Have you seen this adorable LEGO Easter Chick? This would make a great Easter basket filler for your LEGO fan!
- Create a variety of cute poses.
- This set includes over 110 pieces and offers an age-appropriate building experience for ages 7 and over.
Children’s Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Brings Relief This Season
This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own.
This week was crunch time for getting the new house ready. The goal is to be ablate spend the night there on Friday night, whether it’s in sleeping bags or hopefully our beds! Of course nothing ever goes as planned and the past few days, we’ve been plagued with sickness. I think it started off with allergies and turned into colds or maybe a minor virus.
Since we stay fairly busy, we don’t need colds and allergies getting us down! We need to be able to play outside, pick flowers, and make memories.
To get through allergy season, we often make tea out of local honey and cinnamon to sooth those sore throats. Another thing we do is make sure we wash hands and faces when we come in from outside. I love it when things are blooming, but the pollen can be pretty bad here in Georgia. I’m talking yellow EVERYWHERE!
When itchy and watery eyes hit our family, along with stuffy and runny noses, I know that we can turn to Children’s Dimetapp® Cold & Allergy, for our children ages 6 and up. Their grape flavor makes taking meds much easier for kids!
Giveaway:
One lucky reader will win a $25 gift card and one (1) Children’s Dimetapp® Cold & Allergy. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!
*It is important to remember to always read and keep the cartons for complete warnings and dosing information on Pfizer Pediatric products and to use as directed.
Meal Plan Monday
It’s Monday already again! We’ve made great progress on our new house and are hoping to move in maybe this upcoming weekend. Thankful that we have had the time to get the house looking like what we want. It’s coming together nicely and I am SO ready to move in! Here’s what we are planning this week for meals:
Monday: Chili
Tuesday: Unstuffed Pepper Medley
Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, salad
Thursday: Salsa Chicken, brown rice, broccoli
Friday: Grilled cheese, soup
Saturday: Dinner out
Sunday: Pizza
Eclectic Foundations Review
About the Product:
Eclectic Foundations consists of 144 lessons to cover 36 4-day weeks, a complete year’s worth of lessons. Each level covers Phonics, Grammar, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Handwriting, Composition, and Poetry, so no need to buy extra books.
McGuffey readers are utilized in the Eclectic Foundations program. The guideline for levels is as follows:
- Eclectic Foundations Level A uses Eclectic Primer: 1st grade
- Eclectic Foundations Level B uses 1st Eclectic Reader: 1st–2nd grades
- Eclectic Foundations Level C uses 2nd Eclectic Reader: 3rd–4th grades
- Eclectic Foundations Level D uses 3rd Eclectic Reader: 5th–6th grades
- Eclectic Foundations Level E uses 4th Eclectic Reader: 6th–8th grades
- Eclectic Foundations Level F uses 5th Eclectic Reader: 7th grade–college sophomore
- Eclectic Foundations Level G uses 5th Eclectic Reader: 7th grade–college sophomore
- Eclectic Foundations Level H uses 6th Eclectic Reader: 9th grade–college senior
- Eclectic Foundations Level I uses 6th Eclectic Reader: 9th grade–college senior
It’s important to note that if your child recognizes letters, they may do better with Level B as Level A assumes that your child does not know their letters and cannot read.
Eclectic Foundations Level B is for the student who recognizes simple words and is ready for silent e words and covers McGuffey’s First Reader. Phonics utilizes word lists from Word Mastery by Florence Akin. Handwriting consists of letter practice, famous quotes, short poems, or the “slate work” from McGuffey’s First Reader. Each week offers a new poem and comprehension questions. You can view the scope and sequence for Level B here. You can also preview the first 4 weeks to get a feel if it’s a fit for your family.
The products are available in both paper copy and digital download and are very reasonably priced.
My Thoughts:
I really appreciate the simplicity of this program. All of the books are spiral bound which I just love. It’s so much easier when books lay flat! With the Phonics Practice Sheets being laminated, they can easily be reused for extra practice, which makes me happy as well.
The Teacher’s Guide walks the teacher right through every step of the program and explains what to do and how to do it. It has suggested questions to ask your child to ensure comprehension.
Having several subjects all combined into the Language Arts Student Workbook makes it easier to stay focused and get the day completed. We can easily transition between handwriting/copy work, poetry, grammar, etc. Most days only offer a page of work, so I would likely be inclined to add a little more, however I think it would be fine as a stand alone as long as your child doesn’t need extra practice. If they do, the Phonics Practice Sheets are perfect for that!
My daughter didn’t mind doing the work, although it wasn’t her favorite thing. She found it a bit easy, but I think that it was great to help give her more confidence in her language arts studies. The work is fairly simple and not distracting with pictures and colors so that worked great for her personality type.
For More Information:
For more information, please visit Eclectic Foundations on facebook. You can also see more reviews on this level and othersby the Homeschool Review Crew by clicking the banner below.
Meal Plan Monday
It’s a new day. It’s a new week. Yesterday was my 33rd birthday and we were able to celebrate with a few of our community group friends. One of these dear friends brought me some beautiful tulips!!
Thank you so much to the readers that commented and sent me messages about my “Getting Real” blog post. It’s good to know I’m not the only one that struggles with not “drowning” in the day to day. I can breathe a little easier as the play is over for my big kids! That means no more late night practices or early morning plays! It was fun though and the kids did great!
This week brings another busy week at the new house! Meeting with the septic tank cleaners, more painting, 18 month checkup for the baby (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!), ducts cleanout from our friends at Athens Servpro (highly recommend them – the owners are our dear friends), hopefully finding someone to put down flooring (any recommendations??), and then hopefully moving in next week! We really just wanted the house to be completely ready when we move in and it’s going along great! So thrilled!
Let’s see if this week can go a little smoother in the dinner department. I think only 1 or 2 dinners last week went according to plan! It was one of those weeks!
Monday: Omelettes, sausage, biscuits
Tuesday: Paprika Chicken, salad
Wednesday: Chicken Fajita Casserole, green beans
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Lazy Lasagna
Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas, salad
What are you making this week?
8 Instant Pot Accessories to Make Cooking Simpler!
The other day, I finally bought an Instant Pot. I had an electric pressure cooker with a different brand but I was very unhappy with it. The teflon pan was peeling, which is not good! Fortunately I was able to take it back and got the Instant Pot instead. Once I got the pot, I have been wanting to snag Instant Pot accessories. I’m truly amazed at all the Instant Pot accessories and add-on parts that you can get for it! It almost reminds me of my Kitchen-Aid mixer and all the millions of add-on gadgets that are available.
I do like my Instant Pot and am thankful that it helps make this busy mom’s life simpler! It’s so easy to make the kids a quick Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese for when we are having a busy day.
I was browsing on Amazon and wanted to share with you guys all of these fun Instant Pot accessories that I found. Now I have to decide which ones to get! I’m definitely thinking about the cake pans and the lid! And maybe an extra bowl!
- Instant Pot cake pan has an internal diameter of 6.5” and an internal depth of 2.5” and fits onto the Silicone trivet for easy removal from your Instant Pot
- The springform silicone pan is perfect for cheesecake, regular cakes and delicate desserts.
- Tempered glass bottom lets you bake, cut and serve on the same attractive platter
Stainless Steel Extra 6 Qt Pot:
- Mirror-polished surface for easy cleaning and less sticky to food
- Dishwasher-safe
- Perfect for an extra pot!
- Specifically designed for many Instant Pot models, our lid creates an air-tight and water-tight seal on inner pots. Perfect for storing and reheating leftovers, keeping food fresh, maintaining food temperature and retaining steam while cooking
- I think this would come in handy if you prep meals beforehand!
- Instant Pot Loaf Pan has an internal length of 6.5”, width of 3.75” and depth of 2.5” and fits onto the silicone trivet for easy removal from your Instant Pot.
- The silicone loaf pan is perfect for baking breads and cakes in your Instant Pot
- Tempered glass bottom lets you bake, cut and serve on the same attractive platter
- Instant Pot Ceramic non-stick interior coating, plastic PTFE and PFOA free
- Genuine Instant Pot accessory. Dishwasher safe
- Can be used in any of the 6 L Instant Pot electric pressure cookers
- A pair of Silicone Mini-Mitts to grip the Instant Pot inner pot whilst Sautéing or lifting out of the cooker
- Dishwasher safe
- Ridged gripping surface, non-stick
- Comfortable and easy to put on
- Professional Grade Tempered Glass with a Steam-Release Vent and Stainless Steel Rim
- Colorless Transparent Glass for Clear Viewing
- Removable handle extends and locks into position for filling and transporting and retracts to accommodate pot lids while steaming
- Handle hole for fork keeps hands away from steam
- Steamer fits pots 8” in diameter and up
Getting Real
I normally don’t blog here about the downsides of mylife. The chaos. The crazy. The exhaustion. But today I need to let it out!
I’m tired.
5 kids are exhausting!
Homeschooling 4 of them can be stressful. 4 different levels for all the subjects to teach and grade. Pre-Algebra makes me want to pull my hair out most days.
Have a toddler who speaks in screams is enough to do us all in. He loves to hear his voice and he loves to be VERY loud.
My husband works long hours and although I’m very proud of him and what he does, it makes it hard to be the one to get the kids up and put them to bed and do the daily stuff.
Adding a play and play practice for 2 of the kids on top of other extracurricular things makes my head spin.
I make a meal plan each week. Normally things go according to plan. This week, not so much. This week, my kids have had peanut butter sandwiches for dinner 2 days in a row now.
Our bed sheets all need washing.
The bathrooms are a disaster.
“Mount Washmore” is reaching new heights.
I may or may not have showered this week.
I’m trying to eat healthy but the chaos jumps in the middle of that and sometimes convenience has to win.
I’ve yelled.
I’ve moved toys to the new house because I was tired of the kids fighting over them. I have a beautiful new house that we can’t move in yet because lots still needs to be done. It’s a little overwhelming and time consuming.
