In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Now it's time to share Mr. B's new room with you. He has a space-themed room, with heavy overtones of Star Wars. Yes, we are Star Wars geeks around here.

First, let's begin with the *BEFORE* photo:

It was painted a rather dark shade of terra cotta, once again sucking all of the light out of the room. (I told you this house had lots of room-shrinking, dark colors).

We painted three of the walls a very light gray. The third, and largest, wall we painted a dark blue. I was a bit worried that the dark blue might be, you know, too dark. But the room looked SO much bigger once it was painted. Having the three light walls really opened it up!

My hubby finally got to use those posters he saved from back when the original three movies were re-released at the theater. And he also found a great use for his {rather large} collection of light sabers. I love the way he hung them in between the film posters, they look great!

I also found a great way to continue using our paper mache solar system from last school year. It was just too cool to toss, but we didn't really need it in our learning room this year. So the space-themed bedroom was the perfect choice. It looks really cool hanging over the head of Mr. B's bed. He likes to look at them while he's lying there.

Another little redo for this room was the nightstand. Previously, Mr. B didn't have one so I've been on the look out. Vince found this one for me on a local website and got it for $10! It was just the right size and after a coat of the same blue paint that's on the wall it looks perfect!

Here's the *BEFORE* shot of the nightstand:

Vince also whipped up this Star Wars clock for Mr. B last Christmas by redoing an old, baby-ish looking clock that had stopped keeping time. With a new clock kit, scrapbooking paper, stickers and some Mod Podge from Hobby Lobby it was like new! Turned out really great.

Mr. B also has this bookcase that is full of his treasures. I'm planning to also paint this blue as well. But as with The Princess' furniture, that will have to wait a bit.

Thanks for taking the tour of Mr. B's room with me, it's been a fun room to do! Now if I could just get those Legos organized, but that's a whole other post:)

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispy Treats

It doesn't get any easier for this yummy Fall treat!

Grab yourself a bag of pumpkin spice marshmallows, a bag of candy corn and a box of Rice Krispy cereal (you can see that I went for the generic brand and it works fine). Then take a half-stick of butter from the fridge and you're ready to make these.

1. Melt the 1/2 stick of butter on low heat in a large saucepan

2. Pour in the bag of marshmallows; stirring until they're melted.

3. Dump in 6 cups of the cereal and stir well to coat.

4. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and spread it out. (It helps if you rub some butter on your hands and then use your hands to spread it into the pan).

5. Next, take your candy corn and press them into the mixture in whatever pattern you would like. You could also cut shapes out with Fall-themed cookie cutters and then decorate the shapes with the candy corn.

6. Let the pan cool and set for just a bit before biting in (if you can!).

A New Bedroom For the Princess

The Princess' room is finally done! (Well, except for the fact that I'm planning to paint all of her furniture white...but that will have to be another month). She is so happy with the way it has turned out and I really am, too!

To really appreciate her room now, you need to see the *BEFORE* shot:

Yep, that's some kind of raisin color. If you looked at it one way it looked brown, but another angle might make it look dark purple. Either way, it didn't match anything and it made the room feel so small. (Dark, room-shrinking colors has been a theme with this house that we have had to combat. But, hey, paint is easy!).

So her room has been repainted with a lovely light, bright pink and accented with bright orange dots of various sizes. Vince did all of the painting, stenciling the dots by using a dinner plate, a casserole lid and a cd. We're resourceful around here! The dots are in a sort of band around the room in the center of the walls. And the band of dots is just a bit wavy~I like that.

Above her bed is the Target knock-off owl canvas that we made and also an adorable canvas with names for a princess that I picked up on sale at Hobby Lobby (the only new thing I've bought for her room).

This is one of my favorite set of photos that I have framed of The Princess from when she was about 4. The *Princess* word cut-out is separate and I liked the way it sat on top of the frame, just in the center of that big orange dot. Things like that make me smile:)

I thought The Princess might be ready to tuck her teacups away for now since her room decor was no longer in soft colors with no antique plates on the walls, but, no, she wanted her teacups. I think they look great in here, too.

Her bookcase is filled with tons of books, dolls and treasures of all kinds, of course.

We also got our new blinds in for the house~yea!!! And they look great!! I do plan to dress up the windows with some fabric, but for now this will do. I'm just happy to have privacy again.

Thanks for taking a tour of The Princess' room with me!

Homemade Spaghetti-o's

I love it when I can make something from scratch that we formerly purchased processed. I do still purchase a few processed foods (mostly things like rice mixes or canned veggies), but I have greatly reduced those buys.

One thing I hadn't stopped buying until now has been Spaghetti-o's (usually the generic label). My kids love them~I don't~but they are an easy lunch. However, thanks to Pinterest (love!) I have found a great little recipe for a homemade version. I made it yesterday and it was a hit! I even liked them:) If your kids like Spaghetti-o's, try these. You'll feel much better about what you're serving your kids.

Homemade Spaghetti-o's

(adapted from this post)

1 large (28 oz.) can tomato sauce (smooth)

4 cups water (I actually left this out to make a thicker sauce)

1 garlic clove, minced (I used garlic powder)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

14 oz. small ringed pasta

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

*****

Pour tomato sauce into saucepan. You can add the water now, if you are using it.

Add garlic, pepper, salt and sugar.

Heat on medium heat until sauce simmers, stirring often.

In the meantime, cook the pasta until al dente; drain. Add the butter to the pasta.
Add the milk and cheese to the sauce, stirring to melt the cheese.
Finally, add the pasta to the sauce, mixing well.

Serve to the kiddos and watch them smile!

Menu Plan Monday: Sept 26th

Last week was sort of a lazy dinner week. Vince took me out one night for a yummy German dinner for my birthday (it's fun discovering new places to eat in our new hometown) and another night we had dinner with some new friends at their house.

Now to get back into the swing of things this week:

Monday: PW's Perfect Pot Roast (this is amazing every time!) with mashed potatoes & gravy
Tuesday: Beef Stew with Veggies (The Princess' night to help cook)
Wednesday: Creamy Cheddar Soup

Thursday: Hawaiian Bacon Pizza with Salad
Friday: Chicken & Wild Rice Dressing with Green Beans and Rolls
Saturday: {leftovers/snacks}
Sunday: to-be-determined

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

TRI-CROSS: A Game Review

I have to say my kids are absolutely loving these opportunities we are getting to review some cool games with TOS Homeschool Crew. I'm loving it, too!

Most recently we've had the chance to learn and play what's being hailed as the "new chess game": TRI-CROSS by Games For Competitors. It's a game of strategy, critical thinking and problem solving. All traits we want our children to develop, right? Well, this is a fun way to help with that!

The game is advertised as being for ages *8 and up*, but my 6-yr-old son is hanging in there pretty well with the rest of us when we play~because we like to play as a family. Of course, the more you play the better you get at strategic plays and that skill increases with age. Starting young at these types of games is a wonderful way to develop that critical thinking skill though. I can remember playing so many wonderful board games with my parents as a child and enjoying the strategic process so much.

TRI-CROSS is said to be something of a cross between checkers and chess. I think it has the strategy of chess with the faster pace of checkers. While the game of chess can go on for sometimes hours, TRI-CROSS can be played in around 20 minutes~perfect for younger kiddos!

As with any game, it can take a couple of rounds to really get the hang of it. There is are some great little videos on the TRI-CROSS website though that can help you get a jump-start on all of the *how-to's*.

This game has won many awards, one being the *Best Green Product of 2010* from Dr. Toy for the eco-friendly version of TRI-CROSS. The game board is made from cloth and the game pieces are in a little cloth pouch~all of which tucks conveniently into a slightly larger cloth pouch. We also received one of these and I can't wait to take it on our next trip! It's the perfect size for travel~or for someone who doesn't have a lot of room for games.

Besides the standard board game style of this game, they also have a lovely wooden edition available along with the eco-friendly version. You can buy them easily from the website or you can also check for local stores that may carry it. The games range from $19.95 to $35.95. With the holidays coming up, these would make awesome Christmas gifts~something for the whole family! Go check them out!

Our family gives it "high marks"! I like that this will be a game we can play for a long time to come and the kiddos won't be "outgrowing" it. Because I have such fond memories of family game nights I love making those memories with my kids, too.

Disclaimer: I received two free copies of this game through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew and Games For Competitors in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. The thoughts expressed here are completely my own.

Be sure to see what other TOS Homeschool Crew members had to say about this game!

The Weekly Wrap-up: Turkish Delight, Picasso & a Movie

Wow! This has been one.full.week. It has seriously flown by and been jam-packed~with good stuff though!

We started last weekend off with a visit from my parents. The kiddos were SO happy to see their Nana and Papi. My dad had just returned from Turkey and brought them some real Turkish Delight candy. What a hit! I mean just look at those smiles:

We are huge Narnia fans around here and I have just recently started reading through the entire series with the kiddos so the Turkish Delight arrived at the perfect time:)

Next up we got to attend a Nature Fest at the local nature center. We are still learning about our new hometown and I love checking out events like this. We all had a great time! The kids got to do all sorts of things, such as make birdfeeders, learn about birds, touch a black woolly caterpillar, take a hay ride, go for a walk through the woods and more.

We even got to take a canoe ride on the ponds. I have a feeling we'll be visiting Jeffer's Bend often. Nature centers are a favorite of our family.

In school this week:

We continue to do some review in Math, which is going well. It's not to much review, but seemingly just the right amount to combat summer brain drain:) We are still liking Singapore Math very much.

Mr. B has also been enjoy some extra math activities using this book.

Language Arts are going well with both kiddos. The Princess is doing great with Total Language Plus and enjoying reading through Charlotte's Web. Mr. B is doing great with First Language Lessons, learning The Caterpillar, by Christina Rosetti and his reading seems to be starting to take off~so proud of him!

Our Science book about astronomy is nearly done~just one more lesson on the constellations and we'll be finished with it. Whoo hoo! It's been a great study.

We've paused a bit this week in our history book this week to read more about Odysseus in The Children's Homer. They are ver

y interesting stories and I thought it would be fun to read them before we moved on from the ancient Greeks.

We talked more about Picasso this week and studied his painting Three Musicians. The kiddos had fun coloring a version of the painting.

There was actually a lot of painting going on at our house this week. The kids spent quite a bit of their spare time around the kitchen table painting~they love to do that and I love for them to do that.

We also celebrated my birthday this week, so our school schedule for Wednesday was pretty relaxed. We like to take birthdays *off* around here.

Since we usually don't do book work on Fridays due to homeschool group meetings, field trips, etc., we used yesterday morning as *home ec* time: time to put the house in order! Then we enjoyed some park time in the afternoon with our homeschool group. And afterwards we took the kiddos to see Dolphin Tale. What a great family-friendly movie, we all enjoyed it! I'm so glad this has been heavily promoted to the homeschooling community. It's worth taking the kids to see. And our support has made Hollywood pay attention! So if you don't have other plans this weekend, you should check out this movie. There is even some FREE curriculum on dolphins that you can download for your kiddos!

And that's a wrap for this week! Have an awesome weekend~we're off to buy the kiddos some Fall/Winter clothes since they're growing out of everything.

This post is linked to the Weekly Wrap-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Getting Into Geometry: A Review

This past month I've had the opportunity to review Getting Into Geometry from Aims Education Foundation. This book is geared toward K-1st, although I think it would have even been great for us for Pre-K~K5.

The main sections in the table of contents are:

• 2-D Shapes
• Composing and Decomposing Shapes
• Symmetry
• 3-D Solids
• Spatial Relationships: Location/Position
• Playful Practice (games)

The lessons~a total of 50~are laid out nicely for a classroom, but also work well at home. They give key questions, the learning goal, materials needed list, instructions and more. And there are reproducible pages for nearly every lesson. You can see an example of some of the reproducible pages here. Oh, and did I mention it comes with a cd?! Very helpful!

My son has really enjoyed the activities we've used from this book~and I plan to use more throughout the year as well. He's a very hands-on learner and enjoys crafts, games, etc. very much. His favorite activity so far has been the t anagrams. He is a big fan of those (and puzzles in general) and really did well with these.

This book would be a great addition for your pre-school through 1st grade students!

Aims has a wonderful selection of activity books and more for math and science on their website, including a special page for homeschooling and sample lessons to download. Go check them out!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Getting Into Geometry through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew and Aims Education Foundation in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. The thoughts expressed here are completely my own.

Be sure to visit TOS Homeschool Crew blog to read what more moms thought about Aims!

Somebody Slow Down This Train

I need the world to slow down. Just a bit, please. I feel like I have been in a whirlwind lately.

I suppose that's normal when you're still settling in from a huge move, remodeling a house, starting back to {home}school and adjusting to becoming a pastor's wife. And that's just the big stuff. There's all the little oh-so-daily stuff, you know.

Don't get me wrong: I am loving this ride! I am just feeling a bit overwhelmed lately with the enormity of the changes in our lives. We are so very happy in our new hometown and state. I couldn't be happier with the way our kiddos are adjusting, which is perfectly. They love it here! I do, too.

I am just in desperate need of some organizing, I think. I start to get a little nuts when things at home aren't in order. And that's how I've been feeling lately. I so love for my home to be a true haven and right now I'm not feeling it.

We have so many projects going right now and it seems like there's some little thing holding them each up so that none can be completely finished. It all just takes time. But I'd really like for the house to be done...yesterday:) I could use about 12 extra hours in my days right now, too, please.

BUT we are making progress! The kiddos rooms are practically done~can I get a hallelujah?! I plan to be blogging all about them by next week. Can't wait to show you~I think they turned out so great.

And I am nearly ready to *reveal* our new learning room. Just a few things left to do.

So, it's not all unfinished projects. A task completed it such a lovely thing.

Well, the Cat Is Out Of the Bag

It's official.

I turned the big 4~0 today.

No, I don't really feel any differently. It's just kind of weird to say *forty*.

I almost didn't tell you, but I knew I'd have some of my *old* friends out me on Facebook anyway...ha

And Vince is officially calling me a *cougar* LOL

You see, I'm 4-1/2 years older than him. There... I just told the world (at least those of you who are reading this:) There was a time when I would have been uncomfortable telling that, but since certain celebrities have really, truly robbed the cradle in recent years, 4-1/2 years just didn't sound like a big deal anymore.

So I am enjoying life and being my own age (no one ever guesses he's younger anyway~which just irks him...heehee).

Besides, I hear that life really begins at 40~so let the fun begin!

Menu Plan Monday: Sept 19th

Boy, this time of the week sure does come quickly these day! I like to sit down and make my menu plans on Sunday afternoons. It just sets the right tone for beginning the week. I also like to check the weather forecast and look over my calendar to make sure I haven't forgotten any special events that we have planned. Oh-and then I always need to check my freezer and pantry before completing my shopping list. What does your menu planning session look like?

Here's this week's menu:

Monday: Northern Beans with Buttermilk Cornbread
Tuesday: {date with my hubby!}
Wednesday: Cheddar Broccoli Quiche
Thursday: {missions banquet}
Friday: Hawaiian Bacon Pizza with Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
Saturday: Chicken L'Orange

Besides my these dinners I have a few other recipes that I plan to make this week as well:

~Stoveless Tomato Sauce: I have several large tomatoes that need to be eaten and I think this would be a lovely way to use them and a great way to break in my new immersion blender!

~Homemade Spaghetti-oh's: My kiddos love spaghetti-oh's, but I have to admit I hate buying them. They just don't seem nutritious at all. However, this looks like a great take on them and I think my kids will love it for lunch!

~Party Mix: Fall just isn't Fall around our house if there isn't some of this to munch on! I'm craving some right now!

~Chopped Apple Cake: It's my grandma's recipe and it's Ah-mazing! Since it's one of my all-time fave Fall foods I think I'll make it this week as a birthday cake for myself:)

OK, I guess I'd better stop there. This cooking business is getting out of hand!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Weekly Wrap-Up: Greeks, Mandolins and the Zoo

Whew! We've got 2 weeks under our belt for this school year already! It's been a fairly good week overall. I feel like I am still getting organized though~and that's a little tough for this type-A mama.

Our new learning room is almost done. I am SO ready for it to be finished. There's just a little bit of painting to be done, a couple of things to be hung and my workboxes to finish up. I can't wait to blog it:)

As for the lesson planning, I am going a few days at a time...which is driving me a little nuts! Last year when we started school I had September through January all planned out. Now that's not to say I would do that again, but at least a month at a time would be nice. I just haven't had a chance to sit down and do all of that. But I must soon~maybe this week.

Here's what we did this week:

We are studying the character trait of *Responsibility* this month, using Character Sketches. I have also incorporated Scripture memorization this year and am thrilled at how well the kids are doing with that. I love that they are hiding God's Word in their hearts!

In Language Arts, The Princess is doing great with Total Language Plus. She is doing the Charlotte's Web unit right now and really enjoying it. I personally am very happy with it as well. It is the most wonderful change of pace from her previous grammar curriculum.

Mr. B is doing very well with First Language Lessons, too. They are short and very easy lessons for him to grasp. He is also reading through a Pathways reader right now and I can see improvement every day in his reading. I am so hoping that his love of reading (and not just being read to) will really bloom and grow this year.

I am just really glad that our new choices for Language Arts are working out so well this year.

Our other big switch to Singapore Math is going great as well! Math is my son's favorite subject...and my daughter's least favorite. However, they both seem to like the Singapore Math much better than our previous math choice. This makes a mama so happy! Of course, we are at the beginning of our books, which is review, but it's not so much review that it wears you out. Just the amount that's needed.

We are still finishing up Story of the World I in History and have been really enjoying studying the Greeks. I plan to take next week and finish reading The Children's Homer to the kiddos before going on. Greek history has always been interesting to me and we are all enjoying it.

The kiddos enjoyed making some Greek paper dolls complete with Spartan warrior costumes. The Princess even drew a few extra pieces for hers.

In Science we are just about to wrap up Discovering Creation through Astronomy. I have to say though, that this has been one fun subject for our family. We have all learned so much about our solar system.

Our composer of the month is Vivaldi and our artist of the month is Picasso. I have primarily just introduced them. We are listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons throughout our days and enjoying that.

The Princess also discovered my grandfather's mandolin this week. She has been strumming away, writing her own little songs! I love for the kids to explore different instruments and look forward to them beginning lessons at some point in the not-too-distant future.

We completed our school week on Friday with a field trip to the Evansville, IN zoo with our homeschool group. I love to take field trips on Fridays, and only do our regular school work Monday through Thursday.

This was a great field trip! We made some new friends in our new group and had fun hanging out with them all day.

Vince enjoyed *sharing* some lettuce with the giraffes:)

Even though it's a small zoo, they did have a nice collection of animals and specimens to look at. I liked their collection of *pinned* insects. That's not a hobby I want to pick up, but someone had amassed an amazing collection there!

We had fun hamming it up for the camera and meandering through their botanical garden...aka the Amazon rain forest.

And I just loved this cute little porcupine sitting up in a tree~isn't he adorable?

Since we're in a completely new area, I'm looking forward to lots more field trips this year. There seems to be tons to do and explore and I can't wait!

I hope you also had a great week! Enjoy your weekend!

This post is linked to the Weekly Wrap-up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.