Simple and Easy Christmas Ornament

My daughter and I sat down and made these in no time.  They are very simple to make.

Enjoy!



Video

More Than "Mere" Education Giveaway - several prize opportunities!

I am so excited that we are reviewing the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal. I've been wanting to ready Mere Christianity for a while with my 10th grader and this is such a great way to connect further with one another as we read. You too have the opportunity to win your own copy plus lots of other goodies in the More Than "Mere" Education Giveaway!

The Home School Adventure Co. Launch Team is excited to help celebrate the release of the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal with a special giveaway filled with books that will compliment your classical studies, as well as a couple of special surprises.  

The best news is that there will be two winners, each receiving a very valuable prize package!  

We would like to thank the following friends for their generous sponsorship of this giveaway! Be sure to stop by their websites to say thank you!

Institute for Excellence in Writing
Nancy Pearcey
Trivium Pursuit
Bright Ideas Press
Raising Real Men

Here are the prize packages you could win! 

Prize Package #1

Our first prize package contains all of the print resources from Home School Adventure Co., as well as wonderful books, curriculum, and even a marriage retreat. This prize package, sponsored by the Institute for Excellence in Writing, Nancy Pearcey, and Trivium Pursuit, has a value of $500!

Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal $28.95
Philosophy Adventure - Pre-Socratics Complete Set $89.95
Philippians in 28 Weeks ESV $28.95
The Wise Woman with Literaray Analysis Journal Questions $28.95

IEW Teaching Writing/Student Writing Value Pack (Winner's Choice of Levels A, B, or C) $249

The Soul of Science $11.99
Total Truth $25.00
Saving Leonardo $26.99

Teaching the Trivium Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style $20.40
The Fallacy Detective $22
The Thinking Toolbox $22

Prize Package #2

Our second prize package is filled with all of the resources offered at Home School Adventure Co. in their downloadable editions, as well as a set of all 3 volumes of The Mystery of History by Linda Hobar. This prize package, sponsored by Bright Ideas Press and Raising Real Men, has a value of $300! 

Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal Download $18.95
Philosophy Adventure - Pre-Socratics Digital Download $39.95
Philippians in 28 Weeks ESV Download $14.95
The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions Download $14.95

The Mystery of History, Volume I $49.95
The Mystery of History Volume II $49.95
The Mystery of History Volume III $59.95

My Beloved and My Friend book and Marriage Retreat Online $45
Pollyanna Audio Book Download $18

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., age 18 and older please.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

December Meal Plan and Grocery Hauls

Here is my list of December Meals.  Our family monthly budget is $500 (just raised this last month to allow a little more freedom in our groceries for hungry teenagers).  I don't elaborately plan but like to have an idea of what is on hand and what is needed.  Not planning as many meals this month since we have Christmas gatherings and parties to attend.  However, any food items taken to those events will come out of this budget as well.

ham x 2
pasta x 4
taco soup
creamy chicken chili
chicken pastry
tuna casserole
cheesy chicken & broccoli over rice
sloppy joes
breakfast
pork chops x 2
salisbury steak
taco ring

I'll add in the videos as I make them.  Here is our monthly Costco visit video.

 


See how we did in November.

Totally gave up on budget and videos for December but we were over by around $100!!  YIKES!

Black Friday Giveaway!

Here is an awesome Black Friday Giveaway and you don't even have to leave your chair!  Enter until December 6th.


The Home School Adventure Co. Launch Team is excited to help our friends at Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies celebrate Black Friday with this giveaway of more than $1,900 in prizes. Included in the giveaway are three products from Home School Adventure Co. -- Philosophy Adventure, Philippians in 28 Weeks, and The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions.

Home School Adventure Co. $217.70 Value! (all physical & digital)

Philosophy Adventure™ is designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as they explore the history of ideas.

Philippians in 28 Weeks™ - It is easier to share the Word of God when it is etched upon your heart. Philippians in 28 Weeks™ is a delightful and painless way to commit the entire book of Philippians to memory. This streamlined approach uses memory cards carefully constructed to present Philippians thought-by-thought, copywork verses, journal questions, weekly reflections, recitation charts to test your retention, and an optional tracking tool called “The Log.”

The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions - The Wise Woman enchants readers while it contrasts the ugliness of pride, selfishness and conceit with the beauty of humility, sacrifice, and compassion. By offering students 16 to 24 literary analysis questions per chapter, this 160-page spiral bound edition teaches critical thinking in a way that is engaging and transformational.

Sponsors of the giveaway include:

Media Angels

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Notgrass Company

Roman Roads Media

Bright Ideas Press

Home School Adventure Co

Master Books

Character Concepts

Family Time Fitness

Hearts at Home Curriculum Store

Click on the banner above to read more about the other incredible prizes and to enter the giveaway.

2014 Budget Calendars are ready! Download for FREE!

I have completed the budget calendars for 2014.  They are the exact same as last year - simple and easy on the ink.  :)  They worked out perfectly for our family for 2013.



If you would like to download them for your family free of charge, go here.  If you find any errors, please let me know! Thanks!

Join me on facebook!

Since I'm trying to create more videos on my Youtube channel and to start checking in here more, I have created a new facebook account to keep up with them all.  

I would love for you to join me there as well as I hope to let that be the in between journal for all.  

Currently on my Youtube channel, I am sharing about our homeschool, our grocery budget and hauls, and weekly weigh-ins.  

Coming up very soon here will be more review items so stay tuned!

Monthly Menu Planning & Budget

For the last half of this year, I have been monthly menu planning. When Groupon had their Costco deal earlier in the year, we signed up.  Our Costco is about an hour away so I knew to make it work, I would need to try monthly menu planning.  Well, it has really worked out great for us!  For June - October, we set our grocery budget to $400 and did well staying within that range going over occasionally.  In November, we raised the budget amount to $500 because we have been focusing on eating at home more and eating out less.  So, that budget includes 3 meals a day for the kids and I and at least 2 meals a day for my husband.  He also eats 3 meals a day for at least 4 days a week.

At first, I kept our menus very simple. Pretty much, we had the same thing every week for the 4 weeks.  I've started to branch out a little the past few months and I'm trying to try out all those pinterest recipe pins.  :)

Here is our menu plan for November - I do not assign a meal to a particular meal unless I know for sure that's what I need to do.  I just write out a list of meals in my monthly calendar and then sit down weekly to finalize the menu plan. 

Spaghetti x 4
ham x 2
tacos x 2
taco soup x 2
chicken and rice
rotisserie chicken
chicken pastry
loaded potato and chicken casserole
creamy chicken chili
meatloaf
cowboy casserole
veggie beef soup x 3
beefaroni
buffalo chicken
taco ring
cheesy chicken and broccoli over rice
salisbury steak

This is not a list of 30 meals because I knew Thanksgiving was in this month and I host it but we all pitch in with the food.  I also leave room for leftovers.  You can also see that I don't really make a plan for breakfast, lunch, or side items usually.  There are a list of staple items that I always have on hand for those keeping our menu plan even simpler. 

Weekly Grocery Haul Videos.