Mommy is Working tonight, Whats for dinner? #KFHealthyKids #cbias

This weekend Mommy made a decision to put some extra time in on her writing and blogging which meant the boys had to cook dinner. Thankfully, there was a healthy option for them. Kidfresh Healthy Kids frozen meals from Safeway 
The boys each picked out a meal and cooked it themselves under a watchful eye from Daddy.

Nathan selected Wagon Wheels Mac+ Cheese which seemed almost too easy as he loves anything pasta and cheese. 

Cameron went for the Rainbow Rice + Chicken. He loves veggies and chicken so it made sense. He was excited that it would be like fried rice without the eggs. 

 When we picked up the frozen meals, we were happy to see a reasonable price and a fairly easy selection, not too many choices. Although we had trouble finding them initially, we were happy to see them labeled in the freezer section of our local Safeway store and with a special club price. I also had a $1.00 off coupon so the price of $1.99 each was a value, especially for a treat. 

Cameron was happy with his meal and loved that it only took a couple of minutes in the microwave. He says 4 stars for the Rainbow Rice + Chicken. Nathan on the other hand said the Mac + Cheese was a little too simple and needed some more flavor. He had Daddy taste it and they added a touch of sea salt and pepper. I know sometimes healthy can be bland, but I think he was just having a day where he needed a little extra salt. 
If you would like to see our whole journey with Kidfresh , check out this photo journey
I love that I can find healthy options that I don't always have to cook for the kids, and I love that I can read and share thoughts on healthy kids with others on Facebook.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kidfresh #CBias #SocialFabric #KFHealthyKids, all opinions and thoughts on the product are my own personal thoughts. 

 
 

K is for kids thinking outside the box

Our youth group kids  have been talking about a variety of things lately including being a caring friend and being environmentally aware. When I received  the Cottonelle Roll Covers to share with Moms and Kids I decided this would be a great opportunity to share a fun way for the kids to help Mom and think outside of the box a little.

We talked about how looking our best reflects on our parents and presented a nice space reflects on us and our parents.  The Cottonelle Roll Covers were a nice way to cover and protect a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, but it also made a nice gift box (I gave each of the kids one with some little things that tied into our other honors we were finishing up).  One of the girls mentioned they have a fabric cover they hang in the bathroom and she was going to use the roll cover as a  recycle bin in the car. The boys also thought it would make a nice place to store things since it had a lid on it.  The Moms that were with the kids thought it was a nice way to hide the toilet paper roll on the counter or the shelf.  Either way , it got the kids thinking about ways they could help Mom clean up around the house and maybe make the bathroom  a room not to hide.

***Thank you to Mom Central ,on behalf of Cottonelle, and received product samples and a promotional item to facilitate our event and to share the product and our experience on this blog. All experiences and opinions are that of the write and no other compensation was received***

Review: How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for your Kids #hsreviews

The first review for The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew this year for me has been one of the most amazing reads as a homeschool mom.. When we first started homeschooling 4 years ago it was going to be for 1 year, and we were doing it on a wing and a prayer to be kind of cliche' .

This book could not have come at a better time for myself and my husband... I read it outloud in the evenings after we put the boys to bed.. There were several passages that really struck both of us. It was like the lights came on in the darkness for us...  A gentle yet firm reminder of several issues we are working on in our family as well as our homeschool.  Rachael is honest and well spoken as she shares her own personal experience. You will laugh and probably cry as you begin to take the journey through Heart, Enrichment (Marriage), Accepting your kids, Releasing your kids to God, and finally Teaching them the Truth.  On every page there is something that spoke to my heart. I have already read the book twice since I received it just about a month ago.  I am so thankful that this is a hard cover book and the perfect size to fit in my purse, next to my bed on the night stand, on my desk, or anywhere else I need a gentle reminder why I am homeschooling and that God knows the path I should take. It is up to me to listen to those voices that are reminding me of him.

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For your Kids  is written by Rachael Carmen , a homeschool Mom of 7, wife, and Focus on the Family author. She has been through what I like to think of as the 7 stages of grief when you realize you are really in this for the long haul.  H.E.A.R.T. is available from Apologia Press for $13.00.  This book is a not only a wonderful  resource for a seasoned homeschool Mom but would make a wonderful gift for a new homeschool mom 




I received a copy of this book as part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. I received no further monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.

New Week UGH!!!

I loaded 6 workboxes this morning for Cameron..

Box 1: Hands of a Child Circus of Addition 6's activity

Box 2: The Phonic Box (I think that is the title), tape and activity Book

Box 3: Liberty Kids :The First Fourth of July DVD and 1 coloring page

Box 4: Hands of a Child: Research Guide Reading together with activities on 13 colonies

Box 5: Its America Charlie Brown DVD 1: Episode 2

Box 6: Various Colonial Times Coloring Pages

1 tag for Lego Time Choice: either brick building or Lego.com game on the computer.

Well we got through 3 1/2 of the boxes with 2 melt downs... UGH!!! Mommy needs a nap... I bundled the kids up and sent them outside so I can load the washer and unload the dishes... some days...

Blog Engergizer Shared Article

***I received this article from Blog Energizer this morning and found it very interesting, I think homeschool moms especially have a hard time saying no. I hope you can glean some useful information from the article.***

Subject: Learning to say no – Moms Secret Weapon

Are you suffering from mom burn out? Do you struggle just to make it through each day? Moms everywhere are breaking down because they are too chicken to say, "No".

"No" may be a tiny, two-letter word, but it can be your secret weapon. And you can say it. Here are some ways you can say "no" without feeling guilty about it:

Sorry, I’m taking a break.
The number one reason why you should say, "no" occasionally is simply that you deserve a break. You are chef, chauffeur, dish washer, and more. You job never ends on any given day of the week. You deserve a break. If you feel bad for saying "no", say, "Sorry, I’m taking a break".

My schedule is full.
We tend to jam-pack our schedule full of activities, leaving time for nothing. Cut back on your kids activities. Start a car pool and share driving responsibilities. Do whatever you can to free up some time in your schedule.

I don’t have time.
You’re headed out the door, rushing to the next appointment when the telephone rings. What do you do? Do you come to a screeching halt and answer the phone? Let’s say you do, and it’s a family member, calling to dump their latest woes on you. Do you stand, tapping your foot impatiently while you roll your eyes and listen to the sob story? This is a typical scene for many moms.

I have another commitment that day.
Say it and mean it. Regularly schedule in time with your family or time alone and if someone ask for your help during that time look in your planner and tell them you have another commitment.

Instead of rushing to be everything to everyone, stop. Ask yourself if you truly have time for whatever comes up. If not, say no by walking away, turning off the ringer on the phone, or not answering the knock at your door.

Always remember that you are a mom—not a super hero. When you have to say no, people will understand; if they don’t at first, they will get used to it eventually.

Editor's note: Still having trouble putting your foot down? Sometimes, we just need some extra guidance, a listening ear or a gentle and loving kick in the butt. You might want to give Aurelia Williams's free coaching session (affiliate) a go. She's a life coach and mom of 3 who has adult, teen and school age children so she definitely knows what she's talking about.

Thinking about desks

So we got Nathan a small school desk for free not to long ago. It is an old flip top desk with the chair attached. It was a Craigslist find for free and I'm glad we got it.. Now that we have it set up in his space, I keep thinking a smaller desk would be better for Cameron, so I'm searching for a free or VERY inexpensive matching flip top style desk.. I figure if I can get 2 to 3 years use out of them they will be worth it, we can also clean them up and paint/ refinish them and hopefully sell them once they are looking better. What do you use for a desk area for your homeschoolers?

Bouncing into Summer

As many of you know I love Goodwill and Freecycle...
Well, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time as a friend was preparing to take a used hand me down Bouncy House to Goodwill. He asked if I thought Mike could fix it for the boys and would he want it... Heck yah!!! so we are now the proud owners of the Bouncy Castle...

Beach baby

I did this layout for a couple of GDS challenges, I used another of Christy's fun kits. This one is My Man... Nathan was just being too cute at the beach today..

Mommy Minutes

I'm starting a regular piece called Mommy Minutes. I hope to share fun Christ Centered activities for the kids. There are some great websites for at home crafts and games I will be sharing along the way. I also hope to share things I find on my journey to share. I have 2 little boys that are full of energy running crazy around the house, who need a little focus in their lives. I find that if I have activities for them to do , they either do them or find something new to do.

As I start this portion of the blog I am blessed that my mom has the boys for the evening and they played and enjoyed the sunny day outside. I was able to get some work in the garden and plan a little. Remember that as Spring and Summer come along, we can teach our children to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate what the Lord has given us.

First Blog Day 1

Well its the evening on August 8,2005 and I am still waiting for my 2nd child to make an appearance in this world...

Yesterday we decided to play outside in the evening in hopes the cool air would relax us...
The guys seemed to have a wonderful time... I'm not really sure who had more fun Mike or Cameron....
I watch them play and am amazed, how much they are alike... My husband and my little boy.