How We Save Money

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 21, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 19 Comments

I’m always looking for simple ways to save money.

I weigh the convenience factor with our health, values, and lifestyle.

It takes discipline to save money and to set rules about how we will not waste.

We have to have goals and a plan.

We pray about big purchases. When I see something I want, I try to wait to see if I can do without or if I have something similar I can use to that purpose. If I can’t stop thinking about it after a few days or a week, I try to work it into the budget.

I remember a time when I had way too much month at the end of the money.

I was a school teacher for almost 10 years, but my last year working outside the home was haphazard…and I found myself working two part-time jobs with no benefits. I was struggling to survive financially.

I’ve bounced checks or auto debits because I didn’t realize the check card had been used. I’ve had to juggle which bills I paid so I made rent and had food and gas money. I’ve lived in fear of collection agencies, avoiding the phone calls and dreading certified mail.

Thankfully, we’re a better place financially these days.

We still have some credit card debt we’re paying off, but we’re investing for retirement and our children’s education. We have no car payments and we’re under our BAH allotment for our housing.

Healthy finances are important to me in this ever-changing world.

I want to teach my children how to live frugally but well.

I want them to understand budgeting, investing, taxes, saving, checking accounts, home-buying, and more. It’s important to be financially literate.

I’m tired of explaining that “I don’t have the money” doesn’t always mean that I literally have every penny accounted for, but rather that “This or that isn’t a priority” or “I’m spending as much as I desire at this time.”

These are several simple ways I’ve found to save us money.

Cloth Napkins

I’ve found several mix and match Americana cloth napkin styles that we keep in a drawer by the dining table. We also have some pretty gold ones for special occasions.

We reuse these for a few meals, until they get too greasy or dirty, and then we wash them for next time.

We haven’t gotten on board with family cloth in the bathrooms (ew) or cloth towels in the kitchen, but we do have a large stash of dishcloths for cleaning and wiping up small spills. Paper towels and facial tissues last a really long time for us.

When my son was a baby, we used cloth diapers and made our own wipes from flannel.

Laundry and Cleaning

We make our own laundry soap.

We use wool drying balls.

I try to do laundry every other day, so there are full loads.

I often hang dry the clothes to save on energy.

We don’t buy household cleaners. I use Thieves soap, vinegar, warm water, olive oil. I love my Libman Freedom mop and cleaning cloths.

Seldom Eating Out

We rarely eat out in restaurants and almost never get fast food.

It saves money and keeps us healthier.

We eat at home 95% of the time. We make our own seasonings. I make a hot breakfast every day. I make dinner for the family every evening. We usually have leftovers or sandwiches for lunch.

It has helped that we have stated to ourselves and the kids that eating out is not an option when we leave the house. We try to plan around meal times and do errands mid mornings or late afternoons.

We just have to plan better.

We eat before we leave the house or take a cooler with lunch and snacks. We don’t run errands (or go grocery shopping!) when we’re hungry. We take our lunches for field trips. We make sure dinner is prepped and we make sure to arrive back home in time to cook and eat it.

We do sometimes dine out while traveling and we plan for that if there’s special cuisine or a specific restaurant we want to try, but we often rent an apartment so we can prepare our own meals.

We never buy bottled water. We have a filter on our refrigerator and we refill these glass bottles.

Living Simply

We have simple family birthdays with homemade cake and a special dinner served on a Celebration Plate. We have simple homemade decorations and watch a favorite movie together. We don’t go overboard with lots of presents, but just a few very carefully picked out and lovingly wrapped items.

We often travel for holidays and rarely give big gifts for Christmas or Easter. I eschew giving a bunch of Dollar Store junk in stocking and baskets, so we prefer useful items like pretty school supplies, healthy snacks, and maybe a desired item. We strive for a debt-free Christmas. I like to follow the something they Want, Need, Wear, Read plan of gift-buying and giving.

Shopping is not entertainment.

I buy groceries and other items when we need them. I’m not a hoarder. I don’t do coupons. I just discovered Ibotta and it’s ok, slowly racking up a few dollars every month on a few items I buy anyway.

I don’t subscribe to store emails or social media. We don’t buy newspapers or magazines. We don’t care what’s trending nor do we need the latest and newest tech gadgets or clothes or toys.

My house is not full of fancy décor or lots of knick knacks because they aren’t useful and are just something else to dust. Our furniture is mostly handmedowns and yard sale and thrift shop finds. I don’t redecorate with the seasons or when we PCS and I don’t read decorating magazines or blogs because they make me discontent. We haven’t purchased new furniture in 10 years, except to upgrade the kids from baby cribs to beds.

I cut my own hair. I’m pretty low maintenance. I don’t have a lot of makeup or accessories. I don’t use product in my hair. I don’t get my nails done.

We put our TV in storage. So, there’s no cable or SAT to watch or pay for. We watch Netflix and Amazon streaming.

We keep our utilities low by setting the AC high and the heating low. We turn off lights and use water sparingly.

Eating Leftovers

I don’t like waste. We don’t often have leftovers with four growing children, but I encourage frugality in this area.

I often double or even triple recipes so we can have lunches the next day.

I store leftovers in glass containers to maintain freshness and use them up within a couple days. We get creative with soups and casseroles.

Also, if an apple or carrot only gets half-eaten, it’s saved for later. It can be used in salads or smoothies.

Limiting Trips into Town

Currently, Wednesday is our going out day.

The girls have music lessons, we run errands and do the grocery shopping, and Tori has gymnastics. (I have to plan and prep dinner and my teen daughter or husband finishes it up since we get home after 6 PM – see above!)

This means I have to plan our meals and make a list when shopping.

Sundays, we all go to church. After lunch, my teen daughter and I go to the gym for about an hour and then go grocery shopping on base (most local stores are closed).

Keeping to this plan allows me to say no to any extra running around. Many homeschoolers and stay at home moms in our area are always going out for field trips, playdates, or shopping entertainment. We prefer to stay home and complete our homeschool work. This helps me only to fill up my minivan’s gas tank about 2-3 times per month.

