Homemade Weed Killer!

     
I despise pulling weeds.  They get in your flower gardens, vegetable gardens and even your driveway, when you have a gravel one!  I hate weeds so much that we have talked about changing our driveway to asphalt.  To alleviate the problems of the weeds there are many products out there that you spray or sprinkle on your problem areas and they kill the weeds.  These alternatives are full of chemicals and cost a lot of money for what they are, in my opinion.
     I started searching for a homemade version.  I have to say I was very skeptical in the beginning and thought I was wasting my time.  The commercial chemicals are so strong could there really be something that would work that I could make at home?
  I found a recipe that seemed to be very easy to make with ingredients I already had at home.  All you need is a bucket, blue dawn, vinegar and Epsom salt.  That is it!  What size bucket you ask? Well that all depends on how much you want to make.  I used my 5 gallon bucket because it was empty and handy.  I started with a gallon of vinegar because I didn’t want to waste it if it didn’t work.  That doesn’t save much does it.
     Here is the base recipe that can be modified for any amount, my husband says he needs 10 gallons of it, if it works.  YIKES!
                 1 Gallon of vinegar (I used the 5%  acidity.  There is a 6% cleaning vinegar out there)
                2 cups of plain Epsom salt 
              1/2 cup of BLUE Dawn dish detergent 
Why blue Dawn?  I didn’t know that there was any differences between the different Dawn detergents besides the color and fragrances.  Well, it turns out that between all the other Dawn detergents this is the same.  They have the same formula except what color or scent is used in it.  However, for the Original (or famous blue one) there is MORE grease fighting!  Who knew, right? 
   I did call them to verify this info and it is correct.  From now on I am purchasing the blue Dawn!
Now for the million dollar question…….DOES IT WORK??
Check out the weed the next day!
      I would say so!  And this is something I don’t have to worry about my dogs, cat or chickens getting into!  
    Give it a try and rid your yard of those weeds!
Note: I haven’t used this in my flower garden or vegetable garden.  I have only used it in my driveway.
Happy weeding!

Frugal Friday~Cash back Credit Cards!

    
Cash back Credit cards. Have you heard of them? What are they? Are they worth it?  It seems that every store out there has a rewards card of some kind, some being better than others.  Why shouldn’t the credit cards get involved too!  Did you know that there are several cards out that that offer rewards?  I have been bit by the saving/rewards bug/addiction,  so I thought I would share some of the things that I have learned with you.
     A few years ago our church took part in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace program.  At the time we had a mortgage, home equity loan and a car payment.  That is all!  We have never really been in a huge debt to credit cards.  We were struggling with how to make a budget work for us.  I think it is funny to admit that.  It seams so easy you make A so you can spend X and save Z, right?  For whatever reason we just couldn't get it going and stick to it,  so we took the class.  I think that it is a great program and if you have debt and follow his plan you will be debt free with discipline.  I have to say we learned to do that budget and we stuck with it!  Now we are almost totally debt free with just a mortgage left.  YAY US!! 
    That being said, we did it using a credit card!  I have to disagree with Mr Ramsey when he says you shouldn’t use credit cards.  Let me first say, CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE!, however when used properly they can be a great tool as well as a budget extender.  When you open up a credit card you need do it with the mentality of I am going to pay this off in full when I get the bill.  IF you cannot pay off your card each month you shouldn’t use it! If you have to pay interest on your balance it isn’t worth it.  You also need to watch what you spend overall.  I still make a budget for the grocery/monthly shopping.  
     Mr Ramsey's program uses cash and you put how much you have budgeted for each area in an envelope.  When the envelope is empty you are done with spending in that category! I have to say this thought scared me in the sence that if we still had a week in the month and had no grocery money what would we do?  We took the information we received in the seminar and used it to put a system together that would work for us.  
    This is what we have done.  We have a spreadsheet in the computer that we use as our envelope system that Mr Ramsey talks about. We have an amount for each category and even an

misc category.  When we spend we subtract from that column.  It works for us.  It is said that you spend more when you use a credit card because you don't want to charge 2.00.  In the beginning we were that way.  We would go to the grocery for a couple of loaves of bread.  The total would come to a few dollars so we would add yogurt or chips and fruit to make it seem like a better amount to charge.  That, for obvious reasons, will kill the budget in the first couple of weeks!  So now if I need to charge 2.00, I charge 2.00.  I try to make a list and menu when it comes to groceries and then stay out of the stores in between.  This is what works for us.
     So what is the cash back credit card thing? First of all, as stated above if you cannot commit to paying your card off each month, DO NOT DO IT!  Cash back credit cards can offer many things as rewards:  cash, points to trade in for things, merchandise or travel discounts~to name some of them.  I think most credit cards offer something now you just need to see what would work best for you.  
     One thing you need to check out when opening a rewards credit card is, a fee.  Some credit cards have an annual fee to keep the card.  I would shy away from those in a heart beat.  Why would I want to pay to carry a card?  So many cards are free! 
   How does this cash back thing work?  It is going to depend on the card.  We have, for example, the Bank of America 1-2-3 Rewards.  This card will offer one percent cash back on everything, 2 percent on groceries and 3 percent on gas.  I know that Chase has a freedom card that offers 1 percent all the time, then every three months you get a different set of business you can get 5 percent, like groceries, gas, restaurants etc.  There are usually limits on what you can earn as well, like up to 1500.00 in purchases.  As you use your card your cash back will accumulate and add up!
     We have had a true cash back (versus points/merchandise) for about 8 years now.  With our cash back we can have it either sent to us in a check or placed

on our account as a credit.  We choose the credit option once we purchase something we want to use the cash for.  For example this past Christmas we purchased Kings Island Passes for the kids and us.  I made the purchase then had the cash put on the card to pay for it.  We have also purchased 2 cameras and a computer with our cash back as well as paid the boarding bill a few times for the puppies when we have traveled!
     Credit cards make it real easy to get into debt.  when you spend more than you can pay off it is hard to get out of debt.  You can quickly forget how much you have spent when you are not watching your cash flow.  When used properly, though credit card can be a big help! 

Believe~Student Edition

  I received a copy of this book from ZonderKids in exchange for a review.
                                                                                   The Believe Student Edition ( Randy Frazee general editor), written for teens and students, is laid out like a bible study.  The book is broken into 3 sections of 10 lessons or chapters each.  the book broken down into 3 sections: Think, Act and Be.
   Each of these sections has 10 chapter or lessons.  Think, the first section focuses on the core beliefs answering the question, What do I believe?   Act, the second section, focuses on the practices of Christian life, answering the question:  What should I do?  Finally Be, the third section, focuses on the Virtues of Christian life answering the question, Who am I becoming? I think this is important for any teen.  There is so much grown, development and change going on from 13-18, why not continue the first Christian values and instruction thru these years?
     The chapters on average are 10 pages each and consist of several sections: The keys, Our Map, Transitions, Key stories, Core truths,  Reflection questions and what we believe.  The Keys include a key question, idea and verse.  Our maps is a sneak peak of what will be covered in that lesson.  In the transitions area will guide you through the chapter where as the key stories are at the beginning and end of the Bible stories pointing out the characters that have the virtues or practice what is being taught with in that lesson.  The Core truths highlights and helps us to understand why that passage was chosen to teach us the particular lesson and the reflection questions are just that.  There are 5 reflection questions with in each chapter.  This allows us to stop and think about what we are reading, reflecting and journaling ( if you wish).  This give you the opportunity to also have a group discussion if you are working on this with multiple children/students.  The final section, what we believe pulls it all together.  With in section we wrap up what was taught or studied in the lesson and pull it all together.
     This book is well written and when paired with the Believe Kids edition and Believe (the adult edition) you can engage the whole family in the study! 
Check out the other titles or one of the many book in the ZonderKids library here! 
There is also a DVD companion for this book! Check it out, if you would like to take it to your youth group or teen homeschool group!
Thank you to ZonderKids for the opportunity to review this book!
I received the above mentioned product in exchange for a frank and honest review.  A positive review is not guaranteed!  All opinions are my own.  Your results and opinion may vary!

Believe~Kids Edition

I received a copy of this book from ZonderKids in exchange for a review.

