Hair Fun

I will be sharing more links on Monday, but I watched this video today and AA was in the room. The first thing she said when it was over was "Is that girl sitting on the counter?" LOL!! The second thing she said was "Mommy will you please do that to my hair, I want to surprise Daddy."

SO first the video and then a picture of how I did.



This was my FIRST attempt and this hairstyle literally takes only MINUTES to do. It makes it look like you know what you are doing. :D

And the JOY it brought my daughter ... I am sad that I have not done more of this thinking it was too difficult or takes too long.

Foto Friday - Learning

So the theme was learning. Should be easy enough to photograph, right? I mean, I am a homeschooling mom who is constantly teaching her children who are constantly learning? But you know what? Momma TOTALLY forgot to pick up the camera but ONCE this week. I need to be better about that.

SO.... without further ado, here are the few pictures I took this week... er, I mean DAY!! LOL!!!

This is EE and MM playing Little House on the Prairie. I am not sure that Carrie would have been wearing ear muffs like little MM is, but she liked the fact that she was matching. :D Matching is learning too, right?? :D

EE setting up a reading game I found at a garage sale. This is an AWESOME game. But none of the pictures of us playing actually came out.

MM and JJ reading. JJ LOVES to "read." He memorizes the story and tells it back to you. This is one of his favorite books. He got it for completing a reading library program during the summer. The picture is not the best, but OH how I love it! It shows how much love these two have for each other, and how JJ loves to read. So I share it.

And go here to see some of my favorite "learning" pictures. :D

Hopefully, next week I will have better pictures. Be sure to head over to Rebecca's to see all the other entries AND to know how YOU can participate too!! :D

OOOHHHH.... I have to add these too! I just took these (like literally minutes ago and had to update this post) when she brought me this! I have been teaching EE to crochet and she has got it DOWN! Those stitches are perfect! She made me a tawashi - her own pattern!! She took several different colors and put crocheted them together - I AM SO IMPRESSED!!!






And an update... I have only been a member of Swagbucks for almost a week now and I have only 2 more swagbucks to earn before I get my $5 Amazon gift card! If I keep this up, I will be able to get a Wii for FREE for Christmas!! And I am so hoping you can help me out and get yourself some free gifts too!!!

You see, when people sign up under you, YOU get $1 swagbuck for every $1 swagbuck THEY earn!! So if you sign up under me, I can get there faster. Then you go and share YOUR referral link with YOUR friends, they sign up under you and YOU earn what THEY earn!

And all you have to do is use them for your search engine. You earn 1-3 swagbucks a day (that is not including the extras you get through codes (see below)!! I have just been using it as my search engine (I do a LOT of searching), and entering in the codes (a new code EVERY DAY!) and am up to $43 swagbucks. $45 gets you a $5 Amazon.com gift card! It generally takes about two weeks to earn. They have other prizes too. It really is worth it. It is one of the easiest ways to make some extra money - no emails to read or surveys to take. Just search the web using Swagbucks!! (***UPDATE! As of 5PM I HAVE 45! MY FIRST AMAZON $5 GIFT CARD!!! WOOHOO!!!!)

The BEST site for finding out where codes are (remember, it is grounds for termination to share the actual code) is Engineer A Debt Free Life. She not only lets you know when one is up, she lets you know when it expires and WHERE to find the code. She will let you know if it is at the top of the page or the bottom, or the middle of page 73. :D. SHE IS THE BEST!!! :D

SO I hope to see you searching around on Swagbucks and let me know what you are saving up for! :D

Current Web Readings

Remove Fluoride from Water
I was under the impression that carbon based water filters (like Pur) remove fluoride from the water. The other morning on FB, I read Dr. Mercola's daily tip which said that they don't, and how difficult it is to remove fluoride form water. So I found this link.

Graft Your Own Designer Fruit Trees

Pallet Chicken Coop
This is GREAT! How to make a chicken coop from free pallets!!! :D

Bookin It in 2010
Money Saving Mom, Crystal Paine, shares her reading list for 2010.

FDA Admits BPA dangers but can't regulate it
No, but another government agency can force thrift stores to stop selling "lead" laden children's toys and books?!?! Bah Hum Bug!

Dangerous Stuff For Boys
Fun stuff!

Rice Cooker
I have a friend who makes everything in her rice cooker - omelets, chicken and rice ... just about EVERYTHING her fmaily eats. LOL!! So I went looking for a rice cooker and found THIS one which has a GABA setting - in other words, if you are into Nourishing Traditions, this will soak and sprout the rice and then cook it for you!! :D HOW AWESOME is that?? And especially with this gluten free and JJ allergic to everything family, we do eat a bit of rice. It would be so nice to have something which does everything for me.

Christian Bluegrass Radio Station
Oh EE is in heaven. She LOVES this type of music! This is really nice!

List of Mountain Music Songs
Lyrics with short sample of the tune

Starting The New Year Right

I have tried and tried and TRIED all sorts of things to keep this house clean. Store bought and homemade just to help the girls stay on top of their chores. Even having them pay each other to do their work if they did not get it done. All either didn't work, or worked for a short while, then fizzled out.

FINALLY I have something that works! :D :D :D We have been doing it for two weeks now, and I can say I am happy happy HAPPY!

I have shared before about how I took some things from Flylady. Each child has their own zone in the house (a room they are in charge of making sure stays clean and orderly). And since they all share a room, the room is divided into zones and each child is responsible for keeping their room zone clean (which includes their bed). We also made a rule that there are no toys in the room, and no books in the room. They may have a book they are currently reading near their bedside, but not the plethora of books that they used to bring in there (I love that my girls love books, but BOY it was getting BAD).

The other thing that is the REAL key to this is to make sure things revolve around meals. I know it sounds silly and simple. And maybe it is, but it WORKS!

Each chore is written on a card. It is broken down into easy steps (especially the younger the child). MM cannot read yet, so she also has pictures on her card that we worked through together to help give her clues as to what the card says.

The cards are on the TO DO side, and once a card is completed, it is moved to the ALL DONE side. Easy Peasy, huh?


The names are blocked out for privacy reasons. Each child has their own color for their cards.

So there are before breakfast chores which, if everything was done like it should, should only take about 15 minutes to complete.
MAKE BED
TIDY ROOM ZONE
GET DRESSED AND BRUSH HAIR
(Because EE's zone is the kitchen, she has to unload the dishwasher so it is ready to load with dishes from the day, starting with breakfast dishes)

Then after breakfast chores:
CLEAR SPOT AT TABLE (they each eat on a tray like from school cafeteria and they leave the tray and their cup to be used for each meal in their spot, but make sure their tray is clean and clear and their spot at the table is clean and clear - dishes put directly into dishwasher)
BEGIN SCHOOLWORK
(Again with EE's Zone being the kitchen, she has extra after the meal, so while above is for all children, below is just for the kitchen zone)
SINK CLEAN AND CLEAR (again the Flylady clean sink thing)
COUNTERS CLEAR AND WIPED DOWN
CHAIRS AT THE COUNTER CLEAR (sometimes the chairs at the kitchen counter are used as a hot spot to collect items)
WIPE DOWN TABLE
WIPE DOWN CHAIRS/BENCHES (if needed)

Then before you eat lunch:
CLEAN UP SCHOOLWORK
ZONE CHECK - CLEAN AND CLEAR

Then after you eat lunch:
CLEAR SPOT AT TABLE (leaving only tray and cup)
(Again with EE's Zone being the kitchen, she has extra after the meal, so while above is for all children, below is just for the kitchen zone)
SINK CLEAN AND CLEAR (again the Flylady clean sink thing)
COUNTERS CLEAR AND WIPED DOWN
CHAIRS AT THE COUNTER CLEAR (sometimes the chairs at the kitchen counter are used as a hot spot to collect items)
WIPE DOWN TABLE
WIPE DOWN CHAIRS/BENCHES (if needed)
RUN A RINSE ON THE DISHWASHER (we do not rinse our dishes, so this is not a waste of water, but helping to keep the dishes moist so the food washes off them)

This next set of chores are called the 4:30PM chores simply because that is when we start them. They look like a lot, but honestly, it is mostly upkeep. These chores, if the girls have been keeping up with everything, these chores (except for Friday, more on that in a minute), take no more than 30 minutes to do EACH DAY! They are based on each child's zones, as well as another job they have been given the responsibility for. On Friday's, it is major cleaning day, so in their zones, extra responsibilities, and bedroom, deeper cleaning is done - this adds about 30-45 minutes to cleaning during this time. The reward of getting this done sooner rather than later, is that when you are done, you are able to sit and listen to an audio book or audio theatre.

Everyone's have these 4:30PM chores in common:
ALL TOYS, GAMES, BOOKS AND SCHOOLWORK BACK WHERE THEY BELONG - NICE AND ORDERLY
CHECK ROOM: BED MADE AND ROOM ZONE CLEAR
CLEAN 15 ITEMS IN BASEMENT
2 ITEM GIVEAWAY (this is our decluttering, once the child has done a decent job, this will not be needed but maybe once a week)
ZONE CHECK - CLEAN AND CLEAR

MM's extra responsibility is the hallway upstairs between the children's bedrooms
CHECK HALLWAY - NO TRASH, NO CLOTHES, NO TOYS
FRIDAY!!! VACUUM ZONE, BEDROOM, HALLWAY and JJ'S ROOM

EE's extra job is the children's bathroom. She has one card with everything broken down as to what is expected. The front looks like this:
SINK CLEAN AND CLEAR
COUNTERS CLEAN AND ORDERLY
EMPTY TRASH IF NEEDED
FLOOR CLEAN AND CLEAR (behind toilet too)
FLUSH POTTY (if needed)

The back of the card is for Friday cleaning and looks like this
FRIDAY!!!
SCRUB TUB
WASH TOWELS (the hamper for dirty bath towels is in their bathroom)
FOLD AND PUT AWAY WASHED TOWELS
SCRUB TOILET
SWEEP FLOOR
PUT CLEAN TOWEL ON ROD

AA's extra job is the main bathroom (which is small, but important that it looks nice because guests use it), and the entry way (again, important that it looks nice so that guests feel welcome. On Friday, she vacuums her zone and the stairs going upstairs.
ENTRYWAY: CLEAN AND ORDERLY - NOTHING ON FLOOR
MAIN BATHROOM: SINK CLEAN AND CLEAR, COUNTERS CLEAN AND ORDERLY, EMPTY TRASH IF NEEDED, FLOOR CLEAN AND CLEAR and if it is FRIDAY!!!! SRUB TOILET, PUT OLD TOWEL IN HAMPER UPSTAIRS TO BE WASHED AND PUT CLEAN TOWEL ON ROD

After dinner chores are a bit different because instead of eating in the kitchen, we are eating in the dining room, which is part of AA's zone:
CLEAN ENTIRE SPOT INTO DISHWASHER
WASH AND DRY TRAY AND PUT IN TRAY SPOT (there is a spot where the trays belong)
Kitchen chores (for EE):
MAKE SURE KITCHEN TABLE COMPLETELY CLEAR (no trays)
WIPE TABLE
WIPE DOWN CHAIRS/BENCHES (no only if needed, this is to be done)
PUT ALL NAPKINS INTO DIRTY HAMPER
CLEAR KITCHEN FLOOR (nothing should be on the floor)
SWEEP KITCHEN FLOOR (under and around table, stove, fridge, etc.)
SINK CLEAN AND CLEAR
WIPE STOVETOP DOWN
POTS AND PANS WASHED AND HUNG TO DRY
COUNTERS CLEAR AND WIPED DOWN
AFTER ALL DISHES ARE PUT IN DISHWASHER, RUN THE LOAD WITH SOAP
(Dining room chores for AA):
MAKE SURE DINING TABLE COMPLETELY CLEAR (no trays)
WIPE TABLE
WIPE DOWN CHAIRS
PUT ALL NAPKINS INTO DIRTY HAMPER
CLEAR FLOOR UNDER AND AROUND TABLE
VACUUM (whoever thought of carpet in a dining room?!?!) FLOOR

Bedtime Routine:
PUT ON NIGHTIE
GO POTTY
GET DRINK
BRUSH TEETH
BRUSH HAIR

OK... all this has been working GREAT! Like I said, the key is to revolve around meals instead of times. If something HAS to be done before you eat, it will be done. This is especially nice for me, who does NOT do well on a schedule and likes things to be flexible. If things get REALLY hectic through the day, or we are gone for most of the day, as long as the 4:30 and after dinner jobs get done, the house stays clean. The other times for jobs are really just checks to make sure things are being stayed up on.

NOW I just need to make ME one of these things. :D And have the kids help keep me accountable! Exercise, school planning, cleaning my room, laundry, finances/computer time, cooking the meals, training the kids to cook meals, sewing (I plan on sewing AA's wardrobe this year WITH her help!), scrapping (this is something that I might just call art and we al do ART doing school time).

Current Web Readings

The Million Dollar Parenting Question
A must (but short) read for parents.

Swagbucks.com is a search engine that rewards you in the form of Swagbucks for searching. 45 Swagbucks can be exchanged for a $5 Amazon.com gift card. This generally takes about 2 weeks to earn. PLEASE use my link to join: Join Swagbucks as I do get a swagbuck every time you get one if you use my link. THANKS!!!

Solar Tube
NEAT idea - to keep in mind when we build a house or remodel.

Gluten - what you don't know may kill you
A must read.

Flourless Hemp Chocolate Chunks Cookies
I plan to make these for JJ using flax egg replacer and sunflower butter instead of egg and peanut butter.

Why Public School System Teaches Revisionist History
A REALLY good read.

Finding Coupons for Organic Groceries

A way to get free stuff! WOOHOO!!!!

I am trying to earn some extra money/free stuff and found a great way that not only I can, but you can too!

Swagbucks.com is a search engine that rewards you in the form of Swagbucks for searching. 45 Swagbucks can be exchanged for a $5 Amazon.com gift card (OR DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF SWAGBUCKS CAN BE EXCHANGED FOR MANY MORE THINGS!!). I am trying to save up for a Wii!! :D The 45 swagbucks for teh $5 Amazon gift card takes about 2 weeks to earn. PLEASE use my link to join: Join Swagbucks as I do get a swagbuck every time you get one if you use my link. Then share YOUR link with others and have others sign up with your link so you can win every time they win too.

Imagine, just by using swagbucks.com to search instead of something like google, you can be earning $5 gift cards every two weeks!! There are special swagbuck codes that give you points and you don't even have to search! :D Be sure to install the toolbar to get notices of the newest codes! And you can check their blog and FB page for even MORE codes!

And when you search on Fridays, it is called MEGA Fridays because you can earn 3, 5, 10 or MORE (which is more rare but can happen) swagbucks!! :D

I will admit it does take a bit of getting used to using swagbucks to search instead of google, but I am finding really good results on things I am searching for. It really is a good search engine. You get three swag bucks just for signing up! Imagine if you start now, you could have enough money to buy some REALLY nice Christmas presents for Christmas!!

You may only win 1-5 Swagbucks a day by yourself, but with just 5 friends earning on average 2 Swagbucks a day you would earn 360 Swagbucks a month! So I just need five of you (LOL!!) to please sign up for a swagbucks account!

PLEASE use my link to join: Join Swagbucks
THANKS!!! :D :D :D

And if you don't want to join, feel free to share this information with others and use my referral code.

Current Web Readings

Homemade Lara Type Bars
IF you have ever had a Lara bar, you know these things are not only good for you, but GOOD tasting. Here is a recipe to make your own at home.

Cheese Puffs
Pioneer Woman makes the BEST food (not necessarily best for you, but best tasting for SURE!) and these would make a great New Year's finger food.

Please pray

Please pray for EE. She might have appendicitis. Long story short, we are to keep an eye on her and wait for over the weekend. Thank you. She is definitely in pain, that is for sure.

Birth Control

Whether or not you believe in using birth control, the fact is ... it is out there. And many people, prolly even friends of yours, use it. There are all types... from condoms, to natural family planning, to drugs. It is the drugs that scare me the most. These drugs can do more than just prevent a pregnancy... they can make it harder to conceive or even carry a pregnancy to term.

PLEASE read or share the link with those who are using drugs as a form of birth control - especially if they one day hope to have children.

Birth Control Makes Me Mad