Monday, November 23, 2020

Menu Monday

 



What a week....Does anyone else get overwhelmed looking at their schedule?  That's how I've been feeling lately.  It's crazy.  Working full-time and homeschooling can be a struggle.  But we are finding our niche.  I tried cooking a few meals ahead and sticking them in the fridge last week.  It worked out well.  I did that for this week too.  We are talking about getting another small freezer just fro freezer meals.  We will wait and see what we can find.

Sunday 
B- Pecan pie muffins and banana muffins
L - Pork roast, fried baby potatoes, and candied carrots ( I made pork roast 3 different ways... honey garlic, blueberry bbq, and smothered pork)
D - Leftovers
Snack - Russian snack box from this past week's geography

Monday
B - Biscuit sandwiches
L - Ramen w/ pork (Caty making)
D - Shredded pork w/ augratin potatoes
Snack - Leftover muffins from Sunday's breakfast and Caty's leftover Oreo dessert from Saturday

Tuesday
B - applesauce pancakes
L- Open/soup/leftovers
D - Cranberry chicken and rice
Snack - pumpkin pie dip and graham crackers

Wednesday
B - Pumpkin doughnuts
L - Baked sandwiches
D - Chicken teriyaki and rice
Snack - P3 packets

Thursday
B - Fried potato hash
L - chili cornbread bake
D - Appetizer night - chili cheese dip and shrimp dip
Snack - Open

Friday
B - Cereal/Poptarts
L - Chicken and dumplings
D - Korean rice bowls
Snack - Popcorn

Saturday
B - Pear dump cake
L - Soup/Leftovers
D - Pour a pan cheeseburger bake
Snack - Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

***This is important.....some days I change things around.****  I print a menu and keep it on the cabinet.  If something happens, I change the menu in pencil.  I make sure to keep track at the bottom of the menu of the meals that get moved, and we still have the ingredients for.  

This biggest thing to remember.... BE FLEXIBLE!!  I cannot express this enough.  Do not down yourself if you need to move your menu around.  You might be exhausted, need to work over, or a sports practice gets moved....all these things have happened to me in the last few weeks.  Flexibility is the key.  I also have given up some control in the kitchen and make sure that the kids are involved as much as possible in making meals.  Some day they will be able to cook the entire meal themselves!!  Whoohooo!!

I know I didn't share any recipes, but if you are interested, please email me.  renitakuehner@gmail.com.  I'd be happy to share a close variation of what we make.  I seriously do not really follow recipes well...lol

Hope that these ideas help and everyone has a great week!!!





Monday, November 16, 2020

Menu Monday




This week the girls are taking some classes on Outschool.  I'm trying to get a bunch of little tasks done today that I will not need to worry about during the week.  There's a big one I will not get accomplished though.  At least I have the menu plan ready, grocery orders have been picked up, and everything is put away.  Mark that off my list.

Sunday
B- French toast w/ cooked apples and bacon
L - Hamburger bake
D - Orange chicken w/ hasselback potatoes
Snack - apple slices or cupcakes from Sam's

Monday
B - Cereal or Poptarts
L-  Leftovers
D - Meatloaf and rice w/ cooked carrots
Snack - hummus and crackers

Tuesday
B- Apple pancakes
L - Potato soup
D - Mexican lasagna
Snack - Apple slices / celery  / carrots

Wednesday
B- Hm doughnuts
L- Chicken and dumplings
D -Cheese burger bake
Snack - Popcorn

Thursday
B - Oatmeal/Cream of Wheat/Grits
L - Macaroni and cheese (Boxed) and hot dogs
D - honey garlic pork roast w/ carrots 
Snack - Apples and frozen grapes

Friday
B - Fried potatoes, Biscuits and gravy
L -  Leftovers
D - baked potato skins
Snack - Peanut butter crackers

Saturday
B - Maple pancake muffins
L - Baked turkey sandwiches or leftovers
D - Hushpuppy shrimp and sweet potato fries
Snack - Apple/Pumpkin cookies


***This is important.....some days I change things around.****  I print a menu and keep it on the cabinet.  If something happens, I change the menu in pencil.  I make sure to keep track at the bottom of the menu of the meals that get moved, and we still have the ingredients for.  

This biggest thing to remember.... BE FLEXIBLE!!  I cannot express this enough.  Do not down yourself if you need to move your menu around.  You might be exhausted, need to work over, or a sports practice gets moved....all these things have happened to me in the last few weeks.  Flexibility is the key.  I also have given up some control in the kitchen and make sure that the kids are involved as much as possible in making meals.  Some day they will be able to cook the entire meal themselves!!  Whoohooo!!

