Say goodbye to cleaning products

I went to a Norwex party recently.  Now, I mean no offense to anyone who loves their products.  They seem like a good company.  But those prices!  I seriously couldn't believe it.  Obviously, I walked away from the party without buying any products.  I did, however, walk away with a few ideas.

They talked about cleaning windows without glass cleaner by simply using this special microfiber cloth and water.  The salesperson said it would save me money on Windex and paper towels.  Silly lady!  Everyone knows that I don't use paper towels!  For window cleaning, I use old newspaper (that I get for free) and diluted ammonia in a spray bottle.  I thought this was a pretty cheap way to clean windows, but the salesperson got me thinking about a cloth that would eliminate the need (and cost) for ammonia.  Same story about dusting - just a cloth, no dusting spray.  Maybe she was on to something....

I jokingly told my friend that I was headed to the dollar store after the party.  So, the next day I went to see what they had.  I found a similar (I know it's not the same as Norwex and I am not going down the silver/antibacterial road) product for almost everything the salesperson demoed at the show.  I decided to buy a few and try them out.  

I decided to try out the glass cleaner first.  I have a sliding glass door.  And a dog.  And four kids.  Get the picture?  I figured if this cloth and some water could clean my glass door, it could clean anything.  It was super easy, cleaned perfectly, left no streaks and no lint.  Did I mention it only cost $1?  I'm sold.

Next, I tried dusting with the basic microfiber towel.  I did not use any chemicals, just the dry microfiber towel.  It worked even better than dusting spray and a cloth rag.  The dust really stuck in the groves of the microfiber towel.  These were two for a dollar, so even better!

Just to really give it a test, I washed my van (which I seriously cannot remember the last time it was washed, and did I mention the four kids?) with nothing but water and the scrubbing microfiber towel.  I dried it immediately with the polishing towel.  It was really easy to wash and much faster than a bucket of soapy water and a hose.  I used the glass towel on the windows.  It did get my new towels very dirty.  But my van was clean and not streaked or spotted.

I hand washed the towels in warm water as directed.  There was a lot of dirt in the water after several rinses and they didn't really look clean.  So I washed them in a mesh bag with the laundry and hung them up to dry.  Much better.

So, my final thoughts are that microfiber towels are pretty amazing even without using chemicals to clean.  I definitely think that this could save some money in terms of cleaning supplies in the long run, but I would stick with the cheap knock-off versions.

Homeschooling - math centers

This is the last of three posts on centers.  Remember, there are a million variations on these centers.  Be creative and try to use what you already have around the house.  When you do need to  purchase something try the dollar store or yard sales before paying full price.

Numbers – number flashcards, counters (bingo chips, checkers, connect four pieces, etc.)

Your child pulls out a number card and counts out the correct number of counters to match.

Patterns – blocks or beads of various colors and/or shapes, pattern cards

Make pattern cards on index cards with markers using only the colors/shapes of your blocks/beads. Your child will pull out a card and repeat the pattern as many times as possible with the blocks/beads.

Clocks - a simple plastic, cardboard, or wooden learning clock

These are great to use with any type of worksheet dealing with time.  Younger ones may just like to play with it or try to make it match the clock on the wall.

Domino math (adding) – a simple set of dominoes (from dollar store if you don't have any), domino math worksheets and/or a domino garage

For younger ones, just matching up the dominoes is a good start.

I'd start with double sixes but you can go higher as they get the hang of adding. The child picks out dominoes and places them on the worksheet. They count the dots on each side and write the number. Then they “add” the numbers together by counting all of the dots. This can also be done for subtracting but it is a little trickier and they have to understand to start with the larger number.

For the domino garage, divide a piece of construction paper into 12 sections by folding or measuring and drawing lines. Write the numbers 0 through 12 on the sections. Your child “parks” the domino “cars” in the correct space by counting or adding up the dots.

Feed the Seals (odd & even) -  two envelopes decorated as seals, fish with numbers (I made mine out of index cards.)
This is a simple sorting game that can be used with many concepts, odds and evens are just one example.  Your child "feeds" the seals the correct fish.  Then you can check their work.
I can't take credit for this idea, but unfortunately I don't remember where I found it.

