Fru-Gal.org

A new dining room table.

2018-08-09T15:18:00.000-04:00

Our new table!

Our well-loved and broken IKEA table... it was time to go.

Hello fru-gal friends! It's been a super long time since I last posted on my blog. Since my last post, we've had another baby and moved across country. Though life can get crazy with homeschooling and ministry and life in general, I'm going to try to start setting more time aside again to share my frugal adventures with you.

When we moved from Colorado to Florida last summer, our beloved IKEA dining room table got a little banged up in the moving truck. We've made do and still put it to good use over the last year, but when a friend of mine offered her kitchen table for free, I said, "We'll take it!"

My wonderful husband sanded it down, refinished it, and brought it back to new life. It looks gorgeous and I love it. 😍

Frugal Homeschool - Keeping Curriculum Affordable and My Plans for Next Year

2017-01-24T19:39:00.003-05:00

One of the many benefits of homeschooling that I listed in my previous post, Falling in Love with Homeschooling, is the affordability of homeschooling. And depending on which curriculum you choose, it can be even more affordable! I tend to pick and choose curriculum in a more eclectic approach instead of buying an all-in-one package per grade, which fits my teaching style better and saves our family even more money.

After doing some research, I've already purchased my curriculum for next year (so exciting)! I'll have a second grader and kindergartner to teach. I wanted to share with you what my plans are and how much I spent (less than $60 for each grade)! This is a great deal in comparison to some of the package deals. For example, the Sonlight Curriculum for the full second grade package costs over $800!

Here's what I spent per grade:

2nd Grade:

Horizons Math Workbook 1 & 2 - $19.96 each

Explode the Code Phonics 2 - $12.08

DK Workbooks 2nd Grade Geography - $5.83

K12Reader.com 2nd Grade Spelling - Free

What's in the Bible DVDs (my mom-in-law owns the set) - Free

Total: $57.83

Kindergarten:

Horizons Math Workbook 1 - $19.96

LIFEPAC Language Arts Set - $39.96

Total: $59.92

We have been using Horizons for first grade math this year and love it! The reviews are very good

and I enjoy how it's an easy format to teach with the workbooks and repeats the content throughout the book for mastery of various concepts. We usually do 1-2 pages of math a day and it works really well for our schedule. I bought this curriculum again for both of my kids.

The Horizons phonics/language arts curriculum wasn't as well rated as their math, so I decided to go with something different for Language Arts. For my second grader, I'm pretty privileged to have a retired school teacher/administrator for a mom, so she has been putting together literacy lessons that correlate to various books for our reading. I also purchased Explode the Code for phonics instruction and use K12reader.com for a free 36-week spelling program.

I wanted something more put together for my kindergartner that I wouldn't have to do a lot of prepwork for and decided to try the LIFEPAC language arts set (with teacher book and two student work books). I like how there are additional activities suggested in the teacher book to go along with each lesson, and many of these are Bible based activities.

My kids also go to AWANA each week, which I consider part of their Bible curriculum. They

memorize verses and learn various lessons. In addition, I'm using What's in the Bible for my second grader as my mom-in-law has the entire DVD set, plus there are free resources online to go along with the DVDs. They're very thorough, informative, and fun with catchy songs and funny puppets.

I'm trying DK Workbooks for 2nd grade Geography. The workbooks are relatively cheap on Amazon and I thought I'd try one since it has good reviews. If we like it, I may purchase the 2nd grade science workbook also.

My kids also go to an all-day homeschool enrichment program at a local charter school on Fridays, so I'm very thankful and blessed that they get many electives taught to them by amazing teachers for free, including art, music, and science. Plus, they enjoy the social time with friends and the fun of going to a "big" school.

I'll let you know what I think of these different resources as we use them and if I plan to buy them again in future years. It's always nice to hear what other home school families are doing and I'd love to hear what curriculum you use and recommend!

Impossibly EASY Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

2016-11-22T12:01:00.002-05:00

I've never made a pumpkin pie, let alone a gluten-free one, but I thought I'd give this "Impossible Pumpkin Pie" recipe a shot with Thanksgiving approaching! I did a practice run this morning and it was super easy AND delicious! The kids loved it. The recipe does still call for eggs and dairy, but if you need a gluten-free alternative, I definitely recommend this recipe (it can also be made with regular Bisquick if you don't need it to be gluten-free, but want an easy pie recipe)!

Ingredients
2 tbsp. melted butter
13 oz. evaporated milk (or non-dairy creamer)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cup pumpkin puree (16 oz.)
1/2 cup gluten-free biscuit and baking mix
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a pie pan and set aside.
2. In a blender, combine all ingredients in order given. Beat for 1 minute on high (or 2 minutes if doing by hand). Pour batter into pie pan. Bake until knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.

Shoe box time!

2016-10-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

"I had never received a gift before, but inside my shoebox I found a yo-yo, a toy car, and some pencils—pencils made in the United States! I felt so proud that someone in America loved me. I don’t have the yo-yo anymore. I don’t have the toy cars or the pencils either, but I have one thing that has not changed: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” The shoebox gave me all that I need and that’s the Lord Jesus Christ." Kojo's story of receiving a shoe box when he was a boy in Ghana

It's my favorite time of the year... time to pack Operational Christmas Child shoe boxes! If you haven't participated in this ministry before, you're missing out on a wonderful privilege to bless impoverished children around the world with a shoe box full of presents (plus the amazing gift of the Gospel). National Collection Week is November 14-21, so there's still time to pack a shoe box (or more)! Find out how at Samaritan's Purse.

A home school afternoon - dead heading marigolds and collecting seeds for next year

2016-09-21T16:20:00.001-04:00

It's such a beautiful time of the year with Fall approaching. Today was a lovely day to be outside, so after we finished a majority of our homeschooling in the morning, the kids went outside to play. I asked my daughter if she'd like to help me dead head the marigolds in our flower garden (which is always kind of fun and relaxing to me). She quickly learned how and took over the job, also finding out that the really dead heads had a lot of marigold seeds to be had. Little brother soon joined in on the hunt for marigold seeds, and now we have plenty of marigold seeds to grow new flowers next Spring!

I love when these sweet little learning moments happen during our day and I decided that Social Studies can wait until tomorrow, as we enjoy our impromptu Science lesson today.

Gluten-Free "Bisquick" Quiche from Scratch.

2016-09-14T15:45:00.001-04:00

Quiche is one of my favorite foods that I rarely make because of my dear husband's egg allergy. However, I had a friend drop off some farm fresh eggs this past weekend and I decided to make a quiche as a treat for myself while my husband was away for a work trip! Here is my adapted version of a quick and easy Bisquick quiche recipe, using rice flour and potato flour to make it completely gluten free:

Step One - Prepare the Bisquick substitute
Makes about one cup.

1 cup flour - I use mostly rice flour, with about 1 tbsp. potato flour (you could also use regular wheat flour if you don't need it to be gluten-free)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. shortening

Mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening.

Step Two - Prepare the Quiche
(adapted from this Bisquick Quiche recipe on Cooks.com)

1-2 cup fillings of your choice (example broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, etc.)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups milk
All of the Bisquick mix from the step above
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease 10" pie plate or 8" square.
3. Sprinkle fillings, onions and cheese in plate.
4. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth and pour into plate.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I didn't have many extra ingredients on hand, so I prepared a simple cheese quiche using some yummy sharp provolone and colby jack cheeses. We also happened to have some green onions growing in the garden, so I diced them up and added them in. The kids and I ate up most of the quiche pie in one sitting. :)

$5 Backpacks at Hollar!

2016-07-24T19:07:00.001-04:00

There are some adorable backpacks available right now for $5 at Hollar! Search for "backpack." Just make sure to check for full size (15" or taller) as some are mini-backpacks. I've ordered these myself for my kids and they're very nice quality, but don't stay in stock long!

Summer, so far.

2016-07-23T22:45:00.001-04:00

Summer has been busy, but also fun. I've enjoyed the break from home schooling, which is quickly coming to an end. We'll start back up on August 1st. Here's some random glimpses into our summer, so far!

Birthday date night a week ago with my handsome hubby.

We went to the carnival in June!

We were the first on the ferris wheel, had it all to ourselves on opening night!

I've been getting our "classroom" set up for the new school year!

David had his fourth birthday on the fourth of July! He got his dream present from both grandparents and us.

Our flower garden is blooming! The kids and I started these from seeds back in April.

My youngest, Joel, and I made a trip to New York to see family and friends in June.

Joel with his great grandma!

We've enjoyed discovering some really nice parks this summer!

Sweet summertime fun.

Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to see this view. Rocky Mountain majesty.

Jesse hung up the swing that my grandfather made for us. We love it!

Falling in Love with Homeschooling!

2016-05-16T17:37:00.000-04:00

A year of kindergarten.

This stack of papers might not seem that momentous to you, but to me, it is a year of kindergarten accomplished! A year of perseverance, day by day, preparing lessons, sitting down with my kindergartner, keeping the younger kids occupied, and teaching home school.

I went to public school and then a Christian college, but I never had much experience personally with home schooling until I became a parent. My husband, who also went to public school, was the one to really encourage me to try home schooling and stick with it. He saw the value in it, and even though I did too, he was my main motivator to keep me going in the beginning.

As we began, I tended to look at the overwhelming big picture of preschool through high school home schooling and definitely sensed how big of a commitment that was. And it is a huge commitment! But, as I've gone, I've realized the take it day by day, moment-by-moment, approach helps keep me sane. That stack of papers proves it. We have made much progress since last August! And one day we'll cross the finish line of graduation.

School in our pajamas!

I've also realized how much I've fallen in love with homeschooling as I've continued in it. This is my third year teaching my daughter, with two years of preschool before, and this our kindergarten year. We've accomplished reading! A significant achievement and confidence builder for myself as a first time kindergarten teacher and for my little girl who is very smart, but reading hasn't come easily or naturally. I was the same way, struggling in reading early on, and then majoring in English. So we keep persevering and it is starting to snowball. I've also treasured how special it is to know that I've been the main teacher in my child's life, from the very beginning with "this is the letter A."

At Denver City Park on a field trip.

We've enjoyed discovering more about our daughter this year. She is a dancer! We realized this after putting her in a free church musical program, where she ended up knowing every dance move and not missing a beat. She loves the arts and I'm so glad I can foster our schooling towards her strengths. We may try a Christian dance group this upcoming year. She does weekly gymnastics and now practically cart wheels around the house instead of walking. We've seen her greatly improve in her form and abilities. She has had the opportunity to take a weekly art class at a local Christian school and has loved learning more about different types of art. She's also done great in weekly AWANA, memorizing Bible verses with friends.

At the Denver Museum of Nature and Science!

What I love about homeschooling:

Not running around. Probably one of the biggest perks in my mind. I hate to be busy and I'm not a morning person. We wake up slowly, enjoy the morning as a family, and I don't have to hustle and bustle the kids around.
More focused teaching, more time to play. Our one-on-one homeschooling allows us to accomplish more focused teaching, more learning in a shorter period of time, and a lot more time to go outside and play!

Playing outside on a beautiful day!
Flexibility. I love the flexibility in our schooling hours. I can work around other events or ministries, coffee with friends, nice weather, etc. We can do school in the mornings on colder days, allowing the kids to be outside when it's warmest, or do school in the afternoons on the warmer days, allowing the kids to be outside when it's not unbearably hot.

Bible. We teach Bible in our home school. It is prioritized on a daily basis right up there with English and Math. I value that we can have the freedom to study our faith and learn the Bible together as a family. The kids also do weekly AWANA, and this allows us plenty of time to memorize our weekly verses.
More opportunities as they grow. I know several high school home schoolers who can take advantage of opportunities that their peers can't because of their more flexible schooling schedules. They can take babysitting jobs during the day and get their school work done in the evening, or volunteer in a field that interests them while their peers are in the confines of a classroom.
A personalized approach. As parents, we know our children best. Each child is different and learns in a unique way. Homeschooling allows a parent to teach their children the way they best succeed. And besides, parents are the biggest fans of their children, with an affinity and care that flows naturally into the homeschooling classroom.
Community with other homeschooling families. I'm very thankful to have a supportive group of fellow homeschooling moms that I can go through this journey with. We have a wonderful time on field trips together and just having coffee together sometimes while our kids play.

Day in the mountains with good friends and a fellow homeschooling family!
A frugal option. I thought I should mention this since my blog is about living frugally. We do home school on the cheap! Last year, I spent maybe $50 on home school supplies. There is so much available these days on the Internet and I have been creating my own curriculum. Even with buying a curriculum, homeschooling is an affordable option besides public schooling.

We are already gearing up for an abundant year of home school next year. I'll have two children to teach, a full time first grader and a four year old who will start official home school preschool. As with this year, I'm planning on pulling together my own curriculum using various resources online. I'm taking the rest of May and June off, and will start in July, trying a "year-round" model of homeschooling with more frequent, but shorter breaks. I've enjoyed trying new ways of doing homeschooling, too, throughout the past few years, to figure out what works best for us.

My classroom of three.

Through it all, homeschooling has certainly grown on me! In fact, now I love it! I know homeschooling doesn't work for every family, but I've realized more and more that it works wonderfully for us. The days aren't usually glamorous. Sometimes I don't even leave the house, and it's still somehow a mess. But I've realized that I have a heart for teaching, that I grew up around teachers and have a degree in education, and I'm so grateful that I can use that passion and gift with my precious children at home.

Do I really have to love my enemies? Surely the Lord understands my grudges.

2016-03-04T16:03:00.000-05:00

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew 5:43-48

Do I really have to love my enemies?

Many of us who consider ourselves Christ-followers live like we do not, and that somehow the Lord is alright with this. However, I think the Lord is clear on this matter. Yes, you must love your enemies, as a son or daughter of the Father. There is no room for grudges or turning our backs or withholding forgiveness as a believer. In fact, we must do the opposite and move toward our enemies in love.

It is absurd that we, who all were enemies of God, who were sought out by the Father at the expense of His own Son, who were completely forgiven, covered with grace, made to be His own children, co-heirs with Christ, say in our lifestyle, "Sorry, Lord, you must understand that I cannot love that person and I will not forgive them."

Yes, Christian, it is hard, it is death to self, and it is simply beyond the capacity of a human, sinful heart. But, it is the Gospel and it is powered by the Holy Spirit within our new hearts.

And when someone causes us pain, we can rest in our brotherhood with our Lord Jesus, the most elevated example to us of love for our enemies. He was betrayed by his closest friends, mocked by the crowds he came to save, and hated unto death for his message. We can rest in his words of shared suffering, "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first." John 15:18

Will people hate you because of the Christ who resides within you, Christian? Oh yes, they will. If you live by the Spirit, it will cause you persecution, no matter where you reside in this world. It will cause you to see the type of hatred that the Lord saw. But rest in His words that you are sharing in His power, "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved."

Matthew 10:22

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

So what do we do when we experience this hatred? The world says to hate back, to walk away from the relationship, to give a cold shoulder, and that such a response is completely justifiable. There's nothing unique or honorable about this type of response. It is what most people do.

Yet, perhaps the reason that a hateful person has been put into your life is so that you can show them the Gospel. And you show them the Gospel by doing what the natural man cannot do; you love them. You sincerely pray for their good. You serve them. You let your own reputation be stained by them, and you refuse to slander. You entrust yourself to the Lord, who will reward you, and will use your love as a testimony of His love toward this person. Because He loves them, just as He loved you before you knew Him, when you hated Him, too.

