Summer Sewing

I just love when my children get a "bee in their bonnet" about a project, they get so industrious and creative.  We are coming to the end of our 6 week lesson break and I thought I would show you one of our highlights.  It all started with a trip to the library and some American Girl Magazines that we brought home.  If you have not seen this magazine (we were a little slow to the party) check your library to see if they have a subscription, we love it.  The magazine is full of fun party/get together ideas, craft ideas, jokes, personal drawings and stories of real people, not models.  Well the little ladies, after pouring over the magazines, got into a crafting frenzy.  First, both E and K made bags out of old t-shirts.

This project came from the pages of the American Girl Magazine and was a complete no sew job.  The bags are easy to make (no I don't have a tutorial because I was leaving them to their own devices but you are all so creative, just google it or look on youtube), provide a lot of fine motor practice due to the cutting, tying and beading and the bags are oh so cute and useful.  It was also so sweet because when a neighbor friend came over later in the week, they had raided the friends' old t-shirt pile and E ended up with the opportunity to give her friend a craft lesson.

So, from there, the sewing books came out.  K wanted to make B a bag to put candy in during our local Fourth of July parade and man did my little girl impress me.  K's fine motor skills have improved by leaps and bounds since last summer's sewing activities, she sewed all of B's little bag by herself.  I was so blessed by her improvement in skills and her stick to it attitude to complete the project.

The E made a little pouch, button and all, from one of the sewing books.  She uses it to keep her "cell phone" in.

The two sewing books we use are My First Sewing Book and Sewing School.  Both books are filled with fun, cute and easy projects.  We also keep a large sewing basket for the children's needles, pins, thread, buttons and fabric.  I'm not showing it to you because it is so not picture worthy. It is a huge MESS!  Try as I might, that basket never stays neat, no matter how many containers or ziploc bags I use.

There are many summer days left that I am sure much more sewing, and crafts will occur.  If you need a few ideas to fill the long days I have 2 pinterest boards  For the Children and Kid Crafts and Concoctions.

Thanks for visiting and I would so love it if you left me a comment so we know you were here.

I am linking up with Montessori Monday.

Homeschool Favorites--An Easy Beginning

I was asked by a friend, who is just getting started homeschooling, what books do I recommend that she read.  I responded with, "well what are you looking for?" and her response was, "I don't even know where to start."  So I thought I would share some of my favorite books, blogs and resources.  This list is by no means exhaustive but the tools I have come across that have either inspired me or I have returned to time and time again.  This is a  great review for me as I have a little one I will be starting Kindergarten with in the fall.  However, if you have older children you will find this information useful as well because it spans many ability levels.

I have read many homeschooling books and these are my top three encouraging and inspirational selections:

Real Learning: Education in the Heart of my Home by Elizabeth Foss

I read this book 2 years ago, I think when hubs and I were in Napa and it was like my heart had been written on the page by someone else.  I love, love, love this book.  It is full of life experience, methodology and book lists for you children on various topics.The bummer thing is this book is out of print but if you find one get it, read it and mark it up.  Here is Elizabeth's blog

I Saw the Angel in the Marble and I Carved and Angel in the Marble.

These books are a compilation of essays published by the Elijah Company catalog many years ago and were so inspiring to me. I want to add these books to my summer reading list, again, but there is so little time.

There are so many other books I have found helpful in our homeschooling but these are my favorites.

If you are starting with preschool, kindergarten or first grade here are my favorite blogs filled with ideas and free printables.  Between these 2 blogs and a public library you could be all set.

1+1+1=1

Confessions of a Homeschooler

These 2 blogs will supply you with all you need to learn the ABC's and 123's in a fun and hands on method.

Here at the Middle of Somewhere we plan lessons with 2 things in mind, hands on(Montessori) and the use of a lot of literature (Charlotte Mason).  Here are my top 2 sources for planning literature based studies:

Serendipity 
Home of the Alphabet Path and wonderful studies in history and geography.

Homeschool Share
A wonderful site to explore whether you know what topic you want to cover or if you just want to do lessons based on great stories.

Keeping in line with our hands on learning here are 2 resources I return to over and over again to teach basic skills for all of our children:

Take it to Your Seat Phonics
Take it to Your Seat Math

The above resources are produced by Evan Moore and are available in all grade levels beginning with preK to 6th grade, so be sure to search for the level that you need.  Phonics and math are just the beginning of what this company has to offer they also have Take it to Your Seat for science, geography and writing, to name a few. If you are going to invest in these books, think about getting a laminator to make your folders more durable, especially if you hope to use the material with more than one child.

File Folder Fun
This is a free website with many hands on games to download and print for a variety of ages and topics.

If all of this looking around wears you out and you want an "out of the box" curriculum to guide you look at;

My Father's World
or
Heart of Dakota

There could be so much more to include and research and purchase (like all the Montessori things I didn't mention) but this is just a look at an easy beginning.  Each family is different and finding what works for you and your children often involves a lot of trial and error, that's okay, that's normal.  The material we like and where we find inspiration also changes with our family's season of life, interests and ages so be free.  Don't make the same mistake I did and think you should be able to pick material once, and set up a routine once, because if you do you will find yourself frustrated and scratching your head, thinking "I must be doing something wrong."  Flexibility is very important when planning each course of study. Above all seek the Lord for what and how he wants you to teach your children.  He will lead you, just follow.

The "Ultimate" Salad

Hi friends!  I've been missing in action and have thought of my dear followers many times and am just now carving out a few moments to post.  Life has been busy and good all rolled into one.  We have finished up our school year and are having a break before starting our summer term.  I hope to share our summer learning plan in the near future.

Some of you know that hubs and I are Beachbody coaches and really strive to live fit and healthy lives for both ourselves and our children.  As coaches we have challenged ourselves with workout programs like P90X, INSANITY (we have 2 brief appearances in the infomercial) and COMBAT.  Our involvement in Beachbody has done so much to enrich our physical lives.  Hubs and I completed Beachbody's Ultimate Reset last fall and one thing that has stuck with us is the wonderful salad that is eaten almost daily on the Reset.  I have had many requests to share a post about salads and salad dressings and I am finally getting it done.  So here are my salad suggestions and a few dressing recipes, the creamy garlic is my absolute favorite.

The Ultimate Reset Salad

Salad greens—we use a lot of spinach because it lasts long but definitely mix it up if you want

¼ c. shredded carrots

¼ c. chopped cucumber

¼ c. sliced red pepper

¼ c. sprouts

¼ c. tomato

1/3 c. toasted nuts—I like slivered almonds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Add any fresh herbs you like and top with a Reset dressing.

Other great things to add to salads:

Kalamata olives

Beans (protein)

Quinoa (protein)

avocado

Frozen corn

Roasted beets

Kalamata olives

Dried fruit—cranberries, raisins

Do Not add: (just because they are highly processed and at unnecessary fat and calories to your salad)

Bottled dressings of any kind

Crutons

Flavored nuts

Cheese

Meat

I really do not like the taste of bottled salad dressing, sure making your own takes a bit of time but is it oh so delicious.  I even traveled with my dressing on a recent women's retreat weekend and surprisingly received zero comments about it.  In college I always brought my own dressing to the cafeteria and was named "the girl with the salad dressing."  However, in those days it was bottled dressing just because I had a certain flavor preference.

Basic Vinaigrette—The Ultimate Reset

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. honey or raw agave

2 TBS. lemon juice

Mix in blender

Creamy Garlic Dressing—The Ultimate Reset

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

3 cloves garlic

3 TBS. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1 TBS. honey or raw agave

Mix in blender

And just for those with inquiring minds here is a quick fitness update.  Hubs and I have completed 60 days of P90X as training for Tough Mudder in July.  Hubs and I completed our first Tough Mudder in September and hope that the weather in July will be much warmer this time around.  I am taking a 30 Day Vegan Workshop online.  There have been some great recipes and fun articles to read.  I was interested in the workshop to gain another perspective on vegan eating and to discipline and challenge myself.  

What are all of you doing to stay fit and eat clean as we approach summer?

Spring Math Work

Hello, thanks for stopping to visit our little neck of the woods.  We have been busy enjoying spring and our unseasonably warm weather.  Here is a look at a bit of what all the children have been working on during math lessons

This is the Montessori Peg Board.  E and A were working on factoring numbers up to 30.  This picture is of A but I had really pulled this work out for E but when he saw the board A wanted in on the action.

K is working with the small bead frame making numbers, adding and subtracting.

Here K is working on her money counting skills using a file folder game.  She can do this folder completely by herself, I so underestimated her abilities.

Here A is practicing measuring skills using a ruler as he follows directions to build a house. This activity is from the book Shoebox Math.  This simple activity based book I have returned to over and over again for each of the children.

Quadrilateral sort for geometry.

B is working on counting from 1-10.  On this day we were using number tiles from the game Rummikub and old marker caps.



 We have faithfully stuck with our math rotation this school year and I am so happy with our progress.  We had 3 focus areas for math: geometry, fractions and operations.  I picked a focus area each month rotating between the 3 subjects and it has worked wonderfully.  We are currently working on geometry focusing on lines, triangles and circles.  Study Jams has been so great to add some video learning to our lessons when  
introducing or reviewing a concept.

I came across these funsheet books on Teachers Pay Teachers that may be helpful for fall or summer review.
Mastering Math Facts: Multiplication and Division
Polygon Explorations
Geometry: Exploring Basics

It is Montessori Monday and I am Linking up.

Quinoa Protein Brekkie Bowl--The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook

I have been sharing on Facebook and Instagram many meals that we eat here at the Middle of Somewhere and have had several requests for recipes.  Breakfast can be so mundane sometimes but I have found a few recipes to keep it healthy and yummie.  This recipe is anything but mundane yet so simple.

 I'll be honest, I was excited to try this alternative cereal but my children were not.  However, with our insistence each one ate it and liked it by the end of the meal.  Yes, I said insistence because sometimes that's what it takes when raising children, our insistence as parents that they do something.  Don't be thrown off track by tears and poor attitudes but insist on your children meeting your family's values.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup golden rasins (i used cranberries)
pinch cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS agave or maple syrup
pinch salt
unsweetened almond or coconut milk to top it all off

Cook the quinoa according to your package directions. (I cook quinoa the same way I do rice, in the rice cooker.  I have also made this recipe just using left over quinoa from the night before.)

Heat oven to 350  and toast your almonds and coconut.  Watch it, it burns fast.  Or you could also use a pan on the stove top to toast the coconut and almonds.

Now it is time to build your bowl.  Put all the ingredients in your bowl and top with the milk.

Keep in mind the recipe says this serves 2, so for our family I at least double the recipe.

It is fun to try new things and remember don't just try things once because new flavors sometimes take awhile to get use to.  Enjoy!

This recipe is from The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook.

How We Study History--Spotlight on Greece

Hello Everyone!  Today is Monday and I'll be linking up with Montessori Monday.  If you want to see what others are doing in their homes to bring a Montessori, hands on education to life, take some time and check out the links.
Today I am talking about history. I am not an expert but just desire to share what works for us as we have gone through so much trial and error in this area.  Isn't that what so much of raising children and home educating is about? Trial and error and finding what fits for your unique family.  So at this point here is what is working for us in the history department.

We are currently taking a look at ancient Greece but I think this type of plan can be followed for any era in our study of history.  We started out by borrowing Drive Through History Greece from a friend.  This series is very informative, written with an integration of christian and secular history and entertaining.  I hope to add these to our library this summer.  Then the children completed our Europe Geopuzzle for a refresher on where Greece sits in the world.

After our video and puzzle introduction we began reading through A Child's History of the World and completing many of the supplementary funsheets and activities.  Donna Young has a great suggested schedule for reading through a Child's History of the World. We also search you tube videos related to our course of study. We found a video on  The Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the children drew notebook pages and copied or wrote their own narrations. They have also completed other notebook pages and writing assignments as they have arisen for example, the Trojan Horse.

We have also been working our way through the book Draw and Write Through History Greece and Rome.  Both  A and E(9 and 10) have been enjoying these books.  A draws the pictures and then narrates to me everything he knows on the given topic and E either writes her own narrations or practices her cursive with the copywork provided in the book.  For our family this series is wonderful and if we miss something this either fills in the gaps or summarizes our readings.

Another addition to our studies is the reading of Cobblestone/Cricket Magazines.  On there website you can order back issues of their magazines, check it out, the topics are endless.  This had been hubs favorite way to hear us studying history when he is around.  The magazines have great pictures and stories.  Many times I have ordered the issues that focus on what it was like to be a child in the time era we are studying.
One last note, we always include an afternoon read-aloud on the era we are studying.  For Greece we are reading Theras and His Town and for Rome we will be reading Detectives in Togas.  Also E daily reads a biography on a famous America and journals about her readings.

So there ya have it, our history method in a nutshell.  I like to keep it simple and interesting bringing in different modes of media when possible.  Let me know if your family does anything similar or if this has been helpful to you.  Blessings!

Euphoria Nuggets

Two weeks ago I was having my own little Instagram/Facebook party to hold myself accountable to eating a daily snack.  An afternoon snack really keeps me well nourished and staves off unnecessary snacking while prepping dinner.  I know all of this in my brain but sometimes, I don't feel like having a snack or time gets away from me so I skip it and usually regret it because I come into mealtime to hungry.  So I took a week and posted several pictures showcasing my snacks and Euphoria Nuggets were one of my snacks.  I found these wonderful treats after our Ultimate Reset in October and they are so, so good.  The nuggets were my first treat after the reset and all the flavors and sweetness were much appreciated by my taste buds.  The recipe is from the Karma Chow Cookbook, which if full of wonderful plant-based recipes.  The Euphoria Nuggets are listed in the dessert section but once you read the ingredients you will see why I think they are also a great snack.  These nuggets are a sweet treat but also packed with protein and when given the choice over a nugget or a protein bar for a snack I would pick the nugget hands down.  I hope you enjoy them as much as our family does.

Euphoria Nuggets

1 C. shelled sunflower seeds
1/3 C. pitted dates

Chop in food processor until the seeds and dates are a fine meal then add:

1/2 C. almonds
1/3 C. raw agave (I have used maple syrup as well)
3 TBS raw cacao powder (cocoa powder would work here as well but I really like the raw cacao)
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Process till blended together then place mixture in frig. for 10 minutes.  Roll into balls and enjoy.  I keep these in the frig. or they also freeze well.  Enjoy!

Don't let the picture detour you from trying this recipe.  I know blogs are a lot about the pictures but I am a homeschooling mom with a single income and that does not afford me a lot of time or money for a camera and the necessary study to make great pictures.  I wish it was different but thanks to you all who hang in there with me even though I don't offer the wonderful eye-candy that can be found in so many other places,.

I wrote about some of our Reset experiences here, here and here.

If you want to follow along on Instagram I am tgarb6

Playdough in 5 Minutes

Our playdough spontenaity all started with this coupon that the little ladies clipped from the paper

 and ended with this oh so cute cake creation from the Play Doh Cake Makin Station.

If you have been reading here for awhile you know we like play dough.  Some mom's don't because of the teeny tiny bits that are hard to clean up but give a child a hand vac and it is no problem.

We have several Play Doh sets like the one above and the latest set to join the ranks is the Candy Cyclone, seen below.  The children love the Cyclone because it makes Play Doh gumballs.

Well seeing as how the children had a Play Doh coupon and how I was not going to drive 45 minutes to the nearest Target, we made our own.  Our recipe comes from this book:

The Busy Book is a long forgotten gem in our household but when it comes to DIY playdough it is what I reach for every time.  Here is our favorite recipe from the book and it really does take 5 minutes.  The littles love to play with the final product and the older children love to work the stove and mix the ingredients.

Combine in a saucepan and heat until warm:
1 cup water
1 TBS. vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 TBS. cream of tartar
food coloring

Remove from the heat and stir in:
1 cup flour

Dump out the dough and knead until smooth.

See it is a very simple and quick recipe.

Now have fun with one of the sets I mentioned above or strike out on your own and make something like this:

Isn't that a cute face to start the week with?

I'm linking up with Living Montessori Now.

More Fractions

Sticking with my plan to rotate between, fractions, geometry and operations studies in math means an update is in order.  Deciding where to go in our fraction studies has been frustrating and it is one time that after pulling all of me resources I wished I had a more concise program to follow, every program seems to teach fraction in a different sequence. So, excuse the mish mash but here is what we studied in our last rotation, I hope it helps.

We used our Fractions of a Pizza game to review our previous fraction identification work.  A bit to easy for the bigger children but still fun for the younger.

I cannot say enough about the usefulness of our fraction circles.  We used them to review addition and subtraction of fractions and then moved on to finding equivalents and reducing fractions.

I love this picture, my boy is so handsome plus this is what homeschooling a boy is like, he has to have a monkey  on his back, a shirt over his head, sounds coming out of his mouth and feet rocking something.

finding equivalents

reducing fractions with a homemade booklet

making fractions

We also used our Fraction Contraption game to find equivalents.

I quickly realized when we moved on to multiplying and dividing fractions that K was not going to keep up so I provided her with a few activities of her own like this fraction match up activity:

We also used videos from Kahn Academy and Study Jams to introduce or review concepts as needed.

We are currently in our operations rotation using the peg board, stamp game and small bead frame, I'll share about that soon.

Go check out Living Montessori Now to see what other Montessori Inspired homeschoolers are teaching their children.

Have a happy week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Life Outside Homeschooling

Well. it is Montessori Monday and I want to make a post but so much is swimming in my head, like my to do list.  I actually thought I wouldn't post today but here I am. How about a look beyond our home education?

We are an imperfect bunch being perfected (very slowly) day by day to hopefully to bear fruit for our Lord.  I wish I was perfect, I wish I didn't make mistakes, get distracted, loose my patience or yell.  But guess what I live in a house with 5 other people so friction is bound to happen when the demands of life stack up on this wife and homeschooling mama.  I remind myself that it is only 4 but some days it feels like a whole lot more.  I have been in desperate need of encouragement lately in the area of parenting.  So yesterday I sat in the warm sunshine and reviewed all of my bible study notes on parenting.  Many of the notes on parenting actually just pertained to good old christian living.  So after my time of  review this is what I came up with for my parenting job description:  to teach my children with encouragement and gentleness and to diligently discipline them with careful instruction.  It was amazing to me how just spending a small amount of time with my bible notebook, God was able to speak and I could hear.  Now, to just put teeth to His instructions.  Pray for me.

So, how about that closer look at our life outside home lessons?

 Here is hubs.  He is the man of most women's dreams and mine.  He works hard, cooks and sews and is easy on the eyes.

Making pasta.

Fresh mozzarella made by hubs.

He also makes wonderful waffles, pancakes, crepes, cinnamon rolls and breads.
 Hubs wears many hats, he is a civil engineer, Beachbody fitness coach, a tax guy and a ski coach.  The ski coaching is all so we can enjoy days like these:

Our children are close to fearless, it is hard to see the magnitude of this half-pipe.  But, they all ski down it, "catching air" when they can.  Note the small figure to the right of the picture?  That is B.

Daddy and K.

B and me. I was once scolded for wearing a sweater with a bow on a ski day.  I was told skiing if for old clothes.  I think I am sporting the right look now.

We love a good bargain because we are frugal at heart .  All of our equipment was bought used from Craig's list, the thrift store or a local sports exchange.

I love this boy but homeschooling him is just plain hard sometimes and being home taught by me is no cake walk either.  Ask him, I'm sure he would agree so we press on toward the prize as iron sharpens iron.  He is a handsome lad.

The beauties of the family.  We shop at Winco.  It is a lot of work but saves a lot of money.  Did I mention we are frugal? Winco and the bulk bins support our financial constraints. Why do I have a picture of my daughters in the grocery store?  Project Life of course.

We nap for a long time around here.  Our 6 year old still naps every 2 weeks or so.  I need the break and so do they.  So from 1-3 ish, I strive to have a quiet house so we can all rest.

And if you didn't know it we are small town people and love our purple mountains' majesty.  

 So how about you?  What is life like outside of homeschooling?

Games for Learning and Fun

I don't know about you, but do your children always want lessons to be fun?  Mine do, just even this morning E prayed that school would be fun.  I remember a high school teacher who taught geography and economics, going off one day about children expecting learning to be fun and entertaining.  "Fun" is a pet peeve of mine.  Yes, I want my children to be excited about their learning and engaged with each topic, but "fun" is not always possible or beneficial.  Since the beginning of time we were placed on this Earth to work.  Remember after all, God gave Adam a garden to tend.  I have read many books, blogs and articles in an effort to bring interest and fun to our learning but never the less, boredom (there has even been boredom to tears), disinterest and negative attitudes sometimes prevail.  I have given up, sometimes learning is not fun and just has to be done.  "Boring" lessons is where character training begins and for me that is the hardest thing about homeschooling.  The character training never goes away, whether in the home, out of the home, during lessons or not during lessons, these people, myself included, need to be trained to persevere even when they have a job that is not fun.

All that being said, here is a look a some of my attempts to bringing "fun" to our learning.

Math Games

Money Exchange game from The Education of Ours.

Pizza Fraction Game from Lakeshore Learning.  A great game to practice recognizing fractions.

Fraction Contraption  from Lakeshore Learning (sorry, I couldn't find the link).  This game teaches fraction equivalents.

Geography Games

A fun U.S. Geography game from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational.  This is my favorite blog for free game printables and ideas.

I would love to add Sequence Stated and Capitals to our game collection.

So dust off the games and try bringing some "fun" to your home learning day.  Our fun for the day--watching Drive Thru History: Greece and the World and maybe a bit of file folder games.

I'm linking up with Montessori Monday.

Saturdays & Free Time

I always feel so bad that our younger children do not receive as much creative arts time as our older children did in their primary years.  Well I figured out how to add it in---Saturdays.  Saturday is the perfect day for  us to enjoy some creative time that is not available during the week.  Now, I know Saturdays are a day off so to speak, not another day of education, and I whole heartedley agree.  I just keep a mental (and sometimes on paper) list of quick creative activities that might engage the children.  So I thought I would share a few of their recent endeavors:

K painting a flower.  I picked up several small wooden shapes for the children to paint at Michael's, I think they were $.25 each.  These shapes were stocking stuffers but would also be great for Easter hunts or baskets.

Sensory play with shaving cream.  I think next time I will add a bit of food coloring for some color mixing fun.  I can hear B's excitement now.

This was an idea I saw last summer on Pinterest.  It is baking soda on a sheet pan then a dropper is used to drop vinegar mixed with food coloring.  Fun.

Painting with watercolors.

More watercolors.



Picture book reading is also another wonderful Saturday activity to pull out.  The younger set also have been read to far less than our older children.  Saturday reading makes me stop my tasks and focus on time with my children to enjoy quiet moments of togetherness.  You can see below that I like to mix our reading up with some classics, some seasonal stories and some stories in areas of interests, trains for example.

 All of the above activities were things I suggested when the children came to me needing something to do.  Now here is a look at the creative things they come up with on there own during free time.

I know it is winter around here when our stairs become cluttered with race track and cars.  This track is a darda track that we have loved to death.  The cars are long since broken but it is still a great create your own set with lots of options and fun. And yes that is a giant pile of cars at the bottom of the stairs, many we have bought and many more have been passed down to us from friends and family.

Playdough! Here you see the playdough cake set and candy shop.

Perler beads.

And somedays even if it is cold we go and enjoy our neighborhood school and play for awhile.

If you need some activity ideas check out our Kid Crafts and Concoctions board on pinterest. Also the blog Let's Explore has a monthly play list that I keep in my planner to stimulate ideas.

What do your children do with their at home free time and weekends?

It's Montessori Monday, go have a look!