Sunday, October 4, 2015
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
Weekend Reading Commitments
I love reading but during the week I'm always too busy and too tired to get much done. So this weekend I'm setting weekend reading commitments with myself :-D Happy Friday!!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Waldorf Presentation in Moapa Valley.
Today I was honored to give a talk on the Waldorf method at a homeschool symposium in Moapa Valley. After the speakers presented we each had a table where we could interact with the attendees and answer questions.
The picture above is a sampling from my table :)
I always pray to know what to say but I always find that God would rather I listen to others. I felt so inspired with these families today and even had a very direct answer to prayer come my way. :-)
Many blessings!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Amazing Banana Chocolate Brownies. Gluten free, diary free- 230 calories
These brownies are everything you want from a dessert - soft, yielding, delicate flavors playing off one another. Did I mention they are only about 230 calories for a big piece?
You have got to try them!
I modified a recipe we used during a Young Women's activity night to create these.
Did I also mention these are healthy AND Gluten free?
Perfection in a food.
1 c oat flour
1/2 c cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c stevia powder
1/3 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat to 350. Mix the wet ingredients in a bowl, in another bowl mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet to dry until just mixed. Place in a well greased 8x8 pan and bake for 20-30 minutes. Top with chocolate chips if desired.
Makes 6 brownies.
You are very welcome :-D
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Friday, May 1, 2015
European Geography, Week Two, 6th Grade Waldorf
European Geography, Week Two
photo credit: bigprintlittle.com
Photo credit: http://shaughnessy.us/Watercolors.htm
Get your computer and your map from last week. Open up to this address:
We are going to take a tour with Rick Steves as he visits Europe’s tiniest countries!
Keep track of where Rick is using your map.
In your main lesson book do the following assignments. Use your best penship.
-Write a paragraph about which tiny country you would like to visit and why.
-How big is the city you live in?
-How does that compare to the size of the Vatican and Monaco?
Get out your computer and map. Go to:
Today we are visiting Copenhagen, the once home of Vikings!
While you are watching, answer the following questions in your main lesson book.
- What reminders of Viking history can be found in Copenhagen?
- WHat is the first great pedestrian boulevard?
- What did the crown jewels look like?
- What is a squatter?
- What is the name of Copenhagen's full-time carnival?
What is your favorite Viking story you remember from 4th grade?
Get out your computer and map. Go to:
We are going to tour through the home of the great artists Picasso, GaudÃ, and Salvador DalÃ!
Follow along with Rick on your map.
This is Salvador Dali’s famous Clocks painting. What makes his style unique? Create your own drawing or painting in the style of Dali.
Get out your computer and map. Go to:
Dublin, Ireland is on our list today. Locate Dublin on your map.
While you are watching, answer the following questions in your main lesson book.
- What is the Book of Kells? Why is it important?
- What instruments do see being used in Celtic music?
- In Glendalough what do we visit?
Get out your computer and map. Go to:
Istanbul is where east meets west on the very edge of Europe in Turkey. Locate Istanbul on your map. After watching the video discuss with your mom or dad what differences you noticed between western (European) and Eastern (Middle Eastern) cultures? What do they have in common?
Find someone who has been to Europe. Interview them about their experience. Create a news report style article based on your interview.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
30 Mother's Day Service Projects to do for Moms and Grandmas
Gifts are GREAT, don't get me wrong, I LOVE Mother's Day gifts, however, my favorite kind of Mother's Day gift is an act of service.
Let's face it, there are five kids, one working husband and only ONE of me. I simply don't have time to do everything that needs to be done in a day. Acts of service mean I can put my feet up, enjoy a rare luxury or just have life go a little smoother for a moment. So here are 30 acts of service you can do for your mom for Mother's Day.
