Sprittibee

Photographic Homeschool Mama's Software Wishes

2009-11-20T10:09:00.001-06:00

Besides being a wife, mama, and homeschooler - I'm a photo nut. This should come as no surprise to those of you who have ever been here before.

Photo nuts heart Adobe. That's just a given fact. See? You aren't learning anything new yet. But you will... just wait...

The photo up above was altered in Lightroom by my friend Dawn. It looks like a pro photo, right? Well, at least I thought so. I may be a bit biased.

I emailed the picture to Dawn to see what she would do with it in Lightroom because I love playing with pictures. And I love seeing what other people create when they play with pictures. Just look at the difference...

Here's the SOOC (straight out of the camera):

Amazing, hu?

Software is expensive, though! Who can afford all the stuff that pro photographers use?! I wanted to give them a try though. So I did. After using trail versions of Photoshop and Lightroom, I'm now hooked. The only hurdle is the price.

That's why it is great that you can buy discounted software (and lots of other things) at Academic Superstore. I love them so much that I signed up to be an affiliate. I'm so thrilled to find a company with such great prices - and they are even local (Austin based)... aren't I lucky?

You only have to submit proof that you are homeschooling (such as a receipt for your homeschool curriculum you purchased) to get the awesome student/teacher discount they offer - up to 85% off on certain items in their store!

On my wish list are these items:

Photoshop CS4 ($298.95)
Lightroom ($98.95)
Windows 7 ($119.95)
Office Professional 2007 ($179.95)

You just can't beat those prices. Even if it takes me a long time to get them purchased (likely), at least they are doable one-at-a-time at 50-85% off. If you are pining away and planning to buy some upgraded software this Christmas (especially if you are a homeschool parent), be sure to check out Academic Superstore! Even better, click over and buy your stuff from here! You'll help me save up towards my Christmas wishes.

Quick Links:
Another Post where I used Pioneer Woman's Photoshop Actions
Admit it, You Came for the Pictures (and another)

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Learning Without School

2009-11-18T23:12:00.006-06:00

I'm avoiding the computer lately. Seems that every time I sit down there is another thirty things I have to add to my to-do list. My email box is stuffed to the gills, my paper in-box is overflowing, and my school stuff is heaped in a pile on the corner of my desk. Not to mention Mt. Laundry or the planning that needs to happen so that tomorrow won't be a dismal failure.

But then it hits me - like the spit up that hit me earlier today - unexpectedly... I AM GETTING THINGS DONE. Granted, maybe not everything (nowhere near everything), and maybe not even what I had planned to do... but we are accomplishing things. They are small milestones but they need celebrating.

For example... Here's a few things we DID accomplish today (even though they weren't on the assignment chart):

* The house smells like fall sweetness after we baked TWO Sweet-Potato-Pecan Coffee Cakes and a Sweet Potato Bliss (casserole) tonight. My daughter actually did a lot of the work with the help of my mom (who took turns entertaining the baby with me). We GREW the sweet potatoes in our yard, too. Dug them up just a few weeks ago.

There you have HOME EC and LIFESKILLS. Tomorrow night's dinner is in the bag - just add some green beans and a rotisserie chicken and we have a mock Thanksgiving treat a week early.

* My kids know how to use a computer. They have picked up some mean skills by watching mama. Tonight my son scanned a bunch of his artwork (his free-time project) so he could blog about them this week. I love it that he picked scanning art over video games. That's no small accomplishment for my X-Box fanatic.

There you have TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTER LIT. And I forgot to mention that my daughter looked my recipes up on my food blog while she was cooking tonight (easier than digging through the recipe cabinet and all those cookbooks).

* My refrigerator is cleaned out and my pantry, too - helps when you decide to tackle the mess during lunch hour so you can prepare for dinner. We also folded laundry - and managed to get Daddy to help. The kids picked up the house - some without even being told to help... and we organized the school boxes while looking for a Health book that was stuck in the wrong folder. Every time we've had a distraction we ended up using it to get things done... even though they weren't on the list.

There you have ORDERLINESS and DETERMINATION. So maybe they aren't academic subjects, but try to live a functional adult life without them and see what you get.

* The baby is alive and sleeping soundly. That means we took care of his non-sleeping little hiney all day - and kept him up in the evening so he would sleep through the night. After his 2 hour morning nap, he decided he didn't want to go to sleep again until around 6:30pm. I only let him cat-nap and he managed to fight sleep until around 10:30pm. I'll be surprised if he doesn't sleep through the night tonight. The little rat was a HUGE kink in our plans today. As cute as the bugger is, I'm beginning to think that he IS our extra curricular class this year (since the plans I had for doing Photography with the big kids aren't panning out for lack of time and energy).

There you have CHILD DEVELOPMENT and BABYSITTING. My husband and I both agree that the big kids will be superb parents by the time they 'graduate' homeschool.

* No, maybe we didn't check off our school list today... but what a blessing to be together and learn with each other. We read about horned lizards that squirt blood out of their eyes, found out that we didn't really need those two eggs that got left out of the doubled coffee cake recipe, and learned that meteor showers really are amazing (kids are in the back yard enjoying one while I write this).

There's READING, BIOLOGY, EXPERIMENTATION, and ASTRONOMY.

Not sure if you would say that we are 'unschooling', but whatever it is, I'm grasping for the positive and thankful that God is allowing it to grow me to be a better mother.

Enjoying my TEACHER TRAINING 101... even when things get hairy...

A Life Choice

2009-11-16T10:36:00.009-06:00

When I got contacted by PureFlix Entertainment to review their upcoming DVD "Sarah's Choice", I was more than willing to do so. We always are looking for quality films that our whole family can see - since there are so few of them being made by Hollywood these days. I offered to preview the movie if they wanted to send me a copy of it. It helped that the lead actress was Rebecca St. James (a Christian Music pop star that my daughter already loved).

Here's one of her songs here if you haven't heard of her and wanted to listen in:

On Sunday after dinner we settled down to a "family movie night", complete with popcorn and sweet tea. I wasn't really thinking about the subject matter of the movie. I didn't know it would be one of the hardest reviews I would write. Talk about a tear jerker.

"What's the movie about mama?" Asked my eldest (almost 13) as we pushed 'play'.

"It's about a girl who gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby," I said, not thinking about the struggles or emotions that might play through the story and how they would personally affect me.

We've had 'the talk' with my kids, so they understand a lot more that some kids their age - and got the advantage of hearing it from mom and dad (and not the public school locker room). I wasn't worried about them getting educated on the birds and bees since they already knew that babies didn't arrive by stork. However, when the topic of pregnancy comes up, you always want to be sure (as a mom) that the movie covers it in a positive and tactful light. This movie was very discreet and there weren't any scenes that a kid would not be able to see - even while covering such a delicate topic. I was impressed. Even the few kissing scenes in the movie were more 'loving' and emotional than physical. That's something you won't see in Hollywood since the death of the 'black-and-white' oldies. I can't recall a curse word or a moment when the actors didn't have on clothing during "Sarah's Choice", either. Two thumbs up!

The main thing that made this movie so awesome was that it tackled real issues - ones that matter to people today. It is about time that parents and churches start talking about unexpected pregnancy; after all, it isn't as if it doesn't happen. The statistics in America are staggering - and they do not respect religious lines. Just as many young girls brought up in a church environment end up with unexpected pregnancies as those who aren't. You can blame it on anything you want - the parents, the kids, the public school, the church... but the fact is that it happens. It hurts lives, it breaks hearts, and sometimes it kills innocent people - the children yet to be born.

I'm not sure why PureFlix contacted me in particular for this review. I wondered, through tears - as the movie moved my heart, if they had read the story about my teenage abortion... or my miscarriage. It seems that God had already been touching my heart on this issue all week leading up to this review. Just days before, I had read an article about the Catholic Church (Priests for Life) putting out a YouTube video about first trimester abortion (one I was unable to force myself to watch after having my own first-hand experience with it). On the Priests for Life website, I also saw a quick photo-video with a picture of a tiny baby's hand (you could almost see the fingernails and fingerprints on it) - one that made me think back to my own 'choice' and how it affected my child and my heart forever.

The question on the photograph was, "Everyone Against Abortion, Please Raise Your Hand!"; and there was this miniature, perfectly formed hand... missing it's tiny little body. It is a picture worth far more than a thousand words; one that can alter a world-view and change a million minds about the truth of what abortion really is.

