Joyful Creations at Home

Our School House

2012-08-31T08:24:00.001-05:00

I said I would post about where we school weeks ago! How the time flies when you are back in the throws of homeschool! Well, better late then never
Our school is sprinkled throughout our entire house. I guess our family room would be as good a place to start as any.

Wow! These need some organizing! Here is where is I keep supplies, manipulative pieces, puzzles, activity bags, etc., etc. You know…all the “stuff” that helps them learn without them knowing it.

Ahhh… That’s better! Now each shelf has a category like craft supplies, or games and puzzles. This way I know where to go to find it and more importantly the grits know where to put it back when they are done!
***I have my little brother labeler and use it to label what I can. But, my favorite way to label all those shoe boxes with supplies in them is so simple. Those are just 3x5 cards cut in half and written on with Sharpie. The cards cover the front and make it all look very uniform. Very low tech…very effective.***

Every good preschool needs a play kitchen. I got this one for a steal at a yard sale this summer. Baby Grit really loves it.

This is the view from the doorway. This room is part school room, part family room, and part office. (In it’s former life it was a garage. I had no idea I would be home schooling when we closed it in, but I am so glad we did!)

Here is a better view of the Family Room portion of the room.
See our beautiful new (to us) piano! It was passed down to us from family! Dancing Grit started piano last year and loves it. She was going to the neighbor’s to practice every day…which was such a blessing. But, we have been praying for our very own piano. Now practice will take place right here. I am looking forward to having a house full of music!
We also do book basket, devotion, read aloud, and any other school we can gathered in this space. I also love to throw in educational videos and TV shows. So much more then a Family Room!

I carved out this little the office space behind the couch on the other side of the room. Can you tell from the picture that it is off to the right when you enter the room? This little space houses my desk, printer, and more school books and supplies.

My desk. This is a working space. I wanted you to see it that way. I didn’t put anything away or make it look all neat. This is my hub. This is where lesson plans are made, meals are planned, worksheets are printed and copied, games are laminated, and current curriculum is kept. I also run my house from this desk! See the coupon box and the soap pump I have to call about? Like I said…this is a working space!

This is where I keep any paper the grits might need. I put scrap paper in the top for random drawing. Then there is lined filler paper, construction paper and cardstock. I keep my computer paper under my printer above.

This shelf holds more school. This is where the grits keep their school boxes. (the plastic dishpans you see) Each grit keeps all their independent work in these along with pens, pencils, crayons, markers, art pencils and any other supplies they need on a daily basis. I also keep their binders, file folder games, and art supplies on this shelf right now.

These drawers are on the other side of the shelves. We call these drawers our “done boxes”. Anything they want to save, but I don’t want in their binders goes in these boxes. I have been using this system since Dancing Grit was in Kindergarten and I love it! It was so helpful when they were little and coming home from everything with a picture or craft? Everything went straight into the done box. What about the myriad of things they draw and doodle? Put it in the done box? VBS, Sunday School, Mother’s Day Out? They were able to put it in their done boxes themselves. Then, at the end of the school year, we go through it and decide what they love enough to keep. I have the keepers in bags and boxes in the attic. When they get homes of their own guess what is going with them? You got it! Their done boxes.

When you leave the family room this is what you will see. This also happens to be what you see when you enter our front door. (Except for the sewing machine...it is usually in a closet) But, yes..there is a pool table in the front room of my house. Hubbies and their toys. This room does house most of our books, too.

You know you are a homeschooler when… you have more bookshelves than children.
We are definitely homeschoolers!

Then we head into the dining room. This is where we do the majority of our school. We used to have a big table in the family room. We really like using the dining table much better. They just carry their school bins in every day. They pile it all back in the bins and put them away at the end of the day. This room is decorated simply and has a minimal amount of “stuff”. I believe they work better in here because they are less distracted by visual clutter.

I love using this room because of the location, location, location! It sits between my bedroom, the laundry room, the kitchen and the front door. I can wash dishes while testing a memory verse, or change out the laundry while someone works on a math problem. I am able to work on dinner, fold laundry or whatever I need. All while being close enough to help when they need me.

I just added this cabinet to the corner of the dining room. It is working really well. I have put things we use on a daily basis in here. Our Math U See blocks and DVDs, All About Spelling Cards, and few other things are in here. I like having them close at hand.

But, I also like being able to hide it all away at then end of the day.

The longer I homeschool the better I become at hiding things. I look for things with lids that you can not see through. I found this at a yard sale a few years ago.

It is a great place to keep art bags handy but hidden.

I inherited this basket and plan to use it for all of our MFW book basket books.
Well, there it is. That is our school house. We don’t have a huge space, but we make the most of it!
What do you think? Any ideas or tips for me? I’d love to hear them! Just leave them in the comments.
Have a Blessed Day!
~Joyce

Ready, Set, Go! (and curricula choices)

2012-08-05T15:15:00.001-05:00

Hi, there! After a very extended, very needed break from the blog....we are actually ready to start school on schedule! Whoohoo! I feel (mostly) prepared enough and (mostly) organized enough to go ahead and get started. Usually at this point I am giving myself on more week to get it together. Not this year!
After 5 years of homeschooling I have finally got it together… mostly.
Actually we have already started…sort of. I decided that it might be a good idea to spend a week or so easing back into school by doing seat work and core subjects before we added My Father’s World. It has worked great. We have spent the last week concentrating on getting back into the rhythm of things by doing only our seat work subjects. (Math, Language, Writing, etc.) Going back to school was much less overwhelming this way.
We will add the rest of our schedule gradually over the next two weeks.
I am planning on starting My Father’s World Creation to Greeks tomorrow. This is our history, science and Bible. There are also elements of reading and writing throughout the program. We do this together and they each work at their own level.
Here is what each grit will be doing on her own…
Dancing Grit (10 years old)

Math U See (Delta-Epsilon)
Math Fact Flashcards
All About Spelling (I am switching from Spelling Power for a while. I started AAS with my other two last year and love it. I feel like it will benefit my oldest to breeze through the lower levels, get all the rules firmly under her belt, ad then settle on a level more her speed. When we finish all 7 levels I plan on switching back to Spelling Power.)
Intermediate Language Lessons
Writing Strands (Level 3)
A Reason for Handwriting (cursive-she just uses this for copy work)
God and Art (This is part of My Father’s World Creation to Greeks, but I am only having her do it this year.)
I Can Do All Things (We skipped this when it was assigned earlier in MFW. I made each grit a workbook in a Poly Binder to work through this year. Since she is doing two art programs this year she will be allowed to work more leisurely on this one.)
Extra Curricular: Piano (second year), Ballet III, AWANA

Sporty Grit (8 years old)

All About Spelling (level 2)
All About Reading (level 2 when it comes out. This curriculum has been a life saver for us!)
Primary Language Lessons (I will try to add this after we get through with AAR level 2)
Click N Read (for review and supplementing)
Math U See (Beta-Gamma)
Cursive First (as a review)
I Can Do All Things
Flash Cards and Manipulative (as needed)
Extra Curricular: Piano (first year), Acrobatics II, AWANA

Goofy Grit (7 years old)

All About Reading (level 1-we are actually almost done. this was more of a review over the summer. We’ll move into level 2 as soon as her sister is done with it)
All About Spelling (level 1)
Math U See (Alpha-Beta)
Cursive First
I Can Do All Things
Flash Cards, Manipulative (as needed)
Extra Curricular: Ballet II, AWANA

Baby Grit (3 1/2 years old)

My Father’s World From A to Z (I am only going to do the things I think she is ready for)
Activity Bags
Manipulative and fun!

I read something over at Holy Spirit Homeschooling that I loved. She describes their school as “natural paced.” I think that is a perfect way to describe the way we school. I meet them where they are, with the curriculum I think will work, and we go from there. We slow down or speed up when it is necessary. We switch it up when we have to, and I try to remember that eventually we will get it all in.

Hope everyone else is getting excited and gearing up for the new school year, too.

Home School or Public School!

2012-2013 HERE WE COME!

Have any questions about specific curricula we are using? Post it in the comments and I will be sure to answer. Have some advice for me? Post that, too! I would love to know anything you think could help me out!
I will be sharing our school house this week, too! Notice I said house and not room? We home school. We use our entire home! Hope you'll come back and check it out!
Have a blessed day!
~Joyce~

Free How We Got the Bible eChart

2012-05-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

Rose Publishing id offering this FREE How We Got the Bible eChart. I am thinking it might go well with our My Father's Word Curriculum!

Free Subscription to In Touch Magazine

2012-05-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

Go here and request your free subscription to In Touch Magazine. This offer came to my inbox from Cross Cards. I thought I'd share it here. This is my first time doing an offer like this from them, so I can't vouch for it. But, I am thinking it is worth a try:)

CurrClick Freebie of the Week

2012-05-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

Declaration of Independence Game

Free Armor of God Chart

2012-05-12T10:22:00.002-05:00

I thought this Free printable Armor of God Chart might come in handy.

5 Disciplines~ Week 2- Time Management

2012-04-17T07:14:00.002-05:00

Week 1 Update:
My goals for the Week 1~Body:
1. Stick with the Body Type Diet- So far so good. I have cut out caffeine and sugar completely! Praising God for the strength to do it!
2. Drink water all day long- I am doing this by keeping a red metal water bottle with me at all times. Dr. A says it is better to drink room temp water because cold water slows the digestion of food. So, even though that sounds gross, it has made it so much easier to keep the water with me all day. And once you are used to it, it is really not bad:)
3. Walk briskly 20 minutes 4 days a week- So far so good. Looks like my schedule is going to be M,Th, Fri, and Sat.
4. Add strength training exercises- I am using SparkPeople.com. They have a fitness tracker that will make up the routines for you and plan them out on the days you tell them to.

Week 1 has gone great! I am very encouraged to keep it up!

Week 2~ Time Management

Courtney challenges us to "create a rhythm in our homes to accomplish the mundane, so we are free to enjoy fun, family and fellowship!" So perfectly put! I have been working on time management for a while, and have really got a good rhythm going for our family right now.

My Goal this week~ One thing I don't always do, though, is pray over my schedule and let God make changes where He wants them. So, I am challenging myself to pray each day over the things on my To Do List and try to hear where God is telling me to move things around or eliminate them all together.

I thought this might be a good time to share how we get the mundane tasks done around here. We have tried lots of different schedules and chore systems. And like everything else they work for a while and then need some tweaking. I used to try to do a little each day, but that just does not work for me. It is hard for me to focus on school when I know I have housework that needs to be done and vice versa. For me doing most of the major cleaning on one day works. It might not for you. Every household is different and you will need to experiment with different schedules to find the one that works for your family. This is just to give you some ideas.

~Monday~

Grits: Laundry (we try to empty out all the hampers, fold and put it all away)

Mommy: Desk work (phone calls, paperwork, menu plan, couponing, etc.)

~Tuesday~

Clean House:

Mommy: Kitchen, Bathrooms, Dust High Places
Food Prep for the week and baking
Make of Errands for the Week

Daddy: Vacuum

Dancing Grit (10): Dust Bedroom, Change Sheets, Wipe Kitchen Cabinets, Clean Glass on Doors and Screens, Dust Low Places in LR, MB, Game Room

Sporty Grit (8): Dust Bedroom, Change Sheets, Sweep and Mop Floors, Dust Dining Room

Goofy Grit (7): Dust Bedroom, Change Sheets, Empty Trash in All Rooms, Dust Low Places in LR, MB, Game Room

~Wednesday~

Errands and Grocery Shopping

Appointments

~Thursday~

Spot Clean House

Cut and Organize Coupons

~Friday~

Start Add Matching and Making Grocery Lists

Check To Do Folder

Online Projects (I work on this at night while the grits watch a movie)

~Saturday~

Shopping

Food Prep (anything I can make ahead on time....it really saves me during the week)

~Sunday~

Family Rest Time - (I am trying really hard to not work at all on Sundays and truly rest. We have stopped doing any kind of shopping or eating out, too.

Have a Blessed Day!

~Joyce

Game of Graces from Pastimes from Past Times Review and Giveaway!!!

2012-04-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

I want you to read the profile from this great Etsy shop…

“Pastimes From Past Times is a small home business run by the "copleykidz": Elizabeth, Sara, Rebecca and Andrew. We got interested in ancient games after learning about our Roman game, Legionary, in our home school. We loved playing it so much that one day we said, "Hey,this game would be fun to make and sell!" While researching it, we ran across other interesting games that we also developed. When we are not working together, we enjoy outdoor recreation, history, reading books, watching good movies, and of course playing games! We love bringing back historic games and pastimes and hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!”

