Buying Clothes in the Off Season

One way to save money on clothes, is to buy off season. If your favorite store is having a huge end-of-the-season sale, take advantage of it. You'll have to estimate your child's size for the next year though. If you have a big family like me, WRITE IT DOWN! You won't be saving much money if you buy the wrong sizes! (Though with seven children, it will fit someone eventually .)

Same goes with garage and yard sales. Even though you'll most likely be hitting the garage sales in the summer, don't forget to pick up winter coats and snow boots!

Old Schoolhouse Sale

I'm not familiar with this product, but it's 50% off so I figured I should pass it on. If you know about it and it's on your "I need to buy" list then now may be the time to buy it.

This Old Schoolhouse is having a great deal on the When I Grow Up, I Want to Be series. It's an interactive way to help guide the kids to better understand the world around them and learn about the many professiosn that people are involved in and love.

The cool thing about the series is that it covers everything from skills needed, how much money you can expect to make and what really goes on each day. It looks really cool and my daughter is looking forward to starting it.

The special offer (lasts for the month of June) and is half price for the entire series. Anyway, here's the link: http://bit.ly/16IWXw.

Enjoy!

And free shipping too!

2-Dollar Books

Sophia Institute Press is having a $2 sale and some of the titles are pretty darn good. Go check it out.

Other books for Catholic parents.

Botany and Astronomy Notebooking Journal

Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available. You can see samples on the Apologia website here:

These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.

Each of the notebooking journals include:

• A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
• Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
• Review Questions
• Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
• Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
• An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
• Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
• A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.

See the sample pages here:

Botany: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=128

and

Astronomy: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=127

Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: www.jeanniesjournal.com

The contest ends on in one week on May 29th! That way I'll have the weekend to send them before I go to the Illinois conference.

So blog away!

Organizing My Homeschool

Wednesday's live webinar Homeschool Organization 102 was fantastic. The audience was great -- participating to the fullest, sharing their best tips, advice, and websites.

The event was recorded and you may view it for free: Homeschool Organization 102. Enjoy.

Thank you to the sponsors of this event who make it possible for Homeschool Connections to bring it to you for free:
Ecce Homo Press
Love 2 Learn
Living Math

Survey: Homeschool Connections Courses and Webinars

Walter and I are spending the month of May scheduling courses, seminars, and free webinars through the end of 2009. We'd like your help if you don't mind. In fact, this is a great opportunity for you, as you will have a direct input on what we schedule.

Click Here to take survey

Our goal is to serve the homeschool community and prayerfully this survey will help us do just that. Please feel free to pass this link onto other homeschoolers.

Free Math and Science Online Conference Talk

Bringing Joy to Your Homeschool Math and Science Lessons

This is a remake of the original webinar with the same name. Since we experienced some audio and visual challenges with the first one we wanted to improve your experience by trying it all over again. It worked! Enjoy!

Literature isn't just for reading! You can teach math, science, language arts, and more using living books. This is the third in a series of three talks on the topic of teaching through real books.

Have you ever said out loud, "I hate math!" Or, "Math was my worst subject!" Was science always a tough subject for you? Do you struggle wondering how you can bring the fullness of the subject to your children? If so, you've come to the right place.

In this talk Maureen Wittmann shows you how to let go of your math and science phobia and keep from passing it onto your children. Math can be fun and interesting. Really. You just need to look at it in a new light. Science can go beyond the kitchen experiments and come alive in a child's imagination. Really.

Maureen brings lots of books with her for show and tell. You'll leave this online seminar loaded with book titles, fresh ideas, and practical tips. You won't want to miss it!

Maureen is the author of For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects Through Literature published by Ecce Homo Press, available from your favorite bookseller or maureenwittmann.com.

To sign up for other live webinars from Homeschool Connections, please visit https://homeschoolconnections.webex.com.

To view recordings of past webinars, please visit http://tinyurl.com/pasthomeschoolwebinars.

Thank you to our sponsors who make it possible to bring these webinars to you for free:
Living Math
Ecce Homo Press

The Pen Eating Sofa

If you're getting short on pens and pencils don't go out to the store to buy new ones. Just do what I do -- put your hand in between the cushions of your sofa and you'll be sure to find anywhere from 5 to 10 pens and pencils. You'll save a ton of money doing this.

Recession Proof Jobs

A good article from Readers Digest:
9 Recession-Proof Careers

"Think of basic human needs, the things we can't do without," says Shatkin. They provide what he calls "little islands" of employment in this economy. For example, he says, we will always need sewage and water treatment. Challenger says the food industry is a core area: "People have to eat, and the global population is increasing."

In a down economy, people don't buy new cars—they repair their old ones. People turn to their clergy for comfort. Funeral directors will always have jobs. And since pets are very much a part of the family, veterinarians and veterinary technicians will continue to be in demand.

Also check out the links to other job-search related articles:

• View the slideshow of 9 Recession-Proof Careers
• How to Find a New Job
• What to Do When You Lose Your Job
• Career Experts Offer Advice to 6 People Out of Work
• Read what may be the world's worst cover letter and resume.

Job Hunting in a Recession

Years ago, during the recession in the 80's, I worked as a recruiter. This article from the Wall Street Journal is an excellent piece on recession proofing your job search:
The Interview That'll Bag a Job

At an interview, you want to stand out for the right reasons. To do so, you'll need to leave your baggage and anxiety at the door. For starters, wait until 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time to announce yourself. Arriving any sooner "shows that you're not respectful of the time the hiring manager put aside for you," says Ms. Loubaton, adding that a candidate who arrived an hour early made workers uncomfortable. "Companies really don't want someone camped out in their lobby."

Recipe: Mixed Green Salad with Pecans, Goat Cheese, and Dried Cherries

This is an awesome salad. It's so beautiful and delicious that it's one you'll want to make whenever you go visiting. I first tasted it when my friend Lynette brought it for a gathering at my home. Now I'll be making it to take to my friend Linda's house for Easter.

Ingredients
1 pound mixed greens (I like to add some baby spinach too)
1 small to medium red onion, sliced thinly
4 - 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I buy a block of it and crumble myself - cheaper & only a few seconds of extra work)
1/2 cup dried cherries (craisens work okay and are cheaper)
1 cup sugar coated pecans
1 green pear (optional)
Light raspberry vinaigrette

Directions
Make your sugar coated pecans and raspberry vinaigrette ahead of time.

Place mixed greens in a very large bowl. Add the feta (goat cheese), dried cherries, red onions, and pecans. Toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing or to taste.

Optional
Core and thinly slice your green pear and place on top of the salad for a pretty finishing touch.

Recipe: Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

Some raspberry vinaigrettes taste too strong for me. I suppose because they are so heavy on the raspberry or because they include Dijon mustard. Now, personally, I love Dijon but I'm not sure it belongs in this recipe. Here is a lighter version. It is sweet, but in my opinion it has just the right amount of raspberry flavor:

Ingredients
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco (optional)
6 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoon dried parsley (or 6 T. freshly chopped)
1 cup olive oil

Directions
Mix well. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note: Try it in this recipe and you'll impress all your friends.

Recipe: Sugar Coated Pecans for Salad

I have an awesome recipe for salad that includes candied pecans. Store bought cost way too much money. Instead, purchase pecans when on sale (I found bulk pecans for half price this week via Easter sales) and make your own. Then store in an airtight container. Once you've made these, you'll never want to put plain ole' nuts into salad again.

This is the recipe I use for salad pecans:
Ingredients
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups pecan halves
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F

In medium sized bowl, combine egg white, water, and vanilla, Beat until foamy. Stir in pecans with wooden spoons until they're well coated with the egg white mixture. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine sugar and salt. Pour over the moist pecans and stir to coat evenly. (I do all this in my Kitchenaid mixer bowl.)

In preheated oven, gently melt butter in jelly roll pan. Carefully remove pan from oven and stir nuts into melted butter. Spread nuts evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, making sure they don't burn.

Remove from oven and spoon to wax paper to cool.

I put the jelly roll pan immediately into the sink with hot water for easy cleaning.

Once cooled, break up the pecans.

Variation
If you're making the sugar coated pecans just for nibbling, you may want to add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the sugar mixture.

Free Online Homeschooling Resources

From the Homeschool Buyers Co-op and ClickSchooling:

This week we have more free curriculum discoveries and ClickSchooling reviews by Diane Flynn Keith

• Free Math Activity Book for K-5
• Free Sunflower Seeds for Bee Science Project
• Free Writing Study Guide & More
• One Hen - Microfinance for Kids
• Virtual Field Trip to Gummi Bear Factory
• Fun Things to Make with Paper

Please let us know if YOU find any great educational websites!

Free Math Stuff

If you could use a little free help in the area of math, from kindergarten through high school, I've been posting loads of cool links over at Unity of Truth (math and science blog).

Free Coloring Pages and More

If your children like it when you print out coloring pages, mazes and the such then you've got to visit Dover Children's Book Sampler. I'm signed up for the newsletter. Once a week I get an email to links so I may print out samples of their reproducibles. It's worth checking out.

American Government and the Constitution for Homeschoolers

Homeschool Connections is proud to announce their first ever online class for homeschooled high school students and it's sure to be great!

If you are not familiar with Homeschool Connections, we provide free webinars for homeschool parents as well as online classes at a reasonable price for homeschooled students.

Course Description:
Democracy, Government & Citizenship
American government has been called the most radical experiment in self-governing in human history based on its unique system of democracy and citizen involvement. Learn how the fundamental elements of American government are supposed to work, how they actually work, and the role and responsibility each citizen has in our government and our future."

Instructor's Biography:
Ed Rivet has a B.S. in Pre-Law and Public Policy and a Master's in Public Administration both from Michigan State University. He served three years as a legislative aide in the Michigan House of Representatives. For 21 years Ed has served as the Right to Life of Michigan's Legislative Director. He has written and helped enact dozens of laws, including the nation's first complete ban on human cloning, and banning assisted suicide in the face of the assault on human life by Jack Kevorkian and Geoffrey Fieger. Ed was the director of the state of Michigan's largest all-volunteer citizen petition drive which also was the state's most accurate petition drive ever, 97.3% valid signatures. Ed has done countless media interviews, appearing in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, plus live interviews on CNN and Good Morning America.

Fee:
Seven-week course for $87.50. Seating is limited to 25 students.

Dates and Time:
Classes will begin Friday, March 27, 2009 and meet every Friday through May 8, 2009 with Good Friday off. The time will begin 12:00 PM Eastern Time and end at 1:15 PM.

Enrollment Period:
Enrollment will close on March 20, 2009. This will provide students time to learn about the educational software Moodle and the instructor time to provide a syllabus and Welcome.

Misc. Details:
All coursework will be provided by the instructor or available online for free. Homework and research projects will be given and graded. Mr. Rivet will be available via email in between classes to answer questions and take comments.

Equipment requirements:
Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone. If you do not own a headset, you can find them for a reasonable price at Amazon.