Life ~ outta control!!

Yikes - I haven't posted in 5 days. I would rather post great content than post just to post. Therefore, my frugality series might not continue until next week. I mean I could send my Aldi's post out now, but it isn't top quality. I have to read Walden for school, (It is very boring - I'm getting about 5 pages an hour read) I may Cliff Note it (I've never used Cliff Notes) and finish it over Winter Break or something... (The Cliff Notes are horrible because I feel guilty using them, and they're horribly boring) You see, my literature list was out of order so I am way behind in the next three weeks, but then will be way ahead for the next seven weeks. I also have weekly essays...this week's is "What is Frederick Douglass' writing style?"

I've started an Entrepreneur class today as well. My Algebra 2 has actually been going really well.
Oh yes, and top it all off, I received a review copy of Code Name Pauline. I'm half way into the book, but I really need to read Walden, but I really need to get that post out too.

On the positive side, I finished The Scarlet Letter over the weekend!! And, I have the Hebrew alphabet down and I can count to ten! Next, I will be working on the lovely Hebrew vowels and honing my knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet until I know it as well as the English alphabet.

aleph...bet...gimmel...dalet...hey...vav...zayin...

As you can see, my life is in utter chaos. Thanks for reading my drama. What's yours?

Chocolate Pecan Muffins ~ THM Compliant

Have Y'all heard of Trim Healthy Mama?

I kept hearing about it so much, and I was intrigued

enough by all that I read, that I bought the book.

These girls have much to say that makes a lot of sense.

I don't know enough about them to endorse all that they

may stand for, but, the initial results I've had

from eating the way they suggest have been positive.

I've felt better than I have in a long while.

I've dropped 10 pounds without starving myself ~ it really has been painless.

And, the cravings truly are not there or, can easily be satisfied

while staying on plan and continuing to achieve your ideal weight.

It isn't a "diet" in the conventional sense ~

 it's a way of eating and nourishing oneself that is easy to stick to.

It tends to regulate blood sugars and help the body find a good balance.

I have found it to be both satisfying and energizing.  :)

Are you interested to learn more?

Click here to find the book for sale on Amazon.

One thing to mention, and it's a significant thing if you ask me ~

these sisters do not endorse sugar of any kind

if your goal is to lose weight and/or balance your blood sugars.

That means no honey, natural sugar, raw sugar, or maple syrup

for those who are trying to achieve the specific goals mentioned above.

These authors would not include growing children in that restriction.

All of God's good food is encouraged in their case.

And, for everyone, a balanced approach to nutrition is promoted.

They encourage the use of Stevia in a couple of forms.

One of those is Truvia ~ I don't know for sure how I feel about it.  

More research is required before I become settled on the matter.

In the meantime, I have been using it.

That's my disclosure for this post, and I felt it was 

necessary to give it prior to sharing the recipe.  

There.  Now I feel so much better.  *Wink*

Having said all the above, I don't see why you couldn't make these

muffins with regular sugar if you don't want to follow the plan.

I've not actually made them without Truvia, so you'd have to give it a try to see.

According to my calculations, this recipe would require approximately 

3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar to achieve the same level of sweetness.

Oh, and just so you know.  I still have sugar occasionally.

When I do, however, the scale shows me that I've done it.

It's so empowering to know how to quickly arrest that situation

and stop it in its tracks before it gains a foothold.

Now, on to the recipe!

~ Chocolate Pecan Muffins ~

(Adapted and modified from one of the recipes

which may be found in Trim Healthy Mama)
**These would fall into the S category**

6 Large Eggs ~ Organic, preferrably

2 tsp Vanilla ~ I use the pure extract

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Golden Flax Meal

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Almond Flour

1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/3 cup Truvia sweetener (or 3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar)

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 cup Chopped Pecans

1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted

Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside.

Measure all dry ingredients together in large bowl and

stir until no lumps remain ~ I mix with my fingers.

Mix egg mixture into dry ingredients, stir lightly with a fork.

