I have been at 3 different blogging platforms and blogger is by FAR the most user-friendly. When I was with Wordpress, I didn't have the knowledge (html) to do things to my background and sidebars that I wanted to do... For me, blogger is just easy. I don't have to worry about HOW I'm going to do things, I just type entries, add pictures and it's done. A lot of people get free backgrounds from these sites: The Cutest Blog on the Block Aqua Poppy Designs Shabby Blogs It does depend a little bit on what you're wanting from your blog, as the pp mentioned. For me, I wasn't looking to learn HTML, I just wanted a journaling place that was easy. Now, if you look at my blog today you will see that I have messed around with the html and learned a few things...but I've been blogging for a few years now, and it's taken me this long to even want to play with it. HTH!

Thanks ladies, hearing how things work in your house is helping me think through this! :) Daisy - I do see what you mean now, about not fitting it all into the school morning regardless...

Thanks ladies... I should have clarified - I'm talking about reading aloud, but their "main" subjects... Like SOTW, our Christian Worldview book, Bible...

How do you schedule it in your day? I prefer to have all our schooling done by lunch time. :D We usually never have a problem getting this in... But, I'm curious, if you read aloud for several of your lessons - how do you break it up?? When my kids were just a little younger, and we would do something like FIAR, we would read a Bible story, read our FIAR book and maybe 1 other "go along" and that would be it...and that would be all on the couch, then we'd head to the table. Now that we are adding in more subjects and some of them include reading aloud - do you break it up and how do you do that?? Do you read (on the couch or wherever) then go to table, then back to couch, etc? Back and forth to break up the reading?? I'm just not able (with attention spans) to get ALL the reading done in one sitting...but our "routine" is sooooo ingrained in us, we've been doing it that way for about 4 years...that I'm just having trouble figuring out if we should just go back and forth or what... thanks! I feel like this is kind of a silly question, but I'm really having trouble getting a "new" routine down!

I love this thread! :) On my nightstand: The Bible Praying the Scriptures For Your Child Forgotten God The Hole in Our Gospel A Patriot's History of the United States Strong Women, Soft Hearts

That is WONDERFUL!! Happy Anniversary!!

BEAUTIFUL!! It's funny, your kitchen has *almost* the exact same layout as ours!! :D

:lol: that is hilarious...I think I've only had a few crumbs here and there. :D

I think that sounds fine! :) I like Carol's suggestion...especially if your church gets out late like ours does! :D Maybe just some veggie sticks and dip or fruit or something to snack on while you wait...this comes in handy for kids especially!

I really like my "regular" planner from Office Max that I got this year!! They are around $15 and they have some pretty colors this year! I use this one strictly for school, and there is enough room in the weekly sheets for me to write in all our curriculum, etc.

Hi there, Do you mean how often we did what part of the lesson?? Well, if so, this is how we did it last year: 1 video lesson per week 2 days of that week on the workbook pages flashcards, review (just speaking, outloud) everyday

I got my Scotch Laminator at walmart for around $19 and I get the refill pages at Sam's ! I LOVE MY LAMINATOR!! LOL!

I *think* that the Day-by-Day ones are much shorter "snippets" from her other books. If I was going to get one, I'd definitely get the original. I think they kind of chopped up the originals to make them into shorter daily readings like for a devotional... Which, if you're looking for a shorter devotional, that might be what you want! :) However, they are even a little TOO short for me!

We have been swimming several times in the past 2 weeks... :confused:

Thanks, ladies...we got the earrings back in and I'd say it will be awhile before she wants to attempt that again. It was pretty traumatic for her...LOL!

I seriously don't know if I can go through this again. How sad is that? I was totally gung-ho last year...read the book, got rid of everything, cleaned out the pantry, etc. I lasted several months...but I don't know if I have the energy to do it again. I want to be healthier, I don't feel well most of the time...and I think the sugar probably feeds my depression. :glare: Ugggg... thanks for all the tips, ladies...I need to pray for some serious motivation and discipline!

Hey Julie!! Fancy meeting you over here! :D :grouphug:

Thanks ladies, well I don't think they are infected by your descriptions. :) I guess we will just wait a bit and try to get earrings back in...right now she is pretty upset from all the bleeding. Uggg...and she is my one that cries and screams about everything. Should be fun getting earrings back in! HA!

Ok, dumb question here, but what would an infected ear look like?? The holes look normal to me...but maybe I'm missing something?!

She got her ears pierced about 2 months ago...and tonight we took them out for the first time and tried putting in new earrings... Immediately they started bleeding. And, I'm talking, dripping blood all over her?!?! Needless to say, we didn't get the earrings in. I had sensitive ears when I first got mine pierced, but they never did this!! I had to wear certain kinds of earrings at first, and now I can wear anything, but I just have no clue what to do for her!! Help! :)

Year round = school when we want to with no worries! :D Generally we schol 3-4 days per week...and take off a week here and there due to vacation, sickness, etc. I love schooling this way!!

Melissa, what did you do in those moments you mentioned? THOSE are the hardest for me too!! Thinking of when I can have my next coke...cause I don't keep it in the house, LOL! (does me no good if I just go out and buy one every day!!) And waiting til the kids are in bed for my bowl of ice cream...

thanks for the suggestions thus far!! We can't afford pb barn, though I LOVE their stuff!! I took a quick peek and the ones I want would be $600!! I love Ikea's stuff too...and we don't have one near us, but someone told us their shipping is a flat $99. Would it be worth it?? I could plan to order a few things all at once...I'll have to think on that... I looked at our target and didn't see any, but I will look online and see what I can find!!

We are re-doing our girls room and I want some type of shelving in there...but I want something different than the standard, cheap bookshelves from walmart that we've had in there for years. :) But, we are in a very small town and there aren't many options. We are close enough to Knoxville that we can get stuff there... I want maybe some of those shelves that have squares, like for the baskets...I don't want it to take up the entire wall, but maybe one of those with 9 squares, or maybe one more row than that. can anyone help me find any that might not have super high shipping charges?? I am kind of overwhelmed with allllll the choices of places to look and just need some help finding something... I think we are going to go with a lighter colored wood, too...so it will match their beds. thanks!

That site that was listed above is really good...and I read the book Potatoes Not Prozac, EXCELLENT!! I have tried 2 major times to kick the sugar habit...and thus far, a few months is all I can go. :blush: Ugggg...it is SO HARD.