Sports and Kids....and parents

Sports and homeschooling families can be a touchy subject. Either we've had bad experiences or would rather avoid them.

• Look for programs that are careful about who they pick to coach.
• Look for programs that expect parents to act maturely.
• Find out how much practice time is expected. Is there a mindset that sports come first before family?
• Find out if foul language will be tolerated from players and parents. Some programs just "do nothing."
• Ask around. Find out from your homeschooling friends if they can recommend a sports program.
• When you do sign-up for a program, be reliable and responsible. 

Here are two articles from a Christian counselor and homeschool mom that give great insight into this topic:

• Kid's Sports Should Be About the Kids
• Parent's Expectations and Youth Sports

Plan a field trip to break-up the monotony

January can be monotonous at times. Especially if you live in a cold climate. This is the time to break-up the monotony. One way to do that is to plan a field trip or two. Look for discounts!

• Zoos often offer free days in the winter because the animals aren't as active and they just don't get the attendance that they would in the summer. If a somewhat warm day (warm for January anyway) happens, drop everything and go to the zoo. Spontaneity can be fun!
• Museums are a warm way to get out of the house. 
• Snow Walk. A quick, fun and free get-a-way. Go for a snow walk around your neighborhood or a park.
• Cheese. Find a store that specializes in cheese and go cheese tasting.
• Hotel. Sometimes you can get a great deal at a local hotel that has a pool. Go swimming and bring some Hawaiian type food like pineapple chunks. If the room has a refrigerator, you can bring your own food and save money.

What's on your heart when it comes to food?

Whatever your thinking, it will show through to your family. Do you have too much worldliness when it comes to food and meals; "...it's ok God, I've got this one." We often tend to forget that God created food and with that we've downright forgotten why He created food.
I've started a new Hub.Something that's been on my heart for a while now. After much prayer and consideration, I've started a new channel centered around the Christian lifestyle. I've just completed my first article and would be honored if you read it and gave me your thoughts.
Food God-Designed for More than Sustenance...Click here....

Unschooling and Free-Schooling

I found a great article concerning unschooling and free-schooling that includes resources. It's written from a fellow homeschooler (not me). Click here to read the article.

Happy New Year! Time to think about buying curriculum?

Now may be the time to start thinking about next year's curriculum. If you are quite certain of a particular curriculum that you will indeed be using next September, and you are in a position where you MUST be a bargain hunter....now is the time to find great deals on used books. Often we wait until peak time to look for those used treasures only to end-up in a bidding war.
However, in contrast to what I'm saying, I must applaud www.christianbook.com for offering such a great discount on Apologia last August.
However, here are some sites where you may be able to find a great deal on used curriculum:

• http://market.hslda.org/auction/xcAuction.asp
• http://www.paperbackswap.com
• http://www.half.com
• Various sites managed by homeschooling families

Please feel free to list a site in the comments section to this post.

Happy New Year!

Shutterfly offers no limit on storage

Just FYI:
Shutterfly works with stores like CVS and more. Unlike Costco and Snapfish they offer storage without the need to purchase within a year. In other words, they won't delete your storage of pictures if you don't buy anything within a year's time frame. They don't have the photo editing capabilities of say picasa by Google but you can download your pictures, edit, send to Shutterfly, and then delete from your hard drive. You can also purchase external hard drives now too. But, for those who don't have the financial means to invest in more electronics, Shutterfly offers an alternative.
No Time:
I know as a single mom, I don't always have the time to scrapbook and my scrapbooking episodes are few and far between.
Old Computer:
I also have an old computer and don't want to use up space with a ton of pictures on my hard drive.
Kids and photography:
These on-line storage sites also allow my aspiring photographers to take lots and lots of pictures and then enter them in contests such as 4-H clubs and more, without filling-up the hard drive. They only have to be 13 to have their own site on Shutterfly.
NOTE: I do not work for Shutterfly and there may be more sites with these perks. I just stumbled upon this and thought I'd share.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Four Centuries of American Herbs

Patricia B. Mitchell has a series of books or rather, booklets that are quick and informative and very inexpensive. These handy books could make great gifts.
My favorite is Four Centuries of American Herbs. It's a great starter book with recipes that can help someone start with herbs...gardening and cooking. OR it's handy to just have in your kitchen.
Check out more with a book review:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6104684/four_centuries_of_american_herbs_by.html?cat=68