Homeschooling with the Workbox System

One of the great things about being online is that you often stumble across something, follow a rabbit trail somewhere else, and never quite know where you will end up. So it was that I discovered Sue Patrick and her workbox homeschool system. There probably was a bit of divine intervention at work as well.

I have found that once you have moved on to your fourth child to homeschool, sometimes the initiative just isn't there. You've been down the road a few times already and it feels as if you've just finished teaching at that level. What I needed was a little inspiration and a new approach, not to mention that my normally born-organized self had become a little sloppy as of late.

My first exposure to the work box system was through a system of blogging homeschool mothers. Here are a few of the sites that I learned so much from:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LeslieNelsen/662628/

http://vegaadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-is-best-system-ever.html

http://ginger-snap-shots.blogspot.com/2009/02/workboxes.html

Their blog comments were so inspiring to me that I just had to find out for myself if this was a system that work with my two children still schooling at home, Goat Princess - 12 and H-Bob - 7. I was especially intrigued in that she recommended this system for children with self-control issues which we often deal with. After delving around Sue's site www.workboxsystem.com for awhile, I ordered her ebook and set about to read it.

What I found was that Sue's words were little gems to be treasured. She reminded me of why I was homeschooling and that not every system or curriculum will meet each child's need. She reminded me of the resources I have tucked away here and there that would be better utilized through this system.



What is the system? Well, I'd love for you to check out the details straight from her site, but in short order, each child's individual curriculum item is stored in a clear plastic shoebox that is stored on a shoe rack holding these twelve boxes. When each school item is completed, it is removed from the rack leaving a very visual reminder of what is left to accomplish. This has done wonders for both of my daughters and volumes for me. As a very visual learner myself, I can now see what we have left to do and am more motivated to fill up those boxes with possibilities for us each day. There is so much more to Sue's philosophy as well that just made perfect sense to me.

If you're feeling a little down about your homeschooling efforts or need a little boost or spark of creativity in your homeschool, check out Sue's sytem and the blogs of other homeschoolers who have found her to be a blessing to us all. I'd love to hear if you've heard of her work, and if so, if it has changed your approach to schooling as well.

Wii Fit Yoga Benefits

About one month ago, I became inspired by other mom blogger's success with their Wii gaming systems by using virtual fitness programs like Wii Fit. I did some research and put out feelers as to whether this was a passing fad or something that someone would stick with. As we already had a Wii system with the Wii Sports and Wii Play, I was familiar with how the system works and how it possibly could be an effective workout system. Short story, we purchased Wii Fit and launched into it full swing. All family members and a few friends quickly started their Mii profiles. As I had hoped, I am still sticking with the system and trying to be consistent with my exercise.

The Wii Fit has four aspects: yoga, strength training, balance, and aerobic activities. Although I have played around in all four arenas, my goal is to do the Wii Fit yoga every morning. I lead a fairly busy lifestyle but know the importance of adding aerobic activity. As my schedule allows, I have been trying to work into those activities. More often than not though, I haven't found the time. I would ideally like to alternate the aerobic activity days with the strength training which is equally important.



I am surprised that I have found the Yoga to be so worthwhile. To be honest, I could have told you zero about what benefits one would derive through yoga, and I am still learning. My intial reaction was that I was getting in some good stretching although my Wii trainer talks about body balance and control as well.

What I just read in the April 1, 2009, issue of Woman's Day about yoga was still more new news to me. A recent study of 120 women showed that of those women who practiced yoga were less likely to have symptons of perimenopause and menopause. Sounds like a good incentive to me. They were talking about just 2-3 yoga poses a day for five days a week. The recommended pose time was five minutes which I don't think the Wii holds you to. Something else to investigate.

As my knowledge of yoga is so basic, I plan to check out yogatic.com more thoroughly. The site has YouTube videos demonstrating yoga poses for specific needs that you might have: a bad headcold, neck pain, weight loss, and even a bad day. Womansday.com also has an excellent photographic sequence that shows 32 different yoga poses and breaks them down into four basic types: Sun Salutation Sequences, Energizing Sequences, Yoga for Hips, and Relaxing/Decompression. I was glad to see that the Wii Fit yoga poses follow these moves as well ensuring that I am getting a well rounded yoga workout.

Perhaps as my knowledge of yoga grows, I will be able to more fully appreciate the workout I'm getting through the Wii Fit. I have no plans to abandon Wii Fit for a more traditional yoga workout as I love the accountability that the Wii gives me. But as in everything in life, a little extra knowledge can go a long way to providing a more balanced approach to your endeavors.

Go turn on your Wii Fit, hold a few yoga poses, and make your Mii and yourself a little happier.

Frugal and Healthy Kitchen Tips

In my search to bring a frugal approach to my kitchen, I've started a few practices that I find most helpful. Not only do these little tasks save money at the grocery store, they save me time and just so happen encourage healthier eating habits. Here's how:



We all like to grab those little bags of carrots on the produce shelves because they've convenient. Let's face it, you normally don't wash them, they're bite sized, they're prepackaged and ready to take out the door. What's not to like? As I stood looking at them one day, I realized how much more expensive those bags were compared to a 5 pounder of carrots straight from the field with minimal processing. Price per pound, a 5 lb bag of carrots works out to .60 per pound while the prepacked minis are $2.72 per pound. I just couldn't do it any more. So with that in mind, my carrots come home with me and are peeled and cut up into sticks the same day. I store them with cut up celery in a gallon zip lock where they keep for the week. Few minutes trouble, but great savings. Bonus is that it is so easy to reach in there for a few when you get the munchies but don't really want to invest your daily calories in something non nutritious.



