A Workspace in Progress

After many sleepless nights of my mind running on the treadmill of ideas, I have broke ground on our schoolroom/ office. As I cleaned out the fourth bedroom/hoard room it was more than apparent that this will be no easy task! 

I feel like a person on an episode of hoarders, as Im sorting threw, trying to rid myself of the things I do not need, I realize I need a couch/ therapist to stand over me and say "THROW IT OUT"! I just keep envisioning the super cute room in my head!

 I started putting up my map wall and purchased a simple white bookcase, but thats not all!!! I saw these adorable boards at where else but Pottery Barn kids and decided I have to have them!

Of coarse I can't swing the hefty price tag that goes along with these super cute boards so I went to Hobby Lobby and bought, a bulletin board, cork board, and wipe board. I haven't decided completely how I will execute this project, it might be one I figure out as I go. 

I can't wait for it all to come together until then I am sure I will continue to endure strange looks from my husband.

Frugal Fire Safety Friday

This week at Underwear University we have dubbed fire safety week. We have spent the week doing fun science experiments, work sheets, fire drills, and ended he week with a trip to the local fire station.

I found a great project and some super fun worksheet links at Confessions of a Homeschooler.

visit Confessions of a Homeschooler for her fun ideas for Fire Safety week:)

Redeeming Love "it"

I finished reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers last week. This book touched me in so many ways. Its set back in the old western days, It follows a girl threw the hard journey of her young life and the redeeming love that sets her free. I loved this story, defiantly not predictable, lots of turns along the way. I would dream at night that I was Angel and felt myself walking in her struggles, that says allot for me. Although Sarah "named after a mother of nations" struggles were far more difficult than any struggles of my own, I felt her pain and hardness. The way God loves us despite our doubt and convictions is beyond present in this story, and our fathers redeeming love is the only way to truly be set free.

Other books I love.......
 

Chutes and Sight Words

I love trying to find fun ways to learn our sight words. Poopoo loves board games and always begging me to play them. Lightbulb! Why not make a board game out of our sight words.  I was going to use a chutes and ladders game board but I was to cheap to spend $14 to buy one, so I bought a project board instead and cut it in half. Using makers I drew out my game board, for the words I used sticker label that I cut in half, for our game pieces we used Lego figurines and I stole dice from and old game. It was pretty simple to put together and Poopoo was super excited to play!

Daydreaming in Class

After only three weeks of school is it more than obvious that the small desk/my grandmothers old sewing table is not going to cut it for our home study days. It is very small and doesn't have allot of storage. I see the need in not only a bigger desk but a separate classroom area, something to separate us from the rest of the house. A room the Poopoo and Slinky can walk into and know that its time to learn. 

We have a fourth bedroom/ hoarding room that I dream of soon transforming into the perfect homeschool classroom, first I must take care of the mounds of junk being stored in there. I would take a before picture but it would be way to embarrassing!

I received my Pottery Barn Kids magazine in the mail the other day and i could feel my wheels starting to spin just by looking at the cover. Its no secret Pottery Barn has the coolest classroom furniture there is, but its also not in this frugal mommas budget! Here are a couple inspiration pics.

Where do I start the Supply storage on picture one, the extremely awesome work desk on page two. Imagine both the boys being able to work face to face, the incredibly cute chevron rug on picture three, or the chalkboard/ wipe board combo on page four. I love all these ideas the challenge is finding a way to put it together in a similar and cheaper fashion. 

I also had this neat idea of making a solar system out of paper lanterns to hang from the ceiling. I think this will be a fun, cheap project that will have a huge impact.

Hopefully I can get started soon and turn my classroom daydream into a reality:)

2 Days Without Nookie!!!

You heard me right I spent two days without  Nookie, aka my beloved Nook! I left it at my shop and instead of driving the 15 minutes to retrieve it, I toughed it out, Not easy I might add! I am currently reading Redeeming Love by Francis River, another book that came highly recommended by several clients. Being only half way threw Im loving it. Such a sweet story about how God loves all his children no matter how great their sins. When I read this book the verse Matthew 11:28 comes to my mind. 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

 I can't give you full review of this book  since I haven't finished it yet but believe me this is one I will like to talk about! Anyway no need for anymore PANIC my Nookie is back home safe and sound with me :)

Frugal Friday Farming

Despite the rainy weather we decided to hop in the car and head out to Mamaw & Papaws farm. My boys love running around out in  the country. Mamaw and Papaw have chickens and two donkeys named Billy Bootstrap and Will Turner. Even thought there was a steady drizzle all day we had a blast riding tractors and feeding the donkeys. Our boots always come home in bags with all the mud and dirt these crazy little farm boys kick up:)

Happy Frugal Friday!

The Shack Book Review

Doing hair I get all kind of book recommendations form my clients. I like to consider myself an avid reader but with two kids, work and homeschooling I don't get to read as much as I would like. The shack came recommended by several clients  so I figured I would read it and see what the buzz was about.

