at least a small fridge available, but even when they don't, it is less expensive to shop each day for a few simple items to assemble in these little cookers to provide filling meals at little expense to your wallet.

Let's say you are spending 4 days in a hotel and you have the typical family of 4 to feed. If you served breakfast each day and two night time meals. When the midday comes, consider stopping in a grocery for some fruit, a loaf of crusty bread and small block of cheese. Your lunch meals will cost approximately $7 (not including drinks, but you can easily grab cold drinks for around $3 or less). So lunch for 4 days would total $40. Breakfasts cost you around $5 each, totalling $20 for the length of your stay. Ok, so far you wil have spent $60 on 8 meals. Now, the two of your snack maker dinners will come in around $8-10 dollars for supplies for a maximum total of $20. That brings your total meal costs to $80 for 10 meals. That only leaves the last two meals for your dinners eaten out. Just for balance we will say that one meal will be pizza and the other a nice sit down joint. The pizza dinner will be 2 pies at $15 each, water to drink at no cost. after tax and tip the total pizza meal's cost will $38.10. The nicer meal will run around $10 per plate with water to drink at no cost. After tax and tip this meal will cost $50.80. This brings the total for the 2 dinners eaten out to $88.90. AMAZING that the cost of the 2 meals eaten out is more than the cost 10 meals prepared in your hotel room! The total for your 4 days with 3 meals per day is $168.90. Not bad! But to really see the savings this can provide, the avg cost of a family of 4 eating out 3 meals per day is $140. This means that you would have spent $560. Using a little snack maker will have saved you....are you ready?  $391.10! Now THAT is a savings!

You all know that this week we are camping. You likely know that we also aren't the most rustic of campers, in that we have an RV. However, I do not cook inside unless the weather is inclement. We use a grill, hot plate, and 2 little snack makers. These little snack makers can be used anywhere you have electricity available to you. 3/4 of the food we have used on this trip came from our home, so I would have to look at the price book to figure out how much I originally spent on the groceries. BUT, I know for certain that our total food cost is under $200 for our family for 8 days. It is a bit higher than our normal costs, because I love those little treats, like s'mores when we are camping.

When traveling, consider the best way to cut costs on food that fits your family and your budget!

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Thoughts Comments or Concerns

So the live part of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008 is over. Well, mostly over. There are still a few make-up sessions to participate in. For that I am grateful, because I get to hang out with many of you and THAT is FUN! Better than that, it will give me more chances to give away Free Gifts and Doorprizes!

Speaking of Free Gifts, if you participated on either Friday or Saturday, don’t think you have been forgotten. I am having trouble with my email out here in the campground. That’s camping! Have no worries, I will be getting those last Free Gifts at the beginning of next week when I return to my normal computer. YEAH! Something to look forward to…ALWAYS Fun!

Well, our camping holiday is going great. The weather has been perfect. Sunny, but not to hot during the days. Cool in the evening w/o too many bugs. That doesn’t happen often here in SW FL, so we are really loving it!

We can’t wait for Daddy to come join us, that’s for sure. We have all missed him. But he will be here before we know it!

So what’s in store here at the Journey to Simplicity? Well, Next week I will return to my normal schedule of postings. In addition, I will be answering specific questions! SO, if you have a question about how to live more simply or frugal ideas, email me at Leslie@leslievaleska.com!

I am cooking something up for tomorrow while on holiday, but that’s the only hint you are getting. Post a guess on this post and the first one to guess what the post will be, will receive a Free Gift! And You KNOW how much I love giving away Free stuff! So start guessing ladies!

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

Ladies, I forgot to post here that I would be busy this week attending the Ultimate Homeschool Expo! Posts will resume next week.

FYI, if you were considering the UHSE, let me tell you something Cindy revealed today. YOu can still purchase your UHSE ticket while the expo is going on.

BUT after the expo is over, once everything is pulled together the cost will be $99.95!

So if you want to get in on all the audios and freebies get your ticket NOW!

YOu can grab your ticket by clikcing any of the banners on this site!

See you next week. =)

Be Blessed!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

 

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Organization

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Get it Together, Girl!

Organize Your Hard to Organize Stuff

We all have stuff in our lives that we don't know where or how to store. We have stuff in our bedrooms, our kitchens, our dining rooms, our living rooms, our cars, our garages, and definitely...most definitely in our schoolrooms. What kind of items do you have that are hard to store?

In our home I have struggled with items such as:

• hair accessories
• shopping bags
• aprons
• scarves
• umbrellas
• flashcards
• ribbon
• ties
• belts
• costume jewelry
• bras
• bathing suits
• funnels
• purses
• phone cards
• gift cards
• paper towels
• art work
• school pages (oh the abundance!)
• schedules
• warranties
• business cards
• dress-up costumes
• hats
• gloves & winter hats

I could keep writing this list, but it would take all day with the amount of stuff I have struggled to find just the right place for over the year. I bet the list in your home is similar and would take just as long to complete.

Finding ways to organize stuff that is not easily put in place can be frustrating. When I first put up my pegboard, I though, WOW! I still think, WOW! Because it is an awesome way to store a lot of stuff in small places.

However, upon using it I found I had another dilemma; what's the best way to utilize the vertical work space and what would I use to do that.

One solution that I came up with has worked in many areas other than my peg board. It is so simple and frugal you are probably going to be chuckling and thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Many of the items listed above can be stored on curtain rod ring. The two types I have found to work the best are the the kind that snap apart and the kind with a clip on the bottom. Both of these curtain ring make an excellent organizational tool.

Items that have a hole in them or you can punch a hole in are ideal for the snap together type. Many of us use flashcards in our homeschooling. Punch a hole in one corner of the cards and place on a curtain ring. To store, hang on a hook or rod. Items such as costume jewelry can also be stored on these rings and hung to keep orderly. For closet items such as belts, slip onto ring and place ring around closet bar.

For those items that cannot slip onto a ring or unable to be punched, use curtain rings that have the clips on the end. This works really well for any paperwork, such as schedules and art work. Instead of hanging art work on a hook, install a curtain rod on an empty wall in your home. Place curtain rings with bottom clips on the bar and hang art work for a neat and easily interchangeable way to display art and school work. Projects that are flat and displayed on cardboard also hang well on this device. Use these type of rings to organize items such as hats, hair accessories, extra cords, scarves, bathing suits, or ribbons.

New curtain rings can be a bit costly. I have found them from time to time in a dollar store. Another great source for these at inexpensive prices is thrift stores. For some reason people donate rings that are not in a complete set, offering you the opportunity to further customize your organization for pennies. Keep your eyes open at yard sales as well. I regularly come across them for 25 cents or less!

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

Hi Everyone! I am VERY busy getting Simple Journey Bookstore ready for our HUGE Ultimate Homeschool Expo Sale!

Everything will be Deeply Discounted up to 60%

Including New Releases:

Simply Frugal Portable Lunches

Simply Frugal Breakfasts

Simply Frugal Beauty

The Spring Cleaning Fling

Freebies on site, just for the download AND even more for every purchase! Be there April 28, 2008!

NO Coupons Needed!

With the price of gas rising daily, why not stay home and participate in the ULITMATE Homeschool Expo? Couple that with the HUGE UHSE Sale and you have yourself THE best resource for homeschooling!

As it turns out, I am not the only one who is busy getting ready for the event.

I got an email from Cindy this afternoon. She has been bombarded with emails from vendors! TONS of last minute FREEBIES and many more vendors than had signed up by the deadline. Well, it is going to take her all weekend to get it all together, so the unveiling of the Membership site has been postponed until BRIGHT and EARLY Monday Morning! What I know is that it WILL be worth the wait. From all the vendors and all the freebies they were giving before chaos came, it was already Ultimate!

Cindy doesn't take missing a deadline lightly, so you KNOW it is for the benefit of all the members!

I guess that means it will be the ULTIMATE Ultimate Homeschool Expo! WOW! I am so excited and glad I got my ticket.

You still have time to get your ticket too! All you need to do is click on the banner below!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Bookstore is gearing up for a

HUGE SALE!

Monday kicks off The Ulitmate Homeschool Expo 2008!

If you have been waiting to get your ticket, get it NOW! You can purchase your ticket simply by clicking here.

You are going to want to get your ticket right away,  because tomorrow the membership site opens. You are SO going to want to surf the site BEFORE the Expo begins!!! Oh, the site is so AWESOME! You can only have access to the site with the purchase of a ticket.

If you have been trying to decide whether or not to participate, let me just say this is THE Ultimate Homeschool Expo! I do NOT work for Cindy Rushton, I am a mere participant in the Expo. So I have firsthand knowledge of what a blessing the Expo is for moms.

If you are worried you might not have enough time to sit through all the seminars, then this IS the Expo for you! Why? Because your membership includes access to the audio for EVERY session INDEFINTELY! That means you can listen to the seminars as often as you'd like, whenever you'd like! Now, onto even bigger news!

I am so excited about the UHSE 2008, that I have decided to host a HUGE SALE

to celebrate the event!

