Holiday Gift Card Deals

Applebee's $50.00 Gift Card $10.00 Bonus: "From November 3^rd through New year’s Day, for every $50 in Gift Cards you buy in one of our restaurants, you’ll get a bonus certificate for $10 more…which you can give to a friend, or keep all to yourself! Just visit our restaurants for details."
More holiday restaurant deals here.

Kmart Gift Cards buy $50 card -- get $10 card FREE

Sears buy $75 Gift Card, get $10 gift card or combine with the Discover deal to get $740 in cards for $600. Sears deal ends today 11/9/08. Discover deal good through 1/4/09. Sears is also have a big Veteran's Day sale through Tuesday. 60% off clothing, 50% of some tools, and 50% off mattresses.

Free Vintage Printable Autumn Template for Cutting or Coloring: Pumpkins, Children, and Leaves

Click on image to enlarge and save. Free and in public domain. Source: Primary Education, 1916.

Hearts and Trees Free Children's Art Tutorials and Downloads

From Hearts and Trees Sidebar:

Free downloads

• Summer Nature Walk Worksheet
• Spring Nature Walk Worksheet
• Tabletop Garden Notebook Page
• Winter Nature Walk Worksheet
• No Sew Fleece Blanket Instructions
• Fall Nature Walk Worksheet
  

Watercolor Technique Tutorials

• #1 Flat and Graded Washes
• #2 Stripes of White
• #3 Thick and Thin Lines
• #4 Wet-on-Wet
• #5 Loaded Brush Smooshes
• #6 Rubbing Alcohol Texture
• #7 Table Salt Texture

See her blog for more art lessons.

HT to The Berry Patch.

Harvest Soup Recipe

A delicious hearty soup recipe(pictured) from Dishpan Dribble. Click here.

Homeschooling with Free Etexts

We use many of the free resources listed on my homeschooling etext library. I think I now have over 1000 homeschool books saved on my Google Books. There are so many wonderful texts for children, it's difficult to choose. I've downloaded quite a few to my SanDisk flash drive(virtual library) for viewing on our mini-laptop. Right now, I am having my son(age 10) rotate through a few of the readers and history texts on a daily basis.

One of my favorites this week is

Boy Kings and Girl Queens by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshal, published by F.A. Stokes company, 1915.

My son just read the story of Otto III, and it looked so interesting that I read it as well. This public domain book has beautiful color illustrations. Tomorrow he reads about Henry IV.

Vintage School Template: November Turkey Blackboard Border

From the Primary Education magazine, 1917

The Southern Cross

Whene'er those southern seas I sail, I find my eyes instinctive turning Where, pure and marvelously pale, Four sacred stars are brightly burning.

A little article about the Southern Cross by Mary Proctor for older children from the St. Nicolas magazine, October, 1899. Free and in public domain.

Free: Make Your Own Mailing Labels

This is just what I needed! See Tipnut for free label template with tutorial.

Make Your Own Vegetable Dyes

From Vegetable Dyes Being a Book of Recipes and Other Information Useful to the Dyer, published in 1938, London:

"PLANTS WHICH DYE RED

Birch. Betula alba. Fresh inner bark.

Bed-straw. Gallium boreale. Roots.

Common Sorrel. Rumex acetosa. Roots.

Dyer's Woodruff. Asperula tinctoria. Roots.

Evergreen Alkanet. Anchusa sempervirens.

Gromwell. Lithospermum arvense.

Lady's Bedstraw. Gallium verum. Roots.

Marsh Potentil. Potentilla Comarum. Roots.

Potentil. Potentilla Tormentilla. Roots.

Wild Madder. Rubia peregrina."

See more here. Free and in public domain.

Also see more here.

New Everyday Dinnerware for a Bargain

We still have the same dishes that we bought when we were first married, less a few from breakage. Another bowl chipped in the dish washer this week, so I figured now was the time to buy a new set. I wanted something cheerful - yellow or harvest gold. I had the hardest time finding just the right set in these colors, and at a bargain price. I found this set, Golden Autumn 16Pc Dinnerware for $19.64 at Opentip.com. I got 5% off with this coupon code: opentip120012(exp. 12/13/08). Shipping was under $9.00. The leaf pattern is raised which make these a little extra dressy.

If these are a disaster and break easily, my second choice are these: Essential Home Round 16Pc Dinnerware Set- Yellow from K-mart. They are not as bright as I would like, but still in the right color tone and style for my liking. You can get two $5.oo coupons when you sign up for Kmart emails. Customers reviews for these dishes.

I never realized how difficult it is to buy dishes! I found a good number of beautiful stoneware dishes, but I didn't want to take the chance of them chipping or getting too hot in the microwave. My son fills the dishwasher and microwaves leftovers, so I had to take this into consideration. The little one still gets her food served on vintage non-breakable Melmac dishes.

The stoneware/earthenware I liked in the Mediterranean styles was much more expensive as well. I saw quite a few hand painted plates which I liked at our local Pier One store.

Also expensive and cheerful Pfaltzgraff Pistoulet,
and Sur la table's Portuguese earthenware. Ahhh, pretty.

December 2008 Update: I recently saw a similar color and style at Kmart, which I hadn't seen online. The price was similar to what I paid. Also, The Dollar Tree direct has some pretty sets - cut glass, and in-store sets which look very much like the yellow Kmart dinnerware set pictured above.

Free Ebook for Preschoolers: Fun and Thought for Little Folks

Free and in public domain. Click here.

A White Rose

A White Rose

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
Oh, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud,
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.

John Boyle O'Reilly

Free Ebook: How to be Happy Written for Children(Christian Character Study)By Lydia Howard Sigourney

How to be Happy was written by Lydia Sigourney and published in 1833. Click here to read this free public domain Christian character book for young children. This book is readable online and downloadable.

Per Wikipedia, "Lydia Huntley Sigourney née Lydia Howard Huntley (September 1, 1791 - June 10, 1865) was an extremely popular American poet during the early and mid 19th century. She was commonly known as the "Sweet Singer of Hartford." Most of her works were published with just her married name Mrs. Sigourney."

According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, "She was one of the most popular writers of her day, both in America and in England, and was called 'the American Hemans.' Her writings were characterized by fluency, grace and quiet reflection on nature, domestic and religious life, and philanthropic questions; but they were too often sentimental, didactic and commonplace to have much literary value. Some of her blank verse and pictures of nature suggest Bryant. Among her most successful poems are 'Niagara' and 'Indian Names.' Throughout her life she took an active interest in philanthropic and educational work."

See more at Victorian Web.

On My Bathroom Shelf: All Natural Products

Over the past two years I've rehauled my bath and personal care regime. I was searching for all natural products which were free of preservatives at reasonable prices. Here are my changes:

Toothpaste: I stopped using toothpaste two months ago and substituted Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps: 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap. I also use baking soda a few times a week for teeth whitening.

Facial Cleanser: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps: 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap. I add baking soda for a pore cleanser at night.

Facial Moisturizer: Virgin Coconut Oil, found in a jar in the vitamin aisle of Wal-Mart.

Shampoo: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps: 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap. Love it!

Conditioner: Dr. Bronner's Magic Organic Shikakai Conditioning Hair Rinse Citrus .

Skin Moisturizers: Pure virgin coconut oil in a jar from the Walmart vitamin aisle, or olive oil mixed with a little glycerin and a bit of Burt's Bees baby lotion(sample size), or Dr. Bronner's Magic Organic Lotion Lavender Coconut(very light - good for summer or oily skin).

Lips and Hands: Dr. Bronner's Sun Dog's Organic Balm Peppermint. Super! It comes in a metal sliding tin; great for your purse.

Body Fragrance: Rose water, or orange water - water with drops of pure orange essential oil in a spritzer. I tried Heritage brand orange spray, but it was too lightly scented, so now I make my own.

Deodorant: Lafe's Deodorant Spray Lavender, works well if applied twice during the day - morning and evenings. You still sweat, but it does a pretty good job of controlling odor. I wanted to get away from regular antiperspirants where the aluminum is chemically altered into smaller molecules in order to penetrate the skin.

Body Powder: Corn starch(soft powder) and baking soda(deodorizer).

Blemishes and Bug Bites: Witch hazel, vinegar, or grapefruit seed extract(GSE). I've added these ingredients to my body sprays and lotions because they are also good cooling astringents.

Hand/Diaper Wipes: Dr. Bronner's and cloth wipes. I keep a small bottle of water and a mini Dr. Bronner's Organic Pure- Castile Soap Tea Tree in my bag for myself and the children.

Sun Screen: Badger SPF 30 face and body

Bug Repellent: Burt's Bees Insect Repellent - Haven't tried this yet, but I plan purchase.

These changes have worked really well with my skin and hair chemistry. I no longer have to use heavy conditioner on my hair, and my skin is not dry after bathing. I feel much fresher and lighter with these products. Another interesting change was the disappearance of my eye allergies and extremely dry lips which I had for years. Because I use the same product for my hair and body, I no longer have to pin my hair up

Because I use Dr. Bronner's for my hair, teeth and face, it frees up space in my bathroom, another nice benefit. If you buy the very largest bottle, Bronner's will last you a very, very long time. It's meant to be diluted, and I dilute it 50/50 with water, and use an old Soft Soap pump hand dispenser. I use old spice bottles with the sprinkle tops for the corn starch and baking soda.

Another thing I like about Dr. Bronner's is that it is USDA certified organic, something Bronner does voluntarily.

Lower Fat Baking: Substituting Yogurt for Oil and Butter

Now that I make my own yogurt with my hand dandy Salton yogurt maker, I have begun to substitute yogurt for oil and butter in baking recipes.

See Yogurt for Lower-Fat Baking at Taste of Home. These do not wholly substitute yogurt for oil or butter.

Here are recipes for Cranberry Yogurt Muffins , Lemon Honey Muffins, and Whole Grain Banana Muffins with no oil or butter. Yogurt(and apple sauce in some of these) completely replaces the oils. More: Whole Wheat Maple Quick Bread, Ginger Biscuits , and Walnut Wheat Bread

You can find butter extract flavoring in the spice aisle at the grocery to give baking without butter more flavor. I have not tried this but may if I can find it.

Free Fire Fighter Clip Art

These pictures are in public domain.

Family Funnies

Need a giggle? Stephanie has the cutest Family Circus moment at her blog, Adventures in the 100 Acre Woods.

HT to Diana for the pictures.