Wednesday, April 30, 2014

365 Pictures {#50-52}

Monday #50/365... Helping Hubby pick paint colors for a job.



Tuesday #51/365... Homemade pizza, yum!



Wednesday #52/365... an I love you note from my Super Guy! :-)




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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Behind The Scenes


Hi Everyone!!

Today i thought i would share a behind the scenes look, at what i go through to get all these pictures i post on my blog.

A lot of the time bloggers (myself included) show you only what they want you to see, the good stuff. Not the messy, unorganized chaos stuff.



For this behind the scenes look, i'm showing you what it takes to get my pregnancy photos i post.

This is what you see...


And this is what you don't see...





Not that any of those pictures of my daughter are bad, they just take focus off the belly (which is what my whole pregnancy posts are about, The Belly).

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Pregnancy *32 Weeks*

Hello!

I'm 32 Weeks Pregnant! Only 8 more weeks to go!




32 Weeks


Baby:

Baby is about the size of a large Jicama.
Baby should be measuring 16.7 inches long.
Baby should weigh 3 3/4 pounds.


Mommy:

More and more Braxton Hick Contractions, heartburn and back pain.


Hopes for the week:

Nothing for this week.

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365 Pictures #46-48


Thursday #46/365..... Stormy evening






Friday #47/365... Baby hat i'm crocheting







Saturday #48/365... Umbrella Tree is starting to bloom even more!




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Low Fat No Churn Ice Cream {Recipe}


Hi Everyone!!

A few weeks ago i tried out this Low Fat 3 Ingredient No Churn Ice Cream and i have to say it was pretty good!





Ingredients:




For the entire recipe visit Call Me PMc


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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

Hi Everyone!!

The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle went on sale yesterday!! I had been hearing about it for weeks, so i was pretty excited to check it out and see what it was all about.


What exactly is The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle? It is 78 ebooks, 2 eCourses, 2 audio files, and 2 printable packs PLUS over $200 worth of bonus products!!

All of that is worth over $900 and they are selling it for less than $30!!

It is such a great deal!! This deal won't last for long though, it's only available until Monday April 28th. So if you wanting this deal don't wait!!

You can buy it HERE!




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Login & Password Tracker {Free Printable}

Hi Everyone!!

I don't know about you, but i have a ton of different website login information to remember (email accounts, online retailers, blogger, etc.).

It gets difficult to remember all my login ID's (aka user names) and passwords for each site.

So i created this handy printable...





It has a place to write everything you need to remember for each website.

You can download it for yourself {for free} HERE



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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

365 Pictures #44-45

Tuesday.... My little puzzle builder!





Today (Wednesday).... My umbrella tree is starting to bloom!






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Living The Hotel Life {with Kids}

Hi Everyone!!

Last week was spent out of town, so that meant a long stay in a hotel. Which let me tell you, isn't easy with small children.

Here are some things to do/take advantage of while staying in a hotel.

1. Free WiFi : Take advantage of the free WiFi most hotels offer. I can't tell you how much i love getting free WiFi!!

2. Free breakfast: If you are lucky enough to stay in a hotel that offers free breakfast, take advantage. (One less meal you have to buy, which can really add up.)

3. Keep kids entertained: Drawing/coloring, favorite tv shows, movies, electronics, reading, etc.

4. Snacks: Most hotels have mini fridges and microwaves in their rooms, take advantage by stocking them with snacks. (Bananas, Water, Popcorn, etc. are all good snack items to have on hand.)

5. Other amenities: Pool, fitness center, etc. are other amenities a lot of hotels offer. If your hotel has them take advantage.

That's what's on my list, what's on yours?


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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Homeschooling In {Washington}

Hi Everyone!!

Today I'll be continuing on with my "Homeschooling In" series. I've already talked about Idaho and Alaska, so today i'm moving on to Washington!




Washington has a lot of rules/laws, so let's get started.

Here is what you should know about homeschooling in Washington.

1. All children ages 8-18 years old need to be educated. If your child was in public school before age 8, you need to withdraw them.

