Frugal Friday With Marsha--Making Use of The Public Library

Lately we've been making use of the public library again--making weekly visits.
I'm not sure how we got out of the habit of going, but it started again several weeks ago when my daughter wanted to stop in and look for a movie to check out.

We ended up checking out several movies as well as a music cd.  They didn't have the movie she wanted anymore, so we made use of the inter library loan to get it.

We have a good sized library, but it's wonderful that if by chance they don't have what you ate looking for, you can borrow it from another library.  They even give you extended check out time since it's borrowed.

This past week I checked out a book to use with Jasmine for math.  We had used the prior book in the series already.   She also checked out a few books to read on her own.  I checked out 2 music cd's as well.

THe public library's always have fun things going on.  Currently our library is doing a program they call Blind Date With a Book.  You choose a manilla envelope with a book inside, read it, then write a short review to have your name put in a drawing for prizes.  The outside of the envelope does tell the genre of the book inside.
My first book was called Motel of the Mysteries---it sure was an entertaining book and a quick read.  The genre said futuristic science fiction.   I've already returned it and picked another envelope.  I chose the genre young adult fiction and ended up getting Holes.  Who knows, while I am getting in more reading than I've done in a long time, I may actually win a prize too.

I always had my children signed up for the summer reading program each summer.  Now I make sure the grandkids get signed up for it.  Reading is important---and they get trinket prizes for their reading as well.

Our library has an internet room.  I'm not sure how many computer are in there but it's around 25.  People are allowed to use the computers in there up to 2 hours each day, except Sunday is 1 day.  If the room is full, you are assigned a pager so they can let you know when it's your turn.  In the past I've had to use the room quite often when my computer was down.
The library now offers the wifi throughout the library so you are free to bring your own laptop in anytime you choose.  They've added more tables and more plug ins.  They even have 3 laptops that you can check out---for the same time as you would have in the internet room.

They put in a "coffee bar".  You can order coffee, cookies, juice, muffins etc.   I just had to buy a big chocolate chip cookie when we were in this week.  They were baking them and that smell was throughout the library!

What I miss is the library book sales.  They used to have them twice a year.  I always went on the 2nd day when they let you buy a grocery cart of books for $8.  I'm not sure why they haven't had a sale now in 2 years, but I am going to ask.    They have a used book store inside the library all the time.  Books average in price of $1.    They also always have a cart outside the doorway that is full of items that are free.  I've actually gotten some good stuff from the free cart.

What's going on at your public library right now?

 

Please link up any of your frugal posts here!

Posts can be on your shopping trips, frugal recipes, meal plans to save money, anything you do to live a simple or frugal life etc.

If it pertains to being frugal, living frugally, saving money, it fits in the blog hop.

Let's inspire and help others learn to live well on less!

Linky remains open all week so feel free to add new posts any time.

1. Landscaping from scratch

2. Scrap wood Storage Bench

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Squidoo Hopping---Flagging and Fixing

The filters have hit the Giant Squids, and some have been hit pretty hard!  I was reading in the facebook group comments where some had over 100 lenses given the heads up warning.
I was very fortunate--only 2 of my 134 were flagged.  However, if I am reading in the groups correctly, there are some who had flagged lenses, updated and got them greenlighted, but some are being flagged again......as well as additional ones being flagged.
As of right now I don't have anything else flagged but my dashboard says it's been 17 hours since ranking and such have been updated.

One of mine that was flagged was Pop Tarts Vs. Toaster Strudel.  I almost just deleted the lens because it's never been one I really liked.  However, I did go in to mess with it.  It had that black amazon box to put something towards the top so I moved one of the modules.  I also added a black box at the top telling how I originally came about to build the lens.  I also added a lens love widget above the guest book.   Because someone mentioned adding the about me module and having their's greenlighted, I also added that to the bottom of the lens.    It was greenlighted.

Now, the other one that was flagged was one of my directory lenses---the one about my homeschool lenses.   I started out doing nothing more than adding a description of why I chose to make each set of lenses that I had featured in each section.  I thought that would be enough for the greenlight.  I hit publish and it wasn't....so I put in for it to be looked at and green lighted.
I couldn't wait though and then went back in.   I tried adding the about me module at the end as well as the lens love widget.  Still a no----telling me low quality content.
Back in I went again, this time adding a poll module---still a no go.
Back in and I changed the bio to a custom bio and added a flag counter at the bottom.---still a no go.
I tried putting in descriptions here and there on the amazon items, as well as I removed 1 item from each of the modules.----still no greenlight.
My final change was to remove the text module where I had 5 zazzle items put in.   BAM!!  It was then greenlighted.

OMG!  I was trying not to take out the zazzle items, so that makes me sad.  But also, I put in so many updates that I don't have many more updates I can do to that lens to help it in the lensrank later.   Do you think I can go back in and add say just 1 or 2 homeschool zazzle designs?  Do I dare even try it?

This week, I wish for you to share 1 or 2 of your lenses that were flagged and that you were able to fix.  If you have time, please comment and let me know what changes you made to get them greenlighted.
Also, please, if you have blogged about squidoo at all, link those posts up too! 

 

Please link up any squidoo related blog posts you have done in the last week.  This linky remains active until the following Thursday when a new one is posted. Please link directly to the blog post, not your general blog url.

If you don't blog about squidoo, please feel free to link up 1 or 2 of your blogs that are related to the week's theme.   If you do blog about squidoo, feel free to do both!

Also, please come back and visit throughout the week and visit those who have linked up.

Thanks and have a great Squidoo week!

1. Marsha's Homeschool Lenses	2. Pop Tarts Vs. Toaster Strudel	3. Best SugarFree Chocolate Treats-
4. poutine	5. My Giveaway Linky Lens Is Now On My Blog Here	6. The Flagging Fiasco Continues
7. Reading Chairs for Book Lovers

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WIP Wednesday--4/3/13

It's been almost a month again since I've done  WIP post.  I really have been getting in some work.....just Wednesdays have been crazier than normal so I've not posted.  Today is no different, in fact, I've only been out of bed 45 minutes!

I have lots of things I am in the process of completing:
T-shirt dress for a book review
3 sets of folded hot pads
2 plastic bag holders
2 fabric bags
personalized pillowcases for each of my 8 grandchildren

I have quite a few things that I want to start working on:
A scrappy quilt
Doll quilts
quilt square hotpads

Completed:
Table runner that I will turn in this month for our guild challenge
Matching wall hanging that I made to go with the table runner.

I don't have pictures taken except a couple that I will share this week.

This is my progress on the quilt top I am making at sewing club at church.  What a long process!  Especially since I've only worked on it the once a month for the day at sewing club.  And, next week I won't get much done on it because I am needing help with the t-shirt dress mentioned above.

 Here is a photo of the other ladies who are working on tieing a quilt.  It will be raffled off for the church's 125th anniversary.

In my crochet world I had been crocheting like crazy the cotton bath puffs.  I did complete the order for 15 of them, plus made an additional 6 that are now listed in my etsy store.  I crocheted up a set of washcloths too and have them listed.  And.....I crocheted 12 dish scrubbies as well.

I've also been making plastic canvas coasters this past few days.  I already have sets of them in my etsy shop, just using up the rest of my plastic canvas as well as this huge ball of yarn.

So.....you can read, that I really have been working, believe it or not.  I hope to be back next week with a LOT of photos for you!

Marsha

 

Homeschool Journal---The End of the School Year is Closing In

I've not written a "journal" entry blog post for our homeschooling in some time now.
It seems that since Christmas we have had so few days that we actually got in a good amount of book work in a day.

It seems it's just so much unschooling now!  Let's see if I can give a lot of examples.

Jasmine has been doing a lot of exercises as well as learning about "super foods" and more.  This would be health/PE.
Exercising with the Slim in 6 dvd's that I purchased as well as still dancing with the Wii, but also with the Playstation game as well.  She's even tried some exercises that she's read in magazines.
The Slim in 6 dvd's came with a booklet all about exercise, eating and health---we've read it cover to cover twice.  We've tried different recipes etc.
On nice days she's been taking walks.  This last week she walked to the public library (just over a mile from our house)...read half a book while there (language arts) and then walked back home.

Jasmine has taken it upon herself to watch some of the science shows through netflix---such as the How It Works and How Stuff Works series.  She then tells us, and others what she learned from each show.

She is still attending Bible study each Tuesday and youth group each Wednesday.
Recently youth group attended the Winter Jam concert.  This prompted her for days to look up bands and lyrics, and do some sharing of both on facebook. (music)

I pulled out the Thresholds to Adult Living textbook and we've been reading it out loud with discussion.  I love those books!  I picked this one up as well as a few others at the public library book sale.  They are all from the 1960's but still very much (if not more) pertain to how a person should live today.  All of these texts cover every aspect of life from friends, dating, marriage, fitness, cooking, health, jobs, budgeting, decorating, and so much more. (I love the photos within the books)

Jasmine, on her own, had been making herself a budget/goal book.  She has made specific goals of things she is saving for and how much (what percentage of) she will save for each goal out of any money that she earns.  Other math would include grocery shopping with me.  We have been working also in an Everyday Math Survival Skills workbook.

Of course she is still drawing all of the time.  I am going to end this post today with a picture she has recently drawn.  I've also used this picture as the intro photo on one of my squidoo lenses.

I am linking up with: