Free Printable Addition Flashcards

There are so many little “extras” that would be helpful for homeschooling, but I don't always have the money to spend on them.  So whenever I can I make my own.  I am needing arithmetic flashcards this year, and I am creating all of them for me and for you too if you need them!

I have moved all of my homeschooling posts to christianhomeschoolfamily.com.

You can go here to read this post at the new site.

Free Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!

Tropical Traditions is offering a FREE 32 oz. jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil through July 6.

You must make a minimum purchase of $12.99 and pay shipping, but don't let that scare you.

The 32 oz. jar is normally $40, and this is about the highest quality coconut oil you're going to get.  I've put together a couple ideas of how you can get around $65 worth of products for a little over $20 shipped!

I'm definitely getting my order in!
You could order 2 sets of 2 coconut oil bar soaps, which would be $13.90, or you could get 3 bottles of toothpaste for $16.50.

(I'm personally getting the toothpaste as it is my favorite natural toothpaste and lasts a long time!)

To get yours:

• Go here and add the 32 oz. jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil to your cart. (FYI: There are several places to add the 32 oz. jar, but there is one specifically that lists the price as $0.  It won't work unless you click that one!)
• Add another $12.99 worth to your cart.  (The toothpaste and bar soap are on the right hand side of the page if those are what you want.)
• The price of the virgin coconut oil will automatically be $0 at checkout.

Hurry!  This offer is only available through July 6!

(Disclosure: I receive a small gift code from Tropical Traditions when you make a purchase through these links.  I greatly appreciate it!)

Free Starter Kit from Simply Aroma

UPDATE: Simply Aroma was around for a few years and then folded.  However, my little foray into essential oils was a great learning opportunity.

As of this time, the brand I am most confident recommending is Plant Therapy.  The nice thing is that they are also extremely inexpensive, and there is no need to purchase through a consultant.

Okay, I'm going to be upfront with you. I don't necessarily think essential oils are some miracle cure for every ailment. It seems to me like they're quite a fad with some people.  People live the most unhealthy lifestyles, then use essential oils to make their aches, pains, and illnesses feel better.  I think a better plan is just to eat healthy food, exercise, get enough rest, and do everything possible not to get sick in the first place.  But, since no one can be perfectly healthy, I believe it is important to use natural means whenever possible to help when we are ill.  Essential oils are only one part of the equation, along with healing foods and herbs.

So with all that said…

I've been wanting to learn more about essential oils, mainly out of curiosity.  I found out that Simply Aroma (a fairly new company) is offering $100 off a starter kit, making the smallest kit free (shipping is $20). I went ahead and signed up as a consultant just so I could check it out, because, hey, the price was right!

They are only offering this for a couple more days, (ends July 6, even though it says it's a June special). You need to attend an introductory webinar to get the coupon code. Watch it here.  The referring consultant is MaryElen Bream.

(If you decide to sign up for the kit, you'll need my id.  It should automatically come up on the order form if you go through this link.)

UPDATE: If you missed the announcement above, Simply Aroma is no longer in business.  I wholeheartedly recommend Plant Therapy brand oils now.  They are fantastic quality and very inexpensive too.

Cell Phone Safety for Kids

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kajeet. All opinions are 100% mine.

As our kids get older, my husband and I try to think ahead and plan for what they will and will not be allowed to do, and why.  I don't want things to catch me by surprise. (Although I'm sure there are plenty of things that will anyway.)

One of the things we have talked about is the issue of cell phones.  Call us old-fashioned, but we don't think our children have any business being able to call or text whomever they want whenever they want, play games all the time, or access the internet on their cell phone.

One of us said how it would be nice if there was a way for parents to set which numbers the phone can call and receive calls from, as well as to control how much the phone is able to be used at all.

Shortly after that conversation, I received an offer to post a sponsored post about Kajeet, a wireless service devoted to kids.  Since I never post anything sponsored just for the money, but truly try to serve you, my readers, and post only things I would buy and use myself, I did what I always do and scoured the information to make sure it was something I could truly recommend.

After looking at all of the information about Kajeet, I can honestly say it offers everything my husband and I were hoping for and more!

*Note: our oldest child is only 6 years old and the only time he is away from home is when we are with him.  We aren't thinking about getting him his own phone — yet.  But we are definitely tucking this information away to revisit when is a little older.

Here is what we found out about Kajeet:

1. Free, unlimited, parental controls that are manageable from a computer and allow parents to:
a.) Set time limits on phone use to prevent late night texting (or simple over-use of the phone.)
b.) Block unwanted calls, but always ensure that those from mom and dad get through.
c.) Manage what websites can be accessed (even on Android™ smartphones).
d.) Decide who pays for certain services, like games or ringtones.
e.) Find your child (or his/her phone if it gets lost or stolen) with GPS locating (included in select service plans or as an add-on)

Note about time limits: If your child's phone is not able to be used during a certain time period, you can set the controls to ALWAYS allow calls from mom and dad to come through, no matter what.  No other service has this ability.