With a subject matter that is so touching and controversial in our day and time, "Sarah's Choice" couldn't help but be an awesome family-devotional ice-breaker. A long discussion with our kids ensued after the movie was over. My husband and I both told them that we wished our parents had discussed things openly with us as kids so that we might not have made some of the life-choices we made growing up. There was a preacher that we listened to when we first became Christians in our young 20's that said, "Past sins limit your future possibilities." So true. You have to live with your choices, even if you are forgiven. I'm so glad that my kids can face the future knowing their parents' hearts on this issue - in case they are ever faced with making a life or death choice like I did. I pray that they would not follow in the path that broke my heart and destroyed a life.

In addition to the main character in the movie who has to decide what to do in the face of an unexpected pregnancy, the movie also portrays the grief of a woman who has to live with the memory of a past abortion. Often I have had moments of sadness looking in to the eyes of my precious three kids. I have hesitated when answering medical forms when the question is asked: 'How many children do you have?' Then the real kicker appears under it on the form: 'How many pregnancies have you had?' The doctors know. They know that so many of us have children we 'didn't claim'... lives and family lines cut short. No matter if we talk about it or not, you can't sweep it under the rug. The woman in "Sarah's Choice" who was dealing with her past loss had a lot in common with me. It is time that the movies finally caught up with this ugly and all-too-common reality.

I've never shared about how I feared that God would take my children from me once they were born. I had read the story about David's son dying because of his choice to kill a good friend and steal his wife. I slept with one hand on my eldest son's chest for months, assuming that God was going to steal his breath in the night to get me back. I knew I deserved it. My husband finally told me, "Heather, God has forgiven you. It isn't our son that deserved to die for what you did, it was YOU; and you are still here. You are forgiven. You need to let go and believe that He loves you and this baby." My broken heart began healing. When we lost a baby in 2007, I had a revisiting of my doubts. Maybe that was God finally settling the score, I thought. Of course, my husband helped me through those feelings - again. I know that God doesn't have a score card and isn't keeping tabs. Love keeps no record of wrongs and I've been forgiven for my sin. Yet the pain and regret of the past is a monster in your closet... even if you trust in God's mercy. It is much better to not have that cold, steel table... or those sounds, images and tears to remember. Life is much easier without remorse.

So to answer 'Who thinks this movie is worth watching?' I raise my hand, "Yes!" To answer if I'm against abortion? I raise my hand, "Yes!" I thank God for the 10 hands that live in my home... and I hope I get to one day hold the four that wait for me in heaven. I'm also thankful (all year long - not just in November) that God forgives us - even when it is hard to forgive ourselves ...even when the sin and 'choices' we made affected other lives and not just ours. I'm thankful that He goes on to heal us and bless us with amazing love and hope - even when none of us deserve it. What an awesome God - to create life, to give His up for us, to renew us (right HERE and NOW) and take us home to be with Him for eternity even when we were never worthy. He is the most wonderful Father. I'm so glad He's mine.

If you want to see this positive, family-friendly movie, you are in luck: it will be available on November 17th (tomorrow)! Get your copy where good Christian flicks are sold.

My Interview at Heart of the Matter

2009-11-13T21:52:00.001-06:00

Where did the name Sprittibee come from?

Sprittibee is actually a nickname and a last initial put together (and here you thought it was all about honey bee obsession!). When me and my hubby were dating back in the early 90’s, he called me Spritti and I called him Spooker. Sickening, I know. The “SP” was a language addition based on that REM song, “Losing My Religion,” where he said “It’s bigger than you… and you are not me.” He slurred his words and said “Spigger”, which was somehow REAL funny to us barely 20 year old, lovesick kids who were stuck in the car part of every day together as we both ran errands for the companies we worked for. That song was on the radio a LOT back then.

Spritti is really “pretty” (glad he thought I was – cuz I was head over heels and still am). I bet you can’t guess what Spooker was. It came from a the shell necklace that Kev bought in Galveston when he went down there to buy a Yaga t-shirt. The necklace was made of puka shells. Add your S and you’ve got the original version of his pathetically dorky nickname. Lucky for him, it didn’t stick quite as well as mine. I’m sure I haven’t called him that in over ten years.

Kids are retarded. Sadly, dumb nicknames STICK. I figure it doesn’t matter if you all know this sordid secret, though. You would be amazed at how many people ask. If I had given my “brand name” a little more thought when I started blogging (on accident through commenting on someone else’s blog), I probably would NEVER have used “Sprittibee” as a blog title. Believe me, I have regretted it many times–but after four years of blogging, I’m stuck with it. I do like bees, so it’s not all bad. I have quite a collection of bee knick knacks.

Can you share a little about your family with us?
We’re complete nerds. My husband is a computer geek and very handy with electrical and mechanical stuff. We’ve been married for over 16 years. It was love at first sight. We only dated 8 months and I was barely 20 when we landed in the JP. Amazingly, we still get butterflies for each other, so I’m pretty sure that God was behind the whole ordeal – even before we were on his bandwagon. We have 2 kids and one on the way. Our son is 12 and our daughter is 10. They are super kids and I suspect they will be more than helpful when the little Viking arrives in a few weeks. When we aren’t all working, we like to spend time together. I think homeschooling has created the most awesome bonds of love and friendship in our family. I’d rather be with my husband and kids than anyone on the planet.

Have I mentioned that my man is exquisitely handsome? That helps.

You blog at http://sbees.blogspot.com How has blogging been therapeutic for you?
Blogging is just part of who I am now. I wanted to be a writer when I was a kid, and yet I was too lazy or overwhelmed by large projects to ever spend the time necessary to get something done and turned in to a publisher. Being a party-chasing heathen didn’t help. I had binders full of poetry, short stories, beginnings of novels–and life tended to get in the way. After I met Kevin and we had our first child, I pretty much gave up passionate reading and writing. Being a wife and mother was much more pressing and rewarding.

I’ve always journaled and began scrapbooking after I had my kids, so blogging was a natural transition for me. Once I figured out what blogging really was and discovered its potential (and realized it would take too much of my precious time up), I became addicted.

It serves as a platform for sharing thoughts and ideas with other like-minded folk.
It provides a place to share and help to encourage other homeschool moms.
It gives me a place to create a digital scrapbook or portfolio for my homeschooling and our lives.
It offers a way to share updates with family who want to keep in touch.
It is a platform for whining, swollen, pregnant moms on bedrest.

What’s not to love about blogging?!

What’s your favorite self indulgence?
Blogging and chocolate are my favorite self indulgences. I consider the time I blog an indulgence since it doesn’t offer equal compensation. The friends I’ve made through blogging make it worth my while, the fun reviews and free products are a nice perk, but I’d love for someone to pay me a salary for all the work I put in to it! What blogger wouldn’t?

As for the chocolate (which is almost as important), I like Choxie dark chocolate truffles, Raspberry Dark Chocolate bars from Godiva, York Peppermint Patties, and Andes Mints. In that order.

Have you ever experienced “homeschooling” negativity?
Sure. We have plenty of naysayers in our family. I’ve always been somewhat of a rebel, though, so I’m used to the “black sheep” syndrome. I was an awful and sneaky child that stayed in trouble most of my younger years. Even to the point of tricking my mom to give me $75 for church camp and taking a bus to another town and go out all weekend – all night. My kids won’t ever get anything past me. My theory on naysayers is just to let it roll off my back like beads of water on a duck. As long as you have the support of your husband and you believe God has called you to the task, YOU GO MAMA! God will give you what you need to succeed and your children will be the proof that YOU were right in the long run.

Many of the people who didn’t agree with us homeschooling as the kids were younger are coming around, or at least acknowledging that the kids are different than public schooled kids (in a GOOD or BETTER) way. Even my husband (who was my biggest critic when I first wanted to homeschool) said just the other night to the kids, “I’m so glad you guys aren’t in public school.” Now that they are older, the proof is really there in the pudding! And since I’m a firm believer that character is more important than academics (who likes an intelligent JERK?), I’d say that that proof is more than worth dealing with any “negativity” that I’ve ever dealt with.

If you could have any curriculum on the market, what would it be?
Well, I drooled over Rosetta Stone for years and haven’t ever been able to afford it. I guess I’d take a few boxes if they offered a give-away or review! We are about to start Italian with another program soon, so I’m not as whiney about it any more. I’d also love Photoshop Design Premium CS3 or 4, but not just for school (although I would love to teach the kids digital art and photography skills, as both of them are interested in it–like mom). Those two programs are way out of my price range. I pretty much have what I need and borrow what I don’t from friends in local co-ops or the library as we go along. If I had my druthers, I’d have much more mad money for buying books that we fall in love with, though. Books are my homeschool desire when it comes to spending sprees.

You have a large blog following. Does this effect what you share at all?
I don’t spend as much time worrying over numbers of readers like I did when I first started blogging. I often forget about the site meter for long periods and I removed my blog from the ‘ecosphere’ because I’d rather worry about the content than my “status.” I realized over the years that you shouldn’t try to figure out what people want to read, you should just be yourself. If the traffic comes, then so be it. That doesn’t mean I don’t try to be part of the community and reach out to other bloggers, it just means I don’t obsess over my readership–or lack of it–but rather focus on being real, just like you would in real life!

I post pretty much whatever is on my mind – but I do consider how family members or friends might react to it before I blurt it out. I think I worry more about my family and friends who read my blog (the ones I know in person) than I do the general public. I’m sure there are other weirdos like me out there. I love reading other people’s blogs when they are candid and real… so I figure it will only run off the people who probably shouldn’t be reading, if I’m that way in my posts. Even when talking about fry-snatching, getting catheters at the hospital, and swapping snot on accident.

Could you share with us your homeschooling motto/theme/verse?
I believe what Clay and Sally Clarkson said in “Educating the Whole Hearted Child,” that homeschooling is “the right thing to do!” In their book they share so many amazing quotes and inspiring scriptures. It is hard to narrow it down to just one verse, motto, or theme.

I call our homeschool “Magnum Opus Academy” based on the book Charlotte’s Web. Magnum Opus, loosely translated from Latin in to our modern tongue is “life’s masterpiece.” Charlotte’s was her egg sack, containing the children she would share with the world after she was gone. You could also call that a legacy. Your children are your legacy. There’s nothing more important than educating them and passing on the faith in Christ that sustains you. One of my favorite verses (listed on my About Page at my blog) has the line “when Christ – who IS YOUR LIFE appears” in it. I firmly agree that He IS my life. Based on that, nothing else but a God-centered education would do for my children. Homeschooling is really the only way to achieve the type of family bonds that God desires, the worldview that God desires, and the purity of heart that God desires.

I absolutely adore my kids. I see how homeschooling (even though I am flawed and broken) has blessed their character every day. Therefore, I rejoice that in my weaknesses, God has done miracles. I am honored to be His tool.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” – 3 John 4

One day I hope to be able to say that long after I have finished my portion of the educational life experiences that my kids are to receive, that they will continue in the Truth. After all, any parent that loves their children would not sacrifice herself to make sure that they stayed alive. And eternal life is much more important than this temporal one.

How has homeschooling changed your life for the better?
Homeschooling is freedom. Freedom to think for yourself, to follow your bliss, to take advantage of quality time together as a family, to dig as deep as you want in to what ever interests you. Every day we spend with daddy when he is off work, every vacation we take, every field trip we go on, we are so very thankful for the fact that we are not strapped in to the rigid schedule (or watered-down curriculum) of the public school system. As much as we have moved, I can’t see how any other lifestyle would have worked for us. While we lived in Arkansas for two years my husband worked nights and weekends and got odd days off (sometimes not even consecutive days). If it weren’t for us homeschooling, they would hardly ever have seen their dad for two solid years.

Another blessing has been the PEOPLE we have met. Oh, I can’t even go in to this right now or this might become a novel. Suffice it to say that there are a ton of wonderful kid-loving, God-fearing, selfless and amazingly interesting and fun homeschool parents and kids out there. Friendships that will last far beyond graduation–that’s another blessing homeschooling has to offer.

Congratulations on your “future new addition.” Has pregnancy changed any of your homeschool routines?
Pregnancy has forced me to reconsider my perfectionism. It has really relaxed our style and given me the freedom to feel like God is in control (instead of me). What a blessing! The kids are thrilled with our more flexible and relaxed schedule. School and family life has been more enjoyable. Will our school schedule always stay like this? No. I’ve learned that change is still the only constant – even with homeschool curricula and schedules. However, it is a joy to go through the different seasons of your life, and we are trying to make the most of this one despite any difficulties it presents. Hopefully the infancy and toddler years will be the same–more growing, learning, adapting and bonding together.

Interview by:

Nikowa is a 2nd year homeschooling mom to two boys. With her “learning never ends” philosophy, they have an eclectic year-round approach to learning. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys photography, organizing, cooking, and reading. She is a #1 LOST fan and watches UGA football too! (Go Dawgs!) You can visit Nikowa at Knowledge House Academy.

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful People

2009-11-11T00:01:00.000-06:00

Beautiful on the inside and out. I adore these folks (and their dashing daddy - not pictured). Lucky for me, I got to do a quick photo-shoot of them in their 'natural habitat'.

I wanted to take the little ones home with me. Cuter kids are hard to find.

Voting Has Begun at the Homeschool Blog Awards!

2009-11-10T10:52:00.003-06:00

The silence over here has been a very, very busy one. I'm not neglecting you by my own free will, you know. I just have a mountain of work during the Homeschool Blog Awards. Now that polls are up and voting has begun (oh, yes - you better hurry on over there! Click the voting button!), I'll be trying to reclaim my life.

Remember that to-do list that has been glaring at you for the past few days when you clicked over here? I'm going to try and get some of it checked off. And more importantly, I'm going to try and get caught up with school, paperwork, bills, and time with family. They feel as neglected as you do. Trust me.

The To-Do List Failure Continues...

2009-11-05T22:12:00.006-06:00

You know me by now. I make long lists. I beat myself up over them. But I just can't let go of the urge to list-it-all-up. And writing things down on here for the world to see makes me feel guilty when I'm not working hard to get it checked off; even though you, and your busy self could probably care less what I have to get done around here in the Land Of All Chaos.

So without further ado, here is the WAY belated update on my annual to-do list since I haven't had an update for July, August, September, or October. I know I did a LOT of something in those months. It all just seems to be running together these days. It is downright impossible that it was nearly 8 months ago (in 12 days) that the Viking was born. Talk about throwing a bull in a china cabinet. Er, well, maybe we weren't as neat and orderly as a china cabinet to begin with... but we did have some semblance of a routine.

Not so much now.

With baby, my life resembles less of a china cabinet and more of my Tupperware cabinet. It's not pretty. There are functional things in there, but no one can find them. And if you find a part of one, there's a 98% chance that the other part is buried and won't appear until the day AFTER you need it. This is my homeschool and household, people. I'm beginning to get used to it. Wake me from my delusional state of shock when the baby is in Kindergarten.

Until then, I'll just keep beating myself up over the un-done lists...

Here’s what I got done in July, August, September and October (remember, I need to get 12 things done each month to finish by Dec. '09 - of which I really have no hope at this point):

13. took more photos of baby's feet
28. start every day with the Lord (been making real progress here)
37. organized the bookshelves (again)
38. organized the school supply closet (again - looks really good right now!)
49. highlighted my hair
75. buy another must-have book for our homeschool library (YAY! Got my poetry book I've been wanting for years!)
78. lots of give-aways on my blog and a new Blog-Hop Giveaway at the Homeschool Post
93. made progress in cleaning email boxes out (ongoing torture)
113. decluttered (major paper pile overhaul near my desk and my file cabinets)
115. put past school papers in binders (working on this now)
117. Morgan has made cookies, brownies, and enchiladas by herself... Kaden is trying to get me to put down cheese toast, bacon and tomato soup - but those don't count. Sorry, dude.
118. While I didn't freeze it, I did cook all of the sweet potatoes from our garden last night so we can make sweet potato casserole and coffee cake - that's cooking ahead, right?
136. adopted a new book case from a friend, moved book case to my room, reorganized books (now I just need a reading lamp since I doubt I'll move the 'rocker' out of my room)
140. work some on indexing blog (finished tags and now I have to go in and do the images & formatting on older posts)
145. make a mock Thanksgiving meal (doing that again this weekend for our small group - but this time I only have to make stuffing)
152. cleaned off my desk again (and again) - you saw it yesterday, right? My next post will hopefully be an AFTER shot! I hate a messy desk. It makes me feel like a slob.

Not numbered:
started school for the year
back to school breakfast
attended another homeschool convention and a blogging conference
planned history and science co-ops for the year
continue working on my prayer project: Power of a Praying Wife
re-planned virtual history co-op
took Kohen to see his first movie, "Up", at the theater
got a high chair and introduced solids
met my nephew for the first time (born in May)
attended a World Bible School fund raiser
babysat my cousins' kiddos for the weekend
hugged Marshie
learned how to recover lost photos on a corrupt memory stick
helped the kids participate in the science fair
organized the Homeschool Swap
visited with a friend from out of state
had my sister-in-law and niece over to spend the night
took my kids bowling
took the hubby and kids to play practice and watched their VBS play
took the kids to the zoo, the park, and across the United States to North Carolina
toured the Biltmore Estate and North Carolina Arboretum
spent the night with a dear friend in Arkansas
went on a women's retreat
Did PR and admin work for the Homeschool Blog Awards that are ongoing now
met another blogger on my list of "must meet" blog friends (I heart my invisible buddies and my IRL ones.)
learned to shoot at the gun range
more purging of clothes from closets and drawers - a work in progress...

Good for me. I'm going to pat myself on the back by hiring a maid to come deep clean my house. Can I afford it? NO. Am I going to do it anyway? YES. I'm starting the holidays off with some peace of mind. Even if I have to panhandle to get there. Anyone want to donate 5$ towards my sanity? Please see the Tip Jar on my sidebar. Your spare change is appreciated. If I don't use it to pay for the maid, it will go towards paying for the service call from GE as they come out to fix my broken washing machine. A month's worth of wringing out every. stinkin'. item. of. clothing. is ENOUGH to make a woman go mad.

My second reward will be home-baked nutty chocolate chip cookies; made with love by my daughter, Morgan. She promised them to me tonight. I'm counting the minutes. Chocolate goes a long way towards helping start your weekend off right. I'm just sayin'.

Below are my plans for November (some of these may be carried over from above if they aren't done yet):

7. work more on organizing kids' closets and rooms/toys-storage, etc.
8. eat at the Melting Pot
10. read with the kids
15. completely caught up with grading, paperwork, portfolios
18. more organizing of filing cabinets and handles replaced
19. for heaven's sake, write down and type up Ammie's recipes! I keep doing this half way and forgetting to finish!
20. start a postcard project
21. earn some money selling used books/curriculum (maybe that would help me pay for the maid)
23. find good homeschool groove (in my dreams)
25. blog about a procrastination project that I complete (does this post count?)
27. work on bedtimes/getting up earlier (this is hard with baby in the house!)
28. start every day with the Lord (ongoing)
32. birth announcements (HA! More like early Christmas letters)
33. finish reading camera manual
45. work on eating less sweets! (with the holidays coming? Don't think so.)
47. get school schedule written down and re-vamped
48. standardized tests
53. read homeschool books for mom (ongoing)
58. have a homeschool planning day
60. family and baby portraits
65. keeping regular menus and eating at home more
69. use video camera more, learn how to use it for blogging - hoping to get a Flip
78. do a give away on my blog (again)
79. post recipes on my food blog (check the link on the right!)
82. school first - housework second (which explains the need for a maid)
84. nature journals
85. start family devo and reading time
86. start reading book with hubby about marriage
94. Make annual letter for '08 and '09, print next year's calendar pages out
97. have someone over for dinner
102. measure/weigh kids (put the info in their school books)
107. read TO kids every school day
112. make dolmas
113. declutter somewhere
114. help the kids blog
117. set up a meal for each kid to cook without help for Nov/Dec
118. cook and freeze meals
130. get rid of old xbox (sell)
133. kid's book list
136. get a lamp for the bedroom
140. work on blog (old post formatting & replacing photo/graphics)
150. finish baby's mural (paint the stupid. owl. already.) and put the crib up
152. clean off my desk again (because I'm sure it will pile up like the laundry!)

Not numbered:
more thank you cards sent out
finish prayer project: Power of a Praying Wife
take lots of pictures
get school binder organized
finish tweaking goals, lesson plans and assignments in to Tracker
continue Photoshop and photo lessons for me and kids

I can admit it. The list won't get finished this year. I'm OK with it. I'm just going to "do the next thing". Even if it involves poop or spit up. I'm no quitter.

How are you doing on your list for 2009?

Quick Links
2009 LIST
Monthly BREAKDOWN of goals for January
Progress report for January
Progress report for February
March and April Goals
May, June... and the To-Do List Saga

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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Fuzzy

2009-11-04T00:10:00.001-06:00

Orange bulbine makes me happy. It's the little things, you know.

It makes the bees happy, too. I like to see them happy.

Feeling Understood

2009-11-02T13:46:00.001-06:00

Being a blogger allows me to do more than daipers, give more than grades on homeschooled papers, and bless not only myself, but others. Sharing your life online, however, is a strange experience. You sometimes have no idea where your words will end up... or who's heart you'll be touching.

That's why I light up with joy when I read another homeschool blogging mom's posts and see a tiny part of myself in her life.

Enter Ann.

Quiet, humble, honest, genuine, Ann. Her busy farm life, so interesting... her love for Jesus, her husband and children radiating off of every line she writes. I am not sure I ever thought we had anything in common - other than freckles and possibly some Irish blood somewhere. But I couldn't stop reading...

... and that was many years ago! I'm still captivated every time I look at her pictures and read her posts. Just like it was the first time I set eyes on her blog.

The other day, when I was feeling exceptionally weak, I asked her to pray for me while we were 'chatting' through email. She shared that her days were not perfect. It was the first time I had imagined her 'like' me. When I see me, I see all the faults. I imagined all her cozy devotionals and home made muffins... beautiful farm picnics and home cooked goodness... and contrasted it against my messy desk, fast food meals, piles of laundry, and feelings of failure as a mom and teacher.

She took the time to share with me on email that she was REAL. She took the time to pray - and even emailed me later to say that she had thought of me a few times that day in the middle of her busy life. She had her moments that day, too.

Then she posted today (see the link below)... reading about her 'pumpkin guts' and 'dark skies', my eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, I wasn't the only one with this burden. I was on the porch across from a vast Canadian field of grain, watching the cold wind and looming clouds... right there with someone who completely understood what a difficult task it is raising kids, homeschooling them, striving to be someone that I'm really NOT inside my sinful nature. Christianity is not for the faint of heart. Seeking God is sometimes a dirty business. It is so good to know you aren't alone.

We shared faults just like freckles. We shared struggles just like we shared the love of a savior who helps us find peace so we aren't overcome by them. We even shared a tiny glass milk bottle - "someone else's trash" - that we both find beautiful.

I got chills after I read her post and had to share these thoughts with her... and with you. You never know who you are touching when you share your life. Make sure you are real. Even your faults and struggles can give someone hope. It's a beautiful thing being understood.

In Him,

Texas Constitutional Amendments on the Ballot for Nov 3

2009-11-01T15:01:00.006-06:00

Here's your token political post for the 'semester'. You all know by now that I get on a political soap box every six months or so when something crosses my radar. Other than that, I like to live and let live - and feel that our government should do the same. As long as we aren't breaking the laws, they should leave us all alone and go after those who are... instead of coming up with new laws and taxes to suck the life out of everyone who's just trying to survive and thrive in this great land. The less government there is, the better.

If you 'ain't a Texan, you might wanna just mosey on along.

This post is for the November 3rd ballot here in the Lone Star State. Here below is how the Bee will vote after reading a few voter guides (and the non-legalese reasons as to why). I don't much like all that legal-term mumbo-jumbo. If you want to get it done, just put it in plain English and let's talk it over like good cowgirls and cowboys should. No need to two-step a circle around it unless there's a "snake in your boot".

PROP 1 - NO (we don't need any new property taxes in the midst of a recession)

PROP 2 - YES (we should tax homes on current use - not future projected values)

PROP 3 - NO (we don't want to give up local control to state-level)

PROP 4 - NO - (the amendment needs more provision/assessments for later reviews)

PROP 5 - NO (outsiders don't know the property well enough to judge)

PROP 6 - NO (elected officials need to be held accountable)

PROP 7 - YES (Texas State Guard deserves same rights as National Guard)

PROP 8 - NO (We don't need more govt. red tape/constitutional amendments so that state can work with the government to provide better care for veterans)

PROP 9 - NO (the amendment needs wording to protect property owners that had private structures along the coastline prior to hurricane Ike)

PROP 10 - NO (if district boards can levy taxes, they should serve only 2 year terms so we as taxpayers can hold them more accountable)

PROP 11 - YES (eminent domain land seizure is serious and property owners should get all the protection our constitution can afford)

My cheat sheet? "No on everything except 2, 7, and 11"

Want to know where to go to vote? Check out the Texas Secretary of State's website. Hopefully you are already registered from the past presidential election... and hopefully if you voted for the current federal administration, you are regretting it severely. Ha! Thought I would throw that in while free speech is still legal.

My motto: If it 'ain't broke, don't fix it. Texas is in good shape compared to a lot of states - and our constitution seems to be working as well as it can with the current level of Federal interference.

I love living in the land of the 'freer than up there' (even if our property taxes are way too high). And as much as I whine about not getting to wear my sweaters, boots and fur coat long enough each winter... I'm more than glad to let the icy and snowy states keep all that slush for our vacation time. I'd go crazy if I were cooped up in the house for too long. Snow is a Christmas card and once-every-other-few-years treat... and it can stay that way. Although, I might be whistling a different tune come next August.

October Give-Away Winners!

2009-10-31T22:16:00.004-05:00

I know you have been losing sleep over my give-away posts. Biting your nails. Wondering if it was YOU who was the winner of such wonderful prizes. Well, now you can rest easy. And a few of you can jump up and down in excitement.

The winner of the Organic Cookbook Giveaway is:

Robin at Heart of Wisdom

The winner of the Pirate's Booty Giveaway is:

Jen at the Happy Little Homemaker

The winner of the Smart Girl's Guide to Twitter E-Book Giveaway is:

Penney Douglas of A Penney With Some Sense

And the red dress goes to.... Martha Rogers.

Just email me your addresses and I'll get you in touch with your AWESOME stuff!

Thanks so much for participating. Hope you have a safe and fun weekend.

Embracing Imperfection

2009-10-29T22:46:00.008-05:00

Let's face it. Life isn't always rosy when you are raising kids. There's grime in the bathtub. Crispy grated cheese left under the lunch table. Cat hair on your favorite black jacket. Stinky diapers that need to go out. Piles and piles and piles and piles of paperwork and projects to attend to.

And someone ate mom's last Special Dark chocolate bar. {I kid you not.}

That someone is most likely pictured in the image below... holding a baby.

Inside every mother there's a hope that her children will be better than she is. We want them to have more, get all the breaks, find joy and live out their dreams. We want them to soar. We picture them as geniuses. Gifted. Spiritual giants. I guess that's why it is so surprising to us when we encounter less than perfect moments in the daily grind of life. While we are busy daydreaming about 'all green lights and rights'; the toast burns, the laundry gets moldy because someone forgot to turn the dryer on, and the day's hopes vanish in the horror of a two hour math page melt-down.

Things get gritty. Let's not mince words here.

But there is beauty in imperfection. The trick is to realize that it's all about the relationships.

As my friend, Ann, would say, "Love is what matters." I think she got that from Jesus.

I said trick because it isn't easy.

Did you hear me???

One more time:

IT ISN'T EASY to see the beauty in 'unperfect' moments.

{Yes, I know 'unperfect' isn't a word.}

Or in my case, unperfect days. Heck, I'll be honest. Unperfect school years. Multiple ones. In succession.

Today was one of those days. I actually threw a fit (and I might have actually thrown a few dirty clothes and toys in the general direction of some un-named children's rooms - but I'm not admitting that online or anything). Now that's a stellar example of Christ-like parenting, no?

Would you believe I could be frustrated with those gorgeous kids while I was trying to take a picture the other day? They were just trying to have fun and make me laugh. "COME ON, Kaden. Stop it! Just smile for Pete's Sake! Quit ruining the picture." Grumble. Grumble. Frown.

I sit here now - days later, looking at that picture (my lost moment), and all I can do is smile and laugh (when it doesn't count any more) - and realize that unperfect pictures - like our unperfect lives - are beautiful.

I implore you (and me) to embrace your imperfect kids and lives. They're the only ones you get.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ~ Ephesians 4:2

Dear Jesus,

Please let us smile even when circumstances don't warrant it. Give us arms that hug, eyes that sparkle, voices that pray and sing, words that offer wisdom and comfort.

Amen.

One Red Dress

2009-10-28T12:46:00.002-05:00

My grandma wore a red dress when she was in school. She only had one dress and it was during the Great Depression. When she got teased about the fact that she wore it over and over, her brother lied at school, sticking up for her and said that she had FIVE red dresses that all looked the same.

I couldn't help but think of Mawmaw and her red dress when I agreed to 'review' this saucy Shabby Apple smock. I don't know what the one that my grandma wore looked like, but I sure loved the way this one looked on the model at the Shabby Apple website.

Sultry. Sixteen at best. Skinny. All things I am not at the moment.

Models make everything look great. Being in the midst of a recession myself, a free red dress to review sounded like a win/win situation. Free dress, something to wear to church, great review for Shabby Apple, and everyone's happy (mostly all the people having to look at my same two dresses over and over)... right? Well, I hoped it would turn out that way.

I failed to recall the fact that I am notorious for buying clothes that look GREAT on the hanger and not so wonderful on me. It isn't that this dress wasn't gorgeous or well-made. The style is hip, the bow is precious, the color is one of my favorites... but it just wasn't ME once I got it on. Those tell-tale words were the first to pop out: "Does this make me look fat?" Even my husband (who is very tactfully honest) said, "Man, Heather - that dress really makes you look top-heavy". Not something a nursing mama with a few extra pounds to lose needs to hear - but at least I know it wasn't just me that felt like the match (between me and the shiny new dress) wasn't made in heaven.

I fell in love with the Shabby Apple website after they contacted me. Seems they have a lot more to offer in beautiful clothing and accessories than just this one red dress. There are some classy outfits there (you can check them out by clicking their name in this post - I'm sure they would be thrilled). I wish I could exchange this red dress for one of these beauties below (which would probably hide a few more real and imagined flaws better than the one they sent):

I love a dress or skirt that I can hide in and wear tall boots with! Neutral colors and black are my favorites (along with fall colors). I look horrible in high heels, so casual, bohemian or long works best with me. Broomstick skirts are one of my favorite clothing items ever.

Even though it wasn't a match for me, I was impressed with the hand-sewn look and quality craftsmanship of the red dress. There are times when high heels are warranted; and some who don't shudder at the thought of wearing them (while carrying a 22lb infant around on your hip). I got a lot of compliments wearing the red dress (people noticed that there was a change in my wardrobe when dress #1 or dress #2 didn't show up at church). I have to admit that even if I felt frumpy, I know the dress made my frumpy a lot prettier. However... being a nursing mom, a picky clothes-picker, and a tad over-weight from this past pregnancy, I felt a little 'poofier' and more 'on display' than I would have preferred in it. I like to be behind the camera, so posing for the pictures was difficult. I still like to look nice even if I'm not having photos made, so it was nice to get compliments about how red was "my color".

I am my own worst critic... so I probably will not be wearing it again. You can likely identify with the reasons why. I'm sure that there's something in your closet that you THOUGHT was going to look great - but every time you put it on, you just don't feel like a movie-star in it? Well, that's how I felt in this dress. Such a sad 'free-dress' shame.

I'd gladly pass along this beautiful dress that I wore only once to someone who thinks they would shine in it. Do you know someone who wants a gently used amazingly cool Shabby Apple dress that just didn't look good on ME? I'm saving up so I can get a dress that hides all my real and imagined flaws better. I know that times are tight right now for a lot of folks, so I just want to share the love (and swag) with those who might not be able to afford a pretty church outfit themselves. I'd much rather someone be glowing in this dress than it collect dust in my closet.

Shoot me an email and stumble this post if you have a match in mind for my pretty red dress... and I'll pick someone who needs it and pass the red dress to someone who can truly appreciate it.

Home Made Grocery Cart Cover

2009-10-25T18:12:00.006-05:00

My aunt can sew. I have always wanted to learn how to sew, but somehow it hasn't happened yet. I'm a little busy, you know. As much as I love home made things, I have to wait until they are given to me to get them; because I have no time to make them or money to buy them. Thankfully we have some talent in the family... and I lucked out that my aunt sent me a little something in the mail this past week for baby K.

I knew I had to share her cute little grocery cart cover: just look at that grinning baby face below. He loved his first ride in the Wal-Mart shopping cart today. In the past day he's gotten to ride in the stroller (without the infant car seat) facing forward, and ride in the grocery cart! What a big boy he is! Literally. The kid's feet are now hanging over the edge of the infant car seat and I think he has exceeded its weight limit. He's going to have a lot of fun being more 'in the action' riding along with our busy family where he can see the world.

Thanks to my aunt, we can leave the heavy carrier behind and just bring the Viking along with his diaper bag. She also included little pockets on the inside that can hold a passy, bottle, or cell phone (but my cell phone would be eaten if it were that close to baby's chubby's fingers). The only things that would make it better would be more padding (in case baby tumbled and bumped his head on the rail by leaning too far to one side) and maybe a loop hole on one of the pockets so that we could attach a pacifier CLIP to prevent the passy from falling on the grimy grocery store floor. Hey - she might even put her own little velcrow strip in there with a loop on the end of it so that it can stop other toys or sippy cups from falling to the floor, too!

