Where to buy homeschool books
I recently got a call from a friend asking me where one can purchase homeschool books. Those who are just starting out with homeschooling may not know the ins and outs when it comes to curriculum. Fortunately, this is something that you can learn rather quickly.
First, for children in preschool through kindergarten, there is no need to purchase expensive curriculum sets. Staples and even the Dollar Store have workbooks that you can use. These young children are going to learn more from visual demonstrations than from a book. Consider doing as many hands-on activities as you can at this age.
Second, if you happen to be of the Christian faith, use Christian Book Distributors to get your homeschool curriculum. They have an entire section devoted to homeschool books that includes everything you will need all the way through high school. This is where I get a large majority of my books. They are cheaper than on any other website.
Third, talk to other homeschool families and see if they'd be willing to sell you their curriculum when they are finished with it. I found a lady who was willing to sell me her entire history curriculum through 12th grade at an amazing price. Now I don't have to purchase history ever again. We have a family that we give our books to once we're done with them, so it works out perfectly.
Finally, attend a homeschool convention. You'll be able to see the curriculum before purchasing it. You'll also find families who are selling their curriculum at a discount. Feel free to ask the families any questions you have about the curriculum before you buy it so you can be sure it will work well with your child's personality.
Surprise your child with a letter from Santa
It's not at all unusual for children to write letters to Santa. In fact, most kids who believe in St. Nick look forward to sending out their wish list every year. But, once their letter is sent, all they can do is wait until Christmas morning to see if their holiday dream will come true.
Imagine your youngster's surprise if Santa actually answered her letter before the big day. Not only would it calm any fears that she had about him not receiving her message to him, but she'd feel extra special about receiving a personal message back. She'd be over the moon.
Sending a letter from Santa isn't hard if you have a very young child. It's unlikely that she'll pick up on any similarities between your writing and Santa's. However, if your child is older and can read, it may be a little trickier to pull off. Here are some suggestions to make your letter from Santa special and believable.
Use Christmas paper: Pick up some fun holiday paper or parchment paper at the local office supply store.
Respond to specific requests: Mention a couple items on her list as well as any nice messages in her letter to let her know this note is personal.
Have the letter postmarked from the North Pole: After writing the letter, put it in an appropriately addressed and stamped envelope. Then put it into a larger envelope addressed to:
North Pole Christmas Cancelation
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-99998
The letter will come back canceled from the North Pole, adding some special holiday flair and authenticity.
Your daughter will love knowing that her Christmas list made it to the man himself and he took the time out to respond. It's those little touches that make the most lasting holiday memories.
Taking your hobby to the next level
Odds are if you're like most bloggers, you started the blog as a way to express your opinion or to educate the world about a certain subject. You may have started recently or could have been doing this for years.
Eventually, you come to the realization that you have a decent following and maybe you could make a go at trying to turn your blog into an actual money-making venture. It's definitely possible that you can make some money from your blog, but it isn't going to be easy.
You need to have very regularly scheduled blog posts. Daily posts are best, but at the very least, you should be adding quality content every couple of days. Make sure to publicize your blog and connect with your readers in a personal way to keep them coming back. This could be through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.
The primary ways people earn money from blogs are ads and sponsored posts. In order for ads to be effective, you need to have a pretty high readership rate, and this goes for standard display ads and affiliate ads as well. It's difficult to make any real money from advertisements unless you're big time, so until you get thousands of page views a day, it's best not to clutter your page.
Sponsored posts are blog posts that are paid for by a company that includes links, SEO about the company or their product. They pay you a flat fee, which can be anywhere from $5 to $50 or more to write the post to their specifications.
In order to get sponsored posts, you have to get enough page views that these companies decide you're worth it. It's not easy, but with work you can definitely make some cash from your blog.
Seasons are too short these days
Do you remember the days when you could almost set your clock by the premiere and end dates of television shows? May sweeps brought the big finales and cliffhangers, and we all had to wait several months while they replayed the season before starting it up again.
These days the old network standard of 23 episodes is somewhat dated, especially for basic cable shows. The problem is the return on investment. Shows like Warehouse 13, True Blood, etc. are expensive to produce, so rather than order 23 episodes and try to space things out, they cram everything into 13 and then put on a different television show altogether.
Sometimes you can wait a year for a new season to start and in the meantime, two other shows have premiered and concluded. Networks are changing their seasons around as well. Things aren't starting at the same time as they used to as networks try to outdo each other in the ratings.