Announcing..........

The Simple Journey Bookstore's

UHSE 2008 HUGE Sale!

You are NOT going to want to miss this sale!

EVERYTHING in the store will be on SALE!

Because it is my goal to encourage and support moms, there will tons of freebies included with every order!

In addition to the sale, I am hosting an early release of 4 NEW BOOKS!

Simply Frugal Portable Lunches

Simply Frugal Breakfasts

Simply Frugal Beauty

The Spring Cleaning Fling

Did you think I would stop there? NO WAY!

These title will be available at DEEPLY DISCOUNTED PRICES!TONS of FREEBIES will be available!

That's not all!

Also available will be the VERY popular

The Homeschool Co-op Planner

&

The Plan: Homeschool Edition Household Planner

The Plan: Unschool Edition Household Planner

If you are getting ready to make a purchase at Simple Journey Bookstore, DON'T!

Wait until Monday, when the UHSE 2008 Sale begins!

Books up to 60% off!

Here's an email I received about Trim the Fat: The Ultimate Book on Cutting Food Costs 

Being a family of 7, it’s very difficult for us to stick to a budget that is reasonable when it comes to food.  I’ve shopped with coupons, watching sales and even buying in bulk.  However, it seemed that I just couldn’t get everything in place, and I was NOT seeing any savings anywhere.

 After following some tips from Trim the Fat, we immediately started noticing some savings in our grocery bill.  After using our newly found secrets for 2 weeks, we found a surplus of funds in our ‘bills and food’ account, and we searched high and low for what we had forgotten to pay.  Only after reviewing everything we could, we realized that we didn’t forget anything...we had saved at the grocery stores!!!  What an awesome feeling that was!  I’m sure if we continue using Leslie’s methods, we should actually have an extra balance in our savings account to spoil our family after a year.  Keep bringing me these types of books Leslie!!

Stephanie G.

Academie Guertin Homeschool

I am happy to report, that Stephanie also let me know that she saved over $100 on her groceries already! How did she do it? She implemented tips set forth in Trim the Fat: The Ultimate Book on Cutting Food Costs. If she saved that much in 2 weeks, imagine how much more she will be saving as she begins to use more of the tips! WOW!

Trim the Fat: The Ultimate Book on Cutting Food Costs will be on SALE next week! Don't forget to get your copy and start saving immediately!

Sale Starts Monday, April 28, 2008

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homestead

Every now and again we become bored with a room. This boredom may be the result of the same color scheme, set up, or a need to change or expand the function of a room.

You can change a room for no cost, simply by rearranging the contents. During this process, you can remove some of the contents or add contents from other rooms. A room renovation for FREE! Simple and easy. The simplest solution to jazz up a room.

Now, when you want more than just a minor upgrade, what are you always told? Paint it. Painting is just about the least expensive way to bring about a more dramatic change to a room. It's also the best way to get rid of all those scuff marks, stains, and chips. I agree with this thought process.

However, paint isn't inexpensive. So if you are in need of a more dramatic change than furniture rearrangement, but do not want to spend the cost on painting the room entirely, consider another option. Paint for less. Here are a few ideas of how you can paint a room less.

• Don't think color scheme before you go paint shopping. When you are in the paint section check out the deep discounts on the custom colors that were someone else's mistakes. Is there a color available that would compliment your furnishings yet change up the room? No? Don't be discouraged. Ask a salesman how often you should check back for new additions to the sales shelf. If you have a specific color in mind and you are not shopping at a national chain hardware store, as the salesman if he would be willing to call you if a certain color becomes available. Don't be too picky when requesting a color, because you probably will never get a call. If you give him a color range, aquas, taupes, deep reds, he will more than likely be happy to do so.
• Consider painting only one wall. An accent wall can give a dramatic change to a room! Again, shop the discount rack. I have seen this done coupled with a rearrangement resulting in BIG impact. This is a wonderful option especially if you are not certain you will like a color change you have in mind. One wall is easier to live with when the color isn't exactly what you want, than a whole room. You will not have spent nearly as much money. You can do this again in a few months if you really don't like the color and only be out a second can of discounted paint.
• Give the walls on your room a good wash. I don't mean a cleaning, I mean a color wash. Pick a color that compliments the current wall color. Now purchase just a gallon. Using a 5 gallon bucket, mix the paint with 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon of water. Use a brush and paint the color over a small area of the wall. Now wipe it off with a rag. You can very this process A LOT! You can use different wiping techniques, vary the intensity of the wash, or use different items to pick the wash color up off the wall. Again, there is a double savings if you can pick up a can off the discount shelf.