When I bought this book on my Nook I was a little disappointed at how few pages it was, especially for  $10. If you click on the picture above and get it threw amazon its only $7 which is a pretty good deal for such a wonderful book! 

I had no idea what to expect with this book, I had never even read so much as a description of this book nor did my clients even explain the story line to me. needless to say I was very surprised at the tragic way the book started and was very unsettled with the storyline threw the first half of the book. 

As I continues reading I couldn't put the book down, when the main character encounters "Papa" his reference to God I felt myself being pulled into his beautiful story. I loved this authors perception of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 

The tragic beginning bring us to a graceful ending. I found myself longing for the book to end in what I felt was a happy ending but was more than satisfied with the lesson it taught me about finding Gods grace in all our hardships and the happy ending that we can't see and that awaits us in the end.

This book is a definite must read!!!!! 

Here are other books I love.....

Trash Talkin Sight Words

Who says sight words have to be boring! Im always racking my brain trying to figure out new fun ways to memorize sight words. 

this game I just used the basket I store my magazines in and I cut 3 pieces of construction paper in half to write our 6 sight words on. 

the first game was for Poopoo to call out the word, crumble it up, and toss it in the basket.

The next game was for him to call out the words as he pulled them out of the basket.

We went back and forth doing this several times until I felt like he had a pretty good idea which word was which.

The final game was timed and much more exciting! With all the words crumbled up and in the basket I called out a word and he had to find it, he had to find all 6 words as I called them in less than 30 seconds. 

Poopoo absolulty loved this game and it really did help him learn all his words quick and in a super fun way!

Set for Fall

Fall is by far far my favorite time of year when it comes to decorating and even though where I live its still 100 degrees I don't hesitate putting my white pumpkins out! Lately I have been burlap crazy, burlap lamp shades, burlap table runners, burlap flags, I could go on and on. A couple years back I inherited my Mamaws beautiful fall plate settings. I absolutely love this set, I wish i could keep the out all year but instead I anxiously wait for fall. Also notice how I use saucers on my candle sticks, I think it adds a layer of color and texture. 

I have started adding links to the bottom of my pages to places you can buy similar things to what I am using as a helpful tool for your decorating, party planning, homeschooling needs.

Wordless Wednesdays

Have a Super Wordless Wednesday!

Tackle it Tuesdays

 I try not to consider myself a hoarder but when it comes to things my son does in school I loose all control! Its so hard to decide what piece of handwriting or art work to throw away and what you should save especially when its pre-k school work. All last school year I just threw everything in to a plastic file container and FILLED it! Now I would just leave it but if I did that every year for both boys it would take uo half my attic. I came up with this great idea to use accordion folders and label them with each school year and child's name. the to store the folders I will use the file container for all 13 years.....hopefully. Some day when they are grown I can look back on their memories in a somewhat organized fashion:)

Homecomi..... schooling Queen

God has heen moving my life in a new direction this past year. Its not a path I ever saw myself taking and I have been kicking and screaming all the way. I am a firm believer in praying and asking God for the his direction but I am not always so firm with listening! 

This year my sweet Poopoo started Kindergarten AHHHHH! You would think getting my baby ready for Kinder would be the hardest part but for us it was not. Poopoo attended a very small private christian school for Pre-K and I fell in love, the only hold up was that starting in Kindergarten I would be required to home study him 2 days a week, YIKES right! 

Homeschooling was a concept I was never fond of and very quick to judge. How could I have the ability to teach my children as they need to be taught? But the lure of this school was more than enough to make me reconsider my preconcieved notions.

 We couldn't count out the public school around the corner without visiting it first, which I have to add was extremely nice and all the teachers were very wonderful. I really thought after seeing the public school that I would have my answer but it only made things more confusing. 

This is were my knees came in to play, I prayed! I prayed hard and long and over and over again, even God himself I'm sure felt a bit annoyed. I thought and thought until my head hurt, I cried. 

God was showing me the answers but they weren't exactly what I had in mind. 

"Really God this is what you want me to do, teach my children?"

I finally couldn't fight the signs God was giving me and I enrolled Poopoo in Kindergarten at a co-op Christian school. He spends three day in school and two at home schooling with me "mommy teacher" as he would say it:)

Back in the Saddle Again

You heard right, this girl is back in the blogging game and ohhhhhh how I have missed blogging! I know, I know, try and hold back your excitement!

 I can't believe its been 2 years since my last post, here are a few updates for my old followers.  Poopoo and slinky are growing FAST, TO FAST,  Poopoo started Kindergarten this year and I have one more year at home with my sweet Slinky before he starts pre-k. I believe my last post involved Slinkys first haircut haha. 

I still work part time as a hairstylist and recently have taken on the huge task of homeschooling my kindergartener two days a week. I would love to get into Poopoo's schooling but thats something I'll save for another post. Enjoying Life, enjoying my family, praising and giving thanks everyday to our almighty God.

 If your a first time visitor, my blog really has no rhyme or reason. I love talking about my kids, finding good deals, giving my opinion, homeschooling ideas, and sharing yummy recipes. Stay tuned while I explore this this big crazy world:)