Maybe they think premiering a show a few weeks early will end up making it a bigger hit. It's nothing to see premieres spread over several weeks with odd breaks in the middle. The entertainment world has changed for networks as streaming and DVR have put whammies on how advertising revenues are calculated.
Who knows if this will become the norm or if the industry will shift and change over the coming years as this technology becomes more mainstream? In the meantime, we're stuck watching 13 episode seasons and praying for the year between seasons to fly by.
Marvelous miniatures
Delicate artistry combined with an ingenious expression of creativity? Now that's something you don't see every day. For a look that recalls both childhood whimsy and Alice in Wonderland, have a look at these unique pieces from Le Chou Chou Bijoux.
These adorable pieces create a whole new fashion sense by reflecting the prim and proper days of girlhood. The miniature teacups and pastry plates have us flashing back to the days of Mad Hatters, tea parties, talking caterpillars and a time when all things in life were quaint.
The doll-sized delights of Le Chou Chou Bijoux are the creations of Italian designer Paola Rapacciuolo. A Modena transplant (you know Modena -- that's where they make Ferraris, and your vinegar) originally from Napoli, Rapacciulo found her inspiration on an archeological expedition when she saw that well-made jewelry stood the test of time, even surviving the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius.
She trained in one the most prestigious jewelry design schools in Italy before going on to study under several well-known designers in Florence. She's getting a lot of attention these days: her hand-painted porcelain rings and necklaces have been featured in Grazia, Vogue Italy and several other publications.
To snag your own whimsical miniatures by Le Chou Chou Bijoux, you've got several options. The official website is great because it has the most pieces, with several items not yet listed on the Le Chou Chou Bijoux Boticca shop. If you do hit up the official page, either brush up on your Italian or click "translate" on your toolbar.
Otherwise, try the Etsy shop for an even more diverse range of pieces. Don't forget to like Le Chou Chou Bijoux on Facebook, too.
Enjoy!
Potty sanctuary!
I have a confession: My bathroom is my safe haven.
Don't get me wrong, I used to have the problem of my sons popping in every two seconds no matter what I was doing, just like every other mom. But, now that my boys are getting older, we've been working really hard on teaching them that privacy is important.
While it's true that there are drawbacks to being the only gal in a family of five--like action flicks ALWAYS being chosen on family movie night--there are some perks. The biggest pro to being so drastically outnumbered is that I get to go to the bathroom by myself. And, I'm not going to lie, I've abused the privilege...a lot.
When the boys are having a mega energetic day...everyday...I can find sanctuary in the throne room. Sure, it's not as posh as the living room, but when I close that door behind me for a “bathroom break,” I know I can steal a solid few minutes to myself--and, I like it.
It's amazing how many activities I've learned to squeeze into three minute snippets. Sometimes I'll thumb through a magazine, while others are spent catching up with my pals on Facebook. If I'm feeling super saucy, I might grab a pair of tweezers and a hand held mirror and take care of those rogue chin hairs the boys left behind when they made their exits from my uterus--“temporary” my eye.
Yep. When I need a quick time-out, I head to the bathroom. It may not be glamorous, but it helps me to retain my sanity, and that's all that matters, right?
When car loans attack
I've had several cars throughout my life, but only one car loan and I wish I never had it. It was around 2005 when I decided that I needed to update my old beater with a more improved model. I found a perfect little Impala with all the bells and whistles.
My payments weren't that bad and I had it paid off in two years. The problem is that once you miss and payment and you're on a limited income, then it's difficult to get back on track. God forbid, you miss a couple payments and they start threatening you with the whole repo ordeal.
I had had a rough few months and wasn't able to make full payments on my car loan. I didn't think too much of it until the bank said they were going to repo my car. I scrambled to get the money together and succeeded, but they had already called the dogs. I ended up having to pay the cost of the repo men on top of it.
I hated that damn bank. I wish I had never got a loan through them in the first place. They hassled me the entire time from payment one to the final payment. You should have seen the smug face I had when I strutted into that bank with my final payment and wanted my title. The loan agent that handled my loan wouldn't even leave his office and had his secretary do it.
I didn't care. I had my car and I didn't have to deal with them again. Since then, I've paid cash for every car I owned and never have had to deal with the bank again. I'm at a point in my life where spending several thousands dollars isn't an issue, so the cars I am buying are quality. Screw you bank, I only wish there was something more I could do.
Frankenstein for a new generation
I've always been a lover of horror and while the classic Shelley tale Frankenstein is a major influence on writers today, I never thought about its impact on my children's generation. They have so many things today that easily outstrip the world of Frankenstein that the books doesn't seem relevant any more.
At least, that's what I thought. In a world of videogames and a million cable channels, I didn't thing my son would be interested in reading a book like Frankenstein. At his recent birthday party, his grandmother gave him several “Classics” including Frankenstein.
He was genuinely thrilled. He knew who Frankenstein's monster was from the countless cartoons and shows on television, but he's never seen or read the origin story. At the heart, Frankenstein is a story about humanity and the definition of a monster.
The monster, while hideous, has a compassion about him that the good doctor does not. The monster in the book isn't just a stupid brute, but an intelligent beast and Frankenstein is like an obsessed Ahab after his white whale.
Frankenstein is the one without the emotions willing to steal bodies and transcend the boundaries of morality for his own morbid curiosity and god complex. In many ways, he is the monster.
After thinking on it, I discovered this tale is as relevant, if not more, today then during Shelley's time. I encouraged my son to read it and try to understand both the motivations of the doctor and the monster. The story may have been created in a drunken and drug induced haze, but it's still excellent.
YouTube Nation: Crazy People
Crazy people are everywhere, there’s no denying that. As the world gets larger and more populated, the natural course of events demands that the ratio be kept up, meaning that every year produces more and more of these folks. Some are annoying, just normal people acting like lunatics because something happened to piss them off. Others are truly mentally disturbed and just doing what comes natural to them. And the bigger the city, the more of these crazy people seem to be around.
Normally, you only have to experience the madness every once in a while, although the chance of craziness making its way into your day increases if you happen to take public transportation. But now, with portable cameras in every phone, this fun-filled occurrence can be brought to you in the comfort of your own home. Thanks to YouTube, all the bits of life that generally make you dread leaving the house each day are made a little more palatable by the fact that there’s a computer monitor between you and the raving lunatics of the world. Here are some videos of crazy people doing crazy things that you can watch without fear.
The first incident takes place on a bus, probably the second or third most likely place to encounter someone with a screw loose. This lady appears to be upset concerning something about her seat. She’s so mad, in fact, that it looks like her head is about to fall off from all the shaking while she talks.
Here’s a crazy person that likes to dance and sing on the subway. The subway is, by the way, probably number one or two on the crazy-people hideaway list. After watching the video, I’m not sure if she’s actually nuts or perhaps auditioning for some talent show that we don’t know about. She does manage to go on for quite some time.
And the final video is… well, it’s the normal people. Not those who may be burnt out from drugs, suffering from mental problems or just plain angry about something. It’s a pile of people on Black Friday, showing just how lunatic the regular people can become when something’s on sale. Witness the glory as they rush into the stores, threatening to trample each other and buying absolutely anything that looks like it’s on sale, simply for the sake of having it at a reduced cost. God bless America.
So while these videos may encourage you to avoid public transportation (and perhaps being in public altogether), remember the world we live in. We’re all a bit crazy and some people just wear it better than others. So go into the real world without fear. Although I’d seriously advise staying away from anywhere on Black Friday - those people are REALLY nuts.
Fringe: Will Peter go bald?
This final season of Fringe is heating up as Walter and the group try to defeat the army of Observers that have taken over the Earth. In the latest episode, Peter and Olivia are reeling over the loss of their daughter at the hands of the Observers.
Olivia is in shock and Peter is just angry. He wants revenge and sees an opportunity by destroying the corridor system between their world and the future world of the Observers. They steal a power source for the wormhole and Peter uses the captured Observer to help him put it together.
The plan succeeds, but the Observers are able to recover within seconds and the whole thing was a waste. Peter goes ballistic and rips the tech out of the Observer's head and implants it in his own. We don't know what this will do to him, but a preview of next weeks episode has him showing off some mad skills.
Will the tech make Peter go bald like the other Observers? I doubt it. I can't see Joshua Jackson shaving that head of his. Although, all along I thought Peter was destined to become an Observer and maybe this ends up not only making him one, but making him the First Observer.
It can't be a coincidence that this episode was called “An Origin Story.” Am I the only one seeing this? With only a handful of episodes left until the end of the series, I can't wait to see how they wrap everything up.
I have no doubt that the plan Walter developed will bring everyone back to that fateful day and Olivia and Peter will have the opportunity to raise Etta again, but we'll just have to see.