Homeschooling - language art centers

There are million variations on these centers.  Be creative and try to use what you already have around the house.  When you do need to  purchase something try the dollar store or yard sales before paying full price.

Sand writing - a shallow tray of sand

Write letters or sight words in the sand.

Playdough writing - playdough (if playdough is too messy for you, try chenille wires instead)

Form letters or sight words with playdough.

Boggle Junior - Boggle Jr. game (I got one at a yard sale.)

This game has 3 and 4 letter word cards with pictures on them. The word is covered; the child sees the picture and tries to spell it with the letter blocks. Then they uncover the word to check themselves.

Upper/Lower case letter match – flashcards of letters – upper and lower case on separate cards (dollar store or make your own)
They will need some space to spread out all of the cards and then they match the letters.

“Creative” writing – a notepad and a pencil
Your child tries to spell (sound out) words of things around them. I said he was a word detective trying to take notes on what was around him.  You can also write words for them and have them copy.  As they get older you can encourage them to write simple sentences.

Sight word scrabble – sight word cards (dollar store or make your own), scrabble letters (You can also use refrigerator magnet letters, letter blocks, or anything else you have on hand.)

The child pulls out a sight word and tries to spell the word with scrabble letters. It's more challenging than you think because the sight words are in lower case and the scrabble letters are in upper case.

Whiteboard writing – whiteboard, dry erase marker

You can use any small whiteboard but I had one of these flip-style activity boards.  There is also a smaller version that I found at a dollar store.

Word-searches – printable word-searches, highlighter

You can print very simple word-searches that even non-readers can do. Kids at this age think highlighters are amazing.

Homeschooling - centers for the younger ones

I like to say that we arrived late to the homeschool party. My kids were in 7^th, 5^th, and 3^rd grades when we started. The upside to that was my kids could all read, write, and do basic math – this was going to be a breeze.

Enter child number four. We adopted a 5 year old that was half way through kindergarten when he came to live with us. We decided to homeschool him with the rest of our children; so with no time to prepare, I began teaching a kindergartener that did not know how to read, write, or do basic math. He was already a little behind his classmates. He also needed a lot of attention which made schooling the other children more difficult.

Enter “center time.” I created as many “centers” (I use this term loosely) as I could think of to keep him busy and productive. We had a small house, so “centers” needed to be compact and portable. I bought several clear plastic shoe boxes at the craft store for less than a buck each. I labeled the outside of each box with a picture icon of the “center.” Then each morning, he would choose 4 or 5 “centers” that he would do for the day. Most of them could be done independently once he understood what to do, though a few of them required a partner (mom or an older sibling).

For kindergarten our day consisted of centers, reading together, computer time, and joining in with the older siblings for unit studies. He needed speech therapy; so we worked on that each day as well. On Fridays we went to a co-op. We kept it simple. He learned to read and write and do basic math (though he still struggles with math). My advice is this – don't stress, keep it simple, they will learn.

Most of these ideas could be used from preschool through first grade depending on the child. I modified them some between kindergarten and first grade, so I will list all of the ones we used over the years. Most of them use things you probably already have around the house and whatever you do need to purchase will not cost much.

Today I will cover some general centers. Future posts will cover math and language arts centers.
I have written about sensory bins before and they would also make great centers.

Mail center – all of your junk mail especially the postcard type, rubber stamps, stickers

I learned this game as a kid from my best friend's mom. We would play mailroom for hours. Let your kids stamp and sticker the mail. You could even make a mailbox out of an old shoebox with a slot on top.

 Flashcards (Flashcard race) – flashcards: alphabet, sightwords, numbers, addition, etc.; board from a boardgame (I like the Balderdash game board) and 2 board pieces

Flashcards are great for many centers and learning in general.  You can find them online to print for free or buy them at a dollar store.  We play a game with them, too. Find a very basic board from any board game, or create your own with around 20 spaces from start to finish. Show your child a flashcard and if they get it correct they get to move one space. If they do not get it right, you move one space. Obviously, I always let him win by making sure he knew more of the cards than he did not know – but it is a fun way to challenge him and keep it interesting.

