Archives

Teacher Appreciation Perks

Apr30

images

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week! I am glad to see that some places of business are honoring you and all the hard work you do. 🙂

Chick-fil-A:  Some stores are offering a  free sandwich on May 2nd.  Check with your local store before ordering.

Chipotle: Teachers, Faculty & Staff get BOGO BURRITOS, BOWLS SALADS OR TACOS with valid School ID on May 2nd from 3 pm to close.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store: Sign up for a TEACHER REWARDS DISCOUNT CARD and save 15% on purchases, in store and online.

Loft: Teachers get 15% off regular priced items year round with their LOFTLOVESTEACHERS program.

McDonald’s: Check with your local store, many are offering free breakfast or lunch on set days during teacher appreciation week.  Dates and offer varies by location.

Michael’s: Teachers get 15% off your entire purchase in-store. See store associate for details.

Pizzeria Locale:  Teachers buy one get one free pizza on Monday, May 1 from 3:00pm to close. You just need to show your letter of excusal from the school.

 

Denim Bag Sewing Project

Apr10

Looking for a sewing project that your children can do? How about a carrying bag? Recently I got out my sewing machine and made a bag out of a pair of thrift store jeans that I got for a quarter. I kid you not! I don’t know about you, but I am drawn to purchasing bags in which I can carry my school books, library books and and supplies.

I wanted a bag that I could put on the floor and not worry about if the fabric would get dirty. Jeans are the perfect material to use since the material is already pre washed and can take some rough handling. Best of all, this is a project that beginning seamstresses can make!

Denim-Purse-Handbag-2_edited-1

Instructions for Denim Bag (The picture above is not the bag I made, but it was so cute I had to feature it!)

Materials Needed: 

1 pair of jeans (the larger the jeans, the bigger the bag)

scissors

sewing machine and thread of any color

Instructions:

  1. Cut the pair of jeans straight across at the beginning of the legs- under the zipper. Save the legs (you’ll need them later). Cut at least half an inch below the bottoms of the back pockets and below the zipper, for seam allowance. Jeans may be cut a little wider in back than in front, so line up the waistlines in the front and back before trimming.
  2. Turn the jeans inside out. Sew across the bottom to shut the leg openings. Also sew up the sides of the divider panel to secure it. Offset thick seams in the center, so they’re not right on top of each other. Sew a 5/8 inch seam allowance from the edge of the fabric.
  3. Cut a strip at least 2 inches wide and add extra for a seam allowance down the length of one of the legs to make the strap. The outside of the leg is usually a little bit straighter. Before cutting, hold the purse up to you and determine how long you will need the strip to be for your strap. Cut the strip that length plus an additional 1inch to allow seam allowances to attach to your bag.
  4. Turn the strip inside-out, so that you are seeing the wrong side of the fabric. Sew it closed along one side, trying to keep the seam as straight as possible.
  5. Turn the strip right side out and sew the handle to the inside of your bag near the hips of the jeans.  Reinforce the stitches since this is what will take the weight of what you carry inside your bag.
  6. Accessorize bag if you like. I added a velcro strip inside to keep the bag closed.

* I had a bit of help with directions from wikihow

There are so many different types of purses you can make that I wanted to refer you to a website that has 25 different types of purses and bags, practically one for each day of the month! To see all of the wonderful designs CLICK HERE or on the picture.

25-Recyled-Denim-Jean-Bags-and-Purse-Tutorials

Happy Sewing!  ~Lisa

 

Free Informal Assessments

Mar26

images

 

Sometimes a homeschool teacher just wants to know how the pupil is doing with reading comprehension or mathematics skills. While I am a huge proponent of portfolio reviews/ written narratives, I do understand. 🙂 The following are resources for you from Homeschool Giveaways to have an idea of where your daughter/son is in relation to skills. These are not nationally norm referenced tests and cannot be used as a means of assessment to fulfill the homeschooling requirement of Ohio.

State Testing

EdInformatics

EdInformatics provides a list of states with assessments and benchmark tests available online (keep in mind that different states have different standards)

Internet4Classrooms

Internet4Classrooms has a simple way to find an assessment to meet your needs. When you arrive on the page linked here, you will be asked for information but most is optional. You simply click on the grade level or subject you are interested in testing. There is a wide variety of tests available here for printing as well.

Academic Benchmarks

Academic Benchmarks will give you the state guidelines for different grade levels.

Secondary and College Testing

Test Prep and Test Practice

If you want to give your child a preview of the SAT visit Test Prep Preview or Test Prep Practice. Both websites offer free testing samples which include the GRE, Vocational Exams, Law School LSAT, and many more.

Curriculum Placement Tests

Taking Curriculum Placement Tests is another way to find any gaps in your homeschool academics (these are what I typically use). Several curriculum companies offer free diagnostic and testing tools for your use. Even if you have to register to take the test, you are not obligated to buy the curriculum at all.

Sonlight

Sonlight provides Horizons Math readiness tests.  You will also find tests for Teaching Textbooks, Singapore Math, and Saxon. Once you have your student take the test, look at the results to see where gaps.

Alpha Omega Homeschool

Alpha Omega Homeschool  provides tests for grades 3 and up.  You will have to register but you are under no obligation to purchase anything.

Math Mammoth

Math Mammoth tests are intended to assess end of year mastery.   The tests group the questions by topic, so it is easy to find any gaps in understanding. Let us know in the comments if there are any other assessment testing resources that you like!

 

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

Jan16

image001

Winter is the time of year when I like to curl up in a comfy chair with a blanket and read books. I just finished a terrific book that I would like to share with you.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the endearing story of Jane Fairmont Bell, a young widow, who is the central character in the first book of a trilogy, Tales from Ivy Hill, by  Julie Klassen.  Set in the early 1800’s when coaching inns were the place for people to rest along their journey and get a meal or refreshments, Jane is the proprietor of an inn that her husband had left to her upon his death. Being at a disadvantage since her husband did not include her in the operations of the inn, Jane realizes that she is in risk of losing it due to mismanagement and untold secrets from her husband’s past.

Jane is uncertain as to what to do and certainly needs help with managing and running the inn if she is going to keep it.  Otherwise, not only will she lose her income, but also her home. Who can she trust to help her? Will her brother-in-law with a shady past be someone that she can lean upon or does he have ulterior motives? Can Jane put aside her feelings of inferiority to ask for her mother-in-law’s help? What about the mysterious stablehand who seems to know much more than just about horses? Help comes from a variety of unexpected sources that make this story so interesting.

I was sad when the book ended because I wanted to find out what was going to happen to Jane and the people of the village where she lives. One of my tests of a great book is if I am still thinking about the book several days later and this was definitely the case with The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. I am looking forward to reading the next installment of her trilogy.

61q3qqe98l-_ux250_ Julie Klassen loves all things Jane–Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Her book, The Silent Governess, was also a finalist in the Minnesota Book Awards, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, and Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit http://www.julieklassen.com for more information.

I have received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

12252-multi-bethany-blogger-review-header-large

 

Passing on a Legacy

Jan9

187740

I was looking on my bookshelf today and found a book that I had given to my mom nearly 20 years ago. It is called Reflections from a Mother’s Heart. It is a journal that has questions for you to answer about your childhood and is broken into months of the year so you can spend a year filling it in without feeling overwhelmed.

I am such a terrible journal writer that I found a duplicate of this book next to the one I had given my mother. It was given to ME from a friend of mine in 1998! I had begun the journal, but then family came along and I obviously never got to return to it. I also totally forgot about it. lol My goal is to finish this by June so it doesn’t sit on my shelf for another 19 years!

So, if you would like to leave a legacy of early childhood memories that your children can read about later and gain some insight into why you act the way you do, 🙂 perhaps consider completing a journal like this one.

I will leave you with a few questions from the journal so you can see what they are like. Of course, if questions do not pertain to you, then just skip them.

Who gave you your name and why?

Where was your childhood home located? Did you enjoy living there?

Did you have a family pet? What was its name? Describe it.

What toys did you like to play with?