Summer Bucket List

When I saw The Happy Family Movement blog  issue a Summer Bucket List Challenge, I signed up immediately!  I love this idea!

Our family typically takes one vacation a year.  We save money each month for it (read about our budgeting here) and then plan accordingly.  Other than that, we don't go too many places.  I am NOT a field trip kind of mom. 

Add a move into our summer, and well, it has the makings of a boring summer.

The Summer Bucket List was just what we needed to help us be deliberate in the memory making business.

Of course, everyone had their own ideas (some of which did not make the list- no, Disney is not an option this year, CJ and R) but we finally got organized and put together our list for Summer 2013. Without further ado...

What about you?  What do you have scheduled for your summer?

Get busy making memories!

Blessings,

This post is linked to Amy, at Raising Arrows!

A Day in the Life of Four Kids

Yes, I have them all home...mostly!  One went to the grandparents for a few days (and had a blast) one is headed to the mountains for a few days on a mission trip on the Appalacian trail hiding in her room sick now and trying to keep up with three online classes,  and one seems to be living mostly in the the dance studio for practices... but technically they are ALL home.

Wanna see what we have been doing?




I'll show you!

Unpacking!



LOTS of hugging!

   

Lot of baking!

My bread maker is back!

Three online classes

Sewing business- Tee shirt quilt

Two more quilts done!

And of course, Nerf Wars

And the King of Nerf Wars!

The fun never stops!  And this momma's heart is happy!

Happy Friday, friends!

TOS Crew Review- Spanish for You

Do you teach a second language at your house?  Are you bilingual?  If not, then you may have found that teaching a second language can be a challenge.  We have found that the vocabulary part is pretty easy to pick up, but as for the mechanics and conversational part, well, that is another story.  The other thing we have found is that programs for the elementary age students are either filled with fluff or are hard for the "normal" non-Spanish speaking mom to use.  Until now!

Enter Spanish for You!, created by Debbie Annett, a Spanish teacher of 14 years.  Spanish for You! was written by Debbie and intended to teach children grades 3-8 Spanish in a simple and affordable manner.  And there is NO fluff.  Intended to be taught four days a week,  this program covers not only vocabulary, but the mechanics of grammar as well.   There are two themes available at this time, Fiestas and Estaciones, with a third theme coming soon.  Each one will cover a year, 24 to 32 weeks, depending on the grade you are using.  We were given the opportunity to review the complete program which has lesson plans for grades 3rd through 8th.


A quick and easy download of a few files will get you started.  Downloads include the lesson guides,  self checking worksheets, pictures and flashcards for each lesson and two audio files.  One audio is of Debbie reading each lesson, the other is that of a native speaker reading the lessons.  Also included was a softbound lesson book for your child to use.  Once we downloaded the material I printed off the lesson plans and bound them for easy reference.  While we had access to all the grade levels, we decided to print off only the grades 5-6 for our use.

Each week is broken into four days of scheduled activities.  Each day listed tells you exactly what to do...from reading a specific part of the lesson to listening to part of the audio, playing a game or using the flash cards.  Debbie has now divided the downloads up by grade levels so you can quickly access the files you need to listen to or the worksheets you need print out for the day.

*As a side note, the files we originally received were not divided up well.  With a few comments from our review crew about it being hard to find what we needed, Debbie divided up the files into grade levels.  Talk about listening to input.  It was only the beginning for me of being impressed with not only the program but the availability of the publisher.  Debbie is a dedicated educator who obviously believes in her product, and wants to present it in the best possible way.  For me, that knowledge makes the program even more special!

How we used it-
My son, a 5th grader, has been exposed to Spanish before.  His younger brother was born in Guatemala so we use many Spanish words and phrases in our home.  But this is the first time he has been formally introduced to the grammar part of the language.  I have to say that I was impressed.  He picked up on it quickly and was even able to do the worksheets without help from me.  One of the things that I think really helped his retention were the audio files.  I think that not only for the auditory leaner, but also for anyone, hearing the lessons after reading them helps solidify things in their minds.  We especially liked hearing the tracks with the native speaker.  We have learned in the past that just by hearing a native speaker say things helps you be less intimidated by the language.  It becomes more natural to your ear and, of course, ensures you are pronouncing things properly. 

I also like that the lessons are broken into manageable sizes.   We followed Debbie's four day schedule presented in the lesson plans.  Information is presented slowly and then repeated often with practice in the form of suggested games, worksheets and flashcards.  It is easy to follow and laid out in an organized manner.  Often Debbie starts a lesson with flashcard practice, but even when she did not, we found it to be a good way to start our lesson.  Let's just say that the fifth grader learns faster than the teacher sometimes!

Fiestas chapters cover the holidays of:

a birthday, 

Day of the Dead,

Carnival,

Holy Week in Spain,

and The April Fair.

Each chapter is meant to be done in order as the learning spirals on itself, but individual books can be done in any order.  Working with more than one grade of child?  Not a problem.  Because the complete set has lessons for all three levels (3rd&4th grade, 5th&6th, and 7th&8th) you can teach multiple levels at one time, having each child do the corresponding worksheets.  Bonus- We were able to include my 5year old in many of the lessons!  While he is still too young to do the worksheets, he picked up  the vocabulary quickly and is always ready to play a Spanish game.  He may not have understood all the conjugating of verbs, but he was able to at least know how to say something in first person.

I cannot wait to start him with this program on his own in 3rd grade and will continue to use it with my 5th grader until we are finished.  Then on to Estaciones!

You can see a sample of the Fiestas curriculum as well to help you get a feel for how the material is presented.  The first 14 pages of the book are "extras", including common phrases and commands, the alphabet, colors and numbers as well as information on making and using flash cards and games and other activities to use to enhance learning.  There is also an information section about each of the 5 celebrations studied.

To order Fiestas or any other products visit the Spanish for You! website.  The grades 3-8 package costs $64.95 and includes the soft cover book (or e-book), lesson plans, worksheets, audio file of the entire book, as well as the audio file by a native speaker and flashcard/activity pictures (pdf file).  Extra workbooks can be ordered for $12.95.  You can also order separate grade levels.  Also on the Spanish for You! website you will find free mini lessons and worksheets to print off.  Go take a look and see what you think.  You will not be disappointed!

Fun Friday- Saving Money in the Kitchen Finale and Giveaway!

Well friends, welcome back to the last installment of Saving Money in the Kitchen.  Here we go...

Dinner time!  What's on your menu?  Fast food, you say?  Honestly, we do not usually eat out just for the fun of it.  Usually the service isn't that great, the food is just OK, and for a family of six it is just plain expensive.  Nope, we usually are only tempted to eat out when mom does not know what is for dinner.  It is irritating, it is unhealthy and it is costly. 

But I struggle with menu planning.  Can anyone relate?  The planning part is not so bad really but the coming up with things to actually put on the plan, well, that is another story.  I waffle between feeling like I am boring my family to death to trying out long, fancy recipes that take a lot of time and they all turn their nose up in the end anyway.  So. Done. With. That!

I have a new solution!  You are going to love it!
I have just finished up my second round of cooking what someone else tells me to cook for a 13 week stretch.  I love it.  I just open the book and follow someone else's plans and recipes.  Easy!

My worn, well loved copy!

I have mentioned Rachel Master's cookbook, Supper's on the Table, Come Home before.  In this 253 page, spiral bound gem, Rachel gives you 13 weeks of 5 meals each with sides along with their recipes. To sweeten the deal she also adds a complete shopping list for each week- staples included!  AND to make it even better, a special dessert and one snack idea are included for each week with all the recipes AND ingredients list.  What else could you need?

It was written by a mom with kids for a mom with kids.  'Ya know what I mean?  None of that creame de 'la something, or fancy-smanshy, I cannot pronounce nor will my family ever eat recipes.  Just real life stuff, with real life ingredients.

These are good solid meal plans- a main dish, a veggie recommendation and often a bread of some sort or a fruit.  Did I already mention kid friendly?  I admit to having 3 out of 4 picky eaters.  I do not know how it happened, but yes, my kids are somewhat picky and opinionated about food.  Out of the 80 meals listed I only replaced about 5.  And they were pretty easy fixes.  Where split pea soup was listed, for example, I just changed it to pork loin. (sorry Rachel)  I simply marked out the ingredients for that meal on the shopping list and added my own.  Now when I shop, I copy the week's ingredients list, mark out all the things I already have on hand and go get the rest of what Rachel tells me I will need.

A no brainer.
And a life saver.

Could it get any better?
Well, actually it can!  Because at the end of the book are bonus recipes for everything from homemade mixes (we use the biscuit mix recipe all of the time) to holiday meal ideas and a even section on food allergies.

Why reinvent the wheel?
Actually, I did reinvent the wheel a little.  I admit the organizational side of me loves this concept, so I got out a notebook and the recipes I have that my family loves and made my own 13 week schedule, complete with shopping lists.  It is not nearly as well done as Rachel's, but it will do.  Now I do not have to menu plan for 26 weeks.  Yea me!

This cookbook makes a great gift for young people just starting out with cooking.  Because most recipes are not too labor intensive, it is an opportunity to learn how to ease into cooking.  Rachel gives start times for each portion of the meal, helping to get it all on the table at the same time.

Want one?  You can order a copy of Rachel's book, Supper's on the Table, Come Home from her website ~ for $15.00.

Or...

Rachel is going to bless one of my readers with their own copy for free!   Enter the rafflecopter below to win.  I know you will love it.  Thank you Rachel!

Looking for ways to save money?  Menu planning can be a great tool to keep you out of the grocery store too often, and keep you from those impulse items that end up costing us way too much.  Give it a try and see if it doesn't help!

Blessings,

This post is being linked up with Amy, At Raising Arrows!

This post in being link to Caroline at The Modest Mom!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- Opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by the publisher.  I did not receive compensation in any form for this review.  The cookbook offered is from the generous offer of Rachel!

TOS CREW Review- Papa's Pearls

We love family.  And we love story telling.  One of our kids' favorite things to do is get their grandparents to tell stories of our childhoods or of their own.  That was one of the reasons I was excited to review Papa's Pearls, a story written by Diane Flynn Keith retelling stories of her childhood and that of her father's.  Papa,  Carol Joseph Flynn, was born in 1922.  After a shady couple of years of gambling and hanging with the wrong crowd as a youth, Papa readjusted his thinking and turned his life into one of joy and integrity, focused on family.  The stories that Diane recounts are arranged into 17 short chapters, each bearing the title of a saying or sayings that she remembers her papa saying from her childhood.  Those familiar sayings shaped not only the people she and her siblings became, but also the generations that have followed.

Our thoughts-  Though written for adults, we decided to read this book out loud as part of our nightly family devotion time.  We love the idea that a family can learn from the older generations and we want our kids to learn to value and respect them.  The love and respect of this family for their "papa" is obvious and warmed my heart.  I want our kids to see that the older generation has much to pass on and is a group to be respected, not feared.  Many of the stories related are humorous and it was fun to laugh out loud together as we read.  The kids especially enjoyed a story about Papa becoming "contaminated" after some sewer work.  Often times the stories read led to a lively discussion afterwards of similar things that we have had happen to us or just general conversation about the phrase highlighted that Papa used.  Some of our favorite were-

Keep a Foxy Pocket.
I love you, you know that, right?
You don't kick someone when they're down, you give them a hand up.
 Be grateful every day!
 It's all about family.

The other thing that this book allowed us to do was talk about the history of another era.  From the Great Depression to World War Two we were able to share with the kids information that they may have heard in a history book, but will now better remember because it was presented in a more personal way.  Several things mentioned were new to some of the kids, like the Civilian Constitution Corps, and led us to look up and discuss those things.

A word of caution-
There were several instances where we felt that the subject matter discussed was not suitable for younger children.   While those situations were not glorified, tales of drinking and dating at a young age and birth control are not things we felt like our two younger boys needed to hear.  We passed over several of those stories.  In addition, there are a few instances of curse words that I wish she had left out, making it an easier multigenerational read.  Once or twice I felt like money was overemphasized by Papa, but let's face it, during the time he grew up and then was raising a family was a particularly hard time in history and money concerns were a central theme and worry.  Papa was Catholic, but his faith was emphasized in a respectful, non threatening way.  I do not think you would be offended if you are not Catholic- we were not.  It did allow us to talk about peoples' different beliefs.

Our Bottom Line-
I think you would enjoy many of the stories Diane shares in Papa's Pearls.  She has a knack at bringing a story to life and making you feel like you could just hear papa saying the words himself.  Despite a few instances that I wished we had read ahead of time to filter out more, I think it is a delightful read for older kids and adults.  Now that we are finished with it, I am excited to pass it on to my mom and grandmother to read.  I have a feeling that it will make them smile and bring back some fun memories.  Maybe some they will even share with us!

You can order an autographed copy of Papa's Pearls for $21.97.
Diane is also author of  Carschooling: Over 350 Entertaining Games & Activities To Turn Travel Time Into Learning Time, and coaches parents through her websites, writing, private consultations and speaking engagements.