We also don’t feel pressured to change our schedule very often. We have this as a priority, so we don’t feel the need to deviate unless it’s very important or an amazing opportunity.

The kids know we generally stay home, so they learn they have plenty of free time to play, create, and explore after homeschool work and chores are completed. Work before play.

Paying Cash

We try to live within our means. That means not using credit to pay for anything. The deals on credit cards aren’t attractive enough for me to use them. I don’t have the discipline to pay them off each month. Paying cash makes us think twice before making a purchase. I keep our spending plan on spreadsheets on the computer.

We’ve never really done the envelope system. I just don’t like to go to the ATM every week or whenever.

Most of the stores in Europe are Euro cash-only. I seldom shop at those stores. I like the bigger stores that remind me of a Super Wal-Mart and they cater to the international community here and accept my American account-linked check card.

I don’t shop with calculator in hand. What if I get to the register and my total is more than I have? Embarrassing.

When we travel, we have to use a pin and chip credit card for flights and accommodations, but we try to pay cash for all other expenses.

When the kids need clothing or supplies, we pay cash.

When our minivan needed a new alternator and pulley system, we were so thankful to be able to pay cash for it all. I remember a time when an emergency like that would have really messed us up financially for months.

We’re still learning and some days, weeks, and months it’s hard, but we’re determined to live abundantly on a fixed single income.

Resources:

Debt-Proof Living: How to Get Out of Debt & Stay That Way by Mary Hunt
31 Days to Radically Reduce Your Expenses: Less Stress. More Savings by Kalyn Brooke
Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After by Cherie Lowe
31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero: Freeze Your Spending. Change Your Life. by Ruth Soukup
Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind, and Soul by Ruth Soukup
Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space by Kathi Lipp
The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living: How a Spending Fast Helped Me Get from Broke to Badass in Record Time by Anna Newell Jones
The Year without a Purchase: One Family’s Quest to Stop Shopping and Start Connecting by Scott Dannemiller
The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders
Make Room for What You Love: Your Essential Guide to Organizing and Simplifying by Melissa Michaels

How do you save money?

You might also like:

Pin13

13 Shares

You might also like:

CORT Furniture Rental for Military

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 19, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Tired of the yard sale or bachelor pad look?

Tired of living in barracks or dorms?

CORT Furniture Rental is the answer to stylish furniture off-base for military members.

CORT is a great option for military members, especially during short term assignments, unaccompanied tours, or education opportunities.

CORT even offers housewares packages containing essential items for the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, as well as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and microwaves.

Each package consists of a living room, dining room, and bedroom set of showroom-condition pieces. CORT offers three different package options to suit your individual space and lifestyle needs.

When my husband attended school in Alabama for a year before we met, it would have been so much more comfortable for him to rent a studio apartment and use CORT Furniture Rental than living in a hotel for that time!

I would even consider CORT Furniture Rental for a short 2-year command tour. It would be much less stressful than moving a household. Stricter weight requirements during PCS make this a more feasible and frugal option.

Sometimes, moving back stateside from overseas, there’s a big gap between moving in and receiving household goods. CORT Furniture Rental is a great option for temporary furnishings while waiting for the shipment.

CORT Furniture Rental Benefits for Military Members

Benefits to using CORT Furniture Rental for Military

Military Out Clause

If you deploy, receive change-of-station orders 75+ miles away, or discharge from the military, you are released from your furniture rental contract. Sometimes orders come suddenly for deployment or PCS, so this is great.

Flexibility

Keep the furniture as long as you need it. More than 100 showroom locations across the country, so when you move, CORT can furnish your new place too.

Easy

So much less stressful than shopping for new and selling the old each and every time you move or the days and days of clipboards, packing out, and moving. One phone call and you’re done. Then quick delivery or pickup. Super easy!

Frugal

If you take into account long term storage costs and frequent moving expenses, using CORT for furniture rental works out to be cheaper! For short tours, this makes sense!

Quality

CORT’s quality control process helps ensure that every piece of furniture they deliver to you is in showroom condition, or they won’t rent it! Everything looks nice together, which is great if you don’t know how to decorate. So much nicer than risking the destruction of furniture during a PCS.

How does it work?

You choose from three military packages, select any additional items you want, and checkout online!

Select your lease length
Choose your package
Pick your style or leave it up to CORT
Checkout online
Confirm delivery
Schedule pickup at the end of your lease

Find a location near you!

See this great testimonial:

CORT Furniture Rental offers so many benefits for military members to rent furniture.

Follow CORT on social media:

Pin1

1 Shares

You might also like:

Homeschool Foreign Language

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 19, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

I’ve always felt learning a foreign language is important.

My high school offerings were only Spanish and French. My parents encouraged me to take Spanish since they thought it would be more useful. I took three years in high school, but in college, I maxed out the foreign language programs and also took the maximum courses offered in French and German. I really wish I had become a linguist but I had little counseling and didn’t really know that was a possibility.

While I am not fluent, I can get by with small conversations in French, German, and Spanish. I can read it ok, so that’s good when we travel. I can break down and pronounce Italian. Portuguese is harder!

It’s totally true that if you learn one language, it’s easier to learn others.

I don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars on a language program.

We’ve reviewed Mango, but it’s so expensive for a large family. I’ve seen Transparent Language and Rosetta Stone at the library.

Most colleges require 2 credits of the same foreign language. I want my kids to be more than prepared.

Labeling everything with sticky notes is a fun way to learn vocabulary. Reading menus and watching shows in other languages with subtitles can help us understand.

How We Learn Foreign Language in our Homeschool

Latin

Since we follow a classical education model, we focus on Latin in the beginning. It’s a great jumping off point for Spanish, French, Italian, and more!

We being with Prima Latina at about age 8.

Then we follow the books as far as we can:

We study Latina Christiana I and Latina Christiana II for upper elementary or middle school.

Or you can just jump into First Form Latin I-IV (which is mostly Henle in workbooks) in high school. There is some argument among homeschoolers about whether to count each Form as 1 high school credit.

Cassell’s Standard Latin Dictionary is a must buy.

The kids love it. It’s easy. We watch the DVDs and complete the workbooks and sing songs and recite prayers. I know it’s working because when we travel, the kids totally read the Latin inscriptions! It’s a little harder to understand spoken Latin, like at a Catholic Mass.

Latin helps a lot in science and with vocabulary.

Greek

I’m so happy there’s a Greek program that begins with the Alphabet and continues with Elementary Greek I, II, and III.

Easy and I use the teacher’s guide for snags and to make sure since I’m unfamiliar with Greek. When we traveled to Greece, it was fun to pick apart the letters and words. While ancient Greek is a bit different, the sounds and alphabet haven’t changed!

My second child is obsessed with Greek and is so proud she knows the alphabet and how to sound out the words. It helps a lot with science and vocabulary.

French

I’m not super thrilled with First Start French. The lessons are not comprehensive enough for high school credit. The girls enjoy the workbooks. The CD isn’t the greatest, so I read the dialogue exercises aloud. The girls review with apps and love to practice speaking French anytime we go over the border!

We’ve heard great things about William Linney’s Getting Started with French and may look into that. He also offers Spanish and Latin.

My eldest took French in college through College Credit Plus.

Larousse Concise French-English/English-French Dictionary is a must-buy.

German

We live in Germany, so it’s important that we can communicate with our neighbors. I bought some kids workbooks and we worked through those for vocabulary.

We worked through German for Children and now we’re on German DeMYSTiFieD.

Russian

My second child wants to learn Russian and is obsessed with astronauts so I bought her The Everything Learning Russian Book and she’s happily completing that.

Gaelic

Two of my kids are very interested in learning Irish. There is not much out there for lesson books. We are pleased with the revival of the Irish language.

Oxford Pocket Irish Dictionary is a good help. They research pronunciation when they read the Irish folk tales, mythology, and stories.

Many colleges and universities offer language courses through their extension offices
Many city or county rec centers offer language courses
Used high school textbooks are great starting points and can be found on Abebooks. These are helpful for students to complete exercises.
The kids use the Duolingo app for review.
Great resources from Mason’s living languages.
These are some free online college courses we’re looking into.
Classical Academic Press offers Latin, Greek, French, Spanish curriculum.
Compass Classroom offers courses in Latin and Spanish
Muzzy BBC Languages offers free online courses.
Easy Peasy Spanish and French (scroll down)
Time4Languages offers many different language options
Georgia Virtual School has courses in Latin, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, or German. I haven’t reviewed these, but they look like little lessons and quizzes, similar to Mango.

We love these apps for when we travel:

Google Translate and Word Lens
Linguee
iTranslate
Country or Language specific apps come in handy with basic words and phrases but often have in-app purchases for more info.

How do you teach foreign languages to your students?

Latin & Greek Word Study Notebooking Pages

Pin3

3 Shares

You might also like:

Critical Tips to Acing the SAT and ACT

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 14, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

High school students have been studying for and taking the SAT and ACT exams for years, but that doesn’t stop the same questions on how to prepare from cropping up each year. As a new set of students approach this stressful exam time they can find themselves missing important details and wondering how best to study for such a comprehensive exam.

Breaking the process down into planning stages and highlighting important key steps helps keep students on track and ensures they don’t miss a deadline or forget an important tool on the morning of the test. Start with the basics and work your way down into the important details (from what kind of pencil you need to how to study for your weakest topic). Getting a firm grasp on one step will make the rest of the decisions easier to focus on.

Decide Which Exam to Take

The SAT used to reign supreme across much of the country, but the ACT overtook it in popularity in 2012. These days most colleges are used to evaluating either exam when considering admission.

You guidance counselor should be able to help you decide which exam to take, but be sure to also check the requirements of any colleges or universities you’re applying too. Some schools have a preference and may even share the average exam score of their freshman class. This will give you a good gauge of how well you’ll need to do on the SAT or ACT to land a spot at your dream school. Some prominent schools have begun doing away with the test requirement for admission. Take the time to carefully evaluate the requirements of your top schools before deciding on your exam course of action.

Some states require all graduating high school students to take the ACT or SAT as a school exit exam (including Connecticut, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan and Washington D.C.). In these cases, unless a university specifically requests the other exam or you feel you may do better on the other one, the decision of which test to take is easy.

Know the Important Dates

Both the SAT and ACT is offered multiple times during the year and require pre-registration. Keeping an eye on these dates not only makes sure you don’t miss your chance to take the SAT or ACT, but also gives you the advantage of choosing which date works best for you. If you take the exam during one of the earlier sessions you also have a chance to retake it if you’re not happy with your score.

The SAT is offered in October, November, December, January, March, May and June. Registration deadlines are typically about a month before the exam, however, you can register late for an additional fee.

The ACT is offered in September, October, December, February, April and June. The regular registration deadline for the ACT is also roughly a month before your chosen exam date with a select window for late registration, also requiring a fee.

If you plan on taking both the ACT and SAT select your exam dates carefully so you don’t get overwhelmed and have enough time to appropriately study for each test.

Study, study, study

More than 80% of college admission teams rank grades in college prep courses (essentially any course a college may look at) as having “considerable importance” to college acceptance, according to a survey by National Association for College Admission Counseling. SAT and ACT test scores are considerably important to 58.3% of those surveyed. Doing well in prep classes and on college admissions tests is important to college acceptance.

While you can take the SAT and ACT more than once, doing the best you can is important to getting into the college of your choice. Some universities require you to submit all SAT and ACT test scores, even if you retested to get a better score. The better you do the first time, the better you’ll look to an admissions counselor.

