Archive for 2014-12-07

melissa

Giving

I never was one to donate to charities, I dont leave my change, I dont add a dollar to my order, Ive heard so much about how only a percen...

melissa

how things are made and more homeschool links

Ever wondered how crayons are made ? Ever wonder how baby wipes are made ? Ever wonder how baking powder is made ? Find out all of this...

We bought the LifeStyle™ Fresh Accents Kitchen a product review

melissa

We bought the LifeStyle™ Fresh Accents Kitchen a product review

This is my grand daughter Clarissa, My heart... She is about a month shy of being 2 years old, and since she was big enough to stand i...

Everything you never wanted to know about fish scales.

melissa

Everything you never wanted to know about fish scales.

SO we found ourselves on the topic of fish scales recently, and It seemed like as good a thing to learn about as any. I was shocked at some ...

melissa

Day happy come packer??

I have no idea what this is about. "day happy come packer" am I alone in my interest in its meaning? If you ask me this is an e...

melissa

get back on that horse

Parenting has got to be the most difficult thing I have ever tackled. My Hannah had a horrible week, a horrible year to be exact. ...

Uses for wd40, vaseline, and hydrogen peroxide

melissa

Uses for wd40, vaseline, and hydrogen peroxide

My family runs an antique and second hand shop and we use alot of common household products for things you might not normally expect them to...

melissa

Hey he sung my song 10 years before I wrote it..

Nothing new on the home front today, so I thought Id tell you a funny story.. I once sat down and wrote and entire song, and it was a good...

I never was one to donate to charities, I dont leave my change, I dont add a dollar to my order, Ive heard so much about how only a percentage of that money actually goes to the place you intend it to go. I prefer to dmy giving on a more at home level. I do thinks like leave envelopes of money in someones mailbox, orpay on someone random layaway, or my favorite was always to leave money in doaper boxes at walmart. Since i hahe cataracts and cant see anymore I dont go to walmart very much, and i haven't done that in a while, but I always felt like I was giving to someone who genuinely needed. I don't know anyone who needs more than a parent of one in diapers. Those things are costy and that cost doesn't let up no matter what bill you need to pay. No matter what unexpected expense arises.. You cannot NOT buy diapers, and knowing that this person is in the store buying diapers instead of crack with theri money makes me think they are people who are trying to do right by a child. I dontknow where those 5 dollar bills, or 20 dollar bills actually end up, but I believe that God Interevenes and knows where my heart intended to go, and he makes sure someone with a genuine need gets it, and the whole thing goes to where ever God sends it not just a percentage. Do you give back? Have you ever paid it forward? Tell me how you back to your community?

how things are made and more homeschool links

Ever wondered how crayons are made?
Ever wonder how baby wipes are made?
Ever wonder how baking powder is made?

Find out all of this and more on How products are made...

The site is simple, and I wish it had a search, but none the less there is some great info here for your homeschooling, or just general want to know needs.

Some more great links for homeschool are..

Myth Busters
Khan academy where you can literally learn anything. I am in love with this site...
google translate because..... Es una buena cosa para tener un conocimiento básico de todas las lenguas en el mundo de hoy.
type in your favorite song lyrics t hear them in another language..

These are just a few links my homeschoo family enjoys. look for more later...

We bought the LifeStyle™ Fresh Accents Kitchen a product review

This is my grand daughter Clarissa, My heart... She is about a month shy of being 2 years old, and since she was big enough to stand in a chair she has been helping me cook. She could teach some grown folks a thing or two about cooking. So I know she will be over the moon when she gets her new kitchen from Santa.

She and I sat down one day and did some online window shopping for kitchens, because you know how a girl likes to decorate her own kitchen.. Well she liked several different ones, I have to admit I am so glad for her strong language skills she has no trouble telling you what she likes, and doesn't.

"look WeeWoo dat has phone" (she calls me WeeWoo.. but that's another story)

"where microwave?"

"she cook chicken.. tato's. mac cheese"

Well after some extensive shopping it was determined that she had to have a microwave, and a phone in her kitchen and so her part of the shopping was did and done, and by then she was exhausted, and retired to "papa bed" to take a nap and I set out to research kitchens.

I settled on this one

LifeStyle™ Fresh Accents Kitchen

We found the best deal on this kitchen at http://www.walmart.com/ip/Step2-Lifestyle-Fresh-Accents-Kitchen/14698127

and it arrived. We haven't put it together yet but It does require some assembly, and it comes with some accessories

The microwave and stove top make noises as long as you keep the batteries updated.

I think we did well and Ill update with pictures of the actual kitchen when we assemble it. But as for now I am very pleased with this purchase. It is packed well, and it came via Fed-ex within just a few days of ordering.

On the one hand I think she will love being able to cook and do kitchen things all by herself, on the other hand I feel like I'm dumbing her down its nothing for her to grab our hand and tell us, "come on let cook" and we do.. Real food on a real stove in a real kitchen. She adds chopped veggies to the pot, she stirs, she adds spices, she does alot of real things. But she is imaginative so I think she can pull this "fake cooking" thing off and enjoy it.

I plan to buy her more foods to cook, and am so excited for Christmas, I fight the urge every day to just go ahead and give it to her. But as CBS just informed me Christmas is 2 weeks away, so between now and then I will just have to be the little engine that could when it comes to waiting for Christmas and Ill repeat to myself often "i think I can I think I can I think I can"

Look for more pics after Christmas. But for now Clarissa and I have to watch Mickey Mouse clubhouse and then bake papa a cake..

Everything you never wanted to know about fish scales.

SO we found ourselves on the topic of fish scales recently, and It seemed like as good a thing to learn about as any. I was shocked at some of the things we learned about the fish scale. Did you know that fish scale is used in cosmetics? Did you know that it is also used in making artificial bone for humans? Did you know that like the rings on a tree fish scales tell the age of a fish? Neither did I.

we ended up learning not only a great deal about fish scales, but also about fish. I never knew there was a 4 eyed fish, did you?

Here are some of the links we enjoyed

http://www.hyoka.koho.titech.ac.jp/eprd/recently/research/research.php?id=336&page_lang=en

producing artificial bone from fish scale

13 surprising and gross cosmetic ingredients

facts about fish

60 interesting facts about fish

wikipedia fish scales

fur, feathers, skin and scales

reading scales

You could, and should do your own research on the subject, or any subject your kids show an interest in. I am famous for then asking a question and I say.. well.. lets find out, then we hook to laptop to our television and google until our hearts are content. I dont plan out the lesson, we read things and discuss it and follow which ever way their minds take it. They dont even realize they are learning sometimes cuz its stuff they are curious about. They enjoy it. It isn't until I hit them with "write me a full page paper telling me 5 things you learned about fish scales that you did not know before" that they realize they learned something.. They are not the only ones who learn by us doing this though. I have learned alot myself.

So, what are 5 things you learned from this blog that you did not know before? I encourage comments..

Day happy come packer??

I have no idea what this is about. "day happy come packer" am I alone in my interest in its meaning? If you ask me this is an epic fail. Then again maybe I just have a dirty mind. Parents i don't believe this hoodie is on any teenages christmas list this year... Just saying..

You recall the fad where everyone was getting chinese symbols tattooed on their body, people who did not even speak chinese, and how you would read from time to time how those symbols didn't even remotely mean waht the wearer thought they were getting tattooed on their bodies. Please direct your attention to the thought bubble above my head where you will see a young american adult walking around proudly displayin this chinese symbol they are told means "Love" and all the little chinese reading people they come across laugh behind their hands becasue what the unsuspecting but trendy young thing is actually walking around with a symbol that means I lick frog ass. Well I would like to title this american's revenge and all kinds of little chinese people are walking around so proud of their "come packer" hoodies, and thinking it means "love"

What do you think?

get back on that horse

Parenting has got to be the most difficult thing I have ever tackled.

My Hannah had a horrible week, a horrible year to be exact. I have tried to be patient and understanding, Ive tried giving her the benefit of the doubt, making concessions because she has always been very self motivated, and I never had to push her to do the right stuff because she just always wanted to go far. This pushing her to do well thing is new uncharted territory, and quite frankly a little scary.

I have been the nurturing parent, coddling her wounds, making light of her recent slacking off, and it seemed right at the time. But then my aunt pointed out to me that I was not doing her any favors by being this way. I was a little offended at first, but the more her words simmered in my head the more I agreed with what she was saying. I wasnt doing her any favors by babying her, and making excuses for her failures. Infact I was doing the opposite. Teaching her to wallow in self pity, to fall off the pony and never ride again.

The fact is, life is tough, life throws you all kinds of obstacles, and you just have to plow through them. Don't stop, dont ever stop. When I was telling her I know your hearts broken and yes you can stay home today and lick your wounds, or I know that was embarassing and yes you can stay home just this one day i should have been telling her get back out there. This is how life is, and this is what makes you stronger, and you can do it, and thats what I intend to do from now on. I am so glad to have a village raising my kids.

Uses for wd40, vaseline, and hydrogen peroxide

My family runs an antique and second hand shop and we use alot of common household products for things you might not normally expect them to be useful for.

wd40 will cut right through sticker residue, and marker stains.. Just saturate and let sit a minute or two and wipe.. repeat if needed....

dry erase marker is also excellent for marker stains it remoistens the ink and then just wipe away.

I saw someone on a facebook group I am on asking how to remove marker and I thought I recalled us using wd40 but I googled it just to be sure before I offered it as advice and I found this website chock full of things you can use wd40 for... I have a crazy urge to spell that out.. Silly? yes... But bear with me anyway.. Im quirky like that.. doubleyoudeefourty... Ahh yess.. I feel much better now...

2000 uses for wd40

Here is some things you can do with regular old vaseline

Here is another for vaseline 101 uses

and one for hydrogen peroxide too

101 uses for hydrogen peroxide

Hey he sung my song 10 years before I wrote it..

Nothing new on the home front today, so I thought Id tell you a funny story..

I once sat down and wrote and entire song, and it was a good oen too.. I was sure if the right people heard it then it would go platinum.. maybe even multi-platinum if that is a thing.. If it isn't a thing then It would be after the world got a listen at this little gem. I was so proud of my brilliance, I showed it to my husband. Wha agreed it was a great song. He really liked it. Wow.. He really liked it. He hardly ever likes anything. That just add to my pride in my writing. Then He told me he liked it when David Allen Coe sang it too. What? How did david allen coe sing my song before I ever wrote it? I was sure he was lying to me.. Then he showed me, and sure enough I had written almost word for word David Allen Coe's would you lay with me.

The subconscious is a strange animal..