Besides the Curriculum Catalog...

...You can find great deals on educational supplies and toys at thrift stores and garage sales--not to mention all the free resources at the public library. I recently found three science kits at a yard sale, brand new, and snagged them for about $4 each. All of the below materials I picked up for a total cost of about $15.


We haven't opened the 'gears' and 'electricity' ones yet...


But we had lots of fun setting up our bacteria farm. This involved swabbing various disgusting places, such as potties, noses, and teeth. No crop yet, but we're watching and waiting.


I grabbed the science VHS tapes today, as we still have a VCR in our basement.


This American trivia game will be fun, I think; but after looking at the questions I think I have a lot to learn, too!

Though I certainly order new curriculum for the kids, it really is amazing how inexpensively one can homeschool. I think the cost of public school per student is somewhere between 10 and 22 thousand dollars a year. We spend well under $1000 for all of our school-age kids. I think this calls for a homeschooling tax-credit, don'tcha think? Don't worry...I'm not holding my breath about that one. :)

Trust God and Fasten Your Seat Belts

http://seekingalpha.com/article/163213-ten-reasons-for-an-imminent-stock-market-crash

"There are striking similarities between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government.” --David Walker

For Married Women

Okay, girls: when your kids are napping this afternoon, and you're folding laundry or sitting down with a cup of tea, listen to this broadcast from Focus on the Family. I don't usually get to hear FOTF at all, but on Monday morning I was headed to my OB appointment and caught this one. Even after thirteen years of marriage, this is still something I need to be reminded of.

Camp Curry

We had such a fun time camping this weekend! Our denomination owns some land that's north of here that is really great for camping. Meaning: trees, a pond, secluded, and indoor bathrooms just a short walk away. The weather was just perfect, and an air mattress for Kevin and me made a world of difference. :) Here are some pics.









Notice the s'mores on the left shoulder of Joe's shirt. Gotta love gettin' dirty!



The kids got a gun safety lesson from Steven and Daddy and had fun shooting the 22.



Graham crackers are for sharing.

Quick! Hide the Consequences!

I can't decide which is better: the article or the brilliant illustration that accompanies it. Really, the picture almost made me cry.

Lazy (wo)Man's Update

What's been going on here at our house?

Enjoying the cool weather with open windows...Wrangling with a broken printer...Trying to figure out how to shrink our grocery expenditures...Looking forward to a field trip next week at the art museum...Thrifting for clothes for the kids--and finding some good stuff...Reading Duncan's War aloud together...Learning and having fun at our Tuesday homeschool co-op...Loving the 'reward tickets' I found at Dollar Tree...Relishing all the little kicks and nudges from the baby...Being reminded daily of the precious steadfastness of Christ...

What's going on at yours?

Just the Facts

Wordless Wednesday

Need a Laugh?

Okay, maybe it's because I'm tired, but I have been looking at this site and laughing so hard that I'm crying. Some of the commentary is a *little* off-color, but mostly it's just really funny. Enjoy.

Thrifty Treasures

I love this little pedestal tray with a removable base that I snagged today at Goodwill. Despite the meltdown that one of the kids had, I think, for $2.48, it was worth it.



The other day I opened a new Bath and Body Works mailer and wistfully looked at the 20% off coupon enclosed. I've wised up; I know that what looks like a great coupon always means that I still walk out of there $40 lighter. Not really a good thing. I was excited to find this Pier One candle--still shrink-wrapped--for $1 at a garage sale Saturday.

I love beautiful things even more when they're thrifty finds, don't you?