Page Rank

Okay, so I really have no clue ....

What is the page rank!? How do I figure out mine? What is it's importance?

And all this, in layman's terms please.

Book Review: In His Image Devotional Bible NLT

 

List Price: 26.99 

ISBN: 978-1-4143-3760-9 

Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 

Binding: Hardcover 

Release: November 2010

The In His Image Devotional Bible will help you know God more deeply as you discover His attributes and character throughout Scripture. You will become more like Christ as you practice directed, prayerful reading of God’s Word. Experience greater peace facing life’s challenges as you learn to see God fully.

The New Living Translation is an authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today’s English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. The NLT’s scholarship and clarity breathe life into even the most difficult-to-understand Bible passages—but even more powerful are stories of how people’s lives are changing as the words speak directly to their hearts. That’s why we call it “The Truth Made Clear.” From Tyndale Media Center website

Are you looking for a devotional Bible to have that doesn't just take bits and pieces of the Bible to focus on, while leaving out the whole Bible? This may be the one for you. The translation is the New Living Translation, which offers a more modern language to help understand the Bible. Throughout this Bible are focus points, usually on the right side of the passage, along with reasoning and explanations that go with the passage. It also directs to other passages that deal with similar situations/issues.

I usually use a different translation and am a bit skeptical when I read newer translation of the Holy Bible. I tried to not let this detract from my reading and review of this book. I enjoyed this book. The wording, being a different translation seems watered down to me (just my opinion- my skepticism creeping in I'm pretty sure) but I really enjoyed reading the side notes and following the 'path' to other passages that deal with the same topics or themes. I felt it help me to grasp more fully the point to be found in these.

An example is when I was reading in Jeremiah. I had begun reading this book about a month and a half ago and without reading some other books before hand, I didn't know who certain people were and what was being referred to. The side notes helped me with this. Also, there are prayers in the devotional that one can use on a daily basis. I found those somewhat helpful because sometimes I honestly don't know the words to say- these were helpful.

I think this is a worthwhile book. If you enjoy the NLT and would like a devotional that does not pick and choose which scriptures to include (I feel that we sometimes miss the context if they are plucked out), this may be for you.

**Disclaimer: I received this complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

TOS REVIEW: Bright Ideas Press- Christian Kids Explore Physics

Do you like science? How about do you like to teach science? That is the real question, isn't it? It was for me! I love science- in a limited, hands-off, just look at nature sort of way. My kids on the other hand, well they really like science. What's a homeschool mom to do when she doesn't like to teach science to kids that want to be taught?

The answer:

Use a fun and interesting science curriculum!

Recently I was one of the ones from the TOS Crew that was chosen to review Bright Ideas Press (BIP). I was given the choice of items/curriculums that they offer. Since we were struggling with science I chose Christian Kids Explore Physics. I had looked into BIP long before I became a member of the TOS Crew but it's interesting how we are drawn back to things that at one time we turn away from. I really liked the history curriculum that BIP offered but at the time I wasn't really looking to purchase anything.

Let me say here something about Bright Ideas Press: This is a great group of individuals. I was treated with professionalism each and every time I contacted them. I had most correspondence with Tyler Hogan and whenever I had a question, if he didn't know, he went searching for the answer. From the start, I have been very pleased with the experience with Bright Ideas Press. Now onto my review of Christian Kids Explore Physics ;)

Cover of the book we received. Also we received a download of the student activity book via email.

The book is available for purchase from BIP for $34.95 and the download of the student activity book is available for $12.95

You can see sample pages at BIP of both the book and the activity book.

The universe that we live in is the result of God’s thoughtful design and careful building. Physics gives us a glimpse into the materials, laws, and structures of that universe. Behold the wonders of creation with this series of 30 easy-to-understand lessons for grades 4-8. Each lesson helps develop an understanding of matter and energy and the rules they follow. Exploring physics is an exciting adventure!  From the website.

The book is a nice thick book. The age range is indicated for grades 4th through 8th.

The set up of this book is orderly. Who doesn't like order?? In science it is a necessity! Here is the set up:

• Preparation- this is where the list of supplies needed for the unit is found as well as the vocabulary list.
• Teaching Time- just what it says ;)
• Review It- 5 fill in the blank questions reviewing the lesson.
• Hands On Time- where the 'labs' or activities are located for each lesson.
• Coloring Pages- these are at the back of the book although you can find them interspersed throughout the book.
• Think About It- After the activities it gives a chance for the kids to think more in depth about what they've learned through the reading and the hands on activity.
• Unit Wrap-Up- Multiple choice questions after each Unit.

I was super excited to get started with this book. But there were some things that I couldn't 'get over' I guess you could say. Perhaps I should mention that my kids are ages 14 and 11; grades 8 and 6. I hoped this would be a good fit with both of them. The 'easy-to-understand lessons' were perhaps too easy to understand. Read on!

How did we use this book? Possibly a bit differently than intended, I don't know. I usually follow a more Charlotte Mason approach- we read, they tell me what they've learned, perhaps we do some 'hands-on' activity if it relates. With this book, we did the first two steps that I usually follow but then there were worksheets. Each lesson has a Review It at the end. This is comprised of five questions. Yes, just five. (Hey, that could be a good or a bad thing, right?) This is followed by a Hands On Time and then Think About It. The last two were what I was most interested in.

So for Lesson 1 through 3 here is what we did. I printed off the Activity Book pages that the kids would need. I also gave them their very own folder to keep these pages in. There was a coloring page to start this Unit. Usually my kids aren't big on coloring...they think they've better things to do (silly children lol). So while they colored, I read out loud the first lesson. At the end, I had them tell back what they'd learned. For the Review It, they obviously answered the questions and in the side bar where it says Additional Notes, I had them write the Unit Vocabulary Words. For the Hands On Time (for lesson 1 specifically), we brainstormed what to fill the chart in with. There were a lot of things that one hadn't thought of that another did (and I'm one of those that didn't think of something, ahem).Then we attempted to do the Think About It but with the 'answer' already printed after the question (in lesson 1), it defeats the purpose.

Lesson 2 and 3 were done the same way. The Think About It in the following lessons thankfully did not have the answers to the questions. The kids had to think about it. And after the lessons were complete they took the Unit One Wrap-Up.

What did I like?

I really liked that it went fairly quickly for the lessons. There isn't too much information in each lesson to make it feel overwhelming. I also enjoyed seeing my kids take the time to color the pages nicely. It's been so long since they've wanted to take the time to make a picture look nice. We really enjoyed the hands on activities and are especially looking forward to more of those. Fortunately, there is a list at the beginning of each Unit that tells what supplies are needed to go with the activities in the following lessons. It would be nice to have this list broken up into each lesson but it works well enough the way it is. Also at the beginning of each lesson in the sidebar is a scripture that relates to science- it shows that we are learning about what God created. I absolutely loved the way the book was designed. It is 'pretty', clean and orderly.

What did I not like?

It was just about too young for both of my kids. It says that it is for grades 4-8 but I honestly cannot see this going beyond 6th grade. Possibly 5th. My son came home to be schooled after 4th grade (he is in 6th this year) and this would have been well suited for him in 4th, maybe 5th grade. This is helping to fill in gaps that he has in his science knowledge and also helping him to learn some new information. My daughter is in 8th grade and this is really too young for her. There is information that, yes, she is getting from this but she just zooms through all of it because she has already learned about these.

The Review It questions "are almost always exact quotes from the lesson and, therefore, the answers will be unambiguous" (Ridlon, xxii). The Unit Wrap Up actually is multiple choice but it follows and takes questions from the Review It. Personally, I just don't see how this helps the children retain what they have been taught that well; it simply shows that they have memorized the order and sequence of sentences. Here is a sample question from Lesson 18: "Did you observe that the ball that rolled faster went farther?" Is that a yes or no question? Granted a lot of kids will give more than a single word answer I just don't think the questions are open ended and they should be. In my opinion.
After all that, perhaps the lack of this isn't necessarily a problem- it could lead into more in depth study on the subject.

Bottomline

This isn't a dumbed-down book, I hope I haven't given that impression. It just may be mislabeled as far as age range is concerned. 

**Would I recommend this book to another homeschooler?**

Yes, I would! I love the way that it is organized, it is presented and the information. However, I would mention the closed questioning that is present throughout the book. Other than sometimes in the Think About It (and the Hands On Time for the most part) the answers are fed to the student. I don't think it really encourages them to search for the answers themselves. Also the age/grade range is a little low, in my opinion. The price is very very reasonable and I wish that there was a larger selection of these types of books (with some slight differences as I think I've made clear).

Interested to read what others had to say about BIP's curriculum offerings? Check out the TOS Crew for more reviews.

**Disclaimer: I received these materials free from Bright Ideas Press through The Old Schoolhouse Crew. I was not compensated for this review; I received the items in exchange for an honest review. All statements/opinions are my own. See more Disclosure/Policies.**

Something on my mind

Today the kids and I got together for a short bit with the Goshen County Homeschoolers group to make Christmas cards for soldiers. Unfortunately, I had to go to the dentist about 45 minutes after we got there. (I did make one card that I think whoever gets will enjoy ^-^) When I got back it seems that my children were a little less than well behaved. One mother told me that she had to 'deal' with Fox but he ignored her more than once. Finally, she confronted him and asked why he was ignoring her, he told some lame reason- to which she called him on and it turned out that he simply did not want to do what he was asked to do. Well, when she told me about this she said that it'd been taken care of and I didn't need to talk to him about it. 

Really? I don't think so.

I definitely think that is something that needs to be talked about again. With his mother. And although I didn't say anything at the time, I wondered, "If it didn't need to be dealt with again- not brought to his attention again- then why was she telling me in the first place?" I tell my kids that if they have a conflict between each other but they can resolve it in a satisfactory manner, they don't need to come tell me what one or the other did. It just makes me want to 'deal' with it all over!

I value this mother's opinions, I really do, and her kids are quick to behave so she must be doing something right! But I think she feels bad when something happens and my kids may get into trouble again for what they've done. I want to make sure that they understand what they've done is wrong. That is why I bring it up again. I don't do it so that I can punish them- they'd already been called on their behavior (which I think is slightly embarrassing to them in a group situation)- unless they need to be. 

I guess I just had a guilty conscience that my kids are sometimes disrespectful and ill-mannered to others. You know the saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink"? I sometimes feel this way about manners and behaviors. There are some things that my kids do that I do not see myself doing- and definitely not my husband- but if we are the examples, why do they do them? Of course, I'm so far from perfect that I must do these things as well. Sigh. It is something that must constantly be reinforced and there need to be reminders. 

When we get short tempered, often we snap. One of our four in the family is more prone to that than the others. When it happens, reminders of how snotty, sharp, careless words are not helpful to the situation and are often painful- that's all I know to do. "Forgetting" is another sloppy habit- often bordering on disrespectful, in my opinion- that one of us has a problem with more than the others. I understand that we are all works in progress and we need constant reminders. But it does get tough. 

It gets tiring. 

Well, that wasn't what I thought was on my mind but apparently it is. If you could pray for my little family- attitudes, pure hearts, kind spirits- it would be so appreciated. Prayer can move mountains- and attitudes.

A Month of Thanksgiving- (23-25) Day #25

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom

From the title, it looks as if I am caught up! That's a great thing but I really think that it isn't about being caught up, it is about focusing on what we are thankful for. The good things :)

Thanksgiving #23

Thankful for our dentist. Oh wait, I know most people don't like the dentist and honestly I really do not like to go either but I am thankful for the dentist. About 5 years ago my bottom molars were decayed and broken down to the gums. There was a time when I could only eat extremely soft food or had to drink the Slim Fast type drinks because I couldn't bear to chew anything. It was horrid. If I didn't go to the dentist eventually I'm sure I would have ended up in the ER and they would have had to pull them due to infections. Yea, it was that bad. So I am so very thankful for the dentist. I now have whole molars (albeit they are almost entirely fake) and do not have pain. I can eat normal foods. Today, I have an appointment for a cleaning (whew! No drilling!). This morning they called and had a cancellation and wanted to know if one of my kids would like to take the spot. Their appointments were scheduled in December. I said Yes! When I asked the kids which would like to go, Lee volunteered :) I'm so thankful for the dentist.

Thanksgiving #24

That bit of thankfulness led to so many other things I am thankful for! I am thankful that we have the insurance (due to my husband's job- another thing to be thankful for!) so we can go to the dentist. I am also thankful for the willing attitude that Lee displayed when I asked for a volunteer. No one really likes to go to the dentist but our dentist's office is full of nice people. 

Thanksgiving #25I'm totally surprised I've not put this down already. As I sit here drinking coffee and enjoying it, I realized that I am so thankful for this luxury I have! Coffee is so yummy to me! It used to be that I had to have a little coffee with my sugar and cream (more like a little coffee and cream with my sugar! lol) but now I drink it with 1/2 and 1/2 and that is good enough for me. Honestly, I cannot drink it black (blahhh) but give me a wee bit of cream to put in it and it's so good. I'm so thankful for coffee. Lol but I am trying to cut back and eventually *eliminate* not drink it at all. Yea, that *eliminate* was subliminal? ;) I'm so thankful for the luxuries that I have in my life- of which coffee is just one!

A Month of Thanksgiving- (19-22) Day #24

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom

I still have a few minutes left of day #24 to call it that ;) Here are some more things I am thankful for:





Thanksgiving #19
I am thankful that there are people- mothers- who feel as I do when it comes to what we should be teaching our children. If only more were like that. I'm thankful for those mothers who watch over their children's moral character :) Their Godly character. See here.

Thanksgiving #20

I've said it before but I am thankful for my friend Christy. Yesterday she gave us about 6 bags of canned goods. And all good stuff! Peas, beets and too much a lot of creamed corn. My kids are so happy to see them all. And also she had a pair of pants and 2 sweaters that no longer fit her and wouldn't you know, they are my size. I was down to my last pair of jeans....we'll not mention why I am down to my last pair. I'm so thankful for the friendship I have with her and God's great discerning of what we need. The canned food and the clothes comes at a time when I was worried had it on my mind that I would need to purchase these things. And God provided for me. Once again.

Thanksgiving #21 

I am so very thankful to have a wonderful husband that provides for me. I miss him tonight because he is out of town for work. But I am thankful that when I think of him, my heart still swells with love and I smile when I think of him. I am thankful that I do miss him. There are many that do not feel this way towards their spouse and I am ever thankful that God has blessed my marriage. There've been tough times but those were when we didn't look to God to lead us. We tried to do it all on our own. I am thankful for my wonderful husband. I hope he is sleeping well right now.

Thanksgiving #22

I'm thankful for the fact that everything good in my life I can turn back and think that God has done this for me. God is good.

Oh.....My (but it gets better!)

Reading quickly (cause I really want to read them all but just don't have the time!) through the posts on blogs I follow, I came across Home Grown Families post about... Tattoodles.

AACK!! I don't care if it offends anyone (okay, slightly I care) but this is just WRONG. What will they have next? I honestly shudder to think about it. Oi vay!

Ridiculous. No question about it.

And here is her post on "What Message Are We Sending to Our Children". She has definite good points.

I'm glad we do not have tv and now I'm glad that we don't have a Toys R Us nearby!!

But on the bright side...My mom posted about my stationery sets that I've been making for my Etsy shop. And I got to see a beautiful photo of The Poff Clan's newest member- he's 5 months old now! As well as a post of gratitude and thankfulness at mommyx12 about 4 little gifts that have blessed her life (her grandchildren). The verse she has at the beginning of this post is the one that I think of every time when I think of the great beings God has entrusted me with. Hey, and that ties back into the beginning of this post- sort of. :)

I hope all have a wonderful day!

Weekly Wrap-Up...11/13/10

Hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

It is interesting that over there at the WUH house, things are 'normal' because as I look back on this week, I'd say ours was, too.

Monday was Co-Op. Every Monday is Co-Op. Oh wait, no, not every Monday. In fact this coming Monday is the last one. Both of my kiddos are sad about that. But if things work out well (God willing and the creek don't rise!) we will be going back in January when they start up again. As for 'school' on Mondays, we don't do 'school' ;) Lol, do you believe that? We do Math and Bible :)

Tuesday was probably pretty calm since I don't recall a thing about it! I've been engrossed lately with my school and have been avoiding my beloved internet. Actually, I think my poor computer has a virus. It's working extra hard and not getting anything done any faster. We installed a new free antivirus program and it says I have 7 infected files. I've no idea how to get rid of them though. I'm tempted to uninstall it and go with the other program I used to use. Never had problems before. Sigh.

Wednesday was just weird. I thought it was Thursday practically all day. There is a bible study on Wednesday nights and I had every intention of going. I was even reminded before hand (to which I replied, "It's alright, we have a couple hours still") but I thought it was Thursday so when the time came to get ready I thought, "I missed it! Today's Thursday..." I was out of my head obviously For school we got some stuff done. Actually did some Greek and Latin (or was that on Tuesday?). We did some science and the usual math. We actually did History of English Literature for Boys and Girls. What words that were used! We aren't far into it and have difficulties actually getting it in to the school day but both the kids liked it.

Thursday (which I woke up thinking was Friday) was uneventful too! I wish there was something to put here that is exciting but no! there's not :) We had hoped that there would be a Veteran's Day Parade in town but it snowed and the parade was canceled due to 'bad weather'. It's been so cold the last three or four days and just a bit of snow.

Friday kids did school (which I told them if they didn't get it done then no Wii Game Night). Fox finished PreAlgebra 1 with Biolgoy!!! I was so happy for him. I was worried that he would not pass the Final Bridge (final test in the book) and would have to take another one. Oh, I don't know if I could have handled him if that had of happened. He might have burned all the math books! Okay, I'm not entirely serious. But this book was difficult for him! We start on PreAlgebra 2 with Economics on Monday. Yay!

So they finished school and later we went to Scottsbluff to hang out with the Co-Op kids/parents for Wii Game Night. There were three tvs (one was a projector- neat!) hooked up to three Wiis and I'm guessing there were maybe 15 or so kids. It was so nice to go there with ds' pants ripped- his pj pants peaking through- in the knee and no one said a thing! There was another boy who was wearing snow goggles. We felt at home :) Seriously, who else but homeschoolers?? You might have had to see it to get what I'm saying :) Lee wore her toe socks and flip flops... um, yea. See what I mean? We fit right in :) Now my kids have planned their next Wii game- Wii Sports Resort. Looked pretty awesome. We have just Sports right now and I like it but of course, there's always something cooler ;)

Saturday, that's today. Oh gosh, this is the second Saturday in a row that I've not done my Searching His Word Saturday. :( I finally did my post for A Month of Thanksgiving though. I'm behind again. OOh OOh, must tell! Lee has reached 7500 words on her NaNoWriMo! I'm so proud of her. She was stressed ;) Heehee. She gave out coupons to help her stay motivated to reach her goal. She gave on to her brother that if she didn't reach that number by the end of today she would do all Sunday chores (that's the bathroom and bedrooms). Fox was hoping against her- evil huh? His room is horrible to clean! Lol! But she did it!!

A Month of Thanksgiving- (18) Day #21

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom

Well, I'm behind once again ... it happens.

Thanksgiving #18
I am very very thankful for internet but I am also very thankful that I can take time away from the internet and do other things. Since Tuesday when I last posted a Thanksgiving, we have been busy and we've enjoyed ourselves. I'm thankful for that.

I will try later this week to catch up again :) I'm thankful every day for all the great things that I have; all the opportunities that are presented to me and the fun (and often the things that seem not so great at the time) that is had in my life.

Friday Freebie..from Cynce's Place

Hello all. Here's a quick freebie that some may know about already :)


Cynce's Place has freebie's every Friday and the latest is for Thanksgiving.  It is only available until Monday! Check out her wonderful download. The rest of her site is great also. She offers a wide variety of notebooking resources.

TOS REVIEW: The Write Foundation

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock- Luke 6:48

The Write Foundation

Level One: Sentence to Paragraph Writing; Suggested ages- 11 to 13

Format: Spiral Instruction Manuals Lessons 1 – 15; Student Worksheets Lessons 1 – 15;  Sentence to Paragraph Additional Resources CD

Price: Complete Lessons 1-30 $100 +tax/shipping OR Lessons 1-15 $65 + tax/shipping OR just the worksheets- $15 +tax/shipping

Additional materials needed and that would benefit those using this program: 

1. Mind Benders® A1, A2, A3, and A4 (optional)
2. Highlighters (in 5 different colors- the program uses blue for nouns and subjects, orange for verbs, etc)
3. 3 ring binder for the student
4. Bible
5. Dictionary
6. Thesaurus

You can check out the syllabus for Level One but for a quick and simple run down:

• Reinforces the construction of a basic sentence
• Improves sentence structure with basic grammar and figures of speech
• Teaches the organizational process of  brainstorming, outlining, rough draft and editing.
• Quickly develops more interesting, informative sentences
• Steps to writing the basic paragraph 
• Progress to writing two-paragraph papers
• Guidelines, checklists and correct structure
• Creative poetry writing

 

Through The Old Schoolhouse Crew I have been able to use The Write Foundation's Sentence to Paragraph Lessons 1-15 writing program.  The age suggestion for this program is a good fit with my ds, who happens to have turned 11 at the end of July. If you are unsure about what level to start your child with this program you can find a nice run down the suggestions here. When I saw that I was going to be reviewing this product I immediately scoured the site. I wanted to know what to expect. There are sample pages for each program so that you can see if this is something that might work with your children (and you).

My son, who I used this program with, does not hate writing (or he didn't about this time last year). He would write creative sentences when he was being silly. Sometimes he would write stories and they were good. Very creative. As the year has moved on, however, he simply does not want to do things dealing with writing. I don't know if it is the physical act of writing or the mechanics of 'writing' (nouns, adjectives, verbs, sentence structure, etc)- perhaps both. Because he has such an aversion to writing I hoped this program would help him switch gears and enjoy be able to do writing without so much grumbling. 

I believe it has done that.

I did not opt for buying the Mind Benders books but would definitely recommend them. The one that was given at the beginning of Lesson 1 was enough to get ds hooked on them. They help the students have a little fun while they are still exercising their mental muscles. I wish I had of purchased the books.

But even without the Mind Benders books the program has been beneficial. It is set up for a classroom setting- or a co-op. There are examples of schedules included in the Teacher's Manual (TM) for using the program not in that type of setting but we had to tweak it a bit more to fit in with our schedule. 

How did we use the program?

We did this on a 4 day schedule with Friday being 'homework' day. Generally we began a lesson on Tuesday (we have Co-op all day Monday) and continue on through Thursday. Usually we got to the Poetry work on Thursdays. Friday whatever 'homework' had not been completed was to be done that day. I guess you could say that we did our lessons in 3 days some weeks. There have been some Fridays where there is no writing to be done. 

For this program, it is set up that each student has a 3 ring binder for organization of their materials (I think this is great). In this binder you are to have them put 8 divider tabs. Personally I really like folders. 3 Ring binders are great but I really like folders :) so in place of divider tabs we have 8-2 pocket folders. I hole punched them so that they could be secure in the binder. The rest of the organization instructions I followed.

It is recommended for Sentence to Paragraph to take about 1 hour a day. It took us that long some days; longer others; and some times none at all! (Friday occasionally)

How easy is this program to use?

Very easy.....once you get the hang of it! When I first received this I read through the beginning pages of the TM and was so confused! I'm not even sure what I was expecting but it threw my brain for a twist that's for sure. It would be to the benefit of both the teacher and student for the TM to be read through (or quite a bit of it) before starting. This isn't something to just jump in first, ask questions later- or you will have a lot of questions!

So, once I got over the fact that this was actually going to be a challenge to figure out how to use and I did figure it out, it was easy. The first page of each lesson pretty much tells what you will be covering (or what is expected of the students from the previous lesson). I definitely recommend that you prepare ahead for each day's lesson. What, am I the only one that doesn't do that every day? Well, if you are at all like me, take my advice and prepare for the lessons! You'll thank me for it!

Are there any CONS to this program?

The program itself, no.
Did you read the paragraph above? I didn't like that it was so confusing at first to figure out. But if you are already in 'teacher-mode' or 'English-teacher-mode' especially, I don't think this will be a problem. And not only that, if you ever have a problem with understanding how to use the program, Rebecca is just a phone call away. (Btw, I did not have to call but did send a short email once- which was answered promptly and with much information.)

I mentioned that the TM was confusing at first...a short time into using the program, some edited material was sent to me via email to help alleviate my confusion. I thought that was very nice.

There were typos in the TM...or would it be the student worksheets? When doing a lesson there were a few occasions where my pages did not match up to ds' but it wasn't too big of a deal. We figured out what was meant and just moved on.

But the program itself is good.

Would I recommend this program to another homeschooling family?

Yes! It is a good program as far as I can tell but it requires a lot of participation from the teacher and also it really needs a certain teaching style oriented person to really get this, in my opinion. But one of the great things about homeschooling is that any curriculum can be tweaked to suit you and your family.
And if you do opt for this program- get the Mind Benders! ;)

Bottomline

I believe this is a good English/Writing program and well priced for the material. My ds may not love to write but now he grumbles a bit less and I feel that he is learning from this program- that is what I wanted in the first place. I am actually interested in the next level of this program for coming years.

See what other Crew Members say about this program.

**Disclaimer: I received these materials free from The Write Foundation through The Old Schoolhouse Crew. I was not compensated for this review; I received the items in exchange for an honest review. All statements/opinions are my own. See more Disclosure/Policies.**

A Month of Thanksgiving- Day #17

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom


Thanksgiving #17:

Creativity. I am so thankful for creativity. The last couple of days (years really!) my kids have come up with the most amazing things. They have come up with new games that they've made, they've written short stories, they've drawn some interesting pictures. Today they are both working on 'newsletters' for their newest 'clubs'. These clubs are for anyone really but honestly they're just for them. Does that make sense?? Anyway, I am so thankful for their creativity. I don't consider myself very creative (although people have told me that I am) and I am thankful that they are. They are just amazing.

I'm thankful for my printer also that was given to me for Christmas in 2005. I used it today to print copies of said newsletters. I also used it just a bit ago to scan an envelope so I can make a smaller version of it- aha! Creativity! heehee

I'm thankful for my dear hubby- every day! Speaking of, I'm off to spend some couch time with him :) We always watch something (documentary, episode of a tv show, some kind of movie) in the evening. Lol, he usually falls asleep long before it is over and we rarely get through anything in one sitting :)

Have a great night all and be thankful!

I'm not a Traitor...Really, I'm not

Whatever I need to tell myself to help me sleep at night, right?

Okay, I absolutely LOVE my Kindle. If anyone has been following me long, or knows me in person, you know this is true. I highly highly highly recommend the Kindle to anyone that is looking into purchasing an electronic reader.

Alright, now that I'm sure I've convinced you that I am not a traitor to my beloved Kindle...have you seen the newest Nook? 

Interesting, eh?

Now, I'm not suggesting you get a Nook...I'm just pointing it out. I thought it was interesting. I still love my Kindle and don't have any plans on getting a Nook (or getting rid of my Kindle). I have been following along with the comments over at A Peaceful Day about what people think about the Kindle or an iPad and I know that the Nook isn't an iPad (far from it!) but there are a lot of good comments!

So, any of you out there get any of these nifty gadgets? Which do you prefer- which do you want? Any on your Christmas wish list? ;)

A Month of Thanksgiving- 15-16 (Day #16)

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom

I'm so bad lately about getting time to read others blogs but am so thankful that others have stopped by to comment on mine.

Thanksgiving #15

I've said it before but today I am being more specific. I am thankful for friends. I am thankful especially today for my newest friend, Christy. She doesn't do internet well so she doesn't have a blog and barely ever checks her email. Sometimes I would like to be more like that...but mostly I love my internet :) Christy is such a blessing to me. She is a ray of sunshine on those dark, gray days when I feel that I'm just going to not get out of bed. It's amazing how upbeat and cheerful she is. She is honest and caring, a very sensitive person. She is also so in love with the Lord it is amazing. We were starting to talk today about God and wouldn't you know our conversation was interrupted more than once. That tells me that Satan isn't happy with my new friendship. She is great. And if anyone reading this would send a prayer up for Christy and her family, it would so appreciated. She needs them now.
I am thankful for my friend, Christy.

Thanksgiving #16

I am thankful that I am caught up! But really I am thankful that I suffer from insomnia and wasn't feeling tired so I got up and decided to think on the things I have to be thankful for. I am caught up now so I guess I could stop saying what I am thankful for today. Or I could keep going ;) I am thankful for my newly acquired fish (giving to us by a family that moved); I am thankful for a church to be able to freely worship; I am thankful for my mom (I can be thankful for her more than just once! I'm thankful every day for my mommy!); I'm thankful for my wonderful family (just this instant thinking about them made my heart swell- their all sleeping (: ; I'm thankful for the house I live in- it's warm in the winter and semi-cool in the summer ;)

There's so much to be thankful for! I think that each day that I write up my thanksgiving I will not just give one thing (unless I am feeling odd and have not much to be thankful for...shudder at the thought!) and will just go until I stop :)

A Month of Thanksgiving- 12-14 (Day #15)

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom

 

Still working on getting caught up with everyone else but it's fun because throughout the day I think what I'm thankful for :)



Thanksgiving #12:

I'm thankful that I can do crafty things still. I'm thankful that my hands are not afflicted with arthritis or another painful ailment that prevents me from sewing, drawing, painting, cooking, etc. I wish I had a picture of something crafty that I do but... I don't :) I'm still thankful that I am able to do things.



Thanksgiving #13:

I'm very thankful for the Western Nebraska Home Educator's Network (WNHEN) so that my kids can be around others (and not all the same age!) and feel comfortable and accepted. I'm thankful for the company that I am able to share on Monday. There's only two weeks left and then a break until January. I will be looking forward to it!



Thanksgiving #14:
I'm thankful for Branches of Wisdom putting this out there so that we are more likely to stop and think about the many things we have to be thankful for. :) As Maria commented on my last post for A Month of Thanksgiving, God's blessing are too numerous to count them all- but we can definitely give thanks as we get them :)

A Month of Thanksgiving- 8-11 (Day #14)

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom 

Thanksgiving #8

My sisters. Although we don't get to see each other often, I'm very thankful for both of my sisters. My oldest on lives in Ohio and my middle sister lives in Oregon (I'm stuck in the middle in WY). Today is my middle sister's birthday! 

Happy Birthday, Melissa!!  

My oldest sister calls me randomly on her drive home from work and it's always good to catch up. I've not seen her for probably 5 years and it was close to 12 before that. I get to see my middle sister probably once a year. 

I'm thankful to have sisters!

Thanksgiving #9

Bluetooth. Really... is that weird? Seems a strange thing to be thankful for. My phone was dying today (because dd talked for what seemed like forever to friends back in OR) and I wanted to call my middle sister to wish her happy birthday. The cord for my charger is so short that I would have had to stand by the counter to talk to her. But with my bluetooth earpiece I was able to sit at the kitchen table (more comfortable) and talk while my phone charged. It was great to talk to her :) So, yes, I am thankful for Bluetooth.

Thanksgiving #10

Friends. My friends and my kids' friends. It is so nice to have at least one person that we can turn to and say, hey, I just need someone to talk to for a minute. Or hey, you just have to hear what's going on in my life. Or, hey, let's go do something! Things like that. For my ds fortunately, he has a friend close that he can play with on a semi-regular basis. For dd and myself, well, we have to go longer between friend fill ups but it is so nice to have friends that we can turn to. I am thankful for Friends.

Thanksgiving #11

Modern conveniences. It is something that I am pretty sure that most people take for granted: microwaves, refrigerator, electric (or gas) stove, automatic drip coffee maker, food processor, etc. Or indoor plumbing! I am so thankful to have these things. I know that my life would not end without my wonderful food processor but I would sure miss it! I am thankful for what we do have because it saves time (and sometimes money). I'm thankful for modern conveniences.

Any Suggestions?

I'm busy lately but I'm also antsy. I want to do something out of the ordinary or extraordinary. I'm not entirely sure what though!

So, any suggestions? What do you do when you are getting, well, stuck in a rut? 

And I want to do another giveaway...something really neat and cool and awesome. Of course I may have to settle for 'free', as in "hey, it's free! sign up!" or something like that... 

Okay, now I'm off of here for the evening. Hope all have a great night and a peachy weekend!

SAHMs can be WAHMs... Part 1

*Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the businesses or opportunities that follow. It is my recommendation that questions be asked to make an informed decision about these opportunities. Also, I strongly urge you to pray before making a commitment to something like this.* 

This will be a 3 part post because of the number of opportunities to share. 

Part 1

Direct Sales Opportunities

Barbara Geatches' Website

Barbara Geatches

L'Bri is an aloe vera based skincare line that is unparalleled in qualify, value, benefits and most importantly results.  There are no added dyes or fragrances and is free from cancer causing ingredients.  L'Bri is a 100% US company that is formulated, manufactured and sold only in the US.  We offer a ground floor opportunity with a stable company in a recession proof industry.  Women are looking to for skincare that is natural and works and opportunities that are flexible and offer unlimited income potential.  L'Bri is able to deliver on all counts!  There is no inventory or deliveries as the company ships direct to your customers anywhere in the US.  The company has always been focused on ingredients and strives to make the products affordable for women everywhere, while also empowering women to have successful home based businesses to achieve their personal and family goals.

Barbara resides in the Pacific Northwest (the Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington area) but she has a team and customers across the US. You can find more information about L'Bri by visiting Barbara's website or you can contact her directly by email. She got started with L'Bri when looking for a natural product line.  Although she had no intention of doing it as a business, the way the products changed and improved her skin to the point that people were noticing, she had a growing customer base and team and so had to look at the business side of L'Bri.  She says "I'm very glad I did.  The company is amazing to work with!"


What is the cost of becoming a L'Bri Pure n' Natural Independent Consultant? 

L'Bri offers 2 different consultant kits:  

• The skincare showcase has a value of $350 and can be purchased for $125. 

• The complete showcase has a value of over $900 and is available for purchase for only $325, but it can be earned for FREE!

Contact Barbara Geatches for more information on L'Bri Pure n' Natural. Email her and visit her website. 

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Erika Ennis' Website

Erika Ennis

The company empowers people and businesses by making it possible for EVERYONE to access justice for everyday life situations (e.g., disputes with a vendor, will preparation, moving traffic violations, IRS audits, bill collection, credit/mortgage/bankcruptcy issues, just to name a few). Most of the time, unbeknownst to us, a lot of us give up our rights when faced with these everyday situations because 1) we may not be familiar with what our rights truly are or we may not know how to effectively remedy the situation we find ourselves in; 2) it requires time and money that we may not have; 3) we don't know who to contact for advice; or 4) we want to handle things on our own because of cost. But WHY ignore/forego our rights when we can have the experts take care of us at a very minimal cost. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people around the country who don't know of this great service. This is where the opportunity lies! 

Erika resides in the Greater Washington D. C. metro area but the service as well as the opportunity is available throughout the country and some parts of Canada. For example, there is actually a team of people in the Washington state area. You can contact Erika about this opportunity via her website, through email or you can call her at 301-537-3352. 

What is the cost of becoming an independent associate for "Justice for All" Prepaid Legal Services?  

There are two options to begin your business:

• Fast Start Builder is $149 (normally $249) and includes all the supplies you need to get a fast start.

• Standard Associates Kit is $65, this includes 30 days of valuable services to help start your business.

Contact Erika Ennis for more information about "Justice for All" Prepaid Legal Services. Visit her website, email or her you can contact her by phone at 301-537-3352.

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Please watch for part 2 of the SAHMs can be WAHMs for more great opportunities.

A Month of Thanksgiving- 1-7 (Day #13)

Hosted by Branch of Wisdom

I am way behind in this because, well, I just realized what it was! I found out about it from over at Enriched Living.  I am going to try to play catch up with this. I think that everyone else is on day #13 so I've a bit to go ;) I'm sure I can find plenty to be thankful for! I hope there isn't a 'theme' each day that I'm supposed to be following...

Thanksgiving #1:

I am thankful for my mom. She encourages me when I don't think others would. She's there (usually!) when I want to call her for no reason. I'm thankful for her.

Thanksgiving #2:

I am thankful for the internet! I have come across so many great people and resources. Such as Chrissy from Enriched Living :)

Thanksgiving #3:

My children. My gifts from God. I am very very thankful for them. I can't imagine my life without them. They make me laugh (oh and cry) so many times; they help me see things differently, through different eyes.

Thanksgiving #4:

My wonderful husband. Although I don't have a photo of him to share with everyone (he is a very private person and never wants his name- definitely not his photo- on the internet at all!), he is an adorable, sweet man that I love so much. Lol, he thinks 'adorable' means like a cute, cuddly teddy bear- I think it is equivalent to handsome and good looking. He isn't always perfect (haha! shocker huh?) but we go so well together. I can't imagine my life without him.

Thanksgiving #5:

Cats. Simply. But really I am thankful for our cat, Kawaii. She is so cute! She's highly vocal and annoying at times, too! She lets me be playful (I crawl around on the floor to play with her) and act silly.

Thanksgiving #6:

God and all that He has given me. All that I have to be thankful for has come from what He has given and provided. Nothing I have would have been without His caring for me. I am thankful for that.

Thanksgiving #7:

I am also thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my kids! Also that I am able to work towards my college degree. And with those two things to be thankful for...I need to get back to those things! :) 

Have a wonderful day!

Weekly Wrap-Up...11/05/10 (with paintings!!)

Hosted by Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

So this week went super fast. Oh, who am I kidding...they all go fast! I've just got to learn to keep up! We did our usuals (Bible, Math, and Life! lol) as well as a few little extras. God is good and keeps us going :)


Monday was an extremely busy day. We had Co-Op, which went very well, followed by grocery shopping. I had made some weird bread type stuff for lunch (it had little carrots and 1 beet shredded along with some oatmeal and raisins- and 1 cup of sugar) that only a few slices were taken of. That's alright...more for us at home because although the beet made it a bit odd, it was good. A bit like carrot cake..but not. At Co-Op the kids had Watercolor and it was my favorite class of the day. Check out their paintings! I love them!

Monday was also the official start to NaNoWriMo! Lee is doing it this year but not Fox or I. I've just got too much on my plate to add that. Lee is following the Young Writer's Program and has set a end goal of 25,000 words. I think she is doing well to start with :) That is pretty much her writing curriculum for the month of November. Thankfully for me she is such a self-motivated person (uh, in most things anyway!)


Tuesday was a trying day at our house.... 'nuff said. We finally finished Lesson 3 of The Write Foundation's Sentence to Paragraph. Um, watch for my review of this product in just a few days (11/10/10). One thing about Tuesday that was awesome though was I received a $10 cash card for Pamida. I didn't really have anything that I needed but decided to use it since it expired in a very short time. I was able to buy a Bionicle (Lego action figure thingy) and a tube of Burt's Bees (LOVE Burt's Bees but can never keep from losing them!) for the grand total of $1.55- what a steal! I wish there had of been something I actually needed to buy then that would have been a truly exceptional deal :) Lee has decided to not do ballet any longer and that makes me sad but I can't force her to go. If she doesn't want to then...okay. She at least had the opportunity. 


Wednesday Lee had her first act as Secretary of the Goshen Drifters 4H Club; she was to type up a short statement to take to the club's bank to remove/add individuals. Her signature was required and it helped her to feel really important :) On Wednesday we went to the local 2nd hand stores in hopes of finding some pants for Fox but came away instead with a pair for Lee. Guess boys pants just don't last as long. On Wednesday also it was decided that another "...Day" needed to be done. The choices were Colonial or Egyptian. In the end it had to be Indian. The library was lacking on books to adequately plan either of the other days. We went to the store to pick up the few items that would be needed (cost me under $5) and Lee started right away. She usually has to do it herself because she is extremely picky- and creative! We just can't do it the 'right' way ;) It was tentatively planned for Thursday but in the end it was decided that maybe next week would be much better- giving her more time to get everything ready.


Thursday was good: They accomplished 2 lessons in their LoF books (some of Fox's I'm just so confused about- perhaps it's the Biology bit- I'm not so good at science. Fortunately for him  me us, he will also be going through the PreAlgebra with Economics book). They are both moving along nicely. We did some more science from Christian Kids Explore Physics. I am liking this book (watch for my review coming out 11/22/10)! We also did some Latin that we've been neglecting (poor poor Latin...lol- it's not special though Spanish has also been neglected). We accidentally skipped Lesson VII quiz! maybe it will get done Friday. Fox and I started on Lesson 4 in Sentence to Paragraph and didn't get far at all...how hard can adjectives be and that thesaurus must be his friend by now (right along side the tissue box haha!).


Friday! It's here now and well...here's the plan. ALL OF SCHOOL. That's the plan. Lol. Great plan eh? Also plan to do more work on the Monthly Barden since it's to come out by the 15th. Fox and I have to finish up our stories and spots. Of course, Lee, she's on top of things and her parts are pretty much done ;) And for me I need to read some more of Charlotte Mason's Volume 6, Chapter 8: The Way of the Will.


How has your week been? Find more Weekly Wrap-Ups at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

SAHMs can be WAHMs- Coming Tomorrow!

My mother-in-law gave me a gift years ago- a framed picture of a duck leading her ducklings that had a saying written on it. The saying: 

"Every mother is a working mother."

How true! 
But sometimes mothers that stay at home may feel that they are not contributing to the household. Let me tell you- doing laundry and making meals is definitely something your family can't live without! As one mother stated just because she doesn't bring in money doesn't mean she doesn't have a job!


I would like to give some of my readers the opportunity to peruse a few of the many home business opportunities available. Recently I asked a large group of mothers (and my sister-in-law) that either own their own business or are affiliated with a company that allows them to direct sell to share a bit about these opportunities. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the many opportunities available, just a few that were kind enough to share with me. 


Be watching for the 3 Part post on stay at home moms can be work at home moms (SAHMs can be WAHMs). The first post will be up tomorrow. 


Even if there isn't an opportunity for you, I am sure you will be able to find a business you can do shopping with and it will help not only you (your Christmas list!) but also a stay at home, work at home mom. And a little side note, the women that will be featured are not all stay at home moms (in fact, I didn't even ask if any were!) but the opportunities can be done by stay at home moms as well. 


I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together!

Wordless & Word-Filled Wednesday 11/03/10

I purposely left the red eyes... those are lasers!! (especially coming from Lee :D haha!)

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God has given me good gifts and I love them.

 
See more Word Filled Wednesdays at Internet Cafe Devotions

Meal Planning...a first!

Here it is Wednesday evening already. Where has the week gone? 

Is it just me or does this year seem to be zooming faster than last year?? Oh well, no matter, it is what it is.

I'm going to start with this: God is good no matter how bad life gets. Well, my life is actually pretty good and God is even better. He's carried me through when I make mistakes, when I blunder along and when I do things that later I think oh, I shouldn't have done that! He is always there and He provides for us in every way. God is awesome.

This week has been a fairly busy one and that's why I've not been around. I've been adding things to my Etsy shops (BlossomBs, Kidchen Gnomes & Lossolleff), been trudging along with my school work and plugging along with doing school with the kids. You'll hear more about the school with the kids on Friday. 

I've also been making up my menu- for the entire month. This is something I tried to do last month but didn't do as well as I wanted. The main reason for planning was initially to save on the grocery bill. The other reason was that I was tired of looking in the fridge/freezer/cupboard 30 minutes before dinner and having no idea really what to make. I've read about others that do menu planning and I'm always interested in what they are having. It looks so much more interesting than our usual of burritos, sphaghetti or chicken with vegetables. 

Here is my months menu. Anywhere it has (x2) means that during the 2 weeks we will have it twice; usually once each week rather than in one week. And the lists are for reference. So if I want Eggs on Monday then I can make them again on Saturday if I really wanted to. When I went shopping it was a tremendous help to keep me from buying stuff that I wasn't sure I needed.

Ready?

Breakfast:

1st 2 weeks:

Scones with fruit and milk

Omelet with juice

Oatmeal with fruit

Eggs with toast and juice (x2)

Yogurt with fruit or granola (x2)

Coffee Cake with milk

Cold cereal with fruit (x2)

Waffles with fruit and milk

Grits with eggs and juice

Muffins (with fruit) with milk

French toast with juice

2nd 2 weeks:

Eggs with toast and juice

Cold cereal with fruit (x2)

Oatmeal with fruit and milk (x2)

Scones with fruit and milk

Yogurt with fruit &/or toast

Coffee cake with milk

Omelet with juice

Waffles with juice

Grits with eggs and juice

French toast with juice

Pancakes with fruit and milk

Farina with fruit and milk

Lunch:

1st 2 weeks:

Sloppy Joes

Mac & Cheese

Tuna Turnovers

Personal Pizzas (x2)

Hot Dogs with beans (x2) (I keep forgetting the baked beans though!)

Tuna sandwiches

PB & Banana or Honey sandwich with milk

Salad with chicken

Burritos

Chili Mac

2nd 2 weeks:

Quesadilla with tea

Meat sandwich with juice

Salad with chicken

Tomato soup with grilled cheese

Tuna Tortillas

PB & J sandwich (x2)

Salad with tuna

Sloppy Joes

Mac & Cheese

Personal Pizza

Tuna Sandwich

Burritos (x2)

Dinner:

1st 2 weeks:

Chicken Enchiladas

Pork chops with biscuits and veggies

Bean soup (x2) with cornbread or cheese spoon bread

Pot roast

Chicken with veggies

Spaghetti with garlic bread

Pork stew

Creamed chicken over rice

Meatloaf with veggies and biscuits

Chili

Cabbage Rolls

Chicken and veggies

Pizza

2nd 2 weeks:

Fish with salad 

Chicken and veggies

Chili w/ cornbread

Turkey Burgers and salad

Creamed chicken over mashed potatoes

Beef stew

Bean soup with cornbread

Burritos

Chicken Enchiladas

Pot Roast

Pizza

Sloppy Joes

Chicken and veggies (x2)

Snack Options:

1 apple & 1 string cheese (water)

dried fruit and 1 string cheese or 1 serving crackers (we have Wheat Thins, Animal Crackers, Cheezits, Ritz and saltines to choose from) (water)

1 apple & 1 serving of crackers (milk)

1 string cheese and 1 serving of crackers (juice)

1 carrot and 1 string cheese (water)

1 carrot and 1 serving of crackers (milk)

scoop of pb and milk

1 piece of bread with pb (juice)

1 piece of bread & 1 string cheese (juice)

sliced apple with pb (milk or water)

Something else that I've been trying to do is eat less meat and more wholesome foods. In my menu it looks like there is a meat in just about every meal! Not quite what I had in mind when I thought about cutting back. But some of those things- such as spaghetti, pizza, chili, even sloppy joes -can be made meatless. At first, honestly, I anticipate grumbles in my house. And no, I don't intend to use tofu- my poor hubby would starve because he wouldn't eat it! Haha! No, I intend to use beans- black, pinto, navy, great northern, but no garbanzo (again, hubby dislikes...picky man! heehee jk)- to replace the meat. Sometimes though, nothing else will be needed. Spaghetti is just fine with only sauce and pizza is good with lots of cheese and olives.

And for breakfast items, I am using more whole wheat products. I have almost always used whole wheat at some point and in differing amounts. Now I am making it more whole wheat than other flours. I am using honey also in place of the sugar and coconut oil in place of hydrogenated fats (you know, Crisco) and butter in cooking. I love butter though so that's a tough one. Can always have some butter on my whole wheat toast :) A problem with using wholesome ingredients for making foods is that it can be expensive :(

I think I've mentioned the More with Less Cookbook but there are two others that I use, but no where near as frequently. The Taste of Home Cookbook from Taste of Home Books and Reader's Digest. It is handy sometimes but it doesn't really help with how to make things from scratch often. It says to buy a can of cream of chicken soup when a recipe calls for something like a white sauce. It can be made super easily at home- that's where my More with Less comes in handy. The other book that I use for biscuits, scones, breads and those types is Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. It's definitely not the 1930s version! My mom has one that is older than mine and it's interesting how things have changed even in 10 years! I think hers is a lot older than 10 years. Anyway, I love that cookbook almost as much at the More with Less. And finally the cookbook that I use the absolute least is The Woman's Day Cookbook that was given to me by my aunt and cousins when I got married. I use this for one recipe and one only (at least for the last 14 years...). I still keep it around though because I can still never remember the recipe by heart.  Never know, I might someday find something else interesting in it!

So my meal planning took me a long time to complete. Probably a couple months. We usually eat the same things again and again and again and it gets so boring. The kids used to have cold cereal almost every single morning. Hubby still has, and possibly always will have, 2 eggs on Saturday and Sunday ;) Our lunches were not really much of lunches; we would look to see what was to 'munch' on and at call it lunch. 

I think that planning the meals has been a great help and will continue to be. I took inventory before I went shopping also and discovered 3 cans of salsa and 3 cans of spaghetti sauce! I would almost certainly have bought another when I went shopping had I not done the inventory first. Saved on some meat as well because I checked and we still had 2 bags of frozen chicken to use- I would have bought a few more. Not having to buy those things saved me at least $20.