Can't seem to ever find a color you like on the discount shelf, but are ready for a change? Wait just a few weeks. Paint companies will be offering sales around Memorial Day.

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I have Some More, Please?

Does the origin of your produce matter?

Fresh produce has definitive growing seasons. Produce that is harvested at the end of the natural growing season means that it will not be available at other times of the year. Berries are summer harvesters. If you have berries available in your grocery in February, they were either grown in a warm climate state that can support a longer growing season or they were grown in a hot house that provides the conditions of a natural season indoors.

Last Monday, I posted about which produce has the most pesticides, and should be purchased organically whenever possible. Ideally, you should eat produce during its natural ripening period. In America (since I do not about other countries) we want what we want and we want it when we want it. This has caused farmers to push their growing season, change their farming practices, and use artificial means of producing these products out of season. Because this costs more to do, the cost of out of season produce is high. This applies to organic produce as well. If you are working on including more organic produce in your diet and you have a budget, purchase only what is in season. The cost of organic and local produce, like its conventional counterpart, is significantly less during that time.

But where does the produce come from and what do you need to know to make good decisions for the health of your family?

Pesticide use is not regulated in countries such as Mexico, Central America, and Latin America. Because it is not regulated and the US has such a high demand for produce, these countries push their growing to the limits. Produce exports from these countries is a many source of economics. When I say it isn't regulated, I understand that to mean that their regulations are not as strict as ours. This means that they not only use pesticides that are illegal in the US, but also the amount of pesticides used would be illegal here. US demand for produce and the lack of regulation has caused the push and amounts of pesticides used to rise. Latin America alone has increased the amount of pesticide use by 5%!

So what countries have safe levels of pesticides and use safe pesticides? Well, no pesticide is safe. However, produce grown in the US and Canada has far less pesticide residue than that of our other import partners. 

If you want to keep the amount of pesticides ingested to a bare minimum, buy as much organic produce as possible. When costs are prohibitive on organics, refrain from purchasing produce grown in Latin America, Central America, and Mexico.

Pesticides are not the only thing to be concerned about when purchasing produce. The demand in the US has also encouraged the concept of genetically modifying produce so that it can be grown in climates and areas that are natural for it to grow, as well as out of season growing times. This produce may look the same, but it never tastes the same as produce that is purchased in season, because it does not have the same qualities. This also means that the nutrition benefits of GM produce are inferior.

How can you tell what you are getting at the grocery? That's simple. Check the PLU # on the little sticker.

Conventinal produce will have a 4 digit number.

Organic produce will begin with a 9 followed by four digits.

Genetically modified produce will begin with an 8 followed by four digits.

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Health

Recently, I spoke about the ideas set forth in Trim the Fat: The Ultimate Book of Cutting Costs at the Grocery. One chapter of the book discusses how to include organic food in your food budget, without going BUST on your food budget. People are often shocked when they find out how simple this really is! Why? well simply because of the over-all myth of the expense of organic food. I have been trying to educate moms about the real deal with organics. One question that keeps coming to my email box, is which items will I absolutely NOT purchase if they are not organic. After several individual emails, I decided that I would post my list here and share it with everyone.

Purchase ONLY Organic

Berries

Peppers

Lettuce/spinach

peaches

cantaloupe

celery

apples

cucumbers

carrots

nuts

milk

tomatoes

grapes

green beans

apricots

These items do not come into my home unless I am able to find organics. However, you should know a few other things about some items. Bananas and corn are LOADED with pesticides. Long story short, they come and go off lists and I normally base my decisions on their originating locations. Any fruit that has a skin, lemon, bananas, oranges, avocado, etc I will sometimes purchase conventional. The pesticides used (although they can be very high) have minimal penetration to the actual fruit. Wash the fruit BEFORE peeling. Wash it again. Rinse with water whiel you are peeling citrus. This should remove the bulk of the pesticides. When finished, wash hands thoroughly.

Grains are another issue. I try to use only organic grains, but sometimes they are not available or they are out of my budget. BUT you should know that these are highly treated with pesticides, especially in processed grain foods, such as cereals. NAME BRAND companies and offshoots have been found to have LARGE amounts of pesticides. (Sorry for my vagueness, but I am covering my butt here).

Also, Kiwi comes and goes. I normally buy organic, but occasionally I cannot get it and I have a son who is a Kiwi junkie. Wash as directed above if using conventional, BEFORE cutting.