Isn’t that great! An Etsy shop run by home-schoolers who are using their interest and knowledge to grow a home business. I just love it!

We were sent this neat game from Pastimes from Past Times. The Game of Graces was invented in France in the 19th Century during the Victorian Era. Young ladies played this graceful game with just two sticks and a hoop. The grits have had a ball trying to master this game. It has definitely sparked their interest in games from the past and brought a little piece of history to life for them.

How to play: Two players stand a few paces apart. Use the sticks to throw the ring back and forth. After each toss back up one more step. See how far apart you can get before the hoop touches the ground.

Sets include: 4 Sticks, 1 Hoop, Instruction Booklet, Carrying Bag, and 3 strands of ribbon to decorate your hoop with.

These are available at Pastimes from Past Times for $8.00 plus shipping!

Or…you can win one here!

Just enter on the widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 Weeks 5 Disciplines Challenge

2012-04-11T06:04:00.004-05:00

I have found yet another bloggy challenge I feel God is leading me to take. Sharing these challenges with others does wonders for my accountability and resolve to stick with it. I am excited to be doing this one with Courtney over at Women Living Well. It seems to be exactly the area I am struggling with...taking care of me. Which is oh so important when it comes to taking care of my family. That little saying..."If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"...they are not lying. If I am not rested, healthy and at my best what will I really have to give my family? And what about God? What is left for Him if I am overweight, tired and irritable all the time? Courtney does a great job in this post sharing how getting fit and being healthy is an act of spiritual discipline.

The first part of the challenge is taking care of our bodies. Courtney only asks us to name one habit, but I have been floundering with a few for the last few months. I have been half in with most of them and have decided here and now is the time to give it all I have.

Here are the Body Disciplines I will be working on in the next 5 weeks:
1. Stick with Dr. Abravanel's Body Type Diet (I think this is the key to my cravings...hallelujah!)
2. Drink Water All Day Long
3. Walk (briskly) for 20 minutes 4 days a week
4. Add Strength Training Exercises 3 days a week (I would love some ideas on this one, I have yet to find a program that I like well enough to stick with)

I would love some company on this challenge!
I find that email groups work the best for me. If you are interested in doing this together, shoot me and email at joyfulcreations2(at)yahoo(dot)come.

~Joyce

Triple Action Purex UltraPacks Review

2012-03-24T20:04:00.001-05:00

As a Purex Insider, I was given the chance to try out the new Purex UltraPacks laundry detergent. These really do make laundry simple!

These little packs of liquid laundry detergent are super convenient! My grits do most of the laundry. It is the oldest’s job to load the washer. Dancing Grit loved these UltraPacks. She usually has to come to me and let me help her measure the laundry detergent. She loved being able to just grab one of these and toss it into the washer. I loved it because the our clothes came out great!

*Purex provided a free sample of their UltraPacks laundry detergent so I could write a review. All opinions expressed here are mine.

Moments to Remember: Fun Field Trip to Tuskegee

2012-03-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

We took a day a few months ago and went to a few museums in Tuskegee, Alabama. We had a great day and learned a lot in the process! We visited the Airmen Museum the very day the new movie opened. From what I understand they had added a bunch of new exhibits because of it. We were very impressed with all there was to do and see there. We also visited the George Washington Carver Museum and the home of Book T. Washington. Both were wonderful! At the end the kids received their Junior Ranger Badges for completing their workbooks and saying the Junior Ranger Pledge. It was really cool!

