A Look Back at 2013

Wow!  What a year!

Homeschooled Housewife officially launched in June of 2013.  In that time frame we have seen over 7000 visitors to this blog- WOOHOO!!  And we have over 400 fan likes on our Homeschooled Housewife Facebook page.  I have to say, that's pretty exciting.

So what better time to look back on all that we've accomplished in just short 6 months, then at the end of the year?  How about we start with the Top 5 Most Viewed Blog Posts?  Here goes-

1.  Super Simple Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2.  Marriage- A Traditional Housewife
3.  Marriage- The UNpopular Guidelines We Follow
4.  Its NOT a Charter School
5.  How I Taught My Son to Read

And a look back wouldn't be complete without my personal favorites from this past year.  So here's my personal Top 5.

1.  Top 10 Reasons Homeschool Moms Could Rule the World
2. Marriage- The Good Wife's Guide
3.  Ten Things I Would Tell My Newlywed Self
4.  The Day I Talked to my 8 year old About Suicide
5.  An Organic Cow is a Special Cow


My goals in starting this blog were to help encourage others to homeschool and to support women like myself.  I am a busy, working homeschooling Mom and I believe in a Traditional Marriage where the wife is the homemaker and heart of her family.  This is my story.

 I am so thankful that I get to share a piece of myself with all of you.

So as we end 2013 and look forward to a bright and fulfilling 2014- I want to say thank you.  Thank You to all of you who have stopped by to read about my journey.  Thank You for your continued support and I look forward to our growth and the future of The Homeschooled Housewife!

How to Make Homemade Broth

I hate to admit this- but not too long ago whenever I would make a whole roast chicken, I never made chicken broth with the leftover bones.  As in never ever.  Ugh...what was I thinking!?!

The reality is that I was just a bit intimidated.  It sure seemed like a lot of work just for some chicken broth.  Am I right?

But the times they are a changing!  You may all know by now that we only eat organic meats.  Eh- or maybe you don't.  But for my family, that means that a small, whole roast chicken costs $20.  Yikes!  As a result, we simply don't eat as much meat because we can't afford to.  However, now that I'm spending $20 on a chicken, you best believe I use every single part of it.

Waste not, want not.

For the purpose of this post- I'm using my leftover Christmas turkey.  Because well- it's just 4 days after Christmas and I have GOT to get this turkey business handled.  Here's how I turn one, 15 pound turkey into several months worth of food for my family, 6 months worth of fresh broth and 1 months worth of dog food for my 2 beloved furry babies.

Turn one turkey into turkey broth, turkey meat & dog food!

Step 1-

• Carve all the good, edible meat from the turkey.  Put in ziploc bag labeled "People Turkey" and don't forget to date it.  Store in the freezer.  This meat will be used for turkey pot pies, turkey noodle soup, turkey tortilla soup- etc.  For my family, this will last us several months since we so rarely eat meat.
• Pull the remaining meat off the bone that you will not eat and put in a ziploc bag labeled "Puppy Turkey" and again, don't forget to date it.  Stick this in the freezer too!  I usually have enough puppy turkey to make 2-3 weeks worth of dinners for our 2 dogs.

Step 2-

• Throw everything else into a large stockpot and fill with water.  And I'm talking EVERYTHING!  The fresh herbs you cooked inside the turkey, the lemons, garlic, onion, the bones, the skin- everything.  Then add 6 large carrots, 4 celery stalks, 1 head of garlic (just cut in half, no need to peel), 1 onion- quartered, another lemon- cut in half and fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  Cook for several hours.
• Once your turkey bones and veggies have cooked for a few hours on low, turn it off and let it cool for at least an hour.

Step 3-

Fill ice cube trays with
 broth & freeze

• Now comes the fun part!  Get your strainer and pour the liquid into a large measuring cup or basically anything you can pour out of.  Then fill up ice cube trays with your strained broth.  Pop the ice cube trays into the freezer.
• Allow the broth cubes to freeze and then simply pop them out and put into a ziploc bag labeled "Broth Cubes" and you guessed it- don't forget to date it!  
• When you have a recipe that calls for chicken or veggie broth, simply take some of these broth cubes out of the freezer and add some water.  Add 2 cubes to 1 cup water to make 1 cup of liquid broth.

Step 4-

• The remaining veggies and meat pieces are going to be turned into dog food.  I do this all by hand so that I don't accidentally put a bone into the dog food.  NEVER FEED YOUR DOGS THE BONES!
• Separate the tiny bits of leftover meat, smush up the veggies and mix all together into a bowl.  I usually end up with about 6 cups worth of meat and veggies.  When it's time to feed your dogs, simply add 1/2 cup of this mixture to dry food.  Or this can also be added to brown rice, pasta, lentils- etc.  My dogs love it and homemade dog food is so much better for them!

  

  The leftovers from your broth,
  makes great dog food!

What always amazes me about this process is exactly how much meat is still left on the bones after I think I've cut all the good meat off.  There's SO much edible meat here, you'll be surprised!  And if you noticed- I have used almost all of this turkey.  Even the veggies I used to make my homemade turkey broth get used!   

And there you have it.  Super easy to do, if a little time consuming.  But well worth it for sure!

10 Things Your Mother Never Told You About Becoming a Mom

I was destined to be a Mom.

I was 24 when I gave birth and while I didn't think I knew it all- I was pretty confident that I had this Mom thing figured out.  How hard could it be right?  BWAHAHAHA!  Boy was I wrong!  Not only did I learn a few things about pregnancy but in the last 8 years, I've learned a few things about being a Mom too.  And all of them- no one told me!

1. You will never get to pee or shower alone again.  Seriously.  When they are babies, they will most likely torture you by crying through your entire shower, like mine did.  Then when they are older and you try to pee alone- they will somehow know and suddenly have some sort of kid emergency that only Mom can fix- like they need a snack or can't find their missing sock.

   

   You will never get to do this alone again. 

2. You will talk about poop- a lot.  And not your own poop mind you.  Suddenly the world revolves around what your child's poop looks like.  Runny, super green, chunky, tiny little poop pellets, etc. Gross.  And just when you think it's bad enough that you are suddenly talking about poop with your husband- then you'll start telling complete strangers!
3. You will never get a full nights sleep again.  Gone are the days where you can sleep peacefully.  Sure you've successfully made it through the feeding every 3 hours stage and the switching to a big boy bed phase.  However, no one ever tells you that you will worry about the wind crashing down the tree outside his bedroom window.  Or wanting to check on him every 30 minutes while he has a cold to make sure he's still breathing.  And let's not forget the dreaded teenage years looming on the horizon.  Sleep- what's that?
4. You will cry at everything.  Oh My Freaking Goodness.  He gets a trophy at the end of soccer season- BOOM!  Waterworks.  Goes to see Santa- tissues please!  Draws a picture of his family complete with 2 puppy dogs- NOT AGAIN!  I'm pretty sure I've never cried this much in my entire life.  
5. You will laugh more then you've ever laughed in your entire lifetime.  Seriously, kids are freakin' funny!  The way they laugh is funny, the way they cry is funny.  How they stomp their feet and yell at you is funny.  Every single thing about them is funny.  Well either that or you're yelling and screaming.
6. You will get to see exactly what is wrong with you.  Seriously!  There's nothing like your kid repeating the same bad behaviors to make you notice all the things that you do wrong.  At some point you just have to throw your hands in the air and say- "it is what it is!"
7. You will develop Mommy Brain.  You will become incapable of forming complete and understandable sentences.  Oh My Word.  I used to be amazing!  I could talk to anyone and hold down excellent conversations.  Now I'm lucky if I can ask someone to please pass the butter.  And let's not forget the impact that Mommy Brain has on your memory- sigh.
8. You can never have nice things again.  Well- until they are grown ups anyway.  Kids just have an amazing knack for breaking shit.  All of it.  So do yourself a favor and wait until they are older.  And by the way- husbands break shit too.  Your basically screwed.
9. You will become incapable of ever being embarrassed again.  Seriously!  When your 2 year old brings out your gross granny panties while you have company over.  Or he tells the neighbor that Mommy was picking her nose or tells EVERY PERSON HE EVER MEETS that Mommy
   
   runs around the house in her underwear- it's simply impossible to continue to become embarrassed.  I'm pretty sure my tolerance level is way high now.  Thanks kid.
10. You will become your Mother.  And there it is.  No matter how much you try to stop it- it is inevitable.

Social Media and Your Husband

My husband and I don't really have an "rules" on how to navigate social media inside a Traditional Marriage. However, we've figured out a few things that work for us over the years.

To be honest, up until just a couple years ago, my husband didn't have a Facebook account or an email address.  He just simply doesn't have time for those things.  However, I encouraged him to open a Facebook account because I think there's some value in it.  I personally enjoy networking with like-minded people- which is of course my #1 reason for my Homeschooled Housewife Facebook page!  But I also enjoy staying in touch with old friends and some family.

We have never had a shared Facebook account.  Seriously men- there's nothing like a shared Facebook account to let the world know that your wife has your balls in her purse.  Man up for goodness sakes!  I do not recommend a shared account because simply put- your old high school friends and those barely tolerable relatives are not something your husband needs to see every day in his newsfeed.  But what I do recommend is that you keep an open line of communication.  Allow your spouse to look at your social media, texts, emails, phone calls- whatever....whenever they want to.  I have nothing to hide because I am not behaving in an unwifely manner and I allow my husband 100% access.

I also suggest that you be careful of who you add to your social media feeds.  You will not find old girlfriends, boyfriends, relatives who don't support us, people we haven't spoken to in 20 years ago or Dear Uncle Bob's landscapers 2nd cousin anywhere near us.  Simply put- be careful of who you allow access to your life.  Social media can be toxic to relationships and my husband and myself do not want to be casualties.

If you've read any of my other posts about how our Traditional Marriage works then you may know that we don't have relationships with people of the opposite sex.  So you better believe that when we "add" a person of the opposite sex who is NOT a relative- we let our spouse know.  And we are very careful about how we interact with that person.

This is simply the way we do things.

It's not for everyone.  

Most people don't understand how a Traditional Marriage works.  That's ok.  I'm very confident in my relationship and don't feel the need to defend it or explain ourselves.  Especially to those who have no clue what a real marriage looks like....but I digress.

So let's recap, shall we-

Here's five guidelines to use when navigating social media and your spouse.

1. Share everything with your spouse.  Be an open book.  I want my husband to know what I'm doing online and honestly, he wants to know what I'm up to as well.  The amazing thing about being so open is the amount of trust you build.  Try it- you'll see.
2. Be careful of who you allow access to your life.  Having a huge amount of online "friends" means nothing if they are not truly your friends in real life.  And for goodness sakes- if you don't even know the person, do not give them access to your life!
3. Delete the toxic people.  Seriously- you'll thank me later.  You must guard yourself and your marriage against those who seek to do harm.  The wife is the gatekeeper of her home.  Do NOT allow those who desire to do evil to cross your gate and corrupt your home and marriage.
4. Be mindful of what you share.  Sometimes I "like" certain memes or "add" things and then I wonder what people must think of me.  Just be conscious of what you're doing and who can see it.  I also tend to stay away from discussing politics and religion because I recognize that not everyone shares the same viewpoints.  
5. Use social media for good.  Contacting old relatives, "liking" specific pages, staying in touch with old friends from high school, getting news updates, etc. are all excellent reasons to use social media.  It should NOT be used to reach out to old flames or to seek revenge against someone who has done you harm.  Want to get even- follow #3 and move on.

I have heard many stories of how Facebook ruined a marriage.  I can't tell you how sad that makes me and part of me wonders if that relationship wasn't rocky to begin with- riddled with secrets, distrust and hurt.  Social media can be a slippery slope but by outlining a few guidelines with your spouse you can ensure that it won't be your downfall.

Want to read more about a Traditional Marriage and what it means to be a Housewife?

Marriage- A Traditional Housewife

Marriage- The Unpopular Guidelines We Follow

The Good Wife's Guide

How a Traditional Wife Can Support Her Husband

Guidelines in the Running of Your Home

A Tale of Two Santas

For nine years now I have been taking my son to visit Santa at our local mall.  Every single year, it has been the same Santa.  The SAME EXACT SANTA!!!!

This is perhaps one of my most treasured holiday memories that I've created for my son.

We print out his pictures with Santa and each year, I put one in an ornament picture frame to hang on our Christmas tree.  It's wonderful to watch my son grow and age through the years- and Santa too!  Poor old guy.

So imagine my surprise when some of my friends started posting their pictures on Facebook with the mall Santa and it was NOT the real Santa.  Holy Crap.  By the way- you should know that this particular Santa has a bit of a cult following in my neighborhood.  For most families, he is the ONLY Santa that they have ever taken their children to visit.  Some families even have 15 years with the same Santa.

I waited for over 2 weeks hoping that the REAL Santa would make an appearance on my friends Facebook pages.  And finally, the last weekend before Christmas, I couldn't wait any longer.  And it was with great sadness and trepidation that I took my son to the mall to visit Santa.

We walked through Macy's, rounded the corner to Santa's chair and I hear- "Mom! That's not the real Santa!"  And I just wanted the stop right there and cry.  But like any good Mama- I kept on trudging.  In line for "Impostor Santa" as he's now been nicknamed, we discussed how maybe the REAL Santa was too busy up at the North Pole.  Or perhaps he wasn't feeling well so he sent his cousin.  There was even talk of a "new" Santa a la the movie, The Santa Clause.

So my son sat with Impostor Santa and told him what he wanted for Christmas.  We had pictures taken and as I was paying for them- I tried not to be THAT Mom.  You know the one....bawling like a baby because her son would be breaking a holiday tradition by having his pictures taken with Impostor Santa.  Oh yeah...that Mom.

Later that day, I posted over on my personal Facebook page how heartbroken I was that the REAL Santa was no longer at the mall.  And imagine my surprise when several of my friends claimed to have taken pictures with the REAL deal.  Seriously, I almost peed my pants.  WHAT!!!  THE REAL SANTA IS HERE?!?

A quick phone call to the mall information line confirmed it.  Here's how it went down-

Me- yes, I need to know when the REAL Santa will be there.

Poor Mall Lady- well, Santa's here every day from 10am....blah, blah, blah

Me- No.  You don't understand.  I was there earlier today and you had an Impostor.  My son needs to see the REAL Santa.

Poor Mall Lady- Oh.  Well the REAL Santa doesn't arrive from the North Pole until 3pm.

Me- Thank You Jesus.