2. Each year you are required to fill out an intent to homeschool form for each child.

3. To teach your child you must meet 1 of these 4 requirements - You must have at least 45 hours of college credits, You must attend a parent qualifying course, You must have your child meet with a certified teacher for 1 hour a week, OR You must be deemed qualified by your local school's superintendent.

4. You must have your child tested annually.

5. You must keep records. Those records should included: test scores, immunizations, yearly intent to homeschool form, and everything else related to your homeschool.

6. The total hours/days you homeschool should be the same as established for approved private schools.

7. There are 11 required subjects to have in your curriculum, they are: Reading, Writing, Spelling, Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, History, Health, Occupational Education, & Art/Music Appreciation.


Here are some great resources for homeschooling in Washington:

1. http://www.washhomeschool.org/ - Washington Homeschool Organization

2. https://www.christianheritageonline.org/learn/legal-resources/washington-homeschool-law/ - Christian Heritage

3. http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/WA/ - HSLDA


Once you have decided to homeschool and looked into all the rules/laws, what comes next is picking out curriculum.

Keep in mind the 11 required subjects and your child's learning style!

You can check out other homeschoolers reviews on all the curriculum out there by checking out HomeSchoolReviews!

Once your curriculum is all picked out, you need to set up your school year schedule. Keep in mind you have to have the same set amount of hours as a private school.

Which would be:
Kindergarten at least 450 hours
1st - 12th Grades at least 1,000 hours annually

Now all that's left is to get started! Don't be surprised if your first year is full of bumps. You'll probably make some mistakes and you'll have some rough days/weeks, but *hopefully* you will learn from your mistakes and in the end it will all be worth it.

Good luck on the journey ahead of you!!

****None of this is intended to be legal advice (i'm not a lawyer), it's purely informational. So make sure you check out your states laws beforehand.*

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Monday, April 21, 2014

Pregnancy *31 Weeks*

Hi Everyone!

I'm 31 weeks pregnant, only 9 more weeks to go!





31 Weeks


Baby:

Baby is about the size of a Coconut.
Baby should be measuring over 16 inches long.
Baby should weigh about 3 1/3 pounds.



Mommy:

Lots of Braxton Hicks Contractions, back pain and overall tiredness!


Hopes for the week:

Finalize my list of Freezer Meals that i'm wanting to make before Baby comes!




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365 Pictures #40-42


Friday #40/365  ~ Boogie Man playing with this Angry Bird Star Wars II Sticker Book!




Saturday #41/365 ~ The boys happy to be home!




Sunday #42/365 ~ Easter Morning, the kids looking through their baskets to see what the Easter Bunny left them!






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Sunday, April 20, 2014

He is Risen!

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Let us never forget the real reason we celebrate Easter.....












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Thursday, April 17, 2014

New Zulily Event - Bottles & Breastfeeding Collection


Hi Everyone!!

There is a Bottles & Breastfeeding Collection event that started today on Zulily.



If you have been waiting to buy a breast pump, now would be the time!! They have a double electric breast pump for only $109.99!!!! Original price for this same pump is $250!!! If you are wanting this deal, you better act fast, as these will most surely sell out quickly!!


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Pregnancy *30 Weeks*

Hi Everyone!

I'm 30 Weeks Pregnant, only 10 more weeks to go!! :-)





30 Weeks


Baby:

Baby is about the size of a Large Cabbage.
Baby should be measuring about 15.7 inches long.
Baby should weigh almost 3 pounds.

Mommy:

I'm still feeling pretty good, although i have had a few Braxton Hicks contractions lately!

Hopes for the week:

I really don't have any goals for this week, except maybe for resting (which is always a hope of mine!).




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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

#38/365


Today's picture...



A drawing done by Boogie Man!! :-)





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I'm Pregnant! {Now What Do I Do?} - Part 3

Hi Everyone!!

We've already talked about (in Part 1) what do to after getting a positive pregnancy test and (in Part 2) supplies you will want to have on hand while pregnant, now we are going to talk about decisions you will have to make while pregnant.

