This is my chicken salad recipe: A hot chicken salad with almonds, mayonnaise, cheese, and other ingredients. Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups chicken, chopped 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts celery salt, to taste 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sliced almonds 2 ounces chopped pimiento, drained salt and pepper, to taste 1 small can French fried onion rings Preparation: Mix all ingredients except French fried onion rings; put in shallow greased baking dish. Cover with onion rings and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Serves 4. I leave off the onion rings. I do cook it and then put into a container in the frig. Delicious hot or cold.

We have belonged to Costco for almost 30 years. The membership pays for itself in gasoline and the use of their coupons. I just went Friday because this month's coupons are fantastic. I saved $3.00 on gas filling up my van. I only bought things that I had a coupon for. The only processed things in my buggy were Ramen Soup bowls (DS lives off the stuff). The savings on the ramen alone was $12.00. With the other things I bought (soap, wipes, etc.) added up to a savings of over $30. In one trip, I saved over $45. My membership costs $50. Thus, I have almost paid for my membership and it is just the first of February. (The membership has already paid for itself as I have already filled my van 4 previous times this year and DH has filled his truck twice.)

My curriculum is open and go for the most part. I do spend a fair amount of time during the summer making out our schedule in HST+. Whatever prep needs to be done (an extra worksheet, etc.) can be done while DS takes one of his breaks.

I think it depends on the age of the child. We pay the fees for our grandchildren. DGD is in middle school and save for school supplies (which were around $100), we haven't been nickle and dimed. Now our DGS is in high school. Oh, my goodness :svengo:. Class dues were $200, school supplies were well over $100, yearbook was $120, wrestling expenses have been at least $400. We aren't even to prom season yet! By the end of this year, his expenses will exceed $1000.

I don't feel guilty. For one, I don't curriculum hop so I don't have the 'bigger and better' syndrome :). Second, the money I spend on curriculum is minuscule compared to the price of a private school that could POSSIBLY meet DS's needs. For what I spend on curriculum, enrichment classes, TaeKwonDo, private Mandarin and piano lessons, and other miscellaneous school supplies only comes to about 1/6th of a private school. That's a lot of years of homeschooling with just the right materials to even meet one year of school tuition. The only books I buy for DS come from Goodwill, yard sales, consignment sales, etc. He just inherited my older Kindle and only gets books that are free. He has an extensive library for very little outlay.

I found a great math skills workbook from FlashKids at B&N that I going to use to review Grade 5 math. Only $6.95 :). If we do one lesson a day, it will carry us through the summer. We will also do 5 minute drills to make sure we stay up on our computation.

Only the college prep quizzes are multiple choice.

Best Buy sales flyer (starting tomorrow - Sunday) also has a free case (up to a $40 value) for any e-reader purchased during their sale.

I make my own detergent with Fels-Naptha. The savings are definitely worth it. I make 2 gallons of detergent at a time and it lasts me about 6 weeks (we do lots of laundry :tongue_smilie:). It only takes about 20 minutes to make it. I use a whole bar of Fels-Naptha, 1 cup washing soda and 1 cup borax. I guess I spend about $1.40 for two gallons of homemade detergent. That's about $12 -$13 a year - what I would spend on just one gallon of a name brand detergent!

My DH is the same. We finally came to a compromise and this has worked wonders for us. When the alarm goes off at 6:15, DH goes and crawls in bed with DS. They have 45 minutes of giggles, talking, tickles, etc. (Since DH isn't tired, he can deal with these 45 minutes.) At 7:00, both of them get up and we start our day. When DH gets home from job 1 at 4:30, DS gets 5 minutes with him, then he knows that is time to skedaddle. (DH leaves for job 2 at 5:00). This works well. Then on Saturdays, DH knows he must make time for DS. It's a quirky schedule, but it has helped DH from snapping DS's head off. (Not that he wants too, but stress and exhaustion do take their toll.)

DS finished Level 1 in December and he just worked his way from front to back. It was his 'in the car' workbook. When we start Level II in the fall, I am going do as JoyfulMama is doing - flip flopping from front to back.

I'm right there with ya :seeya:. Just check out my siggy. I do know, as a retired teacher, that a good foundation in the basics makes the rest of the schooling years so much easier.

I can't help with the strategies, but one thing that has helped DS become proficient with math facts is a daily 5 minute drill on paper. Without fail we do an addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and a mixed facts sheet each week. DS is racing against himself and I have noticed a marked improvement. DS has also commented on how much easier math is to do now that he just 'knows the answers'. Here is a great site that generates 5 minute drills - http://themathworksheetsite.com/

I got my Pre-Algebra box from AO today. (I had also ordered in January during their sale.) Here are my first impression: *Only one student book vs. the normal two that they usually have. *Lesson are SHORT. Only one page (front and back). They begin with an introduction or review, then classwork and then activites. *160 lessons total *Every 10 lesson is a short quiz actually titled It's College Test Prep Time. Questions are now multiple choice. I also got the Pre-Al Test and Resources books. It has 80 additional worksheets, tests for use after every 10 lessons, and 4 quarter tests. Some manipulatives and formula strips are included in the back. Overall, it looks good. I love Horizons and have used it from Book K. DS was beside himself when he saw it. He is ready to start NOW :lol:.

I remembered another one that is just plain fun - PASS THE PIGS! Super easy and laughs abound.

:lol::lol::lol:

You use it to make homemade laundry detergent. It is also wonderful at removing stains.

:iagree:

We love Scrabble. Great for spelling, vocabulary and dictionary skills. Each player has a Scrabble dictionary and must be able to define the word if someone asks :D.

Soaps Gone Buy - especially when they are having a sale.

Do you go to my nail salon? :001_smile: I have a standing appt. for every three weeks for acrylic fill ins and a pedicure. It is the only thing I do for 'just me'. Even as times have gotten lean, DH says I am to go as it is the only time I take for myself (plus he loves a woman with pretty nails :001_smile:).

Best place ever to get haircuts is at your local beauty college. The students are supervised by veteran stylists who have seen it all. While you won't always get the same stylist, they are the most current on what works with different types of hair, etc. We have been going every 4 weeks for the past 4 years and I have never gotten a bad cut. DS got one bad cut from an arrogant student who was ready to go to lunch and instead of cutting his hair with shears, she buzz cut him :w00t:. Otherwise, we have been very pleased.

Not in that circumstance.

We all have them, but we do lots of overseas travel as well as cruises out of Florida. According to the US government, on about 33% of US citizens have a passport/passport card.

Bought mine first thing this morning. DH got one, too. :001_smile: