A few weeks ago, I did a piece on Save the Children, and I had one aspect of that article wrong; I said that I’d watched their tv show when I was a little girl….I was wrong. I’d actually watched the Feed the Children program. I am truly sorry for that mistake. Now, though, I get to tell you about Feed the Children.:)

Feed the Children has been around since 1979, almost as long as I’ve been alive. They have helped families and children in 119 countries, including the U.S.  In the U.S., they help provide needy families with food and other supplies and necessities.  Based in Oklahoma City, they actually have 6 distribution centers in the U.S.  Through the help of corporate as well as individual donors, they are able to acquire the supplies and transportation for those supplies.  Usually, the supplies and food are delivered to partner agencies who then distribute them to homeless shelters, churches, soup kitchens, etc.  However, an individual or a group can sponsor a distribution, and thus distribute the necessary items to specific families who need them.

Feed the Children also works internationally, especially where there is hunger, war-torn countries, or natural disaster.  Right now, they are at work in Haiti, helping the now homeless victims of that terrible earthquake.  They work in the poorest of communities, helping to provide not only food and basic necessities but education so that these families can learn how to support themselves and live independently. A key goal is to help families in need move past needing help and into becoming self-sufficient members of their community.  In Kenya, Feed the Children has started a program to help care for abandoned babies, the ABC (or Abandoned Baby Center). The Abandoned Baby Center began as a response to a horrific problem: Every 10 minutes a baby is orphaned or abandoned in Kenya, their parents lost to epidemics, violence and poverty.  Their work is so extensive that I will probably write about them at a later date.

There are several ways in which you can get involved in the work of Feed the Children.  If you’ve ever watched their tv program, then you know that the work they do is real, it’s life-changing, and it’s a merciful, compassionate work.  There are ways that you can help, both here in the U.S. and internationally, around the world.

• Donate any funds that you can to help keep Feed the Children’s trucks operational, so that necessary supplies and food can get to their destinations. Join the Americans Feeding Americans Caravan; just $5 helps feed one child in the U.S. for a whole week!  $10 will feed 2 children.  You can also set it up to donate by the month.
• Join Club 1000, and by donating just $10 a month, you will have delivered 1000 pounds of food in 14 months to children who need it across the U.S.
• Donate what you can to help provide educational supplies to children whose lives can be changed by the education that they receive.
• This is something you and your children can do together.  You can build a shoe-box gift for a baby, toddler, or child.  You can decorate the box together and then fill it with basic necessities, toys, whatever.  There are guidelines to the kinds of things to include in the different age types of boxes, but this could be a very fun activity for your children.  While doing this, you could have a meaningful discussion about why you are doing this.  Once your box is ready, you ship it to Feed the Children, and they distribute it for you.  I’m thinking this is an activity that Jacob and I might just do together.  It’s so simple, yet such a great teaching tool.
• You can help donate to Feed the Children’s Disaster Relief programs, both here in the U.S. and around the world.
• Donate your vehicle to Feed the Children.
• You can donate to help feed children around the world, as well.  Just $10 will help feed one international child for a month.
• Sponsor a child through Feed the Children.  This is a more personal approach to helping fulfill a child’s needs, and it’s a long-term solution for one child.
• Shop at the FTC Store, where you can purchase music, books, collectibles, etc.  Your purchase helps to feed a child!
• Go on a missions trip with Feed the Children, and see first-hand the work that they do; put your own hands to work helping others around the world.  You can volunteer on a short-term missions trip, on which you’ll be working on some sort of construction project, while at the same time getting to know the people in that particular village or area through helping to provide meals for them, VBS activities, sports camps, etc.  They have trips set for July for Nicaragua and September for Kenya or Malawi.  You can also go on a medical mission!  There are medical trips scheduled for Bolivia, Armenia, and Paraguay in the coming months.  This would be a wonderful way to see first-hand the work that Feed the Children does and truly experience the life-changing power of their work.
• Start your own fund-raising project.

You can follow Feed the Children on Twitter and Facebook.  The work that Feed the Children does is truly remarkable, especially as they have been at this work for over 30 years now.  Don’t be afraid to step out, and shine your light!  You can do a remarkable work as well!

I’ve been reading so much lately about the latest in homeschooling, workboxes. Workboxes began with Sue Patrick’s Workbox System.  Even though I don’t own the book, I’ve been really doing a lot of research online and have found some great resources for this, which I’ll share with you after showing you our system.  Also, if you don’t want to read all the way down through here, you can watch the video I shared below.:)

So, in setting up the workboxes, there was quite a bit of work, but don’t let that stop you because it is worth it.  I printed, cut out, and laminated schedule strips, workbox numbers, Help cards, and activity cards, which I then attached velcro to.  I still have yet to find a pocket chart to help organize all my little cards, and I still want to make a few more cards to adapt to our needs.  I also laminated post-it notes for instructions that go with the activities in the boxes….this saves both money and post-its.:)Here is a peek at our system.  Dan made this beautiful shelf; I’m so thankful for him!  He was able to make this for right around $14!  Also, the boxes I bought at Walmart for $.94, which is even cheaper than the dollar store.  Laminating sheets, I bought on Amazon, as they were much cheaper than the store.I have 10 boxes for Jacob right now and 8 for Jaden.  We originally started with 5 for Jaden, but I quickly figured out we needed just a few more to keep him occupied, so we have a few stragglers for now.He loved it!  I fill Jaden’s boxes with all kinds of ideas that I’ve researched on other blogs, like TotSchool, or with other activities or things that he loves.  They are educational activities.  Most of the stuff I use, I already had, or I was able to get at the dollar store.  Dollar Tree is a wonderful homeschooling resource, let me tell you!:)  Seriously, though, his boxes have things like foam puzzles, wooden puzzles, beans with a pitcher and container/funnel, coloring pages, craft activities, number games, magnetic alphabet letters, stickers, toys, etc.  We work together for the most part, with more independent activities done while I’m helping Jacob.  There are a ton of ideas out there; all you have to do is google workboxes.:) The nice thing about this system is that you put every single thing you’ll need for that day in the boxes, including all the little things, like glue, scissors, etc. That way, you’re not searching, and it really does save time.

Jacob’s boxes are filled with his text/workbook activities, as well as extra fun stuff like games, puzzles, computer time cards, craft activities, manipulatives, etc.  I don’t fill every single box every day because we don’t do every single subject every day, plus he has more than one activity in certain boxes.  I actually heard him say yesterday, “I can’t wait to do school again tomorrow!”  I about fell over….I think using the workboxes has really brought a refreshing, more independent tone to our homeschool for him….it’s different, and he’s more in control.  Now, we also use the Help tags, and he has 4 help tags he can use every day.  This challenges him quite a bit and makes him think more before asking for help.  He’s not quite used to that yet.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a short video here of how our system works, for those who don’t want to read my novel.  The video is a little shaky; my excuse is that it was way early, and I was still waking up.:) Here’s to successful workboxing!:)

Here are just a few sites where I found great resources….in the blur of things, I may miss somebody, but this is a general idea of where I’ve found most of my help/resources:

• Carissa at TotSchool has wonderful posts on both Tot Trays and Workboxes.  I’m taking the Tot Trays idea and adapting it into workboxes for Jaden….he loved it yesterday, which was our first day.
• Homeschool Creations has a very informative post, with printables for your workboxes.
• There are tons of other links and printables for your workboxes on this post, A Comprehensive Review of Sue Patrick’s Workbox System.
• The Heart of Wisdom Blog has a wealth of information and printables to share, as well as a Workbox Directory, with 50+ links to other blogs where mamas are using workboxes and sharing about them.  Also, Heart of Wisdom has shared a couple of videos here; the second one really was a help to understanding how they’re used.
• What’s in the Box? is a blog totally dedicated to workboxes.
• This article on Squidoo is wonderful, Working the Workboxes.
• Last but not least, you can find a ton of reviews on workboxes from the TOS Crew.

Homeschooling is a big job, and so it’s time for another round of Time Out Tuesdays, the Homeschool Edition.:)  Hopefully, you’ll find something that will bless your family today!

If you are a Canadian or are thinking of taking a vacation across Canada, Sunflower Schoolhouse has a ton of great downloads to help make your trip a bit more educational.  Not only that, but Sunflower Schoolhouse has so many great resources, including links, downloads, etc.  Check it out!

We’ve started using workboxes in our house….but here is a great link for Tot Trays, which I’ve adapted to fit our needs.  We’re filling our workboxes, for TotSchool, with these same kinds of things, and Jaden is just loving it!  I’ll have a post about our workboxes a little bit later.

Trendy Treehouse has a creative post on how to make your own DIY Water Color Paints.

The Sierra Home Companion has an encouraging post for anyone, but I especially thought of homeschooling when I read this: You can DO HARD!

Totally Tots has Easter Crafts ideas to share.  We are definitely trying the Resurrection Rolls.  I found this link through The Homeschool Classroom’s list of  Great Homeschooling Links for March 26.

The Homeschool Classroom also has an encouraging article, Staying Encouraged about Homeschooling by Avoiding Discouragement.  Another great post is Resources for Struggling Learners.

The Fifth Street Academy has a couple of really cool posts.  You can make your own Junk Jar or your own Ocean in a Bottle.

Now it’s your turn to link up your giveaways!  Have a wonderful day!

For Today, from Mel’s Daybook

Outside my Window…dark and chilly, but it’s supposed to get up into the 60′s today.

From the LearningRoom…we are starting the use of workboxes today. I’m excited about it; I know there are kinks we’ll have to work out, but at least we’re set up and ready to try them. Jacob has started basic multiplication and division in math, and we’re doing his lab sheet on his biosphere experiment today….he has wildflowers growing in a 2 liter bottle.:)

I am thankful for…my boys and the blessing of them being able to get out in this sunshine and enjoy the back yard.

From the kitchen…tonight will be grilled steaks, grilled baked potatoes, and salad.

I am wearing…jammies and robe.:)

I am reading…Becoming Your Spouse’s Better Half by Rick Johnson. It’s giving me lots of food for thought.

I am praying…that Dan and I can make the right decisions in raising our boys.

I am creating…a calendar board for circle time with the boys in the mornings.  I got the idea from TotSchool.:)

I am hearing…the occasional blast of the train horn, in the distance, as it rolls through town.

I am remembering…that if I want to attend homeschool convention, I need to get my ticket.

I am going…to the library and Target later, as well as to take Jacob to Tae Kwon Do.

On my mind…Easter….I want to find activities and stories for this week with the boys.

Noticing that…this week marks the end of March already.

Pondering these words…This comes from a proverb that’s on my calendar (LOL): A beautiful woman with a vacant mind is good only for frightening fish when she falls into the water.

One of my favorite things…the new shelf that Dan made for the workboxes.  It’s awesome, and it was only $14 to make!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…school, getting supplies for Jacob’s birthday party, Jacob to Tae Kwon Do, work, writing assignment, household stuff, library/errands, choir, etc.

A Picture to Share…(I think this “baby” carrot could be classified as a “granddaddy” carrot).For more Daybook, visit Peggy at The Simple Woman’s Daybook.