FRUGAL FINDS... (my shopping trip to RiteAid)

I have been having fun becoming more frugal... it has been like a game ~ a treasure hunt for me...

I went to Krogers earlier in the week with my grocery list ans coupons in tow and left the store with $117 in groceries with only $32 out of my pocket...I was thrilled and so was my husband and my budget!!

So, I saw where my friend Melissa had went to RiteAid.. and some of the things she got where things that I buy on a weekly basis.  Our closest RiteAid is about 45 min. away, but I was going there for my kids basketball game and thought I would just stop in and see how it would go.

Well, I came out with $25 of items and only spent $9.31 out of my pocket... not bad and certainly worth the few minutes it took me to get my list together and stop by...

  Yes, I know I bought quite a bit of candy, but it's to make an edible cell with the kids for our Human Anatomy class we are doing...

Exploring Human Anatomy and Physiology ~ week 1

This has been a great week ~ the kidlets and I are both loving this...

We bought the journals (I got the Junior Journal for DD since she's only 7) and they really like using them since they are used to notebooking...

This week so far, we've looked at the Ancient Civilizations and how they viewed the body.

The kids learned some great vocabulary words like hypothesis, theory, phlegmatic, and sanguine... We used some homemade flash cards to help with learning their meanings...

We discussed some historical greats in medicine ~ Hippocrates and Aristotle and added them to our timeline journal... they each had to write 3 sentences about what they had offered to medical history from what we had learned in the book..And we used "Usborne Book of Famous Lives" to look up some other info about each of them...

We talked about the theory of spontaneous generation and compared it to the Big Bang theory...

We started a new family read-along on Galen

and watched the "Magic School Bus: Human Body" (more times than I wanted too *LOL*)

The best thing about the week was the experiment the kids got to do using an apple, salt, and baking soda...

First we peeled 2 apples, then we mixed up baking soda and salt         

 then we placed the apples in the bowls and covered one with the salt/baking soda mixture, and left the other exposed to air in a different bowl...

We'll be able to see the results next week (hopefully) ... the kids can't wait since they have already written out their hypothesis...

Spending the week with George ~ George Washington that is...

“I CANNOT TELL A LIE” ~ We loved this unit….

 This week we completed the “George Washington Download N’ GO”… and it was full of great learning ideas and wonderful information.

 We spent only a week, but could have easily spent more time looking at this fascinating man.

 This was an awesome unit and my kidlets and I had a great time learning about George Washington,  “the Father of Our Country”. I had wanted to do this unit with my kids for the educational purposes ~ so they would learn some history, learn about a great president, and get some of our educational goals checked off my list. But this unit brought a lot more to the table than just these things I was looking for ~ we got so much more!!

 This is how the week is set up:

Day 1: Who Was George Washington?

Day 2: People and Places in George Washington’s Life

 Day 3: The Accomplishments of George Washington

 Day 4: Lessons to Learn From George Washington

 Day 5: Remembering George Washington



 With this unit you will learn about:

 That yes ~ he did cut down his father’s beloved cherry tree but the moral lesson in telling the truth is even more valuable to children.

 Your kids venture into math with cherry pie fractions and even bake one for a wonderful after dinner desert.

One thing that was of particular interest to us was that he was a journal keeper and that was something that we recently started with both kids ~ it was a great family discussion talking about what he possibly could have written in his journals.

 Another item that I used was penmanship and how important he felt it was.

The learning continues with a stop at Mt. Vernon and Washington state and continues on through the Revolution.

 Everything is included…All the links to websites, games, and videos to enhance your child’s learning. A booklist is always included with each Download N’ Go unit. I just placed my hold lists online with the library and pick them up. No extra research needed on my part at the library for go-along reading.



With each of the DNG units there is a lapbook you can print out for your kids to complete... If you have never done it before, very clear instructions on how to put it all together are included. We do more notebooking and this unit also includes worksheets that are perfect for this too... The options are really endless with these studies, it really is up to you and your personal family’s learning style…This week we took a different route and spent the week reading books, watching the videos, copy work from the quotes, and making drawings of the famous things mentioned in this unit for a totally new experience with the Download N’ Go’s and it was perfect.

Quoting George Washington, “It is better to be alone than in bad company”, you certainly are in good company when you use The George Washington Unit from Download N’ Go…

 You can find this unit and other titles here. To see what others are saying about Download N'Go George Washington, just click on the Linky tool...Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

 

I was given this unit to use for my personal use in exchange for my honest opinion in review.

FRUAGL FINDS... (my shopping trip to CVS and Walgreens)

Got some great deals at CVS and Walgreens this week... There are lots of good deals out there this week on items we regulary use...

I spent a total of $26 out-of-pocket this week ( this was after using my coupons, Extra-Care bucks, and Rgister Rewards)

Here's what I managed to get this week:

Walgreens:

2 bags of cough drops

Glad Trash Bags (scented 40cnt)

2 bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Valentine Hearts candy (8oz. bags)

1 bag of York Peppermint Valentine candy (8oz bag)

1 bag of M&M's Valentine candy (8oz bag)

paper plates (72 cnt)

Gold Bond Body Wash

Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste



At CVS, I did even better:

Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse

2 (64oz) Welch's Concord Grape juice

2 (12 roll pks.) of Scott Toilet Tissue

8 Vitamin Waters

2  Honest Abe Teas (I love the Pomegranite)

2 bottles Xtra detergent

and then a small bag of Skittles, a roll of Sweettarts, and a Hershey bar (for me and the kids)

Bargain Book Buys!!

Last week I managed to find time to stop in a couple of thrift stores...

I found some great deals at one which was having a 50% off sale...  so for a meager 54cents, I cam out with the following books:

"The Man Who Dropped From the Sky" by Kevin Shyne

"Conquista"  by Clyde Robert Bulla

"Nevada"  by Bernadine Bailey (going to be a great go-along to our states study this summer)

"White Stallion of Lippiza"  by Marguerite Henry  (This book came at a perfect time since we are planning on taking the kids to see them this weekend while they are in town!!)....

Rimmel Make-up FREEBIE at Target...

Saw this great little freebie at Knoxville on a Dime...if your in the need for some make-up and who doesn't like to get it on sale and CHEAP!!  Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara runs $2.24 – $2.99 at Target. You can use these coupons and stack them and get it for  the final price of (as low as) FREE after both coupons. You can probably score some free eye shadow or some other small cosmetic item with this deal if you are not in need of mascara.

Here's the coupons that you need to use...

Use the $2/1 Rimmel Cosmetics Item Target Q

Stack with

$2/1 Rimmel Product Facebook Coupon

 

Go shopping and have fun!!

Mixing Bowl Academy

This week the kids and I had the opportunity to attend a “Mixing Bowl Academy   " cooking class online. I had heard about these "LIVE" cooking classes from the Currclick Newsletter and then I had read about them in the blogs of some friends. But I couldn’t imagine how great these classes actually were, until we took one for ourselves…

Now all along, I have been trying to teach the kids some kitchen “life” skills but it's hard for me, because I don’t always have the patience or the time and I find I leave out important steps along the way ~ simple things like “how-to’s” that you take for granted knowing about…

Sandie (the Mixing Bowl Academy creator and instructor) does a great job in making sure everyone is prepared by sending out the ingredients list and kitchen prep list and then by implementing the step by step instructions ~ making sure everyone is ready before she gives the next step. Her own children do the demonstrations…And you can tell that she “REALLY LOVES” to cook and that carries over to the kids when they are listening to her…

The class we attended was called, “Meatballs and Marinara” and I received my e-mailed list of ingredients the week before the class was scheduled ~ therefore allowing me plenty of time to get all the ingredients together.. No expensive ingredients and the seasoning was items most of us would have on our pantry shelves.

When the time rolled around for our class, I made sure all the ingredients and the kitchen utensils / items were out and ready for the kids. We placed the laptop on the kitchen counter and logged in to start the class…

My 10yo.(Tommy), did most of the chopping, with my 7yo. (Libby) helping with the garlic and some of the onions using our “food chopper” so she didn’t come in contact with any blades. Libby loved being able to saute the garlic and onions and Tommy actually enjoyed working up the Italian sausage and ground beef for the meatballs.

 The kids were proud of themselves and I was pleased that they were able to do it on their own with very little guidance from me. Sandi was in no rush and made sure to answer any questions they might have had. I even learned things from the class like the difference between Panko and regular breadcrumbs.

Here’s the kids in their aprons getting ready to start the class…


 All of our ingredients…


Watching intently as the class starts....


Libby stirring the yummy sauce...


Our delicious marinara ~ we put it in the blender when it was finished, to get rid of the chunkiness ( the kids request) but Paul and I would have loved it either way...


Making our meatballs… (the most fun, I think ~ and they worked together as a team)…




After we were done, both of my kids were asking when they were going to do it again…A sure sign in our house that a class is a hit!!

The best part for this momma, is that my dinner was cooked and I didn’t have to do it and it was delicious served with some whole wheat pasta, salad, and some garlic bread… and there was enough sauce and meatballs left over that I was able to freeze it for a meal at a later time…

• You can find out about other great cooking classes thru Currclick offered by clicking on Mixing Bowl Academy.


• You can click here to find out the menu’s / classes for the Jr. Chef’s class. The class is geared toward ages 8+ the cost is only $30.00 for the month (4 classes) and the whole family can participate!


• Then there is also a Little Chef’s Live class (ages 4-8) that is for those little ones who also want to help in the kitchen. The cost is only $20.00 for the month (4 classes).

Magnificent Moon...

Yes!!! In our house, (as if you didn’t know) we love unit studies…

 Not only because it makes our school day flow much easier in that I only have to teach the material once (even though there is 3 yrs. difference in the age of my kidlets) but because my kids learn best when one topic is presented which peaks their interest and lots of info is given or found about that topic.

So, this week we spent time with a unit study called Magnificent Moon”which is the latest installment in the Download N’Go series…

In short, (if you are not familiar with these) ~ it is an e-book series that takes the best of unit studies adds some lap book elements and puts it all in one printable product! You choose which activities are the best fit for your family and you’re off and running.



Videos, copy work, vocabulary, science, and geography is all in there for you. Also included is a suggested book list for additional reading, family fun activities, and lots more!
We’ve done several DNG’s and though each one was different, we have loved them all.

Our latest adventure with Magnificent Moon was really fun. In it we spent the week looking at:

1. What Exactly is a Moon?

2. Getting to know the Moon

3. The Story of the Moon

4. Science Secrets of the Moon

5. Cool Things about the Moon

This unit was heavy with science and that suited our family to a tee ~ since we love science. We investigated the lives of Issac Newton and Galileo. Discussed the importance of gravity, the Earth’s tug on the moon and spent a little time doing an experiment involving gravity.

One of our activities was to observe and record the phases of the moon which we had some difficulty doing because of the cloud cover. But we looked thru the online almanac to see what the moon was supposed to be doing and what phase it was in and placed it on our graph. And there was even fun learning to be had with Oreos.

We took a lot of time talking about and getting to know the moon which included tides and their relationship to the moon ~ something my son was really interested in. We discussed the rocks on the moon and the surface of the moon ~ “terra, maria, and craters”.

Libby decided to make a “Man in the Moon” craft.
 

The kids enjoyed learning about the Apollo missions and how spacesuits keep astronauts alive and well.  The kids loved meeting the astronauts but they were not big fans of "Tang" orange drink.  I was surprised that only 12 have walked on the moon within a 3 yr. period and 6 Apollo missions..

I even shared with my kids a report I had written in high school about a hero of mine "Sally Ride” who was the first American woman in space on the shuttle and happens to have also been home-schooled.



We even did a few math activities like calculating our weight and our weight on other planets / moon.

Some of the books we used this week were:

and these too


And one really neat book I want to share is “Choose the Fate of the Apollo 13”. This was my son’s favorite read during our time this week.


One of favorite things about DNG units is the small amount of prep work that goes into it for me. Basically I read over the unit and print what we need and that’s it. (30 minutes to an hour at most)…Then if I need to, I can reserve our books from the library ~ this week was a busy one for us and I wasn't going to have the extra 1 1/2 hrs. it takes to drive round- trip to the library we use, so we used books we had at home.

Finally the best thing about a DNG is that there are activites for my daughter (2^nd grade) and also at my son’s level (5^th grade)… And since I learn something new (actually a lot) every time we do a unit ~ it makes our learning together that much more fun!

Here’s some upcoming specials from DNG that you will not want to miss!!!

You can purchase Magnificent Moon for $7.95 here!

Jan. 26th ~ Australia Day, $3.95 off Expedition Australia

Jan. 28th ~ Cool Moon Map giveaway

Jan. 16 - 31 and the Cabin Fever Fun Pack which includes Magnificent Moon, Winter Wonders, Expedition Canada, and Popcorn on sale for $20 (regularly $28).

And if you would like to see what others are saying about Download N’ Go units just click on the linky tool ~

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...



I was given this unit to use for my personal use in exchange for my honest opinion in review.

FM websites...

I thought I would post some great websites that I visit regularly that deal specifically with Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, and Arthritis.

National Fibromyalgia Association

Arthritis Foundation

Fibromyalgia Network

Living with Chronic Pain...

 

This winter the cold weather has really affected my body. I have had increased episodes of pain and immobility. I have noticed an increase in the intensity of the pain and discomfort. This morning I had trouble getting out of bed and even more trouble with dressing. I am sure if someone could have seen me it would have been quite comical. But I thought, why not sit down and write about sentences about how I was feeling as a way to cope this morning, instead of just crying. So here goes my thoughts:

I have Fibromyalgia and Arthritis.

The fibromyalgia diagnosis process can be frustrating. Fibromyalgia can't be easily confirmed or ruled out through a simple laboratory test. Your doctor can't detect it in your blood or see it on an X-ray. Instead, fibromyalgia appears to be linked to changes in the way the brain processes pain signals.

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines for diagnosing fibromyalgia require widespread pain throughout your body for at least three months. "Widespread" is defined as pain on both sides of your body, as well as above and below your waist.

 But fibromyalgia can mimic or even overlap many other conditions. So  they testing for other conditions — such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rhuematoid arthritis, and sleep apnea. It took a year of testing, doctor's visits, and patience before I was diagnosed. Yet, I have FM friends who have struggled for years before they were diagnosed.

I have severe muscle aches and joint pains a large majority of the time.

My eyesight has been affected with blurriness that comes and goes.

I get discouraged when I miss out on the fun things.

I have a wonderful husband who only wants to make things better.

I have 2 great children who understand that somedays mommy doesn't feel well.

I have 2 great childen who help with the housework and offer to get me things to keep me from having to do it on days when I am sick.  

I have periods of depression when I think no one can understand my pain.

I  have "fibro-fog" and constantly forget the simplest things to remember. 

I can know what I want but have trouble expressing it ~ yet again an effect of the "fibro-fog".

I am active with my children and push myself to do everything possible.

Due to a change and increased sensitivity to smells, I sometimes have trouble cooking my favorite foods.

I exercise and I research my diseases so that I can keep up with what's available out there for relief and treatment.  

I sometimes (especially when I have trouble getting out of bed) think  that it's all in my head.

I am only 40, yet some days, I move like I am 80.

I take medication that affects my memory, my senses, and my life.

I worry that so little is known ~ about how it starts and why~

I worry that my children will suffer with the same pain, discomfort, and at times immobility.

I get very little sleep as my neurons are always ready to fire.   

I have lots of doctors appts., chiropractor visits, and bills.

I know my rhematologists office number as well as my own phone number.

I wish others understood that the pain I feel is different from any other pain I have felt.

My challenges have caused me to have a closer relationship with my great God.

I have Fibromyalgia and Arthritis ~  I am learning every day to live with it and be thankful.

The "Be My Valentine" challenge...

I love the "Women Living Well" blog... I enjoy and learn from the all that I read as I go along this path of "Christ follower", "wife", "mother", and "friend"... No matter what label I fall under at that time ~ I can find some understanding and encouragement there...



Recently they implemented the "25 Day Praise Plan" since it is 25 days til' Valentine's Day... Each week the challenge will be the same - to praise, encourage, inspire, admire, build up, thank and appreciate your husband. Each week a different ways to express your praise will be assigned. And you can tweak it for what you think is best for your husband.

I know as women we really think of ourselves at Valentine's Day (and most holidays) ~ and it's so easy to do that...   but according to Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."   We should put others before us and especially our mate.

So Week 1 is ~ Praise him in front of the kids, friends, family, co-workers, on facebook, tweet it - get praise out anyway you can!


Some of the wonderful things about my man are:

1. He loves me and my flaws. And he doesn't leave for work in the morning without kissing me (even though I am usually still asleep)

2. He is understanding when I am achy and tired and I just want to cry because I feel so bad physically. 

3.He doesn't care if the house is a mess or immaculate. If dinner is home-made or grabbed together...

4. He is an excellent father

5. He has a HUGE heart

6. He is kind

7. He lets me steal one of his pillows at night

8. He tries hard to help in the house (even though it isn't how I would do it)

9. He is an excellent provider and gives us everything we need ( and most of what we want)

 10.  He is my friend

 

 

"Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day."

 

Discovering Bays and Estuaries...

Today we went to a homeschool class at Ripley's Auqarium of the Smokies with some friends. It was called "Discover Bays and Estuaries"... It was a great class and the trip to the aquarium was a great finish to a study on Australia since the kids got to see some great sea life and corals ( just like the "Great Barrier Reef")...

In the class the kids learned that salt water is measured by the "salinity gradient" or the change in saltiness. It is measured in parts per 1000 or PPT ~ the number of grams of NaCl per liter...

Here's some other things that we learned ~

Bay and estuaries are classified by their geologic history and formation. Bays are mostly from melted glaciers and water warmed at sea level and created in low-lying areas.  There are several types of bays and estuaries...

Bar-built estuaries are "sandbars"... deltas formed at the mouth of large rivers or seas where the sediment gathers...

Tetonic estuaries are caused by the movement of the Earth's crust...

Fjords are narrow valleys with steep sides created by moving glaciers..

After our lesson, the kids got to do a craft ~ making halite mosaics (common rock salt ) that had been dyed with food coloring.. You can see how to make them here.  They were easy and fun ~ except for the blue fingers that my DD now has (hopfully it will wear off in a few days *LOL*)

Libby working on her mosaic...
 Tommy working on his mosaic...

After the class we finished walking around the aquarium and got to see the new penguin exhibit (which is only new to us ~ it's been there for about a year)... The kids (and me too) loved crawling through the tunnels of the habitat and looking at the penguins...

Then

Thankful for.....

A messy kitchen that has produced goodies with love...

 The internet (where I can find all the recipes I would ever want to attempt)

A dishwasher

 An oven that works (when so much of the world still has little modern conveniences)

money to buy groceries to feed my children

hot chocolate (a true pleasure and delight)

 My Children (wearing PJ's and with uncombed hair)

My husband (my companion, my friend, my better half,  the one who keeps me glued)

Gracious and good friends

Things great and small...So much to be thankful for...

Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology...

In Febuary, some friends and I are going to be getting together for a 2hr. bi-weekly science class to study the human body using "Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology"... 

 

We will each be doing our weekly work at home and then getting together to do experiments and such on Monday afternoons...

I have several human body resources that I will be using with my kids through this and I will be posting about it as we do it~ but I wanted to share some sites and things online that I have found and wanted to share for anyone that is also starting a human body unit...

One of my favorite human body resources is from "GUEST HOLLOW"... this is a science curriculum created by a loving mom for her kids and she has been so gracious to share it with the online community... It covers a multitude of ages, using living books and hands-on activities...

Homeschoolshare has a free unit also that has alot that Iwill be incorporating in our study at home...

A free human body lapbook can be found here... and then there is a great site for "INNER EXPLORATION" of the Human Body you can check out here...

 Anatomy Arcade ~ It offers free, fun, interactive games that teach basic human anatomy. It's designed with high school students in mind, as well as a way for health care professionals to refresh their knowledge. When you get to the site you'll see an icon menu of the games that include:

*Poke-A-Muscle - Learn the names of the muscles of the human body.

*Whack-A-Bone - Learn the names of the bones in the human body.

*The Eye Jigsaw - Drag-and-drop the parts of the eye.

*Match A Body System - Have fun learning about the skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems and more!

*Match A Brain - Discover the parts of the human brain.

*Digestive Jigsaw - Put together the parts of the human digestive system.

Click on any one and a new page opens.  You have to watch a video advertisement before you can play the game. If you register (free) you can bypass some of the ad content and have access to additional features, like book-marking your spot. You can select "Games By Body System" by using the menu on the left side of the screen.  You can also select "Games By Type" such as jigsaw, crossword, word search, matching, animation, etc.

At KidsKonnect you can access the HUMAN BODY and lots of sites with great information about the human body just for kids...

The BBC has these really cool interactive games you can play (and I had fun with a few of them this afternoon)... These include: 

		Organs Game Plumb together your organs in the 3D jigsaw puzzle.
		Muscles Game Put the mystery muscles into the right places on the body.
		Skeleton Game Get the joints and unusual bones in the right places.
		Senses Challenge Put your senses to the test and try not to let your brain be fooled.
		Nervous System Game Wire up the nervous system and senses.
		Puberty Demo Discover the changes that take place during puberty and understand the science.

National Geographic  has something on ever system in the body....

The Virtual Body includes interesting information about the brain, the digestive system, the heart, and the skeleton in a highly interactive format. At this site, every page provides a new adventure. Students can learn the names and functions of each part of the brain, build a human skeleton from a friendly pile of bones, organize the digestive organs, or take a narrated tour of the human heart.

 BodyQuest, a fun-filled and informative exploration of the human body intended for students age 11 and above. There they can tour the human body for an overview of the major body systems, stopping frequently along the way to delve more deeply into each system's individual parts. Students will discover how each body system works and find out how each body part contributes to the functioning of the whole body.

There is a great HEALTH TRIVIA  info sheet that you can find here. Full of quirky odd facts that kids will find fascinating and remember forever...

A body parts wordsearch that you get here.  Especially fun for kids K-4 as the words are easy ones like jaw and shoulder...

Great info about your muscles can be found at this cool site...  This is from the "Discovery Kids" site where you can find out everything a kids ever wanted to know about:

 Find out all about the human body with Wendell the Worm, Yucky's Ace Reporter. You and your kids will learn all about the gross and cool stuff humans' bodies create--burps, snores, gas and more and it has all been put on the "Yucky" site.

And since one of the first things we are going to get into is CELLS, there is this great site to check out...

As we go along and get started, I will be posting what we have done and what we used and worked for us as we have fun with HUMAN ANATOMY!!