Homeschool Teachers

If you homeschool your children, this post is for you.  I know us homeschool moms consider ourselves "moms", and everything that goes along with being a mom is just mom-stuff... BUT, it isn't.  Being a homeschool mom is a big job that not everyone can do! 
A homeschool mom is actually a TEACHER.  Though you may not consider yourself a teacher, you are!!  This title comes with some perks.  I don't know all of them, but I have found some that I thought I would share with you.
First of all, to get these perks, most places require a teacher ID card.  You can make your own, or some homeschool organizations provide one.  First Class Homeschool, for example, send you one when you become a part of their homeschool group. 
After you have your teacher ID, you can start enjoying the benefits.  Check these out:

1. Museums, art galleries, and other hands-on learning organizations usually have a discount off on admission for teachers (your children get in with the same discount). 
2. Craft stores like Michaels and Joanns offer a discount as well.  All you have to do is show your ID at the register to get a discount on everything you buy.

3. Books store including Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million and Half Price Books give a percentage off.

4. RoomStore, Apple, Banana Republic, J. Crew and The Limited are stores that you need to check before making a special trip. 

4. Some discounts are given according to where you live in the country.  They vary widely.  Check around you.

These are just a few of the places I have found.  I only just started using my ID last week.  If you are not sure if a place offers a discount to teachers, just ask!  What have you got to lose!!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 8

The aquariums out there now are exciting!  There are so many chances to get up close with marine life.  Here, the girls were able to see the marine animals in a 360 degree tunnel.  There were sharks, rays, turles, and all kinds of fish. 

They, also, had bubbles to stick your head in an view the fish swimming around in the various tanks.  At the end, there were hermit crabs and starfish to touch!

There was a short film (about 8 minutes) about water polution and the effects on the marine life.  This topped off our visit.  Many of the problems discussed in the film were found in the Brownie Journey book Wonders of Water.  Jaden really enjoyed seeing it in film.  Now off to change the world!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 7

We checked out the shark exhibit and watched the Shark IMAX movie at the museum during our water study.  Before going to the museum, I went on the web-site and printed off study materials.  They had a whole chapter worth of information about sharks!  We read it all before going to the museum, and then we learned even more while at the museum!! 

Homeschool tip: Before going to a museum, zoo or other hands-on learning center, check out their web-site for learning materials.  It makes the trip more educational and more fun!!  I have found educational materials on every site I have looked at.  If you run into a problem finding the educational material, check another museum/zoo web-site they may offer what you are looking for.  You can get the educational material from another site and still go to the museum/zoo you prefer!  National Geografic offers a TON of animal and environmental information. 

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 6

Water, Water everywhere!  Have you ever noticed how much water is around us?  Lakes, rivers, oceans, creeks, and even small ponds.  We have a pond close to our home, so we go by and visit the ducks regularly.  On this trip, we saw several Canadian geese.  Lucky for them, someone had left 2 slices of bread for us to break up and hand out!  Our trips to the pond are not always planned, so that is why we have no bread with us.
I love stopping by the pond on beautiful days like this one!  The weather was in the 80's! 
While visiting the pond, we collected trash on the ground and put it where it goes.  This is a very important part of the Wonders of Water journey- keep our water clean and safe for the animals that live there!!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 5

Schools and schools of fish!  Have you ever wondered why these fish run in packs?   The adult readers probably already know the answer to this question.  For the children, I will tell you... When fish travel together, it is called a school.  Schools of fish exist for many reasons, and here are some of them:

1. They can confuse predators when they travel in schools by swimming back and forth.

2. There is safety in numbers.  Large groups of fish mean that it is less likely for a single fish to be singled out and eaten.

3. They can travel on each others currents, which means they do not have to swim as hard to get where they need to go. 

4. It is harder to find food on your own.  A group of fish means that when one fish finds food, they all find food.  However, the downside is that they would have to either share the food or fight to see who gets to it first.

We had a chance to see schools of fish at the aquarium.  It was a pretty amazing sight watching them travel in a synchronized dance of sorts. 

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 4

Disney Pixar made a great G-rated family movie called Finding Nemo.  It isn't very educational, but it is a good place to start in introducing kids to how much fun watching animals in the water can be.  We saw some clownfish at the aquarium, and Jaden said jokingly, "Let's get Nemo out of the tank and take him to his dad.  His dad is looking for him!"  LOL!!

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 3

What great timing- Big Miracle came out at the theater this month.  It fit in perfectly with our study of water.  The movie is about a whale family that gets trapped under ice in Alaska.  Based on a true story, it kept the attention of all 3 of us!  Morgan, who doesn't usually sit through a movie, didn't get up from her seat once!  Jaden was so wrapped up in the movie that her and I were both sobbing at the end! 

This is a great movie.  Beware of the drama, though, no every whale will make it to safety... And, there is one major close call at the end that makes you think no one will make it out alive!!! 

Girl Scouts Brownie: Wonders of Water Part 2

Right on cue, as Jaden was studying the wetlands in her Wonders of Water curriculum, we had a heavy rain.  We were left with wetland-like flooding.  What a sight!  The pictures above are of places that should be dry- including streets that were no longer passable. 

The Secret World of Arrietty

We finally saw the movie that goes with the book we read "The Borrowers".  I had such high hopes for the movie.  In my head I built it up much bigger than it was.  This movie was ok.  There were a couple of funny parts.  Overall, that is it- it was ok.  Many differences were found between the book and movie (or course, that is how it always is).  The biggest disappointment for me was the ending.  It was weird to walk out of the theater feeling as though the story wasn't over.

Fighting Bad Odors!

Now that I no longer have a job that I can do from home, I am looking for something new.  I found something that I can do from home, so check this out:

Scentsy

This is a company called Scentsy.  They have all kinds of nice-smelling wax for warmers and other good-smelling items.   If you are looking for a warmer/candle, room refresher, or unique gifts, give this web-site a try! 

The web-site links directly to me, so every purchase puts money into our household!!
Right now, there is 10% off until the end of February on most items! 

I ordered some warming wax bars to support a mission trip.  When I get those in, I will show you what they look like. 

Also, if you want to become a Scentsy Consultant, click here:

join

This link will put you on my team which means that when you sell items, I get a small percentage as well. 

Whether you order items or join as a consultant, I appreciate you!!

Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary Event: Part 5- Eco-Friendly Totes

This was a terrific idea!!  The girls used old shirts and turned them into reusable totes.  The most exciting part was that they each got to sew their own!  What fun!!

Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary Event: Part 4- Pen Pals

Each station at the 100th Anniversary event was put together by the older junior high and high school girls.  This particular station was set up because one of their leaders is in contact with another leader miles away in Washington D.C.  They agreed to pass the letters to girls in each respective group and match the girls up with penpals. 

This station was not my favorite because the Daisies and Brownies are not able to write as fast as the older girls.  Even with help, they were only able to do a few sentences before time was up and they had to switch stations.  Sooooooo... I am not sure what kinds of responses they will get on their letters, but they did give it their best effort. 

Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary Event: Part 3- Cat Toys

Cat toys made from only children's tube socks.  These are a great idea for any cat, but especially for a cat with no home! 

The girls put cotton into cat nip and then packed the cotton/catnip into the sock.  Once the sock was full, they tied the tube part of the sock in a knot to secure.  Then, they used fabric markers to decorate them.

These socks were all donated to the Humane Society =)

Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary Event: Part 2- Making Silly Putty

One of the stations the girls went to was a silly putty making station.  Talk about messy!!  Starch and glue- luckily it was all in a ziploc bag!