Using Time Wisely

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Archives for 2011

Summer Reading: Half Price Books

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Another summer reading program for students 14 years and younger is offered by Half Price Books. With all these summer reading programs, your student can enjoy many rewards for his/her efforts. Using time wisely working toward the reading goal will result in wonderful rewards when the goal is reached. Keep aiming for the goal!

Photograph Credit: Half Price Books

Here’s how kids 14 and under can participate:

  1. Get a Feed Your Brain Reading Log and set a goal to read each day for at least 15 minutes or more throughout June and July. Grown-ups may read aloud for kids who are still learning.
  2. Join us for our Feed Your Brain kick off on Sunday, June 5 at 2 pm for the Biggest Storytime of the Summer at your local Half Price Books.
  3. Add up your minutes and have your parent or guardian initial at the end of each week.
  4. Check-in at your local Half Price Books store to find more great books to Feed Your Brain throughout the summer!
  5. Did you read 600 minutes or more? Turn in your completed reading log at Half Price Books July 25 – August 7 to receive your $5 Back-to-School Bucks summer reading reward!
  6. Do you think you’re a Top Reader this summer? We’ll award one top reader per age group with a TOP READER prize, a $20 HPB Gift Card!

Finding something to read for 15 minutes each day amay seem difficult if you are looking for individual books. If you choose to read each day, try to start a series. For my little ones, I read a chapter of a Nancy Drew book or a Hardy Boy book each night. Sometimes, I will read more than one chapter if they ask or need a little more time to fall asleep. We enjoy the adventures and look forward to the resolution to the mystery. These mystery books have been enjoyable for my family. I hope you will find books or a series that works for your family. Happy reading!

Summer Reading: Borders

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Photograph Credit: Borders

The Double-Dog Dare Challenge by Borders is a summer reading program for students under 12 years old. When you read 10 books, record those titles on the coupon form, and take that coupon form to a Borders, Borders Express, or Waldenbooks, you can trade your form for one of the remaining books available. This program runs from June 1 through September 5 only while supplies last. Here is a link to the available titles. Since these books are in a limited supply, you might want to use your time wisely and act on this program quickly.

Summer Reading: Barnes & Noble

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To encourage students in using time wisely by reading and learning this summer, a number of organizations have developed Summer Reading Programs. The bookstore giant Barnes & Noble offers a free book for reading 8 books.

Photograph Credit: Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is here to help you on your way, encouraging you to read books of your own choosing and earn a FREE book, simply by following these three easy steps:

1. Read any eight books this summer and record them in this Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Imagination’s Destination Journal. Be sure to let us know to whom you would recommend each book, and why.

2. Bring your completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 24 and September 6, 2011.

3. Choose your FREE reading adventure from the book list featured on the back of the journal.

Participation is for students in 1st through 6th grades. To participate, visit the Barnes & Noble web site, download and print the journal, and read.

Pork Chops: Experimenting with Pork Loin Assorted Chops

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In last week’s post on Pork Chops: Slicing a Boneless Pork Loin, I shared that my rock bottom price is $1.99 per pound. When I find this cut of meat at this price, I stock up. The last sale I found was in April, and I purchased a half pork loin which netted about 11 pork chops. Do you think I purchased enough? I thought so, but after 3 or 4 open-faced pork chop sandwich meals, I was out. Having been looking for another sale and finding none, my troops requested more pork chops.

The Experiment:

Since I was not finding a sale and refused to pay full price, I decided to check the price at Sam’s Club. While browsing, I found 10.49 pounds of pork loin assorted chops for $1.98 per pound for a total of $20.77. Since this price was my rock bottom price for pork chops, I chose to purchase this package.

When I unsealed the meat, I immediately noticed the fat and the bones in each one. My eyes bulged. For some reason, I thought I was purchasing boneless pork chops and was shocked to find bones. Oh well, I have bones. Here is my pictorial tutorial for getting boneless pork chops from a pork loin.

  1. Place the meat on a cutting board and find the bones by feeling the pork.
  2. Cut away the meat from the bones.
  3. Stack boneless pork into meal-sized piles.
  4. Wrap pork in plastic wrap or place in zipper-topped bags.
  5. Place in freezer.

My Conclusions:

  1. Though both packages were about $1.99 per pound, the pork loin assorted chops is not the same deal as the boneless pork loin.
  2. The boneless pork loin half resulted in  3-4 meals for about $10 while the same 3-4 meals with the assorted chops cost $20. Ouch!
  3. With the assorted chops, I paid $10 for these bones.
  4. The Chicken Fried Chops tasted the same with both cuts of meat.

Overall, this experiment taught me to use my time wisely by waiting for a sale on the boneless pork loins, stocking up, and bypassing a $1.98 per pound sale on pork loin assorted chops. If I run out of boneless pork loins and really need them, I will consider paying full price for the boneless pork loin. Though it is hard to see so much money wasted on the bones, I have learned from this experiment and will be able to bypass this sale without wondering if it is a good deal.

Have you tried any experiments in the kitchen? I’d love to learn along with you.

My Summer Goal

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With school complete, soccer season over, and all my children at home, my summer has arrived. Though I have big plans for decluttering, reorganizing, and cleaning my house, I am looking forward to spending time wisely with my children.

Yesterday, we hung out most of the day downstairs together. As we played tea party, my baby crawled all over me while my older daughter took note how I played. Later, my older daughter was mimicking my play with her. My little ones are watching and learning. When I had the chance to watch and learn about them, I took it. While folding laundry, I watched my older children play Wii games. As my son helped my older daughter win her games, he worked to improve. I’m thankful my son is willing to learn and that I am able to assist and observe along the way.

With a change in schedule from school routine to summer routine, I am regrouping. This year has been full of adjustments. From trips to school, programs, parties, soccer, and family activities, I am ready for a break. After being away from home so much during May, I am playing catch up. Though the laundry is done and the kitchen cleaned, my To Do list is far from complete. Since the laundry, dishes, menus, etc. will always be there, I must keep reminding myself that my kids will not be young for long. As I choose to use my time wisely, I must keep my priorities in check. Ultimately, my children are my responsibility, and they need more than clean clothes and food. I don’t want to lose this time with my kids, so my goal this summer is to get to know my kids by spending lots of time with them.

Knowing that I am apt to fail, I plan now to spend that time analyzing my inabilities, praying for wisdom, and planning time together. To help me stay on track, I will be scheduling time with each child each day. During these special times, I hope to reach my goal of knowing my children.