Add in melted coconut oil and stir together well.
Let sit a minute or two to let batter rise a little.

Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

I use parchment liners in my muffin tin,

but, you could grease the muffin cups prior to filling.

Fill to the tops of the liners ~ I use the large size.

Makes 10 large muffins.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.

Tester should come out nearly clean. 

Be careful not to over bake as your end product will be too dry.

Serve warm with butter.  Enjoy!

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I only endorse things that I use and enjoy.

I am not compensated in any way for my opinions.

They are just that ~ opinions.  Please do your own research
in order to be sure that you have made the right choice for you.  :)

Down Under Up Here

We've had a visitor.  

All the way from "Down Under" to "Up Here".

At least, from our perspective it's up.  :)
It took fourteen hours of flight for our guest to finally
arrive in our neck of the woods.
Australia really is on the opposite side of the globe.

What a thought!

This is the first time we have had the opportunity
to host the daughter of a blogging friend in our home.
Isn't it amazing what can happen when you blog?
Real live people are on the other side of the screen.
Sometimes, they are on the other side of the world.
Those people have the potential to become our friends.

And, that's how it happened.  What fun!

Miss M's Mum sent us treats from her homeland.
Included in the mix was a tube of Vegemite.
Now, that was a taste experience!
I preferred the chocolate.  :)

It's been like having a big sister for Emma around here.
They went ice skating together and played "Life".
They cleaned the dishes together and made friendship bracelets.
And, that was only on the first day.
Emma will be sorry to see her go.  

On her second day with us, we put her to work.
The employment?  Baking a Lemon Meringue Pie.

It was yummy, nummy!  SO good.  
Her Mum was right ~ 
she knows what to do when it comes to baking.

We headed out for the afternoon to our local beach.
The girls climbed up a big rock at which point
Miss M informed us of her fear of heights.
Ann...I was trying to take good care of her ~ truly!

They conquered it.

However, coming down was more of a challenge.

Thankfully, nothing got broken or even bruised.

I breathed a big sigh of relief when they were once again on solid ground.

Just prior to her flight out of town today,
we were able to scoot down to the city and visit Stanley Park.
It was a perfect day ~ warm-ish with blue skies and sunshine.

We've all become fast friends.

A pile of leaves is an open invitation for this ~
Wouldn't you agree?

The real reason she came to Canada was to 
visit with friends who live on the Prairies.  
So, we only had her with us for the weekend.
Just before she leaves for home, we will have her for one more day.
We are looking forward to it ~ I think she is, too. 

Thank you, Ann, for letting your girl come stay with us.

It's been a blessing to us all.

Anyone else want to send me their young people?

Let's talk.

With Love,
Camille

Challenge 22 - Way To Go

I must apologise for being late, I can't even believe that a fortnight has gone by.  The latest challenge, this time is sponsored by Paper Pretties and we are looking to see your Congratulatory cards.

PRETTIES IS AN ONLINE CRAFTING STORE, AND HOME TO ZAC, LILY, SOPHIA AND COOPER - THE CUTEST KID STAMPS AROUND! (AT LEAST WE THINK SO). WE HAVE MANY EXCLUSIVE STAMP LINES, FROM ELEGANT TO WHIMSICAL, SWEET TO CLEVER; THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERY STAMPER IN OUR PRETTIES' BOUTIQUE.

ALONG WITH OUR FULL LINE OF HIGH QUALITY CLEAR STAMPS, WE ALSO HAVE A LARGE SELECTION OF DIGITAL IMAGES.

The prize on offer is 6 digis of your choice.

The design team have been working hard to provide the following inspiration:

Shirley

Patricia

 

Michelle

Pat K

CAZ

I'm sure you'll agree that we have a great design team and will be fully inspired and ready to join in.  Here are the rules:
1. Your card must be for a man or a boy.
2. Your card must be new for this challenge and follow the theme set.
3. Your post must mention Cards for Men and contain a link back to this challenge.
4. You may combine our challenge with others up to a maximum of 10.

The challenge will run from now until midnight GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) on 10 November 2013.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, leave a comment and I'll enter you in before the draw.  Good luck

Tag ~ you're it!

This is my sister's Tag ~ you're it! I decided to join in...mostly because I may be having a Christmas blog linky. :)

Feel free to join here!

1. ✫Coffee, Hot Tea Or Hot Chocolate?
Actually, none. I'm not a coffee person, and I don't like hot chocolate. By the time it cools down, its just lumpy chocolate. (not a big chocolate fan!)

2. ✫Books Or Movies ?
Books!

3. ✫Les Misérables Or The Phantom of the Opera?
Les Mis... I don't know much about POTO.

4. ✫Reading Or Writing? 
Reading. I have been writing very little lately.

5. ✫Writing Or Photography? 
I prefer writing over photography, but I LOVE photography.

6. ✫Spring/Summer Or Autumn/Winter
Definitely autumn/winter! It's the perfect excuse to stay in the basement and read all day.

7. Two (Or More) Quirks Of Yours
I am a grammar nerd...you don't play piano good you play piano well. HUGE pet peeve!!
Umm...I'm really loud. I can't help it. :(

8. Two (Or More) Random Facts About Yourself

1. I really, really like garlic.
2. I use to know sign language.

9. What Word(s) Describe You Best: Smart, Elegant, Classy, Shy, Lively, Confident, Or Affable?

Probably smart, confident, and classy!

10. What Is Your Number 1 Cooking Catastrophe? 

Probably the time when I tried Hamburger Helper. The meat was way overcooked (I was afraid I'd give my family E coli and it would be all my fault!!) and the pasta was grossly undercooked. Hey, I was really young at the time. :)

Saving on Entertainment

This is the second in a frugality series inspired by the Greatest Generation, the men and women who grew up during the Great Depression and then fought and won two wars. You can see the Table of Contents to this series here

.I am always listening to music, normally while reading a book, and who doesn't like to end the day with a good movie? Although I am a bookworm, I own very few books compared to most. I listen to music all the time, yet have only downloaded a few songs onto my iPod. And I watch movies all the time.

BOOKS

As you may have guessed, I am addicted to my local library. My library has a wide selection of books, as well as free Inter Library Loans. (If they don't have it, they can request it from another library.) Or if it is new, my library will purchase it. (OK so there is a few books my library can't get (When there is no library in the US that has it) such as some Danish books and a few Scholastic Canadian historical fictions. Well, in those rare cases, I cry, and then get over it, because normally if there is no library in the US that has it, then you can't buy it in the US either.) Anyways, I use World Cat to find the nearest library that has the book I'm looking for.

Some libraries also loan eBooks.

Garage sales, Goodwill, and any resale shop are good places if you want to buy cheap books. I have taken pictures of interesting books I see at Goodwill, and then looking them up on my library's website before. On half-off day, you can normally get a book for a little more than a quarter at Goodwill. Amazon and Barnes and Noble is then my next resource... Homeschoolers can get 20% off each B&N purchase. See this.

iBooks and Project Gutenberg (and most other eBook stores) has nearly all classics for free.  Not only is this free, but classical literature is often much more challenging and have valuable lessons compared to today's books. Examples of free classics include: Pride and Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo, Les Misérables, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Phantom of the Opera, Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ivanhoe, Romeo and Juliet.

MOVIES

Firstly, we rarely go to the theatre. I mean, we can a wait a little bit if it means saving $60. I can count with my hands the times we've been to a theatre. (Eight Below, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Prince Caspian, and Courageous are the times that stick out. There haven't been much more than that.)

Did you know you can get movies from your local library - free? Most have all the popular ones, but it WILL be hard to get them because the new movies fly off the shelves. However, this is the only way you'll get to see new movies for free. 

Then there is YouTube. You will not find new Oscar-winners on there (copyright infringement), but if it's older, foreign, rare, a Disney Channel original movie, low-budget, or made-for-TV, you may be in luck. The History Channel and National Geographic often have outstanding documentaries, and for the older ones (before 2010) you can often find on YouTube. The Hallmark biopic The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler is on there, as well as Fiddler on the Roof. For historical dramas (WWII, specifically) that are not SUPER big, you will often find them on YouTube, because, especially for WWII films,  many owners won't take it off.

Hulu, Netflix, and of course, your TV, are also great resources.

Note: Never download movies from the internet for free. This is illegal.

MUSIC

I love music!! However I'm the type of person who likes a song, and listens to it a thousand times until I get sick of it and want to throw up the next time I hear it. The only time we really buy music is if we have an iTunes gift card, or if we really like the artist we will buy the CD. YouTube, radio, Grooveshark, iTunes Radio, and Pandora are my two main sources for music. Internet radios are another free and legal source. Some good Christian Internet radios are K-Love and Air 1.

ALTERNATIVES

Of course, you don't have to always have to watch TV, listen to music, or even read. Swap some board games with a friend. Have a backyard picnic. Do a Pinterest craft with a friend. Visit a museum. 

100 Things To Do For Free



Getting the most from your library

My library is awesome. I swear, it's the best library in the world. They have hundreds of movies I can rent for free. Besides, we normally watch movies 1-2 times before they go on our shelves, never to be seen again for six months. Same goes with CDs. We listen to songs on repeat for the whole three weeks we get to keep them, and after that, we are SO burnt out from them!

My library also has Mango, a language-learning software for travelers and tourists. All free.
Really, I learn something new about my library all the time. My library definitely spoils me.

See if any of these resources are available at your library! Most librarians are happy to help!

What are some ways you save on entertainment?

Making Messes

I'm at it again.  Making messes.

It seems to be something I'm good at.  
Unfortunately.

We live in an older home ~ 40+ years.

With that territory comes the need for tweaking

and re-doing and upgrading ~ multiple times, it seems.

Things break.  They wear out.  They get used up.
Boys live here.  'Nuff said.  :)

The boys' room wasn't on my radar.

However, not long ago something in the closet caught my attention.

And, before we knew it, the closet was emptied and gutted.

Then, I enlisted my Dad to come and help out.

He built all new shelving and supports ~ all to my specs.  

Tomorrow, he plans to hang the doors.

Thank you SO much, Dad!  :)

Tackling the closet led to moving all the furniture 

(except the bed) out so the carpet could be cleaned.

Where did all that stuff end up?  

In Howie's office, down the hall, and in the mud room.

Like I said before ~ It's a mess.

My poor Sweetie.  

All of these things led to my brilliant idea to strip the walls of the

posters of planes and hockey guys and the world map.

Those wall embellishments left behind a gazillion holes that required filling.

My sweet husband did the job for me ~ Thank you my love!  :)

All that filling has left me with walls to paint.

It's how it goes.

So, we are in a mess.  But, it's a work in progress.

The plan is to be done by the end of the week.

Anyone out there willing to cheer me on?
Encouragement in a situation like this is always welcomed ~ LOL!

It will be a little quiet in this space while 

this project is being completed.

Happy week to you all!

With Love,
Camille

How Waiting Can Save You Money

This is the first in a frugality series inspired by the Greatest Generation, the men and women who grew up during the Great Depression and then fought and won two wars. You can see the Table of Contents to this series here.

I recently got a new iPhone 4S (for my birthday, September 4) and I am very happy with it. On that same day, both of my parents upgraded to iPhone 5's. Barely a week later, the iPhone 5C just came out. We got new phones and only a week later they were outdated.

Here are some outrageous statistics:

• The iPhone 5 received 2 million pre-orders within its first 24 hours.
• In it's first 3 days on sale, more than 5 million iPhone 5's were purchased.
• The year before, over a million people pre-ordered the iPhone 4S within 24 hours.
• Over half of US adults have smart phones.

And yet we still aren't happy. We live in an instant, entitled society. We want it now. We deserve it. We are entitled to it. BUT, waiting can save you money.

Example one: items you don't need "right now".

My mom waited six months to buy a certain bedspread from JCPenny she has been wanting.

Problem? The comforter set was $290. The 2 decorative pillows were $100. ($50 a piece) The 2 valances were $110. ($55 a piece) That comes to $500!!

A few days ago, while Mom was checking JCPenny's website, the moment she had been waiting for had arrived! The bedroom set was on sale! (throws confetti) The entire set was on sale for half off. Half off is $225. AND after a quick Google search for "JCPenny E-coupons" we found an additional 10 percent off coupon. With tax being $13.85, our grand total was only $221.80, and the comforter by itself was $240.

By waiting, we got the comforter set discounted $20, and the rest free! We simply did without for a while. We did not need that comforter right away. By waiting, we put the money we saved to good use!

This works on:

• TV's and other electronics
• Appliances
• Decor
• Furniture

Example two: food and holiday items

Food is essential to life. BUT, do you need that Halloween candy now? Can you wait until after Halloween, when it's all in the Clearance rack? Same goes with any item "in season", such as Christmas wrapping paper, valentines, and school supplies. - Waiting until after that holiday or season saves BIG time.

Waiting for a product to go on sale is also a great example of saving money. Combined with coupons, you can occasionally strike a great deal!

This works on:

• Clothes (Sweaters, scarfs, summer sandals, etc.)
• Food of any type (coupons + sale price)
• Holiday items (Christmas cards, Halloween candy, wrapping paper, valentines, and even school supplies. Just stock and save for next year!)

Example three: waiting until it's old

Homeschool curriculums regularly update. If the curriculum you like is getting updated, the leftover "old" ones can normally be purchased for 1/2 off, and the teachers editions can normally be found on Amazon. When the "new" tech gadget comes out, the old one's price is significantly reduced.
Although you may not have the coolest gadget on the block, your wallet probably won't be empty.


Tip from the Greatest Generation:

Very few Americans "need" anything; most have their basic needs already met. Before you buy bigger/newer/better, think:

USE IT UP: Don't buy that new item now if you don't already have it, use up what you got.
WEAR IT OUT: Make sure your old item is in very worn-out (unusable, slow, etc.) condition before you buy
MAKE IT DO: If you can't afford it, SOMEHOW make that old and worn-out TV work until you can truly afford a new one.
DO WITHOUT: Do you REALLY a new TV? What about the one at your neighbors garage sale?

How has waiting saved you money?

Verse of the Week: Isaiah 45:7

These verse of the weeks seem to be biweekly...sorry about that. They just concur better with my newsletter. :)

This week's verse is inspired by the song Ma Rabu!

Check out my awesome video below:

Boo Y'all {Read this for some Treats!}

Have you ever been "booed"?!  Well, I haven't until this year...and this year I've been "booed" twice--and I just all kinds of LOVE it!  First, you should know, I big *PUFFY heart* LOVE fall.  It's my favorite.  I've been so busy lately, that it has been hard getting into the Halloween spirit--but my two "BOO's" have really gotten me on some kind of crazy Halloween crafting/pumpkin muffin baking/decorating/driving my husband crazy kick!

My first "BOO" happened at school.  One early morning, I was shuffling all my stuff--along with my coffee and blueberry muffin--feeling very sleepy and a little sorry for myself when I noticed a bag on my classroom door.  It wasn't anything too fancy--but it was holding boxes of Little Debbie Bat Brownies for my whole class (plus some extra for this pregnant teacher--YAY!  BROWNIES!!!), and a fun little poem and door decoration.  Made my day.  So I created a Boo bag for another class to help spread the Halloween cheer!  Then...last night, while the hubs and I were watching a VERY scary movie that was totally freaking me out, we saw a lady outside our front door window--and we both screamed.  Turns out, the sweet lady was giving us a "BOO"--hope we didn't scare her, too!!!  We opened the door to a glow in the dark bucket of candy and Halloween toys for Emma!  FUN!  I went to Michael's today to get my Boo-ing supplies, and found tons of Halloween deals for just $1!  Sweet!  I made these little Frankenstein buckets to BOO our neighbors tonight:

{Green buckets + paint pens + five minutes = adorbs Frankenstein buckets}

In other news, I've started creating again!  I've been in a creative slump, people.  I'm not gonna lie.  You know what's on my mind lately?  Babies.  Nurseries.  Cute little clothes.  Stuff like that.