I know I didn't share any recipes, but if you are interested, please email me.  renitakuehner@gmail.com.  I'd be happy to share a close variation of what we make.  I seriously do not really follow recipes well...lol

Hope that these ideas help and everyone has a great week!!!



Sunday, November 15, 2020

When Life Gets Overwhelming....Fall Update



Like most, life has been overwhelming.  I have been sick with histamine issues.  This makes life overwhelming because my anxiety gets worse, and everything causes me stress.  Trying to balance work and activities has been too much.  The girls have been doing bare minimum for school.  I had them try to attempt to organize their rooms a bit.  They also needed to do reading from the Where is book series, and work on math.  Very basic activities.  I'm also encouraging crafty activities.

We are going through sections of Geography, but have gotten a bit behind in Chemistry.

Caty made this cake.....and a watermelon cake also.



We adopted two kittens.  Their names are Charly and Luna.  They have doubled in size since they came over a month ago.



Lydia had a riding show.  She earned a first and a second.


Caty is really enjoying her weekly cosplay class.  She is trying her own makeup for different characters outside of class time.



A piece of art she painted.


We are trying to limit only going to a few stores for items.  Doing pick up as much as possible.  Went out to the club and the Lydia did target shooting with Joe.


Caty wanted to try, but did not enjoy it.  She didn't like the 9mm.  She said she would try others.


The girls chose to color their hair....Lydia darker red/burgandy


Caty wanted black...it turned almost blue.  


Yep....this is our life.  A constant sink of dishes to be washed daily, clothes to be folded.  I'm exhausted daily.  I would love to hear any hints of how other parents who work from home full-time balance homeschool and work.  I know it can be done.  We are chugging through.  It's not going to be easy.  But that is life.


I'll be doing updates more often, but most likely not weekly.  I've been balancing work and helping new homeschool families.  So it's been tough to keep up on our blog for weekly updates.

Hope everyone is doing well!



Friday, November 13, 2020

Boundary Stone - Economics Online Course Bundle Review



Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.



We recently had a chance to review the Boundary Stone - Economic Online Course Bundle.  This is a very intensive, and great addition for those who are homeschooling at a high school level.
Boundary Stone is a new to me educational company, so I was not sure what to expect.  They offer high school level courses in Economics, Government, History, and Western Civilization studies.  All material is written from a Christian based view.

The course that we have been reviewing is the Basic Economics Online Course bundle.  We received a hardcover textbook, as well as a login for the online component for completing the material.

The user interface is very easy to use.  When I created the login, we had access right away.
Included in the course material is a budget project course.  The student can really lay out the basics of a budget and how planning out your money helps to save you money.  The mini-course contains materials about entertainment, transportation, basic needs, housing, and even savings/investments.  This bonus allows students to take what they are learning throughout their course and see how it can be applied in real life.

The online component of the Economics Online Course Bundle is video based.  There is a lesson plan that students can follow along with.  It matches up the textbook reading with the online component.  The quizzes are included also with each module.  There is a grade tracking also, if you need a little help with counting this as a credit in your high school.


There is a course orientation if you have questions on how to complete the course.

Each video was very informative, but not overwhelming.  I liked that we could re-watch any material that she was struggling with (especially so that I could help her when needed).  


It was easy for her to track where she was, since she could tell with the green check.


The textbook is used right alongside the online component.  It is a sturdy hardcover textbook.  It offers Study Guide pages to go with each chapter.  I really liked these options for Lydia.  Sometimes when she was struggling to understand, she could explore the Chapter Summary and the explanation there helped her.  On these pages also included information on new vocabulary, review questions that can help with the quizzes, extra activities to really understand the material more, and even suggestions of books that you could add into their studies.  The amount of information provided to help students, was amazing.  I would suggest that work could even be used in college classrooms it is so well written.

This Basic Economics course really digs into looking at Government economics, human behaviors, supply and demand, inflations, the market, and even a study of monopolies.  I would recommend this course for an upper level high school teen.  Lydia is barely a freshman, and she spent time understanding the material. 

If you are looking for Christian based studies, I encourage you to check out the Economics Online Course Bundle for your high schooler.  It looks at all aspects of their own lives and breaks down understanding how so many regulations from the past are affecting us now. 

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the Economics Online Course Bundle from Boundary Stone.  Click on the link below to see what they felt about this program in their homes.  

Economics Online Course Bundle {Boundary Stone Reviews}



CrossTimber - 8x10 Plaque Print and AmazingName Print Activity Sheets Review

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.


What do you buy the person that has just about everything?  We had the opportunity to review the 8x10 Plaque Print and AmazingName Print Activity Sheets from CrossTimber.  Your gift giving needs have been fulfilled!