Let's be honest, you are going to have A LOT of decisions to make. Everything from your pregnancy, to delivering your baby, and caring for your newborn. There will be decisions that need to be made along the way.

Let's start with decisions that will need to be made while your pregnant.

1. Work - Will you continue with your current job, Is it a safe environment for a pregnant lady, Will you continue working once baby is born, etc.

2. Exercise/Fitness - Will your current exercise regimen be safe for you/your baby while pregnant, etc.

3. Shots/Immunizations - Will you get any shots while pregnant, etc. (I know they recommend you get a flu shot while pregnant)

4. Sex of baby - Are you going to find out the sex of your child? Or let it be a surprise?

5. Baby names - Important to have picked out ahead of time, whether you find out the sex or not.

6. Bottle or Breast - Are you going to formula feed your baby? Or are you going to breast feed? {Stay tuned as i will be having a more in depth post on this later on.}

Decisions to be made about delivering your baby

7. Natural or Medicated - Are you going for a natural childbirth or are you wanting a medicated (epidural) childbirth?

8. Vaginal or C-Section - Most opt for vaginal, but you might want a C-Section for your own reasons. Either way it must be decided beforehand.

9. Hospital, Home or Birth Center - Where do you want to deliver your baby?

10. Induction - Are you against being induced or are you fine with it?

Decisions to be made about your newborn baby

11. Vaccinations - Are you for or against them?

12. Circumcision - Are you for or against it? (If you had a boy, obviously if you had a girl this doesn't apply to you)


That's all i can think of right now, is there anything else you would add to this list?


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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Homeschooling In {Alaska}

Hi Everyone!!

Today i'm continuing on with my "Homeschooling In" series (if you missed my first one you can check it out HERE), today's state i'm going to be talking about is Alaska.



Alaska's homeschooling laws are pretty similar to Idaho's, in that they don't have many rules.

Here are some things you should know about homeschooling in Alaska.

1. All children are required to be educated once they are 7 years old and up until the age of 16. Anything before 7 years old or after 16 years old is not required.

2. There is no set amount of days/hours you are required to teach them.

3. You are not required to test them.

4. You do not have to have any teacher qualifications to teach them.

5. There is no paperwork to file, unless you are withdrawing them from public school.

6. You can use any curriculum you like.

With all that being said, i still believe you should keep records of your homeschooling just in case. I personally like to keep attendance records and all of my children's completed work (along with their grades). If your child was in public school and you withdrew them, i would keep a copy of the withdrawal letter too.

Here are some great resources for homeschooling in Alaska:

1. http://www.homeschoolinginalaska.com/ - Homeschooling In Alaska

2. http://www.eed.state.ak.us/faq.html  - Alaska Department of Education

3. http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/AK/ - HSLDA


Once you have decided to homeschool your child and you have looked into all the laws/rules, what comes next is picking out what curriculum you are going to use.

Best place to start with that is by checking out what curriculum other homeschoolers are using (and loving). In other words Google search "homeschooling blogs" and start reading what all the other homeschooling families out there use.

Another place you could go is HomeSchoolReviews, they offer reviews on all the curriculum out there and those reviews are written by other homeschoolers.

Keep in mind, when picking out curriculum, your child's learning style!

After you have the curriculum all picked out, all that's left to do is start planning your school year.

I personally like to keep with the same school year outline as our public schools, (start at the end of August and go until the end of May), but you can do whatever you would like. I know some families like to school year round and take more breaks throughout the year. It's really up to you to decide what will work best for your family.

Now all that's left to do is dive right on into it. The first year is going to be full of bumps. You'll make some mistakes, you'll have some rough days/weeks, but *hopefully* you will learn from your mistakes and in the end it will all be worth it.

Good luck with the journey ahead of you!!

****None of this is intended to be legal advice (i'm not a lawyer), it's purely informational. So make sure you check out your states laws beforehand.*


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365 Pictures {#33-37}

I'm behind on posting my 365 pictures, so i figured i would add them all at one time..









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