1. Clean her bedroom. Bedrooms so often get over looked.
2. Open a storage unit and move out some household clutter.
3. Organize all the sock drawers.
4. (LDS) Check her size and buy her some new garments
5. Frame and hang some of her favorite pictures.
6. Buy all new pillows for the bed (sleeping, not decorative).
7. Haul garbage out of the yard, porch or side of the house.
8. Detail her car (either professionally or yourself).
9. Wash the outside windows.
10. Go through all the children's toys, throw away broken ones, haul away ones they don't play with anymore.
11. Wash the baseboards, doors and door frames.
12. Clean the bathroom including the hard water stains, soap scum, tub, shower fixtures, toilet and window.
13. Clean and organize the pantry and/or cupboards.
14. Clean the inside and outside of the washer and dryer.
15. Clean all the kitchen appliances.
16. Clean and organize the family junk drawer.
17. Clear out any cob webs.
18. Fill her wallet with cash, stamps and bank deposit slips.
19. Is she hand watering her garden? Get the woman some drip lines! :)
20. Pack up some emergency lunches and put them in them in the cupboard in bags. Try things like cans of tuna, single packs of mayo, crackers, jerky, individual applesauce containers (don't forget the spoon!), pretzels, nuts, raisins, granola bars, dried fruit, trail mix, etc.)
21. Fill the cupboards with regular baking items such as spices, vanilla, powdered sugar, cup cake papers, flour, baking powder, yeast, pie filling, food coloring, etc. to save her on grocery trips.
22. Upgrade her beauty tools. Trade in her regular brush for a boar bristle brush. Buy her some organic wash cloths. Upgrade her make up to a higher end brand (Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Eve Pearl, Armani, etc) Or trade her up to organic make up (like Organic Wear), depending on what she would like best. Be sure to keep her same colors!
23. Wash, sanitize and deodorize the household AND outdoor trash cans.
24. Organize her craft cupboard, sewing room, or yarn basket.
25. Create a car organizer in her car with hand lotion, lip gloss, tissues, a pen, a pencil, chewing gum, dry shampoo, hair spray, mints, hair ties, pads or tampons, diapers, wipes, sunglasses, hand wipes and trail mix.
26. Get a huge stack of paper plates, cups and disposable utensils and give her some time off from dishes.
27. Replace the broken screen on her iPhone.
28. Book her an appointment at the salon for a trim, wash, color and style. Also book a babysitter.
29. Gather up white clothing, curtains, table cloths, napkins, etc from around the house and soak them in Oxyclean and hot water for several hours. Then wash them, dry them and put them back, whiter and fresher!
30. Look up on Pinterest "crock pot freezer meals." Prepare and freeze a week or a month's worth of dinners for the family (also a GREAT idea for Grandmas!)
Friday, April 24, 2015
European Geography, Week One, 6th Grade Study Unit
This is one week of study for European Geography, 6th Grade
Using the map above draw a map of Europe on a large poster board. If you know any of the countries, fill their names in. For any countries you do not know, use the map below to fill the names in for the countries on the map you create. Please also fill in the oceans and seas.
Today you are going to add the capitals of the European countries on your big map using this map below.
Using the map on the next page answer the following questions in your main lesson book. Use your best penmanship, full sentences and correct punctuation.
How many different language types are found in Europe?
In which countries do they speak romance languages? Are they close together?
In what countries do they speak Germanic languages? Are they close together?
Give an example of an English word that comes from a romance language and one that comes from a Germanic language.
Where do they speak Slavic languages. Does the Slavic language use the same alphabet we do?
Today you are going to draw pictures of two European castles, then find where the castle is located on your European map and mark that spot.
Blarney Castle, County Cork, Ireland
Blarney Castle, as viewed by the visitor today, is the third to have been erected on this site. The first building in the tenth century was a wooden structure. Around 1210 A.D. this was replaced by a stone structure which had the entrance some twenty feet above the ground on the north face. This building was demolished for foundations. In 1446 the third castle was built by Dermot McCarthy, King of Munster of which the keep still remains standing.