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

I got this from Cindy Rushton, and I am so excited about it! We have tried notebooking for other areas of school, but not too much for history. After reading this I am ready to pull some of our items together for a history notebook. My kids love notebooking, because they love being authors!

Have a reluctant writer? Then this article is going to really help start the inspiration process rolling for your littletons and eldertons. Once their notebook is complete your child will be an author of his/her own book! That is a SUPER accomplish for kids! Before you know it, your reluctant writer will be working on his/her own. Is that exciting or what?!!!

Read the article and get your reluctant writer writing! For even more help check out the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008. There is so much valuable information for homeschooling there! If you haven’t grabbed your ticket yet click on any of the banners to GET YOUR TICKET TODAY!

Oh! Let’s Try Notebooking…For History!
by Cindy Rushton

 
Notebooking…

Yes! Notebooking for History Studies! Notebooking for our History Timelines!

What great literature does to feed the mind, Notebooking does to deepen the studies, teach research skills, and record the real education that your children are receiving. Old path? Yep! But not a path that has been overgrown.

Notebooking goes as far back as eternity.

In Scripture, we find that the kings were trained and prepared for leadership by copying the law and keeping it in a book (isn’t that too cute??).

Want to know something even better? We find that EVEN God has a Book of Remembrance that He is keeping until that day that we join Him in heaven for that “Heavenly read aloud time” we will enjoy some day soon. Oh. Don’t worry! We will ENJOY this time. His Book of Remembrance does not contain a list of sins and transgressions that we have committed that He wants to be sure not to forget. Instead, it is filled to overflowing with precious quotes of praises that His servants speak to one another (My PERSONAL goal is for Him to have PLENTY to quote from my life!).

Up until about a hundred years ago, Notebooking was used in the education of every child. But, something called textbooks and “progressive” education eliminated them from the education of children today. With that elimination, we find the need for more and more artificial methods of education. Well, until we find this old path.

My friend, of all the ideas I could share with you as you homeschool your children, this one is certain to change the atmosphere of your home while equipping your children to learn more deeply now AND more voraciously for the rest of their lives.

Although I cannot begin to do justice explaining Notebooking in one simple article, I have to tell you a few perks (if you want more help in this area, take a look at my book Notebooking! YES! You Can Be A Binder Queen Too!). You have to know that this is a WONDERFUL way to teach more than just the historical facts that we want for our children to learn. There are LOTS of perks!

First of all, Notebooking encourages deeper research on topics of study. As my children have found a “place” to keep their special “finds” along the way, they have had more interest in hunting for more information on every topic they run across. They may think of this as a treasure hunt, but while they are having a blast finding great ideas, facts, and heirlooms, they are learning the skills of researching that will serve them all of their life. That is not all! While our children are building notebooks on topics as they study, they are also learning how to record what they are really learning. Besides relieving mom of the pressure of keeping records of every minute of their day, this teaches them the skill of record keeping and keeps a more accurate account of what is being done each and every day. Oh, and need I mention, Notebooking also teaches our children Language Arts skills and techniques the EASY WAY!

So, how do you use this old path as you teach History the easy way?

First, find great resources that can be used for building notebooks.
 
I am constantly on the lookout for great resources with neat Copywork. My children began using Copywork when they were very little and STILL use Copywork for building their notebooks in High School. There are many, many great resources. The very first thing we used was a large print edition of the Bible. It was easier for my young readers/writers to copy from. I also look for books with poems, quotes, narratives, songs, speeches, etc. As we travel, my children also look for special mementos to add to their notebooks. Anything from art prints to recipes to maps to pictures of the people and events from History are game for their notebooks. The key is in having a “place” to keep the information that contributes to each and every study. That place is our notebooks!

Second, encourage your children to USE those notebooks every day.

It is so easy to put projects on the shelf only to collect dust. It is also easy for us to let the children do work that we pile away in a box to put away later for them. Notebooking is NOT another thing for YOU TO DO! Well, unless you are going to keep a notebook for your own studies.

My dear friend, the greatest benefits come from our children doing the work for themselves. Sure, you may have gone to every local Scrapbooking crop in your city and state. But, this is not a contest for the most creative memory book. It is a discipline that we can pass on to our children so they can learn the skills of writing, researching, recording their own education, and collecting information in a logical and understandable way. Simply find some great resources for them to copy from…buy just ONE NOTEBOOK (3-ring binder) and sheet protectors (to keep their work stored nicely in each day)…and turn them loose! The fruit you gather along this old path is simply too good to miss!

Happy Homeschooling…the easy way
*******************************************

Need more help?