2. Affordable plans that start at just $4.99/month.
a.) No activation fee.
b.) No termination fee.
c.) No long-term contract.
d.) No hassles if you need to change your plan. Change it whenever you need or want to, with no penalty.

3.  Choose a popular Android™ smartphone (including the Samsung Galaxy S III 4G LTE or the LG Viper 4G LTE) or a more basic, “starter” phone (like the Kyocera Domino).

4. 4G LTE coverage is available on Kajeet (on select 4G LTE devices and in regions where 4G LTE coverage is available).

Kajeet has received awards and recognition from PTPA Media, the Mom’s Choice Awards, iParenting and NAPPA (the National Parenting Publication Awards), and it is easy to see why!

You can purchase a phone from Kajeet directly on the Kajeet website. (Be sure to verify whether or not there is coverage in your area.) You can check the Kajeet coverage map here.

I don't think your child's safety is worth messing around with.  If they're away from home, be sure you always have a way to contact them and vice versa.  At the same time, make sure that same safety device is not endangering them in the sense of their being able to access the internet without permission or call and receive calls from questionable friends.

Do you have any other tips for keeping kids safe when they're away from home?  I'd love to hear them!

Our Week In Review

I realized the other day that I focus so much on whatever's on the blog calendar, that I never take time to just post about our life!

So from now on, I'm going to try to post a little bit our past week each Saturday.

I'm doing this for myself more than anything, so I can preserve some memories that will too easily be forgotten otherwise.  But you are more than welcome to take a little peek into our lives!

Monday evening we went and picked blackberries as a family.  I shouldn't have put a good shirt on E. — he had smooshed blackberries all over him.  He even had a bunch stuffed in his pockets!  You all shared a bunch of great ways to use the blackberries over on Facebook.

Tuesday evening we had a baby shower for my sister-in-law.  For some reason I always get chosen to do the games for showers.  I guess it's good for me since I tend to be a little shy.  I'm forced to get out of my comfort zone and come out of my shell a little bit.  Here's me, all out of my shell:

We have been seeing these strange colored birds flying around every afternoon across the street. We didn't have any binoculars to get a closer look, so we used the next best thing: the camera zoom.

That mint green one is especially interesting.

Thursday evening E. wanted to feed K. a mashed banana while I was making supper.  For some reason I said yes, even though I had quite a bit of cleaning up to do afterward!  I'm not sure who was happier.  They both had a great time.

Friday we had an awesome smoothie for breakfast.  I was pretty impressed since my husband is usually a lot better at making smoothies than I am.  It wasn't too hot out, so we sat on the back porch and drank them (or did we do that because I didn't want purple stains all over the kitchen floor?  I'll never tell!)

If you want to see more of our behind-the-scenes life, you can follow me over on Instagram.

Solutions for a Better Night’s Sleep

Are you finding that you have a hard time getting to sleep or staying asleep at night?  Here are some things you should try:

1.Get your body on a routine by going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. When you keep your sleep schedule consistent, your body will know exactly when to produce serotonin and melatonin, making you feel much more awake during the day and ready to sleep at night.

2. Make sure the room is completely dark. Any light suppresses your body’s ability to produce melatonin. Additionally, you should discontinue use of electronics well before bed time as the backlight also suppresses melatonin. Dim the lights, keep noise to a minimum, and help your body realize that it is time to sleep.

3. Avoid stimulating activity right before bed as this can suppress sleep
hormones.

4. Exercising during the day helps your body produce sleep hormones
more effectively.

5. Avoid caffeine, preferably all the time, but especially in the afternoon
and later.

6. Chamomile tea can help your body relax and feel sleepy.

7. Do all that you can to reduce stress on your body. Stress hormones affect your sleep cycle just as a lack
of sleep affects your stress level.

8. There are also some aspects of your diet that you should make sure are present if you wish to promote good sleep. These include healthy fats, which give your body what it needs to produce sleep hormones.  Foods high in antioxidants also aid in hormone production and include colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, and green or herbal teas. Sugar and carbohydrates, especially in the evening can give you a blood sugar spike making it difficult to fall asleep and later wake
you in the night when your blood sugar levels drop. Instead, make sure your dinner includes plenty of healthy fat and protein to keep your blood sugar level even. Many people are deficient in magnesium, which can cause your body to feel restless. The best way I have found to supplement magnesium is to use a topical magnesium lotion. (I buy mine from Real Traditions.) It is most easily absorbed by the body in this form and if you happen to give your body excess, it will be eliminated.

Have you joined the 10 Week Healthy Living Challenge yet?  Sign up below and you'll receive the first challenge in your inbox right away.  Increase your health and energy with some simple changes!