Make Housework Fun

Admittedly, I am not the best housekeeper in the world. Being a full-time working mom (homeschooling is a full-time job you know), I struggle orderliness. One trick that we have in our house is the "five-minute tidy." I set the kitchen timer for 5 minutes and the children race around trying to see how much they can get done in 5 minutes. We keep it fun and it works wonders. We usually use the five-minute tidy just before mealtimes and when we leave the house. It is so much more pleasant to come home to a tidy house.

In the same vein, we have laundry-sorting parties. With nine family members in this house, laundry is never finished. If l made laundry a miserable job, then our family would be miserable all the time. Earlier today, I came into the living room with four loads of clean laundry and announced a sorting party. The seven kids were knee-deep in laundry and having fun. Even 3- and 5-year olds can help, the littles like to pull out the rags and socks so that the big kids can fold them.

Another trick is to have a bedroom-cleaning contest. I learned this from two teenaged sisters who used to team-babysit my children (sadly, they moved to Florida). I set the timer for 10 minutes and then whoever has the cleanest bedroom at the end of 10 minutes are the winners. I give the winners a prize to really make it worth while. I keep the prize simple such as some free time outside or extra computer time or extra dessert.

Think about how you can make housekeeping fun for the kids. Life is too short to be miserable and since housework is a necessity you may as well have a good time doing it.

Homeschoolers on Facebook

The Thrifty Homeschooler on Facebook.

The Sneaky Chef Works!

"Mom! This is the best lasagne ever!" That's one of the nicest things a mom can hear just after, "Mom! I love this macaroni and cheese! It's totally the best!"

I used to think I was a brilliant mother. My children ate healthy food and never complained. It surely must have been my superior mothering skills. And then came my fourth child, Mr. Picky Eater. He would go to great extremes to avoid eating anything other than pizza, pbj, and macaroni & cheese. I would find food hidden in the heating vent, under the legs of the dinner table, and inside pockets. Today, at nearly 13 he no longer hides food and even eats green food now and then.

Then came my seventh child. Mr. Extreme Picky Eater. He's six-years old, stubborn as all get out (wonder where he gets that from), and doesn't like to eat anything that even sniffs of healthy.

Enter The Sneaky Chef by Missy Shase Lapine. Have you heard about this book? It's an old idea amongst mothers -- hide healthy food in cherished foods. My mother used to put carrot puree in chocolate cakes when I was a little. Though this is not an idea I first welcomed. I want my kids to make healthy choices when they get older and I'm not sure if hiding their carrots in chocolate cake is the way to do it.

However, Mr. Extreme Picky Eater has pushed his mother her wits' end. I borrowed The Sneaky Chef from the library. I'm in love. I ended up ordering it from amazon.com because it's one I need to have on hand.

Last night I made cheese lasagne. I substituted part of the ricotta with mashed tofu. I also added orange puree to the tomato sauce. The orange puree is made by boiling carrots and sweet potatoes until soft and then pureed with a little water in the blender.

The kids loved it! They raved about it! Mr. Picky Eater and his brother Mr. Extreme Picky Eater raved about it more than anyone else. They were absolutely pleased I didn't put in chopped spinach as I usually do. It was tasty, no green, and yumcious!

I used only half of the orange puree, so today I put the remainder into our boxed macaroni & cheese. Again -- they raved about it! They exclaimed that it was totally the best ever. It gave the mac 'n cheese a sweet bite to it.

I'm hooked. As my picky eaters get older I'll let them in on my tricks. But for now, shhhh!

4-H Benefits Homeschooling

If you don't already belong, consider joining 4-H. Until recently, we were city rats. Yet we participated in 4-H for many years. It is a lot more than farm animals and crops (which we'll be getting into more now that we're in the country).

At previous years. county fairs, my children have come home with loads of ribbons for canning, quilting, creative writing, and a variety of shooting sports.

One moment that sticks out in my mind was when we found out our 13-year old son won the Judge's Choice for creative writing. I'm so sentimental that I started to cry. You see, my son was required to write a book (yes a book!) for his history co-op that year. He did a terrific job so I encouraged him to enter it as an independent 4-H project at the fair. As a result, he got a blue ribbon, Best of Show (fictional writing), and Judge's Choice (creative writing). In addition to his ribbons, he received a gift certificate to a local bookstore. That encouraged him to lengthen the story to a full blown book. He even checked the Children's Writers Market Guide out from the library to find publishers who publish historical fiction and to get the writers' guidelines for submissions. This is a child, who until he was 12 absolutely hated to write!

My oldest three children have all had creative writing entries and all got blue ribbons (hope you don't mind me bragging). The best part though was that the judges gave the children lots of good tips on improving their writing in addition to praising their efforts. For some reason, children take these things more seriously from people other than their parents.

If you do join 4-H, the cost is minimal. For our club, the fee is $5 per family (which pays for the newsletter) and then $1.50 per child. Sometimes there are activity fees for craft projects, but they do their best to keep it inexpensive. (One bonus is a discount to the county fair.) And it may not take much extra work on your part as you can enter projects that you are already doing independently in your homeschool. Your children may become more enthused about school projects if they know that they will go on display and that they can earn a ribbon and even a little money.

Another advantage of 4-H for us has been the organized group projects. For example, my five oldest children belong to the archery club. Once a week, during spring and summer, I drive them to the leader's home where they learn archery skills and get to practice with several of their homeschool friends (most of the children in our 4-H club are homeschoolers).

The children have also signed up for glass etching, model building, and knitting. In the past I've led canning projects, which is way fun - I love passing this tradition on to a new generation.

Other projects that you may be interested in include sewing, art, crocheting, clowning, performance arts, leadership skills, animals, crops, and more, more, more.

This year, the children are really looking forward to showing goats. Now that'll be a new experience for us all!

If you are not sure about how to find a 4-H club in your area, try asking others in your homeschool group or search the Internet. You can also try calling your county fairgrounds or extension office.

Coupon Code: The Teaching Company

The Teaching Company has a new coupon code good through October 30th. It's a great deal -- $25 off of orders over $150.00 plus free shipping. They have a lot of titles, including high school sets, for up to 70% off. The coupon code is HPHL and it's good on the internet, phone, or mail.

Buying More Stuff Hurts Marriages

Sell off your clutter and save your marriage. From the Washington Times.

Clutter does not a happy couple make. That's right, household junk is not just an eyesore, but also, it turns out, a source of marital strife. "More than eight in ten couples view these items lying around the house as a source of tension in their relationship," says Jose Mallabo, spokesman for Kijiji.com, an online marketplace that recently conducted a survey of couples and their - superfluous - household items.

Tips on Saving at the Grocery Store

In this economy it's important to keep a close eye on the food budget. I myself have recently let my food budget explode. With my move to the new house I've allowed myself to slip into my old bad habits using the excuse that I'm too busy getting settled in. It really isn't anything more than laziness on my part. But I'm recommitting myself to getting the grocery bills back under control.

If you'd like to join me, study my previous posts on saving money at the grocery store. Scroll down and start with Tip #1 (you may have to click on Older Posts) and then move your way up.

If you have any tips I missed, please leave a comment here so all of us can learn together.

Homeschool Blog Award Nominations

The 2008 Homeschool Blog Awards are now taking nominations. Go and nominate your favorite homeschooling blogs! You have until October 24th but don't procrastinate too long.

In order to reach the voting part of the awards, a blog must be nominated at least 3 times so don't rely on someone else to nominate your favorite blog. And I hope that you'll nominate The Thrifty Homeschooler Blog as there is a Thrifty Homeschooler category. Yeah!

The rules are all laid out at the website. You just fill in the little box at the end of the post (linked above) and write something like:
Best Thrifty Homeschooler
http://thriftyhomeschooler.blogspot.com/
The Thrifty Homeschooler

Socrates Cafe for Homeschoolers

Apply the Socratic Method to your homeschool (scroll down a wee bit).

Homeschool through asking questions. It's cheap.

Free Gluten Free Recipes

Since it's Celiac Awareness Month I thought I'd share a gluten-free cookbook that can be read online for free:

You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free!

Free Preschool Printables

This is a commercial site but they have lots of free printables for the 4- to 6-year-old set. Click on Download Center.

Recovering the Food Budget

After going back to work part time, Margaret Mary found her grocery budget explode. Just as I suggested in my earlier post about the cost of working outside the home. Well, MM has grabbed hold of the food budget reins and she's reeling them in. See her post on recovering the food budget to hear how she's doing it and to join her in the quest.

Downsize: Think Big

If you have a huge debt hanging over your head, then you have to get beyond saving pennies on household items. Especially, with the current financial crisis sweeping through the country we need to think big!

Can you downsize your home? Your cars? Sell your vacation cottage or recreational boat or vehicle?

I met a homeschooler some years ago who lived in my sister's neighborhood. A neighborhood where the houses start at $400,000. Her husband just lost his job and they were in bad shape financially. They lived in a beautiful home and drove brand-new SUV's . . . and lived from month to month. They were drowning in consumer debt. Just one month without an income put them into dire straits. The mom was putting the kids in public school and getting a job herself. It broke my heart.

You need to ask where you would be tomorrow if your main wage-earner lost his or her job. Do you have savings set aside? I recommend at least 3 to 6 months of living expenses in liquid savings. This saved us years ago when my husband decided to quit his job and start his own business.

To accomplish this, you may have to downsize your home or your car. Can you live in a smaller house? In a lesser neighborhood? (No need to concern yourself with school districts - we're homeschoolers.)

Can you downsize your car, or get rid of the second car altogether? I know several homeschooling families who work around one family car.

What are some other big items that you should be avoiding?

Free Unit Studies and Forms

Free forms for creating your own literature unit studies. Scroll down for free prepared unit studies.

Art Appreciation

Art is another subject where Charlotte Mason presented a living education. She taught art appreciation picture study by introducing children to the works of great artists one at a time using narration. Music appreciation was taught similarily, listening to the works of great composers one at a time.

I would love to fill my home with original masterpieces for the children to study, but it isn't possible. The art budget at our house doesn't even have room for cheap reproductions. But I have found an inexpensive way to introduce my children to great works of art.

Using your computer, you can download famous paintings and save them to your wallpaper. (See CGFA- A Virtual Art Museum for example.) Then every time your children sit down at the computer they are introduced to great art. Change the wallpaper every week. Or get wild and change it everyday. Feature the same artist (or era or subject matter) for several weeks in a row. Make sure to point out the name of the artist and the name of the picture.

Another idea is to print a painting on your color printer. Have the children cut out the picture and put it on a magnet sheet (from the craft store). Now you have fancy kitchen magnets. Every time the kids go to the fridge for a drink or snack, they are introduced to great art. Or have the printouts laminated - my littles like to carry them around like trading cards.

Kids love getting mail. Ask Grandma and Grandpa to send art postcards Ask out-of-town family members or friends to do the same. Not only will your children be introduced to great art, they are reminded of their loved ones.

Some exercises to do with your Internet or postcard art:
Play Concentration - you need two of each work to do this. Turn the cards upside down on a table and have the children take turns looking for matches, turning over just two cards at a time.
Groupings - have the children group together works of art by artist, era, or subject matter.
Recreate by Memory - show a child a masterpiece for a few minutes and then take it away. Then they are to try to draw the picture from memory using their crayons, colored pencils, or markers. (A twist on CM's narration.)
Develop Descriptive Abilities - Have your child choose a work of art, without showing you. They are then to describe the art in such a way that you can reproduce it on a piece of paper with only their verbal instructions. This is a favorite exercise at my house. Try it. I guarantee you'll get a laugh out of the first several tries!
Look for Symbolism Used in Art - I tried but could not find a dictionary of Christian art symbolism on the Internet, but you can look for books such as Signs and Symbols in Christian Art by George Wells Ferguson (Oxford University Press) at the library.

I'm sure that if you put your mind to it, you could come up with more ideas.

The children in Charlotte Mason's schools had Picture Study every term from age 6 upwards. Between the age of 6 and 15 a child had studied reproductions of pictures by some thirty of the world's famous artists. Why Picture Study? In order that children may be put in touch with the contribution that each famous artist has made to the world's store of all that is beautiful and worthwhile. Just as Literature introduces us to the thought of the greatest writers, so Picture Study opens the gates to the ideas of the famous artists.
-- Karen Andreola

For more on teaching art appreciation through real books see my book, For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with Literature.

Homeschool Tracker

Free homeschool record keeping.

You can also purchase the Cadillac version, but I think the freebie version is good enough.

Stay-at-Home Vs. Work Outside the Home

Back in the day when I only had 3 or 4 children, my husband mentioned one day that things sure would be easier financially if I was still working outside the home. Now, my darling husband was only jesting, but I knew that I had to nip the thought in the bud. I didn't want it to fester and grow into an actual desire. So I sat him down, grab a piece of paper and pencil, and let the mathematician in me go at it.

I wrote down the income that I would likely receive (I was in human resource management, so I made pretty good money). Then I started subtracting all of expenses of working outside of the home.

If finances are getting you down and you are thinking of throwing in the towel on homeschooling, so that you can bring more money into your home, please, please do this exercise. Even if it is just a bad homeschooling day, which happens to the best us, and military school is looking quite attractive for your brood. Sit down and write out how much money it costs to have both parents working, then compare it to the non-monetary rewards of being home with your children.

The first expense I figured in was taxes. My income would have put us into a higher tax bracket and so our tax burden would increase. Then I would have had to buy a car that was actually dependable and could get me to work each day. And there would be private school tuition. Sorry, but I'm one of those people who believes our Christianity should permeate every part of our everyday lives, including our school subjects, and "free" public schools don't offer that. The littles would require daycare and the bigs would need after-school care.

Those are all major expenses. But there are a zillion smaller expenses that add up pretty quickly to significant numbers. First is food. If I am working outside the home, I don't have time to make homemade meals, it'll be prepackaged, prefab fare for my family. And no time to pack lunches for Rob, myself, and the kiddies. It would be McDonalds and cafeteria food for the lot of us. And no time to comparison shop, plan menus, or hit the thrift stores so the food budget explodes.

Speaking of comparison shopping, I wouldn't have time to do so for other items such as clothes so the overall budget has to be expanded. Since I would be working in an office, a whole new wardrobe would be called for. My homeschool uniform of sweats and a T-shirt isn't going to cut it. Of course I can't throw my brand new business suits into the washing machine, so dry cleaning is added to the budget. Then there are pantyhose! I'm torture on pantyhose, so that alone would put my expenses over the top. Oh, and of course I'll need a couple of nice jewelry pieces and new shoes to go with my new suits.

Don't forget all those office collections for birthdays, anniversaries, and for employees who are leaving for better jobs (and we're supposed to buy them a present?). And you can't turn your boss down when he wants to sell you Girl Scout cookies for his sweet little girl, lest you want to be passed over at promotion time.

Most importantly, we must consider the cost to our children's souls. Personally, my number one motivation in homeschooling is to get these children of mine to Heaven. They are gifts from God Himself, and I am going to do my best to raise them for His Kingdom. I am not saying that homeschooling is a cure all, but it sure does make things easier in the purity of heart department.

Finally, let us remember the Scripture:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
-- Matthew 6:19-20.

Is It Always Better to Buy Than to Rent

My husband and I rented our last home for fourteen years. Yes, you heard me right. Fourteen years. Well-meaning friends and family would often chastise us for renting, telling us that we were just throwing away our money.

Is it always better to own than rent? Are you really just throwing away your money when you rent? I would say no. Sometimes it's better to own and sometimes it's better to rent. You need to look at your own personal situation as well as the current economic situation in your geographical area.

In my case, the rent was cheap. Half of our current mortgage. In fourteen years, our landlord only raised our rent once. Yep, only once. We were good tenants and he wanted to keep us. Now, that's not to say that he was the best landlord. He wasn't. It would often take several phone calls to get him motivated to make repairs. But for the most part he wasn't too horrible.

One downside to renting was the inability to decorate my house as I wished or make changes that would have made our lives more comfortable. Plain white walls was all my landlord would allow. If I had owned the house, I would have made some improvements such as a room addition or knocking out a wall or two. Or just put in decent carpet. But really that's a small price to pay for cheap rent. Home owners can paint their walls any color they like, knock out walls, put in gorgeous carpet . . . and they get to pay for it.

When I rented, my landlord paid for repairs. Sure, it took him forever, but it came out of his pocket, not mine. Today, I pay for my own repairs. A recent discovery of a major problem with the structure of our home set us back $4500. I don't even want to think about the cost of the new roof, or the trees that need to be removed, the grading of the driveway, and the boiler repair. But, hey, I can pick my own paint colors!

Today my husband and I own our home. Or do we really? Most Americans have 30-year mortgages. Do they own their own homes? No they don't. The bank owns their homes. A few missed payments and out in the street they go. Down payment and house payments out the window.

We haven't even talked taxes yet. For the privilege of owning my own home I get to give the government a huge chuck of change twice a year in the name of property taxes.

Then there's home owners insurance -- considerably more costly than renters insurance.

Am I saying that I'm sorry I purchased my current home? No, I'm not. This house is our life's dream come true. We're out of the city, surrounded by wildlife, and I can decorate any way I wish. But I still believe that my husband and I were NOT throwing away our money for those fourteen years. By renting and living frugally we were able to save enough to make a very healthy down payment and buy just the right house for our family.

So, the next time someone tells you that you need to buy instead of rent, just nod your head politely and then do what's best for your family. It may be buying and then again it may be renting. I wonder if this country would be in our current financial mess if more people weren't in such a hurry to own their own home.

How To Buy a Foreclosed Home

I am often asked about the process we went through in buying our home -- a foreclosure.

First off, when my friends ask me, "So, how do we go about finding foreclosed homes too?" I tell them, "Run! No! Don't go looking for trouble!"

The truth is, the market is sinking. At least here in Michigan. Prices are dropping everywhere, not just on foreclosures. And, you don't need to go looking for foreclosures. We were not looking specifically for foreclosures, but in the area we were house hunting, 75% of the homes we looked at were either foreclosures or in short sale.

A short sale is when the bank tells you that you have to put your house on the market to keep it from foreclosure. It is similar to a foreclosure for the buyer as the bank is in control -- you deal with the bank not the family. For the family it's different from the foreclosure in that their credit is not as badly damaged. We once found ourselves in a terribly uncomfortable situation where the family was heated about not wanting to sell and here we were in their house -- with them across the street looking in at us. When we were done they had a screaming match with our real estate agent because we took an hour and a half instead of an hour to look at the house (we were planning to make an offer).

Before I share how to navigate a foreclosure sale let me say this, "Do NOT pay anyone to find foreclosed properties for you!" You don't need to go looking for them. They'll find you. And remember, in this market a lot of people are ready to price their house to sell. Translation: cheap. So, don't think that a property has to be in foreclosure to get a deal. If a house has been on the market a long time, you have the upper hand in negotiations.

We've found that foreclosed homes come in two varieties. The first is the family who doesn't give a hoot. They don't care about their property and they don't care about their credit. They milk the system for all they can. You'll know their homes -- they're falling apart and not worth a second look. The other scenario is the family who loved their home and took good care of it, but simply fell on hard times. Sometimes their money trouble started because they kept refinancing the house to fix it up. Those homes are the ones you'll be interested in. It's very sad, and I admit feeling guilt walking through foreclosed homes, but there isn't anything you can do. In fact, you may be helping the family by getting their house sold and taking good care of it.

Note that foreclosures are not always a deal. An important thing to remember is that they are almost always "AS IS." There is little to no negotiating once an offer has been accepted. For this reason, as we were later told by one of the bank's employees, you should consider paying for the inspection before placing a bid on the house. Then, when you go to put in your bid, you can include a letter explaining all the serious issues you found and why you offered far less than the asking price. Now you are in a negotiating position.

When dealing with human beings (as opposed to a corporation, i.e. a bank) you would have an inspection and then negotiate should any serious problems pop up. When dealing with a bank, they consider the inspection "for your information only." If you find something seriously wrong in inspection and therefore want to lower your offer, 99% of the time you will need to pull your offer and start all over again with a new offer.

That brings up another problem with dealing with banks. It can take months to get a response to an offer. Months. Three to six months is not unheard of. Though three to six weeks was our experience.

Ask your agent to help you negotiate extras up front. For example, you may want to ask for a one-year home warranty insurance policy on the appliances, etc. With foreclosures you have no history on the house. There are no disclosures because the person who lived in the house is not involved. The bank didn't live in the house so they don't know if the basement leaks after a hard rain or that the stove is on its last leg. The real estate agent should be able to suggest several other negotiable items up front.

Don't be afraid to underbid on a house. Unless you are in a desperate situation and have to find a house today, you are in the driver seat. The worst they can do is say, "No." There are plenty of houses out there. Rob and I put bids on multiple houses and were turned down. But that was a good thing because God was saving a special house just for us. We found the perfect house and got it for 40% less than it sold for four years ago.

What happened was that it was a foreclosure and had sat vacant for two years. There were some big ticket items to be fixed -- the roof and windows -- so it wasn't moving. But the basic construction is rock solid and the property gorgeous. In the end, it was a very good move on our part.

But it wasn't easy. There was some water damage done AFTER our bid had been accepted (the bank's agents didn't winterize it correctly) and we tried to re-negotiate the price. Remember what I said about banks not negotiating. Well, Flagstar bank told us, "No deal. It's 'as is' and that's that." We made the decision to pull the offer. In the end, they negotiated -- just an hour and a half before the scheduled closing! I never want to go through that again.

Then when closing time came, the bank's employee was no where to be found. There was a snafu that could have halted the deal and no one could find the guy. We ended up going forward with the deal, but it cost us an extra $1,000 in property tax. You see the bank employee told us that we would not have to pay the pro-rated property taxes. He was very clear on the phone that the taxes were paid through the summer and that was one thing we didn't have to worry about. That was an important lesson learned -- Get everything in writing!

In summary:
Don't pay someone to find foreclosures for you.
Foreclosures are not the only deals out there.
Foreclosures are "As Is."
Get everything in writing.
Negotiate up front for extras
Consider having the inspection before placing a bid.
Be prepared to wait -- banks don't work quickly.
Don't be a afraid to underbid -- you can always negotiate or move on to the next house.
Pray! Ask God to help you find just the right house.

Retail Me Not / The Teaching Company

If you're planning on making a purchase online, make sure to check for discounts and coupons first. You can do this at Retail Me Not.

If that doesn't work, Google the name of the retailer and something like "promotion code" or "coupon."

Today I made a purchase at The Teaching Company and used a code found at Retail Me Not (CVSC) to get another $20 off of the sales items I purchased. The courses I bought were already 70% off. The shipping and handling was $20, so it was like getting s/h free in addition to a huge discount.

BTW -- If you are interested in The Teaching Company's courses, each and every title goes on sale at least once a year for 70% off. If there is a course I would like to purchase for my homeschool then I wait patiently for it to go on sale. Other options for The Teaching Company? EBay, your public library, and Netflix.

Promotion Code Christian Books

I needed to order some last minute items for the school year from www.christianbooks.com and got an additional 10% off using this promotion code: 251512PA. It's for a minimum order of $35 and it's good to September 30, 2008. Nice deal!

Thrifty-Living-Tips.com

Here is a nice little article on getting started homeschooling in a thrifty way: Thrifty Homeschooling Tips. If you click on the topics in the sidebar, you'll find articles on other thrifty topics such as decorating, travel, and so much more.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op

Have you heard about the Homeschool Buyers Co-op yet? It's really very cool. You can get deep discounts if enough homeschoolers participate. For example, I'm looking at the Digital Frog program as I think it may help with Science Olympiad. Right now it's discounted at 20%, but if enough people sign on before the deadline (tomorrow at midnight Eastern) it will be 50%. The great thing is that I can set it up now so that I only make the purchase if it gets down to 50%. Better than e-bay.

Click on What's New to see all the current offerings. Right now there are deals on Explode the Code, Bill Nye videos, Descartes Cove Math, and so very much more.

Will It Blend: Credit Cards

Recipe: French Bread

Simple Mixer French Bread Recipe

2 packages active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp. of the bulk stuff)

2 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115)

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. olive oil

7 c. all-purpose flour (or bread flour)

I like to warm my mixing bowl first by running it under hot water in the sink.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in the warm mixer bowl. Add salt, butter, and flour. Attach the dough hook and mix for a minute or so until the ingredients are all blended. Then knead for for 3 minutes on speed 2. The dough will be sticky.

Put the dough in a greased bowl and turn it to lightly greas the dough all around. Cover with a clean tea towell and let it rise in a warm place until it's doubled in bulk. About an hour.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. Toll each half into a 12x15 rectangle. Roll the dough tightly from longest side, tapering the ends. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover again with clean tea towells. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. About an hour.

With a very sharp knife, either slice one long slice down the middle or 3-4 diagonl cuts on the top of each loaf.

Bake at 450 for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the baking sheets right away and put on your cooling racks.

Book Closeouts Sale and Discount

Book Closeouts is having a big sale. Plus, I have a discount code for you:

Code: BookSale-5
Password: bookcloseouts.com
Details: $5 off purchase of $35 or more.
Expires: Jul 31, 2009

$1 Sale.

Discounted Art Supples

Madison Art Shop. Up to 70% off retail.

Homeschool Freebies

Homeschool Freebie of the Day

Every weekday, Monday through Friday, we’ll post a new homeschooling “freebie” to this site. What kind of “freebies”? Stuff like: Unit Studies… Ebooks… Audio Programs… Games… Samples… Lesson Plans… classic books… and other quality resources! This is the REAL THING.

Many of these will be products that you would normally pay for on their regular websites… but here on the Homeschool Freebie of the Day site, they’re 100% free… at least for that one day! Just download your copy and enjoy! It’s as simple as that!

Cool!

Baby Genius Discount

Wendy's isn't the only fast food restaurant offering discunts to parents. Taco Bell is running a promotion with Baby Genius. If you enter the promotion (discount) code Taco Bell at checkout, you'll get a 20% discount and a free music download. This offer runs from 5/01/08 to 10/31/08.

Discount on Audio Books

Wendy's is currently offering free audio books with their Kid's Meals. You can get one of four Magic Tree House books with each meal. In addition, Wendy's has partnered with Random House to offer you 25% off of audio books online and free shipping. This offer is good until October 1, 2008 and is limited to one title per household.

If you go to www.listeninglibrary.com/wendys and use the promotion (discount) code wendys at checkout, you'll get the discount and free shipping.

Recipe: Basic White Bread

KitchenAid Basic White Bread
Source: Kitchen Aid Mixers and Attachments Book

1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water, 105f - 115f
5-6 cups all purpose flour

Combine milk, sugar, salt and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour.

Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute.

Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.

Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half,. Shape each half into a loaf and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise in warm place free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

YouTube: Easy Crusty Hand Made Bread

Very easy. No need to knead.



Note to my friend Tammy: Lucas can eat this -- no sugar!

Recipe: Challah Bread

My children love this bread. They were appalled once when we took it to a friend's house and they sliced it. Too civil. We put it in the center of the dinner table and they tear it apart. Much more fun that way.

Again, I usually double the recipe. Just assume from here on out that any recipe for one loaf, I double or triple.

Challah Bread

aka Braided Bread

3/4 c. water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 egg

2 Tbsp. softened butter

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 to 4 cups bread flour

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp. cold water

1 Tbsp. poppy seed

1. Mix water and yeast. Set aside to poof for 5 minutes.

2. Combine egg, butter, sugar, and salt. Stir in yeast mixture. Gradually add in flour to form a soft dough.

3. Knead on low for 5 minutes with the kneading hook in the mixer.

4. Put the dough into a greased bowl and let rise to double it's size. About one hour.

5. Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 3 equal parts. Roll each piece into a 13-inch rope. Place ropes close together on greased cookie sheet and braid gently and loosely (do not stretch). Pinch ends to seal. Tuck ends under twist.

6. Cover and let rise in warm place until double. About 30 to 45 minutes.

7. Heat oven to 375.

8. Mix egg yolk and cold water. Brush over braid and sprinkle with poppy seeds. (Could substitute sesame seeds.)

9. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Great bread to serve on Easter or Trinity Sunday.

Really delicious with Almond Butter (see recipe below).

Bread Machine Version:

Use just 3 1/4 flour. Measure ingredients carefully and place them into the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough/manual cycle. Remove dough and pick up the above directions at step 5.

Hand Kneaded Version:

Hand knead approximately 15 minutes instead of placing into the mixer.

Note: You can replace one cup of the white flour with whole wheat if you prefer a healthier bread.

Recipe: Sweet Almond Butter:

1/2 c. (1 stick) softened butter

2 Tbsp. finely chopped unblanched almonds

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients together.

Recipe: Twisted Roasted Garlic Bread

I love roasted garlic and I love this recipe. I usually double it. It's a very soft bread. If you only like hard, crusty bread you'll want skip this recipe.

KitchenAid
Twisted Roasted Garlic Bread
with Pesto Variation

2 Tbsp. roasted garlic
1 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 c. water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 c. bread flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour

1. Mix water and yeast and set aside for 5 minutes to poof.
2. Combine oil, sugar, and salt. Stir in yeast mixture. Gradually add in flour to form a soft dough.
3. Knead on low for 3 minutes with the kneading hook in the mixer.
4. Put the dough into a greased bowl and let rise to double it's size. About one hour.
5. Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each piece into a 13-inch rope. Place ropes close together on greased cookie sheet and twist gently and loosely (do not stretch). Pinch ends to seal. Tuck ends under twist.
6. Cover and let rise in warm place until double. About 30 minutes.
7. Heat oven to 375. Bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Variation: Use prepared pesto instead of roasted garlic. Excellent with an Italian dinner.

Bread Machine Version:
Measure ingredients carefully and place them into the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough/manual cycle.
Remove dough and pick up the above directions at step 5.

Hand Kneaded Version:
Hand knead approximately 10 minutes instead of placing into the mixer.

Note: You can skip the whole-wheat flour and use all white if you prefer.

Cheap Shampoo

Proctor and Gamble raising their prices and what you can do about it.

Converting Bread Recipes, Part Three

Since I'm planning on sharing some of my favorite recipes over the next week or two I better share how to convert my KitchenAid bread making recipes to your bread machine or to hand kneading.

First . . .
Converting Mixer Bread Recipes to Hand Kneading
This is very simple. All you have to remember is that 1 minute of kneading in the mixer is equal to 12 minutes by hand. So, if the mixer recipe states 3 minutes of kneading, then you do it by hand for 36 minutes. Everything else in the recipe can remain the same.

Converting Mixer and Traditional Bread Recipes to a Bread Machine
With a bread machine baking, you simply put the ingredients into the machine as recommended in the owner's manual. With a traditional loaf you would just press the start (or similar) button.

If you are making something special like braided bread, french bread, etc., you would press the dough (or similar) button. Take out the dough and follow the instructions after the first rise -- usually this would include: punch it down, shape, and let rise again before putting into the oven.

Converting Bread Recipes, Part Two

Converting Old Fashioned Bread Recipes to the KitchenAid or Other Mixer

From the KitchenAid website:

Refer to your use and care manual for kneading time and speed guidelines. In general, 1 minute of kneading in the mixer is equal to 12 minutes by hand. Do not exceed Speed 2 when preparing yeast dough, as this may cause damage to the mixer. Always turn the stand mixer off before putting on and taking off attachments.

That's really all there is to it. Follow the recipe as is, except when it comes time to knead, you'll put your kneading hook on the mixer and spend much less time at the task of kneading.

Though 12 minutes seems like a lot to me. I'd say the ratio is more like 5 to 1. Usually, you knead with the mixer about 3 to 5 minutes.

You can also mix your ingredients in the electric mixer instead of by hand. I just use the kneading hook to save the extra step of using and washing the paddle attachment. Works fine.

Converting Bread Recipes, Part One

There are basically three ways to mix your bread dough: by hand, with a mixer, and with a bread machine.

Because of a medical condition, mixing by hand is difficult for me. I once owned a bread machine but hated the way the bread came out. I used it only for mixing the dough. More recently, I purchased a Kitchen Aid mixer and love it. This means converting my old recipes to fit my new mixer.

It's really very simple to do. You just need to keep in mind the differences between these methods. Each day for the next few days, I'll post about converting recipes one way or the other. For today:

Converting Bread Baking Recipes From Bread Machine to the Kitchen Aid
Bread machines tend to have the beginning steps backwards, depending on the model. They start with the liquid, followed by the dry ingredients, ending with the yeast. Then you set it to mix and bake.

To convert to a mixer recipe, first start with your liquid (remember: 105 to 115 degrees!), yeast, and sugar. Stir. I like to let it "poof" before going on. Poofing is just letting the mixture sit for 5 minutes. You'll see it bubble on top. That tells you the yeast is alive and working.

