Dusted Off the Sewing Machine

Made a few quick projects. Gotta love Pinterest, right?

Catching Up

I have been the worst blogger ever. I haven't really been reading blogs either. Well, I have no excuses, other than being a slacker in this area. But here is an update for you.
I decided to take the fall semester off of school, I was suffering from a case of burn out after taking math all summer (Math 100, people. Like pre-algebra in high school!). We also took a dream vacation to Orlando and I couldn't see myself doing homework while waiting in line for rides. I'll do a separate post on that, lots and lots of pictures to share.
September and October are the best months in Astana because it is still warm enough to do things outdoors but you don't need a parka. I read a lot of books and enjoyed my school-free time. We made big changes in our homeschooling this year (I'll write a separate post with specifics) and it has helped our days run so much easier. Nikolas turned 7 and we had a small party before our vacation to celebrate. My friend made him a cake that looked like a pizza, it was a big hit. We really do watch too much television living here. We aren't big into museums or the opera, so there isn't much to do here. I'm hoping that when we move that we'll be a bit more adventurous.

Happy Birthday Nikolas!

Drum roll please! Speaking of moving! We got our next assignment, which will be Rio de Janeiro! We will be there fall of 2015 after vacation time and some basic language training. We are excited to be in Rio for the Olympics and the year round warmth. It is a huge change from Astana and I think it will also be a positive move for us. I plan on learning Portuguese. We receive a homeschool allowance and I want a tutor to come and teach the boys, I think our experience will be so different knowing the language. Hubs doesn't usually get a chance to learn a language but there is some time in between leaving here and arriving there, so they said it would definitely be beneficial for him to go. That means we'll have a nice break in the US before heading south.
We had a quiet Thanksgiving and Christmas. The only reason we were awake at midnight on New Years was because of all the fireworks. Are we getting old? Maybe. But I like it. I can't believe we've been thinking about retirement and what we'd like to do. An RV will definitely be involved and I hope to travel the US, it'd be nice to see the country we're from.

I've got to say that we are so incredibly blessed. I thank God every single day for this life and this man that only He could provide.

FMS Challenge 147

This card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #147. It is made with Stampin' UP! products, some current and some retired. The stamps are from set Show and Tell 1 & 2. Real red ink, baker's twine, and a clear button to finish off. To get inspiration visit Freshly Made Sketches and for supplies visit my personal Stampin' UP! site. 

Craft Organizer DIY

I am tired of pencils and markers in ice cream buckets! I was planning on purchasing something so I was cruising Pinterest to find some ideas and I found some different ideas. But I cam up with this mostly on my own. I cut paper towel rolls to size for pencils, shorter for markers and even shorter for crayons. I covered them in scrapbook paper (this is retired Designer Series Paper from Stampin' UP! [this is my link to my consultant page]) in corresponding colors. Red {for red and orange}, purple {for purple and pink}, blue, {just for all the blues}, green {for green and yellow}, brown {for all the browns and tans}, and black {for black, white and gray}. I used a sturdy box to put it all in (this is a box for our Nabi2 tablet and is really thick). I have hidden duct tape between all the rolls to hold it in really well. Those tubes aren't going anywhere! There is a little space in front of the crayons that is perfect for pencil sharpeners, glue sticks, and scissors. It really is perfect for us to use and keep out on the table during our lessons!

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge 145

I signed up to be a independent consultant with Stampin' UP! I've been a customer for many years and finally decided that I need to take the plunge. I love making cards and all kinds of paper crafts and home decor. I needed some inspiration, so I checked out the challenges at Freshly Made Sketches (Challenge 145). This is my first one! I am so excited to be crafting and stamping more often. It really brings joy into my day!

This is the link to my Stampin' UP! website.

Student Weeklies

I made workbooks for the boys for the first quarter of Mystery of History and I also decided to make them a weekly book that will span the same nine weeks as MoH.
Here is Joshua's. He is eight and entering third grade. He prefers a weekly layout of everything that needs to be done rather than a daily. He chose a red cover and will help me bind it. There are nine weeks of planners, daily drawings, gratitude journals, word searches and cursive practice.

from Money Saving Mom

from 1+1+1=1

I made this in MS Publisher

sight word-search from k12reader.com

from Confessions of a Homeschooler

 Nikolas will be seven in October and is starting second grade. He likes knowing what he needs to do each day, so he has a different style planner. His weekly includes copywork and daily drawing, as well as the gratitude journal. He loves to draw and he designed his cover.

from Motherhood on a Dime

from 1+1+1=1

I made this in MS Publisher

from Copycat Books

Getting Organized for the New School Year

I am a big planner and I love being organized but... I have a hard time sticking with the plan. Anyone else? I have purchased a lot of planners and printed a ton of free printable ones. This year I am doing something a little different though. My boys are becoming more independent and will have their own planners (that will be another post), so I will only be planning our group learning which will include (read about our curriculum choices here):

• Mystery of History Volume 1
• We Choose Virtues
• Zeezok Music Appreciation
• Supercharged Science

I am a planner addict and this is the planner [they are available at Staples and Office Depot just added a new line! also for a super nice version, check out Levenger] that I use and love, with my Frixion (ERASABLE!) pens and washi tape. Those are the 3M tabs that you can write on, I use those on my dividers because I like to be able to move things around. 

I have a weekly section that has areas for my life, blog/business, health, and (my) school; I got it from Polka Dot Posie. But the newest addition to my planner is a homeschool section. I have always used, or tried to use, a separate planner for homeschooling and, clearly, that was not working. Like my other planner, it helps to have everything in one place, and always with me. I looked all over the internet and pinterest and etsy to find one that I liked. I am lazy and I really didn't want to make my own. Why try to reinvent the wheel? I got the weekly planner here. I printed the weekly calendar on one side, and their note page on the other side, cut them in half (they are junior size, which is half a regular sheet of printer paper or 8.5" x 5.5"), and punched them to go in my planner. Here is a picture of how they look:

I have started filling them out and if all works out we should finish the first quarter of Mystery of History before our vacation in October. YAY! Well, that is my homeschool planner. I think I finally found something that will work. I love the note section next to the week, and also the small Sat/Sun at the bottom so I can remind myself of any prep work that I need to do. Off we go to year four of homeschooling!