Homemaker/Preschool/Tot School

Some people may consider me to be a 'tight' one and that may be so; but I prefer to call it 'frugality'.  Even though we have a little extra every month, I still find ways to save so that we have more to give.  (I'm so grateful that Ben has the gift of Giving).  Mind you, we splurge on ourselves once in a while but I think we've done well with reigning ourselves in if one of us feels hesitant.  Here are some ways I'm saving:

A friend gave me the ingredients for 1 batch of homemade laundry detergent and I finally made it.  Here's the recipe:

5 gallon bucket or container with lid

4  Cups - hot tap water
 

1  Fels-Naptha soap bar (ivory soap can also be used)
 

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
 

 

½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. It will gel.

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

And here's mine

*NOTE*  I do not use this for my baby.  I might try making a batch with Ivory soap for her clothes.

So, call me crazy but I've decided to do preschool and tot school at home this year.  I am so excited and nervous at the same time, but mostly excited that I get to have a more structured plan in teaching my children.  Some of my friends are going to laugh at me because I've said for a while that I wasn't going to homeschool because I didn't consider myself a teacher and I don't have the patience for it.  I still find those two things to be true but I'm going with it anyway.  It's like a test to see if it's for our family or not.  I will probably put Eden in regular school next year for the same reason.  I want us to experience both options.  Ben and I are on the same page (just so you know).  I've incorporated several ideas from the internet into a curriculum for E and L.  L's curriculum is more play than school but the activities will prepare him for preschool.  E's curriculum has some play activities but she has more worksheets.  What's neat is that I'm also going to include Biblical Character Traits in the curriculum.  Thanks to the Motherhood Bible Study I was a part of in the Spring, I have all the information I need on that. 






During the summer, I 'tested out the waters' on a couple themes.  We had school on July 4th and the day after we saw the Winnie the Pooh movie in theaters.  They went well.  We also did a fun art project about Creation.

School begins the first Monday in Sept. since I need the rest of this month to finish planning.  My goal is to glorify God through this and not end up pulling all my hair out:)  He's the only one that can help me not lose my cool.  We'll see if this is what he has planned for us.  I hope to update my blog on some of the school days and unit studies that we've done.


P.S.  Ben was homeschooled and I went to public school so we know the ins and outs of both.  I know some parents can get overly 'passionate' about this subject so please refrain from being judgmental about one or the other.