Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Some Interesting Thoughts on Education...


As we prepare for another school year, I thought to share some interesting (thought provoking maybe?) quotes on education that have intrigued me in some way or another over the years. 


“Thank goodness I was never sent to school;
it would have rubbed off some of the originality. ” 
~ Beatrix Potter


"A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education."
~ Theodore Roosevelt


"An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living
but doesn't teach them how to make a life."
~Author Unknown


"He who opens a school door, closes a prison."
~Victor Hugo


"What a misfortune it is that we should thus be compelled
to let our boys' schooling interfere with their education!"
~Grant Allen, 1894 {often attributed to Mark Twain}


"Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve."
~ Roger Lewin


"They say that we are better educated than our parents' generation.
What they mean is that we go to school longer.
It is not the same thing."
~ Richard Yates


"You send your child to the schoolmaster, 
but 'tis the schoolboys who educate him."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


"We are students of words: we are shut up in schools, and colleges, and recitation-rooms,
for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words,
and do not know a thing."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child."
 ~ George Santayana


"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."
~Albert Einstein


Some of these quotes are quite harsh and some quite true (while some are both)! Which ones, if any, are your favorites? Also, if you are interested in free homeschool unit studies, visit here. For information on a Charlotte Mason home education, visit here. Happy homeschooling!

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

The Blessings of Old-Fashioned Work ~ Part Five


“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.” 
~ Louisa May Alcott, Little Women



Dear gentle reader, we can not end this series on "The Blessings of Old Fashioned Work" until one more thought is conveyed. Old fashioned work is NOT a blessing when you over-tax yourself. Your family needs a strong and capable woman to manage the home. Not only to physically prepare the meals and clean the messes but to be strong in mind and spiritually sound. We can't wipe ourselves out from so much work that we don't have patience for those precious children in our care and the stamina required to be a godly helpmeet to our husband.


We must leave time in our schedules to study the word of God so that we may influence our home in His guidance and direction. We must allow time in our day to hug our children and kiss our spouse. We must carve out time to lift our feet and rest our weary bodies in order to maintain our invaluable health.


"Work is not always required.
There is such a thing as sacred idleness."
~ George MacDonald


If you feel unproductive when resting, read something of use (some of my favorites are here), pick up a needle and thread and work on your mending pile, embellish pieces with embroidery to feather your cozy nest, or place a hook in your hand to craft blankets and other items to bless the home.


"...a prudent wife is from the Lord."
~ Proverbs 19:14b

"PRU'DENT, a. Cautious; circumspect; practically wise; careful of the consequences of enterprises, measures or actions; cautious not to act when the end is of doubtful utility, or probably impracticable.
The prudent man looketh well to his going. Prov 14.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself. Prov 22.
1. Dictated or directed by prudence; as prudent behavior.
2. Foreseeing by instinct; as the prudent crane.
3. Frugal; economical; as a prudent woman; prudent expenditure of money.
4. Wise; intelligent."



Remember, it is not a workaholic wife that is a blessing, but a prudent woman. One who knows when a task needs to be done and when a child needs to be held. One who knows when to refresh her body instead of tackling another project. There is a balance. And I pray for wisdom that every one of us can find that balance and be a true blessing to our home, by practicing the arts of old fashioned labor while caring for our family and being good stewards of our health.

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Give her of the fruit of her hands;
and let her own works praise her in the gates."
~ Proverbs 31:28, 31


"The noblest thing in the world is honest labor. It is the very preservative principle of the universe. Wise labor brings order out of chaos; it turns deadly bogs and swamps into grain-bearing fields; it rears cities; it adorns the earth with architectural monuments, and beautifies them with divinest works of art... Work, therefore, with pride and gladness, for thereby you will be united by a common bond with all the best and noblest who have lived, who are now living, and who shall ever be born."

{See part one part two, part three and part four of this series.}

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Make Your Own Medicated Body and Foot Powder {DIY}


We used to buy this medicated body and foot powder for certain needs in the family. Over the years, we switched to a more natural version that worked just as well. However, as the price kept climbing, I decided to take a peek at the ingredients. Lo and behold, these were items I already had in our home. Today, we are sharing our DIY version of the "medicated" body and foot powder.


Ingredients:

2 cups of cornstarch (GMO free is best for your body)
20 drops of GSE grapefruit seed extract
20 drops of tea tree oil (melaluca)

Variations:

Substitute in some arrowroot powder or baking soda for the cornstarch. You can also reduce the amount of GSE and tea tree oil if you desire.


To prepare, carefully and thoroughly stir in the grapefruit seed extract and essential oil into the cornstarch. Pour mixture into a clean jar or spice shaker. Let mixture sit for 24 hours prior to using. According to the original powder label, this would be excellent for diaper rash, jock itch, athlete's foot, and feminine hygiene.

Note: Canning jar shaker lids we used for this project can be found here (affiliate link).


The grapefruit seed extract and tea tree oil assist in preventing odor causing bacteria and promote healthy tissue. Also, most commercial powder recipes contain talc which can be irritating to the lungs and frequently contain traces of arsenic (source) making this recipe a healthier alternative. 


The summer months can be quite sticky and perhaps this little tutorial will be a help to someone in your family. You will find out bath and body diy's here.