So yeah...I'm pretty sure the Poor Mall Lady was making fun of me a little bit there.  That's alright, I probably deserved it.  But I got the information I needed.  The REAL Santa's shift didn't start until 3pm.

Fast forward two hours and I'm standing in a never ending line wishing I had a Disney Fastpass to navigate this mess.  My crabby husband is dodging little fingers from twin monsters who insist upon pinching his butt and throwing their binky's at him.  And I'm doing a little happy dance in this never ending line because the REAL Santa is here!

And then it happened.

"Mom.  He's here.  The REAL Santa is here."

In that moment, it was all worth it.  Two trips to the mall during the Christmas shopping season.  Dodging near collisions in the parking lot.  A cranky husband.  Shelling out $15 for toxic mall pretzels to appease the hunger Gods while waiting in line.  All of it.  Worth it.

And as we walked away from the REAL Santa, I said a little prayer that he would be back again next year.

Does a Strong Woman Result in Divorce?

I've talked a bit about how my marriage works.  It's certainly no secret that my husband is Head of our Household.  This can be a confusing idea to most folks who know me in real life.  I am by nature very opinionated, headstrong and stubborn.  What can I say- I've been blessed!  Now most folks looking in, would naturally assume that these two things don't go well together.  And let me tell you- it's been a struggle sometimes to quiet my natural personality so that my marriage can be the priority.  Since I come from a long line of very strong women- it seems that I've been blessed from birth with these traits.  The women in my family are smart, independent, savvy and motivated to succeed- survivors if you will.

With that being said, unfortunately, there is also a lot of divorce in my family.  And for that matter- in my husband's family too.  So of course, that started me thinking about the reasons behind these divorces.  Could there be a correlation to strong woman and marriages that results in divorce?  Eek!  Now I know that I'm treading in dangerous waters...this is a topic sure to be sensitive to many.  But I feel that it bears looking into because I know that I want my marriage to succeed!

So here's what I know for sure:

• Being right doesn't always mean you walk away the winner.  Folks- I love a good fight.  I'm great at arguing and making my point.  But I've learned that sometimes being right can be harmful to my marriage.  So I find myself asking this one simply question- "is it worth it?"  And most times, the answer is no.
• Serving your husband does not make you a servant.  There is nothing wrong with taking his dinner plate to the kitchen or starting his shower for him after a long day at work.  Sure- you are doing things for him that he could do for himself.  But you are also showing him you love him.  Small and simple gestures truly go a long way in any marriage.  And let me tell you- when your husband returns the gesture, it's the best feeling in the world!  Why would you NOT want your loved one to experience this joy?
• Quit fighting about things that don't matter.  Everyone knows that many marriages end in divorce because of financial issues.  Yes, of course, money is important.  But it will never be more important then my marriage.  The same thing goes for family, friends, jobs, houses etc.  At the end of the day, the only thing that will ever matter is my husband and my child.  Period.  So choose to stop fighting about things that are simply not as important.
• It's alright to be needy.  Say what?!?  Listen up- I'm not saying that you need to turn into an insipid clingy shell of your true self.  So relax already!  But what I am saying is that it is perfectly ok to allow your husband to do things for you.  Especially if those things include tasks he excels at or takes great pride in.  Men like to feel needed.  Hell- we all like to feel needed.  So give your husband this gift.  Don't be so independent that he begins to wonder why he's there....otherwise he just might leave.

Of course there are always extenuating circumstances and other issues that cause strife in a marriage.  I get that.  Sometimes, there is nothing you can do to repair a marriage.  Especially if you married the wrong person.  Hey- it happens.

But I can tell you that there's nothing wrong with wanting your marriage to succeed.  Sometimes it takes a strong woman to admit that her marriage takes priority over herself.  And a truly strong woman to humble herself to allow her marriage to succeed.  I'm strong enough to admit it- are you?

McDonald's

I have a confession to make- up until this summer, we were still eating at McDonald's.  There, I said it.

I considered my family fairly "normal" in our fast food consumption habits.  We ate at home most days during the week and then ate out a couple times on the weekend.  I would say that we averaged 2 meals out per week.  Some weeks it was more depending upon what we had going.  A super busy week meant more visits to the drive thru.

When we started the transition to an organic, natural and less processed diet- fast food and eating out wasn't even on the list.  Seriously!  With SO many other changes happening on our dinner plates, our comfort junk food was at the very bottom of the list.  So it may come as a surprise to people that we still frequented many fast food restaurants yet ate vegetarian and organic foods at home.  I know....I know....

We have been slowly changing our diet and overall lifestyle for the past 6 years.  If you've read my series on making the change to organic foods, you know that this is a process.  It takes time.  In the last 2 years, we've given up many fast food places and restaurants that we used to visit regularly.  Besides the fact that I now know what's in most of these fast food burgers, these places now makes us sick afterwards.  Ugh- I just can't believe I used to put this junk in my body!  Let alone allow my child to eat it!

When your body is clean and you eat dirty food- you know it!

We've slowly found a few better alternatives so that we can still occasionally eat out.  Hey- let's face it, sometimes you just don't want to cook!  Again!  But up until this summer, I was still taking my son to eat at McDonald's at least once per month.

Bad Mommy!

There's really no excuse for it.  I knew what was in their food and yet I still drove my son there, paid for it and many times, I ate it myself.  Then one day, I just decided that I couldn't do it anymore.  Sure it was my son's favorite place, it was the closest restaurant near my house and it was cheap and easy- but what in the world was I doing?!?

One July afternoon as we were driving by the golden arches, I said to William- "we aren't going to be eating at McDonald's anymore".  The reaction was exactly what I had expected.  But I knew going cold turkey would be best, so that's just what we did.

I can now say that the list of acceptable food and restaurant options has dwindled.  Severely.

And it's now been over 6 months since my son has eaten McDonald's.  He no longer asks to go there.  And just the other day he was telling a friend about all the gross things inside a chicken nugget.  We have successfully detoxed and it feels great!

I'm a Working Homeschooling Mom

Yes- it is possible to work and homeschool.

Let me just start by saying, that if I had my choice, I would NOT be working.  But my family needs my income to survive (like so many other families out there!) so alas- I hold the title "Working Mom".  Ha!  As if that's somehow different from "Mom".  Right?

This is not a debate about Stay at Home Moms versus Working Moms.  I have been both and I can tell you from personal experience that they are both difficult jobs.  So lets just cut the bullshit and support each other in regards to this, ok?

Whew!  Glad we got that out of the way.  Let's move on to what this post is really all about.  How in the world do you Homeschool AND Work?!?

My son was 18 months old when I decided to quit my full time Monday through Friday job.  I made a pretty decent salary and this job brought in roughly half of our yearly income.  Yikes!  So how exactly do you replace half of your income and stay at home?

The most obvious answer to this is to factor in all the expenses you'll no longer have.  Daycare of course being #1.  However, we were lucky to have family and friends watching our son and so my monthly daycare expenses were just $250.  Hmm....not much of a savings right there.

The next cost you'll save on is transportation.  Since I was commuting an hour each way to work, this was a big money and time saver!  Yay!

Work clothes, shoes, coffee, lunches out with co-workers, shoes, dry cleaning, office birthdays & parties, shoes....Did I mention shoes?  You'll most likely not be spending money on these items, so consider these a savings too!

Ok- so you've figured out that you'll be saving a little bit of money not going to work everyday.  But how about actually earning some money?  Here's some things that I have done to personally earn money.

• Babysitting.  Super easy, fun and you can take your child with you.  If you begin doing this on a regular basis, look into opening your own in-home daycare.  
• Start your own business.  Do you have a useful skill?  How about a craft you could make and sell?  Etsy and Facebook are excellent places to start your own business.
• Find a part time job in your field with flexible hours.  Now this is all about luck.  You are literally searching for the needle in the haystack here but perseverance will pay off!  I was lucky enough to work in Human Resources, 15 hours per week and could occasionally bring my son with me.  My boss allowed me to move my schedule around to accommodate my son's homeschool classes as well- awesome!
• Work for a church.  Why?  Well- they are usually much more flexible and understanding of your commitments to your family.  And many times, they will allow you to bring your child with you.  
• Provide child care for MOPS.  If you've been living under a rock- MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers.  The time commitment is small, usually 2-4 hours per week and you can bring your child with you.
• Work evenings or weekends.  Listen, this is a hard one if you have very young children.  I do not recommend working nights if this is the case.  However, with older children, this schedule can work out quite nicely.  My favorite weekend/evening job that I ever had was as a hotel front desk employee.  The hours were decent, the pay was good and I got a sweet discount on hotel rooms!
• Telecommute.  This is what I am currently doing.  I provide customer service support from a phone line connected to my internet.  I also provide live online chats and will soon be blogging for the company.  If you are currently working for a company- ask them if telecommuting is possible.  
• Reduce your hours at your current job.  This falls in line with the telecommuting.  Consider asking your boss for a reduction in work hours.  Perhaps even splitting the job with another person.  You'll never know until you ask!

There's a few other small things that I personally do to save money and earn a little money.  Here's my tips:

• Coupon!  My family jokes that I have a coupon for everything.  And for the most part- that's true!  I don't ever pay full price for anything and most times I double up with a good sale AND a coupon.  This adds up to a great savings!  My advice is to subscribe to the Sunday only paper for coupons, check with your local library as they usually receive weekly papers that have coupons in them for free and of course you can print them online.  
• Cut your family's hair.  My son is 8 years old and has only been to a barber/hair salon once.  And you better believe the only reason it happened was because I had a coupon for a FREE haircut!  I also cut my husband's hair.  Now, my hair is another story!  Since you should never cut your own hair (do it- I dare you!) I do visit a salon twice per year.  Yep- that's it!  I go every 6 months and of course I have a coupon!  
• Complete online survey's at home.  I have only one company that I complete surveys for because I just don't have the time to waste doing a survey and not know how much that survey is "worth".  I like PineCone Research because the survey's take approximately 5 minutes to complete and you are paid $3.  I complete about 5 of these per month.  So obviously not a big money maker.  But I can easily do these while I'm sitting at home surfing Facebook and I've just made $3 in 5 minutes.  I'll take it!
•  Get rid of a car.  There- I said it!  If you homeschool and you're home most of the time, you may find that you simply don't need a 2nd car.  And the expense of that 2nd car is just insane!  My husband's company provides him with a work vehicle, so there was no reason for us to keep his car.  We sold it!
• Sell your used, unwanted items.  I love Ebay.  Before I donate items, I usually list them on Ebay to see if they will sell.  Make sure you are selling brand name items in good condition.  Most folks just aren't going to buy a no-name knockoff purse or a pair of ratty tennis shoes.  So be selective here!  But if done regularly, you can make a decent profit.  I typically make $50-100 per month.
• Sign up for a local marketing research company.  There's 2 in my area that I am listed with and if you fit the profile, the payoff is good.  They usually require about an hour or two of your time and the pay is $75-150 cash.  And most of these research studies are conducted in the evenings- so it's very easy to arrange childcare if needed.
• Cook from scratch and eat at home.  This is a big money saver.  Learn to make your meals from scratch.  Not only will it save you money but it's so much healthier! We also do not eat out too often.  It's bad for you and it's expensive.  I would say that we average 3 times per month and most of those times, I have a coupon! 
• Fix it before you replace it.  Gone are the days where my family throws something away or buys a new one.  We try everything to repair an item whenever possible and when we must replace it, try to buy used.  It's cheaper!  Now of course there are some things you just shouldn't buy used- underwear for one!  But dishwashers, jeans, cars- etc can all be purchased used for much less then buying new.
• Ask for a discount.  This is a biggie and most people are afraid to do it.  If money is tight or you're on a strict budget- let the store or company know.  Many times they want to make a sale and will offer you a discount.  And if they can't offer a discount, they will sometimes be able to help you come up with a cheaper alternative.  I'm a big fan of the saying "that's not really in my budget, here's what I have to spend" and see what happens. 
• Share housing costs.  Do you have family you can live with?  What about a basement apartment that you can rent out?  If you're a renter, perhaps you can trade services for a discount on rent?  Housing costs should only equate to 1/3 of your total expenses but for most people- it's much more.  So find a way to reduce them.  

My family is proof that it can be done.  We are living on a very small income.  We are not in debt up to our eyeballs, we own 2 cars and a boat and all of our needs are met.  We are also able to take a vacation every year or so and routinely donate and give to charity.  Yes, of course I would like to have more money sitting in my bank account- who wouldn't right!  But we've learned to live on less so that we can "afford" this lifestyle.  I am home every day with my child and you can't put a price on that!

Let's Talk about TV

Ask any parent about what shows their kids watch and your bound to get a wide range of answers.  Some will say they don't allow their kids to watch anything and others will think it's crazy that you limit TV at all.  So where does the Homeschooled Housewife fall in this category?  Probably right in the middle.

We limit the amount of time our son spends watching TV.

We monitor the shows he watches.

We do not allow programs that exhibit poor character.

When he was younger we were huge fans of the Disney Channel.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Winnie the Pooh: Super Sleuths were his personal favorites.  This was also the time of Little Einsteins.  Brilliant!  As a Mother, I loved letting my son watch this show.  Little Einsteins taught him about classical music and art as well as teamwork.  There were no strict limits as far as actual time goes but we made sure he didn't spend his entire day plugged into the screen.  And since he was the type of toddler to get easily distracted, he didn't want to sit in front of the television for longer then one or 2 shows each day.

Now he's 8 and the programs for his age group are much different.  We've officially entered the "tween show" category and let me just say- I'm less then impressed.  The Disney Channel is no longer an acceptable option in our home.  We found that many of the shows featured on this channel exhibit disrespectful behavior towards adults and parents.  Spend 30 minutes watching Shake It Up and you'll understand what I'm talking about.  Eh- or maybe you won't....

So what does he watch?

My son LOVES this show!

Well from the day he was born, we've had a strict afternoon nap time.  As he's gotten older, it's no longer nap time but "quiet time".  I find that as a working, homeschooling Mom- we both need the afternoon break from each other.  It's during this time that William watches his TV for the day.  He has an ancient TV set up in his bedroom that is not connected to cable and it's here that he watches a movie that we've picked out together from the library.  Old Tom & Jerry cartoons, Brady Bunch, Bewitched, Transformers, holiday themed movies like Prancer or Spooky Buddies- you get the idea.

Many nights we will also end our day by watching Jeopardy together as a family after dinner.  And there is one sitcom that we all watch together on Wednesday nights- The Middle.

I'm sure as he gets older, there will be a few more television shows in the evenings that we will watch together.  And sometimes on the weekends he will watch The Animal Planet or National Geographic- but for now, that's it.

Now I realize for some of you- this may seem drastic.  And other's are probably still hung up on the fact that my son has a TV set in his bedroom- even if its not connected to cable.  I get it....media and electronics are always going to be a hot button among parents.  This is what works for our child and our family.

The great thing about parenting is that we don't all have to make the same choices.  This is simply our choice and for now, we are happy with it.

If You're a Homeschooler- You Must be a Conspiracy Theorist

I've talked a bit about the wonderful benefits to Homeschooling so it's probably time for me to discuss the negatives.  Ugh...the negatives....

For my family, the one downside we've experienced is what I would classify as "good and bad".  Our journey to Homeschooling has led to more of an "alternative" lifestyle.  Now, don't freak out on me!  I think we are still pretty normal but we've simply begun to re-evaluate most things in our lives.  This is the good.

Most recently I was called a Conspiracy Theorist because I Homeschooled.  Ha!  Now that's funny!  It seems that when you believe that your public school system is failing and in general is more concerned with profits then kids- you somehow become a Conspiracy Theorist.  Who knew?  Based upon this uneducated line of thought- some of you reading this might be one too!  Welcome Aboard.

Another side effect to this different lifestyle is that some folks are no longer in our lives.  Many people just can't understand our way of thinking- hence the name calling.  It's very sad.  However when you feel so strongly in something and their response to you is "you're wrong"- how can you move forward?  Why can't we just agree to disagree?  I'm not asking you to live my life, I'm just asking you to shut your mouth and be respectful.  Alas- that's proven to difficult for some.  So I guess we've found the bad, right?

My point here is- that when you begin to re-evaluate the way in which you choose to educate your child- it will naturally lead you to re-evaluate other things.  Let's just say that the veil is lifted just a little bit and it makes you wonder what else is hiding under there.

I am by no means a crazy Conspiracy Theorist.

But I am a realist.  I want to see what's under the veil so that I can make the right choices for my family.  I want to know if my food has chemicals in it that are proven to cause cancer.  I want to know if my President is lying about our health care system.  I want to know why there are so many recalls on pharmaceutical drugs and no one is talking about natural cures.  After all- how can you make an informed decision for the good of your family if you are not informed?  Makes sense to me!

So there you have it.  One side effect of being awesome.  Anyone else a Conspiracy Theorist too?

Home Safety Tips

Recently my husband and I attended a Homeowner's Association Meeting on the recent spike in crime in our neighborhood.  I walked away from that meeting with one thought- "How was it possible that most my neighbors didn't know basic safety rules?"

So of course that started me thinking- perhaps many people don't know these basic rules and are just embarrassed to admit it.  Today, I want to share with you what my husband and I personally do to stay safe.  This includes NOT becoming a target for thieves, car prowls and residential burglary- all of which have drastically increased in my neighborhood.  Let me preface by saying that I'm not an expert in this field.  These are all simple, easy and relatively inexpensive measures that myself and my family have personally taken to maintain safety and if we can do it, so can you!

Let's start with outside our home.  When we first bought our house 3 years ago we discovered drugs and drug paraphernalia across the street.  Needles, trash, little baggies, spoons- yep, all that stuff and right within distance of my son and our home.  Great.

Obviously, we didn't want that in our neighborhood.  So we set out to clean up the 'hood!  Below is a list of things that you can do to the outside of your home to make it safer for your family.

• We started by trimming trees.  There were LOTS of nice, big, tall trees that were providing a safe cover for these drug users.  We didn't cut them down, just trimmed the overhang that was giving these folks a hiding spot.  Sorry- no more hiding spot here!
• Don't forget to trim up bushes and trees directly in front of your house.  These offer great hiding places as well- so get rid of them!
• Maintain a clean street.  This shows that the neighbors care about what happens in their neighborhood.  Carefully, we cleaned up their trash and drug paraphernalia.  If the drug activity resumes, we will know because they like throw their trash out the car window.  
• Get your neighbors involved!  We took one needle in a ziploc bag around to our immediate neighbors and informed them of what we had found.  We also asked them to call 911 if they ever saw a car that didn't belong in the neighborhood just sitting at the end of the street.
• Add extra lighting and motion lights.  This is a fairly inexpensive way to deter thieves.  Light your house up like it's Christmas if need be!
• Fence in your property.  After you've done this- add padlocks to your gates.  Do not make it easy for burglars to just open up your back gate, walk around to your back door and smash it in.  Provide deterrents.  I can guarantee you, if they have to climb over the fence or break the lock to access your backyard, they may just decide it's not worth the hassle and move on to the next home.  Burglars are lazy- make them work for it!
• Try to keep your cars in your garage to avoid car prowls.  But if you're like my family- and just don't have the room for this- then consider alarms for your cars.  Also- never keep valuables sitting in your car.  And another thing to consider, removing your garage door opener.  Some experts recommend putting it in your purse whenever you get out of the car- ugh, how tedious!  I have simply hidden it inside my car, NOT in the glove box!  This way, I know where it is when I need to use it but it's not in any of the normal easy to see and quick to grab locations for thieves.  Consider keeping your car registration in your wallet or purse as well.  This has your home address on it so if thieves break into your car, they now have your home address and your garage door opener in order to access your home.  Yikes!
• When away on vacation or out of town- unplug your automatic garage door.  Don't forget to stop newspaper and mail delivery too!  You do not want your home to look as if you are gone.
• Keep thieves and burglars guessing.  Consider putting your lights on a timer.  This works especially well if you work long hours and are away from home for extended periods of time during the day.
• Watch your neighborhood.  Be aware of who belongs on your street and who doesn't.  If you see something suspicious- call 911.  Yes, you CAN call 911 for non-emergencies.  The dispatcher will simply ask you what your emergency is and you'll say "I don't have an emergency but I need to report something suspicious"  Easy as that.