Investing in an ACT or SAT prep course will keep you focused on your studies and help you prepare for the material and format of the exam. If you struggle with a particular subject area, such as Algebra 2, spend extra time focusing on that topic with drill down courses, lessons and practice tests. This is particularly important if you plan on taking any SAT Subject Tests, which the College Board notes are “an additional opportunity to show colleges what you know and what you know you can do.”

Create a Day-of Checklist

The SAT and ACT organizations are extremely strict on what can and can’t be brought into testing environments. For instance, cellphones, tablets, laptops and iPods aren’t allowed into SAT testing rooms and must be turned off and out of reach when taking the ACT – so don’t plan on listening to music during the exam. If you want to keep track of time you’ll need to wear a wrist watch. If you have a smartwatch leave it at home and opt for a more traditional alternative.

To take either exam you’ll need at least two soft lead No. 2 pencils. Soft lead generally means a pencil that you have to sharpen, not a mechanical pencil. The ACT specifically prohibits mechanical pencils. You’ll also need your printed exam ticket and a valid photo ID.

Review the exact requirements the week before your exam date so you can plan according and buy or borrow any tools you might need. Once you know what you can and can’t bring, make a list and lay out everything the night before so you’re not stressed the morning of the exam.

With some careful attention and preparation, the day of the test will be a breeze.

Pin1

1 Shares

You might also like:

Learning to Read

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 14, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 12 Comments

I have had the privilege and opportunity of teaching 3/4 of my kids how to read.

My eldest daughter attended daycare and preschool and they mostly took care of all the potty training and teaching her the alphabet and reading. I just reinforced what they taught at home. She caught on to reading very easily and quickly at the age of 4 and took off, devouring bigger and bigger books.

I never pushed my kids to read early. I let them go as their interest led them. They will always learn if I get out of the way and allow plenty of tools.

My middle two daughters are very different in personality and ability. The older one is very analytical and the younger one is a free spirit.

We recently learned about eye problems like convergence insufficiency and Victoria had a year of vision therapy which helped her in many ways.

My youngest, the boy, is five and already finishing up a reading curriculum. He loves early readers about animals and transportation. He prefers level 3 books already!

Learn about my goals and tips for reading readiness.

I hated reading until I was in junior high school, so I have no worries about having four lifelong lovers of books, even if they seem reluctant sometimes.

We have a house filled with books and we take library trips at least weekly. Reading is our go-to for learning. Our main curriculum is completely focused on literature and history.

We love leveled readers, Life of Fred, and All About Reading.

Sometimes, young readers need a little help with distractions. I don’t want reading time to foster negative feelings of frustration or dread.

Teaching reading to young children is a challenge for me.

I was trained as a high school English teacher, so early childhood education got me a little anxious.

I relied on teaching books and reading programs to guide us through that process. I took cues from my kids with what worked and what wasn’t as exciting or needed.

Our favorite reading curricula:

I used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with my first child. She also learned well with A Beka preK and K curricula. We never used A Beka again.

My younger three kids loved All About Reading. They completed it when there were only 3 levels. Then we just moved on. They were fluent.

My middle girls liked Logic of English. Reading our reviews of Logic of English here and here. It’s very analytical and offers plenty of tools to use.

We’ve used computer programs and apps like Starfall, Funnix, Reading Kingdom, ABCMouse, Reading Eggs.

I read aloud to my kids every day, usually morning and evening. I encourage my girls to take turns reading aloud to me and to each other. In the evenings, we all read aloud from the Bible. My son has started reading his memory verse every morning. As with anything, practice makes perfect.

I encourage my kids to read leveled readers and science nature readers. High interest reading is key to lifelong learners and readers.

Sometimes we get stuck or distracted with reading and need a little help along the way.

Usually, it’s distractions or daydreaming that make them lose their place in the text. Sometimes, it’s just forgetting a sound or word.

I like these mini plastic pointers to follow each words as we read. They give fidgety fingers something to hold onto and stay on task by tapping each word as it’s read.

The bigger reading guides show a whole paragraph in the view finder. This is helpful to practice or wean off the smaller reading strips.

There are many variations in the reading guides.

Full page reading guides might help tone down harsh fluorescent lighting or help tired eyes. The translucent pages also multitask with a light box or color blending at a window!

I highly recommend this book: Reading by the Colors: Overcoming Dyslexia and Other Reading Disabilities Through the Irlen Method by Helen Irlen

Strategies for Reading Comprehension

We find notebooking pages with story maps, KWL charts, graphic organizers, and verbal/written narration are helpful.

Using Prior Knowledge/Previewing
Predicting
Identifying the Main Idea and Summarizing
Questioning
Making Inferences
Visualizing

Alex has grown into quite the reader lately! We love All About Reading and it has helped me teach all the phonics rules and sight words for Alex to take off reading well on his own.

Alex really loves reading about dogs and cats lately.

He’s proud of reading like his big sisters!

You might also like:

Pin5

5 Shares

You might also like:

Teaching Kindness

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 12, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 21 Comments

Many of us are quick to brag over our 5-year-old easily completing 3rd grade math problems or reading above his grade-level.

I see commendations every week on Instagram over memorization drills for homeschoolers or Sunday schoolers.

We ooh and ahh over graduation pictures posted on Facebook – preschool graduation, Kindergarten graduation, elementary school graduation, 8th grade graduation…high school and college and grad school graduation mean even less by comparison.

We boast about kids with their sports awards and extracurricular endeavors.

Awards, trophies, and certificates mean less and less when everyone gets one.

Why don’t we ever proclaim how proud we are because our children are kind?

My kids are surely average and ordinary. My husband and I are average and ordinary. We’re ok with that because we think differently about success.

We seldom praise our kids for performance, but we’re sure to recognize when they’re kind.

There are lots of cute activities and lessons on teaching kids about kindness.

It’s a difficult concept to teach to children if parents don’t model it.

I’ve often been asked by parents how they can teach their kids to be kind to each other. Parents complain that their kids don’t like each other, constantly bicker and quarrel, bully each other, are mean.

I won’t allow it.

It’s quite simple.

I do not allow unkindness.