This is How I Do It: Menu Planning

2012-03-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

Menu Planning has brought so much peace to my home. There is something so calming about knowing what you plan on eating for the day, and that you have what you need to prepare it all. But, it took a little time to get into the habit of doing it ~~every~~ most weeks. For me it’s all about making things habit. If I do them every week at the same time each week I will eventually do them without much thought or effort.
I have come up with a little system that works really well for me. And while I know everyone has to find the system that works for them, I thought I’d share what I do in case it may give any of you some inspiration or ideas to improve your menu planning routine.
I base my Menu Plan on what is currently on sale, or what we have in the freezer, fridge, and pantry that I bought on sale. At first it was a little overwhelming trying to juggle the ad matches from the blogs, recipes and meal planning. A little time, patience, and consistency have paid off though. Here’s is how I do it…
1. Make your Ad Matching Lists- I visit Southern Savers once a week for each store I shop at. She posts the drugstores and Kroger on Saturday,Target and Wal-mart on Monday, and Publix on Tuesday night. I make my main grocery lists, print them out and gather whatever coupons I need.
2. Plan Your Menu Around the Sales and What You Have On Hand- Then, I sit down with my recipe books, my shopping lists, and laptop to plan my menu for the week. I refer to my shopping lists and what I know is in my pantry to decide what to fix. I usually sit in the kitchen so I can open the pantry or freezer to see what I have to work with. I do this on Sundays. I use my new Kroger list and plan around what I bought at the other stores the previous week. I shop on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Most of what I plan around is already in the house. The things I buy in the upcoming week will be used in the next weeks’ menu. This works because of what I explain in #3.
3. Stick to Some Basic Recipes- If you follow my Menu Plan here at JCAH you know I make pretty much the same things each week with an occasional new recipe sprinkled in. This works for us. We like our favorites and look forward to eating them each week. It also simplifies my menu planning and grocery shopping. And it keep the budget lower because I know what to stock up on when it is a rock bottom price.
4. Add Any Other Needed Items to Your Lists- The last thing I do is add any ingredients or staples I need to complete any of my recipes of meals.
5. Extras- If it is not on sale we don’t buy it. There are always plenty of snack foods on sale to choose from. I basically have the same policy for fresh fruits and veggies. Usually, the produce on sale is what is in season anyway, and much tastier because of it. I am actually able to keep more of what the grits love by only buying it when it is on sale and stocking up. And with the money I save I am able to treat them to an occasional high price item (when it is on sale with a coupon) that I would not have been able to afford in the past.
Hope that all make sense! If you have any questions just leave them in the comments section and I’ll be sure to respond as quickly as possible.

Kids and Allowance

2012-03-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

I just read this article on Cozi about kids and an allowance. While I don’t agree with paying kids just to breathe, the article got me thinking. I think it can be a great motivator to reward chores in the beginning. But, we no longer pay for any chores. We all live here and it all needs to get done. They are responsible for helping. End of story.

But, I do see the wisdom in giving them control of a certain amount of money. I wish I had been taught more about managing money when I was young. I also think it would make them think a lot harder about the next sweater or toy they just have to have if it is their own money they are spending. Here is what I am thinking… I already spend little amounts on them here and there because I am a gift giver. I love to give them stuff. I also have a small monthly budget for clothes. So, why not give them each a little money every month out of that budget that they are allowed to manage? This way they can decide if they want that dress they are in love with now or if they want to save up for the adorable boots later. Or, they can decide to wear the hand-me downs in their closet and buy something else with the money. I would still cover the necessary items like every day clothes, undies and socks. And the occasional special outfit, But, all those things I am not prepared to purchase…they would have to make.

I am thinking using their age would be a great dollar amount to give each month. I think the older ones deserve more because I expect more out of them. That would mean…

Dancing Grit $10
Sporty Grit $8
Goofy Grit $7
Baby Grit…nothing yet. In my opinion she is still too little for this kind of life lesson.

That is only $25 a month. That is a $6.25 a week to teach responsibility with money and spending.

What Do You think? I would love to hear what you like/dislike about these ideas. Or, tell me how you do allowance or money in your house.

Menu Plan Monday (with Clean Eating Recipe links)

2012-03-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Almost this whole Menu Plan is a repeat of last weeks’. Somehow we end up not sticking to the plan and eating different things. Either Mr. Steady cooks, or we change it up last minute. I have had to learn to be flexible to match my hubby’s personality. He likes to decide if he is going to cook the day of. That kinda kills the meal plan. But, it’s okay. If he is cooking…I am not complaining! I am just learning to have a back up plan ready. The result is a lot of meal plans that looks the same because we never actually ate what was on there and I still have the ingredients.
I am excited to start transitioning to eating clean. Don’t know what that is? Read my clean eating post to see what I know about itso far. The rest we can learn together.
Breakfasts

Waffles
Clean Eating Biscuits
Scrambles Eggs
Grits
Oatmeal
Clean Eating Banana Muffins

