Thrift Schooling

#1 GLIDEWARE REVIEW The Top Viewed Post of 2013 is not surprising!  GLIDEWARE is by far the winner!!! This new product has JUST recently gone into production and is the hottest new accessory to maximize your kitchen space.  Read my Review  #2 FIRMOO REVIEW Ordering glasses online is a cinch these days, all you need is a prescription from your doctor and you can find some great deals at discount sites such as Firmoo.  Read My Review #3 CHRONICLES OF DINOSAURIA REVIEW My absolute favorite children's book that I read this year. Totally deserves to be at number 3! Read My Review #4 An Etsy Shop Review: Woodworks By Brooks This post was a big hit. Customers are hungry for handmade. Read My Review  #5 NOAH WEBSTER BOOK REVIEW A book I will so be keeping on my shelf! Read My Review #6 PUREX REVIEW Throughout the year I've been able to provide my readers with several Purex brand products. The most pop...

 Pizza is generally a big hit with kids. So why not use pizza making as an opportunity to learn? Begin by making a simple pizza dough recipe, with very few ingredients Pizza Dough 3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour 1 package yeast 1 cup warm water 2 tablespoons oil 1/4 teaspoon salt In a measuring cup, measure one cup of warm water, add yeast and let sit 2-3 minutes. In mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add water and yeast mixture. Beat in electric mixer until combined. Add remaining flour one cup at a time until nice ball forms. Knead 8-12 minutes. Add small amounts of flour if dough becomes too sticky. You are looking for an elastic like consistency. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Divide into four small balls. Cover with a damp cloth for 20 minutes. Grease cookie sheets and give each child a cookie sheet, dough and rolling pin. Roll out dough into desired shape. Cover again and let rise for 90 ...

I was a young teen. Some meetings were being held at my non-denominational, non-confrontational, non-political, church. Strong, challenging words were  not  the norm from the pulpit. Yet a guest speaker had come through and was holding a Friday evening and Saturday morning service. The topic? I honestly can't remember. But what I do remember is this comment, " sometimes I think that all Christians just need to throw their TV's out the window!"  What?! I was flabbergasted. I honestly had no clue as to why anyone would say that or what television had to do with Christianity. I was confused, what was wrong with TV? So of course, after the meeting I went right back to watching Full House and Saved By The Bell episodes day in and day out. Along with MTV, HBO and everything else cable had to offer back in those days.  Now I laugh because the extremist in me had gone both ways since I've lived on my own. In my first apartment, after college, my friends and I had...

The key to perfection in this recipe is generously oiling your pan! It gives the chops a nice crispy texture that makes you wanting to keep going back for more! ** Printable Version ** 6-8 Boneless Pork Chops 2 cups Italian Style Bread Crumbs 2 eggs (beaten) salt and pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Preheat oven to 425 degrees Season both sides of chops with salt and pepper Dip first into beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumbs Bake for 15 minutes on one side Flip chops over and bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown Quick, easy and tasty!

When I know that I don't have much prep time in a day but want to have a good hearty meal in the evening; Roasted Chicken is usually my go-to dish. It's easy and tasty!  Although, this particular chicken pictured above turned out more amazing than usual simply because the chicken was completely organic. So organic in fact that my husband and sons went to a friend's farm and killed, plucked and cleaned the chicken themselves. Best chicken ever. We knew where it came from, that it wasn't fed all kinds of weirdness nor was it injected with antibiotics or other harmful chemicals. The taste was richer and more flavorful than any store bought chicken I've ever prepared! Don't worry. You don't need to go out and slaughter your neighbors chickens for this recipe. Any chicken will do, and the recipe still turns out great! One 3-4 lb Chicken 6 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (or Coconut Oil) 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper 1/2 Tablespoon Chili Powder  1/2 teaspoon ...

I have a confession to make. I love food. With that said, I never  learned to cook until quite recently. When I first got married I had no clue which spices went with what, how to make a simple pie crust or even how to fry chicken! I have to say that it didn't come easy but now that I've gained some basic  knowledge in the kitchen I love a culinary challenge. If I am going to be preparing something for dinner and I notice I don't have an ingredient, I can't always "run to the store" to pick up what I need. Not with living out in the country, with several  little ones! Instead, I have to get creative. Some of my best dishes have been created under pressure, simply by using what is on hand. Maybe that's why I love cooking shows like Chopped or Iron Chef America. It's always fun to see what the chefs will create with what they are given. Sometimes when I watch cooking shows I think, "it sure would be fun to be one of the judges!" You kn...

