These colorful little fishies are made from felt. the entire project only cost me 75 cents for the felt pieces because I had all the other supplies on hand.

You need:

• Felt in assorted colors
• washers
• Embroidery floss
• A plastic grocery bag
• A strong magnet
• 1/2-inch diameter dowel
• Yarn

Cut out two matching fish shapes from the felt for each fish. Sew the designs and eyes on. I used beads for the eyes, but you can use felt if you need to avoid choking hazards. For my designs, I used different shapes and numbers of shapes. This is to allow my sister-in-law to make the game more challenging, by asking my nephew to pick up the numbered fish in order or to only catch fish featuring a specific shape or color.

Sew the two fish shapes together with a blanket stitch, leaving the nose open. Cut a bit off the plastic bag and stuff the fish loosely through the nose. The bag gives the fish some plush and makes a pleasant crinkly sound. Insert the washer into the nose, between the fish layers, and stitch it securely in place.

For the fishing pole, cut the dowel to an 8- to 10-inch length. Drill a small hole through one end and tie the yarn fishing line through it. Tihttps://www.google.com/e the magnet to the other end.

Make as many fish as you want! I’m packaging this in a small cloth bag I sewed so he can keep his game together and store it easily. This project is simple enough for an older sibling to make, as well.

Here’s a sneak peek at the holiday goodness going on around here. We’re all busy cutting, gluing, sewing and creating. Over the next few weeks I’ll share what I’m making and hope it inspires you to make a few things, too!

We have a small holiday gift budget this year, the smallest ever. Most years I spend $100 to $150 for gifts, but this year it was whittled down to $50 because we had to raid it for other expenses.

Thankfully, I can make and I have a huge stash to make with. I always craft a few of my children’s gifts. My children are also happy with second hand gifts. As Aioden is known for saying when he gets the I-wants: “Momma! I didn’t say we had to buy it, we can just make it or get it at the thrift store!”

My list this year:

Brandon- 11 years old, obsessed with Legos, Star Wars, camping, reading and art

Aioden- 11 years old, obsessed with Star Wars, building things, crafts and hockey

Jet- My oh-so-sweet 6 month old nephew that lives too far away, which breaks my heart.

Damien- My other sweet nephew. He’s 3 years old and loves a challenge. He also lives too far away

Andrew- My husband, the tehnophile. The most difficult person on my list.

My mom- One of the easier ones on my list

My dad- Another tough nut to crack, mainly because he never seems to want anything.

Assorted friends, neighbors and relative group gifts- Easy, sine something edible typically goes over well with this group.

I’m also making our holiday cards this year. My stash of purchased cards finally ran dry, but my stash of scrapbook papers and supplies will likely never run out. (I buy by the box at garage and church sales for assorted paper crafts). I’m excited about making our own cards. It’s something I have wanted to do but I had such a huge stash of purchased ones from an out-of-business sale many years back, I figured I should work through those first.

What are you crafting this year?

Surplus free pumpkins from our October farm visit. With a little effort, we will have enough pumpkin frozen for a winter’s worth of pies and breads. Both the process and the reward is a true simple pleasure.

Bowls of fresh fruit, both mundane and exotic, acquired thriftily for my family

Brothers working peacefully together creating life-size models of the internal organs. I am ever grateful for free and fun learning opportunities.

A hot mug of tea (with a bit of cream and sugar!) to warm my hands on a cold November day.

I know, I know…I totally flaked out on posting the last few days. I’m even posting my menu plan late! Things have been a bit crazy around Chez Turnip this week. A mistake or two from a few months ago coupled with some unforeseen circumstances have us tightening our belts a bit for the next few months. I’ll be posting more on this in the coming days and weeks.

A few things last week had to be bumped in favor of quick and easy leftover/sandwich/whatever you can find in the refrigerator meals, so there will be some repeats this week:

Saturday: Leftover macaroni and cheese, salad

Sunday: Pot pie and roasted veg

Monday: Chicken ad cheese quesadillas, salad (Boy Scout night, and it’s my turn to drive. Dinner has to be quick and easy!)

Tuesday: Sausage, spinach and squash quiche, roasted potatoes and carrot, rice

Wednesday: Pasta and bread (Cub Scout night)

Thursday: Scalloped potato casserole, veg

Friday: Soup and bread

As always, if you see anything you would like the recipe for, please leave a comment or send me an email! I’ll be back tomorrow with a Bountiful Baskets report!

I knitted up those two little tubes of fabric at the beginning of October. Fall was beginning to paint the trees with a little orange and red, and we had packed away our shorts although we spent most days without a jacket still.

Still, the first cool morning had me itching to cast on some yarn I had squirreled away. By the next evening I had finished off the second tube. I tucked them into my desk drawer, knowing the time was coming when I would need them.

That time came a few weeks later. Those two little tubes made it possible for us to go until Monday, November 7th, without heat! Nights have been below freezing for at least a week now, and daytime temps haven’t raised out of the 40s and some days have been in the 30s. Ahh, the great Northwest!

Throwing on warm socks and wearing warm clothes allows us to keep the thermostat set low. A well-insulated house and storm windows also helps, don’t get me wrong, but warm clothes are major part of the equation. I finally broke down and turned the heat on Monday morning when I woke up and it was 54 degrees inside. I didn’t crank it up to a toasty 72, but I did set it for 62. At night we adjust it down to 58.

Lowering the thermostat just a little bit can have a big impact on your heating bill. We have oil heat (which I hate. It’s expensive and it’s oil, neither winners in my book). We try to only run the furnace from November 1st through April 1st, although we do try to shorten even that window like we did this fall by turning it on a week later.

We use between 15 and 20 gallons to heat the house each month at the beginning and end of our heating year, but that number swells up to 50 gallons during the coldest, windiest months of winter. Some years we need 200 gallons, other years we manage on 150. I’m hoping for a 150 year this winter. We pay approximately $100 per 20 gallons of fuel, so we budget for $1000 a winter and save up that money all year.

My fingerless gloves keep my hands nice and toasty while still allowing me to type. Without them, my hands get too cold to write! If I can’t write, we can’t pay for oil or anything else. The effort was well worth it. The pair I knitted hurriedly last month aren’t the prettiest knitting I have ever done, but I consider them to be worth at least a $1000 heating bill!

He fought reading. We’re still not sure why, but he insisted that he would never learn his letter sounds or how to read. Thankfully, it began to click into place last month and he is now starting to get excited about it.

I use a lot of Montessori methods with Aioden. One thing we did do is stop all writing practice. He likes to write numbers, but hates writing letters. We allow him to spell out loud or with a wooden alphabet for now. As he gains reading confidence, we’ll introduce some writing practice.

Aioden (First Grade Level):

Math: We use a combination of Montessori materials and worksheets. Aioden especially enjoys the Montessori stamp game for addition and subtraction (he does both up to the thousands place).

Reading: After a lot of false starts, we finally purchased Click n’ Kids software. It’s normally $60 but I had a promo code for $50. The little monkey is reading now and he really enjoys it, so I consider it money well spent. We supplement with Bob books and easy readers from the library in conjunction with some homemade Montessori reading materials.

History: Aioden used the same DK world history spine and Brandon. At his age, I’m more interested in giving him an overview and piquing his interest in history, so he doesn’t delve as deeply into it as his brother.

Geography: We just wrapped up the continents and oceans, using homemade Montessori pin maps and puzzle maps. He’ll join Brandon on the 50 states study this January. I have a couple of thrifted books on the states and we’ll supplement with library books.

Science: I like to keep it simple at this age. Aioden has a nature journal and we perform lots of nature study and experiments as the mood strikes.

Literature: This is all read aloud. Currently we are reading Wizard of Oz. We may do Charlotte’s Web next but I’m not sure yet.

Art: Lots of crafts and projects. Art isn’t a problem for Aioden, this little monkey is an inventor and creator at heart!

Extras: Aioden just started Scouts. He is interested in a few sports, so we may add one to the mix next year.

Aioden only works on academic work for an hour or two a day. Basically, we move on to hands-on stuff once he begins to fidget. At six, I firmly believe quality is much better than quantity. Aioden is my stubborn kid and my dreamer. He’d much rather be doing his own thing than sitting down and doing school work. We’re slowly learning to adapt to each other’s learning and teaching habits.

So how much do we spend a year?

The priciest thing was Aioden’s reading software. Including school supplies, we spent less than $150 for the entire year’s curriculum. Last year I spent less than $50 for curriculum supplies, but I had a few books I needed to purchase (used!) for this year, plus our school supply stash was getting low. This is total, for both boys. With extracurriculars, it comes to about $500 a year, but we would probably spend at least that on extras even if they went to public school.

Home schooling isn’t expensive if you use the library, used book sources and a lot of creativity!

First, some background. We began home schooling Brandon three years ago. Aioden has always been home schooled. I don’t believe home schooling is the only right way to educate a child, I just believe it is the right way for us.

I don’t use a packaged curriculum. Many of them have a Christian focus, which doesn’t match up with our family’s beliefs. I have never found a packaged secular curriculum I thought worth the expenditure, so we build our own.

We primarily combine Montessori and Charlotte Mason learning philosophies. We use Montessori methods primarily in the younger grades for teaching math, grammar and reading. We use Charlotte Mason’s living books philosophy for science, history, geography & art.

There are plenty of free Montessori lessons and printables online. For our CM materials we primarily depend on the library and used books. Home schooling works especially well for my kids. Brandon is way ahead of grade level in reading, history and science, but he is about one year behind in math. Aioden is the opposite — he’s way ahead in math but struggles with reading. I can tailor their education to strengthen their individual weak areas.

I’m going to post today about Brandon’s curriculum. I’ll follow up with Aioden’s tomorrow!

Brandon (5th grade level)

Math: We use Kahn Academy, a free math program that overs K through college level. Bran also enjoys their science video lessons.

History: We have a huge DK history of the world book that we use as our main history spine, which we supplement with library books and movies. Bran also started a book of centuries this year.

Geography: We aren’t currently focusing on geography, although we have in past years so Brandon has a decent grasp. We’re going to begin a 50 states study in January with both boys.

Science: Our family, especially my husband and the kids, are very science hungry so I don’t worry too much about this. We do nature studies and use a variety of library and thrifted books for the rest. Brandon is focusing on the human body, tidal forces and simple machines this year.

Literature: Brandon reads voraciously, so I am sneaking some great books into the rotation. Currently he is reading “Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates.” He starts on “Tom Sawyer” next. He writes a few paragraphs about what he has read each week.

English: We used the Montessori grammar boxes with him quite a bit, so he is pretty proficient in grammar. He still pulls them out occasionally to review. We supplement with writing exercises, making our own books, and creating spelling lists from words identified during reading and writing exercises.

Art: The boys get plenty of hands-on art time since they have an artist for a dad and a mom who likes to craft! We also do some Mason-style picture study and mix in a bit of art history.

Extras: He’s practices his typing using a variety of free online typing courses. He decided he wanted to learn German this year. We’re using Live Mocha in conjunction with a book and tape set we bought at a library sale. Andrew also speaks German, so he helps a bit. Brandon is also very active in Scouts and he is planning to start a martial art after the winter holidays!

Brandon works on academic work for three to four hours most days. Some days he finishes much earlier! He’s my little Type-A personality, so he is really easy to educate. He makes his own daily checklists of assignments and works through them on his own, coming to me or dad when he needs help.

Aioden is a much different type of learner, and as you will see tomorrow, we are still working on the best ways to help him!

Another busy week in the evenings. Boy Scouts on Monday, Cub Scouts on Wednesday and I have a conference on Thursday. We didn’t order from the co-op this week, so I’ll be trying to use up the last of those veggies and fruits before next week’s order!

Saturday: Beef & Cabbage Soup, bread

We were supposed to have this yesterday, but the day ended up being so busy that everyone just ate leftovers. I’ll start this off in the crockpot in the morning so I can have an easy Saturday with minimal cooking.

Sunday: Bacon & avocado panini, salad or leftover soup.

Sunday is usually our leftover day, but the house is free of leftovers because of Friday. I make paninis in an ancient Foreman grill, but you can use a grill pan instead.

Monday: Spaghetti, salad & bread

Pasta is always a quick and easy choice. I’ll be doing some afternoon baking (mainly our breakfast breads) so I’ll make some rolls or garlic bread then.

Tuesday:  Pot Pie and a veggie side

It’s supposed to be cold Tuesday so I want comfort food on the table. Pot pie also lets me use up any veggies that are starting to head south. I make mine with a biscuit crust because it’s easier!

Wednesday: Spinach & sausage quiche casserole, roasted veggies , rolls

I love this quiche for a quick meal. I modified a Bisquick recipe to use my homemade Bisquick mix. It makes it’s own crust and only takes a minute to mix up and pop in the oven. Not quite like real quiche, but tasty!

Thursday: Crockpot Mac & Cheese, salad

More comfort food that cooks all day. A must since I won’t be home until right at dinner time today!

Friday: Steaks, mashed potatoes & green beans

I have a couple of big steaks left from our last meat order. I’ll bake them in the oven because they are too big for the stove top and these two never made it onto the grill this summer.

If you see anything in my menu plan you would like the recipe for, drop me a note in the comments!

…to finish up those gifts and perhaps start on a new project or two! Next week I’ll begin showing off the winter gifts we’ve been making at chez Turnip and sharing some ideas for handmade gifts that don’t require a lot of time.

Handcrafting, cold evenings and hot tea must mean winter is near!

I’ve perfected it for our family over the years. The same method of planning may not work as well for you, but hopefully my method will give you a few ideas. I can honestly say that the menu plan alone saves us the most money on groceries. That’s money we can then put toward other goals, like our little urban homestead!

First, I don’t plan breakfast or lunch. We always have eggs, homemade breads and goodies and fruit on hand. We each assemble our own breakfast from these items. The kids usually have a baked good or toast with some fruit, while Andrew and I have eggs and fruit. I also don’t plan lunch. Leftovers, salads and sandwiches (especially grilled cheese!) make up our typical lunch and solve the bulk of our leftover problems.

I begin planning for the week by first going through the fridge, freezer and pantry to see what we have on hand and what needs using up. This usually gives me inspiration for  couple of dinners. Next, I check the evening schedule for the week. I know I need quick, simple meals on busy nights or after a long, busy day. I also glance through the last few weeks of menu plans to see what we’ve had recently to avoid repetition.

Finally, I write out the plan. My menus are pretty loose. I pencil in each meal but I might not give specifics. For example, I may right down pasta but I don’t specify whether it’s quickie spaghetti or fancy homemade ravioli. That’s because it depends on my mood when I finally begin to cook.

Although we usually eat every single meal planned for the week, I (very) often move them around. I may move an easy meal from the end of the week to the front of the week if I’m too tired to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on a Tuesday, or flip meals around because I forgot to thaw out something on the plan. I purposely include a few low-effort meals, usually vegetarian or close to it, in each week’s plan for just this reason. So my plan isn’t so much a day-by-day plan, but a list of seven meals to be served in random order that week. I arrange the plan by day, but I look over the entire week’s meals before choosing the one I will make.

So how does a menu plan save money?

Simply put, we are less tempted by dining out or buying ready-made food. There is also no last minute grocery store trips because with a plan I can ensure we have all the ingredients on hand at the start of the week. Less grocery trips saves gas money and eliminates the chance for impulse purchases.

If you have any tips on making a successful menu plan, please share them!