Ki and La La's Mama

I have a date with Sam once a month.

2009-08-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

I have a date with Sam once a month. lol I got your attention!

Read if you hate grocery shopping and or if you love to save money.

Sam is sams club- for all those perky ears. lol Last November I began to buy my groceries once a month in bulk. I was sick of going to the grocery store once a week and spend approx. $100 on nothing. My husband always felt there was so little to choose from and so did I. So I did a little research and have been buying one huge grocery once a month since Nov. 2008. We have way more food to choose from I spend the same amount of money but get way more bang for my buck. I also spend about the same amount of time - 2 hours once a month, instead of once a week.

This is what I did and do....

1. Take what you spend every week and times it by 4 week ($100 x 4 = $400) Put the money aside each week. This is what you spend once a month. You just need to buy your fresh fruit, milk and fresh bread once a week or whenever needed. That is just a quick run to the store and the hubby can do it. This is an extra $20 or less each week.

2. The first month you go spend a $100 more than you normally would to get all the bulk basics - trash bags, paper towel, toilet paper etc.

3. Around the third or fourth month you will see it start to really work. You will have a ton of food and chooses and be able to buy those expensive steaks you crave etc.

4. You can't skip a month- if you skip, because you think you have a ton of food. You will have to replenish more the next month.

5. There are a few things you cannot buy at Sams or Costco - so I make a trip to Walmart before sams and include it in my monthly money. example - hairspray, small things.

6. You need to be organize and keep a list.

warning: you will eat better food, save money, and love only shopping once a month.
warning: my kids a still have to ask to get food, so if you have hungry teenagers who eat everything you have in the house - this might not work. Or you may have to put an electric shock alarm on your cupboards.

I hope this helps somebody.

Why R we homeschooling!

2009-08-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Some people might ask the question - why r we homeschooling?

Homeschooling is a great way to build very strong family values and connections. It also saves and protects your kids from outside influences. The year before I was married, I lived with a family in New Brunswick that homeschooled. It was such a amazing experience! The kids were protected mostly from materialism. They didn't want every new gadget on the market. They didn't know the latest tv show or character to idolize or familiarize so they could fit in. These kids played outside, respected adults, and learned strong values and communication skills.

My husband declared to me when Malaki was 7 months old - "Our children will not be going to public school." Then he said, "I know you can homeschool". I didn't believe him at first! So I began to research the Christian and private schools in our area - yes when he was a baby- and decided I would get a partime job and put him in a Christian school. The Lord decided to put a hole in my plan. We have sinced moved from that area and went evangelizing in an rv.
Funny!

Two weeks before I was to begin homeschooling Malaki a preschool program we moved to Arkansas. There I had the great priviledge of sending Ki to a Christian School with a first class eduation. He loved it and Mommy and Malaki needed a break from each other. It totally changed our relationship and helped us on great new path. When we moved to Texas, I cried having to leave the wonderful school.

Now we r in Texas - evangelizing from a house - a whole new world. We miss Daddy when he is gone, but we love it! I intended on sending Ki to a homeschool co-op, which is a school 3 days a week and then I would have work to do with him at home. Then my husband spoke again, "I think you should homeschool." ..... Ok. The Lord had been impressing me to homeschool, but until my husband mentioned it I didn't realize it.

I am soo excited to be homeschooling! I know it's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it.
I will save him from soo many things, but I will be able to teach them (Selah too!) so many things they will never learn in school.

R U A googler?

2009-08-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

R U A googler? I am! I google everything! If I have a question - I google. If I need to fix something - I google. Matt and I once installed a garbage desposal by googleing how to install it. lol. I think I have found most of my homeschool curriculum thru google. Here r some other interesting things I found out...

1. Vinegar soothes fire ant bites.
2. There r online resale / consignment stores
3. Use vinegar instead of jetdry in the dishwasher
4. Baking soda or dish soap cleans all the hairspray etc. out of your hair.
5. If the garbage disposal is broken the dishwasher won't work
6. The nearest Goodwill or Sams
7. What Blogging means

and many more I can't think of right now.

R U a googler?

School Starts soon

2009-08-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

School starts here in Texas in a week and a bit. I will begin my homeschool endeavors. I am excited and nervous. I have reviewed my blog a bit and realized I don't think I have many viewers, which is okay. Or nobody comments about what they read. So I am hoping to expand my viewers. So let me know if you r reading my blog.

Matt is in Montana right now, missing his family, but having revival. He is getting a nice break from the heat. But suffering from a cold, due to the temperature change. I will probably playing nurse maid next week.

It's official I am a homeschool mom.

2009-06-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Starting in August I will be homeschooling Malaki my 4 year old. I will also implement a preschool program for Selah my 3 and half year old. I am excited! I have my schedule all set up and my curriculum chosen. I am just waiting to purchase and make lesson plans. I have decided to do a mix of homeschool curriculums. There is soo much to chose from and I am taking advantage all the different products I have access to.