Sewing or Lacing Cards – cards and laces or yarn (I bought some at a yard sale and some at a dollar store. You can also make them.)

This is great for fine motor skills.

Games – pickup sticks, connect four, memory,yahtzee,  tiddly winks

This changed from time to time based on interest and skill level. You might be surprised how many games can be “played” independently even if they weren't designed to be. Connect four is great for making patterns. Candyland and Chutes & Ladders are sometimes more fun without the pressure to win – the goal is just to finish.

Puzzles – 24 to 48 piece puzzles (tons of choices at a dollar store)

Science box – magnifying glass, small measuring tape, plastic tweezers, nature books 

Encourage your child to explore (inside and outside) by examining, measuring, and even collecting whatever they find.

Magnets – magnet set or gather magnets and random items to “test”

If you have a magnet set, kids can build things with them. Otherwise, collect some magnets (kitchen magnets will do) and random things for them to test out if they are magnetic or not.  Make sure your child does not put things in his mouth before starting this one.

Blocks – depending on age: Duplo, Lego, Trio, or whatever you have (Lincoln Logs, anyone?)

My son doesn't really like to play with toys, so making it a center was important for us. If you have a kid that builds with blocks for hours just for fun – skip this one.

Art box - water colors & paper, paint with water books, paintbrushes, finger paints (if you dare), newspaper (to cover the table)

Let's face it; kids love this stuff.

Playdough - playdough (store bought or homemade), cutters and tools

If you are like most parents, you have too much of this stuff.  The key here is to put just enough to fit in the small plastic shoebox, then rotate the contents from time to time.

Other ideas would be puppets, a play kitchen area, coloring, a book center where they can "read", books on CD, musical instruments (if you can stand the noise), and any educational toys you already have.  Go on a hunt through your home to find things that could be put to use in a "center."  You'll be surprised at what you can come up with it.

Homeschooling - free online resources

Homeschooling is not always a choice that is good for your budget! It is very easy to get carried away with purchasing curriculum, manipulatives, supplies, and every little neat thing you come across. So in an effort to help you keep costs down, I am going to write a series of posts devoted to low cost homeschooling. This post is about my favorite websites and is full of links to free online resources.

  

Some of my favorite websites for the kids:

Starfall is for the preschool and kindergarten set. It teaches letters, phonics, and reading. It combines videos, games, and interactive stories to teach children how to read.

ABCya is for elementary students from Kindergarten through fifth grade and is separated by grade level. It has educational games for math, English, typing skills, and geography, as well as purely fun and holiday themed games.

Sheppard software has learning games for preschool through high school. The subject matter includes everything from colors and animals to math, science, geography, history, and language arts.

Book Adventure is a book reading program.  Your child reads a book then takes a quiz on it (you can check if a book has a corresponding quiz first).  If they do well they earn points toward prizes they can redeem.

GA Virtual Learning is for middle school and high school students. It is a free resource from Georgia public schools. They have complete courses in every subject you can imagine. The courses include videos, power point presentations, games, quizzes, writing assignments, and more. The parent would be responsible for all grading – this is a resource not an online school.

Some of my favorite websites for the parents:

Homeschool Skedtrack is a program to keep track of attendance, assignments, and grades. For older children, you can give them a login so they can keep up with their own assignments. This has been a life-saver for me! I am very type-A, so this helps me, but if you are not type-A it may stress you out.

Evernote is not a homeschool site but it can revolutionize the way you keep track of online resources, pdfs, and anything else on your computer or the web that you want to remember and organize.

Free Homeschool Deals is a great way to snag free ebooks, curriculum, and more. I always go ahead and download anything that looks promising while it's free, even if I'm not sure I will use it. A few extra pdfs on my computer (or in my Evernote) are not taking up valuable shelf space, but may come in handy later.