You Know You Live in Virginia When..... 5-  The term "Biscuits and Gravy" does not refer to a Thanksgiving side dish! 4- You  go to a "Yard Sell" to buy a "Playpin"   3- You go buy produce at the local supermarket only to find the employees smoking. In the store. Right next to the food you want to purchase.  2- You order lemonade at a restaurant and are given a lemon and some sugar with your water to make your own. 1- School kids get a SNOW DAY with only a chance of snow in the weather forecast.

A study was recently preformed at a local nearby college about the reactions of mothers dependant upon their short-term or long-term memories in relation to their parenting styles. For example, if their child was having a temper tantrum, instead of remembering what worked last time to calm them down, the mother would react in a negative manner, thinking that there must not be any possible solution to remedy the matter. The ones who could calm themselves down, and remember what worked last time, where able to better handle the situation.  Interesting. How many times do we approach a situation with our children, thinking that there is no possible way to deal with them? If we could just stop, think, and remember what worked last time, we would be a million times better off! I'm guilty of the "forgetting" for sure, I think I just get caught up in the moment. Thinking that there must be no possible way to change the situation and that I must be doomed with disobedient ...

If you are looking for a place to connect with other homeschool families, Our Homeschool Forum is a new place to relax and unwind when you need a break! A division of Rainbow Resource , Our Homeschool Forum features articles from contributors, (such as myself!) who are currently in the trenches of the homeschooling. Encouraging articles are available to inspire and encourage! The forum is available for support and strength for newbie homeschoolers and veterans alike!  If interested, feel free to click the button below and check it out! 

  Franklin Sanders  shares in Volume One of  At Home In Dogwood Mudhole , Nothing That Eats   about his journey toward a more self-sufficient way of life. Sanders shares from his articles written for his Moneychanger newsletter. This is a newsletter written, by him, each month for seventeen years to his faithful readers! He shares the joys and pains of everyday life in a humorous and down to earth fashion.  This particular book begins in June of 1995 and shares his family's journey through September 2002.  An interesting fact about this time frame, is that in the middle, were the fears of what would happen when Y2K hit. Sanders shares his perspective and how they prepared. I know for me, at that point in time, I was oblivious to the concerns and possible catastrophic events that could have followed. Sure I knew about the possibilities of the computers crashing, but I was a college student, doing my own thing. Honestly, I could have cared less. Yet now th...

Apologia Educational Ministries  has a new book available in their Young Explorer Series by Jeannie Fulbright called  Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics . Using the Charlotte Mason approach, Apologia teaches science from a creationist perspective. This book includes 14 lessons that can be divided up in a way that best suits your need. We are currently using this course in our homeschool adapting the suggested daily schedule in a way that works for us. Their suggested schedule breaks the book up into 28 weeks, covering one lesson over a period of two weeks. They suggest using this book twice a week, but we spread it out and are doing it four times a week, sometimes five, depending on how many experiments there are! The textbook, believe it or not, can be used with children in grades K-6. I know that sounds like a wide age range, but it can be done! The material is presented in a way that even my kindergartner can understand the basic principles. Yet the voca...

My kids are still young and at this point I actually do enjoy teaching them Math. That is not a subject I fear, yet. The only problem is, with Math, when you have just a slight age difference in your homeschool, you need to be sure to take time out, each day, for each child to drill math facts. IXL.com has been an extremely helpful online tool to help my children practice, practice, practice, their Math skills, daily. IXL provides both Language Arts and Math  practice. I have been working with the Math with my three children over the past few weeks. Yes, that's right, I said THREE children. Even though I'm not "officially" homeschooling my youngest, who is three, yet, this program seemed like the perfect opportunity to teach her basic computer skills. And she has been doing surprisingly well! IXL has programs for kids ages Pre-K through 12th grade for $9.95 a month or $79 a year. {Each additional child costs $2 a month or $20 a year} Each child receiv...