Black Friday Giveaway!

Here is an awesome Black Friday Giveaway and you don't even have to leave your chair!  Enter until December 6th.


The Home School Adventure Co. Launch Team is excited to help our friends at Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies celebrate Black Friday with this giveaway of more than $1,900 in prizes. Included in the giveaway are three products from Home School Adventure Co. -- Philosophy Adventure, Philippians in 28 Weeks, and The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions.

Home School Adventure Co. $217.70 Value! (all physical & digital)

Philosophy Adventure™ is designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as they explore the history of ideas.

Philippians in 28 Weeks™ - It is easier to share the Word of God when it is etched upon your heart. Philippians in 28 Weeks™ is a delightful and painless way to commit the entire book of Philippians to memory. This streamlined approach uses memory cards carefully constructed to present Philippians thought-by-thought, copywork verses, journal questions, weekly reflections, recitation charts to test your retention, and an optional tracking tool called “The Log.”

The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions - The Wise Woman enchants readers while it contrasts the ugliness of pride, selfishness and conceit with the beauty of humility, sacrifice, and compassion. By offering students 16 to 24 literary analysis questions per chapter, this 160-page spiral bound edition teaches critical thinking in a way that is engaging and transformational.

Sponsors of the giveaway include:

Media Angels

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Notgrass Company

Roman Roads Media

Bright Ideas Press

Home School Adventure Co

Master Books

Character Concepts

Family Time Fitness

Hearts at Home Curriculum Store

Click on the banner above to read more about the other incredible prizes and to enter the giveaway.

2014 Budget Calendars are ready! Download for FREE!

I have completed the budget calendars for 2014.  They are the exact same as last year - simple and easy on the ink.  :)  They worked out perfectly for our family for 2013.



If you would like to download them for your family free of charge, go here.  If you find any errors, please let me know! Thanks!

Join me on facebook!

Since I'm trying to create more videos on my Youtube channel and to start checking in here more, I have created a new facebook account to keep up with them all.  

I would love for you to join me there as well as I hope to let that be the in between journal for all.  

Currently on my Youtube channel, I am sharing about our homeschool, our grocery budget and hauls, and weekly weigh-ins.  

Coming up very soon here will be more review items so stay tuned!

Monthly Menu Planning & Budget

For the last half of this year, I have been monthly menu planning. When Groupon had their Costco deal earlier in the year, we signed up.  Our Costco is about an hour away so I knew to make it work, I would need to try monthly menu planning.  Well, it has really worked out great for us!  For June - October, we set our grocery budget to $400 and did well staying within that range going over occasionally.  In November, we raised the budget amount to $500 because we have been focusing on eating at home more and eating out less.  So, that budget includes 3 meals a day for the kids and I and at least 2 meals a day for my husband.  He also eats 3 meals a day for at least 4 days a week.

At first, I kept our menus very simple. Pretty much, we had the same thing every week for the 4 weeks.  I've started to branch out a little the past few months and I'm trying to try out all those pinterest recipe pins.  :)

Here is our menu plan for November - I do not assign a meal to a particular meal unless I know for sure that's what I need to do.  I just write out a list of meals in my monthly calendar and then sit down weekly to finalize the menu plan. 

Spaghetti x 4
ham x 2
tacos x 2
taco soup x 2
chicken and rice
rotisserie chicken
chicken pastry
loaded potato and chicken casserole
creamy chicken chili
meatloaf
cowboy casserole
veggie beef soup x 3
beefaroni
buffalo chicken
taco ring
cheesy chicken and broccoli over rice
salisbury steak

This is not a list of 30 meals because I knew Thanksgiving was in this month and I host it but we all pitch in with the food.  I also leave room for leftovers.  You can also see that I don't really make a plan for breakfast, lunch, or side items usually.  There are a list of staple items that I always have on hand for those keeping our menu plan even simpler. 

Weekly Grocery Haul Videos.

Missing Weekly Updates - Catching Up!

I've been so slack in updating here!!  Yikes, the weeks just keep going and going and I forget to update and say I'll wait until next week and then full circle again!

So, here we are just wrapping up Week 10 and about to head into Holiday mode!  So without further ado - let's jump back in!  


In my life this week…

Well of course the big thing that sticks out is Halloween! We had fun putting together a costume for Sarah and the boys went digging for their costumes as well. The boys just had a social with friends and Sarah attended our church's trunk or treat.

In our homeschool this week…

Plugging along on Week 9 of MFW-RTR, Week 10 of MFW-WHL, Week 7 of CC and week 10 of school!  Phew, so thankful for Lesson Plans to keep up!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

High School Service Projects for Teens

• help out at church - my children have filled the pews with new envelopes and sharpened pencils, cut grass for the elderly, helped out with VBS and other younger youth events
• Help in the community - our local theatre was in need of ushers during their school performance - homeschoolers fill that need!
• cutting grass or yard work for elderly neighbors
• We have a teen club in our support group who does projects such as cleaning the local pregnancy center, small repairs, sorting donations for a local shelter, filling backpacks for local schools

I’m cooking…

I didn't cook this meal this week but it was so good!  You can check out my video here for all the details.

I'm hoping to add a new recipe a week to our repertoire and share it here too!

I’m grateful for…

Fall and the beautiful fall foilage!

A photo that needs no words…

Linking up with The Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weekly Wrap-Up!.