Smart Mom Blog

Charlotte Mason Book Review

2009-08-12T10:53:00.004-05:00

Book Review: Home Education by Charlotte M. Mason

“I am, I ought, I can, I will.” Charlotte Mason’s motto provides stepping stones along which young persons travel in order to become adults. The first volume of Charlotte Mason’s Original Home Schooling Series is for “training and educating children under nine.” None of my children is under nine. However, I have been determined to read Mason’s classic series for some years. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that our very own homeschool group's library owns the entire series. I seized the opportunity and began, of course, at the beginning. I enjoyed learning the basis on which Mason built her “House of Education.” I no longer need the chapters on how to teach my child to read. But I have been encouraged to get back to basics like teaching good habits and enjoying my children.

What I first noticed about the book was the excellent writing. Mason is intelligent, well-educated and passionate about her subject. A book written by someone like that is nourishing for the brain! She quotes research and lecturers on certain topics such as “Mr Thisleton Mark—whose able paper on ‘Moral Education in American Schools’ offers matter for much profitable reflection—“ (p. 197). She also quotes Wordsworth and other poets to illuminate her points.

Home Education is not purely academic, however. Mason gives plenty of practical ideas. Her simply brilliant idea, “a bag of beans, counters, or buttons should be used in all the early arithmetic lessons,” would have made my math teaching so much clearer (p. 256). She also recommends the best type of fabric to wear for outdoor romping (wool).

Mason does not approach education as a battle. She says over and over again that lessons should be short (ten minutes for arithmetic)! Mother and children should spend the afternoon “out of doors” where Mother should “refrain from too much talk” (p. 78). She should enjoy the people that her children are becoming. She may occasionally point out to the children one of God’s creations.

Charlotte Mason’s theories of education assume the sovereignty of God. She is unapologetic about the fact that God exists and is in charge of everything. This belief is woven naturally into every subject. Nature study means admiring not just God’s beautiful work, but his “beautiful thoughts” (p. 79). In the preface she says that, “the knowledge of God is the principal knowledge, and the chief end of education.” The latter part of the book is dedicated to the “Divine Life” of the child.

Published in 1886, this book teaches history indirectly. I was delighted to read Mason’s evaluation of the newfangled Kindergarten. She supports the principles of the Kindergarten, where “the child’s senses are carefully and progressively trained” (p.179). She concludes, however, that mothers can bring about such training just as effectively at home.

I am thankful that Charlotte Mason recommends books by name throughout her writing. I plan to compile a list of all the books she mentions. They may be out of print by this time, but having the title and authors’ names will give me a good start on acquiring these children’s classics.

There is really only one difficulty about this book. Since it is dated, some advice is obsolete. For example, most of us do not need to worry about our children picking up bad habits from the servants (p. 18). However, we know that people are the same throughout the ages. Mason’s insights into human nature can still help us teach our children today.

I hope every home schooling parent will read Home Education, the first book in the Original Home Schooling Series by Charlotte Mason. It stirs the mind, the heart and the hands!

Go VOTE!

2008-11-04T08:43:00.002-05:00

Bring your kids.
Then go to Starbucks, tell them you voted, and get a free small coffee!
(While you are there, ask for free coffee grounds for your garden.)
Go!

2007-07-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

The LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
-Numbers 6:25

Another reason to love pennies!

2007-07-06T06:53:00.000-05:00

You can actually buy something useful at Staples for a penny! From July 8 to July 14 only, Staples has packs of pencils, pencil sharpeners, folders and pencil cases on sale for $.01 each.

While I have enough pencils to choke a horse, I will buy my limit (3 per customer) of these penny items to put in our Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.

Happy shopping!

Mothers' Day Haiku

2007-05-20T19:29:00.000-05:00

Last week I received the following as a gift. I am humbled.

Beautiful, we wed
In struggle she gives birth thrice
Shepherdess of lambs

Not comparable
This mother of devotion
The one I married

Love burns bright before
Love shines bright in reflection
In four faces, mine and theirs

Evangelista
Instructor, Enforcer, yet
Lover, sweet as wine

Cataract of love
Wash over three blonde heads
Recedes to my arms

This Recipe is Greek to Me

2007-05-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

Greek Chicken
From Fix It and Forget It Cookbook by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good

Makes 4-6 servings

4-6 potatoes, quartered
2-3 lbs. chicken pieces
2 large onions, quartered
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
3 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Olive oil

1. Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with seasonings. Top with oil.
2. Cover. Cook on High 5-6 hours, or on Low 9-10 hours.

Taking Flylady’s advice, I try to think about dinner at breakfast time. She sends me a handy email every morning that says, “What’s for dinner?” I groan and think about the dregs in the fridge.

Yesterday morning I happily remembered that my brilliant husband pulled some chicken out of the freezer the night before. We are having chicken for dinner! But the questions nagged. “What KIND of chicken? And when are you going to cook it?”

Back to the fridge. There are two packages of pita bread abandoned in the bottom drawer. There is half a cucumber languishing in a Tupperware Fridge Smart container, one vent open. Pita + cucumber = some sort of Mediterranean chicken!

Even though I REALLY do not feel like cooking dinner at breakfast time, I know that it will make me a much happier person come 5 o’clock. I hug the crock pot as I carry it from the storage shelf to the counter. I love you!

My next best friend after the crock pot is its side kick: The Fix it and Forget it Cookbook. Let’s see. Something that will taste good in a pita. Chicken Casablanca? Too many ingredients. Chicken Kapaman? Too tomato-ey. Greek Chicken? I have most of the ingredients (there aren’t many). Not much chopping involved. Only step required. Bingo!

I know what the recipe says, but I did not have any potatoes. I put the onions on the bottom instead. I often forget that, when crock pot cooking, the veggies go in first. They cook better that way and so does the meat that goes on top.

I was using such a large package of boneless, skinless chicken that I did not worry too much about measuring the seasonings. By the time I got to the garlic, my youngest chef was helping. We put several small cloves in. (The Pampered Chef garlic press was very handy at this point.) She was in charge of the oregano and olive oil. The chicken came out very flavorful and mysteriously moist!

Ah--the cucumber. I cut it into small pieces and put them in a Tupperware container. I poured oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over them. I put the lid on and shook. Presto! By the time dinner rolled around we would have marinated cucumbers to put on our Greek chicken inside our pita bread. By the way, I know you want to use olive oil on these cukes, because you are thinking of all things Mediterranean--but don’t. Olive oil solidifies when cold. Instead of taking a savory cucumber salad out of the fridge, you might have a container full of sour cukes and globs of oil. Remember, cooking is science!

The house smelled so good of simmering Greek chicken that my meat-free husband was even drooling. He could not resist the temptation and had to try some along side his beans and rice. He was glad he did!

Incidentally, you should know that I never follow a recipe (or any instructions for that matter) exactly. Not only did I omit the potatoes, but I made a few other changes as well. When the cooking time was about done, I stuck my kitchen shears into the crock pot and cut up the boneless chicken breasts. Now we’d have chunks of chicken to put into pita pockets. Of course, I had to taste this creation before serving it. I decided it was crying out for lemon juice. I sprinkled some into the crock pot and put the lid back on.

We will extend this meal by smearing hummus on the pitas next time. Maybe I will buy another cucumber and some plain yogurt. Then I can make cucumber yogurt sauce, use up my last onion, and enjoy a third interpretation of GREEK CHICKEN.

And the winner of the Smart Contest is. . .

2007-03-21T07:01:00.000-05:00

actually, it's a tie! Liz and Stephanie submitted very smart ideas for organizing plastic containers. Read about their systems below. These smart ladies will be getting prizes from me. Congratulations and thanks for the help!
(Stephanie, please get in touch with me so I can arrange to get your prize to you!)

Liz said. . .

