~ 1 ~

As I briefly mentioned (from my bed, written on my iPhone), in last week’s 1 Quick Take, I had my gallbladder removed near the end of last week.

Can I first admit something really dumb?  Before I admit it though, I have to promise you that I’m a well educated, reasonable woman.  Okay, so you ready for my dumb thing then?

People kept telling me what a breeze the surgery was.  I failed to keep in mind that it was a breeze as far as surgery to remove one of your organs go.  I kind of kept thinking just a breeze.  So, I was surprised to feel like I had surgery to have an organ removed.

~ 2 ~

One of my biggest fears about my surgery is that they would come and tell me afterward that they found only one small stone (the ultrasound had indicated at least one stone based on the shadows seen) but that my gallbladder looked fine otherwise.  While this may sound alarmist, I have a good reason.

You see, the last time I was under general anesthesia and did the whole surgery thing to remove a kidney stone, they ended up saying they were wrong and what they saw on the X-rays wasn’t a kidney stone and I had obviously passed it on my own.  So, I had good reason to fear another needless surgery.  Plus, there was the fact that if everything looked fine, it wouldn’t explain the attacks I’ve had.

~ 3 ~

No need to worry, apparently, however.

They took out a nasty, twisted up, infected gallbladder that held within it a large gumball sized (like those 25 cent ones) gallstone.  In fact, the surgeon seemed to indicate that he was surprised I wasn’t having more trouble than I had based on what was going on with it.

It sounds pretty messed up, in my opinion, to say that I was excited to find out that my gallbladder had gotten into such a state.  But, darn it – if I’m having surgery to remove it, I want for it to merit being removed.

~ 4 ~

My first time leaving the house was to go to a lunch with my dear, sweet nephew Devin who was on a cross country journey to go start this next stage of his life after graduating from college.

My second outing was a trip to the Farmers Market and the grocery store with the kids.  (I was exhausted!)  Even though I was kind of tired, we still took time to learn all about police cars while we were there (and the kids even got to sit in one).  I actually had a post up this week at The Happy Housewife about learning activities that you can do with kids at a Farmers Market.

~ 5 ~

This happened weeks ago, but Molly is now officially an American Heritage Girl!  She was so excited to join a few months ago.  And, then a couple of weeks ago, she received her uniform just in time to finish that requirement toward her Joining Award badge (as well as a couple of other badges that she had been working on with her troop).

She’s just so dear in her uniform!  Plus, I can’t wait to work on some of the badges with her this summer.

~ 6 ~

Do you know what blogging tool I am totally loving right now?

Buffer!

I had gotten to the point where I was considering how much it would cost me to hire someone to help just a little bit with some of my social media stuff.  However, I’m now loving Buffer and no longer considering trying to hire it out.  (I did go with the Buffer plan that is $10/month, but only because I have so many different social media accounts.  I suspect a lot of people can get away with using the free version.)

(If you use my link to Buffer, you’ll start off with an extra space for posting in your Buffer, and I’ll get one too.  While I’ve yet to max out my spots, I suspect it’s just because I have so many accounts.  So, especially for someone using a free account, an extra spot would be fabulous.)

~ 7 ~

Have you seen my brand new site?  (Well, it’s an old site but totally revamped.)

It’s called Striving for Less and it’s a different kind of deal blog.

I only post 1 – 2 posts per day (and sometimes no posts).  It’s not one of those deal blogs that will clog up your inbox, your RSS feed, or your Facebook timeline (those were all ways to subscribe, of course).  It’s just a fun, non-overwhelming way to find some great deals that are the types of deals.

—————

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

7 Quick Takes: June 1, 2012 (Vol. 121) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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(I’m spending ten weeks writing about homeschooling topics, along with other members of iHomeschool Network, during the Top Ten Tuesdays.  For you non-homeschoolers, don’t worry – I promise to skip homeschooling topics for a while after this ten week series is done.)

My Top Ten Must Have Items for Homeschooling

God’s Grace – This goes without saying, right?  It’s a big counter cultural commitment to decide to keep your children home for school.  We need a whole lot of God’s Grace every day.

Computer – We do so many things on the computer every day!  The kids work on things like Teaching Textbooks, Mavis Beacon typing, and a variety of educational sites and games.

Internet – The kids love playing games, doing research, and just having some down time on the Internet.

For me, I find homeschooling ideas, resources (free and paid), and a plethora of places for support.

Library – We have some nice libraries near us, and I don’t know what we would do without them.  The kids go just about once a week and always come home with a new stack of books and videos.

Plus, I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit that it is always some quiet time at home, as that is an outing that Eric does with the kids (and it usually includes a small ice cream at McDonalds as well).

Homeschooling Group – Our homeschooling group offers us support and friendships for myself, the kids, and even my husband.  I don’t know how I would have gotten through our homeschooling journey without our homeschooling group.

Assignment Sheets – I write up an assignment sheet for each of the children for every school day, though I am considering moving this to assignment books for each child.  I like that, now that my kids are getting older, I can write down their assignments and they just know what to work on next (plus they love checking off things).

Dry Erase Board – Great thing to use when you want to save some paper!  We have a larger dry erase board, as well as small, individual boards for each of the children.

Tool Caddies (for organizing supplies) – This was what one of the kids suggested to add to the list.  Their Aunt Kristin decorated a tool turnabout for each of them to store their school supplies (like pencils, pens, colored pencils, scissors, etc.).  They each have their own tool caddy on their own shelf of our bookshelf that holds school supplies.  They love these tool caddies and having a space for their own small supplies.

(The caddy shown is from Kristin’s Etsy shop.  It’s not one of ours.)

A Dedicate Space for Homeschool Stuff – No matter how small it is, it’s just nice to have an area in your house at that is specifically for school materials.  At our house, because we don’t have a school room, that area is just a closet and a bookshelf.  However, it’s nice to know that there tends to be one area to look for things.

A Supportive Spouse – I know some people manage to homeschool without their extended families on board, but I just don’t know how it would be possible to successfully homeschool without your spouse being in agreement and supportive.

—–

My Top Ten Must Have Items for Homeschooling is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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Yep, just one. My shortest post ever: Had my gallbladder out this morning. Still feeling pretty junkie, but blessed to have such a helpful family.

Hope to be back here next week.

1 Quick Take: May 24, 2012 is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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1. The Homeschool Classroom – Not only do I love all of the practical and doable projects, ideas, and encouragement that comes from the posts from this amazing group of writers, but I’m also blessed enough to be the owner of such a fabulous site.  (Trust me – I only say it because I know the fabulousness of it comes from the writers.)

2.  Weird, Unsocialized Homechoolers – I’m always inspired by the amazing ideas that Kris has.  She and I have been friends for quite a few years (although we finally got a chance to meet in person, which I loved.)  Kris is already working on homeschooling at the high school level, which is where we will be soon.  So, I like the look ahead.

3. Simple Homeschool – I’m a huge fan of all of the Simple Living sites (which are owned by Tsh of Simple Mom).  Jamie does an amazing job as the site’s managing editor, and the staff is also filled with amazing writers.  I always get inspired while reading there.

4. Homeschool Share – I haven’t used the printables on Homeschool Share as much in recent years, but it is such an amazing (and free!) notebooking and lapbooking resource!  I loved it so much in those first few years of homeschooling, especially when our boys were younger.

5. Jimmie’s Collage – I love Jimmie’s style of homeschooling, as well as the fact that her daughter (who goes by Sprite on the blog) is in a grade higher than my oldest.  Since so  many homeschooling blogs focus on the younger years, I always enjoy finding blogs that focus solely on older children.

6. DonnaYoung.org – I print out all of my scheduling pages, as well as a variety of other printables, from donnayoung.org.  Not only are they free, but they’re also very well made.  (Plus, I love that most of the printables have at least one version that you can type on.)

7. D’Nealian Style Handwriting Practice – I have been using this printables site a lot recently.  We have finished up all of Molly’s D’Nealian style handwriting books for printing, and I’m not quite ready for her to move onto the cursive writing yet.  So, I’ve been able to make my own D’Nealian handwriting sheets for her to use.

8. Amazon.com – Although not a homeschooling site, I have purchased so many homeschooling printed books, ebook, materials, and every other little homeschooling must have from Amazon.  So, it seemed silly not to add it onto the list.  I love that I can get many of our books at a more reasonable price than some of the chain bookstores in our town.

9. NotebookingPages.com – This is a newer site to me, but the pages are great.  Plus, in June, all memberships will get access to The Notebooking Publisher, a web-application for creating and completing custom notebooking pages on the computer.  (You can use the discount code discount10 to save $10 on your $20+ purchase at NotebookingPages.com)

10. Let’s Explore – Amy has so many amazing ideas!  I wish I would have been so creative while my kids were younger.  I also love that I can do many of the activities even with older children.

Not only is this my Top Ten {Tuesday} post but it’s also part of the 10 in 10 series through iHomeschool Network.

—-

This post contains affiliate links. This doesn’t change the price you pay, but it helps to support this site. Thanks! (Disclosure Page)

Ten of My Favorite Homeschooling Sites is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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We were recently lucky enough to get to try two games, Funky Barn 3D and Horses 3D, from Ubisoft for the Nintendo 3DS system. Not only were my kids thrilled to get to try them (and keep them) for free, but both were games that they had previously heard about and wanted to try.

(Actually, I believe the response was, “YES!” when I told them that were would be receiving them.)

I let all of my kids try out the games, and have interviewed them about the games, after they have been using them.

(Click here to read the Funky Barn 3DS game review)

Horses 3D

Me: Tell me briefly what Horses 3D is about.

Molly: It’s about training your horse and, well, you can have a job. There is dressage, acrobats, vaulting, cross country, and show jumping. (This was all with Jack giving her answers here and there.)

Jack: The basic story is you go to this horse ranch as a summer job, but you used to go there while you were young. At first, you need to help around the ranch, then you also need to help with the riding center, called the Magnolia Center. That’s what the basic story is.

Me: What was your favorite part of Horses 3D?

Molly: I like the tours and the horses and you can make the horses whatever color you want.

Noah: I’d say that I liked the wide variety of horses that you could choose from. I also liked the cross country events. They’re very good.

Jack: I am a big fan of the horse breeds. I also like the realistic look of the game — the horses look so real. I was also a big fan of the dressage events. And, I like how they used 3DS’s new balance feature on the vaulting event.

Me: What would you like to change about the game?

Molly: Nothing.

Noah: I kind of wished the horses could turn a little better when they were running, but other than that it was pretty good.

Jack: I wish that you didn’t always have to ride the horse.

Me: Would you recommend Horses 3D to your friends?

Jack: Yes.

Molly: Yes!

Noah: Definitely.

If you had been able to try these out and we had to send one of them back, which one would you have wanted to keep?

Noah: Horses 3D – it was pretty good.

Jack: Horses 3D.

Molly: Horses 3D.

Although there seemed to have been a Horses 3D landslide in our house, all of the kids actually enjoyed both games. It was a lot of fun to get to try them out, so thanks to Clever Girls Collective and Ubisoft for giving us the opportunity to have fun with some brand new games for our Nintendo 3DS game systems!

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure page.

Nintendo 3DS Game Review: Horses 3D is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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We were recently lucky enough to get to try two games, Funky Barn 3D and Horses 3D, from Ubisoft for the Nintendo 3DS system.  Not only were my kids thrilled to get to try them (and keep them) for free, but both were games that they had previously heard about and wanted to try.

(Actually, I believe the response was, “YES!” when I told them that were would be receiving them.)

I let all of my kids try out the games, and have interviewed them about the games, after they have been using them.

(Click here to read the Horses 3DS game review)

Funky Barn 3D

Me: Tell me briefly what Funky Barn 3D is about.

Noah: Well, it’s about making a successful farm with high production and high population of animals.

Me: What was your favorite part of Funky Barn 3D?

Jack: I liked all the robots that do the work around the farm.

Noah: Well, I really liked all the animals.  They just have very hilarious personalities.

Me: What would you like to change about the game?

Noah: Well, I would like it if maybe the animals weren’t so demanding.  They always want their habitats to have more plants and stuff.

Molly: I wish there was more types of animals, like rabbits.

Jack: I wish that not all the important stuff would cost a lot of money.

Me: Would you recommend Funky Barn 3D to your friends?

Noah: Yeah!

Jack: Yes.

Molly: Okay.

Now, read on to see what they thought about the Horses 3D game for the Nintendo 3DS.  (Here’s a spoiler: Horses 3D ended up being their favorite of the two games, even thought they liked them both.)

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure page.

Nintendo 3DS Game Review: Funky Barn 3D is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Code SPRINGFREE (through the end of May) to receive the service free for life!

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Oh, lunch time.  It comes every afternoon, and yet it still often catches me by surprise as the afternoon is beginning to slip away.  (We tend to eat lunch closer to 2 pm.  Go figure.)

This means we have a tendency to try to grab something quickly. (We typically add in some fruit, yogurt, etc.)

Here are ten of our go-to lunch ideas at our house:

1. Peanut Butter & Jam Sandwiches/Lunch Meat Sandwiches – everyone likes a different type of sandwich, so I ask them to join in with the sandwich making.

2. Grilled Cheese – Yes, I know I just said sandwiches.  But, we feel like grilled cheese is just a bit different than your normal, run of the mill sandwich.

3. English Muffin Pizzas – I think I like these better than the kids do.  We just eat cheese pizzas, and we use whole wheat English muffins.

4. Leftovers – We tend to let Eric take leftovers to work.  However, from time to time, we have enough leftovers to feed all of us at home the next day.

5. Spaghetti -Even though this always seems like a dinner dish to me, my kids love it and I can easily throw it together when we skip any meat.  (Or, I could brown the meat ahead of time, if I wanted to.)

6. Scrambled Eggs – Easy, inexpensive, and all of the kids like them.

7. Packaged/Frozen Meals – I know, it’s not good.  But sometimes when the kids come to the grocery store with me, I let them pick out a frozen meal to be able to have later.

8.  Bosco Breadsticks – We love these Market Day bread sticks.  They’re also really excellent for times when we’ve had friends over.

9. Pancakes or Waffles – Syrup sometimes makes the table messy, but at least we got to enjoy a nice warm meal.

10. Hodge Podge of This and That – A little bit of this, a little bit of that.  Just whatever is around that seems like it will go together.  Or, you know, maybe not.  As long as it’s not too heavy all in one food group, I’m pretty easy going.

What are your favorite quick lunches for kids?

10 Quick Lunches for Our Kids is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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12 Highly Effective Ways of Putting Off Writing a Blog Post (Or Other Somewhat Productive Activity) – Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
I’ve so totally been there, so this made me laugh.  Love it!

Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe – Food Network (Alton Brown)
My Mom has given me some of this twice, and it’s delicious.  Even better – it only takes about 10 minutes to make and is done in the microwave.  Score!

Ribbon Wreath Plates – Simple Southern, Sweet, Classy and Sassy
Super cute way to use a disposable plate instead of a platter, especially when taking food somewhere.

Freezing Buttermilk – Homestead Revival
Um, hello?  This is genius!  (I usually make “buttermilk” with milk and vinegar, but this is a wonderful idea.)

High School Credit: Question and Answer – Heart to Heart with Diane
High school is coming up for us in just a couple of years, so I really enjoyed this post with ideas of how to keep track of credits.

Microwave Caramels – Food.com
I haven’t tried these yet, but they look delicious (and quick & easy).

Other Places I Am Online This Week:

Baby Supply Box – The Happy Housewife
My friend Amanda was my inspiration for writing this post.