Along those lines, I've also started washing and cutting up broccoli, green onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and the like when I get the produce home, so that they are ready to throw into just about anything in order to up my vegetable consumption every day. Bonus is that the veggies you buy at the store are actually being used by the end of the week, and you're not throwing away expensive produce. I have a covered party tray that I use that truthfully is a little large for the refrigerator but is convenient for me. Baggies or symmetrical food storage containers would work just as well too.



Wondering what bacon is doing here when I'm referring to healthy foods? Well, I've been known to purchase the precooked bacon on the deli aisle because it is ready to throw into a sandwich for the kids lunch or garnish a soup. The mess of cleaning up a frying pan and finding a container for the fat was a pain. Of course, super healthy eating would dictate not even bringing the bacon home. However, all things in moderation are OK, right? Once again, the precooked bacon runs anywhere from $18-26 per pound. You only pay $2.50 or so but are just getting 2 or 3 ounces of finished product. Bacon on sale usually doesn't cost more the $2.50 a pound. Tell me, that's the more frugal way. But how to make it easy on the cook?



Take a microwave safe plate and two paper towels. Stack the paper towels and then fold them in half and lay across the plate. Place your bacon strips quite close to each other on the towel. Cover with another single paper towel that has been folded in half. I microwave these 6 or so pieces of bacon for about 4 minutes. The fat is absorbed by the towels, the bacon comes out nice and flat, and they slide right into a zip lock bag for what you might need them that week. Not a bad idea.



So there you have it. Cut up veggies. Precooked bacon. A few ways that I find helpful to save money and time in the kitchen. What simple ideas do you find helpful to trim a few dollars off your grocery bill in the way of preparation secrets? Do you have ideas that not only help save money but also time? Leave me a note. I'd love to hear what you've found helpful.

Pinto Bean and Ham Bone Soup

Week number three of our commitment to include a weekly dinner based on good ol' frugal and healthy beans focuses on pinto beans. As I had a lovely ham bone with trimmings still hanging on it from Easter dinner, this was the perfect marriage of extracting that ham flavor and infusing it into this lovely bean dish.



soaking pinto beans

Pinto Bean and Ham Bone Soup
1 ham bone with some meat left on
2 cups dried pinto beans
8 cups water to soak dried beans in overnight
6-8 cups water for cooking beans in; alternatively use chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce
cilantro

Using overnight soak method, place dried beans and 8 cups water in large stockpot to soak over night. Drain beans in the morning and prepare to cook them either on stove top or in a crock pot.


soaked and drained pinto beans

If using a crock pot, place ham bone, beans, 6 cups water, garlic, and onion in crock pot. Cover and let the crock pot do its magic. If cooking on the stove top, add ham bone, beans, garlic, and onion to 8 cups of water. (Crock pot method uses slightly less water as there is no steam evaporation during cooking.)



pinto beans with ham bone in crock pot

Check after three to four hours if using the crock pot or after two hours on the stove top to determine tenderness of beans. Also, add additional water if beans begin to dry out. Once they have softened and are finally cooked through, remove ham bone. Carefully cut off any ham remaining on the bone. Finely chop the ham and return it to the soup. Stir in green enchilada sauce and top with chopped cilantro. Check for taste and add salt and pepper if needed.



cooked pinto beans

Add some vegetable sticks or a salad along with some cornbread, and dinner is served.



finished pinto beans and ham bone soup (without cilantro)

This was especially good served over tortilla chips. You could also mash the leftovers and reheat them in a skillet to make awesome re fried beans.

Organizing and Planning Holiday Dinners

Well another Easter dinner has come and gone at our household. I don't end up cooking for a large group...just the six of us in our immediate family plus my mother usually.

As every holiday dinner approaches, I generally try to come up with something new or different, in other words, try to reinvent the wheel for some reason. But as of the last few seasons, I have taken another approach. Using a computer generated recipe program (I happen to have Big Oven) I have started to print out the recipes that I generally use for each holiday meal...Thanksgiving's turkey recipe, Christmas with its Egg Nog, and now Easter with the Crown Jewel Jello Salad and so forth. Now rather than drag myself down trying to come up with something new, it is far easier to pull out the folder with last year's holiday dinner menu and recipes and start there. I might also have put some notes down onto the hard copy of the recipe such as "too salty" or "be sure to make a double batch" so those tidbits of information won't be forgotten by the following year.

Sad to say, but our immediate family has never had certain "traditional" foods that the family could expect on any given holiday until recently. I decided I wanted our kids to remember our dinners and to even be able to look forward to them the next year knowing that there will be Mia's Potatoes or that wonderful Berry Trifle. There doesn't have to be something new served all the time, and this way memories and our own traditions will be formed.

I think it's working. I heard our oldest tell a friend that there were two pans of Mia's Potatoes! She was anticipating the leftovers already.