If a family has two tween girls who fight all the time, then the parents allowed it to get to that point by not parenting. We have to actively teach and model self-control and kindness.

What does it mean to be kind?

generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings; not causing harm or damage

We’re not really born to be kind.

Babies don’t think about other people’s feelings. They’re born to cry for their needs to be met.

They have to be taught to be less self-centered as they grow.

Most parents praise toddlers for being helpful. They praise kids for being careful.

I won’t allow the excuse of “sibling rivalry is normal” in my home.

My children will learn to live together in harmony.

I want them to grow up and be friends.

How we encourage kindness:

Being Generous

We model generosity at home, at church, and when we travel.

Generosity is more than just giving money.

We need to be generous with our time, helpful hands, affection, words of affirmation, and more.

We are in a position where we can be very generous with our finances and time. We should desire to be a blessing to others whenever we can.

Being generous is showing the love of Jesus to others.

We don’t force sharing among our kids, but we praise it when it happens because it’s kind. We try make sure there is plenty of everything to go around, but when there are opportunities for sharing, it makes my heart happy to see my kids willingly share. Often family and friends with smaller families don’t realize having four kids means needing four of something to be more fair.

We don’t force our kids to show physical affection and we don’t show disdain when they choose not to offer it. We respect their personal space and their bodies are their own.

Being Helpful

We provide the kids with many opportunities to help. This encourages them to think of others or needs that need to be met.

From when the kids are very, very young, I encourage them to help with household chores, cooking, yard work, and with each other.

We keep adding to their responsibilities as they grow and are able until they are independent.

The goal is for them to see a need and fill it.

I am very pleased when adults at church (or anywhere) compliment my kids on their helpfulness in cleaning up or being responsible.

Focusing on Others

I am training my children to be servant leaders after all.

It’s often hard to put others before ourselves. It’s often unpleasant and unpopular.

We review this with Bible study and using real world examples.

It’s a sign of maturity to be others-focused.

We don’t have a lot of rules in our home or charts or anything external. If the kids bicker or argue or have any kind of altercation, we usually ask right away, “Is this kind?” and it diffuses the situation. They desire to show kindness and receive kindness. Sharing bedrooms and living spaces and bathrooms forces us all to be considerate of others in our household.

Causing No Harm

It should be easy for people to understand the Golden Rule.

We’ve had our share of issues with bullies, even in the homeschool community. I was bullied in middle school, and even as an adult.

We offer suggestions and do-overs.

“How can you make that better?”

“Do you want to try it again, in a different way?”

“Could you say that in a kinder way?”

We teach our kids how to say a proper apology, more than just a flippant “I’m sorry.”

It’s important for kids to learn how to be repentant, make amends, and to forgive.

This is Relationships 101. Unfortunately, I know plenty of adults who missed that class and aren’t concerned about training their children in it.

It takes diligent parenting to model and teach kindness.

Pin6

6 Shares

You might also like:

Approval Junkie Book Review

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 8, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

I devoured Approval Junkie: Adventures in Caring Too Much by Faith Salie in just a few short hours.

Don’t we all crave approval?

I’m pretty tired of all the self-help books for women that proclaim that to be happy, healthy, and pretty much perfect, I must keep my house spotless, my brow hairless, my abs ripply (not jiggly), my children on that tight-rope of helicopter-tiger-freerange momness, and be Doris friggin’ Day in heels and pearls with a dinner plan.

All these Christian mommy bloggers cum authors with their Titus 2 mentoring programs, 21-days-to-a-better-something and lame parenting and marriage advice that leave me left out and scratching my head.

It’s really just all about approval.

At least Faith Salie tells it like it is.

“When it comes down to it, we all just want to hear stories.”

From someone who really tried hard to totally screw my life up, this book hit home for me. I’ve always considered myself a pleaser. I pretend to be so nonchalant and flippant, but inside I’m screaming for approval. I think most women are, so don’t let them appear holier than thou.

This is a memoir, not a self-help manual. There’s no blame or simplified fixes or get-rich-quick schemes.

I do love the last chapter to her daughter, with these last lines: I hope you’ll love yourself as much as I love you.

Salie’s insights into a failed marriage, eating disorder, miscarriages, and the death of her mother echo my own feelings with failures and tragedy, but with more humor and poetry.

I’ve been feeling a little down lately.

It’s well into April and it’s still chilly out and I long for warmth.

I’m not a good mother no matter how much kale I buy since I let them spend an entire afternoon on their iPads.

I’ve gained some weight the last few months and my clueless husband brings home a big box of chocolates so I can glare at those as I continue to feel sorry for myself while I drink lots of water and eat spinach salads.

This book is about balance.

With thoughtful irreverence, Salie reflects on why she tries so hard to please others, and herself, highlighting a phenomenon that many people—especially women—experience at home and in the workplace. Equal parts laugh-out loud funny and poignant, Approval Junkie is one woman’s journey to realizing that seeking approval from others is more than just getting them to like you—it’s challenging yourself to achieve, and survive, more than you ever thought you could.

From comedian and journalist Faith Salie, of NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and CBS News Sunday Morning, a collection of humorous essays chronicling the author’s adventures during her lifelong quest for approval.

Get reading group questions.

On Sale April 19, 2016 – Buy at Amazon

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

0 Shares

You might also like:

PCS to Germany

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 6, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 14 Comments

PCSing to Germany? Congratulations! Overwhelmed?

You can’t really do much until you get official orders, which can take a looooong time after that initial excitement of knowing where you’re heading.

We actually had orders to New Jersey, but then they changed us to Germany. We were beyond thrilled!

Europe was something I had long dreamed about and I really thought it might never happen.

Guide to PCSing to Germany from getting orders to settling into your new house.

What to Do First

Look for social media groups.

Facebook is a great way to connect with families who already live in the area you’re moving.

There are local groups for online yard sales, pet tips, jobs, hobbies, homeschooling, parenting, travel, shopping, meetups, hiking, and more!

