Month: April 2010

  • The Ultimate Family Expo

    Are you longing for the ultimate help in raising your children whether you home educate or not?  I homeschooled full-time my three children for 19 years.  The two oldest are homeschool graduates and college graduates.  After my husband passed away, I became a part-time homeschool mom.  Now I encourage younger moms to persevere in their high calling.

    I remember when I went to the homeschool conventions filled with big name motivational speakers but I always felt that there was no way I could measure up to what they were doing, so I was always left feeling more overwhelmed than encouraged by those experiences.

    I longed to hear from real moms who were finding solutions to making their homeschool work for their particular family situation, budget, and learning styles.  I longed for more information on managing the day to day then teaching the academics.

    I hated coming home exhausted and feeling like I couldn’t absorb another piece of information.  I didn’t like choosing between two workshops I didn’t want to miss.  All these objections have been solved by:

    The Ultimate Homeschool Expo is everything I longed for and MUCH, MUCH more. The Ultimate Expo has something for everyone and for all Families.  You will find speakers talking about topics of interest to ALL FAMILIES. Read more details below:family-mulitigenerational

    There are no large crowds!  No outrageous gas bills! No makeup! No babysitters! No parking miles away! No expensive trips or hotel stays! No walking for blocks and blocks! No lugging big loads of books around! No expensive trips or hotel stays!  No rushing around so you can catch the vendors, yet missing the wonderful workshops!

    In fact! No missing ANY workshops!  Look at this sampling of speakers that will appeal to all Families including those who have a baby on the way!


    Anne Elliott
    Using the Bible to Choose Methods and Curriculum

    Carol Topp
    Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out
    Is Your Homeschool Group Ready for 501(c)(3)Tax Exempt Status?
    Micro Business for Teens

    Christine Field
    Catching the Foxes that Ruin the Vineyard

    Cindy Carrier
    Creating a Joyful Home Atmosphere

    Cindy Rushton
    Back to the Heart of Homeschooling
    Say Goodbye to Super-Mom!

    Dawn Billesbach
    Making Family Dinners More Feasible, Fun, and Healthy in a Busy, Multi-tasking World

    Jane VanOsdol
    Spiritual Disciplines for Your Kids
    Publishing Your Young Writer’s Work:  Tips for Getting Their Work in Print

    Jennifer Schwilling
    Homeschooling Through the Hard Times
    The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Review

    Karisa Rivera
    A Trip Down Memory Lane: Sweet Memories and Valuable Lessons

    Kimberly Ehlers
    Homeschooling a Child with Health Issues

    Kimberly Guthrie
    A Mom’s Journey to Healthy Eating on a Real World Budget

    Lisa Hodgen
    “Teach Us to Pray” ~ Becoming a Family of Prayer

    Lois Graham
    Facing Frustrations and Surviving Stress
    ABC’s of Creative Bible Learning

    Lorrie Flem
    How to Raise Children Who Win Friends and Influence People
    Mind Training
    Attitudes are Born in the Mind

    Mary Kane
    Take 5- Time Out with Jesus

    Matthew Rushton
    Graduated, Married, Got a Baby On the Way–NOW, What I Think About Homeschooling

    Molly Evert
    Protecting your Marriage
    Homeschooling the Dyslexic Child (A Parent’s Perspective)

    Paul and Marissa Osborne
    Have A Killer Garage Sale and Live To Tell About It

    Phyllis Wheeler
    Internet Savvy for Homeschoolers

    Rachel Starr Thomson
    Power in Words: Encouraging Your Writer in the Art, Craft, and Ministry of Writing

    Regina Hicks
    Who’s Driving Your Bus? Tranquility or Turmoil
    High School & Beyond: The Final Leg of the Journey
    Three R’s for the Homeschool Mom: Rendering, Resting & Romancing

    Rhea Perry
    The Biggest Gap in Education and How to Fill It
    Online Businesses You and Your Kids Can Start from Home

    Sharon Jeffus
    Using Art to Help Struggling Students/A Different Approach
    Teaching Art to Reinforce Understanding of Core Concepts for Visual and Kinesthetic Learners

    Stephanie Buckwalter
    What I Learned From Keeping a Dirty House
    How to Make Any Curriculum a Right Brain Curriculum or How to Make Any Curriculum Right Brain Friendly
    Getting  the Kids to Help—Your Part and Theirs

    Susan Scott

    Homeschool Success for Every Child: Uncovering the Unique Gifts within each Child

    Tara McClenahan
    Unpacking Your Child’s Suitcase
    Discovering Your Child’s Love Language.