Now let's move in to what we do to keep ourselves safe inside our home.

• Consider getting an alarm for your home.  We have recently had a lot of burglars breaking into homes during the daytime while folks are at work.  They always "case" the homes first- luckily in our area, if they know someone is home, they move on to the next house.  However, if you are not home- you need to think of ways to make your home as undesirable as possible.  An alarm will do that!  I hate to say this but if you have an alarm and your neighbor does not- most likely they will break into your neighbors home because there's less risk involved.  You might also look into window alarms too!
• Lock your doors.  I'll say it again because it's so simple and easy- LOCK YOUR DOORS.  Every single time I open a door, I lock it behind me.  The only exception to this is when my son is playing in our backyard.  And don't forget window locks if needed!
• Add a lock to your garage door.  I'm talking about the door leading from the garage to your home.  We added a simple deadbolt that is locked from the inside of the home.  This door stays locked  unless we are going in and out of the garage- just like every other door lock in our home.  By taking this simple step- you ensure that if thieves do break into your home through your garage door- they can not access the inside of your home.
• Never leave windows open while you are not home.  I don't care if its 100 degrees outside and it's a 3rd story window.  If a burglar decides that your home is worth it- they will find a way to access that window.  So close it!
• Keep your curtains or blinds closed when not home.  Don't give a burglar access to peek inside your home and see your valuables.  If you have a laptop sitting right by the door that they can easily see, they may decide it's worth the risk for a quick "grab".  
• Get a dog or two.  You don't need to get a dog trained in security like a German Shepard or one that is thought to be a more aggressive breed like a Pit Bull - which BTW- both these dog breeds are super loving and sweet and would make a great addition to your family!  What you do need is noise.  You need a dog or two that will bark when someone knocks on your door.  This can sometimes make a burglar pause and re-think entering your home.
• Acknowledge people at the door.  This rule is very important.  Do NOT open your door to strangers.  Ever.  But if someone does come to your door, you need to let them know you are home.  Yell through the door - "who are you, what do you want?" or pull the curtains aside and let them see that you are home.  Why?  Well here's why...in my neighborhood, burglars are going door to door.  They knock on the front door and if no one answers, they go around to the back and break in the back door and enter your home this way.  Do not ignore the knock.  If burglars see that indeed someone is home, they will most likely just move on to the next home.  They do not want the confrontation.
• Consider personal safety devices.  I'm talking weapons here people.  Unfortunately, there are some aggressive and really stupid thieves out there and they don't care about the risk involved.  If you encounter someone like this- you may need a means of protecting yourself and your family.  I would first recommend that you hide (while on the phone to 911 of course!) or try to get out of your home.  If that's not possible- you MUST protect yourself.  Personally, I am a fan of mace.  It's easy to use, disables someone intent on harm and is not going to accidentally kill you if you don't know what your doing.  I carry it every day on my key chain.  Other good safety devices include guns, baseball bats and tasers.  Use what you are comfortable with, get some training if necessary and make sure you have it available to you if needed.
• Get a safe and bolt it to the floor or wall studs.  Even if you don't have guns or weapons to store in a safe, I'm pretty sure you have some valuables or important documents to lock up.  Great Grandma's wedding ring, tax returns, passports- you get the idea.  Do NOT keep important personal documents just laying around your home- lock that stuff up!  You don't need to rush out and spend $3000 on a massive safe either.  Choose one that fits your needs and budget.
• Take pictures of your valuables along with serial numbers and store these in your safe.  You may wonder why you would need to do this if you're already keeping these items in your safe.  But let's say you decide to wear Great Grandma's wedding ring to a work party and you lose it or it's stolen.  If you have a picture to give the police, it will help them in recovering your lost items.  

I highly recommend you walk around your home, both inside and outside, and write down a list of everything you can do to make your home safer for you and your family.  Then get started on that checklist!

I live in a nice, family friendly neighborhood.  Home prices are fairly high and it's considered a "desirable" neighborhood to live in.  So before you start thinking that your home or neighborhood is too "nice" for any of this to happen- think again!  It happens everywhere and you don't want to be the next target!