How to Occupy Your 2 Year Old While You Homeschool

We've actually been “doing school” all summer since I missed a lot with my health issues, and I wanted to try to finish up the kindergarten books before we started 1st grade.  Because of that, I already have a pretty good idea of what works for keeping the 2 year old occupied.  My 3 year old just does kindergarten along with her older brother and has picked up quite a lot from it.

I hope these ideas will help those of you with toddlers – especially 2 year olds – as you prepare for this year of homeschooling.

I have moved all of my homeschooling posts to christianhomeschoolfamily.com. You can go here to read this post at the new site.

Homemade Insect Repellent Recipes

I wish I would have begun searching for homemade insect repellent recipes a little earlier in the summer, but at least we'll have these on hand for the rest of the year and for every subsequent year as well.

Up until now we've just been using the “slap the skeeters” method.  🙂  When my husband had to do some major yard work last night, he realized he really needed something for the bugs, so he came inside and asked me to find a homemade insect repellent recipe.  I was impressed.  I'm usually the instigator of all the crazy natural stuff around here.  🙂

As I searched, I realized there were several options one can use for a homemade insect repellent, and different ones will work better for different people due to your preferences and the ingredients that are easily accessible to you.  I decided that instead of posting just one recipe, I would post lots of different options so you can quickly browse for a solution that works for you.

1. Rub the juice of a freshly sliced lemon over your arms and legs.  (Lauren at Little House in the Big City advises not to do this if you have just shaved your legs! 🙂 )

2. Another insect repellant idea from Lauren is to lightly wet a bar of soap and rub it over you.  Store-bought soap isn't a completely all-natural solution since it still contains some chemicals, but it's better than toxic bug sprays and is definitely one of the easiest solutions on this list.

3. Smithspirations has a recipe using a variety of essential oils along with coconut oil, cocoa butter, castor oil, and beeswax.

4.  Here's a really nifty recipe for a beeswax insect repellent candle at Design Sponge.

5. Use a lavender and vinegar blend in this recipe from wikihow.

6. Wellness Mama has several recipes using fresh or dried herbs.

7. Your Thriving Family has a recipe using witch hazel and essential oils that can be sprayed around the home or on your clothes or body.

8. Keep spiders and mice away with this very easy-to-make peppermint spray from Scratch Mommy.

9. If you get some bites, read up on some natural remedies for treating them at Day 2 Day Joys.

What's your favorite way to keep bugs at bay?

How to Declutter your Home in 7 Easy Steps

Does your home always look messy, even though you feel like you're always cleaning?  Perhaps you should consider whether you have too much clutter in your home.  By saying that, I'm not suggesting that you're some kind of hoarder or slob.  But sometimes, the size of a person's house is just too small for the amount of things that are in there, and it creates a look of constant disorder.  You may need to scale back to the absolute minimum of what you need to live in order to keep things looking neat in your house.

Learn how to declutter your home in 7 easy steps.

1. Start with the worst offenders.  The living room and kitchen are usually the two most used rooms in the house, and consequently are usually the rooms that collect clutter the fastest.  It's easy to dump stuff on a kitchen counter or toss it on the couch or coffee table when you walk in the door.  Remove anything that does not belong in these rooms, and train yourself to put things completely away when you come in the door.  If you're having a hard time breaking the habit of dropping stuff as you come in the door, purchase some stylish baskets to keep near the door of those rooms.  Make it your goal to keep the baskets empty by putting things where they belong.  If you forget, at least the clutter will be contained and won't be such an eyesore.

2. Go through every room in the house (one at a time) and remove everything from drawers and cabinets.  This is a time-consuming process but it is easier to start with an empty space and fill it instead of simply pushing things around.

3. Divide every item into categories.  You can use heavy duty trash bags or boxes for this part.  Everything that you find should go into a category: KEEP, THROW AWAY, GIVE AWAY, and RELOCATE.  Items that will stay in that room are to keep.  Things that you don’t need or are broken can be thrown away.  Clothes or furniture still in great condition can be donated.  Anything that definitely belongs in another room can be labeled for relocation when you get to that room.