{My nursery inspiration board!  It's a...BOY!!!!!}  

Anyway, on to the teaching stuff!!! :)  It feels good to have made a few new things for my class of curious little first graders!  This week, I'm teaching L blends--so I made a big practice packet called "Blends with Friends" to use during whole group, reading stations, and small group.  

Last week, I had fun integrating our bat unit into language arts with my "Bat-tastic Contractions" packet!  Nikki from Melonheadz gets me with her clip art.  Every.  Time.  Had to have those bats--and I just HAD to make something fun with them!  My kids loved the pocket chart bat-tivities.

And, as Halloween approaches, I want to make a class-created book!  Class books are one of my favorite things to do, and I NEVER seem to have time to do them anymore! :(  Sadsville. We've made a BIG book together, but not one that I can laminate and put on the reading shelf, SO... I created a class- created book template called "The Spooky House".  First, I am going to read The Haunted House by Eve Bunting--I love that book in all its simplicity--and I love the illustrations!  Then, I will do a mini lesson on descriptive words.  The kids will help brainstorm a list of describing words for a spooky/haunted house, and then I will give each student a page to fill in the sentence and illustrate!

The first person to guess my favorite Halloween candy will get all THREE of the above packets for FREE!  Leave a comment and your email!!!

I have also included 3 quick owl math pages for free download below, and my "BOO" letter and door hanger for you to use to BOO someone!*****And that's my Boo for Y'all!!!!*****
Happy Halloween...and get to BOOing!!!

What About Socialization?

What about socialization?

All those who have been home educating their children
for any length of time, know that this is 
THE all-time most popular, always-asked question.

I cannot tell you how many times it's been posed to us.

Many.  Over and over.  Again.
And Again!  :)

~ Emma (centre) with two friends at 
our weekly skating outing ~

Rather than re-invent the wheel,

I am going to share with you a well-rounded,

thorough, and well-thought-through answer via a link.

My friend Heather, who blogs at Cultivated Lives, nailed it.  

Find her wonderful post by clicking here.

I am sure you will be encouraged by her words.
Just as I have been.

~ Fraser and Emma playing Skip-Bo ~

Thank you, Heather, for writing such a
well rounded, well thought through article on this
topic that we all must wrestle with.
Not just those of us who home educate.
All of us.

Many Blessings,
Camille

Casting Crowns new song!

My favorite band, Casting Crowns, has a new song!

What do you think of it?

Lessons on Frugality From the Greatest Generation

Frugality is a big part of my and my family's life. I love saving money and living cheaply. My parents are big on saving money; my Dad recommends Dave Ramsey to everyone he meets and my Mom is obsessed with, well, everything involved in frugality.

I think being obsessed with the Greatest Generation and history has really impacted my love of frugality. I mean, not only is my life so much different than most of the people around the world, in the 1940s, the people weren't fighting over who had the bigger flat screen TV. Laziness wasn't encouraged and people didn't leech off the government by the millions. Instead, people were encouraged to grow their own food and make do with as little as possible! Not only did it save money, but it was patriotic.

Seeing how the Greatest Generation lived, with so little, has impacted my life. I mean, if they can live on barely anything, can't I live on so much I have?

The parts in this series are:

• How Waiting Can Save You Money
• Saving on Entertainment (and getting the most out of your library)
• The Aldi Truth - Spending Less (and the truth about your food)
• HOW TO use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without