Lunches

Leftovers- since we are transitioning to clean eating I am going to depend heavily on leftovers for lunches until I get into a good routine. Then I will clean up our lunch favorites, too.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Annie’s
Salad with Chick Peas, Black Beans, and Clean Eating Vinaigrette

Snacks

Clean Eating Granola
Clean Eating PB Cookies
Grapefruit
Pineapple Slices
Home-made Potato Chips
Fresh Fruits and Veggies on sale

Dinners

Clean Eating Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken
White Chicken Chili-this is not clean. I am just trying to use up a few things in my pantry.
Spaghetti and Sauce
Lentil Tacos
Clean Eating Whole Roasted Chicken
Clean Eating Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Chicken (I am loving the idea of being able to put frozen chicken in the crockpot! So many time I forget to thaw or soak what I intended to cook. This will be a great back up recipe!)

Cooking Ahead
I have started making whatever I can ahead of time. It gives me a great head start on the week, and saves me a ton of time and energy when there is so little to spare because of school. It usually happens on Sunday afternoons. Here is what I plan on doing this week…

Cook up dried black beans and pinto beans for the freezer.
Bake Chicken Breasts for White Chicken Chili
Cut up grapefruit
Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Make Biscuits
Make Vinaigrette
Make Ranch Dressing

Weekly Goals

2012-03-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Spiritual / Ministry

1. Plan at least one service project for me and the grits for next month.

2. Keep up with my Good Morning Girls Bible Study, Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Parent.

Marriage

3. Flex with Mr. Steady’s off days and his plans for them

Personal

4. Work habit of the month: Drink more water (I have got to get these habits in place!)

5. Set up an exercise schedule that includes friends and kids.

Home-management

6. Rearrange linen closet. (I might be turning this into my craft closet.

7. Try out new cleaning and maintenance schedule.

Home School

8. Field Trip to Auburn University AG Department

9. Try out a track results of new schedule.

Blog

10. Get reviews done…finally.

Free Earthworm! Mini Science Project

2012-03-09T09:21:00.002-06:00

Visit CurrClick and download this fun free unit Study.

Go here Earthworm! Mini Science Project for the free download!

Dancing Grit and Sporty Grit sharing the gospel...

2012-02-29T09:43:00.001-06:00

with their baby sister. Dancing Grit has started doing a little devotion Bible with Baby Grit in the mornings. Here was the convo this morning...

Dancing Grit: "We love God because He loved us by sending Jesus for us. When we do something wrong He takes it away."

Sporty Grit: "Like when you hit, Jesus takes that away for you."

Dancing Grit: "Want to ask Jesus to forgive you for hitting?"

Then, they prayed.

My heart is overflowing!

Have you ever heard of “clean” eating?

2012-02-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across this term last weekend and I like it. What is clean eating? I am still learning exactly what it means to eat clean. What I gather so far is that it is cutting out processed foods, preservatives and additives. It is eating whole foods prepared from scratch at home. This is exactly how I have been working toward eating and cooking in my home. I just didn’t know what it was called.

I also stumbled upon a great blog devoted to clean eating a clean eating recipes. Tiffany at The Gracious Pantry has got my number. Her clean recipes look delicious yet simple enough for a beginner. Most of the ingredients are things that I already have on hand or I buy pretty regularly anyway. I think I can start to eat really clean without breaking the budget with Tiffany's recipes!

Do you already eat clean? I‘d love to hear about it!

House 8810 Giveaway!! Winner Announcement

2012-02-14T07:22:00.001-06:00

***UPDATE***
Congratulations Kimberely! You have been sent an email! Thanks to all who entered!

House 8810 is a very cute online shop. They sell lots of great unique things for the home and family.

You can read my review of House 8810.

You can find this cute little book and more fun stuff at House8810.com.

They have offered to give one book to a JCAH reader!

Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Goals for the Week

2012-02-13T11:55:00.000-06:00

Last weeks goals...
SPIRITUAL / MINISTRY
1. ~~Keep up with GMG group and study~~
2. ~~Find small ways to help people on a daily basis~~ (I didn't exactly do this every day, but I found a way to help someone. I am not giving details bc I think it takes away from the deed:)
MARRIAGE
3. Make one out-of-the-house-date happen a month (Nope...didn't happen:(
PERSONAL
4. ~~Work on Habit for the Month: Drink More Water~~ (I did real good at the beginning of the week)
5. ~~Get Facial and Pedi (My adopted mom does this for free....I know I am so blessed!)~~ (She didn't have time for my toes, but she did my facial)
HOME-MANAGEMENT
6.~~Finish full fledged budget~~
7. ~~Price and deliver items to local consignment sale~~ (Have a little left to do)
HOME SCHOOL
8. ~~Add Valentine's to our week~~ ( We have been one party and have another one today)
9. ~~Look for new Phonics program for Emily~~ (Started her back on her Funnix Reading-she likes to work on the computer)
BLOG
10. Write Purex Packet review

This weeks goals...

Spiritual / Ministry
1.Keep up Good Morning Girls Bible Study and Power of a Praying Wife
2. Start 123 Awesome Bible Prayer
3. Continue to look for ways I can be helpful to others

Marriage
4..In-home Date Night
Personal
5. Habit of the month: Drink more water
Home-Management
6. Continue to work on consignment items
7. Clean out shed and look for more items to consign
8. Revamp our cleaning schedule and put it into action

Home School
9. African Celebration

Blog
10. Write up Purex Packet and Fierce Beauty reviews

Are you making goals? How is it going?
Have a Blessed Day!
Joyce

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: Weather Felt Set by Dani Jo Designs

2012-02-09T07:52:00.000-06:00

***UPDATE***

The winner is Jan M. Check out the Rafflcopter Widget to see her entry! Thanks so much to all who entered!

We love felt pieces around here. We use them for school and just for general play, too. They are a great way to add some hands on learning fun!

Dani Jo Designs at Etsy has some great felt sets!

Here are some of my favorites....

We were sent this fantastic Weather Felt Set to review.

The Review

They are adorable, obviously. But, what I can not get over is how well made they are! They are made with a double layer of felt to make them nice and thick...and durable! We always do a unit study on winter weather to go along with our Snowflake celebration in January. You can read about it here and here. These weather pieces were the perfect addition!
Here are the little ones enjoying some free play after we talked about the clouds and the rain and the snow.

The Giveaway

Dani Jo Designs is giving one of my readers a $15 credit and free shipping (on any item under $50)

*Dani Jo Designs provided complimentary items for this review. We were not compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% my own.

ENTER BELOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you have hope?

2012-02-08T07:58:00.000-06:00

Do you have hope? I do. But, I remember when I didn't. Ephesians 2:12 says "remember that at a time you were separate from Christ...without hope and without God in the world."
I remember when I felt like that. No matter what I did I could not fill the emptiness and hopelessness I felt. As I am reading Ephesians this week, I am reminded of those days.

And then I read Ephesians 2:13-14. " But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He himself is peace..."

Oh, how far away I was! And then He brought me near. Jesus did all the work! All I had to do was accept His free and perfect gift. Notice I did not say I had to be perfect? I just had to accept the perfect gift of peace and hope from the only one who can truly give it...Jesus.

Deuteronomy 4:29 says...
"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him and the hope and peace He so freely gives. What does that mean? How do you do that? It is much simpler then it seems. Open His word, the Bible, and read. Pray and ask Him to show you how to seek Him. Just seek Him and He will show you the way!

If I can pray for you, please let me know. You can leave me a comment or send an email.

Have a blessed day!

Joyce

10 Goals for the Week

2012-02-06T06:48:00.003-06:00

Making these 10 goals each week is making a gigantic difference in my life! Even though I only get about half of them done, they still help me to know what I am focusing on for the week. And they show me that I really am accomplishing things! If you have not tried this yet, you really should. You can download the customizable worksheet at Money Saving Mom.

Last week's goals...
SPIRITUAL/ MINISTRY
1. ~~Stay consistent in my GMG Ephesians Bible Study~~ So far so good!
MARRIAGE
2. Plan Valentine's Day
PERSONAL
3. Paint my toenails. (Seems silly to put this on a goal list, but sometimes I have the hardest time keeping up with the little things.) Didn't get this done...I am so low on my priority list:(
HOME-MANAGEMENT
4. ~~Set up Full Fledged Budget~~ Started this.
5. Deep clean the Family Room uugghhh...still not done!
HOME SCHOOL
6. ~~Catch up on Global Art~~ I decided I would do any crafts we missed and really want to do over the summer.
7. ~~Start Activity Bag Swap~~ Sent out email to local home school group. Got a few takers, so I'll have to get the ball rolling in a couple of weeks.
BLOG
8. ~~Work on House 8810 review and giveaway~~
9. Link up with Women in the Word Wednesdays