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

And if we consider ourselves Christ-followers and live a life of grudges and resentment, this is cause for heart-evaluation. We have desperately wicked hearts that can deceive us, and there is a real battle going on by a real enemy who wants to keep people deceived, blinded, in church, and utterly lost.

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Matthew 7:21

Have you experienced hatred for the Gospel that lives within you? I've personally experienced this type of hate several times since becoming a Christian. Each time, I've also experienced a deeper understanding of the Father and the assurance of His work in me, as well as the reality of spiritual warfare. I've experienced the joy of His sufferings as I'm hated for His name. It is truly being crucified with Christ to respond in love toward one's enemies, and yet it causes inexpressible joy to suffer with Him.

Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:22-23

And when I have been tempted to play the game back, to follow my flesh and be spiteful and bitter, the Lord has disciplined me and rebuked me, "No, not my child... you will not act that way. Other people may act that way, but I will not let you do that as my child." It reminds me of how my husband and I discipline our own children out of love for them; you will not act that way, even if the other kids do.

So take heart Christian, acquainted with sorrows, rejected by men. You are the "fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

Many will turn away from Jesus, but some will find the narrow way. Keep loving in this hostile world, keep speaking Life without the fear of man, and what a powerful testimony of God's love you will be when you love even those who hurt you.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18a

Working on next year's home school

2016-02-27T14:14:00.002-05:00

Our six year old next to "Goliath"

We've been having a fun year of kindergarten home school with our oldest child and most recently, our three and a half year old has started basic preschool! I'm planning ahead for next year as we'll have a first grader and preschooler. Things are getting busy around here!

There are so many wonderful and free resources on the Internet, that I'm planning on spending very little on our home school next year, but instead pulling together a lot of it myself. I thought I'd share a few great sites for you in case you're interested or want to just work on some things with your children at home for free:

Pinterest: Pinterest is a wonderful tool. Just type in whatever topic you're planning to teach and a whole lot of ideas pop up. I pin them by subject so I can find them down the road when my younger kids are learning about the same topic again.

Teachers Pay Teachers: Another wonderful site. Sign up for a free account and then you can search for items based on grade, subject, and even if the items are free (some do cost money).

3 Dinosaurs: A blogger with a ton of useful content and printables. I used this blog for our kindergarten phonics (CVC words, sight words, etc...).

K12 Reader: A complete spelling curriculum for 1st-5th grade! Need I say more. Spelling, check.

Worksheet Works: Make your own handwriting practice printables to say whatever you want! There's also helpful math, science, and calendar printables. I used this site to create handwriting printables for our Bible curriculum next year. We'll be going through Proverbs, and each week, we'll have a theme verse to copy. You can choose print, cursive, or pre-cursive practice.

Let me know if you have any free home school resources that you use! What a blessing to have the worldwide web at our finger tips... There's an abundance of home school resources out there!

Life hack: Extend the life of your kids' dress shoes!

2016-01-16T12:57:00.002-05:00

I'm probably not the first person to come up with this, but since I did indeed come up with it without seeing it done by anyone else first, I'm claiming it as my own little "life hack." :)

My children tend to be rough on their shoes. I'm sure this is a common problem! If your little one has black dress shoes that are scuffed, here's a little trick I've discovered to make those shoes appear newer and nicer.

Take a black permanent marker and simply color in the scuff marks... Voila! That's it! You may need to reapply the marker after several more wears. I guess I've perfected this skill during my year of not buying clothes/shoes.

So there you have it, a simple way to extend the life of your little ones' shoes and "make do" with what you have. Besides, they'll probably outgrow their shoes quicker than it's worth to buy a whole brand new pair!

$0 Clothing Budget for 2015 is coming to a close!

