Fuller String Mop Update

So we must be very dirty because my Fuller String mop head needed replacing in only three months time! I had to go with a commercial looped string mop which really works well and is lasting longer. It is large and heavy, and requires a professional mop wringer, but the weight of the mop does much of  the cleaning for you. I also tried a stronger cleaner, LA's Totally Awesome concentrated cleaner(ammonia and bleach free) from the Dollar Tree. This put a shine back on the painted concrete floors and got up a lot of my daughter's glue and paint. I used it on the laminate floors and got good results as well. About a four of a cup of it in a bucket with hot water is all I needed for heavy floor cleaning.

Winco 800g Blue Yarn Looped End Mop Head 32 Ounce See how the strings are looped and tied across at the end? This makes them last longer because they don't unravel and tangle. The string mops that are cut across tend to fray and disintegrate.

GJO60466 - Mop Bucket Wringer Combo, four 3 inch Casters, 26 qt., Yellow

Free Multi-grade Homeschool Worksheets

This site has a ton of quality worksheets to download. There is a free sign-up to access them. Last night I downloaded and printed 20+ sight word worksheets! There is so much more...check it our here.

Source: education.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Easy DIY Painted Concrete Floor Update

Source: atelier-st.de via Alexandra on Pinterest

We pulled up our first floor carpet and painted our floor white some time ago. I love the way they look; however, my daughter has made short work of them - they are stained from all her projects and heavy play. We never sealed them with poly, which would have been best for stain resistance. The polyurethane smells horrible, and I didn't want to deal with the fumes. I thought about floor wax which I still might try. So I need to repaint them, and was inspired by this olive color for the floors. As soon as it warms up, I think I'll try this color! Despite the need to repaint, I am very glad we have concrete painted floors. If we still had carpeting, the messes would have been incredibly difficult to clean. As it is now, all I have to do is mop with a heavy commercial looped string mop and it's clean - minus paint stains and heavy wear areas(computer bench seat area). When you homeschool, the house gets a lot of wear! This is especially true with younger children who tend to be very hands-on and free spirited with their learning.

Another option would have been to stain the concrete and seal it. If you don't mind fumes and dealing with caustic chemicals, this is an excellent option for hiding stains and reduces the chance for scratched paint.

If you can rent and use a commercial sander, the concrete floor will be less pitted and much easier to clean. I tried to get the husband to do this, but we are both too old and tired to tackle this. ; ) Our surface was fairly smooth, so we just painted over it.

We have had laminate in our kitchen for 14 years, and it has held up beautifully. Laminate or some other solid surface overlay would have been a much better choice, but we were looking for the least expensive, least time consuming avenue to DIY easy-clean solid surface floors. I'm happy to continue this option for now, and maybe when the children are older, I'll deal with laying down polyurethane. It's nasty stuff...we'll have to leave the house for a few days while several coats of the stuff dries. I'm not ready for this now.

History Interest Enhancer for Students: Original Newspaper Articles of Historic Events

Access to newspaper articles of historic events dating back to 1850 here.

Source: timesmachine.nytimes.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Places like this have quick reader friendly public domain online history books that can be read easily together with the newspaper articles. The table of contents is on the sidebar, so accessing relevant chapters is fast! This is very accessible and efficient.

Homemade Clip Art Valentine Cards

Source: marthastewart.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Free printable images for these cards here.

Much more free vintage clip art here.

and scads more here.

Dollar Store Fake Food Craft

Source: innerchildfun.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

It's a sponge! We tried this and used puffy paint for the icing...lots of fun! Tutorial here.

Not fake food, but also done with puffy paint:

Source: Uploaded by user via Alexandra on Pinterest

And made from toilet tissue rolls, if you want some hot cocoa with your cake. Tutorial here.

Source: modpodgerocksblog.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Paper Plate Floating Heart Craft

We actually did this with doilies from the dollar store.

Source: alphamom.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Printable Vintage George Washington President's Day Board Game

Source: vintagefeedsacks.blogspot.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

More information here.

Vintage 1912 Valentine Hearts Paper Cut Out Doll

Free to use here.

Source: missmissypaperdolls.blogspot.co.uk via Alexandra on Pinterest

Valentine Kitty Cat Clip Art

Free to use here.

