I am writing to let everyone know that my 16 month old son, Andrew, has been burned badly by a chemical.  The cleaner was Basic G by Shaklee and it was something that I had never ever used.  In fact it had come in a cleaning package that I purchased years ago at a Shaklee party.  Anyway to make a... »

I have already posted most of my cleaning recipes in an article creatively named, "Cleaning Product Recipes."  As I was preparing to make another batch of laundry detergent, I thought I would photograph the process for those who were still unsure if it was easy enough to do by themselves.  It took us less than thirty minutes to have a... »

We have been suffering with extreme heat and dry days in my neck of the woods.  I saw this morning on the national news that New Jersey got significant snowfall earlier this week.  Weather is amazing!  Since we have just started our summer, I am a little worried how hot August is going to be.  I kid you not, yesterday... »

Every year I sit down with a calendar and plan our upcoming school year.  I am looking forward to next year.  As usual we will begin school the first Monday of August.  Why?  First, public schools have been starting in August for years.  However, the main reason... »

Not too long ago, I wrote Staying Cool in the Summer Heat.  Today I want to focus on ways to keep our animals cool.  For the most part, animals kept in a large area are able to take care of themselves.  Cows, horses, goats, etc.... »

Cucumber plants like to climb.  We have tried various things for them to climb like cyclone fencing and tomato cages.  These items served their purpose, but we have the best luck with a piece of cattle panel.  We had to buy a cattle panel for an unrelated project.  It... »

My three oldest children are members of the Grimes County Jr. Deputy Sheriff's Mounted Posse.  They represent the county in events like the Pony Express, parades, rodeos, and trail rides.  It is a great organization of which to be a part.  My children have made friends with other... »

One of the entries my daughter, Kyla, entered in the county fair was jalapeno jelly.  Last summer, I had so many jalapenos coming off of two plants that I did not know what to do with them.  I froze quarts of peppers for chili and pots of beans in the winter.  We stuffed them... »

Well, it is almost officially summer even though here in Texas it has felt like summer for months.  Public school has dismissed for the next school year, swimming pools are opening, and families are preparing to take a little time off to enjoy each other. My family will not be taking a summer vacation this year.  We might "vacation at home,"... »

I really like the movie, "Forrest Gump," with Tom Hanks.  One of my favorite scenes of the movie is when Bubba is listing all the ways one can prepare shrimp.  During this time of the year, we have yellow crookneck squash in abundance.  We give some away, but still seem to eat squash once a day.  Therefore like Bubba, I... »

The first full week of June is always a very busy week for our family and others in Grimes County.  The 57th Annual Grimes County Fair began June 4th and will run until the 13th.  Various activities can be enjoyed at the fairgrounds in Navasota, Texas.  From market animal shows to rodeos and food preparation contests to dances, the county... »

Regardless of your position on the state of our educational system, I am sure that we can all agree that people need education.  How they are educated leads to different opinions and philosophies.  As a homeschooling mom as well as a certified teacher for public education, education has always been one of my interests.  So, I wanted to share five... »

Skype is a software application that allows for free PC to PC video calls or phone calls.  It is straight out of the Jetson cartoon series.  Since my mom lives in Hawaii, we both have webcams with microphones that allow us to make video calls.  We tried other software applications to make our video calls, but the picture was so... »

First, I would like to start with a disclaimer.  Today's article is in no way meant to be used for educational purposes.  Its sole purpose is entertainment.  I am in no way an expert on sheep and am in no position to give shearing advice to the public. My son, Jake, owns one sheep.  My... »

We have many different kinds of poisonous snakes that call this part of Texas home.  The coral snake, copperhead, water moccasin (cotton mouth), and even the occasional rattler live in our area.  Consequently, we train our children to look before they step, especially in the spring and summer time.  In the winter, we don't remind them so much because snakes... »