Schloss Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany
Not an ancient castle, Neuschwanstein Castle (Schloss Neuschwanstein) was built by Bavarian King Ludwig II in the late 19th century (kids will find it looks familiar, as the castle was copied by Disney for Sleeping Beauty Castle).
Today we are continuing with castles. Draw these two castles and place their location on your map.
Tower of London, London, England
Go to http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/families/gamesandmakes and choose a Tower of London game to play for 20 minutes
Go to http://great-castles.com/amboisegallery.php and draw pictures of Château d'Amboise in Indre-et-Loire France
Using white paper glued to cardboard from old cereal boxes create a 3D image of one of the castles you have studied this week.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Roman Bricks
Today my 6th grader made mud bricks using mud and an ice cube tray. Then he built some small structures. Prior to building the bricks we spent a few hours on You Tube watching video tours of the Google Earth ancient Rome project (no longer available on Google Earth, but videos are on You Tube). My little boys are Rome obsessed right now (and their mama is a bit too ;) )
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Catching Up
Can I brag for a sec? I made the matching dresses and tie :)
I haven't blogged for a while. I apologize. We took a break from all technology, including electric lights for the 40 days of Lent. My 8 year-old challenged us to live like Amish! LOL
It was a very interesting 40 days and I learned a lot. For the first time ever I actually looked forward to day light savings time because it meant an extra hour to clean my kitchen before it got too dark!
I also had to live with the newspaper being my only source of news which meant I missed some things (like Spock's passing, may he rest in peace). I also saw how bias reporting was in my local papers as opposed to being able to fully research a story online. That was disappointing.
All in all I read much more, mostly history books. I discovered a renewed love of history. The kids and I read through Tim Tebow's autobiography and we really loved it. His life story is an amazing example especially to young Christian men :)
We had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed spending time with a few family members. It's so nice to have family nearby and while I still long for my children to have cousins as I did growing up, I am so very thankful for what Heavenly Father has given us :)
His grace and mercy are beyond description.
God bless you! I pray you had an amazing Easter. He lives!
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Candlemas is Coming
The days are dark but growing lighter as the sunrises I see from my bedroom window each morning -waking me with goldenrod, periwinkle and honeysuckle - come a little earlier each day.
February 2 is Candlemas
also known as Imbolc,
Imbolg,
Bridig, Brigit, and the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.
Originally this holiday was of mostly Celtic and northern European origins. This was the time of year when the milk began flowing again after the birth of the baby goats. It was a time when the light was growing stronger and we celebrated the waxing sun as the light of spring becomes visible through the chill of winter.
In Ireland they celebrate Saint Brigid, the midwife and foster mother of Jesus Christ at this time of year. In the Eastern Orthodox Church this holiday is known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. In the gospel of Luke, chapter two we read the story of Joseph and Mary presenting the baby Jesus at the Temple 40 days after his birth, which was the custom at the time.
They offered two turtle doves and two young pigeons for a sacrifice. Simeon, the Righteous, assesses baby Jesus at this time and prophesieds of the redemption of the world brought forth by Christ. A prophetess named Anna also makes similar prophesies.
Saint Brigid became associated with this holiday when Christianity reached Ireland. Saint Brigid was the daughter of a pagan chief. She grew up to become one of the only female Bishops (or Abesses) of the early church.
She is called Brigid, Brigit, Bride,
Abbess of Kildare,
midwife of Christ,
Mary of the Gael and Noamh Brid.
She founded a school for art and metal work during her life. She was tied into this holiday as the midwife of Jesus and foster mother of our Lord.
Her sacred flame is still tended in Kildare to this day.
Candlemas is a time of many things and can be celebrated many ways. It is a time when the ground is awakening after it's long winter's nap. It is a time of purification and renewal. Some people remove their Christmas decorations this day. Fire, candle making, sacred flames, bowls of fresh cream and milk, colors of red and orange as well as Brigid dolls made from straw are all festive and traditional ways to mark this day.
Here are some ideas of ways to celebrate this day.
A visit to the Temple
Since Saint Brigid is associated with art we often do a lot of painting on this day. Here are our fire paintings done with tumeric and red food coloring.
Here Nykki paints with the juice of a blood orange
Baby Ronan paints on his first Candlemas
We used our fire paintings to add quotes from Luke 2 to our nature table
She's not made of straw but here's a picture of a Brigid doll we made a few years back.
Candle lit dinner with homemade tomato soup
Creating center pieces with candles and herbs
Scriptures to ponder...
"... a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people of Israel." Luke 2:32
"The thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:35
"...and the child grew, and waxed strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40
Blessed Candlemas!
Vaccine Links
There is an enormous, well funded campaign right now to discredit people who do not vaccinate. Non-vaxers are being pushed into categories of "Google moms," "Hippsters," and the like. My own fellow social conservatives are falling hook, line and sinker for the manipulation instead of doing unbiased research for themselves.
Motherhood is ordained of God, and mother's make the best choices for their families. Sometimes that means vaccinating, sometimes it doesn't. Whatever it looks like for your family do not let the powers-that-be bias you to one side or the other. Discover for yourself what truth is.
Vaccines Are Causing Measles. Child Who Caught Measles From Vaccine Was Shedding Live Vaccine Measles Virus In Throat and Urine
The Greater Good - Science Links
Stop Blaming the Unvaccinated!
Vaccination: The UnGodly Practice
CDC statistics regarding diseases from 1900-1960. Clearly shows a drop to measles becoming nearly extinct by 1950. Measles vaccine was not introduced until 1963. See page 93
Passing the Destroying Angel. Vax info from an LDS perspective
FDA Press Announcement. Pertussis Vax does not provide full immunity, shedding has been found, transmission of virus due to shedding found, Pertussis outbreaks though tot be linked to shedding and acellular vax not offering full immunity.
CDC shows vax rate remained steady prior to Disney outbreak
German vaccine study Sept 2011 found elevated risk of disease in vaccinated children verses vaccinated but the reverse for adolescence. Their conclusion was that vaccine status does not affect health, study is pro vaccine.
Korean study, despite vaccine rate of 97% chicken pox outbreaks still occurred, no difference in severity of disease between vaxed & non vaxed children.
**Personal note. Based on CDC stats, prior to vaccination, about .10 people per 100,000 died of measles in the 10 years prior to the vaccine. Based on our current (Feb 2014) population, that means that 320 people would be dying per year of Measles. According to the best estimates I can find, currently around 10-20 people die per year from the MMR vaccine. This is noteworthy and is, to date, the most compelling evidence I have in favor of vaccines. Of course there are many other factors to consider including damage but not death done to people both through the vaccine as well as the wild measles. There are also long term health conditions that would eventually lead to death on both sides. There is also possible immune system damage done to the body via vaccine and strengthening done via wild infection. This is also contingent upon the CDC stats and the vaccine death stats being accurate, which they very well may not be.
US National Library of Health. Having the mumps in childhood prevents ovarian cancer.
**Note: Regarding my personal note above this is what makes things so tricky. There may be more deaths per the virus than the vaccine but what about lives SAVED from cancer because they had wild mumps? How many of those children who died would still be dying due to compromised immune systems infected with the common cold? Also scarlet fever is no longer a feared childhood killer and we don't have a vaccine for that.
Excellent set of questions for provaxxers. Answer these questions guys and I'll vax my kids right now
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Waldorf Alphabet Using the Little House on the Prairie Series - Rr
These Happy Golden Years
Chapter: The Cold Ride
The big R becomes the reigns and the little r part of the cutter on the cold Ride.
Waldorf Alphabet Using the Little House on the Prairie Series - Qq
Little House on the Prairie
Chapter: A Roof and A Floor
Big Q and little q become part of Ma's quilt she is sewing.
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