Weblink Wednesday

This is my first time joining in! Just a little background...I am in my seventh year of homeschooling officially. I use the internet and the public library for my homeschooling curriculum! I am going to share a few of my favorite websites. I use these on a weekly basis!

School Express --there is tons of free worksheets and resources that you can use without becoming a member of the website. There is also a weekly newsletter that you can sign up for and in the newsletter comes free activity pages along with a free thematic unit study.

Learning Page --another source of free material! This site you need to sign up for free to become a member of the site to access all the free material! The material is geared for preschool thru the 3rd grade. The material is all theme based as well. Say you want to study Ocean Animals...you can go to their site and find worksheets that are Math, Language Arts, and Science based with the theme of ocean animals. You can also print off fact sheets, murals, clip art, and teacher guides for the ocean animal theme as well!

Four Wheelers Unit Study Directory--I love doing unit studies, esp. in Social Studies/History and Science. This directory is full of links to unit studies on MANY different topics. I love going here before "googling" my topic to see if I can find a unit study on the topic we are going to be studying.

Homeschool Helper Online --this site I just came across in the last six months. All the resources here are free!! There is unit studies available on different topics! There is also lapbooks along with templates to use. There is also recordkeeping forms and other worksheets! There is just a TON of homeschooling wealth at this website. Sign up for their free newsletter and be able to stay up to date on what is "new" to the website!

These are just a few of the many websites that I use on a regular basis. Also, if you take the time to look over in the right hand side margin you will find that I have a section of Educational Resources. Most of the websites that I have in that section are sites that I have used or am using this year with my munchkins. I have been working at expanding and adding to that section over the last few weeks!

Take the time to step away from the textbooks you are using and try doing a unit study using the websites above and books from the public library!! You(and your children) just might like it!

For other weblinks, head over to Homeschooling with Encouragement!

Works for Me Wednesday--Backwards Edition

Its the Backwards Edition of WFMW this week at Rocks in My Dryer! It is where we ask a question about problem that we have rather than giving a tip as to what works for us.

I have a sock problem!! It makes life so interesting when doing laundry.

I had the sock problem all figured out when each of my five kids were in different sizes of socks. However, I now have a preteen son who can wear his dad's socks!!! AND I have a hubby that is complaining that he can't find any dress socks!

I figured out a system for their white socks. I took my black Sharpie marker and put dots on the toes. However, you can not take a black Sharpie to black dress socks!!!

So what can do with their black dress socks to make it easier on me when folding a basket of laundry and less complaining from the hubby about not having any dress socks??

Looking to help others, hop over to Shannon's @ Rocks in My Dryer!

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

Yesterday, I found my freezer shelf of baked goods empty! I was thinking that I needed to get on the stick and get it filled back up! Later in the day after getting NO baking accomplished, I was reading thru Tammy's Recipes and saw that she had posted a question from a reader looking for input on baking routines, I just had to laugh at myself because I was thinking, "boy, can I identify!". There are so many times when I think that just buying the already done baked goods would be so much easier but then I thought about how much I love to bake and how much healthier my baking is for my family! I decided to just stick with doing my own baking!

At the end of Tammy's response to the reader, Tammy also asked a few questions to her readers about how does one decide what baking items to have on hand; whether to put the baked goods in the freezer; and when to fit in "extra" baking time that isn't part of a meal into the daily schedule. Instead of taking the time to comment about my baking habits over at Tammy's, I thought I would make it my kitchen tip for today!

I love to bake! However, like many others, I find it difficult to do though because of having five kids, homeschooling them, and trying to keep the house from looking like it is a pig sty! I found trying to aim for and do a "baking day" was just too exhausting or something more urgent would come up on the day that I planned that the baking would get put to the back burner, so to speak. So I decided that if I was going to do any kind of baking I had to schedule time in my weekly routine for a couple of times a week during baby's naptime that I would do at least one baking item.

I made a list of all the baked goods that we enjoy on a regular basis. This list has helped me know what items I need to have on hand along with finding that sometimes I can do a couple of different baking items that use the same ingredients. You can make the same dough base(cookie or muffin) and just change the fruit or the baking chips that you use and have yourself two different baked goods.

I have made the habit of making goodies that I can do into individual servings. Like quick breads instead of being made into a loaf the batter is made into muffins. Then I just adjust the baking time, instead of it having to bake for a hour it usually only has to bake 30 minutes. I find this is so helpful when having to squeeze in baking time during my daily routine. I still make "one pan wonders" like coffee cakes but I save those for a time when I am not squeezing in time to bake.

As for knowing what items to have on hand, I always keep my pantry stocked with baking supplies. For the most part, I get them in bulk at Sam's Club. For those baking items that I do not need in bulk, like baking chips, honey, molasses, etc, those are items that I watch the sales for and when they are on sale I use my "stock up money" from my budget and I stock up!!! I think at last count I had over 2 dozen bags of baking chips!! LOL We love our chocolate chip cookies! I also keep store bought mixes that I have bought for pennies, like brownie and cake, on hand for those times when I just can't squeeze extra baking time in the schedule. I can do the mixes up while I work on dinner and let it cook at the same time dinner is cooking.

I usually will do a double batch of whatever it is that I baking, unless it is something I have never tried before. Once the goodies are cooled, I divide them up into several freezer bags and mark the bags! All but one bag ends up in the freezer! This way I have some to enjoy now and some that I can pull out later for lunches or needing to take baked goods to a church gathering.

There are my tips for baking goodies for your family to enjoy! For other kitchen tips, head over to Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy's Recipes.

Menu Plan Monday

**This is just a plan and plans have the ability to change at the cook's discretion!
Last week was a short week for me cooking wise and I was able to stick to the menu totally!

Hubby and I did make it to our church’s couples retreat despite still being a little sick. We learned about some things that we need to change or improve on in our life. We are refreshed and ready to tackle the week and months ahead!

This week’s menus are made from my freezer and pantry stock! I have found several things(like a package of raw ground beef) in the freezer that I need to use up. I would like to find a couple of new recipes to try later in the week so I have a couple of dinner meals left blank for that reason. If I don’t find anything new and exciting, I probably will resort to old time family favorites.

I am also going to be doing some restocking of homemade baked goods in the freezer this week. I seem to have let my stock totally deplete! OOOOPPPSSS!

Lunches listed are for the kids and I as hubby usually takes dinner leftovers each day.

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus, go check others out at her site!**

Sunday(3-2)
Breakfast: eggs, hashbrowns, sausage links and biscuits
Lunch: chicken tenders and fries
Dinner: leftover chicken rice soup, and homemade french bread (after evening church)
Snack: snack basket (before evening church)

Monday(3-3)
Breakfast: cereal and toast
Lunch: sandwich, chips, baby carrots or applesauce
Dinner: chili, rice and corn muffins
Snack: snack basket or go-gurt

Tuesday(3-4)
Breakfast: waffles
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls
Snack: cookies & milk

Wednesday(3-5)
Breakfast: cereal and muffins
Lunch: pizza rolls
Dinner: beef stroganoff over rice, peas or salad, and bread
Snack: snack basket

Thursday(3-6)
Breakfast: French toast and sausage links
Lunch: soup & grilled cheese sandwich

Dinner:
Snack: snack basket or go-gurt

Friday(3-7)
Breakfast: cereal and donuts
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: burgers, fries, and corn
Snack: ice cream

Saturday(3-8)
Breakfast: “Cook’s Choice”
Lunch: ?????(it’s the weekend anything goes!)
Dinner:
Snack: popcorn

Singing Sunday

Back from my church's couples retreat!! It was sooo good to get away with my hubby for 24 hours and get refreshed! The reason why I picked today's song was it is what I have been singing for the last 48 hours!! It is hard to not have joy in your life when you look at what God has done for us! He is soo good to us!!

You Have Been So Good
by Paul Baloche

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken, you made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here morning,
You gave me joy
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

How can I thank you
There is just no way
How can I thank you
No way how could I to pay
For your kindness
For your tenderness
For your custom presence here with me

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken, you made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

Lord How can I thank you
There is just no way
How can I thank you
No way how could I to pay
For your kindness
For your tenderness
For your custom presence here with me

You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken, you made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me

You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good