Thrift Schooling

Living in Virginia It makes no sense really. I'm not from here. My husband isn't from here. None of our family live here. What in the WORLD are we doing living in the middle of nowhere Virginia? A series of interesting events have led us to raise our family in the southern hills of good old VA, but that's another story for another time. Today I'd like to share with you briefly the          Top 5 Reasons WHY we LOVE VIRGINIA!!! 5- Cheap Land with Low Property Taxes :  Need I say more? We purchased our home and land for a fraction of the cost that you would pay in other states. And the taxes are seriously next to nothing! 4- NO SCHOOL TAXES :  Never thought I would say this but, I love the Virginia Lottery! Not because I gamble, I don't, but because it funds public school education in Virginia. That's right, I pay nothing. Which is not the case in many other states. I don't send my children to public school so I think it is wonderful t...

TOP THREE HOMESCHOOLING HIGHLIGHTS DECEMBER 3- Sabbath Meal After learning about the days of creation, the My Father's World Curriculum suggests that you do a traditional Jewish Sabbath meal when talking about the "Day of Rest." We experienced the bread, grape juice and the blessings, it was a great family bonding event. 2- Paper Mache Volcano Loved this experiment. It was quite a process but the kids loved it. Day One we made a volcano using a milk jug and covered it with paper mache. The next day, the kids painted it. Once that dried, they added rocks and acorns for houses and lakes. Then finally we got out the baking soda and vinegar and let her rip! 1- Meteor Shower That's right, it was the middle of the night and sure enough, we woke our older two up and drug them out to the couch to watch out the window. We saw a few in only a few minutes but we couldn't pass up this awesome opportunity, sooooo, we found our military issued sleeping ...

Here's a snapshot of our homeschool space. Pictured here is my desk, easel, and old-school screen that yes, I actually have been using with a projector for math! The small desk is for my toddler, and not pictured are two desks for my older two. I like having the space to go and "do school." But I'll be honest with you, much of the reading is done upstairs on the couch and projects at the kitchen table. Since my oldest is only 5, there is just something about having the "structure" that helps me keep my sanity with these little ones. Sure we do nature walks and tons of hands-on activities, but having the desks helps them stay in control and the structure not only helps them but me as well!   THRIFT SCHOOLING IN ACTION ~ 80's Style Overhead Projector: PURCHASED in a "lot" at a School board Auction ~ Bulletin Board: FREE an old privacy screen, upcylced ~ Plastic Desk and Chair: FREE Yard sale leftovers ~ Two Wooden Desks: $5 ea...

I've recently received a subscription to Schoolhouseteachers.com and am loving it! With the increased use of technology in the classroom and in homeschooling, many websites dedicated to providing parents and teachers with teaching materials and curriculum have come to the surface. I still consider myself a homeschooling newbie, testing out the waters with my methods and sometimes am overwhelmed with the variety of options! I wasn't sure what would make The Old Schoolhouse's curriculum, Schoolhouseteachers.com stand out from the rest, but let me tell you, it does! It has qualities unique to what I've seen so far and I am excited to be able to add this to my curriculum. PRICE I was pleasently surprised that the cost of membership is only  $5.95 monthly. Your first month only costs $1!  FULL YEAR MEMBERSHIP      $49   (org $64.26) RESOURCES You are provided with UNLIMITED access to over 25 subjects ranging from Pre-K to High School. Wh...

Share the Bounty: Finding God's Grace Through the Spirit of Hospitality by Benita Long is a cookbook from the creators of Come to the Table . This is the first cookbook that I have reviewed on the blog and was looking forward to seeing how the author would incorporate the concept of hospitality in a cookbook. The Bible references to the concept of hospitality many times.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers... Hebrews 13:2 Be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled... Titus 1:8 An overseer must be above reproach, hospitable, able to teach...1 Timothy 3:2 What a neat concept of a book, I thought to myself, a book chock full of tasty recipes packed with Biblical references to hospitality. Well, when I first received the book I must say I was impressed with the photos and the recipes! Also, it is a hardcover and quite large, around 8"x10" I would say. A perfect size to add to your collection or a wonderful gift. The recipes are inviting.  "Fir...

Anyone else have their Christmas shopping done yet? I seriously can't believe that mine is done already and there are still two weeks before the big day! I usually am a last minute shopper, hitting up the stores the week before. I guess this year I was determined to chip away slowly at it throughout the year, so it wouldn't sneak up at me. Surprisingly enough I was the same way with Thanksgiving. I was bold enough to hold it at my house this year, and even though we only had one other family join us, there is still planning and preparation involved. I was sure to focus on menu planning and stocking up on what I needed so I wouldn't be running to the store everyday the week of thanksgiving. Yet, what I did forget, were the cute little holiday accessories. You know what I mean. The cute thanksgiving plates, the napkins etc. Well, the day before Thanksgiving arrives and so did a package at my door! In it were two full sized bottles of Dial Foaming Hand Soap .  For the C...

Small business owners! Did you know that you can find website hosting and  domains  from only $1.99 a year! Whether you have a site up and running and are not fully satisfied with the way it's been acting, or you've been looking to start up a new site, you can check out  DomainPromoCodes.com  for current codes to receive an ADDITIONAL discount! CURRENT ACTIVE CODES Yahoo domain for only $1.99! Use promo code: Save 50% off Yahoo Web Hosting for first 3 months: Save 35% on Yahoo merchant solutions: Get 1 month free of Local Visibility Pro when paid Quarterly: Some of the hosting services that are offered include GoDaddy.com, BigRock, PowWeb and ipage! I love coupon and promo codes! Who knew you could find promo codes for web hosting?! Awesome! For more yahoo small business promo codes visit  http://domainpromocodes.com/coupons/yahoo/  This is a paid post through payperpost.com