Saturday, April 8, 2017

DIY Soil Block Mix

I clicked on a link to go to this page, but it had been taken down! So I looked it up on the archive site and wanted to save it somewhere, so this is not my content! Very useful though, and I hope many can benefit from this information.

 

 

Friday, March 17, 2017

Weekday Themes, part 2

In my previous post I talked about my plans to streamline this blog and my YouTube channel. I've been thinking about this ever since (a few hours), and I *think* I've settled on my daily themes. Subject to change:

SELF-SUFFICIENT SUNDAY - I will discuss an item or a skill or anything else relating to being more self-sufficient.

MIX IT UP MONDAY - This will be my hodge podge day, to talk about whatever I want/need to. It will mostly be topics that don't fit under my other theme days, such as homeschooling, tutorials, family, animals, etc.

TAKE ME BACK TUESDAY - Obviously the throwback day (but not on Thursday....I'm a rebel) where I will repeat a blog post or a video that I feel is worth re-sharing.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY - Anything relating to simple living that is healthy, clean and good for you. Homemade cleaners, healthy foods, gardening, etc.

THRIFTY THURSDAY - Anything money related....ways to save pennies, debt, thrifty finds, etc.

FEATURE FRIDAY - I'll do a shout out to another blog / channel, maybe even a guest post / video!

Before I start this, is there anything I just really need to change? Are any of my ideas bad, like....I really shouldn't go there? I'm tough on myself sometimes and really can't tell if these are great, okay or terrible ideas!

Thanks for your help!

Weekday Themes

I want to blog more. I NEED to blog more. But I don't want my YouTube videos to suffer.

So I've come up with a plan.

I'm going to make the two related, at least most of the time, and I'm going to streamline it with themes each day so it won't be difficult to think of something to write. I may just share that day's video on some days, and other days I may have something to share that isn't necessarily homestead related but I want to blog about it. So if all goes as planned, I should have more blog posts than I do videos.

So here's my ideas for themes that I like so far. Help me pick one for each day!

Sunday
  • Service
  • Site
  • Shout Out
  • Survival
  • Scholastic
Monday
  • Memory
  • Money Saving
  • Minimalist
  • Meaningful
  • Motivational
  • Mailbox
  • Mashup
  • Mystery
  • Miscellaneous
Tuesday
  • Tip
  • Tasty
  • Take Me Back
  • Time Hop
  • Tutorial
Wednesday
  • Wisdom
  • Wildcard
  • wish List
  • Wellness
  • WayBack
  • Wildlife
Thursday
  • Thoughtful
  • Thankful
  • Thrifty
  • Throwback
  • Throw It Out
Friday
  • Frugal
  • Focus
  • Follow
  • Feature
  • Field Trip
I take a break on Saturdays. I don't create blogs or videos, nor do I publish any on this day. We keep the 7th day of the week as the Sabbath day and just rest. :)

So, help me decide on a theme each day, or make more suggestions! Obviously some of them would have the same idea, such as Memory, Time Hop, WayBack and Throwback. I also want to do shout outs, which I could do on every video, but if I did one each week and made a whole video for them, I've got Shout Out, Focus, Feature and site.

Many of these ideas could cover several topics, so that would be easier to work with. I think I'll start looking over the list and just eliminate them one at a time. Miscellaneous might be a good one to keep, or WildCard.

These are the topics I definitely want to cover though:
  • Saving money (Frugal, Thrifty, Money Saving), could include debt topics
  • Homeschooling / Educational (can include how-tos)
  • Shout Outs
  • Memories / Flashbacks
  • Health topics, which could include DIY cleaners, healthy foods, etc.
  • Some kind of DIY topic, which would include crafts, sewing, building things, etc.
  • Animals
  • Gardening
  • Anything relating to prepping or homesteading!

Friday, January 13, 2017

Interview with each child

I haven't blogged in a while, but I really want to get back to it regularly. I try, but then I forget!

Well, I came across this and wanted to do it with each kid, so here ya go....partly for you to get some giggles and also for my own records. :)

You have to keep in mind as you read these that my younger two boys, Jack and Joe, both have genetic abnormalities with learning disabilities and speech issues. Thankfully nothing serious, but that will help you understand some of their answers a little better.

What is your name? Jack
How old are you? 9
How old is mom? 15

What is your favorite color? Yellow

What are you doing? playing on my tablet
What is your favorite food? cereal
Who is your best friend? Simeon
What is your favorite animal? elephants
What are you scared of? nothing
What is your favorite show? Blue's Clues (first show he ever watched)
What makes you sad? When I get in trouble.
What makes you happy? When someone tickles me.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A balloon guy.
What does love mean? Like in I love my wife when I get older.
What's your favorite drink? Chocolate milk
Where is your favorite place to go eat? Taco Bell because it have burritos.
Where is your favorite place to go to play? Chick-A-Fla  (he says it like this)
What's your favorite movie? Narnia
What's your favorite toy? a little elephant
What's your favorite holiday? Sukkot
Where do you want to go to college? Home
What's your favorite song? Speak Life by TobyMac
What is mommy good at? Singing a song.
What is daddy good at? Cleaning the toilet (I agree!)
What's Mommy's job? Cleaning your room (Ha!)
What's is Daddy's job? Hobby Lobby
What's your favorite season? Winter because you can make snowmen, and you can have a snowball fight.

***
What is your name? Jessi
How old are you? 6 (she's 4, lol)
How old is mom? BIG!
What is your favorite color? Rainbow (I can see she's my rebel)
What are you doing? Playing on my tablet (we have a problem)
What is your favorite food? Beef stew
Who is your best friend? Jayla
What is your favorite animal? A goat! (too much Goat simulator)
What are you scared of? the dark
What is your favorite show? Paw Patrol
What makes you sad? an onion (ROFL!)
What makes you happy? Rain
What do you want to be when you grow up? a mama!
What does love mean? Heart
What's your favorite drink? Water
Where is your favorite place to go eat? THIS PLACE!
Where is your favorite place to go to play? Chick-A-Fla (she copies Jack)
What's your favorite movie? I only like Paw Patrol.
What's your favorite toy? A giraffe
What's your favorite holiday? Sukkot
Where do you want to go to college? At the sun. <giggle>
What's your favorite song? Jump song!
What is mommy good at? the bathtub (taking baths)
What is daddy good at? work
What's Mommy's job? Watching a movie (rarely do that)
What's is Daddy's job? work
What's your favorite season? Winter

***
Jacob - 12
What is your name? Sneaky Squeaky Cheeks
How old are you? 5
How old is mom? 0
What is your favorite color? Blue
What are you doing? sitting here
What is your favorite food? (evil sounding voice) Spinach pizza from Cici's
Who is your best friend? Daisy (the goat)
What is your favorite animal? Daisy
What are you scared of? nothing
What is your favorite show? Person of Interest
What makes you sad? Saying good-bye to someone I won't see again for a very long time. (Wow.)
What makes you happy? A lot of things.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A pilot and welder.
What does love mean? It means you can fart around someone and not feel embarrassed.
What's your favorite drink? Water
Where is your favorite place to go eat? Cici's
Where is your favorite place to go to play? Sukkot
What's your favorite movie? Jurassic World
What's your favorite toy? My tablet.
What's your favorite holiday? Sukkot
Where do you want to go to college? Home
What's your favorite song? Speak Life
What is mommy good at? sleeping
What is daddy good at? working the remote control
What's Mommy's job? Making meals
What's is Daddy's job? Hobby Lobby
What's your favorite season? All the same.

***
What is your name? Joe
How old are you? Um, I don't know. (Counted Jayla's fingers...) Yeah, 6!
How old is mom? I don't know.
What is your favorite color? Orange
What are you doing? I want to play on Jack's tablet.
What is your favorite food? cereal
Who is your best friend? Jack and Jessi
What is your favorite animal? Giraffe
What are you scared of? When Jacob acts like he's going to get me, and the dark.
What is your favorite show? Uncle Gadget (Inspector Gadget)
What makes you sad? Taking the tablet away from me.
What makes you happy? Someone give the tablet back to me.
What do you want to be when you grow up? to play on a new tablet that you can get me.
What does love mean? loving
What's your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
Where is your favorite place to go eat? Taco Bell
Where is your favorite place to go to play? Chick-A-Fla
What's your favorite movie? Paw Patrol
What's your favorite toy? A toy house.
What's your favorite holiday? Sukkot
Where do you want to go to college? At Taco Bell.
What's your favorite song? Paw Patrol theme song
What is mommy good at? working
What is daddy good at? I don't know, I can't do it this long. (haha!)
What's Mommy's job? This take forever!
What's is Daddy's job? work
What's your favorite season? Winter

***
What is your name? Jayla
How old are you? 14
How old is mom? You don't want to ask me that. lol
What is your favorite color? Purple
What are you doing? sitting
What is your favorite food? Potatoes
Who is your best friend? Sarai and Jessi
What is your favorite animal? horse
What are you scared of? heights
What is your favorite show? Person of Interest
What makes you sad? Emotional things. lol
What makes you happy? More emotional things.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A mother.
What does love mean? Um....(laughter)....um......
What's your favorite drink? Apple Mansana
Where is your favorite place to go eat? Chick-fil-A (she says it right, lol)
Where is your favorite place to go to play? My room.
What's your favorite movie? The Parent Trap, new and old.
What's your favorite toy? My tablet and clay.
What's your favorite holiday? Sukkot
Where do you want to go to college? Home
What's your favorite song? Love With Your Life by Hollyn
What is mommy good at? Being the Mama!
What is daddy good at? Driving a forklift.
What's Mommy's job? Being a Mama!
What's is Daddy's job? Driving a forklift.
What's your favorite season? Spring

***
Jonathan - 16
What is your name? Mama, please, no.
How old are you? Please, just let me go.
How old is mom? I can't count that high.
What is your favorite color? I am above such petty things.
What are you doing? Trying to control my anger.
What is your favorite food? Plant life scraped from the top of Lake Thunderbird.
Who is your best friend? Silas and Becca
What is your favorite animal? Hamburger
What are you scared of? I can't even think of anything sarcastic. I'm not scared of anything.
What is your favorite show? Person of Interest
What makes you sad? No tacos.
What makes you happy? Tacos.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Isolated.
What does love mean? Well, when a man and woman love each other very much.....
What's your favorite drink? Water from Lake Thunderbird.
Where is your favorite place to go eat? The Oval Office.
Where is your favorite place to go to play? About 5 feet outside the Oval Office.
What's your favorite movie? Inception
What's your favorite toy? Tickle Me Elmo
What's your favorite holiday? Pi Day
Where do you want to go to college? El Paso
What's your favorite song? Um. Um. Um. Um. Um. (this continued for a while).....Heart of Gold by Johnny Cash
What is mommy good at? Sucking the fun out of everything. (I do my job well then!)
What is daddy good at? Preventing me from fun in the first place.
What's Mommy's job? To let me know when I need a shower.
What's is Daddy's job? Waiting to be told by you to take a shower.
What's your favorite season? Open.