Debbie's Homeschool Corner

Currclick Whisper Sale

2012-02-08T09:34:00.001-06:00

There’s a great sale going on right now at Currclick—my very favorite place to find downloadable curriculum. All sale items are 50% off and there are 10 free items—some really good stuff—I found several good science studies that we’ll be using soon! One of the freebies is my Roaming Through Ancient Rome Game. Be sure to pick it up! And… all of my other Super Star Speech books and games are 50% off. Here’s the scoop:

Right here, a secret page of our website, our Winter Whisper Sale and Giveaway is going on. TEN freebies are being given away, and TWENTY of our bestselling publishers have discounted all their resources by 50%, and NOBODY knows about it but you.

It's hard to keep a secret though, right? Don't worry, we won't make you. You can tell your Facebook and Twitter followers, your co-op, your neighbor, your newsgroups, even your strange Great Uncle. The only thing we ask you NOT to do is post the details on our Facebook page.

And what are the details?

Go the the Secret Sale link to see the sale items.
VERY IMPORTANT: Because this is a secret sale, sale items must be added to your cart from the sale page. If you add an item from another product listing, and not the sale page, you will not get the sale price. However, we'll note your Whisper savings in your cart, so you can be sure.
CurrClick's Winter Whisper Sale ends February 16th.

Celestial Almanack (TOS Review)

2012-02-06T13:09:00.001-06:00

I love to look at the stars at night, but I really don’t know much about them. I can find the Big Dipper, but that’s about it! Emily is interested in astronomy, but until now, I haven’t had much knowledge to share with her. The Celestial Almanack series, available at Currclick for only $3 an issue, is a month-by-month guide to the skies. I just had the opportunity to try out the February issue: Celestial Almanack, Vol 2. This 19 page guide is packed with both information and beautiful drawings. Some of the topics in the February issue include:

a study on the history and science of leap year
why February only has 28 days
maps of the daytime and nighttime skies during February that illustrate the placement of constellations, planets, and the moon
phases of the moon for each day in February
how to find both Venus and Jupiter as their paths converge toward the end of the month. Mars and Saturn are also both visible in the February night sky.

Unfortunately, we’ve had a series of rainy and cloudy nights, so we haven’t been able to use the star charts yet. I’m hoping that tonight will be clear so we can go stargazing! The charts are so clear that I think it will be easy to locate many different constellations.

Celestial Almanack is useful for a range of ages. Some of the information, frankly went over my head! It would be very beneficial for a high school student studying astronomy. Some of the information and the star charts, however is very informative and helpful for elementary aged students. The author, Jay Ryan, has a love for astronomy that shows through in this e-book. This guide is no textbook treatment of the subject!

2012 will be a big year for exciting sky events. Here are some that you will learn about in different editions of the Celestial Almanack.

1) the Jupiter-Venus conjunction on March 15 (once every 24 years);
2) the annular solar eclipse on May 20 (once every 18 years); and
3) the transit of Venus on June 5 (last one til 2117!)

To read more reviews of Celestial Almanack, Vol 2, please visit the TOS Crew blog.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a free download of Celestial Almanack for this review. All opinions are my own.

Math Rider (TOS Review)

2012-02-03T10:02:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of resources out there to help kids practice their math facts---basic flashcards, math games, computer programs, etc. Some are fun, some not so fun. Some provide efficient practice, others are a bit heavy on the “game” and lighter on the math.

Although Emily knows her math facts fairly well, she could stand to improve her speed, so I was interested to see how Math Rider would stack up against other programs we’ve tried. It teaches mastery of all 4 math operations with numbers 1-12 and is designed for children ages 6-12. To play, the child begins a “quest.” A short story scenario is given, then the child rides his or her horse, “Shadow,” across deserts, mountains, and so on. Math problems appear at the bottom of the screen. As the problem is answered, the horse jumps over an obstacle. If the problem is missed, the horse stops while the game gives the correct answer. The problems and speed are adjusted to the child’s abilities, with problems the child has trouble with generated more frequently.

Emily loved the game, wanting to persist each time until a quest was won. The graphics are very nice and help to keep interest high. Emily was motivated to beat her score each round. I felt that the program was motivating for her, yet didn’t waste a lot of time in non-productive game activities. She did wish for more different “quests,” however. I think more storylines would have added more interest to the game. After a while, she was bored to hear the same story over and over again.

Up to 8 players can play on a single license, making this great for homeschool families.

My only small complaint was in the minimum system requirements for the program. Since it requires a minimum resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels, Emily wasn’t able to play on her netbook that has a resolution of 1024 by 600 and had to use my computer.

4/5 stars for this fun program

Math Rider retails for $49.95 and is currently on sale for $37 until Feb. 15 and you can even try it free for 7 days.

To read more reviews of Math Rider, please visit the Crew Blog.

I received a free 2 month access to Math Rider in order to write this review. All opinions are my own.

Grow Bible (Review)

2012-02-02T11:23:00.001-06:00

We recently received the Grow! Bible, published by Crossway Books, to review. This ESV Bible is great for older elementary or middle school aged children. It includes the complete ESV Bible translation in a font size that is easy to read. (Emily has a student Bible by another publisher that has much smaller print. She immediately noticed the difference and likes this one better.)

The Grow! Bible is packed with useful “helps” for children. Most pages have one or more “what,” “where,” “why,” or “who” questions that explain the text or culture. Here is an example:

Where was Eden? No one knows for certain, but it may have been in the area of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. After the flood, the geographical landmarks were no longer as they had been. (Gen. 2:10)

The Grow! Bible also includes “4U” and “Cross Connection” readings that help the reader relate the Bible to his or her personal life, articles and charts, timelines, and maps. I think that all of these helps are engaging and useful for children, helping them to better understand scripture at their level.

Emily says,

“I love this nice Bible!! It gives better explanations than some of my other Bibles that I have. I now have a collection of nine Bibles! One thing I like to do with all of those bibles is look up a verse then compare that verse to the other verses in my other Bibles! This Bible explains so much that I haven’t understood in my other Bibles! Like now I know what the name Joshua means, God is my salvation, is what it means by the way.”

I think that children will enjoy and be motivated to read this colorful Bible. I wish I’d had something like this when I was was a child!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Crossway Books for providing me with a free copy of this Bible to review. All opinions are my own.

Miracles are for Real (Review)

2012-01-25T12:13:00.001-06:00

Do you believe miracles still happen? In Miracles are for Real, by James L Garlow and Keith Wall, this question is explored.

We tend to throw the statement, “It’s a miracle” around quite a bit. We may be referring to something truly unexplainable by the laws of science. Or we may be speaking of an answer to prayer. Or maybe, we just mean, “Wow, I’m surprised that this event happened!”

For the purposes of this book, the authors define a miracle as “an event that extends beyond all known scientific laws.” Each chapter illustrates, with documented stories, instances of modern-day miracles, including healings, financial miracles, and even people being raised from the dead. The authors explore ideas about why miracles happen and why they don’t.

I found this book fascinating reading. I enjoyed the stories and found them faith-building. We will never know why God sometimes chooses to act supernaturally while at other times we don’t see an immediate answer to our prayers, but I appreciated the reminder that this book gave me that God does hear us and He is still involved in our world today—whether he acts supernaturally in my life or whether His plan is just to be with me in my trials.

I was provided a free review copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

Puppy Pictures

2012-01-20T13:12:00.001-06:00

Our beloved cocker, Velvet, died on December 1. I had planned to wait a while before getting another dog, but the opportunity jumped in our laps to get another puppy now! So… here is our new cocker puppy, Macy.

Macy is on the left. Angus, on the right, belongs to my sister.

Mathematical Reasoning F (Review)

2012-01-20T12:49:00.001-06:00

The Mathematical Reasoning series, published by Critical Thinking Press, helps children devise strategies to solve a wide variety of math problems. The books emphasize problem solving and computation to build the math reasoning skills necessary for success in higher level math and math assessments and are written to the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

The activities take children beyond drill-and-practice by using step-by-step, discussion-based problem solving to develop a conceptual bridge between computation and the reasoning required for upper-level math. Activities and units spiral slowly, allowing children to become comfortable with concepts but also challenging them to continue building their math skills.

We had the opportunity to review Level F, which is a 5th grade book. Emily is in 6th grade, but I though this would be useful for review and for approaching concepts in different ways.

The book is very colorful and the pages provide a large variety of activities. I like the workbook format—Many materials for this age group use textbooks that require children to do their work on separate paper. For my distractible child, this is a big plus. Many activities include fun puzzles, including Balance Bender puzzles, which Emily loves. The book uses a spiral approach, with periodic review of previously learned concept. It is designed to be used without a teacher’s manual—all the concepts are explained in the book.

