Thrift Schooling

Ohhh, THAT kind of business!  Well, it's true, isn't it?  From day one, we make sure we use only the softest baby wipes. Maybe you even bought those baby wipe warmers to keep from shocking the little guy with a cold wet wipe during diaper changing time! Or, you could have been as extreme as me, and actually MADE your own wipes so you knew every single ingredient that was touching your child's skin. Yeah, I did that. So why stop there? Yes, I'm frugal. I'm thrifty. But I cannot stand rough, thin toilet paper!! (Is that TMI??) It runs out crazy fast and even though it may cost only $1 a roll, it never lasts!  When I told my kids that we would be using Charmin, immediately the picture of the bear family popped into their heads and they said, "that's supposed to be really soft!" Those Internet commercials must have had an effect on them because I never thought they would be so excited over toilet paper! Since I'm the one ...

 Why not say "I Love You" with a pillow this Valentine's Day? This unique and creative gift idea is sure to produce a smile on that special someone's face! I just ordered mine and can't wait to share it with you when it arrives in the mail. I wanted to be sure to share this deal with you NOW so you can be sure to have yours ordered just in time for the special day! And, for a Limited Time you can purchase your customized pillow for only $35 (Reg. $53.99). I wanted to be sure to share this awesome deal with you before you miss it! I had a blast creating my pillow online because Collage.com makes it easy to upload and format your pics quickly and creatively. There are so many background colors and designs to choose from for the actual pillow itself, (I personally like the vintage prints). Even though it is Valentine's Day you don't have to have your pictures placed into the shape of a heart, there are piles of shapes to choose from! I'll be ...

Every parent knows how hard and time consuming it is to raise kids. Getting toddlers to perform  very basic tasks can be a nightmare. Every day brings a never ending battle to get a little older  children to finish their food, pick up their toys, or keep the noise levels down. In the midst of all this,  teaching kids about money takes a distant back seat in most homes.  Many parents never even try to teach their kids about money. This is because managing money  is tough enough for most adults, most of whom have to learn the hard way. However, there are  simple ways to get kids to understand the value of money from a young age. Here Are Some Tips on How to Raise Money-Conscious Children:  Explain Money It is easy to assume that kids understand money, but they actually do not. Parents should explain what money is, where it comes from, and where it goes when you spend it. This will give them a basic in...

Thanks so much to everyone who voted for me in  The Homeschool Blog Awards because  Thrift Schooling Won !  That's right,  I won in the Best Thrifty Homeschool Blog category! There were 20 categories and I'm excited to check out the other winning blogs and see what they are about. One blog that I follow won as well, finchnwren. I love when their posts come to my inbox, a fun blog to follow! If you are looking for some NEW blogs to follow, NOW is the time, head over to the winner's page and get to following! Thanks again for supporting Thrift Schooling!

Authority in Prayer: Praying With Power and Purpose  by Dutch Sheets is a treasure that will be staying on my bookshelf right next to Intercessory Prayer! It's one of those books packed full of Biblical teaching and faith boosting testimonies that you will want to keep on hand as a reference book for just the right time! And I believe that now is the time. What perfect timing to re-release this book. Even though we have some time before the next presidential elections, I've really been pressed to begin praying, NOW! Sheets shares some powerful testimonies regarding praying for previous presidential elections and how God prevailed. This book is sure to boost the faith of young and seasoned intercessors alike, encouraging them to remember their place as watchmen on the wall and get praying! For those of you that may be unfamiliar with Dutch Sheets you would probably want to know before reading this book that he is of the pentecostal mindset, so many terms used in this book c...

The King James Version Note-Taker's Bible is a large hardcover Bible with plenty of margin provided to take notes! You know, there is just something about that old raggedy Bible that has been with you through the ages. Personally, mine is a leather bound one that I have had for over fifteen years! It's highlighted, marked up, notes throughout the tiny margins and I'm pretty sure it's missing some pages. That Bible has been with me everywhere! Through Bible College, on the mission field, for the first nine years of my marriage and three kids! Even though I adore that Bible and it holds some precious memories, it is not the Bible itself that in reality that has helped me through but the power of the Word itself, the God of the Bible. So, with that said, I have decided to retire my old leather bound Bible and start fresh and anew with the KJV Note-Taker's Bible. It's weird opening up a fresh new Bible with no highlighted verses or notes on the side but the...

The Identical   starring Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, and Blake Rayne is a redemptive movie about a young man, the son of a preacher, who rejects his father’s desire for him to join the ministry and instead embarks on a career as a rock singer. As he struggles to pursue his dream and rise to stardom, he finds love, pain, success, failure and ultimately uncovers a hidden family secret that reveals who he really is. Isn't it hilarious that I reviewed a movie like this? If you know me personally then your jaw has probably dropped to the floor. Okay. You can pick it up now! Listen, I will say this, I do have a very strong opinion about rock music and whether I think anybody is ever led by God to pursue it as a career. Because quite frankly, I don't. With that said, I went into watching this movie thinking the storyline was going to be completely different. I don't want to ruin the ending for you so I won't go into details but I will say this movie was not wh...

The Adventure Bible has now developed these lovely I CAN READ readers geared towards new and emerging reading children! There certainly are an abundance of readers at the library that my children can use to practice their new found reading skills but I prefer stories that are Biblically based. A Father's Love by David Miles is a wonderful version of the story of the prodigal son. My third grader was able to read this level 2 book with ease to his younger siblings. My first grader was the most engaged in the story. One thing that my children are good at are comparing stories to what the Bible actually says. After reading this book we had to go and read the actual Bible reference because my boys had so many questions. "I don't remember a famine," my one son said and we looked it up and sure enough there was a famine in the land when the son was forced to eat with pigs.  "I thought the dad killed an animal for the feast!" said my other son. This part was...

WORD of 2015 Worship Worship. A word that I have been wrestling with this past year in reference to the worship of God. What does it mean? What does it look? What does the Lord require and desire when it comes to worship? My hope for 2015 is to develop a deeper understanding of Biblical worship as it relates to the Lord. The dictionary's definition of the verb worship is; to show reverence and adoration for a deity. According to Strong's Concordance, the Hebrew word shachah that means worship in the Bible is literally translated as " to bow down, " (Gen. 24:48, Gen. 27:29). One Greek word for worship, found sixty times in the New Testament, is proskuneo and literally means, " to kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior ." Wow. Is this what I signed up for when I became a Christian? To kiss the ground while lying down before a superior! Actually, at the time it didn't seem so bad. The experience I had fifteen years ago wh...

 The Winter Edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is out with piles of encouraging and inspiring articles! Hear from Heidi St. John and Todd the Family Man (two personal favs of mine!) Check out the product review section and hear what Crew members thought of the homeschool materials they have been working with lately! And, while you are there, be sure to read my article entitled The Thrifty Schoolroom  encouraging homeschool parents to stay within their budget while providing a memorable and foundational space for learning and growth! The Thrifty Schoolroom by Heather Vogler For those of you not familar with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine  I'll fill you in! It's a FREE homeschool e-zine with a print issue available once a year. FREE apps are available on the site so you can download and view each issue as they are released on your iPad, e-reader or other device. You also can simply read as a PDF online if you want. I personally favor the app because in ad...