Some people know the story of how they got their name.  Others go through life and do not even realize that our names, just like other words we speak, have actual meanings.  CrossTimber spends time researching what your name means.  For almost 20 years they have been researching both common and unusual names.  Then printing this information on many different gift items.

We were able to review the the 8x10 Plaque Print and AmazingName Print Activity Sheets   The ordering process was very simple.  The biggest issue that I had was narrowing down the design.  CrossTimber offers a very large selection of prints.  You can also purchase them in a 5X7 size or 8X10.
I did find going through all the designs and making the decision a bit tedious.  I did like that I was able to open multiple search page windows to compare.  There are so many designs of lighthouses, castles, animals, and landscape scenery.  There is a background for everyone.

Once you make your decision, you can enter the name or names that you would like to have on the print.  Then you can choose if you would like the print by PDF in email, a printable, or even in beautiful frames.


You can also add extra options to your order including bookmarks, pocket cards, greeting cards, or add a message to the back of your print if this is a gift.

Our print came shipped very nicely.  I chose to not order the frame this time, because I have a very specific frame in our living room.  The color is bright, and it's printed well.  My only issue, the picture I ordered was slightly different than what I received.  Also the print color over the lighthouse can be a bit difficult to read due to the background coloring.  I would make a suggestion to change that print color slightly or lighten the background picture slightly so that it does not blend in.  The print is beautiful though, and I still plan on displaying it.

We have ordered gifts from CrossTimber in the past, and the quality has always been great.  The picture frames are beautiful and well made.  

We also received a treat of a brand new product that CrossTimber is just releasing, AmazingName Print Activity Sheets.  This add-on is a beautiful addition for families for that hard to buy for child.  I'm only including examples of a few of the pages that we received.







There are more than 25 different activities for the child to work on.  The activities include basic handwriting sheets, word searches, coloring sheets, mazes, and so many more.  They were created for ages 3 - 12.  Most kids have so many toys that it's overwhelming.  These AmazingName Print Activity Sheets are a great gift, since the gift can be emailed or mailed.  So the parents can print age appropriate sheets if you decide to email these as a gift.

CrossTimber also offers personalized coffee mugs.


And also Wooden Music Boxes that you can contact them personally about.  If the name products are not something you are looking for, you can also purchase customized Bible verses on various items.  CrossTimber really does offer something for everyone!

I would highly recommend using CrossTimber for your gift giving needs.  If you are looking for a family based company, then you have found one.  They are true family owned and operated.  Our experience has been very positive.  The products that we received were wonderful gift items, and definitely worth the price.  This family owned business definitely puts customer service a priority.  

I'm already planning our next order for gifts for those hard to buy for people.  Name mugs are next on my list!

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review various products.  Click on the link below to see what they thought of CrossTimber and the products they received.


Name Cards, Bookcards, Activity Sheets & Plaque Personalised Gifts {CrossTimber Reviews}




Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Julie Naturally - Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans and Philippians Bundle Review



Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.



I recently had the opportunity to review the latest releases from Julie Naturally - Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans Bundle and the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians Bundle.  These Bible studies have been a wonderful addition to my own personal studies.


Trying to make the most of your Bible time can be overwhelming.  Julie Polcano has created an in-depth look at the Book of Romans.  There is a 97 page study PDF study book along with a weekly video to watch.  This study is meant to be done six days a week over a 8 week period.

This study takes you through the entire book of Romans and really draws out thinking and gives you a new perspective to look at with each assigned reading verse.

I found the videos to be very down to earth.  Not some of the typical religious videos that either oversimplify or still leave you in the dark.

Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians Bundle is a four-week study of the book of Philippians.

It contains thought provoking questions.  Have you thought about how the trials and suffering you are going through makes you a better person?  We might get a self-pity attitude about what we are going through.  Looking at these verses encourages you to think outside of just reading the pages in your Bible.  It makes you want to really apply the counsel you are reading.

There are currently no videos as part of the Philippians bundle.  That could change in the future, I am not sure.  I will say though, the questions inside of the daily material really did help with my review of this book of the Bible, even without the video.

You can print the the PDF for either of the studies and fill in the pages, or you can also just write your answers in a notebook, which is what I chose to do.

I have read through both of these books of the Bible.  But these studies allowed me to go through and re-study the material and really look at verses and opened my eyes to new points that I have missed in previous materials.

Even busy, you can easily go through each daily "assignment" in roughly 15-30 minutes.  That would depend on what day of the week you watch the video when you are going through the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans Bundle.  

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review both Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans Bundle and the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians Bundle from Julie Naturally.  Click on the link below to see how they used these in their homes, and how they used them.


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