~ Meal Plan Monday ~

Heres a quick run down of this weeks meals: SIMPLE =0)

Monday ~ Ham and Scallup Potato Cassarol with baked beans and bisquit
Tuesday ~ Tacos
Wednesday ~ Fettichini, salad, bread sticks
Thursaday ~ Pizza
Friday ~ Meat Loaf
Saturday ~ Corn Dogs, tator tots, corn on cob
Sunday ~ Potato Soup



♥♪♫•.•°*°•.¸¸♥. PEACE and LOVE .•°*° ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

Wendy

Whoops! I missed Thursday, but Welcome to Collage Friday!

I said Thursday's post would be on Freeschoolin'. Well, after a crazy week of playing a single parent while Daddy was on afternoons, I was just too wore out to sit and even think last night. Tonight I feel the same way...drained. So to be short and sweet tonight I've decided  to join  the Friday Collage Blog Post and give a little sneak peak of my family to the ones following who don't know us personally.

This is MY Family!

Me ~ Married Mom of 6 boys Just trying to raise great men =0)
My Hubby ~ He is my Saint and Sanity! I sure couldn't live this path we have chosen without all the hard work and love that he puts into our family <3

Joe ~ 20 ~ Drummer, Husband, great Big Brother, serving the US Army

Zach ~ 18 ~ Discovering the world, Artist, Video Gamer

Justin ~ 11 ~ Public Schooler with a Homeschool Heart <3 ~  Loves reading, building things, and figuring it all out. Bright mind with a wide array of  interest

Nathaniel ~ 6 ~ another public schooler with a Homeschool Heart <3 ~ Artist, imaginative, loves to read and build things

Gabriel ~ 4 ~ a very busy little guy into mischief at ever turn

Jaxon ~ 2 ~ my very sweet lil' man is another mischievous lad, so eager to do what all the big boys are doing

♥♪♫•.•°*°•.¸¸♥. PEACE and LOVE .•°*° ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

Wendy

Pinterest ~ Another time consuming suck you in social network like Facebook?

EVERYONE seems to be pinning these days.

Are you? If not, you should =0)

Another time consuming suck you in network like Facebook?

Have you heard of Pinterest yet?  If not, you should go check it out.  It's a great way to display items that interest you AND keep track of all the cool stuff you come across and then forget about. I Love Pinterest!

"What exactly is Pinterest?"

I've been asked that question many times in the past few weeks.

If you’ve heard the name, but haven’t delved into it, it’s a social media site/tool, allowing users to “pin” things they find online, usually images, to a themed collection, easily viewed and shared by others. The company describes itself as follows: “Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.”

Sounds like pretty much any other social networking tool or site, but somehow this particular one has exploded in popularity over the past few months, after launching quietly in 2010. I think this particular implementation works on two levels. One, it’s primarily visual — you’re literally browsing scrapbooks of interesting things (a bit like a good Tumblr blog, in a way). Second, it appeals primarily to women, who make up the majority of social and casual game players (and should therefore be a key target for anyone interested in gamification).



What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.
Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.
Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite.

What Can You Do with Pinterest?

Redecorate your Home!

Plan a Wedding!

Find your Style!

Save your Inspirations!

Save Your Recipes!

and soooo much more!

I've been pinning for several months now and have  found ALOT of inspiration for all areas of my life and home. I Free School  so it has been a excellent tool finding lesson plans and inspirations.

That is where I got the idea for the Hungry Caterpillar Birthday theme for Jaxon's 1 st Birthday Party. Turned out great.

Pinterest is an great site for me when it comes to homeschoolin'. I  free school.
Why pay for expensive learning tools and products when you have the world of education right at your finger tips.
I have started following many bloggers based on thier Pinterest Pins. Gathered an incredible amount of information and ideas to incorporate into my boys learning.
I won't lie, I do spend quite a bit on ink. But I can print out whatever it is we are studying and make my own curriculum. I will go into  free schooling more in tomorrows post.
So, whatever insiration there is to be had at the touch of your finger tips, Pinterest has it!

Head on over and start pinning! Be sure to follow me . =0)

♥♪♫•.•°*°•.¸¸♥. PEACE and LOVE .•°*° ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

 Wendy

Just a typical day here...

 Oh what a day! It started off with Avon powder ALL over my desk and living room.  The fun had just begun! Daddy was such an awesome helper and while trying to get  ready for work he helped clean the mess...I made myself a Cappichino and  kept a positive calm approach to the day  and progressively it got better and we all survived. Housework, laundry, cookin', naps, chores, homework, homeschoolin', play times, snacks, baths, and story time was all a success. I've got my eyelids held up tonight with toothpicks.

The printer took a crap. So I've been all over the net checking out reviews to find the best one that will fit our needs. I do ALOT of printing. I was hoping to get all of February's lesson plans printed and ready to go. I don't buy curriculum. I seek out the freebies on the net and make my own. It works for us. Alot of times I will design and print my own worksheets for the boys. I'm all about  free  schooling. With today's technology the information is out there, you just have to be creative and look around.