    Is That Ultimate or What?  There is something for everyone all from the convenience of your home!

    I know I can’t wait, there is a lot for me still to learn.  I hope you will join me in obtaining a ticket to the Ultimate Family Expo.



  • Recharge Mom! Free Phone Seminar Weds Night

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.“-Ben Franklin

    New-Mom-Premium

    I am very excited to announce that I am getting started with regularly scheduled phone seminars again. In fact, I will start tomorrow afternoon – Wednesday April 28. But don’t worry if you can’t make it, the call will be recorded and available for you to listen to at your convenience and there is no charge.

    Since I’m in the middle of kitchen remodeling I’m thrilled at the timeliness of tomorrow’s topic being: “Recharge Mom”

    I’ll admit, taking time for mom, taking time for me is a subject I’m not particularly comfortable with or knowledgeable about. Too much false guilt, I guess. I don’t know why I think I’m supposed to be some sort of robot that works and works and never stops to take time for a little rest, relaxation or even a little pampering.

    Now I can honestly say, I’m not sure where this false belief comes from, but I notice in scripture that Jesus often took extended time away to spend time with the Father. He needed to get away from the crowds frequently, I assume he was very tired and needed to get recharged. Why does our 24/7 culture tell us otherwise? Am I any different than God incarnate if I am made in his image?

    Do I think life can’t go on in the family if I’m not there to do the work or overseeing all the activities, meals, appointments, baths, etc? Maybe your idea of recharging doesn’t fit within your budget constraints. Does recharging have to take money? Does recharging require time away from home? How much time does it take to recharge?

    How often should we recharge? What are the benefits of recharging for myself and for my family? These are just a few of the questions on my mind, maybe you have others.

    But this will be our lively topic of conversation with well known speaker and author, mom, and wife, Cindy Rushton tomorrow. We will be talking with Cindy in the afternoon during some children’s nap time.

    Plan to carve out a little time to listen in! The call or the recording is free and available 24/7 to you and your convenience.

    Remember, the background noise is muted out so your house doesn’t have to be quiet.

    Here is the Contact Information:

    Join Cindy and I in a Live-Online CHAT/Seminar:

    Phone Number: (724) 444-7444  The only cost is for applicable long distance charges, if any)

    Call ID: 38181# PIN: 1# (Or your Talkshoe PIN)

    OR: Live on line:  http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com/chat. You just go to this page and you can see the chat and click to hear the workshop stream live. No need for a password or code. It is easy AND free!

    Time: 5:30 ET, 4:30 CT, 3:30 MT, 2:30 PT Date: Wednesday April 28 Topic: Recharge Mom Guest Speaker: Cindy Rushton with Marilyn Moll

  • Five Easy Steps to Involve Your Children in Spring Cleaning

    Ed Note: As an older mom, I can tell you it is very wise to involve the little ones in household activities when they are very young and want to help. Here is how one young mom is achieving this goal.

    NORWEX IS NOT ONLY SAFE FOR KIDS, IT GETS KIDS INVOLVED!  By Rebekka Parry

    It has always been one of my goals to get my kids involved with weekly chores around the house. Learning responsibility and the importance of doing a good job are priorities for our family. But how that was going to actually work out practically, I wasn’t sure! Then Marilyn introduced me to Norwex microfiber, and the light bulb came on! Now I could assign small duties to my young kids without worrying about buckets of water and chemicals! The following are some practical ways that Norwex can be a family affair:

    1. The telescopic mop handle adjusts in height! It can adjust small enough for an eight or nine year old to use. You can start teaching the technique of mopping early!

    2. The dry superior mop pads are useful even without the mop! I have my five year old son using them to wipe down my wooden stairs by hand. They also work well on the hardwood that is not covered by my area carpets.  They come in two sizes, I have the smaller one for maneuverability around carpets and hardwood floors.

    3. Kids can learn the consequences of their actions by helping to clean up. When my four year old decided to write with a crayon on my kitchen floor, I had him help me scrub it off with the antibac wet mop pad.  Again this wet mop pad comes in two colors.

    4. The antibac microfiber mitt is a great way to get even the smallest child excited about helping! Just slide that “big blue paw” on, and show them how to wipe down chairs and railings! The best part is—whatever those little fingers touch, they dust!

    5. The antibac enviro cloths come in different colors! You can help your child feel the special part he or she plays by letting them pick their own color. Then work side by side cleaning the bathtub, wiping counters, cleaning the fridge, washing windows, or dusting. Let them “own” the cloth and the responsibility of a job well done!  (You can invest in a four pack or individually.)

    Ed Note: Rebekka Parry is proud momma of 4 children ages 5 and under, three boys and 1 girl, so far and a family friend from when we lived in Pennsylvania.

    Cleaning has never been easier, safer, or faster!

    Purchase all the Spring Cleaning Pack, one Enviro, one dust mitt, and one window cloth

    for just $41.99 (reg. $46.48)

    Use and Care Info:  To care for your cloths, simply wash with a dot of dish soap and rinse very well under running water.  Once a week, or when needed throw into the washer with lint free items.  Be sure to NEVER  use bleach or fabric softener which destroys the fiber properties.   Tumble dry or hang to dry.  Avoid drying with towels or other high lint items.

    Visit my blog for Kitchen Remodeling Updates and Pictures:  www.marilynmoll.com

    Request a Norwex Catalog:  Email me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com

    Copyright 2010 Marilyn Moll and Laura Coble, All Rights Reserved.

  • Back to Basics

    images-1The simple phrase, “Getting Back to Basics”,  has been going through my head since I have been setting up my camp images-2kitchen with “basics” and while I was concocting the elk stew melange earlier this week.

    Basics, in my mind, are learning basic cooking skills such as sauteing, stock making, baking, yeast bread baking, roasting meat, basically cooking from scratch.  Basics are good to know in an emergency and as part of a family preparedness plan.

    Not surprisingly, basics are often quite economical and budget friendly ingredients and recipes.  Basics are ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, vegetables, fruits, bread, and cheese.

    Basic vegetables in a pantry would include potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and celery.

    Basic fruits in my house are based on what is in season.  Right now strawberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, and oranges were on sale at my grocery store so that is what I bought.  Here is the complete Master Pantry List that I work from when re-stocking basics.

    images-1If all this back to basics cooking sounds a little too complex and confusing to you I discovered there are numerous websites that enable you to list what items you have on hand and then generate useful recipes to try out.  Check out http://www.recipematcher.com/ which enables you to type in a list of ingredients on hand and then select the type of cuisine you are trying to prepare such as breakfast, American, Mexican, Chinese, side dish, healthy, Vegetarian, Crock Pot or 30 Minute Meal, etc.  Voila, recipe suggestions are listed.  This will definitely be a handy website for my menu planning in the weeks ahead.  A google search will locate other similar sites.

    Now that Spring has officially arrived,  I challenge you to clean out your pantry, fridge, and freezer to make room for putting aside some of the bounty of this coming years harvest.  You might even want to do some pantry planning and overhauling.   Are you Prepared?

  • Moving to the Camp Kitchen

    I spent a large portion of my time last week moving kitchen essentials into my camp kitchen and boxing up the non-essentials from my “old” kitchen.  The picture below shows my kitchen table, working counter top with a hot plate, electric tea kettle,  and storage for silverware, mixing bowls, and pots and pans.

    IMG_0223.JPGThe right corner of the camp kitchen contains an old computer desk that I used for writing ebooks and newsletters when Duane was still living.  Now I have my bible,  laptop, home telephone and answering machine located here.  To the right of the main eating table (outside the picture) is a very old set of file drawers that are doubling as a counter to house my microwave/convection oven combo, an airpot being used as a faucet for cold drinking water, and my beloved Bosch.

    IMG_0222.JPGAlong the left side of my camp kitchen facing the window is my entire family library with a banquet table set up in front for my cutting board, utensil storage, and dish washing station.  The trash can is in front of the banquet table.

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    IMG_0226.JPG

    I now have my dining room, family library, kitchen, and desk area tucked into about a 10 X 12 foot space.  It’s all very cozy but surprisingly functional.