2015-12-31T12:21:00.000-05:00

A year ago, I made a big, crazy Fru-Gal resolution to spend $0 on clothes in 2015... the year has already gone by and I'm sure you're interested in how we managed. So did we make it all year without buying clothes for our family of five?

Yes and no... we managed to not spend any money on clothes this year out of our normal clothing budget, but we did buy some items with gift money (birthdays, holidays). That was a lifesaver with the kids... there were some unforeseen expenditures such as school uniforms or shoes that got outgrown too quickly and so on.

Personally, I think I could have gone all year without spending money on myself quite easily, but the kids were more of a challenge.

I've learned throughout the year that I can, more often than not, get by with what we have instead of buying things just because they were a good deal or I thought we "needed" them or I had an urge to shop. It also allowed me to trust in God and see His provision in so many ways.

To be truthful, I'm looking forward to being able to shop and spend money on clothes and not having to worry about how much we have in gift money reserves. However, I'm also hopeful and a little more prepared to curb the unnecessary purchases as much as possible.

How are you doing on your frugal living journey? I don't have any big, crazy frugal resolution for 2016 but I do hope to find new, bigger ways to live a generous life. Thanks for joining me in the journey!

Frugal living for the grace of giving.

From our family to yours, God bless you in 2016.

My morning cup

2015-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I came across this verse and it really struck me. When we oppress the poor man, we insult not him alone, but the God who made him. If we fear the Lord as we should, that should cause us to pause. And not only pause, but align our lives in obedience.

May we be generous to our neighbors in need this Christmas season and all through the year. May we live generous lives as an act of gratitude and obedience to the Lord, for we have so much to be thankful for here in the United States.

My morning cup

2015-11-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Praise the Lord for this new covenant.

My morning cup

2015-11-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Written to the exiles in Babylon. Even in adversity, seek the welfare of your enemies for it is your welfare, too.

My morning cup

2015-11-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

My morning cup

2015-11-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

My morning cup

2015-11-16T12:10:00.003-05:00

My morning cup

2015-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Currently listening to: "No Longer Slaves" by Bethel Music with Jonathan David & Melissa Helser

2015-10-27T19:08:00.003-04:00

Such a beautiful song with powerful lyrics!

"I'm no longer a slave to fear; I am a child of God."

"Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

Children of Light on the Darkest Night of the Year

2015-10-06T23:52:00.000-04:00

A Traditional Celtic Jack-o-Lantern

Is Halloween just a time of fun dress up for our children? I struggle with this "holiday" every year as many of our friends celebrate it and my children often ask me why we don't. We cannot participate in a real celebration of the dead that involves communing with spirits, and is celebrated around the world on Halloween. The Wiccan religion considers Halloween, or Samhain, one of it's biggest spiritual days, where the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest.

Jack-o-lanterns were originally made to look like the spirits of the dead, carved out of turnips. Later, in America, the pumpkin became the vegetable of choice. The dead are invited to attend Samhain services to commune with the living. The spirit world is believed to be most active on this night. And we send our children out to participate during this night?

If you claim to be a child of God, please consider the following quotes, many are first hand accounts from people who worship on Halloween. Please consider the concluding Bible verses. Let the Holy Spirit work in your heart to see if this is something even worthy to be participating in. Satan is real, his demons are real, evil is real. God is holy and jealous. He has called us out of darkness.

"Halloween, plain and simple is our favorite time of year. A true time for witches, Witchcraft itself, and Wiccans alike who feel that on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is it's least guarded and it's veil the thinnest. It is a time for dimensional openings and workings, it is a somber holiday, one of dark clothes and thoughts for the dead, it is said to be the time when those of necromantic talents can speak with the dead and it is certainly a time to remember ones own dead. Witches believe it is a time of endings of relationships and bad situations and it is the time when one can see the glimmer of hope in the future. There are as many concepts attached to this holiday as any other, truly a time of remembrance of our ancestors and all those who have gone before." From Witchway.net

"Wiccans celebrate a variation of Samhain as one of the yearly Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. It is deemed by most Wiccans to be the most important of the four "greater Sabbats". Samhain is seen by some Wiccans as a time to celebrate the lives of those who have died, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. In some rituals the spirits of the dead are invited to attend the festivities. It is seen as a festival of darkness, which is balanced at the opposite point of the wheel by the spring festival of Beltane, which Wiccans celebrate as a festival of light and fertility.

Wiccans believe that at Samhain the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest point of the whole year, making it easier to communicate with those who have left this world." From Wikipedia

"October 31st is the midway point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. As such it is considered the end of the harvest time, when everything has stopped growing and the earth goes back to sleep. On the Wiccan calendar, known as the “wheel of the year” it is also the day when the god dies, to be reborn again on the Winter Solstice. Samhain is therefore the day when the veil between the living and the dead is considered thinnest, and is a time to remember people in our lives who have passed away." From "I'm Wiccan and this is what Halloween means to Me"

1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Corinthians 10:21
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Ephesians 5:11
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

3 John 1:11
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ephesians 5:6-12
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ...

Romans 13:12
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 12:9
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Ephesians 5:7-12
Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ...

Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

See here for more Bible verses related to celebrating Halloween.

Moist Chocolate Cake and Frosting without Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Nuts, and Soy!

2015-09-21T14:25:00.000-04:00

Here's our new birthday cake recipe that safely feeds everyone in our family (not an easy feat)! I made it a couple weeks ago for my parents who have birthdays five days apart. It was a hit among everyone served! You can also use regular flour in this recipe if you're not gluten free, as that is what the original recipe called for, but I adapted it.

I also made the frosting from a lard base, since there isn't much else that my hubby can have when it comes to frosting. I added some strawberry extract to give it a yummy strawberry flavor, which blends well with the chocolate cake. You could also choose another extract flavor, depending on your preferences.

Moist Chocolate Cake (without Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Nuts, and Soy)

2 2/3 cups gluten-free flour (I used 2 1/3 cup rice flour mixed with 1/3 cup potato flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup cocoa
2 cups water
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup oil (I used canola)
2 tsp. vinegar

Mix the ingredients well. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Allergen-free Lard Based Frosting
1 cup of room temp lard whipped, until almost twice its size.
3 cups confectioners sugar added slowly, while whipping at slow to medium speed.
1 tsp. of extract of your choice (strawberry, vanilla, peppermint, lemon, etc.).

If your frosting is too thick, add water, a tablespoon at a time, and whip thoroughly in.

A peek into our home school week: Noah's Ark and Rainbows

2015-09-20T18:35:00.001-04:00

We have been learning about Noah's Ark this week, reading "A New Beginning" in our Jesus Storybook Bible. To correspond with our Bible lessons, we've also been learning all about rainbows. Here's a peek into our week.

A little artist: working on her "What Makes a Rainbow?" book

I'm amazed at her artistic abilities... she draws a better giraffe than me! :)

Anna went on a color hunt outside to find items of all the colors of the rainbow.

Her completed color wheel.

Rainbow math is fun!

Anna got to draw in some animals on the ark (A giraffe, porcupine, dove, snake, and zebra)

Brother got to help with our rainbow carnations science experiment.

We mixed food coloring into seven jars to make the colors of the rainbow.

Then we added white carnations to see if they would turn colors from the dyed water.

It makes a pretty table centerpiece, too.

During free play, Anna made the alphabet out of play doh. She was quite proud of herself.

Play doh phonics.

Mr. Roy G. Biv.

A project we didn't get to last week during our Adam & Eve/Reptiles week: Snake Pattern Math.

Free Little Girl Leggings with Shop Your Way

2015-09-12T19:16:00.003-04:00

Shop Your Way gave me $5 more in free points today! I was able to get Anna a free pair of denim-look leggings from Sears with free store pick-up. These will be great for Fall/Winter and very versatile.

Yay for free clothes!