Easy Peasy All-in-one Homeschool is a blog of one family's curriculum. I have never used her actual plan for each day but she has done a lot of research to list online resources. She has it organized by grade level and subject – be sure to take a look at the music and art classes.

ABC Teach has free worksheets for preschool through high school for every subject. Not all of the worksheets are free but many are and it is easy to sort by which ones are free.  You do not have be a member to print the free worksheets.  Some of my favorites are the book report forms.

Homeschool Share is great for lapbooks and unit studies. I also like Confessions of a Homeschooler.

Do NOT buy curriculum for kindergarten. There are so many free worksheets out there. Try Kids LearningStation, edHelper, or kindergarten worksheets.

For learning fun tailored to what you are studying, try a word search generator from edHelper, armored penguin, or ABCya (which also has a junior version for simpler ones).

Math worksheets are great for drills and review. There are too many out there to list but try these: homeschool math, math drills, or math-u-see.

I could fill many more pages of the amazing resources that are available out there for free (and maybe one day I will).  Hopefully, this gets you started on homeschooling on a budget.

Flipping for Cartwheel

Target is really one of the best stores ever. If you haven't downloaded their Cartwheel app – do it now. No, really, stop reading this and go download it immediately. It will save you tons of money!

Cartwheel offers discounts on all sorts of things at Target including name brands and store brands. The deals offer a percentage off, such as 10% off women's clothing or 15% off Windex. You can search for deals, browse them, or even use the barcode scanner. I prefer to use the barcode scanner just to be sure the item is included in the deal. It's also wise to read the details – most deals are good for up to 4 items, but some are more and others less. You load the deals you want to use into your cart, called “my cartwheel”. To start, you can put 14 deals in your cart, but you can earn more. I am up to 20 on mine. Then the app combines them into one barcode that you scan at the register. You will clearly see on your receipt exactly what the final price was for each item. The deals have an expiration date, but you can use them an unlimited amount of times (actually up to 6 times per day, but you have a serious problem if you try to use it more than that).

The best part is that you can use this in addition to the current coupon policy, which means you can stack the deals with a target coupon and a manufacturer coupon. Most of the Cartwheel deals apply on clearance items (occasionally they exclude clearance but it will say that in the details section). Plus, if you use your Red Card you get an additional 5% off. What are you waiting for? You should be at Target.  

Giving "paperless" a whole new meaning

I was talking with some friends the other day about cutting our grocery and household products budgets.  It's not easy to cut back on an already slim budget!  But I was reminded of ways that we have cut back over the past year.  We decided to go paperless as much as possible. It's not just for offices and bills anymore.

Napkins - If you set a pile of napkins out in your kitchen or dining room, they will disappear.  I was astonished at how many napkins my kids would use in a day.  So, I bought cloth napkins at Goodwill.  They were cheap and they didn't all match.  That's actually a good thing; so that everyone knows which napkin is theirs.  We use the napkins for more than one meal before tossing in the laundry (some kids need a new one sooner than others).  It was a cheap, one-time investment.  I still keep paper napkins on hand for guests or parties, but they are hidden.

Towels - Also hidden are the paper towels.  You know, before the invention of paper towels people actually used cloth.  Cloths to wipe up spills and towels to dry things.  So I hide the paper towels for when they are absolutely needed.  It made me realize how often I used to use paper towels - way too often.

One of the things we used paper napkins and paper towels for were snacks.  It was easy to grab a paper product for snack time, but we obviously aren't putting snacks on cloth napkins.  IKEA has the perfect solution (as always).  They have these small plastic bowls and plates that, though meant for small children, are perfect for snacks at any age.  They come in packs of 6 for $1.99, are dishwasher safe, and last forever.  Again, it was a cheap, one-time investment.


Doesn't it cost money to wash all of that cloth??  Well, yes and no.  I find that the small size of napkins, cloths, and towels don't make much difference in our laundry.  We just toss them in with the next load being run, rather than washing them separately.  We do wash more dishes, instead of tossing napkins after snacks.

In the end, going paperless has not only helped our family to go green by reducing the paper products we buy and reusing cloth and dishes, it has also saved us a lot of green.