My husband has an iPhone for work, and we have a stay-in-the-house iPhone, as well, an older model discarded by Ken that the kids love to play with.

Like most media, we have to regulate the time they spend playing iPhone games, but they do enjoy them….and I’m pleasantly aware that about half of the games they choose have educational value!

What are the kids’ top favorites? I thought I’d share them with you. Maybe you can find one or two that your kids would dig!

(Note: I’m linking many of these to review sites we usually refer to for each new app we download. Search for these apps within Google or directly via iTunes for download instructions.)

Dress Chica – Based on the lovable character from PBS Sprout’s Sunny Side Up Show, this preschool app lets your little one dress Chica in funny clothes, all the while teaching vocabulary. Fun sound effects abound.

Trace – Though not specifically for kids, this is one of G’s favorites. This app is stellar in regards to critical thinking skill building as well as art. The soundtrack is fun, too!

Giraffe’s Matching Zoo – Another preschool favorite. A simple matching game in the style of good old fashioned “Memory,” but with fun animal sounds.

Layers – Another not-kid-geared app, but a terrific, detailed art app for dexterous little fingers. Create art having five layers, hence the name, and draw with a wide array of brushes and colors.

Talking Tom – Okay. This one is just for fun. No educational value found here. But the kids find him immensely entertaining. And it freaks adults out the first time they hear Tom speak. :)

Faces I Make – A found-art collage art app that helps kids stretch their creative horizons!

My Little Suitcase – Lets your kids pack a suitcase and decide on a destination for a virtual vacation.

Sunday Lawn – Strictly arcade-style gaming here. Our G is pretty good at it and loves it! Biding his time, I guess, until his Dad lets him drive the REAL lawn mower.

We Rule – A personalizable territory game in the style of Farmville, but much more elegant. Create a kingdom, plant and harvest crops, and meet new neighbors. I have to say — the music backdrop is my favorite part of this app.

Fruit Ninja – This one is just plain addictive. Take turns with your kids virtually slicing fruit with the swipe of your finger. It’s only messy on-screen!

(*Note: I was not asked to write this post, share my reviews, or compensated in any way. I am just simply telling about our family’s favorite apps — nothing more. :)

Monday, August 30th – Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Monday:
PF Chang’s Coconut Curry Vegetables
Jasmine Rice
Fortune Cookies

Tuesday:
Four Grain Pancakes
Soysage Links

Wednesday:
Oven-Fried Chicken
Basmati Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Thursday:
Date Night

Friday:
Beef Stroganoff
over Egg Noodles
Butterbeans
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Saturday:
(Out)

Sunday:
Brown Sugar-Glazed Ham
Chili-Orange Sweet Potatoes
Green Peas
Potato Rolls

- Ten foolproof ways to reduce clutter (via I Dream of Clean)

- Courtney at Women Living Well’s blog talks about The Comparison Trap. Good words to hear….every day!

- The Reluctant Entertainer shows us how to make noodles out of zucchini! Brilliant. And yummy.

- These recycled pillow box favors are oh-so-cute. (Via Skip to My Lou)

- And a question: Has anyone heard of/is anyone a member of Bella Sara? Looks like it’s right up my daughter’s alley, but we’re cautious about online games….

I remember my mom making a gallon of sun tea every few days in the summer. She had the classic yellow-lidded jar, and I saw it sitting in the center of our driveway many an afternoon.

The kids just wanted enough to taste, so we made ours in individual canning jars. All you need is: Sterilized jars with lids, purified/distilled water, tea bags, and a warm, sunny day.

Simply place one tea bag into each jar of water, then seal well.

By 6pm, the tea was radiantly dark and ready for drinking!

Add the sugar first, so it can dissolve in the warm tea….then add ice and enjoy!

(Drink within a day or two, since the process for making sun tea creates an environment that can breed bacteria. Store in refrigerator.)

The buzz word in home design right now, or as far as I can tell, is “minimalism.”

I’m all about paring down what we use every day and throwing out what we never use. I just think it’s something we ought to do to avoid greed and materialism.

But “minimalism” in its purest sense seems like it’d be a bit extreme for me and my house.

Maybe I’m just sentimental. There are some things that I may never actually USE again, but I can’t bear to part with.

Then there ARE those things that I don’t want to toss because, well, you know, I never know when I might need them. Or I want to save them for the grandkids. Or what if we DO move one day, even though we said we won’t?

This is a touchy subject between my husband and me, and I guess it is equally a hot topic for others.

Though I’m not ready to assume the lifestyle of and be labeled a minimalist family, I’m all about some decluttering.

Funny — I am so extremely organized and clean in some areas of my life and home, and so totally the opposite in others.

Like:

The front and sides of the refrigerator.

The TOP of the refrigerator.

The “entertainment corner” of our living room.

The study. (Stacks of the kids’ artwork are in several rooms, in fact. And it’s not that I don’t throw any artwork away. I do. A lot. They just draw. A lot.)

The gift wrapping/mailing supply/scrapbooking closet.

The study’s desk. It’s actually one of the least cluttered areas of our home. I even bought one of those fancy envelope/folder storter thingies.

So I’m inspired. I get this way every spring and again every fall. I want to declutter. I want to let it become a daily thing, not just a bi-yearly chore. I want to simplify.

Yet more than that — I want discernment when it comes to what to throw away and what to keep. I want a personal organizer to come and visit my home for a nominal fee. I want a more serene home environment without feeling like I’m living in under-personalized, sterile space.

How to balance these two conflicting desires?

Monday, August 23rd – Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Monday:
Mini Pizzas

Tuesday:
Leftovers

Wednesday:
Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops
Lime Basmati Rice Pilaf with Cashews
Spinach
Baguette

Thursday:
Boilermaker Tailgate Chili
Grandmother’s Buttermilk Cornbread
Fritos
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friday:
Baked Ziti
Salad
Sourdough Bread
Vanilla Ice Cream with Honey & Pistachios

Saturday:
Baked Fish
Baked Potatoes
Green Beans with Almonds
Cornbread

Sunday:
Leftovers

- Ohhhhhh — if only I had a color printer. I’d spend all day today at Free*Pretty*Things*For*You!

- LOVE Pink and Green Mama’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” homemade playset.

- Simple Homeschool shares how to use Google Calendar for lesson plans.

- Gladys Hunt, the author of some of my favorite books for picking out quality literature, has passed away. Aslan’s Library wrote a wonderful remembrance post.

Over at Heart of the Matter Online today, I’m sharing how I prayed for friends — and how God answered.

Head on over.

I’ll be taking a couple days off to get our schooling started off on the right foot.

I’ll be back Friday…

(Thanks to zakka life for the nifty “Will Return” graphic.)

Monday, August 17th – Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Monday:
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Salads

Tuesday:
Vegan Sloppy Joes on Sesame Buns
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday:
Italian Meat Loaf with Fresh Basil & Provolone
Brown Rice
Peas & Carrots
Rolls

Thursday:
Date Night

Friday:
Dinner with Mom & Dad

Saturday:
Sirloin Tip Steak with Onions & Mushrooms
Steamed Broccoli
Oven Potato Wedges
Baguette

Sunday:
(From freezer) Barley-Mushroom Soup
Ciabatta Rolls
Cantaloupe