  We as parents are our children’s first teachers.  We are always eager to hear their first words and witness all their “Firsts”.  What about their “Firsts” of their spiritual journey?  Were you excited to read the first bible story to them out of that chubby cardboard book?  What about when they were old enough to recite there first bible story to you or when they said their first heartfelt prayer?  Isn’t that just as, if not more important?  There are many bible books and bible studies out there for children. 
     Believe Kids Edition ( Randy Frazee general editor), is a great book that will help your child aged 8-12, on their spiritual journey.  Laid out like a bible study, the book broken down into 3 sections: Think, Act and Be.
   Each of these sections has 10 chapter sections. Think, the first section focuses on the What do I believe?   Act, the second section, focuses on the What should I do?  Finally Be, the third section, focuses on the Who am I becoming?
     The chapters are 6 pages and consists of several sections: the keys, Think about it, Introductions, Core Truths and discussion questions.  The Keys includes a key questions, idea and a verse, while the Think about it, summarizes the coming beliefs.  Moving on to the introductions, they set up the coming bible story and pull things together.  The core truths are written in blue to point them out in each story.  The core truths explain the passage and the truths with in each one.  Finally the discussion questions are there to help kids explore the meaning of the scriptures they have just learned and how each one is important in our lives.
What a great first bible study for your children ages 8-12.  It is never too young to give them a boost on their spiritual journey.  When paired with the Believe for Adults, and the Believe for Students you whole family could start a family study, getting to the word and learning how to think, act and be like Jesus together!
  You can check out this book, others in the series or the entire ZonderKids library by clicking here!
Thank you to ZonderKids for this opportunity!
I received a copy of the above mentioned product in exchange for a frank and honest review.  A positive review is not guaranteed.  All opinions are my own.  Your results and opinions may vary.       

Free Offer Exclusively for Homeschoolers! Discovery Education Streaming Plus

 

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!  Have you heard the news?  Homeschool Byers Co-op is giving away a FREE subscription to homeschoolers to Discovery Education Streaming Plus!  Are you ready for some more?  IT IS FOR THE ENTIRE SUMMER!  WOW!
WHO DOESN”T LIKE FREE?  I know I do!

   Summer break is only about 10 weeks long, traditionally.  With in that time kids can loose so much of the learning they did during the school year! Let you child’s education soar thru the summer!
Discovery Education Streaming Plus is a comprehensive, educational digital streaming service that has over 12,300 full length educational videos, plus tons of other educational content including games, interactives, images and more.   So, homeschoolers can have their kids engaged with educational content all summer long at no cost! 

The subscription is free from June 1 through August 31, 2015, so the sooner people know about it in June, the more advantage they can take of it.  That’s why we want to get the word out on June 1 or as soon thereafter as possible.

  A 1 year subscription retails for $375, so this is a REALLY GOOD DEAL.  Think of it as getting over 90.00 of educational material for free!  (when you divide the total year subscription by 4 quarters in a year).  That is an Awesome deal, isn’t it!

Bring Your Homeschool Lessons to Life
      It's easy to see why homeschoolers rave about Discovery Education Streaming Plus. It's probably the most extensive and feature-rich educational video streaming service in the world.
It's much like having the entire DVD selection of your local public library available to you from the convenience of your home, 24/7/365.
But it's not just a collection of videos that you can watch from beginning to end. This library has been organized into useable video clips, organized and categorized, close-captioned, and supplemented with lesson plans, teaching guides, interactive simulations, images, audio resources, and other resources and materials that you can incorporate into virtually every aspect of your homeschool curriculum.
     
            Here are only SOME of the features of the program:

• Thousands of full-length videos from scores of producers, segmented into tens of thousands of content-specific clips tied directly to state and national standards.
• Supplemental resources such as Assignment Builder, Quiz Center, Writing Prompt Generator, lesson plans, and more
• The ability to customize and personalize lessons to different subjects, grades, and learning styles
• Comprehensive K-12 curriculum coverage in six core subject areas.
• Video series from trusted content providers such as BBC Worldwide, CBS News, Channel 4, Discovery Studios, Scholastic, TV Ontario, and Westin Woods
• Thousands of self-paced math tutorials spanning concepts from basic addition to calculus
• Thousands of audio files including podcasts, classic literature audiobooks, children's literature

 
                                                 You can check it out HERE!
                                            Remember this is only for the summer! 

I was given the opportunity to a sneak peak of this program and to share this promotion with you from Home and School Mosaics and the Homeschool Buyers Co-op.  I was not compensated in any other way for this promotion.