Homeschool Co-Op

With School back in session I thought it'd be appropriate to blog a bit about what the kids and I have to look forward to this school year. It happens to be my favorite aspect of homeschooling.

Yes we homeschool... some might be thinking:

What's a homeschooled child to do all day but lounge around in their pajamas while watching endless amounts of uneducational television and play mindless video games all while being trapped in from the rest of the world. Or that other awkward homeschooler that is locked in their confining room staring at piles of boring books and studying til the sun goes down and never getting the opportunity to... Socialize.

Yep.

I said it... The "S"'word.

Maybe the picture I described above is what many people think homeschooled children fill their days with. Hey, I'm not going to lie, at one point in my life I thought the same thing. On the contrary homeschoolers have a massive amount of activities and yes social opportunities that fill their days.

One of my faavorite weekly activies include our homeschool co op! Which gives the kids plenty of positive "socialization" with their peers;)

A homeschool co op is when a group of homeschool families get together and pitch in with enrichment activites. I'm part of a co-op with 3 other mom's. We get together once a week, and alternate who hosts and teaches the activty. So one week I host at my house and have an art lesson planned, another week another mom hosts and does a science lesson, another mom will read a story and we have show and tell on this day, and another week another mom will have a geography lesson... my favorite part about this lesson? We all bring a dish that coordinates with the place the kids learn about that day! So when we learned about Mexico, I brought enchiladas, and we had a feast with all the other mexican food my friends brought! It was really neat because the kids really got the experience that different culture, and I'm always happy when foods around;)

Art Lesson with Our Homeschool co op

When we meet up each week, we usually do the lesson first before the kids get to distracted. After the lesson the kids play, while the mom's chat. This is such a great time to reconnect with others that have encouraging words, and advice about homeschooling and you can just have a few good laughs. Around 11:30 we eat lunch. Each week everyone brings a dish to share so we can enjoy a potluck lunch together. We used to just bring snacks but by the time the co-op was over everyone was rushing home with hungry grumpy kids. So eating lunch together has worked out great, and we all look forward to it each week.



With our homeschool friends making "goo"!



Are you in search of a homeschool co op? Check out your local homeschool forums and see if there is an opening in one. If you are having a hard time finding one in your area, then you can start one! It's really simple, all you need is 2-4 other homeschool families that can commit. Choose the subjects you would each like to cover and alternate who hosts. If you have an extra day in the month without anyone to host, this is a fun time to take a field trip or just have a casual playdate.

I love our homeschool co op, in all seriousness I don't know what I'd do without their support. It's so important for both your children and you to have a good foundation of friends you have so much in common with.

Have you always been curious about homeschooling but didn't know where to start? I remember when my husband first mentioned homeschooling, this is how I felt. Once it sank in I wasn't sure where to start, if you are unsure on what to do now that you chose to homeschool, this might help, and check out this post on what to teach.

Are you involved in a homeschool co op? If so what are some of your favorite aspects of your co op?

Tortilla Recipe

 I haven't eaten tortillas in such a long time...
Not because I don't like them but because I hated to buy the tortillas that had all the preservatives and extra ingredients that looked like a paragraph on the side of the package. I was intimidated to make my own but since mastering other breadmaking I figured I could handle it. Turns out it's really simple and it's honestly a bit addicting! I don't know if its because the texture of the dough reminds me of my childhood when I played wih playdough or just the fact that you can make them so quickly. I love seeing fast results, lol. I also love this version because it is vegan since I use coconut oil instead of butter. I make a big batch of these, so I can store them in the freezer and pull them out when I need them.

You could use the tortillas in place of bread and make yummy nut butter and jelly rolls, veggie rolls or even fill them with this yummy Healthy Taco Salad!

I always double this recipe, because with my large family we go through them pretty quickly.

Ingredients:
* 1 cup unbleached white flour (I just found unbleached flour in bulk at my local health food store, love it!)
*3/4 cup of whole wheat flour (you can use all white flour if you want them super flaky and light)
* 3/4 tsp sea salt
* 1/4 tsp baking powder
* 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
* 1/2 cup very hot water
* coconut oil for cooking

Directions:

1. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl, add the softened coconut oil and work into the flour until' you get a crumbly texture.
2. Mix the hot water in slowly until combined

3. Put mixture on lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes

4. Shape dough into a ball and place in lightly greased bowl and cover and let rest for at least 20 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 8 balls and then flatten. (I have more than 8 balls in this picture because I doubled the recipe) I found that if I smushed the ball under a glass bowl, then rolled out with my rolling pin I was able to get a pretty thin consistent shape. Make sure they are really thin so they turn out right.

6. Preheat oiled skillet with some coconut oil on medium heat. Cook the tortilla for about 30-45 seconds on each side. They are done when they start to turn brown and puff up a bit. Be careful not to cook them over a very hot heat or they will burn.


7. Let the tortillas cool down and freeze.

What will you do with your tortillas?

Raw Chocolate Pudding Recipe! It's actually Healthy!

Check out my latest video post! It's a raw chocolate pudding recipe! You'll never guess what the secret ingredient is, and did I mention it's actually healthy?

Happy Anniversary! Creative Crunchy Mama Blog!

I can hardly believe that my blog is now 1 year old! I had been wanting to start my blog for years and finally just did it. Sometimes you have to stop wishing, hoping and dreaming and just DO it. I am so thankful to have this outlet to share with others the information that I have found. The topics that I talk about on my blog are often random but they are bits and pieces of my life that make me a Creative Crunchy Mama. Some things are deep morals and beliefs, and some are lighthearted tips and advice.

My passion in life is to be the best Mother, Wife, and ME that I can be. To live naturally and do what I feel is the right decision for all aspects of my life. I can only hope that if this blog has made a positive difference in someones life that I have served my purpose for all the time and energy that I have put into what is creativecrunchymama blog.

Here is to another wonderful year!

What are some things you would love for me to blog about? Any questions? Or advice you'd like? Leave a comment below and I'll make sure to feature it in my blog!

My First Video Blog Entry! Kitchen Tip:)

Check out my first ever Video Blog Entry! Today I'm talking about how to keep your cash out of the trash by chopping up and freezing veggies. Not only does it save the veggies that might go bad before you get to them, but it also will make your weeknights easier when you have these pre-chopped items on hand. Check out my video below!

Moving on the Cheap

I seriously can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. Between moving and family vacation I totally lost track of time... and seem to have lost any free time as well. But I certainly haven't forgotten how to be both cheap and green! ha! Let me share how you can save some $ next time you move.

So during our last move, my husband bought a bunch of boxes from Lowes or Home Depot. That was great  because we were able to get the specific sizes we needed, and when we needed them. He asked me to pick some up one day to finish our packing, and boy was I surprised! These boxes sure aren't cheap! Priced at at least $1 and up the cost adds up fast. I was determined to be a bit more budget friendly during this move so I found several places to get boxes, for FREE.

My Daughter helped label the boxes, "Fragile" :)

Reuse boxes and not only is it free but also eco-friendly! All retailers have boxes that their stock comes in, and I have found they are happy to send them along to a new home as opposed to "crushing" them. The place that was most convenient was my local grocery store. I visit it weekly, and all I had to do was call ahead and ask for them to set the boxes aside for me. Target, and other large retailers would often have free boxes, just make sure to call ahead of time or go early in the morning when they are stocking. Other places to check include http://www.freecycle.org/ ; http://www.craigslist.com/ and even your local mommies group.

When your done with your move, let your kids have at it and decorate the boxes to look like a house, or tape together to make a fun tunnel, what kid doesn't love boxes? Or just share the wealth and when you are done with them and pass them along to someone else that can use them.

Do you have an inexpensive moving tip or an idea to make moving easier? Please share in the comments below:)

1 Minute Hair Cut!

All my life I've loved cutting and dying my own hair. I even cut hair when I was 14, yep, my friends and even my sisters trusted me at such a young age. I've always been a do-it-yourselfer! ...and who really wants to pay for something that you can do yourself...for free? I haven't dyed my hair in years, but I do still cut it on my own occasionally.

Ok, so I don't always cut my hair myself... Sometimes I'll go to a walk-in type salon to get my hair cut. I can count on one hand the times I've had my hair cut professionally in my adult life. Here is a picture of my last (professional) hair cut I had about 1 1/2 years ago.

I loved my hair short, it forced me to style it, instead of just tossing it in a ponytail.

Well, fast forward to now, and my hair is past my shoulders. I have been meaning to go get my hair cut for months, but really when do I have time? I certainly don't see myself lugging 4 kids in with me! Lol. And when my husband will watch the kids, I'd rather hang out with them.

So I finally gave up and just decided to do it myself. I scanned youtube for layered cuts and wanted to try something new. I found the quickest and easiest Do-it-Yourself cut ever! It seriously took me 1 minute to cut my own hair, and it looks fab!

1. First brush your hair forward from the back of your head to the front (I wet my hair since it was easier to control).
2. Then line up the tips of your hair using a fine-toothed comb, and use scissors or a trimmer, and cut a straight line across.
3. Voila! You have a new layered cut!

Check out this video for a demo:

Here is my after pictures of my 1 minute hair cut. Please excuse the fact I don't have on a stitch of makeup... but look at my hair instead;)

This 1 minute hair cut is SO awesome, I even cut my daughters hair using the same technique and it was a cinch! Want to make it even easier, cut your hair over a trash can or spread out a piece of newspaper and cut over that for super quick cleanup!

*TIP* Only cut a small amount off at first. It's no fun when you cut off way more than you intended too, I know this from experience, ha! You can always cut more hair off later.

If you royally mess up though, you can go see a pro to fix it;)

And if not, hey, it'll grow back, right?

Have you ever cut your own hair? Were you pleased with how it turned out?