Many Little Links: May 13, 2012 is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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(Just a sampling of “my people” – Cheryl, Amy, me, Rachel, Maureen, Tara, and Kris)

When I wrote about the benefits of networking with other bloggers on Tuesday of this week, I had several people in the comments either ask about how I started my blogger networking group or just indicate that they wanted something like that, but weren’t sure how to go about starting something like that.  I promised to share my own story about forming the blog networking group that I’m in.

Feeling a Sense of Needing a Blogger Networking Group

Even at the end of 2009, I started having this real feeling that I needed to be in a blogger networking group.  I wanted the promotion/networking aspect of it, but I also just wanted the community aspect of it.

Instead of doing something about this, however, I just basically whined to myself every time I thought about it.  “Nobody ever invites me to anything,” I would think in that whole “I’m going to take my ball and go home” type of voice.

When I attended my first conference, Blissdom in 2010, my sense of urgency to be in a group grew.  Of course, my sense of not being invited to a group and the sadness also grew.

Being Convicted to Start My Own Group

One day, in February 2010 (just after Blissdom), while I was again lamenting my lack of group, it just hit me.  I’m sure that it was a call from God, really (especially knowing what has eventually come out of the group).  I distinctly heard myself being called, “If you are being invited to a group, just start your own.”

No, I did not want to do that.  And, quite frankly, I wouldn’t.  Or, at least I thought I wouldn’t.  Instead, I kept feeling that call to start my own group.

I’m the kind of person that just wants people to like me.  So, the thought of approaching people about a group and being rejected sounded horrible to me.  I didn’t want to do it, but the thought of having a group for support and networking had to trump that fear.

I began to think of the people that I thought would be good additions to a group like this.  I had some obvious options – people that I already frequently emailed with about different things.  Then, I also went through some of the business cards that I received at Blissdom and thought about those people that I felt like I had connection with, as well as those that might mesh well with the people I already had in mind.

I think it’s important to note that while some of those I emailed were people I already felt like I knew really well, some were people I had only just barely met.  So, if you’re forming a group, don’t feel like you can only ask your best blogging friends ever.

Putting Myself Out There

After I decided on who I would invite (which was approximately 13 people), I had to compose an email with my thoughts about what this group would be about.  I carefully composed my thoughts about it, sent it to each of the bloggers I had in mind, and then felt the strong urge to vomit.

See – I wasn’t kidding.  I was so scared of their responses.  I flinched every time I hit “send/receive” on my email.  And, then the first response finally came in.  And another.  And another.

Of all the emails I sent out, I got only one “rejection.”  It wasn’t even really a rejection though.  It was just a “I’m trying to spend less time on the computer, but thank you so much for thinking of me.”

The rest of the emails, however, were beautiful.  People were touched to be asked, excited at the prospect of the group, and even some saying that they had been praying for something like this.

I had found my people.

The Group was Born

We had to figure out some of the logistics of where to “meet,” but otherwise, the group quickly fell into place and connections started being made immediately.  (I think it helped that there was a sense that I was in charge of the group.  I know that sounds bad, but when a lot of decisions need to be made at once, I always think it helps to have one central person to make a final decision based on the desires of the group.)

While we decided to spring for a Ning Mini board (which costs about $20/year), groups could also use things like a private Facebook group, email, particular chat times on Skype, or any other option that seems to work for all of the members.

The Group Grows and Changes

We have now been a group for a little over two years.  In that time, we have managed to keep several of the original members.  However, things change for people.  We have had members leave for a variety of reasons.  Some joined and never got active, some decided to stop blogging, and the like.

We also got to a point two different times where we added several new people to our group.  Our current group is an active network of approximately 20 bloggers.  It has become a very loyal group where we know that we can go for solutions to problems, ideas, promotions, writing opportunities, and most importantly – a true love and support for each other.

I may have put myself out there with those initial emails, but I really believe it was God that brought us all together.

I cannot express enough how much this group has meant to me, as well as how strongly I encourage you to find your own group.  If you have been busy waiting for someone to contact you, it might just be that you are the one being called to do the contacting.  Good luck!

How I Formed My Blogger Networking Group is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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~ 1 ~

This week we did something that I have been putting off for at least two years.  Well, hang on.  That’s not entirely true.  It was just the biggest step of what we had been putting off.

In January, we finally took Noah into the orthodontist, which is what we had been putting off for two years.  While I was cringing about the money, I was mostly cringing about how he would handle it.

In February, he was sent to have five teeth removed (one baby tooth, four permanent).  He did amazingly well with this.

And finally, this week – it was the big moment.  Except it was actually two different appointments.  He had impressions on Monday, which he hated.  But, he still did a great job.  They also took the time to show him everything they were going to be doing two days later to put on the braces.

On Wednesday, he finally got the braces.  He did a great job, even though he didn’t like some of it.  I was able to sit with him and held his foot.  (Hey – a Mom has to be creative sometimes.)

His mouth is still sore, but I’m hoping that he has relief soon.

~ 2 ~

We finally went and bought our cooler weather crops for the garden.  Yeah, you know the ones that we could have planted in March, and probably should have definitely had in by April?  Yep, those are the ones. (Plus we also bought our tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and cucumbers, and we’ll get those in the garden next week.)

My most super exciting part of the planting?

It was that we finally actually emptied out both of our compost bins and added all of the dark, rich compost to the garden beds.  We’ve been using them for a few years, and have just put off ever emptying them.  It was pretty amazing to look at all of that rich soil and know that it had been things like banana peels, apple cores, and toilet paper tubes.

~ 3 ~

Do you have friends, neighbors, or family that tend to borrow things from you, especially when it comes to ingredients?  I’m the go-to person when a couple of my neighbors need an ingredient in a pinch.

Today, I had what I have decided is the funniest one though, and it came from my Mom.  She called to ask for powdered sugar.  Not so funny, of course, but it was when she told me she needed a pound of it that I was amused.  I’m used to something like a cup of something, not so much a pound.  (Family is allowed to do that though, huh?)

~ 4 ~

Other places you can find me writing this week…

Baby Supply Box at The Happy Housewife

Homeschool Mother’s Journal: May 10, 2012 at iHomeschool Network

~ 5 ~

My most poignant moment of the week…

We found out that my niece, who is a senior in high school, has just passed her written and physical tests to join the Air Force.  I read that she had passed all the tests on Facebook and told the kids.

Molly looked perturbed and said, “Oh…”

I told her that it was exciting and that this was what G. wanted to do.

And that was the moment when my seven year old with big eyes cautiously looked up at me and changed her voice to an extremely quiet whisper before saying, “But I don’t want her to die.”

It took my breath away for a moment.  I hugged Molly and agreed with her that it could be dangerous.  (I didn’t want to lie.)  But, I told her that I thought that G. would be fine, and that we could pray for her to be safe every day once she leaves home.

~ 6 ~

That was a downer to share, wasn’t it?  I’m sorry.  I’ll share something entirely more fun and happy.

The kids were thrilled that we finally managed to go to Starbucks between 3 – 5 pm for their current special of half-priced frappuccinos.  (It lasts through May 13th, so go visit if you haven’t already.  Or, you know, even if you have.)

~ 7 ~

I was surprised tonight to get all teary-eyed while watching The Big Bang Theory.  It wasn’t until some of the last moments of the episode, and I won’t get into the exact details in case someone has it on DVR or the like, but that moment with Sheldon and Amy at the end — I had to blink back tears.

I’m not sure if it’s just because I was touched by what happened or if it’s because I can see some of those Sheldon-esque characteristics in Noah (with Autism) and it just gave me a hopeful feeling, even if Noah is not really like Sheldon enough that it should be a thing that should have caused me to feel hope.  It just did anyway.

Did you watch the episode?  (What did you think?)

—————

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

7 Quick Takes: May 11, 2012 (Vol. 120) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

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