I will be teaching Malaki, Bible, Math, English, Science, Geography, History, Art, Music, Logic, Computers, Physical Education and we will do Projects. I know it won't be roses everyday, but I am hoping and praying for a few days of delight. lol

I have never actually homeschooled before, but I have lived with a family that homeschooled and most of my close friends homeschool their chilren. Plus, I have worked in a daycare and have been in the childcare industry for 15 years.

I would love to hear some comments from other homeschool parents. Whether or not homeschooling worked for you.

P.S. I know I have terrible sentence structure and sometimes grammar. All you English majors, stop examining my blog. lol

Natural Cleaning agent

2009-02-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a great Natural Cleaning agent. A spray bottle mixed with Vinegar and Dawn detergent and water. I don't have exact measurements for this mixture - approximatley 1/4 cup of each vinegar and dawn and fill with water. It works on everything, except wood dusting. I use on floors, bathrooms, in the kitchen. works great.

Homemade dryer sheets and other static ideas.

2008-12-19T06:39:00.000-08:00

In my efforts to save money I have done a little reading and research on my household products.
Families with children spend alot of money on Laundry products. So here are a few ideas to save a few bucks - Plus keep your family free of all the chemicals in alot of the products we buy.

Dryer Sheets are related to tons of allergies and asthma. I personally don't use them. I used to use only fabric softener. But I have tried some new things lately.

Receipe for Homemade dryer sheets
I use the "Simplicity" hypoallergetic brand of fabric softener from Walmart. Very inexpensive!

Take a Dry Face Cloth and soak it in the Fabric Softener. Let the Cloth dry completely and presto you have a homemade dryer sheet. I have found that it last me about two weeks before i resoak it. It works great and will save you tons of money.

I also use vinegar as fabric softener in the washer. The combination of both vinegar and the homemade dryer sheet work awesome.

I also made (sort-of) my own laundry soap. I bought arm and hammer laundry powder and added a few cups of Borax and a few cups of baking soda to 1/4 of the box of Laundry powder. I put it in another container. I use about a 1/4 cup a load. This mixture lasted a month.

HAPPY WASHING!

My sweet Mattie

2008-12-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

My husband the preacher is an amazing man. He doesn't bring me flowers, well maybe occasionally. He doesn't do the dishes. Now he will vacuum or sweep. but he gives me his Time. He spends alot of time with me. Sometimes drying my tears or listening to me vent. But mostly he loves to come home to his family.

Thank you for your time Mattie

I AM ORGANICALLY GREEN! LOL

2008-12-03T20:25:00.001-08:00

Okay alot of people are trying to "go green", eat organic or use natural products. I am one of those people. Yes, Yes the truth is revealed! I have become one of very people I used to make fun of while stuffing a big mac into my mouth - I am a convert. LOL! It happened when I had my first baby - Malaki

Before all you critics and Mark Lowry fans stop reading my blog. JUST WAIT! Hear me out...

You can save some money doing some things green, natural and organic...READ ON

I love organic food, the taste, the flavor mmmmm. But let's face it, most of it is expensive! So i pick and choose a few things and just try to eat healthy. (But i stll love my big mac occasionally and of course my ketchup chips - Canada lol) I try to honour God, by honouring my body.

I use a great skin care line from Ontario, Canada called "From the Meadow". It works, it last for a long time ($15 bottle of cream could last someone 6 months or more). Plus I can use it on me and the kids. SWEET. The best cream in the world is Burrific Heal-All. You can use it as body cream, for baby diaper rash or daily face cream. Malaki has chapped lips and I put it on right after bath, before bed and they are almost gone the next morning. I can't live without it!

But mostly I do a little bit of everything to save money. I have attempted to make my own laundry soap this past month. I will let you know how that works out. But I have been using Vinegar as fabric softener and a homemade dryer sheet (soak a cloth in fabric softener and let it dry. keep it in the dryer as a dryer sheet, lasts 2 weeks) works awesome and costs about $3/ month at average 2-3 loads a day. Also Vinegar in your dishwasher, instead of jet dry is awesome.

So, in conclusion, I love natural things, but I (as well as my Mattie) love to save money. Our blog really should be called frugal.com. lol

My friend Linda Joy and Darlene Price introduced me to alot of natural things. But the best things about these ladies is that they Love Jesus with their whole heart.

2008-11-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

It's me again, attempting my second try at blogging. The first attempt was cool and refreshing for me. But my blog was about my (sort-of) occupation, which changed. I am no longer an evangelist wife. I am a Assistant Pastor / Youth Pastors wife. WOW WHAT AN ADJUSTMENT! So here is my introductory to my new blog and my new life, which i have been trying to adjust to for the past 4 months.

Rule #1 - I am pretty good at english, but i have to work at it. So if my grammar or sentence structure bothers you. buy me a dictionary! lol

Rule #2 - The blog is mostly for me to release thoughts and tidbits of info. It is also a way for people to get to know the real me. Lately I am finding out, I am not as simple as I thought I was.

Rule #3-Please leave comments, i would love to hear from anyone.

Okay here goes blogging.