I haven’t kept up with my reading and quiet time.
I’ve thought about stopping this blog. I just don’t have the time anymore and have a hard time paying to keep the blog running. I’ve poured 7 years into this blog and I think I’m running out of steam. Plus I wonder if anyone is even reading.
I’m grumpy and tired.
Through the midst of this, I know that God is still giving me new mercies each day. New grace. New breath and a fresh new start.
I do enjoy sharing a bit of our life with you guys. I love sharing the new recipes. I love sharing our homeschool adventures. I love writing when I have time.
Tomorrow is a new day, and with that I can rest.
Psalm 62:5-8: For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Meal Plan Monday
Meal Planning time! This year has been a complete whirlwind. My 2 big kids are involved in a big play, starting to move over to the new house and painting, and just life. One of the first things that I bought for the new house is this fun Gnome! My husband thought it was a hoot.
I mentioned last week that I planned to make an okra and chicken casserole and would share the recipe if it turned out delicious. Frankly, it wasn’t horrible, but the okra brought out it’s slime a bit and ended up being a little too slimy in the casserole. Next time I’ll just go back to broccoli, but I was using what I had on hand. 4 out of 5 kids ate it, so that’s not bad.
This Sunday, I’ll turn 33! It’s quite amazing that it’s birthday time again and seems like life is going faster and faster each year. We are celebrating with our community group friends and grilling at the house before Bible study.
Keeping dinners fairly simple this week.
Monday: Steak, salad, veggies
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Salad
Wednesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Thursday: Grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli
Friday: Lazy Lasagna
Saturday: Dinner out
Sunday: Burgers, broccoli, salad
We are Moving!
As you may have noticed in my Meal Plan Monday post, there are a ton of boxes around here! That’s because we finally have found a house! We have been searching for a home in Athens in a specific area and our fantastic realtor, Laura Flanders, finally found one for us! We have been looking for almost 2 years! Crazy! I definitely recommend Laura if you are buying or selling. She sold 2 rental houses for us and helped us find our dream home! If you contact her, tell her Mommy Octopus sent you. She’s a good friend and would love to know that you heard about her from me.
The next few weeks, I will likely not be on too much as we are trying to get the new house painted and fixed up, just the way we want it for our family.
I cannot wait to move in for a little more breathing room, and my favorite part, a SCHOOLROOM! This will make homeschooling so much better! I plan to have a chalkboard wall in our homeschool room, which will be awesome! I’ll definitely share photos once we have the new schoolroom set up!
Have a great weekend!
55 Candy Free Easter Egg Filler Ideas
A few years back, I wrote a post on 55 candy free Easter egg filler ideas. At the time, this was a must for our family because my son was diagnosed at 4 years old with a soy allergy. It was a scary time for us and he was so incredibly sick. I wanted to keep his childhood as normal as possibly despite the fact that he couldn’t have most candies. Chocolate was especially out of the question since soy is used as an emulsifier in almost every affordable brand.
Last fall, I thought it would be a great idea to delete some old posts and in deleting, I mistakenly deleted the post I had written on this topic and several others. That’s what happens when you bulk delete things. It was a good post, but many things on that list aren’t so readily available or so popular anymore. Like those rubber band bracelet thingies. I don’t even know if they sell those anymore! What were they even called?
I figured a 2017 edition of the candy free Easter egg ideas was in order. Happily, I add that I don’t have to do candy free Easters anymore for our family. My son has outgrown his soy allergy! We do try to keep the candy to a minimum for behavior issues around here. I hope the rest of you can enjoy this post and even comment to tell me some other things to add!
- Stickers
- Disney Tsum Tsum mini figures
- Pretzels
- Gold Fish
- Tops
- Coins
- Hair Clips
- Glow Stars
- Lipgloss
- Nylon Bracelets
- Mini Rubber Ducks
- Bouncy Balls
- Mini Play-Doh
- Miniture Bubbles
- Mini Yo-Yo
- Silly Putty
- Plastic Rings
- Lego Minifigures
- Magic Grow Capsules
- Stick-on Earrings
- Gift Certificates
- Erasers
- Pencil Toppers
- Chuck E Cheese Coins
- Nail Polish
- Mini Plastic Animals
- Finger Puppets
- Seashells
- Marbles
- Jacks
- Polished Stones
- Coupons for Special Moments
- Toy Cars
- Temporary Tattoos
- Crayons
- Whistle
- Mini Stamps
- Confetti
- Stuffed Disney Tsum Tsum
- Pencil Grips
- Sticky Hands
- Mini Parachute Toy
- Mini Squirt Gun
- Glow Sticks
- Mini Skateboards
- Slap Bracelet
- Plastic Jumping Frogs
- Mini Foam Gliders
- Mini Rocket Launchers
- Mini Hand Clappers
- Stretchy Flying Animals
- Party Poppers
- Mini Slinkies
- Pretend Fun Teeth
- Finger Lights
Whew! That list took longer to come up with than I had expected! Good thing my kids were helping out 🙂 What else would you add to a non-candy Easter egg?
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