Sher Birmingham

     As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

    It’s time to think outside the box. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets his or her hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?  Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement. Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

    Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

    There are bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your hometown Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

    How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy? Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day. My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

    OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

    Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

    Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five-dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

    You see Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

 Think outside the box

1.      Gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber

2.      Gym membership – for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

3.      Gift certificates for their car detailed

4.      Gift certificates for a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint

5.      Gift certificates for an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy

6.      Gift certificates for the services of a local cleaning lady for a day – gift idea for a new Mom or your Mom

7.      Gift certificates for a computer could use a tune-up

Something more personal

1.      Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves

2.      Locally made jewelry

3.      Locally made pottery

4.      Locally made beautiful wooden boxes.

5.      Go out to eat at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip

6.      Go to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre

Extravagant gifts

1.      Driveway sealed by a local business

2.      Lawn mowed for the summer by a local lawn care

3.      Driveway plowed all winter

4.      Games at the local golf course

    Remember those that serve you with a BIG tip instead of spend your money on your decorations, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

Ok it is SUMMER how about FREE and Cheep ideas to do for the summer with the children.  Oh, NO, what if some of these ideas are fun LEARNING too?  What more fun can we have and still be easy on the wallet?

 1) Register your children for the summer reading programs at Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and / or your local Library.  They all have rewards programs to keep children reading. 

 2) Find a Pick Your Own Farm. The one near Chattanooga is http://crabtreefarms.org/shop/farm-stand

 3) If you members of your local Zoo they many times have fun FREE or cheep summer activities.

 4) Visit the Farmers Market

 5) Many theaters have Free or cheep Family Movie Matinee.  Locally the Rave has theirs on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings 10am.  On Thursdays at 10am Carmike has $1.00 movies.  If your theater doesn’t have a Family Movies check out your local library.

 6) Many Saturdays Home Depot has a Free Build and Grow workshop  from 9 to noon.

 7) Usually on opposite Saturdays Lowes have Free childrens workshop from 10-1 register at www.lowesbuildandgrow.com 

 8) Many local museums have a free day in the summer or once a month discounted day to people who live in the area.  Hunter’s Museum have Free Admission on the first Sunday of the month. Creative Discovery Museum has Free Family Night on the second Thursdays of the month.

 9) Check out your recreation center or Y for Kids Time classes

 10) Your local crafts stores give classes.  Michaels is doing Free event for ages 3 and up Make a Fathers Day Key Chain plus others.  Check your local store for exact listing of classes.

 11) Go to www.kidsbowlfree.com and see if your Bowling Allie is involved.  Your children can bowl 2 games a day until September 15 for free.  They have a reasonable price for the parents passes too!

 12) Check out the ball game with a buy one, get one free offer from Kraft! Every Tuesday night, until September 6, 2011 you can enjoy a minor league baseball game and get one free ticket when you purchase a ticket, along with a wrapper from Kraft Singles. Get the details HERE are the geographic locations of minor league baseball teams across the U.S.: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/info/geographical.jsp Just bring a Kraft Singles package wrapper (just the wrapper!) to the ball park box office where you can purchase a Tuesday night game ticket and get one free. There are some minor league teams that are not participating, so be sure to check the “fine print” for a list.

 13) Rewards for Good Grades on the children report cards.

A.    Blockbuster
Students in kindergarten through 8th grade have one more reason to work hard in the classroom: If you earn an A or B average on your report card, visit a participating neighborhood Blockbuster store within 30 days of the issuance and receive one free movie rental.

B.     Chuck E. Cheese
Bring in your most recent report card and you’ll receive free tokens for good grades. Valid only with a food purchase. Up to 15 tokens maximum per child. All grading systems are accepted.

C.    Family Video
The video chain story continues its veeeery long-running “Report Card A” program (27-plus years). The plan allows students to receive a free overnight rental for every A they earn on their report card in any core subject.

D.    Limited Too (aka Justice)
Many, many places report the newly christened “Justice” will give girls $5 off their next purchase if they present a report card with passing grades within 30 days of issuance. I can’t find any information on the Justice site, however, so call ahead.

E.     Krispy Kreme
Participating Krispy Kremes will give one doughnut per A, up to six per child. Call ahead to make sure your shop takes part in this program as each Krispy Kreme operates as an independent.

F.     Pizza Hut
Earn three A’s, or the equivalent, and you’ll receive one Personal Pan Pizza and a small soft drink or carton of milk by presenting your report card to the manager. This offer is good for elementary and middle-school students. Dine-in only at participating restaurants.

I am still not as good at couponing as I hope to be.  But I have not paid any money for shampoo, body soap, toothpaste, razors or deodorant since November 2010.  AND yes, we do use them.  I was out of the in November and went to the store and got them free with coupons.  I have right now the 3 bottles of shampoo that we are using.  I have 2 bottles of body soap.  And we each have deodorant and razors.  BUT toothpaste we have a stock pile of about 4 tubes not being used.  I did all my shopping for these items at CVS.  You use their extra care bucks.  I have to make multiple orders but I spent $3 the first trip bought what I could for free and walked out with $3 extra care bucks for the next trip.  So I look at as I got it all free.

I save about 40% to 45% on my groceries shopping at Kroger using only coupons that they send me and my shoppers card.  In Chattanooga there is no Kroger’s and so I am learning new things.  I have also started buying the paper on Sundays to get coupons.

At Walgreen’s Monday they had their laundry soap (50 load) on sale from $5.49 to $1.99, Dawn hand dish soap $1.99 but there was a $0.99 Walgreen coupon and dental floss regularly $5 for $2 and get $2 back.  I bought the dental floss on one order $2.29.  The next order I bought the laundry soap and Dawn with the Walgreen coupon and $0.25 manufacture coupon in Sunday’s paper. The second order was $1.01  So I got all three items for less then I would have bought my laundry soap regularly!

I use
Coupon Mom http://www.couponmom.com/
Southern Savers http://www.southernsavers.com/
Time 2 Save http://www.time2saveworkshops.com/

For coffee I only purchase my coffee at World Market http://www.worldmarket.com/home/index.jsp
I usually spend about $1.99 to $2.29 a lb for the reg $5.99 to $6.99 coffee.  I join their coffee club.  only buy on Wednesday…that is double punch for every lb you buy.  only buy when they have their $10 off a $30 purchase coupon.  Ends this week!  I also try to have another $10 off coupon which I do because of Bill’s birthday on the 22nd.  I will buy 6 lbs of coffee for $10 to $14 and earn another 2 lb free.  Also I am working towards my $100 purchases which when I reach that I will get another coupon.

I love homemade Bread.  I love to eat it.  I love to make it.  I love the smell of it.  I love homemade Bread.  When our Lord said that He was the Bread of Life, He was talking to me! ( John 6:25-53 New International Version)  He tells me that I will never be hungry or thristy if I eat from Him, Believe in Him.

Well, with my love of Bread, Jesus, and homemade Bread, you can understand my heart break when my oven died!  My dear friend, Sarah, made me some of her wonderful homemade Bread.  Now you must understand, Sarah has 9 children the oldest is a 13 yo boy.  Her children are the most well behaved in all our Church.  She homeschools.  She helps in our homeschool co-op.  She is always available for everyone, including having her mother-in-law live with her.  AND she makes bread!! Yes, Sarah is a saint!  She might even walk on water.

Ok maybe I honor her too much but really she is a woman that most of us would strive to be.  And I would love for my dear children to behave like hers, so I do model myself after her.  I asked her for the recipe.  She said, “Oh it is easy.  You just throw….and put it all in the refrigerator!”  What? My mind was reeling.  She emailed me the desire recipe even though I knew there was no way I could make it, because of no oven, and I am not super woman.

BUT behold, I found out that you could bake in your crock pot.  I have 2! I just found a website 365 days of Slow Cooking.  Do you think… Could they tell me how to cook homemade Bread without an oven.  Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 He didn’t say, No one can have bread except through an oven. 

So with a recipe from 365 & Couldn’t be Easier.  I took Sarah’s recipe and I am baking in my crock pot with an even easier recipe and wow is it good.  AND Cheep!

“6-3-3-13? rule: If you want to store enough for eight one-pound loaves, here’s a simple mnemonic for the recipe: 6, 3, 3, and 13. It’s 6 cups water, 3 tablespoons salt, 3 tablespoons yeast, and then add 13 cups of flour. Store in a 10-quart lidded container. That’s it!  I told you it was too easy. 

She mixes up the recipe one evening, throws it in the refrigerator over night, the next day 1 1/2 hours before eating the bread takes out 1/4 of the mixture.  She form 2 loaves, but them near her oven to rise, 20 minutes later turns on her oven to 350.  When the oven it heated (20 minutes), Sarah puts it in for 30 minutes.  NO kneading, no letting raise for long times.

She says use up the mixture in 2 weeks.  So you have plenty of time to do so.

My family isn’t as large as sweet Sarah’s so I tweaked the recipe…It’s 1 ½ cups water, ¾ tablespoons salt, ¾ tablespoons yeast (1 pk), and then add 3 ¼ cups of flour.  It makes 2 loaves.  I don’t have to do the rise time because my crock pot does it.  I take my 1 loaf and place it in a sprayed loaf pan, put 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of my crock pot, place a trivet in my crock pot, & my loaf of bread in its pan.  Crock pot on High for 3 to 5 hours, it rises in the crock pot.  YES it isn’t brown but we have a toaster oven.

  5 Minute Bread has recipe ideas, books and details.

 I wrote this for myself and I am sharing it with my knitting sisters.  Really let me know your ideas.  I am planning a mystery and Bible study one day with it.  BUT you can test it until that time.

Messianic Scarf Pattern

This is the needed last chart that I couldn’t figure out how to get into the basice pattern file.

Messianic chart

Oh the original was worked bottom up but where it is on the scarf it would make the symbol upside down when you wear it.  So here is the chart top down!

Messianic chart top down

We are struggling with Spelling right now.  So I have come up  with helps to learn our Spelling Words.  I thought others might want to use them too.

Write Your Spellin1

Ok that didn’t work let me see if I can get it up soon.

(tune of “I Have A Little Dreydl”)

I have a living Savior
Who came to seek the lost
He came to live among us
And died upon the Cross!

Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
You came to seek the lost
Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
You died upon the Cross!

You sent the Holy Spirit
to bring Your Comfort in
And when my heart gets tired
I drop my head and pray!

Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

You came to seek the lost

Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
And died upon the Cross!
My Savior’s always loving

He ask us to let Him in
A happy living Savior
Come pray now, let’s begin!

Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

You came to seek the lost

Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
And died upon the Cross!

2 x 2

Two shoes kicked the door,

two times two equals four.

2 x 2 = 4

3 x 4

One – two – three – four,

One-two is three times four.

3 x 4 = 12

3 x 8

A tree on skates fell on the floor,

three times eight is twenty-four.

3 x 8 = 24

4 x 4
A 4 by 4 is a mean machine
I’m gonna get one, when I’m 16.
4 x 4 = 16

4 x 6
4 x 6 I’m hatching baby chicks
Ooooops!
I dropped them on the floor.
Would have been “eggs-actly” 24!
4 x 6 = 24

7 x 4
The animals are coming
7 x 4
Better open the gate
There’s 28!
7 x 4 = 28

4 x 8
4 x 8
Clean your plate.
I ate the ‘goo’
Now I’m thirsty-too! (32)
4 x 8 = 32

5 x 5

Two fives jump off the high dive,

five times five is twenty-five.

5 x 5 = 25

6 x 6
Six cold 6 packs

Thirsty-chicks will have for snacks.

6 x 6 = 36

6 x 7
Happy Birthday to Kevin
He’s 6 x 7
He blew and blew
‘Cause he’s 42.
6 x 7 = 42

6 x 8
Flight 6 x 8! Don’t be late!
Leaving at gate 48.
6 x 8 = 48

7 x 7
7×7 made with lines
Bend ‘em up and down to make 49.
7 x 7 = 49

7 x 8
7 packs of gum
Each with 8 sticks.
Open up, Big Mouth,
Can you chew all 56?
7 x 8 = 56

8 x 8
Eight times eight fell on the floor,

eight times eight is sixty-four.

8 x 8 = 64

9 x 9

He stood in line and ate a ton,

nine times nine is eighty-one.

9 x 9 = 81

I have set-up a group of spelling list for your use with Apologia Elementary Science books created by Jeannie Fulbright.   At Spelling City you can play games to learn these spelling words. 

http://www.spellingcity.com/Elem_Apologia_Science/

I will be adding other spelling lists as they apply to our family schooling but mostly it is Apologia Science.  I used the vocabulary words listed under the book and lesson.  So the first spelling list for Zoology 2 is called Zoology2.01 the next lesson is Zoology2.02 and so on.

Spelling City limits the words I can add. BUT I am adding them like the schedule says by our lessons.  So like there was 8 words on the schedule for Lesson 1 of Zoology 2 but Spelling City didn’t have 3 of the words in their word bank . . . I created the list with the 5 that they did have.  And there was one lesson that no words match so I just skipped that lesson.

I found other useful items from the homeschooling Moms at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Elem_Apologia_Science/

Other Spelling City pages you might like to explore are

http://www.spellingcity.com/resources-and-articles-about-spellingcity.html

http://www.spellingcity.com/index.php?option=com_spellcity&Itemid=69&lang=en&task=sampleLists

http://www.spellingcity.com/Find-A-Spelling-List.html

First of all I usually write History in one of two ways because it reveals the key to why I teach and learn the subject.  I write it HiStory or His-Story because it is learning the events of God getting Himself a Bride, Israel / the Jews and a Bride for Jesus.  Examples of Scriptures that show this is in:

Israel being God’s Bride Isaiah 62:3-5 and Jeremiah 2:1-2

The Church being Jesus’ Bride John 3:27-30; Ephesians 5:21-33; and Revelation 19:6-9

There are many more Scripture that support God and Jesus being husbands.  And Their desiring a bride / wife that loves them.

When I was praying over what time period to study for the school year 2009-10 God told me the World Wars.  I also added in a few fun things like Titanic, Wright brothers flying, heroines of the wars, and inventors of that time period (my daughter LOVES Science). 

We are finishing up our study on the Titanic, so this morning I was praying over what we were doing next in our His-Story class.  World War I (WWI) was the answer.  Ugh, I hate wars.  I asked God, ‘why do we go from the tragedy of a sinking ship to the whole world at war?’  God asked me, ‘how do you mark your life?  When you are remembering when something happened how do you remember the year?’  My answer was, ‘the GREAT joys or GREAT sorrows of my life.’  God said, ‘so do I.’

Moms you can remember events and know when it happened because it was before or after a child being born.  Or one graduating from high school.  Or one getting married.  Or before you were married.  Or after the death of _______ . Or before the divorce.  Or whatever.  Think about things in your life your own history. 

You remember dates because of GREAT joyful events or GREAT heartaches.  They so forever change your view of the world that they mark your timeline.  When you teach your children His-Story, teach them the heart sorrow of God or the heart joy of God that took place in that event.  They will learn it clearer if they feel God’s heart.  They will remember it more vividly and it will mean what God intended His-Story to mean.  Dates when come and go be learning to feel God’s heart will live forever in their lives.