This week's goals...
SPIRITUAL / MINISTRY
1. Keep up with GMG group and study
2. Find small ways to help people on a daily basis

MARRIAGE
3. Make one out-of-the-house-date happen a month
PERSONAL
4. Work on Habit for the Month: Drink More Water
5. Get Facial and Pedi (My adopted mom does this for free....I know I am so blessed!)
HOME-MANAGEMENT
6.Finish full fledged budget
7. Price and deliver items to local consignment sale
HOME SCHOOL
8. Add Valentine's to our week
9. Look for new Phonics program for Emily
BLOG
10. Write Purex Packet review

Menu Plan Monday

2012-02-06T05:00:00.003-06:00

Breakfasts

Waffles (home-made from the freezer)
Pancakes (home-made from the freezer)
Egg and Bacon
Grits
Cereal (Mom's Best was on sale again:)

Lunches

Chicken Salad
Tuna Salad
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Lentil Soup
Noodles and Butter
Leftovers

Snacks

Jello
Chocolate Chip Cookies (home-made out of the freezer)
Grapefruit
Pineapple Slices
Homemade Potato Chips
Brownies (this is almost the last of my box mixes)
Carrot Sticks

Dinners

Monday- Anytizers/ Homemade Fries/Coleslaw
Tuesday- White Chicken Chili (recipe on the back of the seasoning box)
Wednesday- Creole Black Beans & Rice (Fix It and Forget It, Lightly)
Thursday- Lentil Tacos (This is out of the Fix and Forget It, Lightly. I made them last week and my family loved them! I am so excited because this is such a healthier way to eat tacos!)
Friday- Frozen Pizza
Saturday- Spaghetti and Sauce
Sunday- New Orleans Red Beans (Fix It and Forget It, Lightly)

Good Morning Girls Post: The Glory Of Mundane Tasks

2012-02-03T06:03:00.000-06:00

After my 3rd baby I ~~realized~~ finally admitted that my family was suffering from all the "good works" I was doing at church. I was impatient with my children and resentful at my husband because I was so busy. When I signed up to "lead this" and "help with that" I thought I was doing the "good" thing...the right thing. But, I finally realized my ministry at home was much more important for the time being. Even though what I was doing did not seem like anything great, I knew it was important. This is not a very popular perspective in churches today. A lot of churches want you working and forget how much it takes to just care for a family. It was hard to step down from things. Sometimes people just didn't understand. Sometimes it was something I loved doing, but I knew the timing was not right. I did what God was telling me to do and He honored it. God has made us closer as a family then we have ever been. He is growing my children into these amazing little people with hearts after His own heart. And there is more peace in our lives. Our ministry at home is so important and we should never loose sight of that!

Jen at Good Morning Girls says it all so well. Please read her post, The Glory of Mundane Tasks. She puts to words the thoughts I've had in my head for years.
Have a blessed day,
Joyce

Joyful Creations at Home

Our School House

Ready, Set, Go! (and curricula choices)

Free How We Got the Bible eChart

Free Subscription to In Touch Magazine

CurrClick Freebie of the Week

Free Armor of God Chart

5 Disciplines~ Week 2- Time Management

Game of Graces from Pastimes from Past Times Review and Giveaway!!!

5 Weeks 5 Disciplines Challenge

Triple Action Purex UltraPacks Review

Moments to Remember: Fun Field Trip to Tuskegee

This is How I Do It: Menu Planning

Kids and Allowance

Menu Plan Monday (with Clean Eating Recipe links)

Weekly Goals

Free Earthworm! Mini Science Project

Dancing Grit and Sporty Grit sharing the gospel...

Have you ever heard of “clean” eating?

House 8810 Giveaway!! ***Winner Announcement***

10 Goals for the Week

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: Weather Felt Set by Dani Jo Designs

Do you have hope?

10 Goals for the Week

Menu Plan Monday

Good Morning Girls Post: The Glory Of Mundane Tasks

House 8810 Giveaway!! Winner Announcement