Our Winter learning theme

So, our learning theme for the week  last month has been Winter. We have learned about snow, ice, icicles, hibernating animals, and winter clothing. I have been a MAJOR slacker these past few weeks with Christmas and vacation and just general laziness. Sad to say but our book reading has been minimal along with everything else. However, we have managed to read a few books and complete a few activities/projects.
Our books for the Winter theme:
Animals in Winter
                                                                                                  Snow Day                                                                                                   First Snow
                                                                  Sugar Snow
                                                                  The Snow Lambs
                                                                  Marven of the Great North Woods
When Winter Comes
Callie Cat, Ice Skater
and more of course.
My favorite is Sugar Snow :), and R's is First Snow. The illustrations in First Snow are phenomenal. The look so lifelike and I think that's why R likes the book so much.
Our activities have included making model magic snowmen, painting with ice cubes w/ food coloring added, melting ice with salt, epsom salt painting, coloring snow men, snow pictures (shaving cream with glue), playing outside with our gloves/mittens and scarves on and if you count Christmas-playing in the snow and with icicles.
Hopefully we will get back on schedule this next month and I won't be so lazy.

Finishing my 40 things to accomplish LIST

I only came up with 30 accomplishments on my previous post so here is/are (which is correct?) the rest.


31) learn the sale cycles and stock up on staples when the prices are the lowest


32) Organize my coupons


33) Buy ME some new clothes-done!!, shoes too


34) Start contributing to my 403B


35) Make myself an altered notebook


36) ORGANIZE all my learning stuff (worksheets, articles, forms)


37) Develop a learning plan for R-modifying one I found online 


38) Treadmill 3 x per week


39) Paint abstract art on canvas and hang it in my home or office


40) Make it to 41  :)

Chemicals and Products

Okay, I'm not one of the majorly green or thrifty/frugal kind of people but I was a bit suprised by the sheer amount of products/chemicals I use in a day-heck just in the morning.
Just this morning I used body wash, soap, face cleanser/scrub, shampoo, conditioner, defrizz/smoothing lotion, deodarant, hairspray, lotion, and toothpaste. All I can say is Oh My Gosh-that is RIDICULOUS. Oh I forgot I put on powder foundation, lip balm and gloss, perfume and have used hand sanitizer already today.
So, how to reduce all this? I'm not completely sure...I like products :) Just ask the hubby.
I am in the process of convincing the hubby to go to DIY laundry detergent and fabric softener-not sure I will have much success with giving up even more conveniences. I try to use baking soda for cleaning when possible but must admit I like soft scrub, spic and span, and scrubbing bubbles. AND the idea of vinegar for cleaning seems so icky to me, I hate hate hate the smell of vinegar.
OK, done with my random post. Will update on my changes, IF I make any.

40 Things to Accomplish this Year

Since I turned 40 (GASP) last month-I decided to come up with 40 things to accomplish this year in lieu of "resolutions".
So here it goes...........
1) Add pictures to at least every third blog entry
2) Take more pictures (or have hubby do it) of R and I's art/craft/learning activities
3) Make R 2 hooded towels
4) Make at least 5 hairbows or hair accesories for R-4 down 1 to go
5) Make a hairbow holder for R from old frame
6) Put flowers on my Mom's grave-It's been almost a year and I still haven't been. Not sure when I will actually be ready, if ever, but I think I should be able to before the year is out.-as of 4/5 I've made the arrangement
7) Plant my little garden by mid March this year.
8) Lose 10 pounds (and keep it off)
9) Apply for my CAP
10) Attend at least 1 conference in Substance Abuse field-sent the check off on 3/4, conference is later in March-DONE
11) Write my Dad (or send a card) once per month-done for Jan and Feb
12) Blog post about my dreams/hopes for R-completed 3/03
13) Complete 6 scrapbook pages of R's pictures
14) Send homemade snacks to Dad x 2
15) Have 3 freezer cooking days
16) Trip to Atlanta aquarium
17) See Rock City :)
18) Plant sunflowers-4/3, in peat pots
19) Get family pictures done
20) Make personalized onesie for Brayden-my great nephew
21) Sew 4 pillowcases
22) Use a menu planner at least 2 weeks per month
23) 1 crockpot meal per month
24) Work the spring consignment sale-done
25) "applique" two shirts for R for spring
26) Bake some bread-not from a mix-done, made a honey wheat but awfully dense, not light and airy
27) Read a book just for entertainment
28) Tie dye something with R
29) Go on a date with the hubby
30) Paint our bedroom

31) OKAY, I'm stuck so I'll list 10 more later :)

I plan on making myself accountable on some of these by blogging about the finished product, result, trip, etc :)

Trip to the Mountains

Our trip to Maggie Valley, North Carolina for Christmas was wonderful. I'm a tiny bit dissapointed we didn't get to go to Grove Park Inn or to see the elk but hey it SNOWED on Christmas Day.
We rented a lovely house on the side of a mountain for our trip. We had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 living areas, and 3 decks-turned out to be way more than we needed but we will know for next time. The road and driveway to the house was scary-even without snow and ice. I will definitely need some driving practice when we move. I was too scared to leave the house :(
We checked out dowtown Waynesville, went to Mingo Falls and a park beside the river in Cherokee, and explored a few shops in Maggie Valley before being snowed in. The view of Mingo Falls was spectacular but getting all 4 of us up there was SCARY. Think ice and snow and wet slippery ground with no handrails or anything to stop a fall. The falls were beautiful and the icicles majestic. So glad we braved the less than stellar conditions to see it. Little R's reaction was priceless. She kept saying "that's ALOT of water" and insisted on eating every icicle she could find..even those w/ leaves and pinestraw ...eeewwww.