Now add in the salt and any other ingredients. Only add about 3/4 of your flour. Mix with the kneading hook on low, slowly adding the rest of the flour in 1/4 c. increments. The reason for this is that humidity has a lot to do with how much flour you need. You'll know you have enough flour when the dough starts looking stiff and pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl. Don't worry, after you bake bread with the mixer 2 or 3 times you'll be an expert at seeing when the dough is ready.

Knead on low for 3 minutes after it's all mixed. Your speed should be set to 1 or 2. Never, ever, knead on a speed higher than 2 on your Kitchen Aid Mixer.

Grease a big bowl (personally, I use an old plastic pitcher -- I'll post more about that another day) and place your dough into it. Roll the dough around so that it's greased also. This keeps it from drying out as it rises. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap. If you use plastic wrip spray with cooking spray.

Place in a warm place to rise until it's double in size. How long this takes will depend on how warm it is. Could be 30 to 60 minutes. Once doubled, punch it down. Shape into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan or baking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise until double.

Bake at 350 until brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Probably about 30 minutes.

Bread machine recipes are single loaf recipes. A great downfall, imo, of bread machines. Why heat up your oven for just one loaf. If you do a week's worth of loaves at one time you'll save energy. You can double or triple the bread machine recipe when you convert it.

Italian Spaghetti Sauce

My friend Lori writes:

I was excited to see the Tomato sauce recipe on your blog. You really got the recipe written down very well.

When you make your spaghetti sauce, start with a little olive oil in your pot. Add your garlic to saute until it turns a little brown but not burnt. Add your puree in. Then throw your herbs in like oregano, basil, and salt and cook for only about one hour. That's the way Mama Baldino does it. If you like meat sauce, add your ground beef in right after you brown the garlic and brown then continue as follows.

I misplaced the DVD I made at my mom's the day we canned, I wanted to put it on YouTube and when I find it I will and you will get a laugh or two.

Thanks again Lori!

The Right Temp

When I first tried to bake my own bread all those years ago, I failed again and again. The problem was the yeast.

The first thing you need to invest in if you'll be baking bread is a cooking thermometer. Your liquid, whether it be water or milk, should be at a temperature of 105 to 115. If the liquid is hotter or colder then it will kill the yeast.

I also fill my metal mixing bowl with hot water. I pour out the water and dry just before getting to work. This warms the bowl nicely for the yeast.

Catholic Spotlight Interview

I was interviewed on the Catholic Spotlight this week about homeschooling. Catholic Spotlight is an internet radio show sponsored by The Catholic Company that interviews top Catholic authors and artists. You can find my interview at http://catholicspotlight.com/97/cs63-maureen-wittmann-talks-catholic-homeschooling/. You can listen online or on your MP3 player.

Recipe: Pizza Crust / Bread Sticks

I'm planning a series of posts on bread making. Since I'm making bread sticks for dinner tonight, I'll start with that recipe. Actually, it's my favorite recipe for pizza crust that I'm converting to bread sticks. Thank you to my friend Julie who first shared this recipe with me.

1 pkg. yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 1/2 c. warm milk ( 105 to 110 degrees)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter (melted)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cornmeal
3 to 4 c. flour

Combine ingredients, kneading in the last of the flour. Knead until smooth. Cover and allow to rise until double. Roll into 2 crusts or bread sticks. Bake at 400 until dough is golden brown.

Notes:
-- I like to use bread flour but all-purpose is okay.
-- I use a Kitchen Aid mixer. I slowly add the last cup of flour until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl. The amount of flour used will depend on the humidity. Then I knead on low for 3 minutes.
-- You can replace 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier crust.
-- For bread sticks, I like to roll them long and thin, then brush them with garlic butter.

Bulk Price: For the Love of Literature

I'm currently offering a special bulk price for purchasers of For the Love of Literature. (If you'd like to buy individual books, please see my website or contact your favorite bookseller.)

If you take orders for For the Love of Literature on behalf of your homeschool support group and friends, I'll give you a nice deal. If you order ten or more books it's only $11.50 per copy of For the Love of Literature, all autographed, plus $1.00 per book for Priority Shipping (to a single address). I can take PayPal, including credit cards, or checks.

If you'd like to substitute The Catholic Homeschool Companion to make up your 10 or more books, I can offer those for a 10% discount at $22.50 per autographed book. Again, only $1.00 per book for Priority Shipping. (That's pretty cheap for a 500 page book!)

For the person taking the order, I'll add a FREE copy of the audio CD Catholic Homeschooling 101 while supplies last.

Just drop me an email to set it up.

Adoremus Discount Code

Adoremus Books is offering a discount for online orders. Use Discount Code AOB88 for 10% off entire order and FREE shipping. This code is good till 9/1/2008.

For the Love of Literature is their current featured book at the website. I've had the opportunity to meet the owners of Adoremus at a number of homeschooling conferences and they run a great business. Their customer service is top-notch. They sell loads of homeschoooling titles in addition to their Catholic line of books.

Baldino's Homemade Tomato Puree

It's time to start thinking about canning again. If your summer bounty includes tomatoes, I have the best canning recipe for you! This comes from my friend Lori, straight from Italy. It is so simple and tastes incredibly fresh when you open a jar six months later.

1. Wash your tomatoes very well.

2. Core the tomato and, with your hand, squeeze the excess water and seeds out of the tomato. Throw into a pot or bucket. (I throw the seeds and water into the compost pile.)

3. When you have a full pot, begin to cook the tomatoes until they come to a boil and the tomato has broken down. Remember to stir often so the tomato doesn't burn at the bottom of the pot.

4. Place a flour sack cloth (not a cheese cloth!) in the colander. Put the colander over another large pot. (Note: I've found the flour sack cloth at Meijer as well as Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Linens and Things or even WalMart might have them too. It's worth looking for them. OR just click here: Kaf Home White Flour Sack Clothes 4)

5. Begin to put the boiled tomatoes into the lined colander so the liquid can drain out. You also have to help the liquid come out by gathering the sides of the cloth and twist and squeeze. Do this until most of the liquid, not all, is gone.

6. Remove the extracted tomatoes and continue with the next amount of tomatoes.

7. When you are finished extracting all the water from all tomatoes, you will begin to put them through a tomato pulp grinder. This will make the pulp come out one side and the seeds/peel out the other side.

8. You are now ready to can and process the puree. Make sure your jars are clean, sterile, and free of cracks.

9. Fill your jars with the puree. Make sure the rings of the jars are clean from any spilled sauce. After you are through with this process, you may begin to put sterilized lids and rings on them. (Optional: Place a fresh basil leaf or two in the bottom of the jar before filling with the puree.)

10. Now it's time to process. Fill your canning pot with your jars and completely cover with water. Put on the lid and bring to a boil. Process for 40 minutes.

That's it. I did two bushels of Roma (plum) tomatoes last year and will never can tomato sauce any other way again. This year I'm planning on four or five bushels as I ran out of the sauce just a few months into the year. To make spaghetti sauce, I just open a jar, warm the sauce (puree) on the stove with some fresh Italian herbs. It's absolutely delish! You'll never want Ragu again.

Lori makes this an annual event with her mother and siblings. They order a couple dozen bushels of organic plum tomatoes well in advance. Lori recommends putting on your old clothes and work outside.

UPDATE: Lori's recipe for Italian Spaghetti Sauce

Gas Buddy

Learn where to find the cheapest gas as well learn some gas saving tips at Gas Buddy.

Frugal Christmas Shopping

My December column at CatholicMom.com is up, if you'd like to check it out: The Thrifty Homeschooler Goes Christmas Shopping.

As Christians we shy away from the over-commercialism of Christmas, while at the same time desiring to fill our homes with Christmas joy. Just as the Magi brought gifts to the Christ Child, we wish to follow their example in bringing gifts to our loved ones. I have found that it is possible to have a spirit-filled holiday, complete with gift giving, on a budget.

Pre-Publication Special Extended

Ecce Homo Press has extended the prepublication special for For the Love of Literature to November 27th. The release date has also changed. Orders will be shipped by December 15th to insure delivery before Christmas.

"I have no doubt For the Love of Literature will prove to be a valuable tool for new homeschoolers, veteran homeschoolers, public school teachers, librarians, private school board members, your teacher-aunt, your neighbor with the 2-year-old and the new baby, your pregnant cousin, all parents who have a love for their children, and even the niece or nephew headed to college.

