Just Peachy in Dixie

I'm Back...With Saving Your Wallet, While Helping Save the Earth Tip #4

2012-01-05T06:21:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! I know my family sure did. As you can see, I took a break from blogging to just enjoy the holidays with my sweet loved ones. I thank those of you who have stuck with me awaiting my next post! I hope you like what I've got for you today! :)

Save Your Wallet, While Helping Save the Earth Tip #4!!!......

Homemade pad for the Swiffer! I found a great crochet pattern here at Crochet Pattern Central, just scroll down to Swiffer Cloth. I used Peaches and Cream 100% Cotton Yarn, in Faded Denim. I think this looks so fresh and just makes me want to swiff away. I tried it out yesterday, and let me tell you....it works FAAABULOUUUS!!!

It got up all that dust and fur balls hiding in the corners...AHEM, I won't name any names, but.....

"Who Me??"

Who could get mad at a face like that? He has special "cute"titizing (oh yeah...it exists!!) power, that causes hypnotizing loving, tummy tickles, smiles, baby talk, and melts all harsh words right in their tracks!!

Ok, I had to pause for a moment...it seems he holds this power even in a picture! Back to my Swiffer Cloth....it just wraps snuggly around my Swiffer like this....

I plan to make a few of these, and also a couple for my wet jet one as well.

So, no more buying those refill pads, which means more money in my pocket, and less in the landfill. Woo Hoo!!

I hope you all enjoy this post! I look forward to getting back into the swing of things in this new year and talking with you all again more often.

Wishing you all health, wealth, and happiness in the new year!!

Happy New Year!

Jennifer

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday Season! This time of year, like most of you I'm sure, is blissfully busy! I haven't been able to blog hardly any.

I just wanted to stop in and say hello and wish you all.....

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy Holidays!
Jennifer

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #15

2011-12-06T06:01:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

We will be hosting this blog hop every Tuesday. We welcome all family friendly links. We would love to hear about your homemaking tips, frugal living ideas, crafts of any genre, recipes, homeschooling or encouraging inspiration. The rules are simple, follow the two host blogs, "Just Peachy in Dixie" and "Thrifty Crafty Girl" in spots one and two through GFC. We would love it if you could put our button either somewhere on your sidebar, the post you are linking, or your blog hop page to help spread the word. Then link as many posts as you would like.

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Happy Hopping!

Jennifer

Lash Card Review & Giveaway!!!

2011-11-23T15:14:00.001-05:00

Hi all,
Ok, it NEVER fails...when I'm in a hurry for one of those, I really want to look nice today...black waterproof, "I'm not going anywhere" mascara inevitably gets all over my lids! Then frustration sets in which usually results in a nice poke in the eye, then comes the mascara burn with just the perfect amount of watering to remove my perfectly applied eye liner. Grrrr!!!!

Well! No more! Introducing......the Lash Card. What a smart beauty tool! This product will help you to avoid those frustrating black mascara mishaps on your lids.

First off, let me point out the cute packaging. The pink and black girly packaging is so appealing.

Inside the pack you will find 20 individually wrapped Lash Cards. Which makes it perfect for carrying with you in your purse for those moments when you need to freshen up.

You just rip the plastic packaging open at the notch and out comes a perfect little Lash Card. There are two ends, a small curve and a large curve. Just use the end that best suits your lid size.

You can watch a video tutorial here to see how it works.

Here is the card after a couple of uses.

My opinion: The Lash Card does protect your lids from those little bloopers. It also does a fine job in helping to separate the lashes to help avoid clumping. I think it is a handy tool to have around. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that I wish it had a coating of some sort to make it more green. It would be nice to be able to just wipe it clean for continual use instead of it being disposable. I also, found it a little difficult to get the coverage I needed on my short lashes. I had to use the blink method, which seemed to do the trick. :) so there is a bit of a learning curve.

You can purchase the Lash Card here.

or....you can be one of the FOUR, yes that's right, four lucky winners in my giveaway! I have been given the opportunity to grant four lucky winners a chance to try the Lash Card for themselves. Just follow the directions below. Open to US residents only. The winners will have 48 hours to respond with their shipping information. If 48 hours pass, another winner will be picked by random.

Good Luck! ;)

Jennifer

Disclosure: I received Lash Card free for the purpose of this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #14

2011-11-22T06:03:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Happy Hopping!

Jennifer

Become a Blogging Ninja ebook Review

2011-11-16T17:02:00.002-05:00

Hi all,
I have been blogging now for almost a year and a half. Two years ago, I didn't even know what a blog was, let alone how to start one. I am still learning and enjoying the journey.

While I am amazed at what I have learned thus far, I still have a long way to go, and have discovered there is something new to learn everyday. Now, I have gotten the hang of posting but there is still much to improve on.

One of the things that I wish for my blog is to gain more followers in hopes of gaining more attention, which will in turn hopefully monetize my blog.

I know that the best way to gain followers, is to make my blog as public as possible. The best way to do this is to increase my traffic through social media. I have made myself a fan page on Facebook and made a Twitter account, but I really had no idea what to do with it. I knew that others use these forms of social media with great results, and I wanted to know how.

"Become a Blogging Ninja: Triple Your Traffic with Social Media," is just the ebook I needed to give me insight on how to increase blog traffic. When asked to review this ebook I was ecstatic! As I need serious help in this department. I was totally clueless! Having read this book, I am feeling much more confident in getting my blog more traffic. This ebook covers three very popular social networks, Facebook, Twitter, and Stumble Upon.

It is laid out in a very organized, concise and easy to read format. Books covering social media that I have read in the past have been pretty overwhelming for me. So much information, that I am left with my head just spinning. So I was very pleased in the informative, yet simple instructions and advice on what each of these medias are, step by step instructions on setting them up, then how to use each of these social medias to their most potential.

This ebook wasn't just entirely about the social media, but also gave fantastic tips on improving the looks, readability, and ways of keeping your readers interested. There is also a check list to help you achieve your improvement goals one by one. I can't wait to actually start implementing all that I have learned and taken away from this ebook.

You can purchase the book here:

It has definitely helped me, go from totally clueless to pleasantly inspired! Even if you know all about the social media and the wonderful power they possess in gaining more traffic, maybe you are in a rut, and need some inspiration of your own to renew your blog. Gain momentum once again. I think this book would be great for that as well.

Maybe your not interested in monetizing your blog, but you have a family member or friend who is. Well, the holidays are right around the corner. Ahem!! Wouldn't this make a great gift for the blogger in your life?

Go check out the details of this great ebook, "Become a Blogging Ninja: Triple Your Traffic with Social Media." I think you'll be happy you did. I know that I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to read it!

Happy Blogging!

Jennifer

Disclosure: I received this ebook free for the purpose of this review. The opinions are all my own.

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #13

2011-11-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Happy Hopping!

Jennifer

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #3

2011-11-09T07:10:00.001-05:00

Hi all,
I've got another Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip for you. This one is so simple!

Reusable shopping bags!

Now you might be thinking....I'm not going to spend money for bags when I can get the store's plastic bags for free. You don't necessarily have to. I didn't switch over to reusable shopping bags over night. Baby steps here....remember? ;)

For those of you that don't know, I'm a couponer. Not to the extreme like you see on TV, but I do clip lots coupons and watch sales ads very closely. If you want to know more about couponing check out my posts here. While clicking coupons, I often come across one that says if you buy a certain amount of something, then you will get one of that store's shopping bags for free.

For example, I think one time if I bought three of a specific frozen vegetable I got the bag for free. I was in need of those veggies, I had a coupon, and they were on sale, so I got the bag. I happened to have two of those coupons, so I actually got two. Two doesn't sound like much, but let me tell you, you can get A LOT of things in those two bags. Way more then the plastic ones that end up breaking when you fill too full. Not to mention, the great big handles for easy carrying and how nicely the boxy bags sit so nicely in the trunk of your car without you getting home to find the cans of soup rolling out all over from the plastic ones!

You know....you don't have to have the specific store bag to use in that store. I take my Publix bags into Kroger all the time. I figure they probably enjoy the fact that I have another store's bag, but yet they are filling it with items from there store. :)

Also, check your closets. Do you have bags from promotional makeup deals, beach bags you don't ever use? Pull those things out and give them a use!

I the picture above, you'll see an Olive Garden take out bag (mine and DD's favorite restaurant!), this bag is PERFECT for your loaves of bread, baguettes, and chips. I've found that old Lord & Taylor bag in the back of my closet. There's also that real small Nature's Bounty bag that I got with a sample in the mail. It is just the right size for those...ahem...personal items that you just need to quickly run in the store to get.