Another reason I wanted to tell you about these cool cart covers is that she's making them for sale. I even talked her in to donating one for the Homeschool Blog Awards. For reals!

I hope Aunt Nee does good with her sewing business. What a nice skill to have. She wants me to set her up a blog so she can share all her goodies with you wonderful people. Hopefully the basics of blogging won't be too hard for her, because it would be a shame if she wasn't able to showcase all her soft creations with the world. Her sewing has blessed many a baby in our family.

Thanks again, Aunt Nee - for the neat hand made gift. I already feel better about taking my 'calipitter' to the grocery store since he won't be touching all those scary flu germs on the cart handle. I know we'll get a lot of use out of it!

Laundry Piles and Smiles

2009-10-24T21:54:00.002-05:00

We are still wringing out our laundry because the washing machine won't spin. If there's one thing that I didn't need, it was a broken washing machine. Our schedule is maxed out and my wrists are feeling a lot older these days with aches and pains. Can you get arthritis in your 30's? I hope not.

Wringing out the laundry is NO fun. I feel for the pioneers. Thankfully my big kids are great helpers.

Of course, the laundry at our house stays piled up in one state or another - even when the washer isn't broken. There's usually a clean pile - on mama's bed - and a few dirty sorted piles in the hall in front of the kids' bathroom. I hate it when there is laundry on the floor, but you can only do so much, right? In a perfect world, or even just in the future when I get my act together, I'll have dirty-clothes sorting bins and a nice laundry room with places to fold, sort and hang clothes that need to go back to the kids' rooms. My big pet peeve is keeping the floor uncluttered and laundry is always keeping me from reaching that 'chore utopia' I long for.

I'm convinced that you only truly have a clean house if you 1. don't homeschool, 2. don't have kids, 3. don't have pets, 4. don't have a baby in the house, and 5. hire a maid once a week. Yet I still keep trying to keep the house clean regardless. I guess you would call that insanity.

I love what Alli Worthington says - "We can't both look good. It's me or the house." In my house I would say it's either SCHOOL or housework. They just can't ever seem to both get done on the same day without major meltdowns.

Baby, while adding another ten loads a week to our laundry pile, has shown us that laundry is a lot more fun than it looks. So what if jumping and sitting on the laundry makes us all look wrinkled and frumpy. How can you resist that grin? Now that 'baby bee' is crawling, he loves to scale the laundry pile and laughs when he looses his balance and rolls off of it.

Even though baby is a lot more work, he brings a smile to our faces. And smiles are a good thing during chore time.

Power Source: What Are You Plugging In To?

2009-10-21T00:44:00.004-05:00

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

~ Isaiah 40:31

At the blogger conference I attended a few weeks ago there was no shortage of technology. Glowing laptop screens, blinking iPhones, and lit-up faces with shining eyes that stared down at their Tweetdeck to catch every word passing by. Someone said that it sounded like "gentle rain" (the clicking of fingers on keyboards while the sessions were in progress). Even while a speaker was delivering a message, everyone was tuned in to their twitter and reading what other attendees had to say about it. Cords littered the floor to trip you in case you weren't paying attention to where you walked. Everywhere, people were plugged in.

Technology and cords are great. Being busy is great. We have to have cords. We need the energy to run the laptop... to charge the iPhone... to keep things in motion. But motion needs DIRECTION... and PURPOSE... or it's just wasted energy.

I can't help but think of my source of encouragement and energy when I look at this power stick. I know that when my only power source is the electric company - or my own pigheaded determination to "GET IT DONE", I'm going to fail miserably with everything I put my hand to that day. It happens more than I would like to admit.

I need a real re-charge. I need the Word. I need to pray and meditate on God's purposes, plans, promises, and the wonders He has blessed me with. I need Son-light. God provides super-natural energy... the kind that won't let me run down.

What are you plugging in to today? Check your power source.

Wondering Where I Am?

2009-10-19T16:20:00.003-05:00

I've been absorbed by the Homeschool Blog Awards. But don't worry. I'll be back to a regular posting schedule soon. I was busy getting posts up over at the Homeschool Post all weekend.

In case you missed the memo:

The Homeschool Post's Give-Away Blog Hop is going on right now! Don't miss all the chances to win groovy stuff.

Letter W has been posted in the Homeschool Post's A B See Photomeme. Go add your alpha-photos to the linky! You don't have to post a V - you can pick any letter you like and showcase it there so we can click over to visit your blog.

The Homeschool Blog Awards have begun! Get your graphic and go fill out the nomination forms at the Post now! If you are still wrestling with who to nominate, don't worry - you have until the 30th to decide.

I'll be back after I get back in to my own winning homeschool groove in our little bee hive. We have suitcases left to unpack, housekeeping to do, and our washing machine is still on the fritz... plus a homeschool virtual history co-op to organize! That leaves little time for blogging.

Your Daily Dose of Cute

2009-10-16T23:39:00.003-05:00

The Beatles say "all you need is love".

I beg to differ.

It never hurts to have a daily dose of cute to go along with the love.

'Twitter Like a Rockstar' Give-Away

2009-10-15T23:59:00.004-05:00

Because I'm a #namedropper, I am bringing you this wonderful e-book about Twitter by Allison Worthington Media: The Smart Girl's Guide to Twitter. Yes, that's THE Alli Worthington that I had my picture taken with at Type-A Mom; the very one that runs BlissfullyDomestic.com and the Blissdom Conference. When I say THE, I laugh at the fact that she would giggle and shake her head at me for saying it. Maybe even give me the 'crazy Alli eyes' in shock. No matter how hot-to-trot Allison Worthington may seem in her fancy green dress, she's also the most down-to-earth person you'll ever meet; and honest to a fault.

She's real, y'all. And real - in blog world and in books (even e-books) - SELLS.

That's why I was so thrilled when she told me I could give away a copy of her e-book. Not just because I get to namedrop or to get traffic from people interested in getting a copy of her book... but because I WANTED TO READ IT MYSELF! And so she gave me my very own personal copy (there's your stinkin' disclaimer, FTC). Too bad she can't autograph it. That's only one thing about e-books that bums me out - I'll be honest. I am not really an e-book gal. I love a good smelling book in my hands. I'll have to print this one out eventually, because it HAS to go on my bookshelf. Somehow.

I wasn't surprised that Alli can write. I mean, duh, right? She is a fab blogger. And I was amazed that even though I thought I knew all there was to know, I learned something about tweeting! [Proceed to check-out and purchase her book if you don't know what 'tweeting' means. Do not pass go, and for the love of PETE, please don't wait a second longer!] I've been using Twitter for... like... EVER in blog years... and I'm a pretty active tweeter. I thought I knew my way around.

But NOT like Alli! She knows her tweetiebird, baby. Alli has it goin' on! If she doesn't be careful, her blogging will suffer. But I don't have to tell her that.

Just listen to the topics in this book (and let them go right on over your head - cuz you should just admit it now that you NEED to read this book... ):

Getting Started (basic twitter stuff for newbies)

Setting up Twitter (helping you 'get your twitter groove on')

Mechanics (@mentions, direct messages, ReTweets, #Hashtags, spotting spammers, building your network, being followable, what not to do, etc.)

Action Plan (staying power - getting good at your tweetness)

Tweet Magic (Taking it to the Next Level - where she discusses and compares applications that make your tweeting RAWK!)

Cool things You Can Do with Twitter (COOOOL!)

Twitter for your Business (awesome tips and instructions - gotta have'em)

Twitter TOOLS (connecting accounts to facebook/blog, etc)

Answered Questions (yeah - someone else is asking, so you don't look dumb!)

And there are graphics, yo! LOOKEY-HERE DUMMY graphics for those of us who are visual learners (you know who you are - QUIT SKIMMING THE BOOK and READ IT!). It's almost like she's sitting there over your shoulder teaching you in your living room on your own PC screen. Kinda spooky.

If free virtual tutoring lessons isn't enough, she's donating 10% of her proceeds to Compassion International: one of my favorite charities. When I do a search on Goodsearch.com, I donate to them, too.

So, win this sweet Tweet of an e-book and do what Alli says:

"Kick up your heels, grab a cup of coffee, and join me as I show you how to use Twitter like a rock star."

Get Alli's book and start using Twitter BETTER. Form relationships and bless the online world with YOU. You can do it. It isn't hard. Twitter is nothing to be afraid of. Alli explains it like your best friend would. And she promises if you read till the end of her book that you'll know more about Twitter than 90% of the people that use it (even tho she admits she just made that statistic up - I told you she was honest!). And she'll give you a cute little #SGC (Smart Girl Community) badge for being smart by LEARNING SOMETHING NEW about your online world.

Yeah. I know. You want this e-book.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

NOTE: Each of these counts as one entry and must be listed in a separate comment! You may enter once for each item (except the tweets - you can tweet once per day).

Mandatory:

For those who use Twitter already: Tell me your favorite tweet. I want it in quotes! Share your 140 characters of tweety goodness with me.

For those who don't use Twitter: Share your favorite blog post by Alli

For those of you who don't Twitter and have no idea who Alli is: Go check out her blog and tell me if you like it.

Extra:

* Tweet about this post - @Sprittibee is giving away a copy of @alliworthington 's e-book: Smart Girl's Guide to Twitter - come enter here: http://bit.ly/1eMDuL #SGC

* Join my Google Friends

* Stumble this post (or use another bookmarking site of your preference)

* Follow my blog on a reader or by email

Entry comments must be dated on or before October 29th, 2009. The winner will be chosen at random on October 30th. All winners will be announced on October 31st.

This contest is one of the 4, 5 or 6 give-aways I'll be having this week. Don't miss them! I'll be linking them all at The Homeschool Post's Give-Away Blog Hop. Be sure to visit the Blog-Give-Away Linkup over there to catch all the groovy Give-Aways that are going on in the homeschool community online.

Do your friends tweet? Well that's cool. Rock out!

Quick Links
Win an Organic Cookbook
Pirate's Booty Treasure Chest Give-Away
Don't Miss the Homeschool Blog Awards!

Arrrr... A Give-Away Fit for a Pirate

2009-10-14T11:06:00.005-05:00

Ahoy there! I told you all yesterday that I needed a blog T-shirt that says "I blog for food", right? Now you know it's true. Today, you get a chance to actually win the snacks! Pirate's Booty snacks, that is.

On the surface, they look like chips - but they have a whole lot going for them:

* baked: made from air-puffed rice and corn
* unrefined: rice and corn bran still contain germ and endosperm (vitamins!)
* no trans-fats
* no gluten (grains kept in dedicated silos that contain no wheat)
* no preservatives
* no artificial sweeteners
* Kosher
* light: no more than 140 calories per single-serving bag
* Original Tings and Veggie flavored Pirate's Booty are Vegan friendly
* made in a nut-free facility

They say Pirate's booty is so good for you that it only has a six month shelf-life... but after tasting them, I highly doubt anyone has made it that long to test the theory. They are really tasty. They sent us a groovy paper pirate box full of snacky treasures - a sample of each piraty flavor - and a pen with their logo. After the snacks disappeared in a few days, my son confiscated the treasure chest and filled it with all his fake gold pieces and money and it sits at the bottom of his closet shelf. I dare you to try and take it from him!

Our favorites were the Aged White Cheddar Pirate's Booty, the Original Tings (which taste like a Cheetos without all that nasty dye and fake flavoring), and the Smart Puffs with Real Wisconsin Cheddar. These crunchy snacks reminded me of a story about a raccoon that my sister-in-law met on a camping trip one time. Even raccoons know that humans eat trash... because he got a hold of my sister-in-law's bag of Cheetos and rubbed the flavoring off before he would eat them! Took them in his wittle paws and scrubbed the orange stuff off so he could just munch on the puffed corn underneath it. I bet that little critter would have loved him some Pirate's Booty, too.

Pirate's Booty is pretty hip as a company as well. Above is their iPhone wallpaper (they have other sizes, too) - great for "Talk Like a Pirate Day". They even have a piratey blog and a piratey facebook page!

Here's some advice from their food "Booty Blog":

* Don't be a Son of a Biscuit Eater: Trade in the white bread for slices of a whole-grain or a whole wheat wrap instead.

* Cut the Sugar, Scallywag – Avoid over sugary snacks and cakes and your child will surely avoid the inevitable energy crash and possible weight gain.

* Avast ye the Salt – Super salty snacks can dehydrate a youngling, so watch the sodium intake.

* Don’t Drop the Snack Anchor – Noshing on snacks that are low in sugar and fat will keep a child’s energy up for that big test in between breakfast and lunch.
Wallpaper designs

Would you like a treasure chest full of snacky goodness and a Pirate's Booty pen of your own? Do you have some young'ns that are in need of something crunchy to munch on that won't rot their gut and make them sea sick? Well, Pirate's Booty can be yours soon... if you just follow these simple rules, mateys:

NOTE: Each of these counts as one entry and must be listed in a separate comment! Aye, you may enter once for each item (except the tweets - you can tweet once per day).

Mandatory:

* Fan Pirate's Booty on Facebook

* Go check out the Pirate's Booty Website and see where you can purchase them that's close to where you live

Extra:

* Tweet about this post - Arrrr... come win a treasure chest of #piratesbooty snacks from @sprittibee : http://bit.ly/2jn69Y Please RT!

* Join my Google Friends Crew, Matey!

* Stumble this post (or use another bookmarking site of your preference)

* Follow my blog on a reader or by email

Entry comments must be dated on or before October 29th, 2009. The winner will be chosen at random on October 30th. All winners will be announced on October 31st.

This contest is one of the 4, 5 or 6 give-aways I'll be having this week. Don't miss them! I'll be linking them all at The Homeschool Post on October 15th. Be sure to visit the Blog-Give-Away Linkup over there to catch all the groovy Give-Aways that are going on in the homeschool community online.

Good luck and 'Fair Winds'.

Quick Links
Win an Organic Cookbook
Don't Miss the Homeschool Blog Awards!

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Organic Food Cook-Book Give-Away

2009-10-13T00:57:00.005-05:00

Today starts my week of Give-Away Madness. What better to start it with than a 'GREEN' cookbook? I don't know if you knew this about me, but I also have a food blog (that I sadly neglect most of the time). I may or may not admit that I go on and off with cooking and that I eat too much fast food and junk food. But if I did admit it, I would certainly tell you that I WANT to eat right. It just gets hard sometimes when life is so fast paced and the budget is so thin.

I love food. I tend to attract the foodie PR people, too. I need one of those t-shirts that say "I blog for food." This give away came about because someone dangled a carrot in front of me. Literally. Earthbound Farm offered to SHIP me some fresh apple and carrot snacks for my kids. And so they did. In a cute little Styrofoam box - by UPS. And they were delicious. Organic and delicious. I had eaten baby carrots in a little baggie before, but the apple slices - pre-sliced and ready to eat? I thought only McDonald's was that cool. I hate slicing apples. My mother would tell you that she's been on to me since I had my first kid that I am 'so lazy' for buying pre-sliced fruit. I would so buy Earthbound Farm's sliced apples for snack time and pay the extra few dollars they are worth.

I know you may be asking, "What's all this hype about organics?" Now days, a lot.

Organic means:

- no synthetic pesticides, herbicides
- no fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge - eeew! (which has prescription medicines in it as well)
- no genetically modified ingredients
- no irradiation
- no hormones, antibiotics, artificial ingredients or trans fats

Can you believe they put that junk on our food in the first place? So I guess we can agree that Organic is best. We buy organic when we can, but I'll admit that sometimes the grocery budget isn't long enough to cover the cost. According to the brochure that Earthbound Farm gave me, there are some fruits and veggies that are 'most likely' to contain multiple pesticide residues (ICK). They suggest that if you can't buy ALL your produce organic, at least get these items (especially for children):

- apples
- imported grapes
- pears
- nectarines
- strawberries
- peaches
- spinach
- lettuce
- bell peppers
- celery
- potatoes

I'm sure that I'll be making a more concerted effort to purchase organic after working with Earthbound Farm on this give-away.

And here's the kicker, I didn't even get a cookbook! So who ever wins it will have to tell me if it is wonderful so I can go buy one. I adore cookbooks. I have a whole shelf of them. That's why I started my food blog. I could never remember which cook book a recipe came from, so I started keeping each of our favorite recipes online where I could access it from anywhere with a keyword search.

So now for the part where YOU can win the Organic Cookbook. Here's how:

You get one entry for all of the following and you can enter only ONE time each (not once each day):

Mandatory:

1. Visit Earthbound Farm's website (I love their website!) and tell me in the comments box about a recipe listed there that you would like to try.

