Scripture Songs for FREE

I found these scripture songs a while back and they have been a huge blessing to us. The boys and I have memorized all the songs on the "His Workmanship" CD. This family is so talented and the songs on this album are free for download!

Noun and Verb Game

My second grader and I have been studying nouns and verbs ad nauseam. So, this week it was time for him to take a little test to make sure everything is firmly planted. My poor boy! He looked at the test like it was in Swahili. Needless to say, he had no clue despite hours of study.

So, what is a mom to do? Well, the first thing...I started drilling him everywhere. He now knows all the nouns in Target, the car, alongside the road and everywhere else we have been this week.

I still was not convinced he really understood nouns and verbs, so I decided to look online for a game. I found this wonderful website! It is called ABCya. It has some really great games for PK-5. My son spent some time doing the Ice Cream Talk game and it was really helpful for him. In addition, my kindergartener also enjoyed some of the games. This will be a frequently visited website at our house from now on.

www.abcya.com

"How is a Star Formed"

This is a great video on YouTube to help your children understand how a star is formed. My boys were particularly fond of the quotation "Our universe has gas". The video has great visuals and is short enough to keep the attention of a seven and five year old.

Unextreme Couponing

Here is an example of my unextreme couponing strategy:

Publix
- List of items for this week:
Organic Romaine Hearts
Organic Celery
Smart Balance Spread
Orville's Natural Popcorn- 3 large boxes
Riceworks Chips- 2 bags
Tic Tac Big Box
Wheat Egg Noodles- 4 bags
Organic Frozen Veggies- 2 bags
Lara Bars- 2 bars
Cheez It
Soft Scrub
Chef Boyardi- 4 cans
Publix Cream of Chicken- 2 cans
Hunts Pudding- 2 pks
Hunt's Ketchup- 2
Frescheta Pizzas- 2
Chips Ahoy- 4 pks
Green Beans- 2 cans
Publix Pie Shell
Publix Coleslaw
Wheat Pitas- 2 pks
Turkey Kiebasa
Corn- 2 cans
Peter Pan Huge Jar
House Plants- 5 (my huband had to have some new ones)
$50 BP Gift Card

Total $110.32 (after $26.98 in coupons)
Paid $20 with rebate gift card from ConAgra
=$90.32
-$40 for $50 BP Giftcard (had $10 off coupon)(does not go against grocery budget)
=$50.32
-$10 for my husband's plants (does not go against grocery budget)

=$40.32 Total for groceries at Publix
Will be submitting a rebate for $15 to ConAgra. So, the total really is $25.32, but I count it as $40.32 for this budget week.

So, I know you are thinking. But, where is the food to make full meals? I buy the sale items that I will use at Publix each week on Wednesday. This allows me to get the penny item for the week. I get one coupon circular on Sunday and I do not have a printer. So, once a week I cut coupons. I am definately not an extreme couponer! A successful Publix trip is one in which the total saved is equal to or greater than the total spent. This is a really easy thing to do with some planning.

Aldi
I purchase most of my staple items at Aldi. I generally buy:
Milk- 2 gallons at $2.49 each
Pretzals at $1.20
Saltines- $.79
Fruits & Veggies- There is no place cheaper than Aldi on produce, but the selection is lean.
Whole Wheat Bread- 2 loafs a week at $1.19 each
Eggs- $.99 lately
Mac & Cheese- $.39 a box
Canned Goods

This week I spent $13.19 at Aldi.

Walmart
I buy our meat at Walmart on markdown. Chicken breasts are generally $1.78-1.88 a pound at our Walmart. The rest of our meat is purchased on markdown. Our Walmart marks down meat that is close to the freeze by date. I buy whatever is on markdown and plan my meals around the markdown meat I buy.

This week I spent $14.69 on eight chicken breasts and a package of pork ribs.

So, the total amount spent on groceries this week $68.20. Plus, I will be receiving a rebate for $15 from ConAgra. Not too bad for a family of four!

"Walden" Lite

Walden by Henry David Thoreau is one of my all time favorite books. At the library the other day I happened upon a book in the children's section called "Thoreau at Walden" by John Porcellino. It is associated with the Center for Cartoon Studies. I picked it up thinking... Ahhh.... This will be a great introduction to Walden for my boys. Well, this book far exceeded my expectations! I love it!

It is in comic book format with simple drawings that really express the feel of Walden. It contains Thoreau's most quoted or vital ideas from Walden. I have found myself reading it over and over. I just can not get enough of this book. It is suggested for grades 8-12, but I read it to Connor yesterday (age 7) and with some explanation he was enjoying it with me.

If you want to give your child a gentle introduction to Thoreau, this book is the way to go. You can check it out on Amazon in the bargain section. I am ordering my own copy right now...

Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson

Secrets of the Vine for Women is a great inspirational book about how God helps us to not only bear fruit, but to bear it abundantly in our lives. The author uses stories about a young girl learning from her father about how to tend a vineyard. The lessons learned in the vineyard are directly related to how God tends to us. The book is inspired by the book Secrets of the Vine by David Kopp, which I have not read so I cannot comment on the content related to it. This book was a small, but powerful read. The book contains thought provoking questions and a study guide. It would be a great resource for a women’s study group.

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

When Sparrows Fall is a captivating novel about a young widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford, and the life changing events that result from her fall off a cliff. Miranda is a member of a very conservative religious congregation led by a controlling, self serving preacher, Mason Chandler. Following the death of Miranda’s husband Carl, Mason declared his intention to move his congregation and his expectation for Miranda and her children to follow. Miranda clearly relayed to Mason her preference to remain behind, but Mason knows a secret that Miranda has kept hidden and threatens to expose her. Miranda seeks God’s guidance through fasting. As she walked and photographed the cliffs near her home, she became faint and fell from the cliffs. Jack Hanford, Carl’s half brother and college professor is notified that he is named guardian of Miranda’s children. Jack is shocked by the news since he met his brother and Miranda only once. Once Jack arrives at Miranda’s home, he is shocked by the lack of technology, absence of all fiction and the utilitarian dress code followed by the family. From this point in the book, the focus is on the relationship and tensions between Miranda and Jack. The struggle between attraction and fear grips both Miranda and Jack. Miranda fears her secret will result in the loss of her children should Mason decide to expose the truth. She believes Jack’s presence will provoke Mason. Jack feels that Miranda is hiding something and seeks to find the truth. Eventually, Abigail Chandler confides to Miranda that Mason has been unfaithful with a younger woman in the congregation and that his motive for forcing Miranda to move is the tithe on her property. With this new information, Miranda takes a stand against Mason and frees herself.

I really enjoyed this novel and was hooked from the beginning. My only criticism is that Mason Chandler seemed underdeveloped. He was worked up to be such a horrible person, but then he was so easily defeated. Otherwise, I thought the book was great!

Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud

Plain Wisdom is Plain Heartwarming!

Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud are two great friends from very different backgrounds. Cindy is a Christian mom and writer living in the mainstream world of media and hustle. Miriam is an Old Order Amish mom who resides in a traditional Amish community. Cindy and Miriam recount stories of motherhood, faith and life from their unique yet similar perspectives. Faith in God is the driving force in each of their lives. Their stories are heartwarming and contain wisdom only derived from living as Christians and mothers. Throughout the stories, Cindy and Miriam offer a glimpse in to the day to day lives of the Amish. The hard work and immense joys are shared as well as information regarding certain Amish traditions. The information was beautifully intertwined with the stories and enhanced the readers understanding of the Amish life. The feeling of the book is that of two experienced mothers passing on life stories to a younger generation. In addition to passing on wisdom, Miriam was kind enough to include some of her family’s favorite recipes! I highly recommend this book. I am confident that it will bless your life as it has mine.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review". The review was not influenced by the publisher. It is my honest evaluation of the book.