Totally Random

• Last week was beautiful. It got as warm as 83 degrees and we were thoroughly enjoying "spring" (I put that in quotes because, although it was warm, spring here does not include beautiful flowers, buds on tree limbs, or dogwood trees--to name a few spring features I miss). Today there are piles and piles of snow outside and it just keeps piling it on! Sometimes it dawns on me that Montana is all my kids really know! My oldest was barely 3 when we moved here. I wish they knew what spring was really like back home in Virginia and Tennessee--the feeling and the smell and the beauty...and the, uh, timeliness??? How I miss it.
• Cara Grace is six months old and beginning to crawl. How can it be? It seems like each baby is cuter and sweeter and grows faster than the one before it! And each one only makes me want more! They are more wonderful than I can put into words! I so cannot relate AT ALL to the rest of the population who are so quick to say NO MORE PLEASE! Sorry--just don't get it! lol But I could go on for hours about that, so I'll stop right here.
  
• My poor husband had his wisdom teeth removed today. That crazy man has been trying to eat everything in sight despite the clear instructions on his discharge papers! He doesn't seem to be having a very difficult time with it. However, he just fell asleep on the couch without taking his pain meds. I hope he doesn't wake up screaming! The worst thing is, I'm next. I haven't been to the dentist in 10 years and I have several teeth that give me problems and I don't need a dentist to tell me my wisdom teeth need to go. Now I'm going next month. That is the worst news I've heard since Obama was declared President. But it will be great to be able to eat a Milky Way without extreme pain again.
  
• I have come across some good deals this week. TEACH magazine is having a special right now that I have been waiting for. You can get both one year of TEACH and Home School Enrichment together for $12.97. On top of that, you get an instant download of the current spring issue of TEACH. The theme is on marriage and it is AMAZING. I think that download alone was worth $12.97. Every page has touched me and inspired me in some way. I recommend printing that one off because it's kind of hard to read on the computer.
• A few months ago I found the most awesome place for denim skirts called Style J. These skirts are LONG, beautiful, well-made, unique, and can be affordable if you sign up for their newsletter. They very frequently send out coupon codes and I am now a loyal customer. They have a 25% off coupon code for Mother's Day that is good through May 4. So maybe if you sign up now, you can get that. If you don't, I'll give you the code :-) They ship super fast too. I will greatly miss my Style J skirts whenever I am pregnant again!
• I'm going to try to make time to update some things in my sidebar tonight while I'm waiting for a certain little girl to go to bed. After that is laundry with the Duggars. Folding laundry while watching the Duggars that is :-)
• One more thing. Do you read Generation Cedar? You should! WOW

Spiritually Unequal? My first guest blog

Today I have the honor of being a guest blogger at Joy Ever After. I wrote from experience on the topic of spiritually unequal marriages. I hope it blesses others to read it as much as it did for me to write it. Thank you, Lady Jen, for giving me this opportunity!

Spiritually Unequal?

Book Giveaway Winner

Oh my goodness! I fell asleep before midnight last night (something that NEVER happens!) and totally forgot about the book giveaway! So sorry!

The winner chosen by random.org is Elizabeth. Congrats! Hope you enjoy them.

Mother's Curriculum

I put something into my planner that I've been wanting to add for a while: my reading list. A couple years ago I started reading in what I like to call a "mother's curriculum" style. See an explanation of what it is and why on this post at my old blog. I put this list in the "school" section of my planner and now I don't feel so lost when I look at all these books on my shelf longingly. Now I have a plan and I know I'll get to all those good books in time! Of course, the first book on each list is the one I'm reading now.

Bible Study/Devotional
Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be
Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room
Celebration of Discipline
Walking in the Truth (bible study to Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free)
If
Discipline: The Glad Surrender (second time)
Seeking Him (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)
Holy Habits
Falling in Love With Jesus
Practicing His Presence (third time)
90 Day Walk with God in the Psalms

Marriage
The Love Dare
Created to be His Help Meet (have read multiple times)
Feminine Appeal
Blessing Your Husband
Fascinating Womanhood (second time)
Capture His Heart
Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands (second time)

Mothering
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood
Creative Correction
Mission of Motherhood
Power of Motherhood
Keeping Children's Hearts
Mommy Survival Guide
Ministry of Motherhood
Training Children in Godliness
The Mommy Manuel
The Parenting of Champions
Raising Godly Tomatoes (third time)
To Train Up a Child (have read multiple times)

Homemaking
The Home Management Binder: The Housewife's Best Friend (have read multiple times)
A Mother's Rule of Life
Taking Care of the Me in Mommy
Passionate Housewives
Professionalizing Motherhood
Home-Making
Biblical Womanhood in the Home
Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping
Juggling Life's Responsibilities (second time)
Managers of their Homes (third time)
Managers of their Chores

Homeschooling
What Every Child Should Know Along the Way
Educating the Wholehearted Child
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit (second time)
Real Learning
Homeschooling and Loving It
Homeschooling at the Speed of Life
Managers of their Schools
The Charlotte Mason Companion (second time)
Teaching the Trivium

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my window...It is supposed to be 71 today and 79 tomorrow! WOW!!!!!

I am thinking... about my dear friend Edee who is in labor with her tenth child!

From the learning rooms... I have a surprise for my little ones during rest time this week. Disney's version of Little House on the Prairie came on Hallmark channel this week and I DVR'ed it. It's a five part movie series and looks to be more about the books than the tv show. We are waiting for our next book to come in the mail from Amazon, so this week, we are going to watch movies during rest time! They are going to be so excited.

I am thankful for...Spring, even if it just means warmer weather up here.

From the kitchen... This week's menu:
Potato casserole (that we ended up not having last week)
Tacos and burritos (that we also did not have last week)
Chicken and rice skillet
Chicken wraps
Taco Bake (which is quite different from the tacos we're having, so it's ok)

I am wearing... pajamas. This day is just starting for me.

I am reading...Love Comes Softly again. I recently watched all 8 movies (which are changed way too much--why must they do that?), so I wanted to read the books again.

I am hoping... that the flies and ants don't start coming in now that it's getting warm.

I am creating... this blog post. ha--that's all i could think of. Haven't been too creative recently.

I am praying...for friends.

Around the house... I'm going to open all my windows and enjoy the fresh air.

One of my favorite things...22-month-olds that are learning to talk and say the cutest things.

A few plans for the rest of the week... hmmm. not sure. Love that kind of week!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
I'm not good at taking pictures, but this is my newest Bible.

Book Giveaway

I haven't done a giveaway in a long time! I read both of these books and they are very good and I'm ready to pass them on to someone else. Every Woman's Battle and Every Woman's Marriage, both by Shannon Etheridge. Both of these books really spoke to me in ways other books have not. They were eye-openers that really caused breakthroughs in my own marriage. Keep in mind that these are not new--they are read by me and have a bit of highlighting in them, as do all my books :-) To enter to win them, just leave a comment and I will randomly choose a winner Friday night at midnight, mountain time.

Our "School" Day

Here is our current school schedule. The only actual school part is "Heart of Dakota" and workbooks, so you will see that even on days we don't actually do "school", we still do a lot of learning. It is woven throughout our day. It is our lifestyle. You will also notice that I take a very literature-based approach. This is just what come naturally to me. I am working on fitting in more hands-on stuff, but it is hard for me!

Morning

Circle Time
1. Popcorn Prayer based on ACTS: This is where we all take turns praying a short prayer using the ACTS model of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. We go around the circle for each part.
2. Singing: We sing one fun song, one praise and worship song or patriotic song, and one hymn.
3. Memory Work: I have a daily list of items we work on memorizing. I try to fit in things for all ages levels and things that go along with what we're currently learning in school.

Monday
Verses and catechism
Pledge of Allegiance
Days of the Week
Planets

Tuesday
Verses and catechism
The 12 Tribes of Israel
Months of the Year
7 Continents

Wednesday
Verses and catechism
Pledge to Christian flag
The 10 Commandments
Alphabet
Oceans

Thursday
Verses and Catechism
The 10 plagues of Egypt
Counting
National Anthem

Friday
Verses and Catechism
Pledge to the Bible
The Lord's Prayer
Address and phone number

4. Bible Reading
5. Heart of Dakota
6. Lifeskills and Training

After this we work on workbooks until lunch. Our workbooks are math, Explode the Code, spelling, and handwriting.

Afternoon (During rest time)

1. Bible reading
2. Current read-aloud
3. Lessons in Responsibility for Boys (almost finished with this. don't think we will continue with the next one for now)
4. Readers

After rest time, we finish up workbooks. Then we do chores. After chores is free time till supper.

Night (before bed)
1. Bible reading
2. Current read-aloud
3. Devotional book
4. Hymn of the month
5. Prayer


(Where is underline on blogger???)

Tea Party

I keep this blog pretty clear of political issues and world events, but truthfully my life has been revolving around it lately. I wasn't going to go to the Tea Party. My husband was working, we had several inches of snow, I was so happy about not having to go anywhere all week. But at some point today, I knew I just HAD to go. I suddenly felt such a burden to do this with my children. I needed to teach them that when something is happening that we believe in, we don't just sit on the couch and watch it on the news. We go out and stand up and let our voices be heard. I needed to teach them that we don't just sit in silence--we fight. I thought, how can we stand for even bigger things in the future if we can't even stand up for this?

So, not knowing just how cold and windy it was, we set out. We made our signs, we brought our tea bags, we packed snacks. We were in for the long haul and I was excited. But we only ended up staying about 15 minutes because their little hands were cold and Zachary was getting more upset by the minute. But I am SO glad we went, even though we couldn't stay. It was an amazing feeling being there.


This is the crowd before it even started. More and more people were arriving even as we were leaving. I wish I could have seen it all.

This was the view from where we were standing.

Saving Money on Household Products

Household cleaning products can quickly drain your budget, not to mention they are filled with harmful cancer-causing chemicals. I'm so thankful that I discovered how to make my own cleaners cheaply and more naturally. Here are the cleaners I use in my home.

Laundry Detergent
I have always used the powder version of homemade laundry detergent, but I would love to try the liquid form--it seems like it would last longer and be better. But the powder is quick and easy and works great, so I will keep using it for right now. Yes, I still use it in my front loader and yes, it is awesome for cloth diapers, too!

1 bar Ivory (or Fels Naptha) soap, grated
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda

Mix together and add 1 or 2 tablespoons to each wash.

I have been using a powdered stain remover like OxiClean, but it's an off brand (Sun) that costs less than $2. It is wonderful on stains--I never have to spray each stain now. Right now I'm adding a small amount to each load, but next time I'm thinking of just adding it into the detergent itself. I think this will make a superior homemade laundry detergent!

Fabric Softener
I have found something that really works in place of fabric softener. Dryer balls. However, I have found that just two does not do the trick. The more balls you use, the softer your clothes will come out. I use six when I dry cloth diapers and they come out so soft and yummy--even bamboo! Wal-Mart now sells these where the laundry boards and irons are for less than $5 for two. If you buy a pack every month for 2 or 3 months, you will never have to waste money on fabric softener again. I am really in love with them because since you cannot use fabric softener on diapers, my diapers were always stiff and crunchy, even using vinegar. Dryer balls are great--once you can convince the kids they aren't for playing with! (I have also seen these at Dollar Tree!)

Dishwasher Detergent
I had to experiment to get this to work for me. The original recipe uses only Borax and baking soda. But this left a white film all over my dishes, even when using white vinegar as a rinse aid. My water is either too hard or too soft--don't know which!--for it to work. The recipe I use is not all natural, but it is definitely cheaper and better for you than regular.

1 cup Cascade Complete
1 cup Borax
1 cup baking soda

Mix together and add about a teaspoon to both compartments.
Fill up the JetDry dispenser with white vinegar periodically.

Household Cleaners
I used to use a lot of vinegar and baking soda around the house, but have since found something better and cheaper. It's called Basic H2 from Shaklee. It come in a concentrate that comes to about 25 cents per gallon once diluted! On the bottle are recipes for glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner, and even a degreaser. I use this on every surface in my home--even wood furniture and all the floors.

I admit I sometimes give in to a bottle of Pine-Sol to mop my floors for that wondeful clean smell, but most of the time, I go green. I love my Basic H2. I bought mine over a year ago and still have 2/3 of the bottle left!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my window... a beautiful warm day.

I am thinking... that I'm so glad I got most of my work done during the day so now I will have lots of free time tonight!

From the learning rooms... We had a light day today so we could recover this house from the holiday weekend.

I am thankful for... not having any appointments this week!

From the kitchen... There is a lemon cake in the oven making the whole house smell delicious.
This week's menu:
Salad and Baked Potatoes
Three bean soup
Pork Chops
Potato Casserole
Tacos and Burritos

I am wearing... a light green top with black capris

I am reading... my new Bible which I LOVE.

I am hoping... to get several things done this week that keep getting put off.

I am creating... a binder to store all my favorite articles from magazines and websites.

I am praying... for grace to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Today has been a challenge for me!

Around the house... today we all worked together to get this house cleaned up and I put away 6 baskets of laundry. The best part is that I managed to stuff a bag full of clothes for Goodwill at the same time.

One of my favorite things... quiet nights. I'm counting down the hours right now.

A few plans for the rest of the week... staying home all week! Doing some decluttering and planning and still taking those babysteps toward simplifying our life.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Here are four
My beautiful children on Easter.

Beautiful Cara Grace.

On our way to church.

I wanted to keep things really simple this year so instead of Easter baskets full of too much candy and junky toys, I made them each a cup with their names on them and filled them with candy. This is now their only cup! They must keep track of them. If they want a drink, they must bring me their cup. I'm hoping this cuts down on the lost cups all over the house issue!
Yes, Kevin is asleep in the background. LOL!

Happy Resurrection Sunday

My Mosaic

I got this from Keeping & Seeking. Looked like a fun way to spend a nursing session.
Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to leave a comment to let you know I did this!

The rules:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. What is your favorite book?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (If you don't have a flickr account, just use some screen name you have)

Let me know if you do one (and post it) so I can see how it came out.

Sick Baby

I haven't been able to answer messages and comments this weekend--I've been absent because poor little Cara Grace has been sick. Friday morning when I got her up, she was burning up. Her temperature was 104.6. She had no other symptoms but the high fever. I gave her Tylenol and it would go back down, then go back up again after the Tylenol wore off. Throughout the whole day and the next, she showed no other signs of illness, and none of the boys were even warm. So I was a little worried!

Saturday the same thing was going on, so I decided to have her checked out. Her first doctor visit. She is always very friendly with people, but she did NOT like that doctor! Anytime he came near her, she screamed in his face! Not like her at all! The doctor pronounced it a virus, told me to keep giving her Tylenol, and give her two or three days to recover. That felt like a waste of tme, but at least I didn't come away with any unnecessary antibiotics.

So the high fever went on that day. However, she didn't seem to feel bad and was eating fine. Her temperature that night at 1:30am was 104.4. I gave her Tylenol and she went to bed. At 6am I woke her up to give her more medicine and she scared me to death! She felt ice cold and I shook her to make sure she was alive! She woke up and I took her temperature and it had dropped to 96 which sounded too low to me and I was scared. She started sweating profusely from her head, even though she felt freezing. And to make it worse, she started to cry inconsolably. She would not nurse. She cried for hours till she would pass out exhausted, only to wake up a half hour later and cry more. She went 15 hours without nursing and I was in pain and worried about her getting deydrated. I was so worried because she never cries and here she was crying for hours! The doctor on the phone said the temp was fine, that I could probably wait it out, but to bring her back the next day if she was not better.

Finally late that afternooon it dawned on me that her crying and not nursing kind of sounded like teething. So I hgave her more Tylenol, some teething tablets, and a teething ring. She calmed down and gnawed on that teething ring like a dog chewing a bone. She was happy, but still wouldn't nurse. I tried to give her some juice and a little breastmilk from a cup, and she took a few sips, but stll wasn't too interested. Finally, she nursed really good that evening and again this morning and is still in bed now at almost noon! I'm letting her sleep as long as she wants.

I still don't know what caused the high fever! But I'm glad she's recovering and no one else is sick. Sorry I wrote such a long post about this! How boring!

Motivated Moms Keeps Me Motivated

Still been slowing revamping my planner. It's always a work in progress, right? Got into the cleaning section and thought I might try a new method of cleaning just to mix it up. Tried task by task, room by room, the weekend marathon, the zone method. But nothing works for me as well as Motivated Moms. I'm in my sixth year of using it and it's still the way I (and my kids) do stuff!

Add to that some recipes for homemade laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent, my laundry schedule, and my version of the Two-Hour Quick Clean Up--and that's my cleaning section!

Circle Time

I wanted to recommend this ebook, Circle Time by Kendra Fletcher of Preschoolers and Peace. It will change the way you look at homeschooling. Forget what you're thinking about preschoolers sitting in a circle saying the days of the week and singing" Where is Thumbkin?" This is so much more!

This involves having your whole family, from baby to teenager, together for the biggest part of your school day, praying, praising and singing, reading, memorizing, learning, and just spending a fun time together.

This was pretty much our style of homeschooling to begin with, but I found this book invaluable for a new way of doing things, new ideas, resources, and help with planning. It has totally changed our homeschool!