Gabe actually sat today and did quiet a bit of actual work today including 2 workbook pages on his own and a dobber art. Jaxon joined in and made a beautiful masterpiece and before I knew it the boys were playing a game Gabe had made up. We're slowly getting back in a routine and bedtime is getting easier.

I wanted to post pictures, but lately EVERY time I go to grab the camera I have dead batteries. NOTE TO SELF: buy a new set of rechargeable batteries.

It was a beautiful day. Justin and Nate came home from school  did their chores and went to play outside for a bit. 



Justin has chosen Civil War as his at home project. So tonight after completing his school work he watched  Sherman's March on Netflix.

 The boys and I enjoyed a good view of the sky tonight before bedtime.

All is now quiet on the Howard Farm tonight and this Momma is going to bed.

♥♪♫•.•°*°•.¸¸♥. PEACE and LOVE .•°*° ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

Wendy

Happy Chinese New Year!

... Happy Chinese New Year Blessings! In Chinese Astrology, 2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon, and the two-week worldwide celebration kicks off Jan. 23.

Dragon years always encourage growth and change. Now is not the time to think conservatively -- it's time to explore new frontiers in love, career and life. Because Water years emphasize polite negotiation, these adventures should be undertaken in a diplomatic, civil way. You'll definitely catch more flies with honey than vinegar during the Year of the Water Dragon.

This Chinese New Year will grant great rewards to innovative leaders. If you sense that an organization or relationship has grown stale, promote positive changes. Don't let naysayers shoot you down. Remain upbeat and optimistic with your suggestions, and inject humor into your proposals. Calculated risks are heavily favored throughout this energetic year.

Be sensitive to others this year. The more kindness and consideration you extend during a Water Dragon year, the more rewards you will reap. When you think in terms of what's best for the group or most beneficial for a relationship, you'll benefit greatly from all the prosperity this Chinese New Year has to offer. Anyone considering getting married or starting a business is in luck, and romances started during Dragon years are sudden, passionate and dramatic. The Year of the Water Dragon favors new endeavors of all kinds!

 We Are One Love

May peace prevail on earth

We are going to color and make dragon mask  and I've printed up some coloring pages for the boys to do while I'm making supper tonight.

Meal Plan Monday

Dad is on afternoons this week, so it's the boys turn to help plan meals.

Monday:
Breakfast ~ Cereal
Lunch  ~ Tuna Salad
Dinner ~ Hot dogs, Mac n cheese
Snack ~ orange slices

Tuesday:
Breakfast ~ Eggs, sausage, toast
Lunch ~ PB & J Sandwhich with grapes
Dinner ~ Meat Loaf, green beans, mashed potatos, garlic bread
Snack ~ Pudding

Wednesday:
Breakfast ~ Waffles and fruit
Lunch ~ French Bread Pizza
Dinner ~ Chicken Breast, pasta salad, mixed veggies
Snack ~ Teddy Grahams

Thursday:
Breakfast ~ Cin. Rolls , hard boiled eggs
Lunch ~ Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner ~ Tacos
Snack ~ baby carrots with ranch dressing

Friday:
Breakfast ~ Veggie Omlet
Lunch ~ Mac n Cheese
Dinner ~ Chicken tenders, corn, tator tots
Snack ~ Apple slices with Peanut Butter

Saturday:
Breakfast ~ Ham Steak with hash browns and fruit
Lunch ~ Sub sandwhiches
Dinner ~ Potato Soup with homemade bread
Snack ~ PB & J sandwhiches

Sunday:
Breakfast ~ Breakfast Pizza
Lunch ~ Salad
Dinner ~ Ham, sweet potatos, deviled eggs, green beans
Snack ~ fruit snacks

Who knew getting a template would be so difficult.....

I got the idea of starting my own blog after spending the weekend sifting through the Top 100 Homeschool Blogs listed on a site. I loved the idea of networking, sharing ideas, links, lesson plans, meal plans, and so on. There was so many gorgous designs. As a past webdesigner the layout and look meant everything to me. After searching the net for hours, I finally stumbled onto a template I really liked. Done. That simple. NOT so fast....There were errors in the template that wouldn't allow me to use it. So back to square one. Pressed for time and energetic little boys running rampid throughout the house I threw them each a bowl of cereal and flopped them down in the family room to watch some Thomas the Train. I grabbed a template and it worked...So now what? I was thinking "Write your first post Wendy." So my FIRST post is a rant about getting this blog going LOL

What I want to offer with this blog is an inside look on how we're living the free range life. I'll be sharing how we homeschool, our homesteading adventures,  recipes, and the many great resources I find along the way.
I hope you bare with me as I get used to this new outlet and find myself a blogging routine.

Peace and Love Always
Wendy