Maureen calls her book a "glorified booklist" but it is way more than that. She has done a job of extensive research in putting this book together so you and your children (no matter how or where they are educated) can enjoy the ripe benefits of continuing their education through the love of literature.

On behalf of all parents who devote their lives to educating their children for life, thank you, Maureen, for all you've done and all you continue to do for us!"
-- Cay Gibson, author Christmas Mosaic

Thanksgiving Links

Here are some Thanksgiving links that you may enjoy . . .

Thanksgiving Ideas Galore -- A to Z Home's Homeschooling
Loads of links to really cool Thanksgiving websites that you can tie into
your homeschool studies: corn husk dolls, cooking with kids, travel advice, Mark Twain, and lots more.

Enchanted Learning usually has neat worksheets / outline maps / classroom crafts. My teens usually plan a few of these crafts to do with the younger children on Thanksgiving. This keeps the wee ones busy while the moms cook!

Prepublication Special: For the Love of Literature

I am so very happy to share with you the release of my new book, For the Love of Literature. The book is currently at the printer and my publisher, Ecce Homo Press, estimates that For the Love of Literature will be ready for shipping in about 3 weeks.

I should forewarn my non-Catholic readers: For the Love of Literature has a very strong Catholic ethos to it. However, I think it would be helpful to homeschoolers of all faiths.

For the Love of Literature started out as a booklet, Literature Isn't Just for Reading: Teaching Core Subjects through Real Books, to accompany my conference talk by the same name. A one-hour talk just wasn't enough. From the comments and questions I received after each talk, it was evident that homeschoolers needed more. They needed a resource they could hold in their hands and take home with them.

The original booklet was 5 by 8 and had 80 pages. It was nothing more than a glorified reading list, yet parents came to me over and over again to tell me that it was very helpful to them.

The new book is 6 by 9 and almost 300 pages. It's still a glorified reading list, but it's a pretty cool glorified reading list ... I think. It does have short chapters on such things as using your library, classical education, unit studies, Charlotte Mason, etc., but the bulk of the book is the reading list (I call them literary guides in the book). There are about 950 books listed, each with a short description, with an age recommendation, and sorted by school subject.

My publisher, Ecce Homo Press, is offering a prepublication deal for you at their website.

It's 20% off the already very reasonable price, plus another 10% off anything else you order at the website. To get your 10% discount, you need to enter the promotion code LOVELIT when you place your order. This offer is good until November 20th and is only good on Internet orders.

You could also request that your library purchase For the Love of Literature as I think this is a great resource for librarians. It gives them a real insight to what books homeschoolers like to check out of the library.

Foreign Language / Latin Flashcards

My 8th grade student is taking a Latin class. She picked up a great tip there that my 12th grade student borrowed for his Spanish class.

Here's what you do. First, pick up some colored index cards from the office supply store. You'll need blue for masculine nouns, pink for feminine nouns, yellow for neuter nouns, and white for verbs.

On the front you write the word in English. On the back, you write the word in Latin and the declinations.

My son and daughter both say it's a pretty helpful exercise.

Thrifty Homeschooler in the Blogosphere

One more post to share from Margaret Mary. She wrote a very nice review of the Thrifty Homeschooler Yahoo Group as well as said a nice thing or two about this blog. Thank you MM!

Here is the ultimate support and resource for homeschooling…or for just living a frugal lifestyle. Maureen Wittmann started the Thrifty Homeschooler Yahoo group over four years ago.

Creditors and Collection Tactics

Margaret Mary has an interesting post at her blog: Debtors Beware. She tells of how a creditor put a freeze on an acquaintance's bank account -- without prior notification. All over a simple oversight.

Math the Charlotte Mason Way

Charlotte Mason emphasized the importance of children understanding math concepts before ever doing any kind of workbook-type exercises. She liked to use manipulatives in order to help the children think through the why and how of solving word problems. She wanted them to see how math applies to real life.


Miss Mason wrote, "Mathematics depend upon the teacher rather than upon the textbook and few subjects are worse taught; chiefly because teachers have seldom time to give the inspiring ideas ... which should quicken imagination."

She felt it important to teach the concrete before the abstract, no matter the child's grade level.

We've already discussed Miss Mason's desire to teach habits, well, that applies to math too. She felt that through daily mental effort, one step at a time, a child would learn the habit of concentration. She even tied in narration to math studies.

Many of the Charlotte Mason homeschoolers I know use Math-U-See as the program uses manipulatives and it is more gentle in its approach than something like Saxon.

I strongly recommend using Miss Mason's philosophy of Real Books when teaching math. Here are two excellent websites to get you strated:
MacBeth's Opinion
Living Math

Also see my book For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with Literature.

Go for a Walk!

Carlotte Mason advocated daily walks, even in bad weather. One walk a week was a nature walk, where the children would collect leaves or other specimens, and draw in their nature journals. The rest of the walks were for just for fun. They'd enjoy the exercise and fresh air.

So get out today and go for a walk with the kids! It's fun, it's educational, and it's free!

Adoremus Books Discount

If you're a Catholic homeschooler, you'll be interested to know that Adoremus Books is offering 15% off of your total purchase until November 26, 2007. Just key in this coupon code: AOB117. And shipping is free for orders over $25! Feel free to pass this information onto others.

Speaking of Nature Studies

My October column, Nature Science, is up over at Catholic Mom and fits in nicely with this CM series of posts.

As this conversation between my six-year-old son and my 66-year-old father continued to unfold, I couldn’t help but smile and think, “This is homeschooling at its best.” My son’s enthusiasm for birds did not come from a science textbook, it came from the study of nature science in a relaxed home setting. Due to the birth of their new baby brother, Joe and his siblings had just spent eight weeks immersing themselves in the study of nature.

Geography

I planned on spending a week on this Charlotte Mason primer, but it looks like I'll be going into a third week. There are so many topics to discuss.

Charlotte Mason believed that geography, like many other subjects, is best taught through living books. She would supplement with short map drills (remember: short lessons).

One way to tie geography into living books is to have your child pinpoint on a map the location of the book's plot. This is really fun with books that take place in many locations, such as Around the World in Eighty Days. You could spend a week or so drawing and studying geographical features. Perhaps get down and dirty to build relief maps. Like the Book of Centuries, there's nothing like a multi-sensory exercises to get a lesson to stick in a child's brain.

Geography is easily tied into history studies. Just as surrounding events affect people's actions, so does geography. For example, think Waterloo. Napoleon lost at Waterloo because of geography -- his French army could not withstand the harsh Russian landscape and weather.

Map work can also be tied into science. It's not just enough to know where the Alps are located, but how were they formed, what are they made of, what is the weather like?

Bible Study

Charlotte Mason encouraged reading the Bible daily. She assigned large portions to be memorized and recited each school year.

This is easily imitated in our homeschools for little to no money. We have friends who have done this in an interesting way. Every family member, Mom and Dad included, memorizes their birthday chapter in Proverbs. The entire chapter! (If you were born on the 4th, Chapter 4 would be your birthday chapter -- there are 31 chapters.) It's really fun to watch our friends recite their chapters at homeschool gatherings. They don't do boring, monotone recitations, but get quite animated. Plus, they've found themselves memorizing the other Proverbs chapters almost by ismosis, because they hear their parents and siblings practicing throughout the house.

Of course, Scripture needs to be put into context and not simply memorized. This can be done as children grow older. Just as primary school children memorize their ABC's before actually reading.

An interesting aside -- St. Thomas Aquinas memorized the entire Bible while he was locked away in a castle tower for a couple of years by his parents!

Short Lessons

Charlotte Mason advocated short lessons for a young child. Lessons would then become progressively longer as the child matures. Elementary-age children's lessons would be no longer than fifteen or twenty minutes on one particular subject before moving on to the next thing.

With my ADD children, lessons were sometimes even shorter. Ten minutes when they're little and then gradually longer as they get older. Sometimes, a few minutes on the swingset or building LEGO's were inserted in between lessons. (I'd have to use a timer, lest I forget to call them back in to work!)

The idea is to gently encourage the habit of full attention over time, while exposing them to a variety of subjects and activities.

The Training of Habits

Charlotte Mason believed children could be taught to govern themselves. She encouraged the training of habits beginning in babyhood saying, "Habit is ten natures."

A mother should pick a bad habit that "vexes" her and then concentrate on replacing it with a good habit. Miss Mason recommended working on a specific habit over the course of 4 to 6 weeks, working on only one habit at a time.

Mason believed habits such as paying attention, perfect execution, obedience, honesty, even temperment, neatness, kindness, respect, recall, punctuality, gentleness, and cleanliness can be trained into a child.

Combining Living Books and Book of Centuries

As Alicia pointed out in the comments, you can also add graphics of book covers to your timeline or Book of Centuries. Alicia, in fact, does this in her homeschool and I've seen the results up close and personal. It's a terrific idea that combines the beauty of living books and a visual history lesson.

You can scan book covers, go to the publisher's website, or visit a search engine such as Google and click on the image search. Then print out the graphic and paste it to the timeline. Very cool!

Illustrating Your Timeline

The timeline can be illustrated using several resources. Pick and choose according to your child’s ability and your finances. The children should be doing the research and the choosing of illustrations, not you.

-- Draw by hand.

-- Trace from history textbook and then color.

-- Photocopy from old textbooks.

-- Cutout from magazines and old encyclopedias picked up at garage sales or thrift stores.

-- Search the Internet for free clipart. Begin with Alta Vista’s or Google's image search pages, University of Texas , and Online Saints .

-- More historical clipart sites: Historical Clipart and Pictures - Classroom Clipart, Historical People Clipart, and Portraits /Shaping of the Modern World/Brooklyn College.

-- Photocopy from Marcia Neill’s Catholic World History Timeline and Guide, available at RCHistory. Though the price is almost $90, it is a good investment if you will be doing this activity for several years with several children. Contains thousands of illustrations, including many hard-to-find Catholic pictures. Can be filled in with color pencils.

Timelines

If you prefer, you can put your historical timeline up on the wall instead of in a book. I have a long narrow hallway in my house and for years it graced a massive timeline. Then one day a friend's little child decided to tear it completely down while her mom and I chatted away sipping tea in the dining room.

I never did put the timeline back up. Instead, we went with the Book of Centuries. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I like the visibility of the wall timeline. There was all of history, from Creation to today, right there before our eyes. Plus, it reminded us, every time we walked down the hallway to the bedrooms, to keep it up-to-date. And it's more of a family affair. If you do a wall timeline, just make sure to put it up high, out of reach of little hands.

The Book of Centuries can be tailored to a specific child or unit of study. It can be held in your hand and savored. It can be saved for future posterity, moved from house to house, taken to co-op class, and doesn't require wall space in your house.

If you'd like to try a wall timeline, I have free templates to make your own at my website. Just click on Downloads and then scroll down.

Tomorrow, I'll post some ideas on what to put on your wall timeline or in your Book of Centuries.

Book of Centuries

Charlotte Mason had her students keep a Book of Centuries. This is basically an historical timeline kept in a notebook or three-ring binder. The child writes about an historical event on each page. You could also include titles of books read, pictures, names, dates, and so on.

I like to use a three-ring binder so pages can be easily moved or inserted. This keeps the pages in our Book of Centuries in chronological order. Another idea is to put your Book of Centuries’ pages into three-hole punched, plastic sheet protectors.

I have free downloadable timeline sheets and instructions to help you put together your homemade Book of Centuries at my website. Just click on the button that says Downloads and then scroll down to Timeline Book Template and Instructions.

Journaling

Charlotte Mason would give her students, aged ten and up, free time each week to write whatever pleased them in their journals. While dictation and copywork are corrected by the teacher, journals are meant to be free expression. In my homeschool, I combine journaling with nature studies. The children journal about discoveries found in our woods – animals, plants, tracks, and so on. I've found nice journals cheap at the dollar store. You could also pick up extra spiral notebooks super cheap at back-to-school sales.

Nature Studies

Though Charlotte Mason loved order, she gave her students plenty of time for free play. She put a lot of importance on getting children into the out-of-doors. She wrote:

He must live hours daily in the open air . . . must look and touch and listen; must be quick to note, consciously, every peculiarity of habit or structure, in beast, bird, or insect; the manner of growth and fructification of every plant. He must be accustomed to ask why – Why does the wind blow? Why does the river flow? Why is a leaf-bud sticky? And do not hurry to answer his question for him; let him think his difficulties out so far as his small experience will carry him.

When the weather is pleasant, you’ll likely find one or more of my children reading books in the backyard. When they’re not reading, you’ll find them playing or exploring, even when the weather is quite unpleasant. This is important to a child’s complete education, perhaps as much as their book work.

To explore is to learn to observe and make hypotheses about the world God created for them. It helps create a sense of wonder, a sense of awe. Free play, not organized play but spontaneous play, promotes creativity, discovery, and inter-personal relationships.

Hey, you can't get more thrifty than, "Kids! Go outside and play!" And make sure you're out there with them! Emotions are contagious. If you love exploring and discovering, then they will too. If you stay inside, that's where the kids will want to be too.

Copywork

Copywork is similar to dictation. However, instead of the text being verbally dictated it is silently read by the student. Give a child a paragraph from a favorite book and have them copy it directly from the book. Then check their work for penmanship, punctuation, capitalization, etc. This helps develop an eye for good writing. It also helps develop the habit of being detail-oriented. The child will learn to pay close attention to the minute details.

I find the DK Eyewitness books are great for copywork. Okay, they're not great literature but, hey, they do the job I need. They provide fun, yet factual snippets, which my younger children love. I let them choose a favorite topic and then we pick out an interesting paragraph.

To keep on your budget, the Eyewitness books are easily found at the library.

Dictation

In dictation, a short written piece is read out loud to the child, who then writes it word for word on his paper. He should attempt to use proper spelling and punctuation.

I simply choose a sentence or more (depending on the child’s development), read it aloud slowly, and wait for the child to write it in their notebook. We then go over the written work together, with me gently making corrections. It’s a very short, yet easy, exercise to implement. It teaches the habit of paying attention, as well as sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, and so on.

You could use pieces of great literature or nonfiction books on favorite topics. All found at the library or simply pulled off your own bookshelf.

Narration

The first year I homeschooled, I followed Laura Berquist’s advice in Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum and used narration in teaching my young children Bible history. I would read a Bible story aloud and the children would retell the story in their own words. They would then draw a corresponding picture in their art sketchbooks. I continued to use this method in the proceeding years. The idea was to make sure my children understood the pivotal points of the story. Also, by verbalizing what they hear, children are using multiple senses to retain lessons learned through the story.

When one of my children required speech therapy, she was extensively tested to make sure there weren’t other developmental issues. She scored off the charts for reading comprehension. The teacher who administered the test was amazed this child could not only retell a story, but could recall the smallest detail. When I told the teacher of our narration lessons, she said it was the reason for my child’s extraordinary performance. Narration was something I did just three days a week for a short period of time, yet it produced outstanding results. And it's very low cost.

Living Books

Charlotte Mason (CM) enthusiasts often speak of twaddle. “Twaddle” is practically a derogatory word in CM circles. Twaddle is the opposite of a living book. It means to be dumbed-down, or a waste of time. Some might describe twaddle as “brain candy.” It’s a fleeting pleasure, but with little to no lasting, meaningful themes.

Generally speaking, textbooks and fill-in-the-blanks workbooks (there are always exceptions of course) are categorized as twaddle because they’re usually formulaic rather than thought provoking. They take the life out of the story and bring it down to the bare bones, the bare facts.

Living books on the other hand are just that – living. They awaken a child's imagination through their God-given curiosity, and sense of wonder, in a manner that is savored and enjoyed. Living books are not condescending in their tone and take education out of the classroom, making it a part of everyday life.

How is teaching through living books thrifty? You can use your library! Workbooks need to be purchased as they are consumables. Textbooks are sometimes available through public libraries, but rarely and they can't be checked out for an entire school year.

I've written on using your library on this blog before and will continue to do so in the future. If you're not using your public library to its fullest potential, start HERE.

(For more on this topic also see my book, For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with Literature.)

The Thriftiness of Charlotte Mason

A Charlotte Mason education is indeed very thrifty. Nature studies, copywork, dictation, training of habits, etc., can all be done for little to no money. Over the next week, I'll post on all these great CM ideas and how you can implement them in your home while saving on the budget.

More On Laminating

Thrifty Homeschooler member Traci writes:

I often just get laminated sheets of construction paper or other paper. That way if later I need them for something else I can just write on them with a permanent marker and they are ready to go. Anything laminated can also be written on with a wipe off marker, so I do this for my kids calendars as well and that way I can reuse them.

I know of several homeschoolers who like to laminate worksheets to use with wipe-off markers. As long as you have copyright permission, this is a great thrifty tip. You can re-use the same page over and over with multiple children, or even with one child who needs repetition.

Recipe: Homemade Refried Beans

Here is my simple recipe for refried beans for days when you're in a hurry:

Ingredients
1 teaspoon corn oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 dash Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the oil in skillet. Saute the onions until clear. Add the garlic, beans and spices and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until smooth. If the beans are too thick, you can thin them out with a little bit of picante sauce.

If you want to make a bean dip, only drain one can of the black beans and add the liquid from the other can to the pot.

Pinto beans will also work and are the traditional bean, but I like the black beans.

If you have time, here is a thriftier choice made with dry beans:
FRIJOLES REFRITOS DELICIOSO!!! REFRIEDBEANS

When I make refried beans with dry beans, I make a LOT at once and freeze them.

Note: Refried doesn't mean to fry twice. The prefix "re" in Spanish means thoroughly or very. Authentic refried beans use lard or bacon drippings.

Making Homemade Broth

The following are more guidelines than recipes. Substitute away with what you have on hand or in your garden. It really isn't that hard to make broth -- throw a bunch of stuff in a pot with water, boil it to death, and delicious broth is created.

Simple Broth
I hate to throw anything away, so I often make my own homemade broth from leftovers and the discards of cut-up vegetables from other dishes. I keep them in the freezer for the next time a recipe calls for broth or stock. Besides, homemade broth tastes tons better than bouillon cubes and water. The following recipes are just a base, use whatever veggies, herbs, and bones you have and improvise. The best stock comes from the freshest ingredients.


Vegetable Broth
2 large leeks
2 large celery stalks, including leaves, halved
1 large onion, cut into chunks
3 large carrots, quartered
2 garlic cloves
salt to taste
1/2 Ib. green beans, cut in half
3 quarts cold water
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley sprigs
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns

Cut roots off leaks; remove and discard coarse outer leaves. Split lengthwise and clean well. Add vegetables, garlic, and water to stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and skim any foam from the surface. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Cover and simmer at least one hour, but longer is better. Strain broth and discard veggies. Season to taste with salt. Cool uncovered in sink or cooler surrounded by ice. (I do it this way so I don't heat up my fridge and spoil my other food.) Cover and store in fridge for up to 4 days or freeze up to 6 months. Makes 10 cups.


Beef Broth
3 to 4 Ibs. beef bones
2 quarts cold water
2 large onions, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, halved
1 stalk celery with leaves, halved
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns

Preheat oven to 400. Place bones in roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes, turning once. (This part is optional) Discard fat. Transfer bones and remaining ingredients to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 4 hours. Skim the foam off the top. Strain the stock. Cool uncovered in sink or cooler surrounded by ice. Store in fridge for 4 days or in freezer for 3 months. To de-fat the stock, place in fridge until the fat hardens on the surface, then remove and discard.


Chicken Broth
3 Ibs. chicken backs, necks, and/or wings
3 quarts of water
1 onion, quartered
2 stalks of celery with leaves, cut up
2 large carrots, quartered
2 tsp. fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
8 peppercorns
salt to taste

In a large stockpot bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Reduce and simmer, partially covered for at least 1 hour, longer is better. Skim the foam off the top. Remove chicken and strain stock. (The chicken meat can be used in chicken salad.) Cool uncovered in the pot in sink or cooler immersed in ice. To de-fat the stock, refrigerate until the fat hardens on the surface, then remove and discard. Store in fridge for 4 days or in freezer for 3 months.


Fish Broth
2 to 3 fish bones and/or fish heads, well rinsed, cut into 4-inch pieces.
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 celery stalks with leaves, quartered
4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 tsp. dry)
1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 large carrot, halved
6 whole peppercorns
1 lemon slice
salt to taste
2 quarts water

Combine fish, celery, onion, carrot, and lemon in stockpot. Add enough water to cover. Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Skim off any residue. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer 30 minutes, skimming surface as necessary. Strain broth. Season with salt to taste. Cool uncovered in sink or cooler surrounded by ice. Cover and store in fridge up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Makes 6 cups.

Free Laminating for Educators

Office Max is offering free laminating for teachers, including home teachers, on Thursdays through September 13th. Laminating is great for timelines, school ID's, and so much more.

You can print out the coupon HERE.

Staples and other office/copy stores offer to match competitors' coupons if you don't have an Office Max close by.

Preserving Herbs

My friend Linda S. writes:

I found this web site on how to preserve herbs and thought you might be interested in it...it is as simple as I had hoped it would be!
Harvesting and Preserving Herbs for the Home Gardener

The Dangerous Book for Boys

I've been wanting to get The Dangerous Book for Boys for my son's 9th birthday. But a new hardcover at $25 is a whole lot of money. Fortunately, while shopping at Sam's Club, I found it markeddcown to $14.87.

I think this was the best $14.87 I ever spent. Birthday Boy and his brothers absolutely love this book. They've had their noses in it all day.

I checked amazon.com to read the reviews and they have it for $14.95.

Library Book Search

Have your library privileges been suspended due to lost or unreturned books? Are huge library fines looming over your head? Get up from your computer right now, gather the kids, and do a library book search.

If your library has a website where you can check your personal account, then go to it and print it out. Get a box, basket, or bag to hold all of the books that you find. As you find books, cross them off of your printout. Looking at the remaining titles will hopefully spark the memories of your children and they will remember where they last left the lost book.

Search the car, under the beds, on the bookshelves. Assign a different room to different children, perhaps having them work in teams.

One advantage to a library book search is that the house gets tidy in the process. I always say that if something is missing, all we have to do is tidy up and it's sure to show up. As the kids pull out all the stuff from under the couch in their search for books, have them put that stuff away in their proper places. As they search the car, have them throw out all the trash and bring in all the items that don't belong there. As they look under their beds they can take an extra 60 seconds to feather dust the cobwebs away.

If you recall leaving books at someone else's home, give them a call right away and arrange to get the books back to the library.

Now, once you've collected all the books, take them right to the car. If you really can't drive to the library at this very second, then leave the books right on the driver's seat so that you don't forget to return them next car trip. Books left in the car for weeks build up just as many fines as books lost in the house!

The library is an awesome resource for homeschoolers so do your best to keep library books in check and library privileges intact!

Getting the Most Out of Your Library

My monthly column is up at Catholic Mom, click HERE to check it out!

“I’m sorry Mrs. Wittmann, as of the new year, you can have no more than fifty books checked out at one time,” the librarian told me apologetically.“Oh no! I’ve got forty Cinderella books on hold for a unit study the kids and I are working on. And I’ve probably got twenty books out on the Civil War, and then there are the books we check out just for fun. This is terrible!” I exclaimed, breaking out in a cold sweat, totally forgetting about the ten or so “real” math books sitting at home.

Composting Unit Study

My weekly column is a unit study on composting. Just in time for spring!

If you've never composted or if you live in an urban area, I encourage you to still be open to introducing composting to your homeschool studies. Composting can be a wonderful addition to your science studies, in a very natural way. Both the novice and the urbanite can pull it off. This unit study introduces all the resources necessary for success.

Food Routes

From my friend Linda S.

Hi! I thought this was so cool and that you might like it...

If you go to the web site, and click on FOOD ROUTES, you can put in your zip code or state and find farmers markets, u-pick (raspberries in Fowlerville in August), and other things...neat.

Happy eating...Linda

http://www.foodroutes.org/

Other Thrifty Homeschooling Blogs

I've added some more thrifty homeschooling blogs to the sidebar for your perusal.

If you know of any others I should add, please leave them in the comments. Thanks!

Saving At the Grocery Store

I have a monthly column at Catholic Mom. April's column is on slashing your grocery bill.

If you are an average American family, you can cut your grocery bill in half – through baby steps.

Educators Discounts for Homeschoolers

I have a weekly homeschool column at Catholic Exchange. This week's column is on getting educators' discounts for your homeschool. Go check it out.

Homeschool Blog Awards

The 2006 Homeschool Blog Awards are up and running. You have until Friday (Apr. 13) to vote. They have a Thrifty Homeschool category, so especially make sure to check out those blogs. I'm really happy to see this category!!!

I've been terribly negligent of this Thrifty Homeschooler blog. I guess I better get on the ball so I can be nominated next year!