Check out our Ultimate Homeschool Expo! You can join great speakers like Terri Johnson from Knowledge Quest Maps and Amy Pak from Homeschool in the Woods as they teach several brand new workshops that will help you to make teaching history even more fun and easy:

Feasting on History with Terri Johnson
Teaching Timelines with Amy Pak
Hands On History with Amy Pak
Who are Your Child’s Heroes with Amy Pak
PLUS! Over 200 other great workshops on other topics!

Get YOUR ticket here:

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I'm Bored!

FREE Bowling Alley in YOUR Home

If your kids like bowling here's a great way to bowl at home for FREE!

Save 10 personal water bottles. We use 16 oz bottles. Grab a ball of any kind. Once you set your pins at one end of a room (or yard) mark the floor with a piece of masking tape for the bowl from line. You can mark an extra line for toddlers who might not be able to aim the ball at the pins over a longer distance.

Want to add some FUN lessons to this activity? Try figuring out some probability equations. Have children keep score on a grease board or piece of paper. Do a little science and fill some of the bottles with some water. How does that affect your game? Fill all of the bottles. Note the differences. Let your kids grab the camera and practice taking action shots. You can really have FUN with this while learning.

Our whole family LOVES this game! Typically we use a little dodge ball type ball. It is small enough that we can hold it and aim without the finger holes of a regular bowling ball. Larger balls would work too, especially for those littletons who need to roll it through their legs. Invite friends to come over for a bowling night. You can easily set up 2 lanes (or more depending on room size). Snacks are way cheaper at home! This is a fun time spent with friends! It's that simple.

These are my thoughts.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Homeschool

Today I have the opportunity to share something really special with you. We moms are so busy caring for our families, that we often forget to care for oursleves. We work tirelessly to get laundry, cooking, shopping, cleaning, and other household chores done. Many are spending much of their time homeschooling their children. We put ourselves out there and volunteer and help within our communities and churches. Work takes up still more of our lives. How about all the time we focus on our children’s outside acitivies. Then there are still those appointments that need to be made and kept for the doctor, orthodontist, dentist, opthomologist, etc. With all that life encompasses, what mom has time to take care of herself? YOU DO!

Cindy Rushton has given permission for yet another article, that I couldn’t wait to share. Grab a glass of water, a pencil, and pad (you will want to take notes). ENJOY!

50+ Ideas for Taking Care of Mom!
By Cindy Rushton

Tired? Weary? Need some fresh ideas for taking care of mom? Feeling that push and pull on you as you balance all of the many demands in your life? Are you great about taking care of others, yet not quite so good about taking care of YOU? Has it been a long, long time since you have done the little things to just fill your cup back up? How about a few fresh ideas for filling your cup and ministering to your heart! I promise that these will be easy for you to do! Here goes:

–>  Grab Your iPod and go for a long, long walk! I LOVE my iPod. I have it filled with great Praise and Worship music, teachings and workshops, podcasts, tutorials, etc. My iPod has become my “pocket pal” when I work on my chores, take care of business duties, or even get out for my walk. Talk about my best investment of 2006!

–>  Laugh! Just sit there right now…laugh! Start small…just a little giggle! Then…laugh about laughing! Roll on the floor laughing!  Feel better?

–>  Begin a new Bible Study.  Either find a Bible Study guide…or dig out Words to study on your own!  For Word Studies, I LOVE my Strong’s Concordance. It helps to find all of the references of a certain word of interest. I also love my Vine’s Dictionary. I use it to look up the meanings of the words AND it also has other references for uses in Scripture. Another great help for Word Studies is my good old faithful Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. I LOVE it as a reference to deepen the studies. Usually it helps me to also find OTHER great studies to dig into also! Dig into the Word! It will feed your heart and soul during this tough time!

–>  Meet a friend at the park and let the kids play while you visit.

–>  Go for a drive around the city—look at the lights! Look at flowers. Look at the seasonal changes.

–>  Look at photo albums.  Remember the silly stories!

–>  Watch the sunrise! Or, not an early bird? Watch the sunset!

–>  Collect jokes and funnies! Barb Johnson…Chonda Pierce…Becky Freeman are just a few of my PERSONAL favorites! Get one of their books or videos. Then, snag some mom-time to just kick back and enjoy!

–>  Chocolate! Chocolate Candy…Chocolate Bars…Chocolate Shakes…Chocolate Latte’s…CHOCOLATE! REALLY! Chocolate helps to release endorphins in the brain—plus! It tastes great to boot! So, why not grab a bit for mom-time!

–>  Watch an old movie! Curl up under a great big quilt—even if you have to turn the air down COLD!  Don’t forget to turn down the lights and turn off the phone!

–>  Look at your old school albums!  Your HAIR! Ha! Enough said.

–>  Got a grassy hill nearby? Go to the top and just roll down it! Like a child! (Snowy? Get a sled! And SLIDE!)

–>  Take the kids to the park—just WATCH them! They are adorable!

–>  Begin a “Quote Book.”  Collect quotes that encourage you to keep on, keeping on!  Keep them in a special journal dedicated only to keeping your special quotes.

–>  Memorize your favorite Psalm. Try out Psalm 91…or Psalm 61…or Psalm 35…or Psalm 37…Oh! Enjoy!

–>  Begin a Tea Ministry.  Doing for others ALWAYS lifts even the heaviest spirit.  Get a tea basket to keep your goodies in…visit a shut-in…bless them. Then! Watch the blessing boomerang! You won’t be able to leave without a blessing.

–>  Take the kids to a candy store—sample the Jelly Bellies…or Sweet Tarts…or Sour Gummy Worms.

–>  Fly a kite!

–>  Take a ride in the country.  Turn up your praise music…roll the windows down…sing to the top of your lungs!

–>  Watch a funny video!  Elisabeth and I LOVE to watch old movies like If a Man Answers. It is one of our “chick flicks” that we always watch together. We love it! SO FUNNY! Chonda Pierce is another one of my picks. She is just totally hilarious. My children LOVE old comedy shows like I Love Lucy or The Three Stooges.  Oh, you may want to watch anything! Just find something that will make you laugh hard!

–>  Scrapbook!  Pick photos that you MUST tell the story behind! Kick up your favorite music…spread out your goodies…and Scrap till you drop!

–>  Read a biography of a GIANT in the faith!  My favorites are Corrie ten Boom…Hudson Taylor…George Mueller…Amy Carmichael…Jim and Elisabeth Elliott…etc!

–>  Get today’s newspaper and read the comics!

–>  Get a yo-yo! PLAY!

–>  Make Chocolate Chip Cookies with the kids! On a diet? Take them to someone who blesses you! Include a note of thanks and encouragement for all they do to bless you!

–>  Go out and sit on your boat—watch the stars! (Oh, watch the sunset or sunrise, if you can too!)

–>  Dig into the Bible and study what God says about trials…suffering…faith…death…depression…oppression…warfare…battle…

–>  Read a new book! Normally ready non-fiction/how-to’s? Get a fiction book for a change!  Normally read fiction? Get a humorous book! Renew your weary heart and mind!

–>  Take a break and go for a long ride on a motorcycle! Don’t forget your headset and praise music!

–>  Take a hike! Really!  Find a nice nature trail OR go for the tough stuff!!

–>  Go to the mall with your teenager!  ENJOY!

–>  Buy a Mp3 Player and some great praise music—turn it up!  I LOVE my iPod! I have my iPod loaded with all of my favorite CDs. My favorites are Michael W. Smith’s Worship CD’s AND Hillsong’s Praise and Worship!  The moment you enter into worship, you will enter into the very presence of God—so, turn it up and devour the presence of our precious Lord!

–>  Pull out that old sewing machine and make some of those goodies that you have been wanting—new purse/tote…outfit…home decorations…doll clothes…etc!

–>  Buy a “whoopee” Cushion…or “Bubba” teeth… At least your family will laugh!

–>  Write out the funny family stories! Reminisce! Enjoy!

–>  Go skating! 

–>  Try an afternoon of “Laser-Tag” with your teens! Get um!

–>  Make Homemade Bread—KNEAD yourself!

–>  Plan a regular Mommy Getaway. This is not an extra! It is essential!  I plan getaways for different purposes: to just get alone with God to hear Him, to plan, to work on my homeschool and business projects, to just fill my cup back up. Decide what will fill you up. What do you need right now? Decide what will help meet that need. Gather your goodies: Bible, journal, iPod, camera (I love taking pictures of little treasures along the way), your planner, your computer/Idea Notebook, etc. Pull aside and take that time to just get-away and fill your cup back up!

–>  Get a pet! My bird, Harley, has ministered to my heart MORE than I could remember! He is just SO funny! HE had the idea to “boogie” for Jesus! I had not danced for years! AND it is decent!  Elisabeth’s new puppy, Pooh, is a TOTAL delight!  I say all the time that she is JOY in fur! She has become my little buddy. She loves to sit with me while I work and follow me around while I am doing my chores. She keeps me in stitches. Struggling? Get a pet just for YOU…see that puppy in the window??

–>  Take the day to go for a flight!  Look at the whole world from a different perspective!

–>  Dance! Turn up your favorite music and dance! Dance your heaviness away! Dance till you laugh! Dance in worship to the Lord! Jump! Lift your hands in praise and worship!

–>  Clean out your house (only if this is NOT your struggle! Ha!). Attack those closets…cabinets…dusty bookshelves…paper piles!

–>  Go out for a cup of coffee…tea…or a good old Coca-Cola! Meet your sweetheart or a mommy pal! Or…take your Bible and make it a special time with the Lord!

–>  Find some silly-putty or slime—PLAY!

–>  Get up earlier (or take regular breaks throughout the day!) for your quiet time! You may feel SO weak that you can barely concentrate—if so, just turn on praise music and lift up your arms in praise and adoration. Watch what happens!  Make a list of your heartaches—lift them to the Father (then, hide them in your Prayer Journal—later they will be a praise record!).  Dig into the Word for comfort…perspective…and hope for tomorrow! Really tough days? Well, when the Israelites had very HOT days, they had to gather MORE manna—in the heat of your battles and toughest trials gather a surplus! It will help you survive your struggle.

–>  Make a quilt. You can EVEN cheat by making it on the sewing machine! ENJOY!

–>  Take an afternoon to go to the movies. Get a big bucket of popcorn…a super-HUGE Coke…sour Gummy Worms (unless you are due a BIG DOSE OF CHOCOLATE!). Take your sweetheart…or a friend if you want to share! Pick a movie that will make you laugh like crazy…OR CRY your eyes out! ENJOY!

–>  Ride three-wheelers! Get MUDDY!

–>  Treat yourself to a leisurely afternoon (or a bunch of afternoons!) at the pool…park…or creek.

–>  Try your hand at BOWLING. Take some friends!

–>  Take time for tea—each day.

–>  Exercise. Swim…walk…jog…hike…go skating…aerobics. Relieves stress AND boosts your health to boot.
Learn a new hobby!  What have you been putting off that you have ALWAYS wanted to know? Pottery? Quilting? Flight Training? Smocking? Scrapbooking? Jewelry Making? Sewing? Crochet? Horse-back riding?  Go for it! Now is the PERFECT time.

–>  Treat yourself to a nice looooonnnnnngggg Bubble Bath! Don’t forget to set up your favorite music to play during your Bubble Bath.  Also…be sure to fix a nice cup of tea (or a Latte!) or a nice big Coke that will last till the water gets cold! ENJOY!

–>  Go to the park and just swing—HIGH!
Go get an ice-cream cone—with a double dip!

–>  Do a “Promise” hunt in Scripture.  Keep in a “Promise Notebook” of your very own! KNOW that they are yours.

–>  Snuggle up for the afternoon to read a great book!

Got some fresh ideas? Don’t let this limit you! Let your brain GO! Find some things that will fill you back up and take care of you all along the way.

This is not an extra. This is an essential. Carve out time on your calendar today to just take care of mom!
****************************************

Need MORE Help?
 
How about the ULTIMATE mom-time? Yep! Check out our Ultimate Homeschool Expo! If you missed the live recording of the workshops, no problem! You can now hear ALL of the workshops at your convenience. They are CERTAIN to fill your cup to overflowing! Get your ticket here:
 

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can't Live Simply Until...

Intentional Living

I started my adult life on a quest for frugality. Although I would like to say that I entered that life by choice. I can't. I would also like to be able to say that I chose the path of frugality as a means of focusing on stewardship. I can't. As with anything, God has given us  our lives as a process with peaks and valleys to help grow us up and transform us into the image of Christ.

My adult life was started in the depths of poverty. Not poverty as is experienced in third world countries. Not even poverty as is known in America. I was a young college student with little money. My story is the same as millions of others. If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then I might very well be a mother in that area. I began researching options for living on less. God has granted me the wisdom to not only find that information but the ability to apply it everyday. Success with frugal living has been fruitful for our family.

Over the years our thought process has changed. Although our income increased, we maintained a lower level of living. We found contentment with our lives where they were. I recently taught about simple living online. If you wouldliek to hear the audio, you can purchase your ticket for the UHSE 2008 here. Oh yes, we did some extra things. We had the opportunity to take some wonderful trips and experience some things that others may find frivolous or desirable. When one of the littletons had turned 6 months old, he had been in three time zones, touched the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Gulf of Mexico, been to islands, gone from the east coast to the west coast to Pike's Peak, visited Mexico twice, been on two cruise ships,was a season ticket holder to an N