Homeschool Journal--About Time I Checked In

I'm not sure I've posted here on my blog about our homeschool since shortly after Jasmine got home from England.

Things have been crazy schedule wise.  We tried really hard to get back in to the swing of a full school day.  It somehow never happened.  Sure, we did have a few good full schoolwork days here and there but not many.

Now here it is summer break time.  I had intended to just do a few of the things until we were done with those books.  That's also not working out so well.  It's hard when her friends are out of school and wanting to hang out.  I just can't tell her "sorry, we need to do math, science, etc etc before you can go".  Her social life is important to her, and to me too.

We have been reading books about Japan.  That was one thing I wanted to finish up throughout the summer.  Well.....the books are due back to the library today and we have already kept them an additional 3 weeks.   I've written down the titles of the books we didn't get to.  I also wrote down the books we started reading and what page we are on.  I will still try to check say 1 out at a time and read when we can.  You know, I am reading these out loud to her so that I am also learning.   You can see the books we are done with on our Learning About Japan lens that we are building as we finish each book.

I wanted to finish up the math book we are using for review on the dry erase board.  We may still get to that as there are 20 lessons left.  We will see.    We are still reading out of the devotions books, of course.   We need to finish the questions at the end of the chapter we are on in the Introduction to Business text.   We are also going to keep working out of the Everyday Fit book.

Church, Bible study, and youth group and all activities involved in those still goes on.  And, we all know that schooling never really ends anyway, especially when you are homeschooling  :)

 

SIS Shares in Squidoo---Quilting

I think you all know how much I love quilting.  I'm learning more and more, especially now that I have joined the local quilt guild and started going to the sampler and sit n sew nights at the lcal quilt shop.   There are a lot of nice lenses on quilting!

Here are just a few of them:

Quilting Blogs I Love To Visit Often

Hand Quilting Stitches | How to Hand Stitch a Quilt  

Crazy Quilts and Crazy Quilting 

Quilting Blogs My Top 20  

What is stipple quilting? 

Machine Quilting 

 

I know that is a lot of them....I'm going to be watching videos and reading the rest of the evening!  LOL    Here is one of my quilting lenses:

How to Make a Strip (String) Quilt

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enter to Win a Subscription to Ladies Home Journal from Purex and Enter to Win a Free Coupon Too!

Now through June 22, 2012 you can enter to win a free subscription to Ladies Home Journal magazine from Purex.

Click Here to enter or enter in the rafflecopter below.

Disclaimer:  I was sent free coupons in conjunction with the Let's Be Honest campaign to giveaway in my blog from Purex.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Squidoo Hopping--Getting Closer

I am getting closer on my notebook change over.  21 lenses left that need some updating before I make them a page in my new notebook where I am keeping the lenses in alphabetical order.   I am getting there.  I can't wait to be done with them all.  I then plan on going down that list I've made of different ways to update.....start at the front of the notebook and go through until every one has each update.  Makes sense to me, and will keep me plenty busy updating for 2 or 3 more years!  Of course I do have several lenses that get updated on a regular basis anyway.


On my Charity lens I am adding to it as I see lenses of my own with the donation module in it for a charity that I didn't get there before they took the module away from us.  I am also adding as I am seeing these modules on others lenses as well.  For me, I want to know what each charity is all about.  I mix and match what I am giving to all across the board.  I try to match the subject of my lens as best I can to a charity, but if not that is when I choose something else like March of Dimes or ASPCA etc.

I joined another squidoo facebook page last night.  This one will do a daily, post your lowest ranking lens.  Of course the ones at the bottom of my list are ones that I've not gotten any updating done to yet.

I've made myself a goal of building at least one new lens each week.  This past week I built 2, and I built 2 the week before too.  Maybe I should change that goal up to 2 per week?

I am listing those 2 newest lenses in the linky for this week.

It's Not Too Late To Get In On These Deals for Father's Day!

Amazon is the perfect place to shop for Father's Day and it's not too late to get in on these great deals!! These prices expire June 17, 2012.

Choose from the gifts below or click the picture at the top for many more choices.

Pork--Be Inspired With the New USDA Recommendations!

As a bzz agent with bzzagent.com, I am doing a campaign on pork and the new USDA recommendations for cooking pork chops, tenderloins, and roasts.  

The new recommendation is to cook these until a digital thermometer reaches a temp of 145.  Then let the pork rest for 3 minutes.  This will result in a flavorful, tender and juicy eating experience.  The pork will be pinker than you are used to.

I encourage you to check out the new pork cooking temperatures HERE.   Keep in mind that for ground pork, just like all ground meat should be cooked to 160 degrees.  140 degrees for pre-cooked ham.

Here is as picture of my bzz kit:

 I headed to our local Kroger-owned store and used the $5 coupon provided to me to buy pork chops.
Here they are cooking--hubby is checking the temp one last time.  Hurry please, I'm hungry! (These are made using a Fat Boy rub)

 aahhh  finally my portion is on my plate along with some macaroni salad, potato salad and cinnamon applesauce.  Time to dig in!

Here is a whole list of websites you will want to be sure to check out:
http://www.porkbeinspired.com   You can find a lot of recipes, cuts, nutrition, freebies and more!
Follow over on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/allaboutpork
Hop over to pinterest and pin some photos of your personal pork creations as see those of others.  http://pinterest.com/PorkBeInspired/
You will also want to head to facebook and like their page as well! https://www.facebook.com/PorkBeInspired

Here is an inspired recipe that you might want to try:

BBQ Pork Salad with Summer Fruits and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
4 cooked pork chops, sliced*
8 cups mixed greens
2 nectarines, cut into 12-wedges each
1 grapefruit, segmented
2 avocados, cut into wedges
16 cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon salad oil
2 tablespoons toasted almonds, slivered
Salt and black pepper
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/8 cup salad oil
Cooking Directions
For the Vinaigrette:
In a blender, combine all ingredients except oil. Blend at medium speed for one minute. Next, with blender at medium speed, pour oil very slowly into blender. Add salt and pepper.
For each serving, toss 2 cups greens with 2 tablespoons dressing, top with 4 cherry tomatoes, 1 sliced pork chop, 1/2 avocado, sliced in wedges, 1/2 nectarine sliced in wedges, 1/4 grapefruit segments. Drizzle with more dressing and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
  

Did you know that there are 5 chop cuts to choose from?  Loin chop, blade chop, rib chop, top loin chop, and sirloin chop.  We chose sirloin chops for the meal I show above.

Hubby went a step further and bought pork ribs to smoke for our supper last night.  They were oh so good, smoked with a rub and then cooked with bbq sauce.  I took a picture of them with the rub, and then a picture of him putting on the bbq sauce.

Kroger-owned stores are your go-to source for pork.  Head to the store where you already shop.  The friendly staff will happily answer your questions.  Be sure to check out Kroger.com for recipes, coupons, and offers exclusive to your area.  

Disclaimer:  As a bzzagent I was sent a campaign kit for Pork (as pictured above).  This post is part of my sharing by word of mouth.  I was not compensated in any other way.  Any opinions in this post are my own.

SIS--Shares in Squidoo--Tiny Houses

In keeping with my theme on homesteading, this week I want to talk about tiny houses.  While looking through homestead lenses way back when, I seen a link for a lens about tiny houses.    I have been hooked and intrigued with them ever since.  

I've even subscribed to blogs and tend to get lost watching videos and reading about different tiny houses on a regular bases.

Here are 4 lenses that talk about them.  Beware, you might get addicted to them too!

Eco-Friendly Tiny Houses 

Tiny Houses 

Cheap Houses: How to Live Mortgage Free 

How to Built a Tiny House 

Guilty.....I had to stop and watch a few of the videos again before finishing this post.  Hubby just said "I've heard that video before that you are watching now"  ROFL  Yes, when I've watched it a few times before!

For my own share this week, I ask that you help me with a click to this lens again.  Instead of continuing to move up in lens rank, it's taken a "nose dive".  Thanks!

Who is Helen Steiner Rice

 

 

 

 

Frugal Friday Link Up--Vinegar Has Many Uses

Good Friday to all. We are finally getting just a bit of rain this morning. We sure need it!
No hanging clothes on the line today, but that's ok. I will just get hubby's uniforms washed and dried and call it good for the day. The other day it was super windy outside. I debated on hanging the laundry out. There I was getting blasted by wet laundry as I tried to hang it up. It was quite a sight. LOL A couple of things did get blown off the line, but what I found out is that they clothes dried on the line like in the dryer. They were soft instead of stiff like they usually come end up. If you have any hints on making line dried laundry not come dry stiff, please let me know.

There may just be something with vinegar as I start to share the many uses of vinegar this week. Vinegar will be a 3 week share as it is so versatile! These are from the book 99-Cent Solutions: Easy Ways to Save Thousands of Dollars

1. Perk up a rug or carpet. Bring your carpet back to life from the foot traffic, dust, and dirt that is wearing down the carpet's fibers, dulling the pattern and color. Use a solution of 1 gallon warm water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Dip a clean broom in to the mixture and brush it into the rug. Let it dry. The fibers will stand up and the color will be revived. (I must try this)

2. Brighten wood paneling. Wipe down wood paneling with 2 cups of warm water, 1/4 cup white vinegar and a glug of olive or vegetable oil. Wipe down the whole area and then rub with a dry cloth. This will easily remove grease and grime from the wood paneling.

3. Get rid of bird poo. Pour vinegar onto a rag to wipe the bird mess from your windshield. On your patio or deck, just pour a little vinegar straight on to the spots and watch them dissolve like magic.

4. Make an all purpose wash that is simple, cheap and green. Mix 2 parts water and 1 part white vinegar in a spray bottle. You can use this to clean anything including grease spots, spills, and bathroom surfaces.

5. Say so long to stickers. If you can't get that price sticker off, or if you are like me and have grandchildren who have stuck stickers to your kitchen floor, just soak the paper with plain vinegar and scrape the stickers off with a credit card or a plastic spoon. Use a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe away the remaining glue. (another must try for me)

6. As clear as glass. No need to buy that special cleaner for your eye glasses, just spritz them with white vinegar and polish with a soft cloth. This works just as well as that tiny overpriced bottle of eye glass cleaner. (along with #5 above--when I worked as a housekeeper at a motel, we used the vinegar mix to clean the mirrors--saved the motel a lot of money over buying glass cleaner)

7. Say goodbye to odor. Wet a cloth in vinegar and wave it around the room that you are trying to air. This gets rid of smoke or cooking odors quickly.

8. Make salt surrender. In the winter when you salt your sidewalks, you can really do a number on your leather shoes or boots. Wipe your footwear as soon as you get inside with a cloth dipped in white vinegar. You will get rid of the rings, but you will also prevent damage to your shoes.

I will have more to share about vinegar next week!

Squidoo Hopping---Giant Squid 100!

Good Thursday to all.   A huge thank you to all who participated last week by adding lenses to the weekly linky.  I'm glad to see more joining in, and I enjoy clicking over and checking them all out.

Last night I was brought to tears-----don't worry, they were tears of joy.
Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I have been wanting to apply for Giant Squid 50 for some time.  I've hesitated as I kept working on updating and building a few more lenses.
I wasn't sure if I was ready to apply yet---had I done enough updating to say that I had 50 terrific lenses?  I went ahead and "bit the bullet", and applied.  I didn't have confidence in myself though as I figured I would be turned down and would have to wait another month to reapply.

OMG!  Can you believe it?  Not only did they approve me for Giant 50, they also made me Giant 100!!   I seen the points for each in my activity section.  Immediately I went to my email to look for the notices.   I am so very very pleased and happy to have made it.  I'm excited that I will finally be getting one of those coveted Squidoo T-shirts too!

I will continue with my updating as well as getting new lenses built here and there.   I'm learning a lot with the help of a lot of other webmasters out there.  I love the facebook groups as most everyone is really supportive and willing to help.  Thanks to all of you.

I had one purple star lens from way back when I was Giant Squid 100 before (before they took that all away and you had to reapply in stages) and that was Blankets for Christmas.  This time around they chose my Helen Steiner Rice lens to give the purple star to.    I am sharing both of those in the linky this week.

Have an awesome week everyone, and post away!

 

Gift CardLab Has All Your Needs For Father's Day!

 

Dads love receiving gift cards, but they can often seem impersonal.   GiftCardLab.com  allows you to completely customize a Visa gift card for Dad with his favorite family photograph or a special love note.  Practical and personal, plus Dad can spend it wherever Visa cards are accepted.

If you choose not to personalize the gift card, there are 35 great choices of pictures for the card.  Here are just a few of them:

Adventurous Father	Barbecue	Carpenter
Cowboy Father	Cowboy	Dad

If Dad loves a certain store, there are lots of retail store cards also available, including:
Applebee's
Best Buy
Exxon Mobile
K-Mart
Papa John's
Staples and
and 66 others!
You are sure to find one Dad will love.

You also have the option of sending your gift card via an e-gift card.  Many to choose from here as well including:
Amazon
Lowes.com
cooking.com
Omaha Steaks
Walmart online
Sears Online
and 66 others!!
 e-Gift Cards are the perfect last minute gift idea as well as a more efficient and greener way of sending gift certificates from popular retail brands. Sending an e-Gift is easy, fast and free. Select and purchase the e-Gift; an email will be sent immediately to the recipient providing access to the gift value at the chosen retailer.

Gift Card Packaging

A unique gift card deserves unique packaging.  Instead of plain white paper folded into an envelope like a dreaded bill, Gift CardLab has opted to use greeting cards reflecting the occasion.  Your Visa Gift Card will arrive affixed to the inside of a card of your choice, complete with your message and instructions for the recipient.  It's all in the presentation, so feel assured your customized Visa Gift Card will be the first thing opened and the last thing remembered.

Follow Gift Cardlab on facebook and receive special offers!

I want to also tell you that you don't have to shop Gift Cardlab just for Father's Day----there are lots of occasions, as well as recipients, to choose from.  I do hope you will check them out for your gift giving needs.

Disclosure:  I was sent a sample Father's Day card with Visa Pre-paid for the purpose of doing this review.  Information I share is taken directly from their website.