Extra:

1. Blog about this contest and include a link back to this post and to Organic Farms.

2. Leave me your favorite recipe in the comments section or email it to me and leave me a comment telling me you did so.

3. Tweet about this contest using my twitter handle @sprittibee and a link to this post: such as - @sprittibee is giving away an organic cookbook by Earthbound Farms at her week of give-aways : http://bit.ly/VN9CZ

4. Follow this blog by email, feed reader, or my Google Friend Box.

5. Add me to your Technorati Favorites or stumble this post.

6. Follow my food blog by email, feed reader, or Google Friend Box.

Entry comments must be dated on or before October 29th, 2009. The winner will be chosen at random on October 30th. All winners will be announced on October 31st.

This contest is one of the 4, 5 or 6 give-aways I'll be having this week. Don't miss them! I'll be linking them all at The Homeschool Post on October 15th. Be sure to visit the Blog-Give-Away Linkup over there to catch all the groovy Give-Aways that are going on in the homeschool community online.

Have fun and eat responsibly!

[disclosure: after posting this, they sent me my own copy of the cook-book. IT ROCKS, y'all!]

Parenting for the Future: Stopping to Smell the Flowers

2009-10-11T22:57:00.005-05:00

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

So many beautiful things in this world... and so little time to enjoy them. This rose has been on my mind lately. It reminded me to 'smell the flowers' in a much larger and more general sense. I mean, we all are busy, right? But the busy-ness is not why we are here. We're here to be fruitful.

Fruits grow. They ripen. They smell lovely. They bask in the sunshine. They soak up the rain. Fruits are good at doing what God made them to do... nourishing people, being beautiful, thriving on the vine.

There's a sermon in there somewhere. Ahem.

With my nose stuffed in this heaven-sent masterpiece of pink scent and softness; I realized that I'm loosing time - time to spend on what is truly important.

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

~ Unknown

I asked myself... "How much time do I have?" ...and... "How will I use it?"

Help us not to waste our lives' precious time with useless endeavors.

~ Robin Sampson, author of Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach

As a homeschool mother, I'm determined to build the best in to my children. The best roses are fertilized, trimmed, cared for. What do I need to give them - or give up for them? What do I need to trim from our garden - can I identify the weeds that are keeping us from the glory God intended?

Am I willing to spend time in the garden?

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

~ Psalm 90:12

Flowers may not be able to talk, but the fragrance of roses on the wind in my back yard and this lovely pastel visitor in my kitchen certainly were speaking to my heart today. They taught me all these things through the Holy Spirit in a brief moment - through a smell, a glance, a touch. I pondered them in my heart.

Tomorrow my rose will be wilted, but I am determined not to forget the message. I'll be working on ways to redeem the time in my homeschool, my household, my life. How about you? Don't let the chance to savor the beauty of what you are given slip away.

Gather ye rosebuds while you may, Old time is still a flying, And that same flower that smiles today, Tomorrow will be dying.

~ Robert Herrick

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

V is for VBS (and Very Busy)

2009-10-10T23:28:00.004-05:00

V is for 'Very' - Very BUSY over here in the bee hive. Well, yes, ... and VBS, too.

In less than three weeks I've:

VERY CRAZY: Driven through nine states, taken the kids on a field trip to the Biltmore Estate and the North Carolina Arboretum, attended my first photo walk and blog conference...

VERY REVIVING: Gone to a women's retreat with my mom, aunt, cousin and some friends (out of town)...

VERY DRAMATIC: Participated in VBS where my entire family sans myself and baby were in multiple plays...

VERY EXCITING: Launched the PR portion of the Homeschool Blog Awards...

VERY YUMMY: Stocked the refrigerator and pantry and saved the family from sheer foodlessness (hoping to eat at home all week next week)...

VERY AGRIVATING: Managed to keep up with the laundry - while wringing every item out by hand (or by my kids' hands, poor things!) - even though the washing machine is on the fritz...

VERY FUN: Gone to science and poetry co-op at a friend's house last Thursday with the kids.

Unfortunately for me, the busy season has no plans to let up. With fall coming, it seems the calendar in real life and online just goes in to overdrive.

For you, that's a great thing. Because I'll be catching up with my give-aways on the blog this week! I've got food, books, toys and more planned - so please don't miss a day here at Sprittibee this coming week! It would be wise to stop in at the Homeschool Post, too.

If I'm not posting here, I'll be helping out over there.

Last week we put up the official page for the Homeschool Blog Awards and tonight I added some updates you'll not want to miss about the awards, the swap, and more.

Hope you are enjoying this cool weather and managing to keep your schedule tame despite the racing clock! If you figure out how to slow time down so you can get more done in a day, let me know. I could use a clone (or a maid) if this new pace keeps up.

Woeful Wednesday: Business Card Blight

2009-10-07T22:47:00.003-05:00

Most 'Wordless Wednesdays' around here aren't that wordless. This one is no different. I love this picture. I just had to talk about it. Robin, the purdy lady in the photo, would totally know what I was talking about - since she's also the queen of all things wordy. We are two peas in a pod, me and the poetry-loving Pensieve.

The picture may not be the BEST shot ever, but there are a few favorite things in it that you need to notice: 1. Robin (she's great, y'all - even better in person - she just radiates southern charm), 2. the Biltmore tour (oh, my dear that was one of the most wonderful field trips we have EVER been on in our seven years of homeschooling), 3. BUSINESS CARDS (I mean, if you can't take the bloggers home with you from a blog conference, you should at LEAST get to take home their cards, right???).

Well... I had the cards. I even had a custom, handy, bright yellow, little bee zipper pouch to hold them in. All of my cards and the ones that were given to me at the conference by all the PR people, marketers, and amazing bloggers were in my tiny bee bag. It was like a pirate treasure - hidden away for me to sift through in greedy revelry as soon as I got home.

You can't imagine the grief I felt upon discovering that my little yellow zipper bag - my Queen Bee ditty bag with all those glorious cards - was MISSING.

Gone. Just like that.

So I have only 'misty water color memories' of the Type-A Mom conference now. And if you aren't over 30, you probably have absolutely no idea what that quote is in reference to.

Were you at Type-A Mom with me? Did you take home one of my business cards and happen to be reading my blog (stranger things have happened)? I would love for you to mail me a business card. You have my address already. And I love snail mail.

If you find my Queen Bee zipper purse, please return it to me. No one could throw something that cute in the trash. I just know it has to be out there. It's buzzing my name. Silently... from some trash heap in Asheville, or some maid's little girl's backpack...

I guess I have to go to Blissdom now. In February. Want to sponsor me?

Quick Links
Type-A Mom Conference Sponsorship Request
Not on the A-List
Type-A Mom Recap
Type-A Mom Photo Walk

The Homeschool Post... 5th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards!

2009-10-05T22:09:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again. And quite honestly, I don't know how I'm going to do it with a baby in the mix. This will be a new experience.

I know you are all excited to get the awards started, but first there has to be a lot of behind the scenes work and housekeeping done first.

Just to give you a heads up so you can start tweeting and spreading the news... the awards will be covering October and November this year. There will be 2 weeks to nominate, and 2 weeks to vote. Nominations begin in October, voting takes place in November. We want to have the entire process finished by Thanksgiving break so that all of our team can enjoy our holidays! There's a lot of work involved, but it is worth it when we get to check out all the groovy blogs you all nominate.

Now that I'm back from North Carolina (Type-A Mom) and my womens retreat, I'll be working on:

1. Finding someone to help me fix the broken washing machine while wringing out every item of clothing that comes out of it before it goes in the dryer - by HAND.

2. Trying to maintain order while we get the baby back in to a regular napping and sleeping schedule after long hours in the car.

3. Getting my butt in gear with homeschool... we just ate up one of our weeks off in December for sure!

4. Rounding up some prizes for the award winners of the 2009 Homeschool Blog Awards (nominations will be starting on October 19th!)...

Do you know of a great homeschool-friendly business that is interested in rewarding some bloggers for their passion and voice in the blogosphere? Please email me with contact information so we can send them a formal request to be a HSBA sponsor for 2009.

We're excited to launch the FIFTH ANNUAL Homeschool Blog Awards at the Homeschool Post and are hoping that it will be our best year yet!

Hop over and take a look at this year's lovely author line-up that Darcy made for us on the sidebar! And in case you didn't know, The Post is open for business every day - not just during awards season. You can find great homeschooling and parenting information and encouragement there all year round.

I hope you fall in love with all the ladies there like I have. They are such a great team to work with! I'm very honored to be part of such a great collaborative site.

Don't miss our big announcement Wednesday at the Homeschool Post!