When we moved last summer, we finally got a house with a "school room"- aka dining room. :-D In our old house, we just "did school" at the kitchen table, and had supplies in the kitchen. I didn't like that because we had to clean up EVERYthing, every day! It is nice now to be able to leave some supplies out if we want. The bad part is that my toddler gets in to eerything that is left out, and writes on things that she is not supposed to! So we are still getting in the habit of putting things up where she can't get them and training her to write on paper!
So today in this Works For Me Wednesday, I wanted to write about organizing our school room. It took a little tweaking in the beginning of the school year before I got things the way I wanted them, and in a way that they worked well. Rebekah has her own desk, and she labeled it herself. (a girl after my own heart! I wonder where she gets it...)
Then on our school table, we have a Pampered Chef kitchen organizer that we filled with pencils, scissors, my pens, glue sticks, glue, hand sanitizer and other little tools we use during our school time. This goes up and out of the way during the weekends!
We have a bookshelf near the school table where I can easily access books, manipulatives, teacher manuals, games, and folders that we need during our homeschool morning. Next to the bookshelf is a black three holed crate that the kids' school books and workbooks are kept in, their schoolwork binders are also kept here.
This shows our map, calendar, schedules and parts of speech poster on the wall, as well as the incentive chart for my son, and other items I can grab if needed.
This bookshelf is around the corner from our dining room and holds extra school books, and books we've finished reading this year. On the lower shelf is mostly teacher manuals that I don't use too often, and larger school books that we reference, such as maps, and larger history picture books.
This WFMW is linked to a blog hop here: www.wearethatfamily.com
She has a great blog- take time to check it out! I found her because of Compassion, which I love and support. You can find the compassion info button on my blog on the right side.
How do you organize your "school" supplies? Do you have a craft area for your kids? I'd love to hear about it!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
BDTH: Rebekah's # 12!
Since we were out of town for Rebekah's birthday during Spring Break, and were busy recovering from our colds/ sickness, we had Rebekah's birthday sleepover late-- just this past weekend! She invited her three friends, I call them the "Triple K" because their names all begin with K! (for their protection, I won't divulge their identities online!)
Rebekah had written me a sweet note earlier in the week asking me to make a treasure hunt for her birthday. She still seemed surprised when I had them start it though! Here is the treasure hunt that I made for her and her friends to do. I got the idea from Jamin, you can find my post about the treasure hunts here.
These are the clues they were given and photos finding (most of) them!:
3. Hooray, you are good! You found number three! Want to find more? Look under “the big bed” to find number four!
6. You’re almost half done your in treasure hunt heaven! Look in your sister's closet for clue number seven! (They found it too fast & I didn't get a picture!)
11. Very good! Keep going, you are almost done, I hope that you are having fun! The 12th clue is sitting where you can plainly see, it’s on a end table near a picture of ME!
Ideas for 12 gifts: (we did not do all of these, but some!)
Rebekah had written me a sweet note earlier in the week asking me to make a treasure hunt for her birthday. She still seemed surprised when I had them start it though! Here is the treasure hunt that I made for her and her friends to do. I got the idea from Jamin, you can find my post about the treasure hunts here.
| The group in the morning, waiting for breakfast... there's something to do! |
1. Today is your birthday! So what shall we do? A TREASURE HUNT is what I have planned for you! Here’s your 1st prize and your 1st clue. Look under a couch to find clue number two!
| Excited & ready to hunt! |
| Looking "near" the couch... :-D |
2. You found it, well done! Now what’s the next word? Look near the piano for the clue that’s your third!
3. Hooray, you are good! You found number three! Want to find more? Look under “the big bed” to find number four!
4. Now isn’t this fun? Do you need to revive? If not look near the Dictionary for clue number five!
| This one stumped them a little bit, they moved it a few times! ;-D |
5. You’re doing so well! What’s your next pick? Look under the stairs for clue number six!
6. You’re almost half done your in treasure hunt heaven! Look in your sister's closet for clue number seven! (They found it too fast & I didn't get a picture!)
7. Here’s your next clue…to keep you going straight. Look on Mom’s desk for clue number 8.
8. Eight down- you are awesome! You’re doing quite fine, look by the plants for clue number nine.
9. You’re quite a pro! You make this look quite “zen”….Near Dad’s recliner is clue number ten!
| "I think I saw this one before!" |
10. You make this look easy, so let’s make this clue HARD…eleven is near where Mom keeps her keys to the car! (This one stumped them a little, but I couldn't hide it on the key board, they would've seen me hide it, so it was in my purse! ;-D)
11. Very good! Keep going, you are almost done, I hope that you are having fun! The 12th clue is sitting where you can plainly see, it’s on a end table near a picture of ME!
| Actually it was behind the picture frame & they didn't see it right away! heehee... |
12. HAPPY, HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY xoxoxo MOM
Ideas for 12 gifts: (we did not do all of these, but some!)
12 pennies
12 nickels
12 dimes
12 quarters
12 dollars!
12 pieces of gum/candy
A coupon for a coffee date with Dad
A coupon for one item from Dollar Store
card with 12 things we love about you inside
A coupon for 12 minutes of extra computer time
A coupon for staying up 12 minutes late
A coupon for 12 minutes of chores help from Mom
extra small things- earrings, hair clips, etc.,
These treasure hunts really are fun, and just a little work. I love following them around and watching them hunt for the fabric and gift bags full of a little goodie! They always find it so exciting!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Master Muffin recipe
Are you in a breakfast rut? Need a little inspiration? Time for something new? How about baking your own muffins! I got this Basic muffin recipe from The Tightwad Gazette, and you can adjust it for your tastes, what you have in the house and what you want to have each time you make them! I like this recipe because you can tweak it and adjust it and it still comes out well!
| YUM-- blueberry muffins! |
MASTER BREAKFAST MUFFIN RECIPE from The Tightwad Gazette II
Makes 12 muffins, and is easy to double--saves time and energy. Combine dry ingredients, then mix in wet ingredients just until combined, batter should be lumpy. Grease muffin tin and fill cups two-thirds full. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (give or take five minutes).
Following ingredients are required:
Grain: Use 2- 2 1/2 cups white flour. Or substitute oatmeal, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, rye flour or flake cereal for 1 cup of the white flour. Or substitute one cup leftover cooked oatmeal, cornmeal, rice for 1/2 cup of the white flour, and decrease liquid to 1/2 cup.
Sweetener: Use between 2 Tbsp and 1/2 cup sugar. Or subs up to 3/4 cup brown sugar. Or subs up to 1/2 cup honey or molasses, and decrease milk to 1/2 cup.
Baking Powder: Use 2 teaspoons. If using whole or cooked grains or more than one cup of additions, increase to 3 teaspoons. If using butter or sour milk, decrease to 1 tsp and add 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Salt: Use 1/2 tsp, or omit if you have a salt-restricted diet.
Milk: Use one cup. Or substitute buttermilk or sour milk (add Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk). Or substitute fruit juice for some or all of the milk.
Fat: Use 1/4 cup vegetable oil or 4 Tbsp melted margarine or butter. Or substitute crunchy or regular peanut butter for part or all of the fat. The fat can be reduced or omitted with fair results if using a “wet addition”.
Egg: Use 1 egg. Or substitute 1 heaping Tbsp of soy flour & 1 Tbsp of water. If using a cooked grain, separate the egg, add the yolk to the batter, beat the white until stiff and fold into the batter.
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
Additions can be used in any combination, up to 1 1/2 cups total. If using more than 1 cup of wet additions, decrease the milk to 1/2 cup.
Dry additions: Nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, and so on.
Moist additions: Blueberries, chopped apple, freshly shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, etc.,
Wet additions: Pumpkin puree, applesauce, mashed & cooked sweet potato, mashed banana, mashed & cooked carrot, etc., If using 1/2 cup drained, canned fruit or thawed shredded zucchini, subs the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.
Spices: Use spices that complement the additions, such as 1 tsp cinnamon with 1/4 tsp nutmeg or cloves. Try 2 tsp grated orange or lemon peel.
Jellies and jam: Fill cups half full w/ plain batter. Add 1 tsp jam/ jelly, top with 2 more tsp batter.
Topping: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the batter in the tins.
Nonsweet combinations: Use only 2 Tbsp sugar and no fruit. Add combinations of the following: 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 3 strips fried and crumbled bacon, 2 Tbsp grated onion, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese. Spices could contain a tsp of parsley and a pinch of marjoram.
Basic recipe:
2 to 2 1/2 cups grain
1 cup milk
up to 1/4 cup fat
1 egg
up to 1/2 cup sweetener
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
up to 1 1/2 cups additions
-Make a hearty breakfast or snack, can freeze...costs less than cold cereal! Serve with milk or juice!
We've had them several different ways- the jam/ jelly in it is yummy! Let me know if you try it!
You can read another post about The Tightwad Gazette here.
You can read another post about The Tightwad Gazette here.
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