Why do I want to homeschool?

According to most reports, we live near a great school. My daughter may eventually attend that school, but I’m hoping to avoid it for a while. This has been a great topic of debate in our family, both immediate and extended. I come from a family of teachers and they value the school system. While many people think of homeschoolers as either hippies or devoutly religious, we do not really fit into either category. Why do I want to homeschool? I like spending time with my daughter and she likes spending time with me. She’s likely going to be my … Continue reading

Under Wraps

Believe it or not, there are some signs of pregnancy that may show up before a HPT will give a positive test result. For example, some women might experience a very small amount of spotting when the embryo implants in the lining of the uterus. The problem with these very early pregnancy signs is the fact that they can be attributed to any number of other things. In retrospect, one could look back and say, “oh yeah, I was so tired because I was pregnant.” However, symptoms like fatigue are so common and caused by so many different things, there’s … Continue reading

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year for Thrift Store Bargains 2

As you wonder what to do with all of your leftovers, take advantage of other people’s leftovers, too…leftover stuff, that is. This is the best time of year to get wonderful merchandise for pennies on the dollar at your local thrift store. If you missed the first part of this topic posted earlier today, click here. You should also find a lot of toys, as parents, overwhelmed with all of the gifts, either donate brand new items in an effort to bring the gift giving under control, or donated older toys to make way for the new ones. I found … Continue reading

Getting Serious About Heat Conservation

We’ve been practicing frugal living in our home actively for about eight years. Most of those years have involved a lot of lifestyle changes, from having three kids to moving to a larger home. While we have kept up with being conservative about our spending, we haven’t been able to make any dramatic changes above and beyond what we do on a daily basis. This fall, we have made it a priority to work on heat and energy conservation even more than we already do. This is an area that we can always improve. We’ve completed most of the necessary … Continue reading

Which Comes First?

Do you include both weightlifting and aerobic exercise in the same workout? If so, which do you tackle first? If you workout at a smaller gym (like I do) then your answer might vary depending on the day. Smaller gyms typically mean less equipment, so if you enter the gym hoping to get your run in on the treadmill before heading to the weights, but all of the treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines are in use, then you might be forced to switch up your schedule and lift first. On other days the opposite might be true. You might … Continue reading

Scheduling Conflicts in a Blended Family

Being in a blended family can be difficult when it comes to scheduling. There are so many different things to consider, so many variations of what can be planned and what cannot be planned and several different people to think about when making scheduled plans. So what do you do when a scheduling conflict occurs? Communication Communicating with all parties of interest is a key ingredient to effective parenting within a blended family. There are several parents that are involved and should be involved in the decision making process. Discussing situations that are conflicting can help warrant a quick resolution, … Continue reading

My Personal Scrap Space

Every scrapbooker dreams of having their own space to sit and create. Some are lucky enough to have a dedicated space, and some have to be content to use closets, share rooms or simply pull it out every time they wish to scrap. Once upon a time, in a land far away. Okay, well only about two and a half years ago and not really so far away, about two miles up the road. I lived in a house where I truly had my own dedicated scrap space. It was spare bedroom and I had it painted all pretty and … Continue reading

Affairs and STDs

You often hear people talk about the psychological issues they suffer after finding out a spouse has had an affair (namely lack of trust), and there’s the other kind of fallout that manifests (counseling and divorce), but what about the health issues? How many affairs result in the contraction of an STD? Perhaps it’s a weird thing to wonder about. (Then again, I’m prone to that. “How Do Monkeys Keep Their Nails Clipped?” is proof.) But there you have it, I’m wondering about it. I blame Wayne. Not because he cheated and gave me an STD, but because of his … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review for August 20th-26th, 2007

As summer is slowly drawing to a close and school is finally back in session for most children including the homeschooling families, it is the perfect time to take a look at your frugal habits. Evaluate what is going well for your family, and what might not actually be working. Some things you cannot save money on year-round. Some seasons are better than others for certain savings. Just evaluate where you are and look forward into new ways and methods to save money. Look what great ways we showed you how to save money in the frugal living blog this … Continue reading

No Barbie Dolls For Bindi

Forget about Barbie, for 8-year-old Bindi Irwin playtime is all about Blackie—-her black-headed python. Would you expect anything less from the daughter of the late crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin? In addition to Blackie, Bindi recently revealed that she spends quite a bit of time with Corny, her “lovable” corn snake (the one she sleeps with every night). Then there’s Jaffa her koala; Ocker, her favorite cockatoo; and Candy, her pet rat. The junior “Crocodile Hunter” is hoping to give her pets some serious airtime on her new TV show so the rest of the world can get to know them … Continue reading