For you CVS shoppers.....

don't forget to buy your green bag tag. Gasp! Yes, I did say buy. When you buy this tag for $1, you put it on your bag's handle. Each time you shop at CVS they will scan it. On your 4th visit you will get a $1 back to use on your next order. Now, it has paid for itself AND for every future 4th visit.....Cha Ching! you've made a dollar just for using a reusable bag! You can read more about this here.

Did you know that Target will give you 5 cents off your order for each reusable bag you use? You can read more on that here. Just click the arrow to the right of the screen and it will scroll to the information on that.

So watch out for those promotional coupons to get free bags, and check your closets. I bet in no time you will have enough bags to fulfill all your shopping needs. (Believe me, you do not need tons of these! I have 6 or 7, and that is ample for my family of three's shopping trips. I normally don't even use all of them in one trip.) If not, maybe just invest in one bag a trip. Then it's not too big of an expense all at once.

Tip:
After you come home from shopping, and empty those bags, be sure to put them somewhere that you will remember to grab them before going to the store. I can't tell you how many times I got to the store and realized I had left them at home! Grrr! To help solve this, I fold them and put them all into one bag in my pantry. I am normally checking my pantry before heading out to the store anyway. Or, you could just fold them neatly and put them by the door and place them in the trunk of your car the next time you head out. That way you always have them with you. :)

I hope you all have been enjoying this series, and have found ways that you can Save Your Wallet While Helping Save the Earth. :) If you would like to read the previous tips just click here. I'd love to hear about some of the tips that you have started using, or have even improved on!

Happy Shopping!
Jennifer

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #12

2011-11-07T23:59:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Happy Hopping!

Jennifer

Pam Cooking Spray Review

2011-11-07T07:35:00.005-05:00

Hi all,
I received a fantastic opportunity to review the New & Improved Formula Pam cooking spray! Now, I was thinking to myself....New & Improved, 70% better? How can it get any better? I've never had any complaints when using Pam in the past. So, I was anxious to see this new formula put to the test.

I was so excited when I went to the post office and got one of those cards saying I had a package too big to fit in my box. Love it when that happens! It's like Christmas. :) Smiley360.com graciously sent me a great package with everything I needed for the review. It contained a free voucher for a full size Pam cooking spray, one free voucher for Hunts tomatoes, a recipe pamphlet, a Pam spatula, and a fantastic Pyrex baking dish. Woo Hoo!!

I was asked to put Pam to the test. Pick sticky ooey gooey recipes. Soooo.......I thought of my favorite go to pasta dish.....what I like to call a very simplified baked ziti. Besides, it's my daughter's favorite, and she was having a friend over for dinner. :) So, I took my baking dish and sprayed it down with the New & Improved Pam Cooking Spray. Followed the back breaking (NOT!) recipe linked above, and popped it in the oven. About 50 minutes later....

Had to use my own baking dish since I was making a double batch for company.

Look at all that cheese, tomato sauce, and pasta!! Doesn't it look delish? AND sticky? Well, it was delish, but definitely not sticky! It was a hit with my daughter's little friend. I covered what was left and popped it in the fridge for leftovers the next day. Nooowww, were talking dried hard pasta and spaghetti sauce right?! WRONG!!

Take a look at my baking dish after just spraying down with cold water, while I was letting the water heat up. Then once the water got hot....

Yep, JUST hot water!!! No rubbing, scrubbing, or soap! I was amazed! So then I proceeded with my soft dishcloth and dish soap, leisurely cleaning my baking dish, pretty much just enjoying the warm water. :) Ahhh!! No, frustrating spots that I have to use my scouring pad on, rubbing and rubbing, breaking a sweat saying, "C'mon!!!! Grrrr!!!!"

Just in case you need more proof....

Fried eggs, Look at that sparkling pan!

Baked Chicken!

Once again, that is after just spraying hot water on the dish. The rest came off with me gently rubbing off with my fingers under the running water.

Needless to say....I was impressed and very pleased. The Pam cooking spray is still my number one pick for non-stick cooking!

Thanks PAM for my free can of cooking spray! Click PAM Cooking Spray to download a $0.50 off coupon for the new & improved Pam Cooking Spray.

I hope you all enjoyed my review!

Happy Cooking!
Jennifer

Disclosure: Thank you to Pam & Smiley360.com who provided me with the package above with everything I needed for this review free. The opinions are completely my own.

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #2

2011-11-02T09:54:00.000-04:00

,
Hi all,
With cool weather upon us and cold weather on it's way, I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch to a warm, crackling fire. I've got another great tip to share with you to Save Your Wallet While Helping Save the Earth (if you missed the first one, just click here). So, tip #2....toilet paper and paper towel rolls....the empty ones. ;) You know we all have them. Now I'm going to share three things you can do with all of those rolls besides just throwing them in the garbage.

Number 1:
The most obvious choice...just recycle. Toss them in your recycle bin.

Number 2:
Take them to your laundry room. Yep, you read correctly. Toss them in a bag, tote, box (whatever will keep them nice, neat, and easily accessible). I'm sure most of you know that lint from your dryer is highly flammable. Which is why you should always clean out the lint between loads. Take that lint and push it into that empty roll. Keep adding after every load. Once filled you've got yourself a perfect fire starter for that warm, crackling fire I was talking about!

Cha Ching!!!! No more buying fire starter logs! Or breaking your back splitting kindling.

I take this even a step further. Once there's enough lint to plug the bottom of the roll, I go to our office. Pull open the door to our shredder and stuff a pinch of shredded paper down in there. Then I just continue the layering....lint, paper, lint, paper...you get the idea, until full. The last layer is always the lint so that I don't have shredded paper falling out everywhere.

This number 2 method keeps the rolls, lint, and shredded paper out of the land fills and serves a very practical purpose. I love practical!

Is this method not glamorous enough for you? Well, I've got something great for you to use those rolls for that will glam your decor!

Hence,
Number 3:
This tip will appeal to decorators and crafters. My friend over at Thrifty Crafty Girl has found a fantastic tutorial on how to use those empty rolls. You know those expensive decorative metal scroll wall hangings? She found a way (through another great blogger), on how to mimic those for just the cost of some glue and paint!

Just take a look!

Can you believe those are toilet paper rolls?! What a fantastic way to utilize something that is just going to be thrown away, and make it into something beautiful. I LOVE that! For all you crafters.....don't you love the idea of crafting without having to buy all the materials?

Another win win in my book!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed all my tips for those empty rolls. Enjoy those warm fires!

Happy Recycling!
Jennifer

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #11

2011-11-01T06:38:00.001-04:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Happy Hopping!

Jennifer

My Fall Kitchen Table 2011

2011-10-30T17:25:00.000-04:00

Hi all,
Well, here's my fall kitchen table decorations. The tall basket stays on our table all year round. It normally has ivy in it. For this time of year I just put in some fall foliage that I picked up at Michaels last year for 50% off. :) I picked up the runner at our local Dollar General two years ago. It is so colorful and vibrant, you should really go check out the Dollar General in your area. You won't believe the cute holiday decor you can find there!

The little scarecrow was picked up at Big Lots about 7 years ago for a dollar I think. Added a great smelling red candle in a beautiful glass jar.

The bronze leaf pedestal bowl was a great outdoor market find. I just fill it with some leaf garland and faux gourds and jeweled fruit. I took some of the remaining leaf garland and wrapped it around the bottom of the bowl for color.

This cute little terracotta bunny also stays on the table all year. For the fall decor, I just gave her a cute little bow (left over from that purple ribbon I mention in my front door post) and added a sprig of the fall berries in the center. Doesn't she look cute?

How are you decorating this fall? I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas!!

Happy Decorating!
Jennifer

My Fall Front Door Picture for 2011

2011-10-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

Hi all,
I've had my front door decorated now for almost a month, and I'm just getting around to posting the pictures. Better late than never! :) I usually stick with a more fall theme then the Halloween theme. That way I can keep it up until Thanksgiving. Well, up until the weekend before Thanksgiving, which is when I normally decorate the outside for Christmas.

After Halloween, the jack-o-lantern will be replaced with a mum. The small pumpkin on the mini bale of hay is faux. We got it a Michaels a couple of years ago. My daughter painted a ghost on one side, a happy jack-o-lantern face, and a girl jack-o-lantern. She just turns them around when she sees fit. :)

I finished off the look with a spotlight so that the whole display can be seen at night.

My front door needed something, and I didn't have a nice colorful fall wreath. So my thrifty decorating wheels starting turning in my brain.....I had two of those cinnamon brooms, that no longer smelled of cinnamon, some leaf garland, and some purple checked wire ribbon that I got on sale at Dollar General last year for $.25. I just criss crossed the brooms, wired them, wrapped the leaf garland around and secured with wire. Then tied a bow with the purple ribbon and well-ahhh! A nice colorful fall door arrangement! I was quite pleased.

The bale of hay was lacking something, so I put a cornucopia at the scarecrow's feet. I stuffed a small yellow towel in the bottom and filled the top with leaves that fell from the garland, and some faux fruit. I think it filled in that space nicely. If you look at the bottom of this picture, you can see the girl jack-o-lantern my daughter painted.....green eye shadow and all. :)

I hope you all have been enjoying your fall so far!

Happy Decorating!
Jennifer

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #1

2011-10-26T08:07:00.001-04:00

Hi all!
I haven't been posting very often lately. Been waiting for some inspiration. I've got some great posts planned and hope you will be sure to come back to see what I've come up with. :)

While we are definitely not the greenest family....I have been trying to slowly find ways to help reduce our carbon footprint. In doing so, I have found that I am also increasing the green in our wallet. Woo Hoo!! In discovering this revelation, it has inspired some great ideas for blog posts. Yipee! This is just a win, win, win situation! :)

Hence was born...."Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth" tips. For those of you who are super green heroes, bare with me and don't laugh to hard at this newbie, as we are just easing our way in. For those of you who are new to this whole idea, wait until you see the discoveries I've made! ;)

Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth Tip #1:

Recycling! Duh! Duh! Duuuuuuhhhh! (Insert low piano key tune here!) Don't worry...great tips coming up here:

Our garbage pick up service did not offer recyling, so for years everything has been tossed in the garbage. I mean who has time to:
1)Buy containers to sort, then
2)Find space for all the containers
3)Actually sort them, and finally
4)Make a trip to the recycle center, that is not convenient?

Not me! I found a solution! Another trash service left an advertisement on our mailbox. I called, they offer recycling AND were a couple dollars cheaper per quarter. Save Your Wallet part 1. Hurray!!! No brainer there. I just switched services and well ah....

Nice big recycling can!

No sorting, just rinse, and all the newspapers (ahem...couponers, myself included!!), junk mail, cardboard (cereal boxes), plastic, and cans (not just soda, but veggie too!) I was SHOCKED at how fast that recycle can filled up! I am utterly embarrassed and ashamed to think of all the things that we have just tossed that could have been recycled. Lesson learned, so I guess that's the whole point.

Now onto the Save Your Wallet part 2....I'm not using as many garbage bags. We all no how expensive those can be! Not to mention, less bags in the landfill. Yes, I know there are biodegradable bags, and that I can buy products with less waste...baby steps here! ;)

So call around, see if other garbage services offer recycling in your area. If they are not cheaper or the same price, don't be afraid to ask if they will match your current service price. If you have no luck, then maybe you could just recycle a little at a time, by filling up your plastic grocery bags and taking them back to the grocery store. I've noticed most of them have recycle bins there. You know you are in that store at least twice a week! ;) Even that small baby step will make a difference in how often you have to buy more garbage bags.

I hope you found this post helpful and will check back for more posts on how to, "Save Your Wallet While Helping Save The Earth."

If you have tips or a blog post on this subject to share (especially for those who don't have a garbage pick up that offers recycling), please share in the comments. I'd love to hear ways to improve.

Happy Recycling!

Jennifer

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #10

2011-10-25T05:50:00.004-04:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Happy Hopping!

Jennifer

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #9

2011-10-17T23:59:00.005-04:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Jennifer

Crochet--Lion Brand Yarn creations

2011-10-12T08:51:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
I just had to share with you the projects my DD and I made with our Lion Brand Yarn we received for review. I used my Vanna's Colors-Violet for this "Crosshatch Cowl" that I found on Crochet Pattern Central. The picture really doesn't do this pattern justice! I am definitely not a photographer, and probably should whip out the nicer camera instead of my mobile phone. :)

This pattern was a lot of fun to work on. I just love the scalloped edge and I can't say enough about the yarn. It is soooo soft, fluffy, and easy to work with. Just pure luxuriousness as my DD would say! :) I can't wait for the cooler temperatures so that I can wear it.

My daughter took her Vanna's Colors-Marina and made a scarf. She decided she just wanted to do a simple half double crochet this time. She too looks forward to some nice cold days to wear our handmade softies! She enjoyed this yarn very much as well! I think we both are going to hint around for some this Christmas! ;)

So, what have you been crocheting? I'd love to know! :)

Happy Crocheting!
Jennifer

Angel's Dance Book Review/Giveaway Ends 10/16/11

2011-10-09T20:43:00.009-04:00

Hi all,
I just recently finished reading another great book from Whispering Angel Books. Angel's Dance by Lynn C. Johnston is a beautiful collection of poems. This book of poems is full of love, encouragement, friendship, family and much more.

There are so many wonderful poems in this book like, "Sleep Tight, My Little Darling," which is about a child cuddled up asleep. This one made me think of so many times I have checked on my daughter while she's sleeping so sweetly. "Winter Days," about a wonderful snowy day, reminds me of the walk my husband, daughter and I took last winter in the woods after the snow. Everything was so perfectly untouched, quiet, and pure. Snow like that happens so little here in Georgia. Ahhh....thank you Lynn for whisking me back to all these beautiful memories!

Before each poem, Lynn explains the inspiration in which it derived. I just loved how that made it so much more personal and relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these poems! If you love to read poetry or just uplifting inspiration, I think you would enjoy this book as well. Don't forget, the holidays are right around the corner....this would make a great gift for the poetry lover you know. ;)

You can buy Angel's Dance here. Or, you could win your own copy in the giveaway below. Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter.

Note: Giveaway is open to US residents only please.

Good luck and happy reading!
Jennifer

Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided to me by Whispering Angel Books for the purpose of this review. No other monetary compensation was given. The opinions are all my own.

Time 4 Learning Review--Homeschool Resource

2011-10-04T23:19:00.001-04:00

Hi all,
Well I had almost 4 weeks for my daughter to try out the Time 4 Learning online curriculum. I have to say that I am impressed. Even better than that....my daughter is impressed. That's the key to happy homeschooling!

Just a little background, we have been homeschooling from preschool through 4th grade. She is now in the 5th grade. In the past we have always used Abeka books. They worked just fine for us, but things were becoming stagnant. So, this year I thought we would look into some different curriculums and/or methods of homeschooling in hopes of bringing the fun and excitement of learning back into our day.

Time 4 Learning has definitely fulfilled our goal in bringing back the fun of learning. The lessons are easy for my daughter to independently work on her own, then take quizzes afterwards. She has never been so happy about being quizzed on information. Some of them are set up as interactive game shows. She thinks this is fantastic! She is really enjoying doing her learning on a computer rather than just reading textbooks. She just clicks on Language Arts, Language Extensions, Math, Science, or Social Studies, then just follow the arrow to the lesson plan.

I would have to say that the cartoon characters/graphics within some of the lesson plans are a little hokey to me, but my daughter gets the humor and laughs out loud sometimes. Ahhh! Did you hear that? She's laughing....WHILE LEARNING! Jackpot!

After her daily lesson, I can go online to the parent login to check her progress. I can see what she has completed and I can see her grades on quizzes and tests. If she doesn't do so well on a quiz, no problem. We can go back over the lesson together, clear up any questions, then take the quiz again.

Feeling a little lost, or overwhelmed? They have that covered too! There is a great "Getting Started" page on the website to cover most of the initial questions of how this works and how to use it. There is also a fantastic "Parent Forum" that you can join to get to know others who are using the curriculum. There are plenty of parents there who are more than willing to share their knowledge or help you with any questions/concerns, or to just make friends with others who are taking this homeschooling journey right along with you.

Still have questions or need help? You can email or call Time 4 Learning for fast responses to all your needs. I myself had a question, so I emailed and got a response within a couple of hours. Impressive!

Here's what they have to offer for one low monthly fee.

Time4Learning includes the following:

Time4Learning is web based, so there is no software to download, no CDs and nothing additional to purchase. Members can access the program 24/7 from anywhere with a computer and an internet connection.

Go check it out. I know I am very happy with what I found! I hope you all are having a wonderful school year. I know things are looking brighter here. :) Yipee!

Happy Homeschooling!

Jennifer

Disclosure: I was given a free trial for my review. All the opinions are my own.

Note: I would love it if you would email me for questions and my referral information if you choose to give it a try! I do get compensated for referrals. ;)

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #8

2011-10-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Jennifer

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #7!! Link up every Tuesday :)

2011-09-27T08:33:00.003-04:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Jennifer

"Nurturing Paws" Book Review & Giveaway Ends 9/29/11

2011-09-22T19:52:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
With the recent passing of our beloved pekingese Lexxy, it seems only fitting to share my thoughts on a book I received recently for review.

"Nurturing Paws" edited by Lynn C. Johnson, is Whispering Angel Books latest anthology. I thoroughly enjoyed this smorgasbord of poems and short stories, all about loved pets. It was very therapeutic sitting with my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Princeton, reading all of the heartwarming sentiments shared in this book. There is nothing like the unconditional love of a pet. I know when Princeton looks at any of us with those lovey dovey eyes, we just melt. "Nurturing Paws" is filled with pet owners that feel the same way.

I most liked the stories that tell of how the author unexpectedly fell head over heels in love with the animal they were writing about. For example, the short story, "Fletcher" by Barbara Moe, really made me chuckle. This story tells of how a woman reluctantly agreed to take care of her son's overactive lab while his family went on vacation. The first day was so trying that she thought she better have Fletcher boarded. She shares a hilarious tale of a quite eventful first walk among other things. I loved reading the unlikely friendship that evolved between the woman and the lab. I was grinning ear to ear after this story.

The story of Sweet William, a loving cat, in "Flower Power" by Cona Gregory-Adams, also warmed my heart with these lines, "When William climbs into my lap, curls himself into a ball, begins to purr, and places his paws on my cheeks, my heart melts like warm butter. It's more satisfying than a caramel sundae or a cheesecake brownie."

If you are an animal lover, I just know that you will enjoy this book as much as I did. With the holidays quickly approaching, it would also make a fantastic gift for those animal lovers, who also enjoy a good book! Be sure to visit Whispering Angel Books to get your own copy of "Nurturing Paws."
Whispering Angel Books will donate a portion of your purchase price to animal charities.

Or, better yet, win your own copy of "Nurturing Paws" in my giveaway! :) Just use the Rafflecopter entry form below. US residents only.

Happy Reading!
Jennifer

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Nurturing Paws for the purpose of this review. I received no monetary compensation. The opinions of this book are completely my own.

Thrifty Peach Blog Hop #6

2011-09-19T23:59:00.001-04:00

Hi all,

Just Peachy in Dixie and the wonderfully whitty "Thrifty Crafty Girl" have combined our two blog names to create....

Link up below, and I hope you all have a blessed day!

Jennifer

We love you Lexxy!! You will be missed dearly!

2011-09-16T12:19:00.002-04:00

Lexxy Li Chin

1998-2011

Hi all,
A week ago today we had to make the heart wrenching decision to have our beloved pekingese, Lexxy laid to rest. She gave us 13 years of pure joy! She was much more than just the family pet, she was a whole hearted member.

I remember like it was yesterday when my husband and I went to the breeders house. Out came this big ball of fur, not much bigger than a saucer with a teeny curled up tail. She went straight over to my husband and laid her chin on his foot. He looked up at the breeder and said, "We're done." Then off the three of us went home. While she loved us all, from that moment on, she was definitely a Daddy's girl

There are so many fond memories of our little fatty patty, but I will share one funny one with you now. My husband and I had had a long day, so we decided to make a very simple dinner of hot dogs. We had had Lexxy for about a month, so she was still under foot constantly trying to pull off our socks (I think this is when I began to love walking barefoot!), and demanding our undivided attention, which we willing always gave. My husband decided he would sit on the floor in front of the TV so that his "little baby" could sit close by. My husband turned for just a moment to put his Coke on the coffee table, and BAM! Lightening fast, our dear sweet angel grabbed the end of that hot dog, so temptingly poking out of the bun, and yanked it right out. Imagine a magician yanking a table cloth out from under the plates, accept with ketchup, mustard, and chili!

Then began the chase....how can something so small run so fast, all the while scoffing down a hot dog like a pelican would a fish?! Ugh! So much for a quick meal and a night of relaxation, as we had a mess of condiments all over our beige carpet! We couldn't help but laugh as we scolded her with a, "Bad Girl!" she puts her chest down on the carpet and butt up in the air, wagging that little curled tail, as if to say...."Let's do that again!"

I thank God for memories like that. I know that she was put on this earth by God for our pleasure, and pleasure did we get!

We love you Lexxy! You will be missed dearly!