[Testing]

Hi, just testing.

[Is there a Catholic HOD type curriculum?]

I was also going to suggest Mother of Divine Grace. I know several families who use it and love it. I will be looking into it in the next few weeks myself.

[Espresso Machine Recommendation, please!]

I love my Nespresso. If you have a Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table nearby, they will make you a Nespresso espresso at the store and you can try it out. It's probably not what a true espresso snob would ever use, but I think it's just as good as the daily (and expensive!) Starbucks Lattes it replaced for me. I have the first one linked, but my next one just might be this one.

[Rightstart A]

I don't have a free version available, but I am trying to decide whether to buy the first or second edition of Level A. For what it's worth, I would definitely use the first edition if I could get it free. The second edition is significantly more expensive at $255 for the whole set (books plus manipulatives) versus $110 for the first edition. The difference is that you get all the manipulatives for all levels with the second edition bundle, so it's less expensive in subsequent years. The problem for me, though, is that I'm not certain I'll use all the levels. I have also read that the second edition has 132 lessons, while the first edition has 77. I don't know if they're just broken up differently, or whether more information is taught. Ugh!! What should I do?

[LoE: Foundations - how long for email?]

I ordered this last Thursday evening. The downloads showed up Monday afternoon. It looks great!

 

ETA: I've never received an email other than the receipt.

[Re-introduce yourself, no matter how long or short you've been here]

I am tennislady because I love to play tennis, but have not had time for it since having children. I have a preschooler and a toddler. We're going to formally begin homeschooling in August. I am mostly a lurker, and have learned so much from everyone here. Thank you to all who share their wisdom with us newbies!

[Making a post with a quote in it]

Ugh! I tried the second method and got the blue box, but it doesn't say who is being quoted. What did I do wrong??

[Making a post with a quote in it]

See if this works.

 

Testing the second method!

[Talk to me about ProClick]

I think it will be great, too! I'm planning to print MEP Reception and use the ProClick to bind it.

 

I hope your OD hasn't been overrun by the Hive looking for deals on ProClicks! :D My store had about 3 in stock when I went.

[Talk to me about ProClick]

I just got one, but haven't used it yet. Because of a tip I got from a recent thread, the cheapest place I found it was at my local Office Depot. It was $54.99 (others reported their local price as $52.99). I used the $10 off $50 coupon, so the total cost was around $50 for me.

 

I'm :bigear: for tips on using it!

[smoothie quetion]

I make smoothies with fruit, spinach, chia seeds, and a little water. That's it, and I can't taste the spinach at all. My small children drink them without complaint. I have tried kale and could slightly taste it. It wasn't bad, but just a little bitter and "green." I would start with spinach and with one big handful. I put two or three handfuls in my smoothies now and still can't taste it.

[stupid question for runners]

When I'm not there to carry DH's keys, he uses the safety pin they give you at the race to pin the number and his car key to his shirt.

[Please Share Your Favorite Trifle Recipes]

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a true trifle, but it's delicious and easy.

 

1 angel food cake, torn into pieces

Beat together 8 oz. softened cream cheese and 1 can condensed milk

9 oz. Cool Whip or freshly whipped and sweetened cream

2 containers fresh strawberries or blueberries

orange liqueur (optional)

 

Layer half of cake, fruit (can pour a little orange liqueur over the fruit), cream cheese mixture, and whipped cream. Repeat with remaining half of ingredients. Refrigerate.

[gross house issue]

I might not be a very good person to address this because my house is currently undergoing a big de-cluttering process. I can be a perfectionist and just got overwhelmed thinking about every drawer, closet and flat surface that I needed to clear out. I read some advice that really helped me: do the big impact stuff first. Save the drawers and closets (things that don't really show) for later. So, the first things I'm clearing out are the things that make a visual difference, like countertops, desk tops, etc. After I tackle the first layer of visual clutter, then I'm going to go back and do drawers and closets. It's made a big difference in my home because it just looks better when you walk in.

[Did your infant sleep with you?]

I coslept with mine, but didn't set out to do it. I always put them in their own cribs after the last feeding of the day when I was ready to go to sleep, but after a LONG TIME of hopping up and down all night, I gave in and we coslept. DH never felt comfortable with it (thought he might smush the baby during the night), so he slept on the couch. We did that for over a year, then he just couldn't take it anymore. The baby is 2.5 years old and we just recently got her to sleep on the floor in our room.

[can can of interior paint be retinted lighter color]

We recently had a similar issue. Our local Sherwin Williams store told me they could lighten it a little, but because of the original base color it would not make much difference. It didn't. I mixed the amount we needed with an untinted quart of paint and we were satisfied with the color. It was not quite the color we had imagined, but it was lighter.

[New RightStart Money Games Kit]

Definitely! I would love to hear what you think about it.

[What do you take/do for family after loved one dies?]

When we through this, my family really appreciated a huge green salad someone purchased from a local place. We had lots of casseroles and desserts, which were nice, but the lighter salad was great to have on hand.

[Best WTM threads ever]

I plan to re-read portions of this monster thread when I begin to organize for next year. It has good ideas for planning and organizing the year.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189482&highlight=filing

[Anyone interested in sharing their one]

I always put a tablespoon or two of chia seeds in my green smoothie (fruit, spinach or kale, and chia seeds). I can't taste them, but Dr. Oz says they are packed with good things.:D

[Any takers for a decluttering challenge?]

I MUST declutter this summer. We did a lot of work on the exterior of the house this Spring, but the inside needs major organizing and decluttering. I'm starting "formal" homeschooling in August with my oldest, so I really need to get the house under control before then.

[Calling Cajun cooks...]

Just popping in to say that my mom, a true Cajun, couldn't stop laughing when I told her I had to go to the grocery store to get my gumbo ingredients. She said the whole point of gumbo is to throw whatever you have on hand into the pot! Hers is always delicious, by the way.

[Question about buying used curriculum]

As someone who only has a few posts, I would if it was relatively inexpensive and I had not found it anywhere else. (And I have few posts because I'm learning so much from you all that I just lurk. I don't usually have anything insightful to add to the comments of the "masters." :D)

[iPad or some other tablet?]

I love my iPad! My husband, who works in the IT industry, has a Samsung Galaxy. He prefers my iPad :D

[4th of July food?? Please share what you're making!]

We're going to watch fireworks over the Mississippi River. While we're waiting, we're going to have hot dogs with chili and cheese and chips. Brownies for dessert.