Homeschooling Pocket Chart

Love the My Thirty One hang it up organizer!! So many uses. 

Here I just used some scrapbook paper to put behind the plastic parts. Here is the plain version. I will show another post with what I fill it with for schooling. But this is an easy way to have everything orgnized. 

Obsessed with Tackle Boxes!!

I know clear tackle boxes aren't very exciting to most....but they are to me! I am finding these have all sorts of uses. Here is just a mini list of ways I have (or plan) to use them for all our storage needs! 

First aid

Medicine

Jewelry

Matchbox cars

Craft supplies

Car caddy

Camping

Little random things

Hair ties and clips

Spices

Small kitchen tools

Fishing gear....well ok that's not original...haha

Tools

My latest use...make up box. Keeps everything organized and easy to see. 

I love them because you can stack them and still see what is inside. Labels help a bunch too! 

Ticket Stub Decor

I've decided I am a bit of a hoarder. It's just so hard since we move so much, I hold onto things as memories! Since moving, we have been purging...a lot! It's time! Why hold onto baby clothes and move 3 more times before they may (or may not) even get used. The thrift store on post has been getting frequent drop offs from this family. And it feels so good. 

Well I was about to throw out all my old ticket stubs, but I just couldn't do it. So many memories...concerts...movies...date nights...travel...museums...sport events. It was a fun trip down memory lane. But they just added to the clutter in the junk drawer and I couldn't deal with it anymore. 

So I did this instead

Now I can have the organized and used as decor in my china hutch verses collecting dust in the junk drawer. Easy and cheap. This was an Ikea jar I already had and some scrapbook stickers. Now we can add more memories to it! 

Cleaning motivation

So I got this candle at Target...basil scented! My new favorite candle! 

Gets me motivated to clean! 

Teach a man to fish...raising kids in a world of entitlement

The word entitlement seems to be trending a lot right now on Pinterest and various blogs. It's seems like every parent (including myself) fears their kids will grow and feel entitled. We worry we aren't providing enough, then we worry we are providing too much! 

First off I want to say...I AM NO EXPERT! And honestly....my kids are still very little so I don't even have much "in the field" training. So if you are looking for an answer or proof of any kind...you might as well stop reading! I can only write from my personal experiences growing up and what we have dealt with so far. However, this is sort of my way of putting pen to paper and making some goals for our family, not only for 2014 but for every year. I also reserve the right to change my mind and amend these as we go...haha! Isn't that what parenting is all about? You do the best you can with the resources available.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and praying in regards to how we are raising our kids and what are the best things to implement. I have listened to hours and hours of experts and speakers give all sorts of advice. This is my way of taking the pieces that I think will work for us and organizing them in one place. Since our kids are young, we figure this is a good time to start some things. Also we are getting past the " I just need to survive this day" age (you know the days of no sleep, kids crying for no reason, making bottles, changing diapers, never showered today, well haven't showered all week...kind of days!) Our kids are getting to the age where we can start to see their personalities come out. We also are beginning to have to work on their hearts...not just a list of what to do and what not to do. Attitude is in full swing! 

As I started to write this, Berlynn began to scream "me me me me me" as she begged for breakfast. Yes I think it is safe to say entitlement has crept into this family. Our kids are so spoiled. I mean really they are without want! They have electronics, they have expensive toys, a closet FULL of clothes, more backyard toys than any yard needs. I am not saying I bought them all new, honestly I buy very little new, call me cheap but I stick to used most of the time. This was my excuse for spoiling the kids. I used this as a way to justify the amount of things that came into the house. I mean that toy costs $49.99 at Walmart and I found it for $4.99 at the Salvation Army. So I am not spoiling my kids. It's not like they need it but well...it was cheap! My kids don't need new clothes but I will fill my cart to the brim on 69 cent day at the thrift store! I mean why not right?!?! 

But it started getting me thinking about the deeper issues. My kids don't understand the concept of money but they do see all their stuff. They see lots and lots of toys and things, and they don't care if they cost $1 or $100. What can I do to teach them values? To teach them that hard work and putting money in the bank is more gratifying than homes filled to the brim? 

Right now we are waiting for our household goods to arrive. Basically our rooms are empty. I did go buy a few toys at the local Goodwill but everything we own in this house right now could fit in one room and we would still have space left over. You would think we would be miserable. 

But actually the opposite. We are quite happy. It takes me no time at all to clean the house. This gives me so much more time with the kids. They can actually clean up their room each night before bed without help! It's wonderful. Now don't get me wrong, I couldn't live this simply forever. It has been challenging not having some things (like a microwave and pots and pans...did you know you can melt butter in the oven!!) Anyway, we will be grateful to have some things back. But Jordan and I have decided, we really like the simplicity of less clutter. Our kids enjoy the things they do have and we are forced outdoors more. 

This is just part one of several posts I plan on writing over the next few days. If anyone has comments or suggestions of ways to cut back, please leave them below! 

But to finish up with what the title said about fishing...that is one great way Jordan's parents taught he the importance of patience and commitment. His dad took him out in the water from the time he was very young. He had to sit still and there wasn't instant gratification. 

We have decided our kids will learn to fish. Not only is it a good skill, but it is a fun family activity. It is something we can all do together or use as a great teaching tool for one on one time with dad! There is no guarantee of a fish on the end of that pole. Sometimes the kids may be disappointed. But that's life. There will be times they will surprise us all and one of them might hook a big one! Again...that's life...the fun part of life! 

Vintage toys....yes my childhood is vintage!

Want to feel old....find out things you played with are now vintage!! 

Had this play kitchen growing up. Found this at a thrift store and had to grab it! I never had the fridge tho....my kids don't know how spoiled they are....haha

If you ever get to Fort Benning....

Check out the infantry museum!! It is awesome!!! 

We went several times and it is free!! 

Walk through history 

Fort Benning GA Training

Little late coming since we were here in 2010 but I thought I would write a little about our time there. Mostly for my own sake because this housing doesn't even exist anymore. We went back a year ago and it was completely gone! 

They were duplexes. Large living room on the main level with great windows. Ignore all the clutter. We literally dropped our stuff and left! 

Flooring was vct....and white walls! Thankfully my sister came back with me a few weeks later to make the place feel like a home! But of course did I take photos of that...no...wishing I had now!! 

Kitchen was nice. Nothing fancy but did the job! 

Backyard was fully fenced in but kind of small. Upstairs had two bedrooms and another bathroom. Hardwood floors all upstairs. I hated the stairs here though, hardwood and straight full flight down. Made me nervous with a three year old! The best feature of this house....the clubhouse and pool area right down the street.

It was all new and beautiful! We would walk down there all the time. Pool with splash park

And a playground as well! 

We loved Fort Benning. Maybe because it was the first place we lived or maybe we were just happy to be together again. I don't know but we loved it. 

Jordan's home! We got to see him several nights a week for about 15 minutes. Lorelei and I would load up and drive over. On our way we would go through the drive thru subway (dangerous) and get two cookies! Then we would wait for jordan to come say hi! 

Note to all military spouses....speed limits are not suggestions!! Haha

IKEA highchair battles

Add a kid...add a high chair I guess! We were hoping that one of our kids would be ready to move up to a "big kid seat" at the table so Madelyn could have a place to join the family. Well after several evenings of trying to keep everyone in their seats I decided something. 

There are some battles not worth fighting! 

So for $9.99 at ikea (in store special for ikea members) I brought home a brand new high chair. 

I know we are an army family...we love our country...but honestly the colors were by accident! We got the white one six years ago when Lorelei was a baby. Red came next for Coleden. They were all out of those colors when I went for the last one...so yup...blue it was! 

Now fast forward to bringing home the new high chair! The battle began over who got it. This happened several nights in a row before I decided I wasn't going to fight this battle either. 

So we drew straws and made name tags! 

Funny thing...no more dinner battles. Each kid has their spot and they sit in it. 

Too many things in life that we do need to require them to listen and obey us in. Dinner time seats dint need to be one of them. We also both like to eat and don't want kids running all over each night. This is simple and works for us! 

So yes...my three and a half year olds still sit in high chairs. 

But we enjoy dinner. 

Yes you can vaccinate your dog yourself!!

If you are anything like me, you hate spending money. Don't get me wrong, a good shopping spree is fun! But in order to afford that every once in a awhile, I try to save in ways that don't hurt so much! I looked into getting our dog vaccinated. She is a healthy little dog who walked into our garage one day and we have had her ever since. We took her to the vet right away to make sure everything was good. And it was... 

 But every year she needs her booster shots. That initial appointment was over $100. To a frugal gal like me, that seemed like a lot for a free dog. We wanted to make sure she was healthy and that she was safe to have around our kids. But now that we know she is fine I hate spending that much money for a few shots.

So here is my frugal girl tip...do it yourself! 

Yup you heard that right...you can vaccinate your dog yourself! 

I hit up my local Tracker Supply and got the kennel cough meds and the annual booster for less than $15 total! 

 

The process was pretty simple. 

A few hints:

* make sure you have someone there for an extra set of hands

* give the shot first and the kennel cough meds second. We didn't do it that way and jasmine was sneezing all over us the rest of the time...lol

* use an antibacterial antiseptic wipe to clean the injection site

Missing my brother....

Old video of my brother and his guitar skills. So annoying how some people are just born with natural talent!! Come back to the USA max!! Miss you! www.youtube.com/watch?v=usLOK3d4138