How To Make A Desk With a Door

Poor Grammar in Modern Educational Items

It is getting more and more difficult to find educational freebies(and paid) that use proper grammar. I am not a gifted grammarian. In fact, I often have to look things up. Going through my son's Rod & Staff English with him for eight years helped a lot! Mostly, I am punctuation challenged. So if I notice mistakes, it's moderately obvious. Anyway, I was browsing a teacher authored curriculum site for first grade freebies when I came across some really nice packets for language arts. It was disappointing to see run-on sentences and incorrect grammar(colloquialisms) such as confusing "was"and "were" - "If I was a cat" instead of " If I were cat" . You can never be a cat, so "were" is correct." I feel badly for the children whose teachers are purchasing these items.I wonder if the parent's notice?! What's weirder is the perfect feedback from almost a hundred buyers. I guess if Justin Bieber says it in a song, it's okay?

Educational items offered by individuals, even if they are certified teachers, should be reviewed thoroughly before purchase. If you are poor at proof reading, I'd avoid these and go for professionally edited curriculum. There can still be mistakes, but they correct them upon notice, and errors are less frequent. While content is very important, it is also crucial that children are challenged with learning proper English.

Winter Nature Craft: Pine Cone Snowman

Source: original-kids-crafts.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

DIY Modern Lumber Furniture

We seem to making a lot of lumber furniture these days! The more pieces we make, the more we like it. As furniture wears out, we are replacing it with homemade lumber furniture. I liken the style to be somewhere between IKEA style pine and rustic pallet furniture. You certainly can't beat the price! Rough pine lumber is very inexpensive.

Here's what we've made so far. I hope this inspires someone to try this for themselves. It takes very little skill. We are complete amateurs, and yes, it is not fine carpentry work, but we weren't going for this, nor did we expect this.

My daughter's bed with room for storage underneath.

Tall table...we are using this as a kitchen island now. 

Young children's pallet book shelf

Cat ladder and sleeping box

Pallet/scrap wood toy shelf

Entertainment center or bookshelves

Platform bed and DIY mattress

Sectional sofa 

Not lumber, but free - stump side table/stool

Free standing kitchen(full pictures will come later...we are still putting on the final touches.)
12/9/12: Okay, here is the rough unfinished version of our DIY kitchen:

My husband recently made a child sized computer table with bench for my daughter which I'll add here later.

Dollar Store DIY Bookends

These are items from the dollar store: two acrylic picture frames and cut plastic animals.  She spray painted them with Krylon paint in rubbed bronze. Tutorial here.

Source: madincrafts.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

DIY Plastic Bag Storage

Source: creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com via Brittany on Pinterest

It's a coffee can! Great idea. Paint can and cut a hole in the lid. I plan to use this for plastic grocery bags which we recycle as garbage bags. I think it will work if I tie each bags together, so that they come out the hole to detach without getting lost in the can. I could tie each one by a handle and roll together inside the can. I think this will make a more compact storage option than what we currently have which is a cardboard box with bags thrown in..

Homemade Detox Bath Salts Recipe

Source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

How to Organize a Floor Chest Freezer

How to Organize Errand Bins in Garage

Huge Collection of Children's Educational Videos

She has over 1000 children's videos listed on her Pinterest page here! There are read-alongs, music, and educational videos. I didn't see any math, mostly English and language arts. I only got past the second page though, so there may be some math videos there somewhere. I'll be adding some of these to my YouTube educational channel. What a great resource to supplement learning.

Honoring Multiple Intelligences

Source: youtube.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Frugal Pecan Pie

Cooking a Turkey in a Tabletop Halogen Convection Oven

I cooked a 13 pound turkey in my Secura halogen convection oven(see Reducing Energy Useage in the Kitchen) for the first time last night. It came out moist and juicy. I think 13 pounds might be the limit for this oven. It just fit. The cook time was on the low side, 3 hours at 400 degrees, but still within the recommended range for an unstuffed turkey of this size. With this oven, you do have to flip it over at the halfway mark to make sure both sides get cooked evenly. I referred  to this YouTube video before I tried cooking the turkey. She has a different brand than I have, a Nuwave oven, but it is similar

to my Secura.

Clean up was very easy...just dump the cooled grease away in the garbage, and clean the glass bowl and wire shelf in the sink . The meat just slid off the bone, so I had the carcass cleaned off in no time. I froze the meat in separate baggies for future meals. I figure I'll keep doing this while the turkey prices are low.

Printable Paper Doll Table Setting

Source: 28.media.tumblr.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Pilgrim Paper Dolls

Source: thestrong.org via Alexandra on Pinterest

Priscilla anrd John Alden

Printable Indian Camp 3D Cut-out

Source: bibigreycat.blogspot.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Vintage Three Little Bears Short Film