Have a PCS fund.

It’s always wise to have some savings for PCS time. Pet costs, travel, meals, illness, surprises, and refreshments for the movers can soon deplete funds. We usually use our tax return that year.

Organize paperwork.

Organize all medical, school, and personal paperwork in a binder.

We have a big zipper binder with lots of pockets for passports, birth certificates, social security cards, pet vet reports, kids school reports, PCS forms.

Close accounts and cancel services.

Contact companies like utilities, cable or satellite TV, and cellular phone service to cancel. Most accounts require at least 30 days’ notice with PCS orders.

Request DLA.

Discuss with finance if you will be responsible to pay back any moving costs. Usually, the government credit card is used for airfare and hotel – and that will be covered with filing a travel voucher, but make sure it’s paid before you spend your DLA on new curtains or something! Anything above and beyond your daily allowances (per diem allotment), you will be held responsible.

Update insurance.

Contact and update auto and home insurance to make sure you have enough coverage or the right plan for the area you’re moving to. Some countries require extra policies.

Update financial info.

Update banking information with a travel alert and update the new address when you get it. When PCSing overseas, you have to open a local account to pay local bills.

Packing Out

We have huge yard sales and purge, purge, purge every time we PCS.

To avoid confusion and make it easier: schedule unaccompanied baggage, household goods, and temporary storage packing and pick-ups on different days.

Typically, the moving company will contact you for a schedule.

First, someone comes with a clipboard and goes room to room, calculating what will need to be packed on each shipment.

Then, packers come to wrap and box your items on the scheduled days. It’s good to already have pictures off the walls, storage items placed in a room or off to one side, unaccompanied baggage placed together. Get organized and be helpful. I even go through drawers and use those humongous zipper plastic bags to keep my bathroom and kitchen items together.

Be available for questions.

We always provide water and sports drinks and lunch for every day of packing and moving.

Traveling with a baby or toddler?

We’ve PCSed with very little ones twice and it is stressful.

We’ve shipped many baby items in unaccompanied baggage so it arrives early. We pack in our suitcases things that we need while traveling or staying in TLF. We can check must-need items like car seats, pack and play, strollers and they don’t count against luggage. Most TLF locations have pack and plays in apartments though.

It’s important to make sure to pack enough diapers and wipes for trips. We did cloth diapering at home, but disposables during travel.

I always breastfed so there weren’t any issues traveling with infants, and most airport security checks allowed us special accommodations and unopened baby food containers and bottled water is allowed when traveling with infants or toddlers.

What to put in storage:

The electricity overseas is a different voltage and it can put a lot of wear and tear on our American-voltage items. We sold everything except our new flat-screen TV. And we put that in storage. Anything with a timer, we put in storage because they won’t work properly – clock radios, coffee pot, slow cooker, rice cooker. We put our deep freezer in storage. We chose to put our china cabinet and fancy dishes in storage because we were worried about weight allowances and space. I chose to store some books and items we didn’t think we’d need on this tour.

Unaccompanied baggage:

Unaccompanied baggage is shipped airfreight to Germany. It should arrive in a couple weeks, so if you find a house and get keys, you’re all set if transportation can bring the goods.

This is typically the shipment of goods you’re going to want as soon as you can move into your new house. We’ve had the luck of the draw a few times that our HHG and unaccompanied baggage arrive at the same time, but they’re packed out differently and the weight allowance is there.

Recommended Items to Pack in Unaccompanied Baggage:

Cleaning supplies
Linens, blankets, and towels (sleeping bags and air mattresses are great!)
Kitchen items (I always pack some special plates and cups along with some much-used cooking items)
Books and toys for children
Next season’s clothes (German seasons and weather can change unexpectedly)
Pro Gear – Military items and professional items (not uniforms or paperwork that’s needed right away!)
Tools – screwdrivers, allen keys, hammer, picture hanging kits
TV & VCR/DVD Player
Lamps
Alarm or wall clock (battery-operated)
Baby furniture – crib, playpen, walker, etc. (highchairs and car seats are available from ACS for 30 day loan.)
Bikes and safety gear
School supplies, to include backpacks
Laundry basket
Camping chairs
Desktop computer (we take our laptop with us)

HHG:

This is all the main furniture and anything you’re packing that wasn’t in unaccompanied baggage. This is typically shipped on a boat and takes about 6 weeks to arrive.

Organization tips:

Take photos or video each room and the condition of furniture before packing.

Secure pets. They’re gonna be stressed and want to escape from packers and movers. Put up a sign so the door remains shut or put them in a kennel for their safety.

Put things in ziploc bags. This ensures nothing falls out of drawers or containers or gets wet or dirty. One military wife I know even places her underwear in bags! Genius.

Color code boxes with tape or stickers and then in your new location, put the same colored tape on the door frames to match the boxes. This is especially helpful when the movers don’t speak much or any English.

What to pack in suitcases:

We put the things we’re carrying with us in a bathroom or laundry room or even in the car so it doesn’t accidentally get packed!

We packed the clothes we’d need – for layering in spring and summer. I packed some homeschool materials. I bring my laptop and iPads. I pack my favorite cooking utensil. We didn’t know what to expect and we almost always bring more than we’ll need, but better than wanting something we don’t have, right? We also pack vitamins and items that we use daily. It’s easier than doing carry-on luggage only because we seal up full-size toiletry items and pad them well so there’s no mess.

Vehicles

Driver’s License

Active duty and dependents with a valid American DL must pass the USAREUR drivers license test. Here’s the USAREUR practice test. Teens age 17+ with a US DL can also take the USAREUR test. Apparently, they also offer it online ahead of time now.

You also need an international DL if you plan to drive over the border to any other countries. The process for an international DL is super easy. You can go to any AAA in the States and get a DL valid for 3 years. Once you arrive, you take a passport photo (MOM’s on Ramstein is an easy location to get this), your USAREUR DL and a form they provide, and go to the office downtown to get the license.

Transporting

One vehicle is alloted for shipment overseas. We chose to ship our minivan. If you desire to ship a second vehicle, it typically costs $1500-2000. You have to contact a private shipping company for the best rates and policy. Get more info about shipping a POV.

We had to get the van detailed and inspected. We drove it to the nearest shipping location and it was eventually placed on a boat. We were able to pick it up right on base here in Germany.

When return-shipping a vehicle to the States, the inspection process can be very stressful. I suggest just paying for a PCS detail for a better chance of first-time approval.

Registering

We had to get an inspection and then tag registration. Registration is $30/year. Inspections are for two years, so if you get a 3-year tour, you have to get re-inspected. The inspectors can be really picky about the condition of vehicles. We recently failed our inspection and had to pay €25 to get our undercarriage steam-cleaned to make sure there was no oil leakage, then we passed and got the registration for another 2 years just in case we get extended.

Pets

Here’s a pretty good summary about pets in Germany. It’s always easier to go to a military vet because they know the paperwork requirements best.

It’s expensive to PCS with pets OCONUS (and sometimes even CONUS). But they’re our family members.

Overall, it cost us about $1500 to prepare and ship our 2 cats. It’s a moving expense and a tax write-off!

Certain breeds of dogs are not allowed entry into Germany.

Necessary for international travel or PCS with pets:

Microchip
Vaccinations
USDA Health Certificate
Arrangements or tickets for cargo or in-cabin travel

We were able to ship our cats unaccompanied from Utah to my parents in Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to Baltimore with us on our flight, then on the Patriot Express rotator with us from BWI to Ramstein. Pet food is not allowed to be shipped into Germany, so they threw that out during our inspection. Luckily, they have fine quality pet food at local shops.

Many factors can make flying with pets difficult: extreme temperatures, available space, time of year, etc. I know some who pay to have pets fly unaccompanied to the main airport in Frankfurt. There are services that take care of all of a pet’s needs before, during, and after flights.

TLA

Acquire an APO mail address ASAP. Get your sponsor to do this, if possible. You can ship items to this address before you arrive.

Finding a House:

Typically, families get 30 days in temporary lodging so they can get adjusted, vehicles and HHG can arrive, and permanent housing can be procured.

You must attend a housing briefing and can only rent approved houses off-base. The wait for on-base housing can be many months. The housing office can get a little pushy if you take a while to find a house.

Go to the finance office and ask for the housing deposit loan. Most German houses require 2-3 month’s rent upfront. You can request that loan and pay it back at the end of your tour.

When you find your house, you take paperwork for the landlord to fill out and you return that to the housing office for approval.

Things to consider when renting off-base:

Utilities. Most houses are heated by oil. This is usually paid yearly and can be a big expense. Water and electricity is estimated and during the annual reconciliation, it can be a big surprise to pay a lot of Euro or get a refund (beer money!). Adjust as needed, based on your family’s needs and usage.

Distance to work. Research the route the servicemember will take to work to make sure that’s doable and ok. We opted for a village farther away from everything for quiet and safety, but my husband has a 30-40 minute commute to work, depending on traffic and construction.

Priorities. We chose our house for the big kitchen with two ovens, one of which is huge and fits our American pans. We gave up a big yard, but there’s a lovely park and playground that I can see from our window. We have one Dorfladen-Bäckerei and no restaurants in our tiny village. Make a list of what you want and don’t want and refer to that when you’re house-hunting. Don’t settle because you’re pressured to find a house.

Other

Electricity

Our lamps work fine with German light bulbs and little adaptors. We use only one transformer in the kitchen for our toaster and mixer. We bought several small German appliances to make our lives easier.

Cell, Internet, TV

It took us six months to get Internet and cellular phones. Things just work differently here. We don’t have a TV, but I know the service requires receivers and whatnot. Our landlady helped us get on the list for excellent Internet and home phone service.

You can view Netflix and Amazon streaming in Germany .de or you can purchase a VPN to view the American (and British or elsewhere) services.

The CommShop in Ramstein is the best place to work out contracts for cellular phones and many other services.

Shopping

Carry Euro with you. Lots of places don’t take cards, only Euro cash. Get a card with a PIN and chip for travel.

Thrift stores and yard sales often have lots of items for sale throughout the year. There are many local Facebook groups for resale.

Bookoo is a great resource for buying and selling.

Check The Find-It Guide for American-friendly shopping and services like auto repair and beauty salons.

Almost everything is closed on Sundays. There are periodic Sunday shopping days.

Travel

Most likely, your family members will receive free SOFA passports during out-processing.

You must, must, must purchase tourist passports if you ever want to travel on vacation outside Germany. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. Don’t risk it.

There are spouse welcome workshops that I highly recommend making time to attend. They will explain lots of information like putting salt in the dishwasher, to air out your house daily, how to shop frugally on the economy, all the little quirks you need to know while living in a foreign country. Check out which potatoes to buy (they’re different here!).

Do you have any tips for PCSing to Germany?

Resources:

This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are by Melody Warnick
Almost There: Searching for Home in a Life on the Move by Bekah DiFelice
God Strong: The Military Wife’s Spiritual Survival Guide by Sara Horn
Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts for Deployment: A Bible Study for Military Wives by Sara Horn
Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul: 101 Stories to Touch the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Charles Preston
Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives by Jocelyn Green
Faith Deployed…Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives by Jocelyn Green
Faith, Hope, Love, & Deployment: 40 Devotions for Military Couples by Heather Gray

You might also like:

Pin198

198 Shares

You might also like:

Dill Chicken Soup

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 6, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

The kids love this creamy dill chicken orzo soup in springtime – or anytime!

It’s a great way to use chicken leftovers.

Or, I roast some seasoned chicken breasts in the oven while I prep everything else.

I seasoned these with paprika, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper. I drizzled olive oil to make sure they didn’t stick to the pan.

A super easy way to shred cooked chicken is to use the paddle attachment on the stand mixer.

Give it a whirl until it’s the desired shredded consistency.

I sliced a leek, chopped some celery and carrots. Close enough to the holy trinity of cooking: mire poix.

I sauté those up in a little butter and bacon grease.

You need a good chicken stock. We usually have some homemade chicken stock in the freezer. But we like Kitchen Basics too.

I dump in the frozen stock and put a lid on it. It melts in a just few minutes.

I prefer fresh dill, but we used dried this time.

I throw a handful of sea salt in a pot to boil the orzo al dente.

When the water has big bubbles, I dump in about a cup of orzo.

I drain the orzo and spritz on some olive oil so it doesn’t get all sticky.

The stock is melted, so I blend the vegetables with my stick blender.

The soup is hot, so be careful with the blender.

It’s all pretty now.

I add in the orzo and shredded chicken. I sprinkle in about 1 T of dill.

It smells amazing.

Dill Chicken Soup

The kids love this creamy dill chicken orzo soup in springtime – or anytime!

Course Soup

Cuisine Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 T olive oil or bacon grease
4-6 chicken breasts or thighs boneless, skinless
1 leek sliced
1-2 stalks celery chopped
1-2 carrots chopped
6 c chicken stock
1 c orzo cooked to al dente
1/4 c fresh dill or 1 T dry dill
1-2 T lemon juice

Instructions

Season and roast chicken breasts in oven at 350* until cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Or use leftover rotisserie chicken.
Cook leek, celery, and carrot, in oil or grease, stirring often, until soft, 5-8 minutes.
Set water and salt to boil. Cook orzo according to instructions. Drain. Drizzle with oil so it doesn’t stick together.
Add broth to vegetables and bring to boil.
Shred chicken with stand mixer or forks.
Blend vegetables and broth with stick blender.
Add chicken, orzo, and dill to soup and warm.
Season with lemon, salt, and pepper.

Pin2

2 Shares

You might also like:

High School Health Credit

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 5, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I took PE/Health in 9th grade public school and it was a less than stellar experience.

It was taught by the football coach, co-ed, and it was pretty embarrassing for all involved.

How do homeschoolers meet the requirements for high school health credit?

What are the requirements for a health class?

Check for state requirements for health education.

I prefer to go above and beyond and max out requirements. We also never know where we might be living since the Air Force moves us around pretty often. Some states require only a 0.5 credit health course, while other states want a full 1.0 credit for graduation.

What’s a credit?

18 weeks = 0.5 credit

36 weeks= 1 credit

135-150 hours of coursework = 1 credit

What should be included in a health course?

A 0.5 credit health course should cover: developing a healthy self, substance-abuse prevention, human development, relationships, disease prevention, HIV/AIDS education, CPR and safety, consumer health, injury/violence prevention, nutrition, fitness, and community health.

A 1.0 credit health course includes everything in the course above and should cover: developing healthy sun exposure habits, acquiring knowledge and skills to practice healthy habits that prevent and/or control disease, learning positive tactics to avoid drug use, and learning healthy eating strategies.

Since we maintain a lifestyle of learning, most of these concepts are review for my teens in high school.

How do I teach health?

Sure, you can buy a traditional textbook health curriculum. Lots of those all-in-one companies include health in their package. If that’s the route you’re going, move along. I refuse to buy a textbook or workbook for something that should be a basic life skill. The library has lots of great resources!

Collect current events articles from newspapers, magazines, online and discuss or research to learn more.

Personal Health:

Study to include human anatomy and physiology, physical fitness, nutrition. We review our chemical-free lifestyle and recipes for personal care products. My daughter took a separate psychology course, so many coinciding health and development topics are covered in that.

Disease Prevention:

We love the links on the CDC and NIH websites.

Drug awareness:

Study to include information and avoidance of illicit drugs, smoking, and alcohol. This offers a great time to discuss peer pressure and self-control. The Bible offers instruction on excessive alcohol consumption. This is a great ministry opportunity for pray or volunteer participation. Also, address marijuana and CBD issues.

Fire safety:

Learn about what to do in the event of household fires, review a fire evacuation plan, learn how to use a fire extinguisher. I like these safety tip sheets. Check out this fire safety guide.

Household safety:

How should cleaning supplies, food items, and toxic items be handled and stored? How do we handle accidents or emergencies?

Basic First Aid:

Minor medical emergencies, to include burns, bleeding, choking, poison, injury, shock. My daughter completed certification courses through the Red Cross. They offer great babysitting and CPR courses.

Consumer Health:

Learn about health care programs around the world. Visit and/or volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. Learn about propaganda, marketing, drug company lobbying. Really find out where our food comes from. There are great videos available like Food, Inc., Super Size Me, Captivated, Fed Up, and more.

Relationships:

We discuss courtesy, manners, etiquette, friendship, peer pressure, gossip, bullying, dating. We do role playing and review social situations that are successful or unpleasant. The book How Rude! is a great resource for etiquette.

Sex Ed:

This is a touchy subject, but a super important one.

Human Development (including reproduction, puberty, sexual orientation, and gender identity)
Relationships (including families, friendships, romantic relationships and dating)
Personal Skills (including communication, negotiation, and decision-making)
Sexual Behavior (including abstinence and sexuality throughout life)
Sexual Health (including sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, and pregnancy)
Society and Culture (including gender roles, diversity, and sexuality in the media)

My Sex Ed Series:

Download a great free sex-ed curriculum here.

See my favorite books for life skills.

I like the links and resources at All in One High School Health for guidance.

Civil Air Patrol has monthly safety briefings that cover many of the topics in health courses. We discuss the presentations at home afterwards.

My daughter volunteers two days per week at our local hospital with The Red Cross.

She’s volunteered every Monday in the medical laboratory for over a year. She likes microbiology and virology.

Recently, she’s been volunteering in the maternity ward and has assisted nurses, doctors, and technicians with hearing screenings, taking vitals, circumcisions, and more.

This hands-on experience is teaching her more than a textbook or video ever could!

Pin104

104 Shares

You might also like: