Frugal Friday 356

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last Friday, Annabeth and I drove Owen to Camp Rotary for his first Cub Scout overnight. He won't officially begin scouts until the fall but he needed to be part of this year's summer camp and was excited to go visit Mark for the last two days. He loved learning new scout skills, getting his first compass, fire building, and more!

He was proud to help build the fire

- Annabeth and I enjoyed a Girls' Night while the boys were gone. We ate and shopped downtown and she found some vintage doll clothes for her American Girl doll. She baked homemade brownies (all by herself!) for our movie night. We had fun doing our nails, going to the library, and reading all afternoon in the quiet!

- On our shopping date, we stopped by the new Mom and Cub Boutique in Franklin. They were having their summer clearance sale so we checked out some GREAT items for just $40! Annabeth found some embellished overalls, a skirt/top combo that was new with store tags, two new Disney hairbows, and a Matilda Jane dress (just $6.50 with the sale!) I also found a cute Baseball Mom hat (new) for just $15! I had looked at a similar one online for $25 plus I would have had to pay shipping. I was very excited about all of our good deals! We look forward to shopping Mom and Cub Boutique again soon and have two coupons for the first friends who claim them!

- We shopped the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale. Annabeth found five of the original Baby Sitters Club chapter books, I found two books for Owen to enjoy (dogs and architecture themes), as well as a history book for our school collection. We paid $10 which was more than the total for the books but let them keep the change as an extra donation for the work they do.

- The boys brought home two large packages of hamburger buns and a huge bag of Doritos from camp. We had BBQ sandwiches a couple of nights this week and also enjoyed chips at lunch. 

- We have not made a real grocery trip in three weeks! We made two little stops for breakfast items and milk but we haven't made a big trip in weeks. This week the meals did get a bit funky towards the end (leftovers, chicken fingers and random fruits/veggies, etc) BUT we have eaten through much of what we had and finished lots of open items. I work very, very hard to have zero food waste. 

- I sold a Matilda Jane item on Facebook. Made: $20

- We moved around the kids beds in June but when we got everything out for Annabeth's we found we had a headboard but no frame. We've been looking for a good deal online all summer and this week scored an awesome Pottery Barn bed with locker style drawers underneath from a local garage sale. I had money in my PayPal from my book sale last week so it was under $50 out of pocket! I couldn't find this exact bed on the Pottery Barn website but their cheapest option was $299 on sale so I KNOW I got a good deal!

- One day we did the #cardinalchallenge through Cardinal Stage in Bloomington and had fun acting out "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" in just ten pictures. I don't know that we will win the contest but we did have fun!

Goldilocks and the Porridge - Too hot (hot sauce), too cold (ice), and just right (cereal)

Three angry bears! 

Someone has been eating their porridge

- Yesterday Annabeth had a visit with her Riley Team. The day before they called to let me know that due to increased cautions that I could not bring Owen. Thankfully my brother-in-law is a teacher and still on summer break. We paid him in Starbucks coffee to watch Owen. Thank you Luke! We also dropped off a box of hand-me-downs for Jackson. 

- Last night we were down to funky leftovers so I made homemade pizzas. I had leftover Alfredo sauce, BBQ Pork, onions, and shredded cheese. I made a double batch of quick, easy pizza dough and did one Alfredo Cheese Pizza and one BBQ Pork with onions and cheddar. We will have pizza leftovers for lunch. We have eaten from the same pork tenderloin for five meals this week! 

We had a good, busy school week and are looking forward to catching up with friends this afternoon and a fun weekend!

Happy Savings to All! 

Homeschooling in 2020

Over the past few months, I have had SO many requests from friends, acquaintances, long-time readers who want me to "write more about homeschooling."

You can find my "Homeschool Posts" on the right side of this blog. You will find that, despite the fact that we are in our 8th year of homeschooling, I don't have a great deal of posts on the topic. Why? Homeschooling looks different for everyone, every family, and every child. 

But you all asked and when you ask  - I write.

Our History of Homeschooling

We began homeschooling when Annabeth was two. I needed order and a plan to get through the long toddler days. She was so quick to pick up on things and I felt like our days would be smoother with a learning plan in place. 

When she was three, I began using Alpha Omega Horizons Preschool for Threes. This SAVED me as I was pregnant for most of that school year, very sick, and I don't know what we would have gotten done without a plan laid out for me each day. 

We decided to keep her home for PreK because Owen was born in June and I was overwhelmed with the thought of having to get everyone up, ready, and out to preschool a few mornings a week. The cost of local preschools was also not in our budget at the time.

The next year was the year that turned the tide, with an October 5 birthday she had missed the Kindergarten cutoff but was READY for school. We made the choice to keep her home, to begin Kindergarten, and to "see what happens." What happened? She blossomed, we found our rhythm, we found our homeschool group of friends, and we KNEW we were hooked! After a lot of prayer and consideration, we decided to keep her home the next year and to move her into the first grade. 

We have homeschooled since then, changing what books we using, adding Owen to the mix when he turned two, and moving through the years learning and growing in Life and Love.

My Basic Beliefs on Homeschooling

I truly believe that ANYONE can homeschool. I believe it lies in the root of desire. Do you desire to educate your children at home? Do you desire to be the leader in their learning? Do you desire to train up the children in your family as a peer group? If you do, you can!

I believe that it is based on a family's desire for their child(ren) to be raised in a particular way with a certain belief system. I know people of many faiths, walks of life, political systems, etc who homeschool and do it in beautiful ways that bless their families.

I believe that homeschooling is rich, vibrant, and beautiful. It is a series of moments, days, weeks, years, lived learning in and out of the home. It's family hikes, art museums, paint in the backyard, and books shared with friends. Homeschool is little hands holding bigger hands, it's messy kitchens, long walks, and math done in the snow. 

Our Homeschool Style

We use a true blend of styles. We do purchase box curriculum (Abeka and Alpha Omega Horizons).

We also blend Montessori in the younger grades, Charlotte Mason ideas, as well as Student-Led Learning.

We use a wide variety of books sourced from the local library, borrowed from friends, and of course from Usborne Books & More. 

My Goals in Homeschooling OUR Children

1. I want my children to learn to love the Lord and to love others.

2. I want my children to serve others, putting others needs before their own.

3. I want my children to be dependable, responsible, kind, and to have great initiative.

4. I want my children love ALL people at ALL times.

5. I want my children to have a life long love of learning and to desire to learn and grow through adulthood.

*Note none of my goals are based on academics.

**Note my goals do not have to match your goals.

Every Day We

Read aloud at least 1 hour

Spend at lead 1 hour outside

Visit neighbors/friends/family (during Quarantine we did phone calls, video chat, letter writing) of ALL ages

Create using paint, markers, playdoh, Legos, etc

Complete household tasks

Cook or Bake 

Pray for our world

In Closing

Homeschool works for our family, it always has. 

It's taken HUGE sacrifices for Mark and myself as the adults/parents. We certainly don't have the financial freedom we would have if I worked and the kids went to school and I certainly don't have the luxury of free time that I would have had if the kids had gone to preschool a few hours each week or to school all day. We have long since seen the benefits for each of the children and for our family as a whole and so we continue to put the work in and to make sacrifices for me to be home full-time and for the kids to school at home full-time.

Have there been times we have thought to put the kids in local public schools? Absolutely! One of our children might really benefit and we know would enjoy a classroom setting but the right year has not coming along to do it. If/when it all falls into place we will look at sending that child during that year. We are so thankful to live in a town with excellent public schools and are proud to call many teachers and school workers our friends!

This year, a HUGE decision is being made in households across the country - going to school, virtual school, a combination, or homeschool. Lots of choices, lots of uncertainty. Know, dear Reader, that our family is praying for you! We are praying for that hard decision you are making and for your little learners. 

***Please remember that homeschooling is a personal choice and is the real life of our family. 

As a result, I will never share great details about my children's schoolwork or share their grades as that is their personal information. 

Frugal Friday 355

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Mark was gone to Scout Camp all week. His leadership team was very thankful to be able to still work summer camp into their schedule and to be able to do it safely following guidelines set by Indiana.

- My parents came to town for the weekend. We enjoyed spending time with them washing cars, going to the library for books, and more free fun.

- Saturday morning my Mama and I took a Water Aerobics class at the city pool. This was only $5/each and a great time. I love water aerobics and hope to get to the class at least once a week for the rest of the summer.

- Sunday morning we went to Indianapolis for Annabeth's last dance competition of the year. Parking downtown is very expensive so I used the Spot Hero app and booked a spot for just $15. I went into the garage, pushed the entry button and didn't get a ticket but the gate opened. I realized once inside that I had used the wrong garage from the spot I had reserved. We went ahead and parked and I worried I'd end up paying again upon exit. When we went to exit the gate was open though and no fee collected. Woohoo!! Thankfully I didn't pay twice!

- After our morning downtown, we enjoyed the Johnson County Fair. While the fair is not open for the traditional animals, rides, food, etc our Fair Board did all the grounds to open for 4Hers and families to see their completed projects. Annabeth was very excited to see how all four of her projects did. She had so much fun this year and a great start to her 4H years!

Annabeth in front of her Lego creation.

She earned a 1st Place - Honor Group for this project

We always get one treat at the fair and this year

pretty much the only option was a milkshake. 

We were thankful for the free coupon that came with our admission packet.

We did not pay to park or for concessions this year.

- On Tuesday, my sister and I surprised the kids with a day of bowling and Mexican food. We have not been bowling since the winter but I had purchased the Kids Bowl Free pass before the Covid closures. We felt safe and confident with our local bowling alley's response to Covid cleanings and so we safely bowled. The kids loved it and Lu loved winning each game! We also had lunch out at a new, to us, Mexican place that we all loved. 

- Owen had THREE t-ball games this week. We had a great time watching him play real games and were so proud that he hit off a pitch 50% of the time!

My favorite player - #6 

FRUGAL FAIL: I forgot to cancel my Hello Fresh Order for the week. By the time the tracking info came I could no longer cancel it. I was disappointed as I hadn't planned to order this week and since I didn't select the meals some strange things were coming. It worked out in the end though because the package was lost, came damaged, and the ice pack had long melted so everything was warm. I was able to salvage the produce and Hello Fresh gave me a credit for my next order. 

We are looking forward to a fun weekend - can't wait to share all about it next week!

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 354

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Saturday we had a sleep-in, slow morning which was MUCH needed! I try to be frugal with our resources and money but also careful and mindful with our time. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a special family dinner with family in from out of town. It was so good to see and hug our nieces and nephews!

- On Sunday, Annabeth and I spent the afternoon at her dance studio. She took some Master Classes as part of the virtual nationals and I enjoyed watching nationals with some of our dance family. It was the most unique nationals experience we've had so far but I am SO proud of Annabeth and the hard work she put into it. Her dances all earned a Platinum or Double Platinum and her acro group placed 3rd overall, her jazz group was 2nd overall, and her duo was 5th overall in their respective divisions!

- Monday morning I cleaned out the garage. We have been storing some furniture and items there and it just all needed moved out. I made two trips to donate items, got everything swept out, and then FINALLY got the new car in the garage!

- Monday evening Annabeth and I went to the dance studio for the parent meeting for next year. Mark and Owen spent the evening out fishing and had a great time.

- We have been eating all of our meals at home. We have not been picking up food or coffee for weeks now. We do plan to treat our weekend guests to take-out pizza this weekend and the kids are VERY excited about that.

- Our friends the Evans family brought us zucchini again this week. I made it into lasagna "noodles" which is one of my favorite ways to eat it!

- We purchased our first whole chicken. We purchased from local (new!) farmer Miss Ella from Annabeth's dance studio. Ella is a high school student who has started her own farm business as part of her FFA/high school education. If you are local and interested in local meat we purchase our chicken from Lil B's Farm and our beef from her family's farm Burgett Family Farm. We love knowing exactly where our meat comes from, supporting local businesses, and that the animals were humanely and ethically raised and slaughtered.

We had a great week back to school and are looking forward to one last dance competition and good company this weekend. We also can't wait to see all of Annabeth's 4H projects at the fair. I am SO thankful to Johnson County 4H for making a fair happen for the kids!

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 353

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- We spent a great 4th of July Weekend in Evansville. We also visited my Momaw in Owensboro. We ate more meals in than usual, although my parents and Momaw did treat us to sushi, shaved ice, and a fast food meal. The kids enjoyed going to a park, going through the carwash, lots of backyard play, and sparklers on the 4th. Mark and I snuck out for a date and did some coupon shopping for sunscreen and beauty items at Target and had lunch out. We ALL loved seeing some great fireworks just by walking around the neighborhood.

Sparklers on the 4th

Oscar looked so handsome for his first 4th of July

- My parents sent home some fresh fruit and some snack foods. Thank you! :)

- My sister, Mama, Momaw and I all traded clothes and jewelry. I came home with four new clothing items and some new jewelry as well.

- Sunday evening we got back into town and skipped the drive thru/pizza order that is what we almost always do when we get back in town. We unloaded the car and then I headed to the grocery for the week. I picked up sandwich and salad items that we had for a quick Sunday night dinner and then we also ate many of the sides for the rest of the week.

- I watched coupons, store sales, and Ibotta carefully when planning out my shopping trip. I like to see how much I can save and earn back each trip!

- I did my first thrift store run since February!! Even with the dressing rooms closed, I found one shirt for Annabeth for fall/winter, two shirts for Owen for fall/winter, and two shirts and a dress for me. Three things did not work for me so I returned them and have $14 store credit for when I want to shop again.

- I hit a sale on laundry detergent at Walgreens and got Buy 1, Get 2 Free! Saved: $12+

- I also did a coupon deal at CVS for razors and toothpaste. We have been doing Dollar Shave Club for years but my handle broke this week and I don't want to wait on delayed shipping for a new one. Razors were on sale for $7.99 + $3 coupon + $4 Coupon + $8 in ExtraBucks back for buying three packs. This means I got all three packs for just $2.99/pack. Not bad since they were originally $10.79/each! -- I also took advantage of a Buy One, Get One 50% Off Toothpaste. I applied a $1 off coupon to each tube saving an additional $2. This made each toothpaste just $2.44. I KNOW I can do better on the toothpaste but I am just getting back into couponing so I was happy with my 50% savings + $8 ExtraBucks.

- Our friend Jeanette brought us zucchini from her garden. I cooked some with our chicken and veggies last night and plan to use the rest for zucchini lasagna. She is hosting a covid-belated birthday this weekend and we had plates/candles for her to use. I love to trade with friends!

- Last night Annabeth and pre-shopped a friend's garage sale. They have older girls who dance so Annabeth found all kinds of clothes to grow into for fall and winter as well as some studio shirts and leotards all at great prices. Thank you Kellie for the invite to come early! :)

We had a good first full week of school and are looking forward to the weekend.

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 352

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- During Quarentine, we got out of the habit of ordering pizza. This was something we did one to two times a month before (on busy nights or family movie night). We've stopped thinking of doing it, even at the end of a long day, and have found some other meals to make quickly at home.

- Saturday into Sunday the kids spent the night at Mark's parents' house. This was the first time both kids had stayed the night and the first time Mark and I had been without kids in over three years! The kids had a great time playing games, eating pizza, and watching movies.

- Saturday afternoon Mark and I headed to Shelbyville and did some antiquing. We found two stores that we'd never been to and enjoyed browsing, chatting with the oweners on their front porch, and we only bought one item spending less than $3.

- Sunday we went over to his parents to pick up the kids and enjoyed a taco lunch with Luke and Jackson. I had so much fun playing with him all afternoon. Mark had lunch with us but had to leave for a church service event.

- Sunday afternoon, I picked up my leftover items from the kids sale. I brought the clothes home so I can save back the hangers/safety pins for the next sale. Some items will go back in the fall sale and the rest were passed on to friends who have younger daughters and a younger son than our kids.

- Monday we went down to Johnson County Park to film Annabeth's dance nationals submissions. It was HOT and HUMID and we are a dance family used to the AC. We packed six huge water bottles and were thankfully able to share a shade cover with friends. I was thankful to be done in just over 5.5 hours. We will find out how the kids placed in a few weeks.

- Annabeth spent time finishing her 4H projects this week. She is turning in four projects this year to complete her first year of 4H. We spent under $20 for all of her project supplies.

- Wednesday night after our first day of school and t-ball practice we surprised the kids with snow cones from Lickity Split. For just $15 (with tip) we enjoyed a nice treat out as a family.

- Yesterday, my dad took the kids to a park event. They each got to dance, plant some flowers, and ate a free snow cone. They also each came home with a backpack, t-shirt, snacks, and sunglasses. They had a great time and were super excited about their park loot!

- Last night after a sushi dinner, our first since February, we had a musical jam session with my family. Owen handed out instruments and we spent some times making music and singing original songs that my dad wrote with help from the kids. I am SO thankful to be back visiting with everyone again!

This week we had Day One of our school year. We are looking forward to the next 179 days of Kindergarten and 4th Grade.

We are also looking forward to lots more fun this weekend.

Happy Savings to All!