Source: tuckdb.org via Alexandra on Pinterest

Fun Find: Pink Rose Scented Dish Soap

On a whim, I purchased Palmolive's Classic Soft Touch dish soap at our Dollar General because it was only $2.00 for 30 ounces, and it was a happy uplifting shade of pink for a dreary winter. I had no idea it was rose scented! What a nice surprise. It really is gentle. I use it as a kitchen cleaner and as a body and facial treatment with an Asian exfoliating cloth. My skin was so soft afterwards, and the scent was very relaxing.

Now I'll have to look for Palmolive coupons.

Note: The one I found at the Dollar General had the older pull top and did not indicate that it had vitamin E added. It also had the word "Classic"  in the name, not "Ultra". See image at left. There is a more common Ultra version with vitamin E, but I haven't tried this one yet.

Free All-in-one Homeschool Curriculum for All Grades

Per Easy Peasy — All in One Homeschool:

What this is…

This is my children’s school. It covers reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, math, history/social studies/geography, science, Bible, computer, music, art, PE/health, and logic. It uses only free materials found on the internet.

I have finished preschool (getting ready 1), kindergarten (getting ready 2), first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth. Third grade is in progress with math finished. Grade levels include all of the English, math, computer and logic. I have also finished two years of all of the other subjects. These are called “program years.” Year 4′s theme is modern history, physics and chemistry. Year 1′s theme is ancient history and biology. I am currently putting up Year 2 which has early American history and zoology for the theme. Grade levels and courses include 180 days of homeschool lessons and assignments.

When choosing a level, look at the “reading” assignments to decide. Then you only have to choose which program year to study.

Your child just goes to Day 1 on his or her level (found in the sidebar) and starts clicking through the assignments! That’s all! Take a look at the “about” and “how to” pages for more info.

And yes, it’s all free. You’ll need paper, pencil, etc. and some minor supplies if you choose to do the experiments and art projects, but all of the reading materials, etc. are all free and online.

My hope is to enable families to continue homeschooling and to help those trying to homeschool overseas.

Click here.

Tips for Keeping Your Home Secure

37 Shrubs That Can be Easily Grown from Cuttings

Many deciduous garden shrubs can be propagated by softwood cuttings taken in summer. The ones listed below tend to root quickly and grow into viable shrubs in a short period of time. 

Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica)
Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
Blue mist shrub (Caryopteris x clandonensis)
Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)

Source: finegardening.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
Chinese stranvaesia (Stranvaesia davidiana)
Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Daphne (Daphne caucasica)
Deciduous azaleas (Rhododendron cvs.)
Elders (Sambucus spp.)
Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus)
Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)
Forsythias (Forsythia spp.)
Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.)
Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.)
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum cvs.)
Kerria (Kerria japonica)
Large fothergilla (Fothergilla major)
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Magnolias (Magnolia spp.)
Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
Redtwig dogwood (Cornus alba and sericea)
Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa)
Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)
Slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria)
Spireas (Spiraea spp.)
Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
Viburnums (Viburnum x burkwoodii and carlesii)
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Weigelas (Weigela spp.)
Willows (Salix spp.)
Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
Winter hazels (Corylopsis spp.)
Witch hazels (Hamamelis spp.)

 Read the rest of the article here, includes tutorial.

Dollar Store Pink Magnet Board

Source: dumpaday.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Cookie sheets painted pink! My daughter would love this. I've gotten large cookie sheets at the dollar store, and spray paint at Wallyworld. This is cuter and less expensive than a corkboard. Magnets can be glued on the back of anything light. My favorite magnets are made of small  pieces of sea glass and quartz stones found at the beach. When I make thiis for my daughter, she'll probably add some of her favorite plastic mini-animals to the magnets.

Life Long Learning

Source: xerometer.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Worksheet Freebies

We have been having fun with these freebie worksheets found on Pinterest. I'm using them to extend and supplement our main curriculum. Earlier this week, I picked up a pack of purple swirly computer paper at the dollar store, and printed out dozens of whimsical educational sheets. My daughter is the whimsy-meister, and is bringing out the natural whimsy in me. A good number of them are cut-and-paste or games, not just worksheets. Where CLE first grade is serious and challenging, these are fun and short.

I've saved a lot here at Pinterest, and look for freebies here at Teacher's Pay Teachers(free sign-up required).