4. Do not start a new room until you have completely finished the previous room.  Once you have decided what will stay in that room, place items in the drawer or cabinet where you want them.  Throw away the trash, put the donate box in the car so it can be taken care of right away, and place the relocate box in the next room in which you will be working.

5.  Do not completely fill your spaces.  Get rid of enough stuff to leave extra room in your drawers and cabinets.  If every space is filled to maximum capacity, you will constantly be knocking things over as you get things in and out of the drawer or cabinet.  (Tupperware avalanche, anyone?)  Leave plenty of room to get things in and out while keeping them neat.

6. Keep as much as possible out of sight.  Even with only the essentials remaining in a room, things can still look cluttered when you have random items sitting out in full view.  Use attractive containers or baskets whenever possible to keep everything contained and out of sight.

7. Once you have successfully removed clutter from every room in the house, implement the “One in, one out” rule.  (Every time something new comes into the house, something else has to go.)  This will keep your house from becoming full of too many things and creating the need to declutter all over again.

What did I miss?  What are your best tips for decluttering and keeping your house organized?

Keeping Kids Safe on Youtube

Keeping kids safe on youtube can be quite a challenge.

There are any number of wrong clicks they could make and suddenly find themselves faced with inappropriate content.

Sometimes it may seem that the best option is simply to make youtube off limits altogether.  However, there are a lot of very useful things there that are nice to take advantage of if there is a way to do so safely.  Kids can watch educational videos galore, or even a good old-fashioned cartoon to keep them entertained every once in a while.

I have moved all of my homeschooling posts to christianhomeschoolfamily.com. You can go here to read this post at the new site.

Staying Fit as a Family This Summer

The middle of the summer often makes it difficult to stay fit due to the temptation to stay inside out of the heat.

Here are some great fitness activities that will make the summer memorable and bring you closer together as a family:

• Park and Yard Games – Footballs and Frisbees can get you moving if you have access to an open, grassy space. Many neighborhood parks have activities the whole family will enjoy.
• Swimming – If you don’t have an in-ground swimming pool; an above-ground pool can be purchased fairly inexpensively and is a great way to stay cool and fit in a little exercise.  A lake is also a great place to picnic and swim.
• Hiking – It’s likely that you have some hiking trails near your home. Hiking can be a great workout and can be educational by pointing out certain plants, insects and birds you can enjoy.
• Family Team Sports – Putting up a basketball or volleyball net can add fun to your family summer. If you have a large family, it’s especially nice to have a good, old-fashioned “It’s ON” game. Don’t forget to help out the younger ones and help them interact.
• Bicycling – This is a sport the entire family can enjoy while getting the best exercise. If you have smaller children or babies, there are carriers available for the bicycles. Search for some bicycle trails in your area – and don’t forget to wear a helmet.
• Water Games – You don’t have to have a swimming pool to get wet and cool and enjoy a summer day. A simple sprinkler will do – or take it a step further and purchase one of the inexpensive water ‘toys’ to play with.
• Plant a Garden – The entire family can participate in tending a garden.  Even the youngest children can help with watering, weeding, and harvesting.

You don’t have to venture far from home to experience summer fitness and fun. A little research and some imagination and creativeness on your part will ensure that everyone has a great summer without becoming a couch potato.

What are your favorite summer activities that will keep the whole family active?

Independence Day Reflections

As we celebrate Independence Day, I thought it would be fitting to share this video with you all. Not because I want to lift up a man, but because I want to lift up what he stood for – Americans living their lives according to the Bible.

Take a few minutes to watch and be amazed at how far we have come since his days in office. Then spend time in prayer for our nation.

After this past election day, I posted some thoughts about our nation and what we need to be doing when things are looking so dismal.  You may want to read it and be encouraged on this Independence Day.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!  Stay safe, have fun, and enjoy celebrating the freedom that others have paid so dearly for us to possess.