Take ALL your plastic ware out of the cabinets – ALL !!
Match up lids with “bottoms”
Throw out any that don’t match (if you have large bottoms save those for storing ones that match)
Yes – just chuck them (or put them in a bag for the basement – but trust me you will never find the mates)
Make piles of the different styles with their mates
Take the lids for the same style/size and rubber band them together. Stack the bottoms together. Place the lids either under the bottoms or next to the bottoms and set in the cabinet. I know you're thinking , "They will be all over the place in no time.” Actually, if you put them back each time, you're golden.

If they can fit put your tops and bottoms in “extra” large plastic ware bottoms (see #4)

Every few months I do a plastic ware purge. I have a large Rubbermaid® storage bin in my basements with all the mismatched lids and bottoms. A few times I’ve found the match, but not very often.

Stephanie said...

I saw your blog from the story on the Lion Brand website. I have a response to your question! I did look at the previous response, and I would like to add the following before I describe my own organization system. Make sure all of your plastic containers have a matching lid. If not, recycle the mismatched pieces if possible. A large plastic container without a lid could still be useful to keep, if it will hold a lot of food, and you could cover it with plastic wrap or tin foil when you needed to store that quantity of food. If you don't think you would do this, toss (recycle!) the container.

I have two different systems for my plastic containers, depending if they are large or small-medium sized. The large containers I stack together. I leave a small stack of the matching lids on top. I don't have more than 4 plastic bowls that I store this way.

I have a lot more small, snack-sized, and medium sized plastic containers. These are the containers I have the most trouble keeping neatly organized! At my last home, I had a whole cabinet stuffed with all of these containers, with the container and lid attached. While it was easy to find a container because the pieces were all already matched, all of the pieces were hard to stack, containers would fall out of the cabinet when I opened it, and it seemed like that cabinet was used very inefficiently.

At my new home, I came up with a better system! I use a small cabinet, about half the size or smaller than the last cabinet, to keep all of the containers stacked, but without the lids. The containers stack so much easier without the lids, and use a lot less space. I keep similar containers stacked together, and keep the smaller containers within the larger containers below them, kind of like a pyramid. The lids are not in this cabinet.

I devoted a whole drawer to my plastic container lids! This works so well for me. The lids all lie flat and fit in the drawer perfectly. I tend to reuse certain types of the plastic containers more than others, so these lids always seem to be on the top! I can find everything I need quickly, and my system is so much more organized now, despite not storing the lids and the containers together. I hope this gets you thinking about how to organize your own plastic containers better! This system is working great for me.

Share your knitting story

2007-03-16T17:34:00.000-05:00

The folks at Lion Brand Yarn are looking for stories. How has knitting or crocheting changed your life? Weave your way over to the Lion website and tell them!

Free Starbucks Coffee

2007-03-15T06:40:00.000-05:00

Get to a Starbucks right now for a free cup of joe. This morning only Starbucks is offering a free 12 oz. cup of coffee.

Can you believe it? You don't need four bucks!

Too bad I gave up coffee for Lent. . .

Laundry and Shakespeare

2007-03-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I am doing laundry I feel like Lady Macbeth: “Out, damn spot!” In Lady Macbeth’s case, the stain on her hand was the blood of the person she murdered. It was literally evidence to damn her. In my case, the spot is on a perfectly good shirt, ruined by one mishap with chocolate ice cream. Certainly not as weighty a matter, but infuriating just the same.

All Lady Macbeth had to do was ask God to forgive her. On the other hand, you don’t need to ask for your laundry stains to be expunged. I am going to tell you how to do it!

I lifted this recipe directly from The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.

The Stain Recipe

Add one cup each of powdered Cascade [or any dishwasher detergent] and Clorox II [or any color-safe bleach] to five gallons of the hottest water to come out or your faucet. Soak several articles overnight, and launder as usual.

This procedure will remove about 90% of the stains that do not come out with normal laundering. I do not use this recipe for delicate fabrics, or fabrics that are not color-fast. It is particularly good for removing food stains.

I use a large plastic bucket with a handle. If you don’t have a five-gallon bucket, use what you have and adjust the recipe (bigger bucket, use more stuff, smaller bucket, use less). It does not have to be exact.

You can even make your stain bucket cute! We used to buy large quantities of laundry detergent in plastic buckets. The price was right, plus we got a nice bucket with a handle and lid to boot. Of course, I have been saving these buckets and using them for myriad things. I finally designated one as a “stain bucket.” I wrapped it with contact paper in colors that go with my décor. Then I used my trusty permanent marker to write “Stains,” in fun lettering, on the contact paper. Now the whole family knows where the stained clothes go!
I just completed a stain load. It is like having brand new clothes!

As the recipe states, this method is great for food stains. I have found ground-in mud to be another matter. Anyone have a smart solution for dirt-stained pants?

Incidentally, the best cure for a blood stain, besides falling on your face and begging God to forgive you, is to put it in cold water as soon as possible.

Enter the Smart Contest!

2007-03-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

Hurry and get your contest entry in! The Plastic Container Contest ends on St. Patrick's Day (March 17).

Do you have a smart way to store plastic containers? Post a comment and tell us about it. The best idea gets a prize!

See the last post for more details.

Have fun!

Contest!

2007-03-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

Who can think of a smart way to store plastic containers?

The winning idea will be neat, easy, low-cost, creative, efficient and really useful.

Prizes will be awarded for the winning idea and will include:
Parenting booklets
Child safety booklets
Other surprises!

Can't wait to hear all of your smart ideas, because our Tupperware® cabinet is driving us crazy! Your idea will be posted on Smart Mom Blog.

Post a comment with your idea. Thanks for playing!

My First Baby Blanket

2007-03-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

Swing by the Lion Brand Yarn website and read my story! There are lots of good stories about knitting and life, as well as a wealth of practical information. I have learned a lot from the Lion website. I hope you will too!

Rancho Poncho in a Jiffy!

2007-01-10T08:32:00.000-05:00

Last winter I made my daughters purple fleece ponchos. I even sewed a fuzzy scarf around the neck opening of one, so it has a cozy collar. (I made one for myself, too, fuzzy collar included. Boy, is it warm on a cold winter day!)

Naturally, my son wanted a poncho, too. What to do? I didn’t really want to make him a purple fuzzy poncho. Then again, men in Latin America have been wearing the se blankets for years. He and I picked out an inexpensive fleece blanket ($3.00!) in loden green. Last night I whipped up this poncho in about five minutes.

Here's what to do:

Cut blanket in half the short way.
Take one half and fold it in half the short way again. This is the basic size and shape your finished poncho will take.

Fold it in half again, the long way this time. Cut a pie shaped wedge (quarter circle) out of the top corner where all the folds are. This will be the head hole!

You can stop right there, or you can add a few finishing touches. I rounded the square corner from the initial cut to match the “untouched” corner. I also want to blanket stitch my rounded corner and the neck, so the edges look somewhat uniform.

My son, the next Juan Valdez!

Karla’s Discovery Toys News

2007-01-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

Happy new year! Thank you for your interest in my educational toys business. It is a great time to join the fun!

Hit my email link (via "View my complete profile") and tell me which news you’d like to hear more about:

Investment for the distributor’s kit reduced to $79!

Discovery Toys supports children with Autism, and their families, in several ways.

Winter clearance event. Save up to 62% on smart toys and games!

Email me and I will give you the details on these exciting programs!

Play with your children; it's the best investment you can make.

Holiday Anti-Letter

2006-12-30T00:14:00.000-05:00

This is the family Christmas letter that I have always wanted to send, but I do not have the guts. I thought I would put it on the world wide web instead.

In order to prevent an internet firestorm, I will tell you up front that THIS IS A JOKE. I hope you get a kick out of it!

Dear Everyone,

Well, the year sure has crawled by. Am I ever glad 2007 is FINALLY here. I can’t wait to throw away all my 2006 calendars!

Just like last year, my life is pretty dull. When I am not shopping at Wal Mart for toothpaste and toilet brushes, I sit around and eat bonbons. Then I take a nap.

My dear hubby works everyday. He leaves the house in the morning. He does some work and then he comes home in the afternoon. He did not go anywhere or do anything interesting with work this year.

The kids? Dumb as bricks. They didn’t seem to grow at all this year, which is nice since I don’t have to spend money on new clothes for them. They do not play soccer or softball. They do not take dance or art classes. They also do not play any instruments.

We did not go on vacation this year, nor did we spend a lot of money on anything exciting.

Here’s to a slow 2007.

Love,
Us

Janet's Amazing Pie Crust

2006-12-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

A.K.A. "Foolproof Pie Crust"

I got this recipe from another smart mom. I don't know which cookbook she got it from, but the editors must have named it for me!

I left you with a cliffhanger in the chicken pot pie recipe that I posted. It called for one of Janet's amazing pie crusts. Since none of you smart moms have been beating down my door for the mystery pie crust recipe, I assume that you have been buying the dough boy type that lives in the cold part of the grocery store next to the canned biscuits.

I am here to liberate you! I have ripped open MANY of those pie crust boxes. I never would have made any pies at all if it were not for those refrigerated crusts. Heck, I did not even need a rolling pin! Then I was inspired, as usual, by I-want-to-be-like-her-when-I-grow-up smart mom Sandy.

We all had an apple pie baking party one time. We crammed all of our apples, mixing bowls, pie pans and refrigerated crusts into Liz's little kitchen (Liz is not a mommy yet, but she will be a smart one someday). It was all fun and games until Sandy started making pie crust. We were in shock and awe. "Are you MAKING pie crust? Right now? Right here?" She assured us that it was really not that scandalous.

Smart mom Janet recently gave me her amazing pie crust recipe. It will liberate you because it makes 5 or 6 pie crusts that you can keep in your freezer! You will not have to run to the store with three screaming children to buy crust for that beautiful apple pie you have to make to use up the apples before they rot. You will save a ton of money. You probably already have all the ingredients in your cabinet and will not have to buy ANYTHING. More car wash/coffee money! Finally, there will be no weird preservatives in your pie crust. As smart mom Meredith's daughter says with wide, serious eyes, "Mommy does not want us to have a lot of pemikles." The best part: The pie crust tastes yummy!

Foolproof Pie Crust

4 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cup (don’t pack it in!)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups shortening (must be like Crisco; refrigerated shortenings or oils will not work)

Sift flour and sugar into a large bowl. (I dumped, because I do not have a sifter.) Cut in shortening until all crumbly.

In small bowl beat together:
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg

Add liquid ingredients. Stir until all is moistened. Put out on floured board and divide into 5 portions. Shape each into a round, flat patty (like a hamburger) and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1/2 hour before using.

When you are ready to use crust, lightly flour both sides of the patty and roll out on lightly floured board (I use a silicone mat, but a clean countertop will do). Keep pastry round and roll out from the center to 1/8” thickness and 2” bigger than your inverted pie pan. To transfer the pastry to the pie pan, you can roll pastry up on the rolling pin and unroll over the pie pan. Press pastry into tin to remove air pockets. Fill, flute edge and bake and/or use top crust for 2-crust pie.

To make a baked pie shell: Prick bottom and sides of the pastry-lines pan with a fork (this helps crust hold its shape).

Naturally, I fudged the instructions a bit and mixed the dough in my stand mixer with the dough hook. You know how I love that mixer. My pastry might have turned out flakier if I had followed the instructions exactly, but I do not have time to fuss with such details. I like to throw everything in the mixer and walk away!

Mix up a batch of this pie crust and bake pies with reckless abandon. Enjoy your newfound freedom!

Chicken Popeye

2006-12-19T08:14:00.000-05:00

Over the years I have had the privilege of bringing meals to folks to help lighten their load in the kitchen. Usually it is because they have just had a baby, but sometimes I have brought meals to people who have just had surgery.

Loving efficiency, I looked for a recipe that had everything in one pot: Veggies for vitamins, meat for protein and starch for energy. As a result, for years now I have hacked a deep dish tuna pie recipe and made it into chicken pot pie! To my surprise, it is a hit. My husband has overheard new moms raving about it and a couple people have asked me for the recipe. Of course, I do not really have a recipe. Enter the good folks at Parenting Magazine who somehow put together the actual recipe (more or less) for what I have been swaddling in foil and delivering all this time!

Chicken Pot Pie

2 skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
10.75-oz. can cream of chicken soup
10.5-oz. jar chicken gravy
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup frozen chopped onions
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
1 Janet’s amazing pie crust OR refrigerated quick and dirty pie crust. You know the ones.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the pie crust. Pour into 8- or 9-inch round foil pan. Place pie crust on top and tuck edges under. Cut steam vents in crust. Cover with foil and freeze until ready to use OR bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

To bake frozen pot pie:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake, covered, for 1 HOUR. Uncover and continue baking until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes more.

Happy Snack

2006-11-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

Don’t feel like baking? Want to justify dessert by eating something that seems healthy? GORP is the answer. Good Old Raisins and Peanuts! Everyone loves to eat it.

Peanuts provide protein, which is good for strength and long-term energy.
Raisins make it sweet and provide roughage. Use your imagination. I’m sure raisins have some vitamins in them, too, since they were once fresh fruit.

I must confess that in our house, we do not really make GORP. We make GORPCC. There are not many things you can call dessert that do not have chocolate in them. So, naturally, we add chocolate chips to our raisins and peanuts.

The chocolate chips play a very important role on the GORP team. They provide motivation to eat this healthy concoction. Just think, if there were no chocolate chips in your GORP, you would never get any protein or roughage. That’s no way to live.

Also, if you have ever actually read a recipe for chocolate chip cookies you will know that they are actually semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Chocolate chips are not milk chocolate. They are in between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. (Hence the name semi-sweet). Every woman knows that dark chocolate is good for your heart! So chocolate chips are good for you—well, better than eating a piece of candy, anyway.

Chocolate chips are also a cheap thrill. They don’t cost a lot and they are a versatile item to have in your pantry.

Warning: GORP is not a low-fat food. I can only justify it for you so much. GORP packs a nutritional punch, but go slowly. It is very filling. Also, make sure you brush your teeth well, because those raisins will stick.

Want to know the secret recipe? Get a container that is big enough to stick your fist in. Dump in some peanuts. (Salted or unsalted, depending on your fancy). Dump in some raisins. Dump in some semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Seal the container well. Hand it to your children and tell them to shake it. Open and eat! There is nothing like fresh GORP.

GORP is a Godsend when you are on a family adventure. For the car, I recommend M&M’s instead of chocolate chips. In the summer, the chips will melt and it is really hard to eat when you are driving!

Number your days the smarty way

2006-10-31T07:43:00.000-05:00

Calendars are power tools for your home. There is no doubt that keeping a family calendar of events brings peace to your schedule. But I am talking about the other great aspect of calendars: The pictures!

Our "control center" calendar does not have any illustrations. The grid itself is the main event. I need it free of distractions, with large boxes for each date. Lots to write! We have other calendars, however, that serve other purposes. They teach us art history, German and the Bible.

An art calendar is a wonderful way to bring a museum into your home. Monet calendars seem to be a dime a dozen. To maximize the art history lesson though, I like to get a calendar with works by various artists. This type is not as easy to find and can be expensive. I was thrilled to discover Calendars.com. This website is my source for "teaching" calendars. It carries calendars featuring selections from famous art museums at reasonable prices. This year we enjoyed art pieces from the Louvre (oo la la!). Next year we will experience more works of art from the National Gallery. Search under "fine art" or "art museum" calendars. Nudes are inevitable with these art calendars, so you will have to use your discretion. One month I felt compelled to cover the calendar's selection with a piece of artwork created by my own children!

We learn a new German phrase each day with the Living Language German phrase-a-day calendar. Calendars.com features calendars in several foreign languages including Latin! Our German calendar features a phrase, the translation and the literal translation of idioms when needed. It also has vocabulary words and mini-biographies of famous Germans on their birthdates.

Many of the greatest works of art were created to illuminate Bible stories. After all, centuries ago most people could not own Bibles. Even if they could somehow own Bibles, they could not read them since they were in Latin. Hence, the Biblical Masterpieces calendar. It is helpful to have a visual picture of the Bible stories that we read. It is also interesting to see the artist's interpretation of the passages.

I just ordered our 2007 calendars and I can't wait for all the new things we will learn!

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 (New International Version)

A Really Smart Word Cloud

2006-10-19T21:29:00.000-05:00

Remember when I said all I needed was a "clickable" word cloud that would take you to the related article when you clicked on a word? I FOUND ONE! God is so good to me. Sometimes he fulfills even my extraneous desires.

Try it out! Look on the sidebar. See the pretty cloud. Click on a word that you are interested in. You will be directed to an essay that I wrote containing that word! Please ignore any inappropriate advertising on the Zoom Clouds site.

What do you think?

Stool Sampler

2006-10-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

My amazing husband crafted ceiling-high, built-in book shelves for our dining room. These shelves are a precious gift to me because, as a rule, my husband does not do woodwork. He does history and theology and car maintenance. But not woodwork. I love my bookcase, but I often have to play librarian and stand on a step ladder to reach the upper shelves. When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by those library ladders that slide on a track across shelves chock-full of books. Maybe someday. . .if we build Dilbert’s Ultimate House. (I would replace the home theatre with a library!)

At any rate, I had been using a utilitarian metal stepladder. My mother bought it for me when we lived in an old apartment whose ceilings were twice as high as the rooms were wide. It was an odd old place, and everything was very high up—the light fixtures, the windows, the pantry shelves. I was expecting then, and my mother did not want me falling off of the wobbly chairs I had to use to reach things. Thank you, mom! The metal stepladder served us well for many years. For my custom-built dining room shelves, I was ready for a step stool that was a little easier on the eyes, and maybe something that we could even sit on when we were not climbing. After all, everything must have multiple uses!

One day, it happened. I found an old Cosco step stool. I must confess I have been coveting my dad’s, which he keeps in his workshop. (We just learned that Ben Franklin invented this type of chair, with steps underneath that fold out. He invented everything.) My dad offers us many treasures from his workshop but, interestingly, the step stool was never one of them. That confirmed to me just what a useful item it was! I saw the same type of stool at a yard sale on the way to church one Sunday. I slammed on the brakes and pulled over. The kids, seeing the yard sale and immediately apprehending what I was up to, begged me not to get out of the car.

I paid too much for it, but I had no time to bargain. We were late to church and I had three caged animals in the car. I dropped $10 for the step stool. I can hear you gasping. It was in decent shape, though. It had some wear and tear and paint splatters that I knew would be easy to clean up.

Acrylic paint to the rescue as usual! (You know, the little bottles of paint that you can get for $.25 each.) I painted the two steps’ treads black. It brought them back to life. I have learned that uniform color (i.e. paint) covers a multitude of sins.

I also happened to have metal paint from my Martha Stewart days. (You never know when you may need to paint the covers of baby food jars in which to store your hand-blown glass beads!) Since I had the paint and had never used it I figured, why not now? I could touch up that grey metal trim.

Of course, the vinyl-covered seat and back looked pretty shabby by now. But I figured I could recover them with fabric--just like I did my dining room chairs. I even had left over fabric from the window valances that I made for this room. Imagine! A MATCHING stepstool.

I must admit that I had to muscle the seat back on. A layer of home decorating fabric and sturdy clear plastic is a lot thicker than an old sheet of vinyl. The seat is held on with metal brackets that fit through holes in the frame and bend over to secure the seat. With my “improvements,” the seat got thicker, but the brackets did not get any longer. They did not reach the frame. Because everything on this step stool is metal, I couldn’t just stick a few wood screws in it.

Not to be denied my MATCHING step stool, I loaded the seat with heavy objects for a few days. I hoped the weight would compress my upholstery and make the brackets reach. It worked a little. The seat is on (barely). It is functioning just fine for our needs. We just can’t dance on it, that’s all!

To make it shinier, I cleaned up the chrome legs with steel wool. It only took a few minutes. The finishing touch: felt pads on the feet so our “new” step stool will painlessly glide over the wood floor.

Time and Tide Wait for No Man (or Woman)

2006-10-05T07:34:00.000-05:00

Ironically, an old friend and smart mom asked me for some tips on time management. I still have a lot to learn in that department, but here are some tricks that keep me somewhat sane.

Use a calendar. We have a big family calendar on our fridge and every event goes on it. That way any of us can look at the calendar and see where we are supposed to be. We write in pencil so that we can reschedule events and still easily read the calendar!

Keep information at your finger tips. I use a PDA which I try hard to keep current with events, addresses and phone numbers. That way when I am out and about I can call people or schedule things. A Day Timer or binder would work just as well.

Routines! This saves a lot of time and gets the necessary things done. Routines should start out very simple and be built as they become habit. With a routine, we don’t have to think about what we need to do next. We just do it. This works great for the kids. Use a checklist when first establishing your routines.

Break every task into small steps. These baby steps can be delegated to your children, and/or done here and there throughout the day. Example: Setting the table. Toddlers can put the spoons and napkins on the table. Older kids the other silverware and salad dressings, etc. Same with our projects. I don’t have three hours to hyperfocus on my project. But I have five minutes. I can write a list of what I need for the project. The next time I have five minutes I can run around the house and gather the materials. The next time, I can do just the first step of the project, and so on.

Keep it simple. Make sure the most important part of the task is done. I have wasted a lot of time trying to make things perfect. I am learning to let a lot of things go. I need my children and husband to help me and of course they are not going to do everything the way that I would do it. I have to let it go! As long as the task gets done, I try not to sweat it if the silverware is crooked or the blankets on the bed don’t match.

Helpful resources:
flylady.net
More Hours in my Day with Emilie Barnes

Thrifty Advertising

2006-09-19T07:34:00.000-05:00

Is there such a thing?

Here are some fun, inexpensive advertising ideas that I am trying. Please adapt them to your own business.

I made my own car magnet. My husband brought home a large fridge magnet (5x7) -- a freebie from work. I put a quick coat of acrylic paint on it and added vinyl letters and spelled out “Discovery Toys” and my phone number. I stuck in on the driver's side door.

Near it I am going to put business card magnets that I ordered free from Vistaprint. That way people can just help themselves to a magnet! Has anyone tried this?

My auto sunshade (the thing you put in the windshield to keep your car cool) had a radio station logo on it. I figured why advertise someone else’s business when I can advertise my own? I covered the design with a couple coats of acrylic paint (the kind in little bottles for 25 cents each). Again, I added large vinyl sticker letters to spell out “Discovery Toys, Join the Fun!” and my phone number.

When I finish each issue of Parenting magazine (free subscription from DT!) I cover my address with a label that says “Complements of. . “ and my DT contact info. Then I leave it in whatever waiting room I find myself in!

Please leave a comment with your own smart advertising ideas!

New Features!

2006-09-18T18:52:00.000-05:00

I recently added a couple of new features to the Smart Mom Blog. See if you can find them in the sidebar and let me know what you think!