My Thoughts:

I really like this book for how we are using it. It makes a good review/ extra practice book. Because the pages are colorful and not too long, it seems “fun” to Emily. The lessons vary quite a bit within a section…you won’t find many pages in a row for multiplication, for example. It provides puzzles and critical thinking activities that go beyond the simple mechanics of arithmetic.

I wouldn’t choose this book as my main curriculum, however. First, it seems too easy for the grade level to me. Although it is designed to the NCTM standards, it is easier than other math programs we have used. Second, because it jumps around a lot from one concept to another, I don’t think there is enough practice to master a concept for many children.

3/5 stars

I was provided with a free book by Critical Thinking Co. in order to write this review. All opinions are my own.

We Choose Virtues

2012-01-17T10:16:00.001-06:00

We Choose Virtues is a character development program that is designed to be used daily to teach and reinforce positive values such as honesty, kindness, attentiveness, diligence, and helpfulness in children ages 3-11. A variety of curriculum tools are available, both for classroom and home use. We received a deck of Virtue Clues cards ($7.95). Each card includes a virtue, the virtue catch-phrase, the virtue antonym and, on the back, a “you can do it challenge.”

The Virtue Clue Cards are one of the smallest items that We Choose Virtues sells.

This is how I chose to use the Virtue Clue Cards. I took one of the Family Character Assessment pages that I had printed and had Emily rate herself on each virtue. Then we picked a virtue to think about and try to improve on for 2 days. The following day, I review the card and have her copy the Bible verse from the Kid's Memory Verses and Bible Heroes page (free downloads). I may try to come up with a fun activity or game for each virtue. We are cycling through them all 1-2 days each, then doing re-evaluations on the Character Assessment.

I like the concept. I like the intentional focus on positive character qualities. I like the colorful cards. I think the act of focusing on character qualities daily will be very helpful and the cards provide some structure to doing so. However, the program would have been easier to implement if I also had the Teacher’s Virtue Cards, which include teaching tips, stories and activities.

We also received the Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book, available as a PDF download ($3.00), a cute coloring book featuring each of the VirtueKids. This provides a nice reinforcement of the characters, but Emily was a bit too old to use this item.

I also received The Teacher’s handbook ($4.95 for the PDF download, $15.00 print) provides teaching tips and complete information for using each of the We Choose Virtues tools. It was packed with information, but much of it was not relevant to me, since I was only using the Virtue Clues cards. It would be a wonderful resource if I had more of the materials.

I give this product 4/5 stars.

To read more reviews of these items, please visit the Crew Blog.

Interested in buying? Here are the current deals….

SPECIALS:

JANUARY/FEBRUARY-The 100 Days of Virtue Poster and Stickers will be included FREE with any Homeschool Kit purchase during these months.

PROMO CODES:

These are the only active promo codes. You may use only ONE at a time.

VIRTUE15 for 15 % off the shopping cart
FAMILY for $3.00 off the Kids Virtue Poster
SHIPFREE for free worldwide shipping

Be sure to like the We Choose Virtues Facebook page for tips on parenting, leadership, and inspiring lasting Virtue.

I received a free deck of Virtue Clues cards, a Kids of Virtueville Coloring Book, and Teacher’s Handbook to write this review. All opinions are my own.

Learn Our History (TOS Review)

2012-01-13T16:35:00.002-06:00

Learn Our History: Time Cycle Academy is a new DVD series that teaches American history to elementary aged children. The series follows the adventures of the TimeCycle Academy, an adventurous group of students who build a time machine out of a bicycle and use it to travel back in time to experience history in the making.
The Learn Our History: TimeCycle Academy series uses the incredible lessons of history to present important themes to your child, such as:

The need to stand up to bullies
The importance of self-respect and respect for others -including their elders
Belief in democratic values such as freedom and equality
Faith in God as a key principle in America’s development and greatness

Supplementary materials are available for those who purchase the DVD’s, but I wasn’t able to view those materials.
We watched the “The Birth of a Revolution” and “9/11 and the War on Terror” episodes. Other episodes include topics such as Lewis and Clark, Columbus, World War 2, the Revolution, President Reagan, and the presidential election process.
My thoughts:
I really like the concept. Good information is presented in an engaging format. I especially like that topics are covered that are hard to find other resources for—9/11, Reagan, The Cold War, and World War 1. Emily enjoyed the videos and will want to watch them again.
But…I thought that the animation seemed to be rather low quality. And one of the characters frequently used insulting and rude language and attitudes, such as calling other characters “losers,” “chumps,” and “babies,” complaining about school and learning, etc. I do not think this demonstrates “self-respect and respect for others.” I would be hesitant to continue playing the shows because I don’t want my daughter mimicking this language or attitude.
Learn Our History is a subscription/membership program. The first Learn Our History DVD, “Columbus And The Great Discovery ” is $9.95 and comes with a second episode free. Additional DVDs are $11.95 plus shipping. Any DVD’s purchased from Learn Our History are also viewable online.
I give Learn Our History 3/5 stars.

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I received a free DVD and online viewing access for 2 episodes in order to write this review. All opinions are my own.

Horseback Riding

2012-01-12T09:59:00.001-06:00

My sister gave Emily and me a gift certificate for lessons/trail rides for my last birthday. Emily has never ridden, other than a couple of pony rides (and a camel ride!) We picked a nice day last week to go. I hadn’t been on a horse since I was about Emily’s age. It was fun, although my legs were sore for a week and I ended up with a lovely bruise on my knee.

Zoo!

2012-01-11T14:01:00.001-06:00

Emily, Allison, and I made a trip to the Nashville Zoo last Friday, taking advantage of the sunny, 60 degree weather. It is a lovely zoo with lovely landscaping and shaded walking paths.

Watching the gibbons.

The Lorikeet exhibit—The signs that warned “These birds will land on you” were correct!

The meerkats are always fun to watch.

It was a fun day. I wish it weren’t a 2 hour drive so we could do it more often!

Wholly Guacamole/ Hormel Winner!

2012-01-11T13:59:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Lora (comment #8) who won the Wholly Guacamole / Hormel giveaway!

Closet Re-do

2012-01-10T12:28:00.001-06:00

Last week, I undertook a much-needed closet renovation project. This is one of our master bedroom closets. It started out with multiple clothes rods, one high shelf, and a metal garage shelf.

This is everything that came out of the closet. Yikes!

and…

I painted the closet green, with cream shelves. Then I installed wire shelving on the left side, which is being used to store my Super Star Speech books and supplies. I put back clothes rods on the right side only.

Then I got discarded a bunch of “stuff” and organized the rest back onto the upper shelf.

The whole project only cost me $13 for the cream-colored paint. There’s enough left over to paint the bathroom cabinets too.

The green paint was left over from several years ago and the shelving was picked up from the side of the road!

Z-Guides to the Movies (TOS Review)

2012-01-04T10:01:00.001-06:00

In December, I always like to find some fun and different school projects to work on. We’re getting busy with holiday activities, so it’s nice to change our pace by adding some fun laid-back activities to our usual schedule. This year, the Z-Guide to the Movies by Zeezok Publishing arrived at just the right time. We used it during our last week before our Christmas break.

Z-Guides provide a way to incorporate media into any curriculum. Dozens of movie guides are available, most relating to a particular time in history. Each guide includes:

topic overview
movie synopsis
review questions
research activities
hands-on activities
essay assignments

Critical thinking skills are emphasized in order to encourage the student to think about the worldview of the movie and the techniques used to influence the viewer.

We chose “My Side of the Mountain,” which is a middle-school level title. Our 32 page Z-Guide arrived in PDF form. I printed it out and we were ready to go!

After watching the movie, there were ten activities to complete. It is recommended that the student complete 2 activities a day. Some of the activities for “My Side of the Mountain” included researching Henry David Thoreau and the peregrine falcon, making detailed plans for a “wilderness adventure,” writing an alternative ending to the movie, and nature observations.

We enjoyed this Z-Guide. I found it very easy to implement and fun, yet educational for Emily. We will definitely consider using Z-Guides for other movies. (Actually, I’d love to see the company produce an e-book that contained many of the movies.)

Z-Guides to the Movies sell for $12.99 each and are appropriate for a variety of age levels. Most of the corresponding movies are easily available from Netflix or public libraries. Zeezok Publishing sells many other homeschool materials as well, including history, penmanship, and studies of musicians.

To read more reviews of the Z-Guides to the Movies, please visit the Crew Blog.

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free Z-Guide from Zeezok Publishing in order to write this review.

Daily Gifts of Grace

2011-12-29T13:15:00.001-06:00

Daily Gifts of Grace: Devotions For Each Day of Your Year ($17.99) is a 366 day devotional book with selections written by Women of Faith Speakers and other well-known Christian writers. It is published by Thomas Nelson.

The book has a lovely hardbound cover with a magnetic closure and ribbon bookmark. Even the inside of the cover and the pages are lovely, making me feel happy when I open it!

Each page includes a focus Bible verse and an inspirational message by a different author. The devotional selections I have read thus far, by authors such as Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, and Marilyn Meburg, have all been gripping and applicable to my life each day, giving me encouragement and nuggets to “chew on” throughout the day. I will confess that I’m reading 2 or 3 selections each day because they are just that good! I already know that this book will be a treasure in my life throughout the next year!

The book isn’t serious Bible study—I am doing that separately, but is great for picking up for a few minutes of inspiration and prayer focus.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free review copy of this book.

Our Hydraulic Arm Project

2011-12-27T12:08:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, Emily put together a hydraulic arm kit made by Teacher Geek. This contraption uses water pressure to control the movement of the arm in 4 different ways.

Our hydraulic arm kit arrived as a box full of parts along with a reamer, cutter tool, and building instructions. It took us about a week to build our hydraulic arm. We found the directions clear and easy to follow although we were a little frustrated that the dowels had to be shaved down a bit in order to fit. Emily hasn’t spent a lot of time with Legos or other construction toys or models, but she did pretty well with this. Here are some photos of the process…

We used Teacher Geek’s “Fluid Mechanics Lab,” which we found online at the site as a supplement so that Emily would better understand the physics behind the project. Although some of the material was rather advanced for her, this well-written lab helped deepen her understanding of the principles behind her “contraption.”

We had a lot of fun with this kit. I think more “building” projects will be in Emily’s future!

Although I received this kit free from Teacher Geek, I was not required to write a review.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T17:00:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we attended our traditional candlelight service, where the young adults, including Allison and Katie, read scripture and served as candle-lighters. We visited briefly at a reception in the fellowship hall, then returned home to read some of Bartholomew’s Passage, the book we have been reading nightly during Advent this year. We usually have extended family over for snacks and visiting on Christmas Eve, but everyone else is on a Christmas cruise this year!

On Christmas day, Emily was up first (of course!). She waited anxiously upstairs for an hour or more before everyone else was ready and she was allowed to come down. We ate eggs and pumpkin bread for breakfast while we waited for John Michael to show up. The older kids laughed about how I used to be the last one up on Christmas morning. Now, I wait for them to drag themselves out of bed!

Santa opening his sack….No, that’s John Michael who delivered his gifts in a pillowcase instead of wrapping them!

Katie’s favorite gift. OK…she’s a little strange!

We spent the afternoon playing games. Emily’s tabletop ping pong set was a big hit! We also enjoyed Bananagrams and Electronic Banking Monopoly.

Private Selection Frozen Foods (Review)

2011-12-26T16:28:00.001-06:00

As a member of BzzAgent, I was given 3 free product coupons to try out the new line of Private Selection frozen foods.

First, we tried the Barbeque Chicken Pizza. We enjoyed this. The crust was very crispy and the toppings were generous. The barbeque flavor was very good. I noticed that the Private Selection brand offered topping choices that most brands don’t offer. One caution, though—although the package stated that the pizza would serve 3 people (and it did serve 3 in our family who are not big eaters), most would consider this to be 2 servings—or even one serving for a big eater.

Next, we tried 2 of the desserts. The Northern Spy Apple Crisp was good—not quite as good as homemade, though. The apples were chopped into smaller chunks than I like. The package contained 2 individually wrapped servings. The Belgian Chocolate Lava Cakes –rich chocolate cakes filled with belgian chocolate ganache--were melt-in-your mouth good! This package included 4 individually wrapped servings.

We sampled an appetizer as well—the “Mediterranean-Inspired Hors D’Oeuvres Collection,” which included 3 each of spinach pesto puff, mushroom phyllo triangle, and feta-sundried tomato phyllo roll. I had a hard time at the store choosing an appetizer because all the choices looked so good! The appetizers were flaky and delicious. Somehow, from the picture on the box, I expected them to be much bigger than they actually were, though. Each selection was just over an inch in diameter.

I enjoyed the opportunity to try out the Private Selection brand of frozen foods and will likely use them again.

As a member of BzzAgent, I received 3 free product coupons for Private Selection products and was encouraged to share my opinion with others.

Wholly Guacamole and Hormel Natural Choice (Giveaway)

2011-12-23T14:46:00.001-06:00

I love guacamole! In fact, after I learned that I’d have the opportunity to do this Wholly Guacamole/ Hormel Natural Choice Review, I was so excited that I actually dreamed about the Guacamole feast my family would have!

I received both the Spicy and Classic varieties of Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Snack Packs. Both types were delicious with visible chunks of avocado and were a nice serving size. I love the snack packs because I’m less tempted to eat too much at a time and I don’t have to worry about finishing up a big package in a timely manner. They even freeze well.

I also received a package of Hormel Natural Choice Oven Roasted Deli Turkey. The Natural Choice line is the first nationally distributed line of all sandwich meats with zero preservatives and no artificial colors or flavors, no nitrates or nitrites added, no MSG, from meat without added hormones. We thought the turkey was very good and I like that it is healthier than most lunch meat choices.

Here are some of the ways my family enjoyed the Wholly Guacamole and Natural Choice combo….

As a classic dip. Yum!

Emily dipped her turkey sandwich into Spicy Guacamole.

Salsa flavored pita chips with Natural Choice turkey and classic guacamole.

Turkey and spicy guacamole wraps. I think this was my favorite!

I received free packages of Hormel Natural Choice turkey and Wholly Guacamole Snack Packs for the purpose of writing this review. All opinions are my own.

GIVEAWAY (Ends Jan. 7)

Would you like to win 3 free product coupons for Wholly Guacamole and 1 Hormel Natural Choice product coupon plus some Wholly Guacamole fun extras? Just leave me a comment with a serving idea for Wholly Guacamole or Hormel turkey.

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

1. Follow me on Google Friend Connect.

2. “Like” Wholly Guacamole on facebook.

Christmas Crafts!

2011-12-22T19:15:00.001-06:00

Emily has been having fun making some ornaments….

She made these snowman ornaments with fun foam, ribbon, felt, and fabric paint.

This gingerbread man is made of felt and lightly stuffed.

Space Camp! (Kind of)

2011-12-17T11:54:00.001-06:00

A couple weeks ago, I got an email that invited homeschoolers to be part of testing a new “mission” for Space Camp at the nearby U.S. Space and Rocket Center. We jumped at the opportunity and signed up. Emily spent 3 hours doing the “mission.” I wish I had brought a camera to get a picture of her wearing the jumpsuit when I picked her up. Oh, well…

Here is Emily’s account of the day.

Today was the most fun space day of all time! I went to the Space and Rocket Center today for free! First we got assigned parts and then went to practice all of them. I left at 7:15am in the morning and stayed until 11:30pm. After we practiced what to say and do we went into a cool room with all of these cool controllers and headgear. We had a snack break and then did the real thing. We went up into a room that held space suits and smelled like sauerkraut, then we got them on and our group went to our assigned room. Then we said our lines and told the people in the space shuttle what to do. After about thirty minutes we went to the space shuttle and fixed some problems there. The problems we had to fix were a broken window, the engine, and the fuel accelerator. We used these cool looking head phones to talk and tell people how to fix different problems. We used a piece of glass for the broken window and water for the fuel, we also used different wires for the broken engine and got it fixed (luckily).

I really enjoyed this trip and hope to go explore space again soon.

To infinity and beyond! - Buzz light year

Christmas Meditations

2011-12-15T14:25:00.001-06:00

Several years ago, I was going through a tough time at Christmas. Chris chose to stay in Korea for Christmas instead of coming home to be with us. It was a very lonely time for me. A practice I started that year was to sit in the living room each night with the lights all out except for the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. The kids were all in bed and the house was quiet, making it a perfect time to be alone with God and my thoughts. That became a special ritual for me that I have continued each year.

Five years later, I still find myself alone in the evenings. And I still miss having a complete family for Christmas. After a busy day, I still cherish those moments of peace and quiet each evening to pray, to ponder my day, and to mediate on God’s gift of His Son.

World’s Greatest Stories (TOS Review)

2011-12-14T11:14:00.001-06:00

Emily loves audio books and radio dramas. We have quite a large collection that are listened to frequently. When I saw the opportunity to review The World’s Greatest Stories, I knew it would be a hit—but I didn’t realize how much so!

World’s Greatest Stories are a bit different from most children’s Bible stories because they are actually word-for-word Bible passages. So the listener is actually hearing the Word of God—nothing left out, nothing added. The way the stories are narrated is absolutely amazing. The characters all have different voices and the stories are accompanied by sound effects. The effect is more of a radio drama than a book-on-tape. The storyteller, George W. Sarris, is an accomplished actor, narrator, and spokesman. He is also the narrator for the 2011 revision of The Holy Bible, New International Version by Zondervan Publishing House.

We received Volume One-The Prophets, which includes:

The Blazing Furnace-Daniel 3
The Handwriting on the Wall – Daniel 5
Daniel in the Lion’s Den- Daniel 6
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal-Kings 17-18
The Prophecy of Jonah

From the moment I popped this cd into our car stereo, it was a hit. Every time we go anywhere in the car, Emily asks, “Mom, can we listen to Bible Stories?” There’s not much better praise than that!

There are 6 Volumes of The World’s Greatest Stories, each selling for $7.95 and appropriate for any age listener.

5/5 Stars!

To read more reviews of this and other of The World’s Greatest Stories recordings, please visit the Crew Blog.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a free volume of The World’s Greatest Stories in order to write this review.

Fractazmic (TOS Review)

2011-12-12T20:14:00.001-06:00

Fractazmic, by Pyramath, is a card game for 2-4 players used to practice the addition of Fractions. It is played like Rummy, but sets consist of any number of cards of a suit (color) whose values add up to one. Because the cards have different denominators, the players must convert the fractions in their heads in order to add them. The pictures on the cards help the player “see” the value of each fraction and are helpful for visual learners when adding the values.

We enjoyed this game. I had to look at Emily’s cards occasionally the first few times we played to offer suggestions, but after that, she was able to play independently. We thought this was a fun way to practice with fractions and I could see Emily’s skills improving immediately.

Emily says, “You learn a lot and it helps you with your math. It’s a cool and fun game. I like it because it’s competitive. It helps me concentrate more because it’s a game.”

The Fractazmic game sells for 6.95 for a 60 card deck and is appropriate for 2-4 players (upper elementary and up). “I See Cards” also sells several other educational card games, including “Pyramath,” “Prime Bomb,”, and “I See Cards.”

I received a free deck of Fractazmic cards as a reviewer for the TOS Crew. All opinions are my own.

To read more reviews of Fractazmic, please visit the TOS Crew Blog.

The Christmas Singing

2011-12-09T19:26:00.001-06:00

I just finished reading The Christmas Singing, by bestselling author, Cindy Woodsmall. I enjoy reading Amish fiction and have read a few of Cindy Woodsmall’s other books.

The plot dealt with an Amish woman who had been jilted by the man she loved. Several years later, after moving away, finding a new relationship, and opening a business, her old boyfriend came back into her life and she began to discover that the past was not what she had believed it to be.

I found the first couple of chapters a bit slow in this book—there were a lot of characters to keep up with. But once I got a bit into the book, the story really pulled me in. I stayed up late to finish the book because I didn’t want to put it down! This is a great story for Christmas or any time.

Here is the first chapter….

and here is a promo about the book:

Would you like 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing (and any other title)? Use promo code CHRISTMAS11 at checkout on WaterBrookMultnomah.com. The coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.

Thank you to WaterbrookMultnomah for providing me with a free e-book for this review.

Super Star Speech Supplement

2011-11-30T17:42:00.001-06:00

I just published another Super Star Speech book at Currclick.

Super Star Speech Supplement contains 40 practice pages that are intended to supplement Super Star Speech: Speech Therapy Made Simple.

The practice pages and games in Super Star Speech: Speech Therapy Made Simple are "generic" ones that are adaptable to any sound. This new volume provides additional sound-specific practice pages for p, b, t, d, k, g, ng, f, v, blends, and final consonants as well as a few additional activities that can be used to practice any sound. Super Star Speech Supplement isn’t a stand alone book, but can be used with Super Star Speech to make it even easier to use.

The e-book format makes it easy to print just the pages that your child needs at any one time. My hope is that this supplement will make Super Star Speech an even better help to you while working to improve your child's speech patterns! Sample pages are viewable at Currclick.

Super Star Speech Supplement will be normally priced at $7.50, but I’ve set it at an introductory price of $4.00 until December 19.

If you have or know a child with articulation delays, I hope you will take a look at the Super Star Speech books!

Please ask if you have any questions about the books!

gratitude

2011-11-29T11:45:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for:

1. family

2. books!

3. a heated home

4. Christmas decorations

5. glowing candles

6. My sweet cocker, who has blessed our family for 13 years

7. a cheerful child

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

New Beginnings

2011-11-28T19:47:00.001-06:00

I’m thankful for a new week and new beginnings. Last week was not good—multiple math meltdowns (we finished Tuesday’s math on Saturday!), bad attitudes all around and lots of stressful stuff all at once.

I’m hopeful that this week will be much better!

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

Stocking Up Your Shelves at Currclick

2011-11-28T12:12:00.001-06:00

Today, Currclick is having a Cyber Monday sale—8 free items on the website and 2 items on their facebook page for today only. I found a couple of free Christmas titles that I’ll be incorporating into our school next month.

Today is also the start of the annual “Stocking Up Your Shelves” sale. Many items are on sale for up to 75% off. All of my Super Star Speech books are 25% off for this sale.

And…I just published a new book, Super Star Speech Supplement (usually $7.50), which is on sale at an introductory price of $4.00.

Thankful Tuesday

2011-11-22T12:12:00.001-06:00

I’m thankful today that my oldest daughter is home until January. She has a family practice rotation in town and then some vacation time.

I’m also thankful that Monday is over! Yesterday was a horrible day for Emily, for school, and lots of other stresses too. Today is running a bit more smoothly so far.

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

Truly Awesome Cookies

2011-11-22T10:53:00.001-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to try Kroger’s “The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookie.” These cookies are twice the size of most brands, are free of added preservatives and artificial colors, and claim to taste just like home-baked cookies.

I was eager to try these because:

1. I love home-baked cookies.

2. I don’t like store-bought chocolate cookies. I really don’t. I never eat them.

Guess what? I did like these. They were very good, although I still wouldn’t say they were as good as homemade. (I did forget to try out the suggestion to microwave them for a few seconds to make them seem oven-fresh. ) They had a very nice flavor—chocolaty and buttery, without the artificial undertones that most store-bought cookies have. They were crispy, but not too hard. Emily liked them, too. The 2 packages of cookies we had disappeared quite quickly! I have found a store cookie that I do like!

“The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookie” is sold at Kroger (and other stores in the Kroger family) with a suggested retail of $2.79 for an 8-cookie package.

I received 2 boxes of this product from BzzAgent in exchange for sharing my honest opinion. I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.

Free Games!

2011-11-16T12:36:00.001-06:00

I’ve decided to offer my blog readers a deal on my Super Star Games, sold at Currclick. Buy any game, email me the order number and let me know another game you’d like for free, and I’ll send you that one. (Buy 2, get 2 free, and so on.) Email your info. to debmlott@gmail.com.

All of the games are listed on the Super Star Speech-Games page.

There are games that cover grammar, Spanish, ancient history, American history, geography, botany, insects, animals and more! Most are priced at $3.50.

Thanks in the Rain

2011-11-16T12:24:00.001-06:00

It’s a gloomy, drizzly day here. I’m feeling nice and cozy here at home and am feeling thankful for my nice warm dry house.

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

Gratitude Challenge-Christmas Fair

2011-11-14T11:03:00.001-06:00

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

On Saturday, I spent the morning helping at our church’s “Christmas Fair.” Our fellowship hall was filled with tables displaying hand made jewelry and other crafts from Haiti and other countries. All “fair trade” items, which means that the craftsmen (typically women) are paid a fair wage for their work to enable them to support their families. Fair trade coffee, chocolate, and other food items were available, too. We also had opportunities to donate to Heifer Project or a local ministry to the homeless. Many people came through through to begin their Christmas shopping and/or to make donations in lieu of Christmas gifts for those who “have everything already.”

I am thankful that the event was a great success and for the many people who are working to help those in poverty to make better lives for themselves.

These necklaces from Apparent Project-Haiti have tags profiling the artist who made them.

Why I Started Homeschooling

2011-11-14T10:36:00.001-06:00

This week’s TOS Blog Cruise Topic is “Why did you decide to homeschool?”

I first heard of homeschooling when my oldest was a baby. My mother, who is a former teacher, became a coordinator for a homeschool cover school in 1988. I was intrigued by the concept, but thought it was a bit crazy! Just a few years later, Allison was 3 years old and reading fluently. Chris and I started wondering how in the world we could send her to public school in two years to be "taught" her letters! We decided to homeschool her, planning at first to keep her home for a couple of years, then to put her into school a grade ahead. We did send her to school for third and fourth grades, but by that time, I was teaching my younger children at home as well and had fallen in love with the homeschooling lifestyle, so we pulled Allison out of school to homeschool again. John Michael and Katie were homeschooled through eighth grade. Emily has also been homeschooled all her life and will continue to be so at least through eighth grade. I have loved our flexible schedule, having the freedom to teach my children how and what I want and the opportunity to instill my values in our children. Most of all, I have loved getting to spend my days with my children instead of sending them off to be enjoyed (or not) by someone else!

Math Mammoth

2011-11-11T09:05:00.001-06:00

Math Mammoth publishes several different curriculums. Two years ago, I reviewed the fourth grade level “Light Blue” program. The “Light Blue” program is a complete curriculum by grade level. This year, I got to try the “Blue” program, which is a series of worktexts on specific topics. Each is very reasonably priced at $2-$7. I received the e-book version, which I printed and spiral bound.

The book I chose was Fractions and Decimals 3 ($7.00). This 6th grade level book provides intensive practice on decimals, the metric system, scientific notation, and fraction arithmetic. These are areas that Emily sometimes struggles with, so I thought the extra practice would help to increase her competence.

The lessons in Math Mammoth include clear explanations and examples of each topic and a variety of problems. Each lesson focuses on a single topic, although review lessons are also included periodically. Problems are presented in different ways, requiring the student to read directions carefully. (Emily got herself into trouble a few times when she guessed what to do instead of reading directions—a valuable lesson!)

I continue to be impressed with Math Mammoth materials. The varied problems and solid teaching ensures that the student truly understands the concepts instead of learning procedures by rote. The additional practice in this book is really helping to solidify Emily’s skills in fractions and decimals.

To read about my Crewmates’ experiences with other Math Mammoth products, please visit the Crew Blog page.

I received this book free for review purposes as a member of the TOS Crew.

I’m thankful for….

2011-11-10T12:13:00.001-06:00

Today am giving thanks for my Super Star Speech books/business. Four years ago, God put the concept in my mind to write a book to help parents help their kids with articulation problems at home. I jumped into the project and truly feel that God was with me every step of the way. Write a book? Publish it? Run a business? All new and scary things for me!

I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from users of the books and the business has provided a much needed source of income for me. An income that four years ago, I didn’t know I would need now. But God did!

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

Gratitude Challenge—Speech Screenings

2011-11-09T18:39:00.001-06:00

Today I’m thankful for sweet little ones. I’ve spent the past two mornings doing speech and hearing screenings at our church’s preschool. It’s been fun to spend time with 3 and 4 year olds. I don’t get to do that much anymore!

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

VocabCafe (TOS Review)

2011-11-09T14:30:00.001-06:00

When my older daughters were preparing for their SAT tests, they spent hours studying vocabulary using flash cards and SAT prep books. The practice was tedious, but it did pay off in great test scores.

I’m a firm believer that reading is the best way to learn and retain vocabulary, but it’s hard to learn a lot of words quickly for test preparation that way.

The books in the VocabCafe series, published by College Prep Genius, were written to quickly improve vocabulary. Each novel includes 300 words “specifically chosen to encourage the development of language skills.” The words are integrated into a novel. Each vocabulary word is printed in bold, and the definition is at the bottom of the page. The end of each chapter includes a list of all the new words in that chapter and there is an additional glossary at the end of the book. As I read the books, I took note of each vocabulary word and tried to ascertain the meaning (if it was unfamiliar to me). Then I read the definition at the bottom of the page and looked at it again in context. This really only took a few seconds per word and didn’t significantly impede the flow of the story. At times, the insertion of the vocabulary words seemed forced or stilted and sometimes I really wasn’t sure that the word was exactly appropriate for the context. Overall, though, I think the books are a good way to reinforce or teach new vocabulary.

The Summer of Saint Nick

This was a story about a boy who suddenly acquired a house and a large amount of money and what he decides to do with it. The situation was very unbelievable, but it was still a fun story. It felt quite easy to read, despite the vocabulary words, so I don’t think teens or even middle schoolers would get bogged down in the book.

I.M. For Murder

This mystery was fast-paced and exciting. It was intense, though, dealing with a serial murderer and there was one rather gruesome description involving a cat in the book, so parents may want to pre-read this one.

Operation High School

This story is packed with high school drama, secret clubs, and espionage. I found it appropriate for my middle-schooler.

Planet Exile

This science-fiction title deals with schoolboys who find adventure on the mysterious Planet Exile.

My Thoughts: Overall, the books are a great idea. I think they are useful for the purpose of quickly improving vocabulary. On a few occasions, use of the target words seemed stilted. At times, I doubted whether the vocabulary word was used appropriately in the context. I also found several spelling or typographical errors in one of the books.

3/5 stars

The VocabCafe books sell for $12.95 each or $38.95 for all 4 books. They are written for high school students, but may be of interest to many middle schoolers as well. College Prep Genius also sells the College Prep Genius SAT test preparation program, which was reviewed by other members of the TOS Crew. To read their reviews, please visit the TOS Crew Blog.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received free copies of the four VocabCafe books to review. All opinions are my own.

Thankful for my Dad

2011-11-07T14:09:00.002-06:00

Several years ago, one of my kids stepped through the wallboard in the attic over our garage, leaving a big gaping hole with chunks of dangling wallboard. Being the garage, it wasn’t much of a priority to fix, plus it was far too high for me to fix by myself. My sweet dad spent several hours Saturday patching it up for me. It still needs finish work, but this is a big improvement!

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

Thankful for the CREW!

2011-11-04T11:35:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for the TOS Crew. The review products have been a blessing to us, the review process and blogging has been fun, and I’ve made lots of new friends through the Crew. I’ve even had the opportunity to meet several Crew members in person in the past few months!

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

Why was I born?

2011-11-03T10:11:00.001-05:00

This is from today’s “Women of Faith” devotional:

Ephesians 1:11 states, "He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago." What was it He chose? He chose to create us so that He might love us. He chose us to be the recipient of His never-ending, unfathomable love.

So then, why were we born? We were born to be loved by God! Plain and simple!

Wow! How can I not be thankful for that?

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

God’s Provision

2011-11-02T15:52:00.001-05:00

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19

I am so thankful for God’s care and provision. Even through my worst trials, He is always here. Time and time again, He has shown me that He will provide what I truly need.

Thank you to Brenda at Garden of Learning for sponsoring the Gratitude Challenge!

2011 Gratitude Challenge

2011-11-01T13:59:00.001-05:00

I am participating in this month’s Gratitude Challenge at Garden of Learning. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness and trials of life and to forget to be grateful for all that God has blessed me with. I hope to slow down just a bit this month and take time to appreciate all my blessings.

My kids are at the top of my “thankful list”! I am blessed to have such great children. The older three aren’t home much and it is rare to have all four together at the same time. I cherish those moments!

My puppy is cuter than your baby?!

2011-10-31T09:02:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puppies vs. Babies for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We've all seen pleas to "vote for my baby in this online contest." Looking at and voting for cute babies seems to be a popular pastime. And how many emails have you received that link to videos of cute pets or babies? Now, Animal Planet is sponsoring what they are calling, "the ultimate showdown:" Puppies vs. Babies.

The Puppies vs. Babies online contest features adorable babies and puppies--both in photographs and videos. Visitors to the site can rate all the submissions for "cuteness." Three elimination rounds will ultimately decide which is cuter--babies or puppies, with the winner taking home $5000!

I love dogs and think my cocker spaniel is adorable. Yes, puppies are cute. But I think the mom in me will always go for the baby when I have a choice! There's nothing like snuggling up with a sweet baby. Even though my youngest child is 11, there's still a bit of baby-longing in me that goes, "Aahh" whenever I see a cute baby! I watched some of the videos and the baby videos, particularly, just made me smile if not laugh out loud. (Don't miss the "Baby Can't Stop Laughing clip!) If you enjoy watching cute videos, you will enjoy viewing and voting in this contest.

What do you think? Are you a puppy person or a baby person? Which would you vote for?

Old Schoolhouse Magazine–New Digital Format

2011-10-28T17:06:00.001-05:00

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is moving to a digital format. Personally, I like printed magazines that I can curl up on the couch with. But…this new format is going to be really cool!

It will be published 12 times a year instead of 4.
The new digital format will be interactive—including videos, slide shows, active links, etc.
Many leaders in the homeschool world are coming on as new columnists, including Mary Hood, Diana Waring, Karen Andreola, Andrew Pudewa, etc.
My family and homeschool will be featured in the November issue—That’s cool to me at least!

The Old Schoolhouse is running a great subscription offer right now. Included with a $39 two-year subscription are over $500 worth of free subscriptions to online learning sites and curriculum!

Click on the banner at the top of the page to learn more.

If you are a military family, you can get a free subscription!

As a preview, the fall edition is now online for a limited time. Be sure to check it out to get an idea of what the new digital edition will be like!

First Form Latin (TOS Review)

2011-10-28T10:29:00.001-05:00

First Form Latin is a new program published by Memoria Press. Emily (and I) have been using it for the past month. This is how the website describes the program:

Based on twenty years of teaching experience, this revolutionary "grammar-first" series will be your guide as you and your students successfully climb the mountain of Latin Grammar all the way to the top! The uniqueness of the First Form Series lies in two features:

It is committed to the trivium model of teaching grammar systematically in order to facilitate retention and understanding, rather than topically, to facilitate translation.
Extensive workbook exercises ensure skills mastery and rapid recognition of inflected forms.

Features include:

Designed for students and teachers with no Latin background
8x8 inch Student Text, small, concise, unintimidating with 34 two-page lessons on facing uncluttered pages
Limited vocabulary of 185 words
Full-size Student Workbook with 4-6 pages of exercises per lesson
Vocabulary derivatives and detailed explanations of Latin sayings
Grammar catechism for daily rapid-fire review
Milestone markers for each grammar objective
Everything-you-could-possibly-need teacher manual
- Organized for easy access
- Student Text inset with answers in color
- Chalk-talk scripted lessons
- Recitation schedule
- Pronunciation reminders
- Workbook with key
- Unit tests and lesson quizzes booklet
- FYI section for extra background

We received the complete First Form Latin kit that includes DVDs and flashcards. This is a lot of material! It appeared complicated at first, but these components work together to create a very complete program.

This is a very thorough, organized Latin program. The pace is fast—each of the first weeks teaches the conjugation of another tense along with 10-12 new vocabulary words. The work load wasn’t too hard, though. Emily spent about 30 minutes a day doing the assignments, which are broken up into 1 page worksheets that are easy to do in 10-15 minutes. We also spent time reviewing the vocabulary with the flashcards and orally reciting the conjugations each day. By the end of each lesson (which took us 6-7 days), she had mastered yet another tense and was ready to move on to the next lesson. I think a student who completes this course will have learned a LOT!

I found First Form Latin easy to use (with some preparation), even for a teacher (mom) with no Latin background because the teacher’s guide is excellent. The DVD’s are optional. The teacher’s guide definitely gives enough instruction to teach the material without the DVD’s, but they were very nice to have. I enjoyed having an “expert” doing the teaching for the first day of each week! I did think that the DVD teacher talked a bit too fast, especially for the recitations that the students were supposed to keep up with.

If you are looking for a good, solid, well written Latin program, First Form Latin might be just what you need.

Cost: $55 for teacher manual, student text, student workbook, quizzes and tests and pronunciation CD.

$115 for above plus flashcards and DVDs

Grades: 5 and up

Memoria Press publishes and sells a variety of curriculum, including other Latin programs, several logic and rhetoric programs and classical studies.

I give First Form Latin 4/5 stars.

I received First Form Latin free for review purposes as a member of the TOS Crew. Please visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews!

The Barber Who Wanted to Pray (Review)

2011-10-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

The Barber Who Wanted to Pray, by R.C. Sproul, is a children’s picture book about Martin Luther and a method of prayer that he taught, using the Lord’s prayer, The Apostles Creed, and the Ten Commandments. The story is enjoyable and the lessons in prayer are very helpful, even for adults!

Here is a prayer that Emily wrote after reading the book:

Our God who art in heaven hallowed be thy name… Lord help me to remember who is in charge. Please drag me away from bad temptations. Please take care of those who have not even heard of you. Let me read your word and believe in it. Please let it dwell inside of me. Amen.

The paintings in this book (by T. Lively Fluharty) are absolutely beautiful and really add to the message of the book.

I love good quality children’s books and highly recommend this one as an addition to any home library! The Barber Who Wanted to Pray retails for $17.99 ($9.99 e-book).

5/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book as a member of the Crossway Book Review Program. All opinions are my own.

$5 off a $10 purchase at CVS

2011-10-26T18:07:00.001-05:00

SaveMore.com has a great deal today for CVS/pharmacy.

$5 for $10 CVS/pharmacy Gift Card: http://svmr.co/5y59

You'll receive $1 for signing up if you are new to SaveMore.

Studying Ancient History This Year?

2011-10-26T16:20:00.001-05:00

We are! Actually, we’re doing some unit studies right now and plan to begin Ancient World History in January. I plan to use Diana Waring’s Ancient Civilizations and the Bible as a spine. We will be using these Super Star Games as a supplement. Galloping Through Ancient Greece and Roaming Through Ancient Rome are fairly new—I designed them this summer in preparation for this year’s study. All 3 games are available individually for $3.50 or $6.75 for the set at Currclick.

Galloping Through Ancient Greece

Reinforce your study of ancient history in a fun way! Players of Galloping Through Ancient Greece will compete in this board game by answering questions about the geography, politics, and daily life of ancient Greece. A few question cards about Greek gods are included, but these can be easily excluded if desired. Designed for 3rd to 8th grade students.

Exploring Egypt

Players of the Exploring Egypt Game will race to be first to the top of the pyramid by answering the most questions about ancient Egypt. Game question topics cover geography, politics, daily life, and religion of ancient Egypt. The game can be adjusted to accommodate players of different ages and abilities. Designed for 3rd to 8th grade students.

Roaming Through Ancient Rome

Reinforce your study of ancient history in a fun way! Players of the Roaming Through Ancient Rome Game will compete in this board game by answering questions about the geography, politics, and daily life of ancient Rome The game can be adjusted to accommodate players of different ages and abilities. Designed for 3rd to 8th grade students.

All 15 of the games, which cover science, history, Spanish, grammar, and Bible, are listed on the Super Star Speech-Games page.

Excellence in Literature (TOS Review)

2011-10-26T12:44:00.001-05:00

When I have thought about homeschooling through high school, the subject that has concerned me most is English/Literature. I’m fairly confident that, with a good textbook and some lab supplies, I could teach science—the fearsome subject for many parents. But I have not been so confident about teaching literature and writing. Although I took AP English in high school, earned credit for a year of college English, and took a year of college literature, that was a long time ago! I enjoy reading, but just don’t feel confident about my ability to analyze literature or to teach my children to write about literature.

I was excited to have the opportunity to review the Excellence in Literature program. When I first looked at the Excellence in Literature website, I was impressed by the great books that were included. Many are favorites of mine—Jane Eyre, Around the World in Eighty Days, Treasure Island, and Animal Farm are some of the selections in the first year program, which is intended for use in the eighth or ninth grade. (Much better selections than some of the books my older kids had to read in public school!)

Excellence in Literature is written to the student and is intended to be largely self-directed, with the teacher/parent serving as an advisor and grader of papers.

Since Emily is only in 6th grade, I knew the program would be a stretch for her, but we gave it a try. I thought she would enjoy the literature, but knew that her ability to write or to analyze it are far from high school level. I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to do the work. The first unit consists of short stories, which the student reads before writing an approach paper or literary summary about. Instructions and models for writing each type of paper are included in the text. Emily enjoyed all the stories, although “The Purloined Letter,” by Edgar Allan Poe, was quite difficult for her to understand. She enjoyed writing the papers and did a nice job for her age, with only minimal help from me. We plan to continue through the next unit (Around the World in Eighty Days). Then we will probably save the rest of the program for next year, when I expect her writing skills to be stronger.

The only thing I would like to see added to Excellence in Literature would be more resources and helps for writing and more thorough directions for essay-writing. The curriculum requires Writer’s Inc., or another writer’s handbook. I understand that, but, for example, when my student was assigned a compare/contrast essay, I would have liked to see more complete instructions and examples than “look in your writer’s handbook to learn how to write this…” Other supplements or prerequisites are also suggested, such as the Teaching the Classics DVD course.

I think that Excellence in Literature is an excellent program, especially for college-bound high school students and am thankful that I had the opportunity to review it.

I recommend this program and give it 4/5 stars.

Excellence in Literature:: English I: Introduction to Literature sells for $27 (ebook) or $29 (printed book).

I received this program free for review purposes as a member of the TOS Crew. Please visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews!

Our New Family Member

2011-10-22T17:11:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago, a neighbor came to our door to ask if we knew of anyone who had lost a parakeet. We assumed that the bird belonged to another neighbor (but it turned out that he actually owns parrots). Emily eagerly volunteered to catch the bird. So, the next thing I knew we had a parakeet (in a dog crate, eating wild bird food)! We put up signs around the neighborhood, but were unsuccessful in finding its owner. I wasn’t in the market for another pet, but Emily has become attached, so apparently the bird is here to stay.

Surprisingly, Katie—our animal hater—thought it was cute and actually held it!

She (the bird) is a cute little thing and very friendly. She rides around the house on Emily’s shoulder. She is still nameless, though. Any suggestions?

Say Anything Family Edition (Review)

2011-10-21T13:01:00.001-05:00

This has been a fun review year for our family, with so many games to review. As I’ve said before, we LOVE games, so we were excited to receive another game from Northstar Games to try out, Say Anything, Family Edition.

Say Anything, Family Edition is for ages 8 and up and can be played with 3-6 players. Since my older kids are away at college right now, leaving only 2 of us living here full time, we had to wait a bit before we could get a group together to play Say Anything. Finally, after about two weeks of the game sitting on the kitchen counter taunting us , we gathered my parents, John Michael, Emily, and me together to try it out. The next week, Katie was home for fall break, so she and my father-in-law joined us for a game.

The rules are quite simple—One player serves as a judge for each round. He draws a card, reads one of the 3 questions from the card, and the other players answer the question on their mini white boards. The object is to choose an answer that the judge will consider the best. After all players have answered, they may use their tokens to bet which answer they think is correct. After the judge picks an answer, points are awarded for the winning response and for correct bets.

We had a great time playing, “Say Anything!” It was fun to guess which answer the “judge” would choose and we had fun picking imaginative or goofy answers that would attract the judge’s attention! I think this is a game that will get even better with time as we learn to be more creative with our answers. Questions like “What would be the weirdest secret to learn about my mother?” and “What would be the worst job ever?” kept us laughing.

Northstar Games produces several other games, including Wits and Wagers, which I also had the privilege of reviewing. Say Anything, Family retails for $19.99.

5/5 stars for this fun family game!

I received this game free for review purposes as a member of the TOS Crew. Please visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews!

Wits and Wagers Family (TOS Review)

2011-10-19T10:58:00.001-05:00

Another game to review! Fun!

Wits and Wagers Family is a simplified version of the award-winning Wits and Wagers game. To play, one player reads a question from a question card. Each player has a mini white board to record his or her guess, which will always be a number. Then, the guesses are laid out on the table and each player bets on which answer he or thinks is correct or closest to correct. He may choose his own guess or someone else’s. Bets are made by placing the adorable “meeples” on the answer. Then points are awarded for correct guesses and bets.

One thing I love about this game is that any age can play. Some of the questions require academic knowledge (i.e. “How many feet are in a mile?”), but others (“How many colors of Trix are there?”) are just as easily answered by a child as by an adult. Someone who has no idea can still make a guess and then bet on someone else’s answer.

Another thing I appreciate is that a source and year are given for each answer. I have often played other trivia questions and have been skeptical of the answers given at times. And my mother will challenge anything she misses in a game!

The game specifies that it is for 3-10 players, but Emily and I were anxious to try the game out when it first arrived. We played with only two players and the game still worked well.

Emily says: I love Wits and Wagers because it is fun and competitive. It is especially fun to play it with family and friends. I think my new motto is: “ It’s not about winning it is about having fun.” I think my family members really like Wits and Wagers as well. I am very grateful for my mom because she gets all these free things! I am really glad that I have awesome review things to play with.

Wits and Wagers Family currently sells for $14.58 on Amazon.com and is for ages 8 and up (although I think younger children would enjoy playing as well).

Northstar Games produces several games, including Say Anything (Family Ed.), which I also had the privilege of reviewing.

5/5 stars for this fun family game!

I received a free game for review purposes as a member of the TOS Crew. Please visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews!

My Memories Suite—Free Templates and Coupon Code

2011-10-13T10:53:00.003-05:00

First, congratulations to Michelle (entry #6) for winning the My Memories giveaway!

If you didn’t win, My Memories Suite is offering you a coupon code toward the purchase of My Memories Suite v.2. Use the code, “STMMMS41016” for $10 off the $39.97 purchase price. Plus, the software comes with an additional $10 coupon toward add-on packs! That’s a $20 savings!

And…one thing I love about the company is all the free add-on packs and templates they offer. Here is a free template pack for this week only. All you have to do is drag your pictures into the frames and your page is done—Couldn’t be easier! This freebie can be accessed at: http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

I am an affiliate for My Memories and will receive a small percentage for sales that use the above coupon code.

Always Ice Cream

2011-10-12T18:57:00.005-05:00

Kids tend to love online games and communities. As a parent, I want to make sure my child is safe on the internet. I also don’t like her computer time to be “just play.” I much prefer that she is learning. If education is incorporated into the play, we are both happy!

I recently learned about Always Ice Cream through the TOS Crew. This play site incorporates everything I like for an online activity and it’s designed just for girls aged 7 to 12! The games, activities, and even the colors are chosen to appeal to girls. Girls complete educational activities and are rewarded with “ice cream scoops” that can be used to purchase items in “Pet World” or “Mini World.”

Content:

Typing
U.S. States
Math
European Countries
Bible Quiz
U.S. presidents
Anatomy
African geography
Language Arts
and lots more!

Safety features:

No ads
Community feature may be turned off by the parent.
All communication is monitored before it is published.
Parent reports are sent weekly. Parents can see at any time what activities their children play on and with whom they interact.
Traceable membership

Our Experience:
I love the variety of educational games on the site. It is easy to find an activity to reinforce what Emily is studying in our home school. The games are generally a multiple choice quiz or “click on the location” format. Playing the games rewards the child with ice cream scoops to spend for cyber pets or home furnishings. She has enjoyed the educational games just as much as the reward activities. The site would be even nicer if I could assign a particular activity to her.

I wish the program didn’t award ice cream scoops so generously, though. I’d like to require Emily to play the learning games a little longer before she could play in Pet World or Mini World. Not a big problem, but I’d tweak the program in that direction. Always Ice Cream does have a nice feature that enables parents to award their daughters extra scoops for schoolwork, chores, or whatever. I would use that feature, but she hasn’t been “needing” extra scoops, since she earns them pretty quickly!

Emily says: “I like Always Ice Cream because it’s educational and fun at the same time! I don't like to sit around and chat all the time like I did on another online game. I have learned my lesson: You don't have any fun when you just sit around and talk! I love this program because it is so much fun! I like the presidents game best because I get to learn my presidents in a super fun way. I love learning things and working for stuff too!”

I think the creators of Always Ice Cream did an excellent job of creating an online experience that appeals to girls. My daughter will get a lot of use from this site!

The cost for Always Ice Cream ranges from $4.99 a month (first month is only $0.99) to $99.99 for a lifetime membership. They even guarantee satisfaction that your girl will have fun and learn!
Read more reviews of Always Ice Cream at the TOS Crew Blog!

I received a free membership to Always Ice Cream through the TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review.

Visual Latin (TOS Review)

2011-10-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

Coupon Code: OCT$10---$10 off any product until Oct. 21!

The idea of teaching Latin in our homeschool wasn’t something that really appealed to me. I know there are benefits to learning Latin—such as vocabulary and grammar—that transfer to other languages, including English. But Spanish is the only language we have studied. I’ve never studied Latin and it just seemed too hard!

Then, I had the opportunity to try out Visual Latin through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was very pleasantly surprised! Each Visual lesson includes 3 parts: Grammar, Sentences, and Reading/Translation. Each part consists of a short (5-10 minute) video and one worksheet that reinforces the concept. Visual Latin doesn’t rely on memorization as most Latin curriculum* does. Instead, it emphasizes using the language.
* “Curriculum” is masculine singular. If I drop the “um” and add “a,” I make “curricula,” which is plural. We just learned that in lesson 4!

I love that:

the short videos that don’t require a long attention span (or time out of the day)
the humor—Dwane Thomas, the teacher, is very entertaining—even laugh-out-loud funny at times
Emily asks to do her Latin lesson and doesn’t want to skip a day!
Dwane points out the connections between vocabulary in Latin and English as he goes along—resulting in learning in both languages!
The grammar Emily is using reinforces her English grammar lessons.
We were actually translating sentences in the first lesson—effortlessly.

I was a bit surprised to see a concept (plurals) in a worksheet from lesson 3 when it wasn’t taught until lesson 4. Since the directions were on the page, Emily was still able to do it (and it was familiar the next day when Dwane Thomas actually taught it.) I’m guessing this was a mistake, but it worked out OK.
Age: 9 and up
Cost:

4 introductory lessons plus 2 regular lessons FREE—Go try it out!
10 lessons-$25-$30, depending on format
Complete Latin 1 (30 lessons) – $80 (DVD)

5 Stars for this program!

I received a free Visual Latin DVD (Lessons 1-10) for review purposes as a member of the TOS Crew. Please visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews!

50% Off Sale at Currclick!

2011-10-07T09:44:00.001-05:00

This is “Affiliate Appreciation Weekend” at Currclick. Over 4,000 education resources are discounted by 50% from now until October 9th.

All Super Star Speech and Super Star Games titles are included in this sale. That means you can pick up a game for as little as $1.75! Game topics include Spanish, Old Testament, ancient history, geography, science, and more. The Super Star Speech therapy books are only $6.50 each. I have never discounted them this much, so this is the time to stock up!

Click on the banner to see the listing of sale items. Or just go straight to the Super Star Speech page. Just use the coupon code “appreciate” at check-out and an additional 50% will be taken off all participating products.

Looking for a Really Complete Bible Study Curriculum?

2011-10-06T10:20:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago, Emily began working through a new Bible study program—The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Study: A Survey of the Bible, by Starr Meade. This 5-volume set (4 workbooks and an answer key) covers key passages through the entire Bible. Each section includes Scripture passages to look up and read and comprehension questions about the passage.

There are two ways to use this course:

Read through the entire Bible, answering questions as they correspond to each passage highlighted in the workbook.
Read only the highlighted passages and answer the assigned questions, which will result in an overview of the entire Bible.

We are using the second method. Since Emily’s in 6th grade, I think reading the entire Bible might be a bit much, but I believe her having a complete, sequential overview of the Bible will be very beneficial.

I love this series. I really like the organized format, which will result in solid Bible knowledge. The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Study: A Survey of the Bible has held Emily’s interest, sparked some good conversations, and is already solidifying and putting into context many of the Bible stories she has previously learned.

The only thing I would change is the title—which I think is quite a mouthful and not easy to remember!

This course is designed for middle schoolers and early high schoolers. I think many children could handle it by the fourth or fifth grade.

This 5 book set is currently on sale at Christianbook.com for $34.49, which seems like a great deal to me!

Thank you to the Crossway Book Review Program for providing me with a free set of books to review.

Grammar, Spanish and Bible Games

2011-10-05T10:12:00.001-05:00

These are some more of my Super Star Games. Silly Snail has been a really popular one. Emily’s favorite is probably Super Star Spanish, because it is actually a set of three games and is very picture heavy. The games are all sold at Currclick and are also listed on the Super Star Speech-Games page. If you have any questions about any of the games, please ask!

Review parts of speech (common noun, proper noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, and adverb) with Silly Snail: Parts of Speech Game. 3rd to 6th grades.

Super Star Spanish teaches over 200 Spanish vocabulary words using bingo, matching, and board games. A great way to introduce grades K-8 to Spanish vocabulary or to supplement an existing Spanish curriculum.

Old Testament Bible Match

Answer Old Testament Bible fact questions and repeat Bible verses on "wild cards" as you collect cards in the categories of Pentateuch, History, Wisdom, and Prophets. Be the first to fill your game board to win! This game includes game boards and over 150 question cards. Designed for 3rd grade and up.

All of the available games are listed on the Super Star Speech-Games page.

Scruble Cube (TOS Review)

2011-10-05T09:52:00.002-05:00

Do you like Rubik's Cube? Do you like Scrabble or other word games? Then you may want to take a look at this fun new game/toy.
The object of Scruble Cube is to form words and to earn points for these words Scrabble-style. The words can wrap around to 2 or even 3 sides of the cube. A second word may even be formed cross-word style in a turn.

At first, I was overwhelmed by the Scruble Cube! It looked really hard! But it turned out to be easier than I thought. All you really have to do is to form a three-letter word. Once you’ve done that a few times and learned how to manipulate the letters around the cube, it’s easy to move on to 4, 5, or 6 letter words and even crossword formations. Just as in Scrabble, the object is to spell words with high point scores. Wild spaces and 2x and 3x word or letter tiles add to the fun. It can be played individually or by taking turns using the timer and keeping score.
We think the Scruble Cube is fun. I’ve left it sitting out on the coffee table where anyone can pick it up to play for a few minutes. We’ve played the game with several people as well. It’s fun to compete for the best score, but there is a lot of waiting time since only one person can play at a time.
Scruble Cube has even provided several educational lesson plans that incorporate the Cube into other content areas from math to chemistry to language arts.
The turning mechanism seemed a bit stiff and sticking at first and I was concerned about the Cube’s durability, but we have had no problems so far. It seems to be turning more freely after some use.

The Scruble Cube game set includes a 7cm cube with 96 individually rotating letters, a sand timer, scorepad and instructions and retails for $24.95. 1 to 4 players can play. It’s probably most appropriate for ages 8 and up.
I received a free Scruble Cube for review purposes as part of the TOS Crew. All opinions are my own. For more reviews of the Scruble Cube, please visit The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Blog.

Games for Schooling

2011-09-28T10:49:00.001-05:00

We love to use games as part of our homeschooling. We have many commercially made games, but I’ve made a lot of them too, to reinforce what we’re studying. Games keep Emily focused (a big deal for her!) and are great both for learning new material and for reviewing. Plus playing games doesn’t feel like “school!” I’ve published many of the games I’ve designed on Currclick. Most sell for $3.50 (or less if you buy several). They have to be printed on cardstock and question cards cut out and are then ready to go! Most are adaptable for a range of ages and grade levels. Here are some of my science games. Maybe one or more of these will fit into your curriculum this year!

Play The Insect Game to learn all about insects or to reinforce your current study of insects. Players answer questions to earn insect parts, attempting to be the first player to build a complete insect. This game is designed for 2nd to 6th grades.

Planets, Moon and Stars is a game for children in third grade and up. Players answer trivia questions about space while trying to be the first to collect all the planets in the solar system.

Climb the Vine: All About Plants is a question and answer board game that will reinforce your science curriculum. Players answer multiple choice questions about plant types, pollination, photosynthesis, trees, and more while racing to the finish line. Designed as a file folder game for grades 3-6.

All About Animals is an animal classification game for grades K-5. Players use picture cards or clue cards to categorize animals into the five major groups.

Grumble Hallelujah

2011-09-27T15:47:00.001-05:00

Scripture tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances” and to “rejoice at all times.” Hundreds of passages refer to praising God. Certainly God calls us to a life of praise and thanksgiving. But anyone who has lived on this broken earth knows that this call is not always easy.

Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira’s book, Grumble Hallelujah—Learning to Love Your Life Even When It Lets you Down addresses different times and circumstances that get in the way of living a life of praise. Each chapter encourages the reader to “let go” of something that pulls our focus from God and from how praise-worthy He is—letting go of the life that was supposed to be, letting go of the tough girl act, letting go of fear and control, letting go of judgment, and so on.

I enjoyed reading this book. Some chapters were more applicable and helpful to me than others of course, but throughout each chapter, the author encourages the reader to continue to praise and honor God, even if we can only manage to “grumble a hallelujah.” The author’s openness about her own struggles was helpful as well and I could identify with some of them. I think Grumble Hallelujah has a message well worth reading.

I’m giving this book 4/5 stars.

I received a free review copy of this book from Tyndale House publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Digital Scrapbooking (Giveaway!)

2011-09-26T14:08:00.001-05:00

I have scrapbooked for years and have really enjoyed making beautiful albums with my precious pictures. Over the last few years, though, I haven’t kept up with it very well and my photos have been stacking up—both on my computer and printed! Last year, I had about 2 years worth of photos printed into a book. Since I ordered the book on sale, it really cost me about the same amount as having just the photos printed AND helped me quickly catch up on the huge job of organizing my pictures. I like the printed book, but I used the photo printing site’s very simple standard options for designing the book. The finished effect just isn’t as nice as my usual scrapbooks.

I’ve heard of digital scrapbooking, but until now haven’t really looked into it. When I was offered the opportunity to try My Memories Suite, I realized that this could be the solution that could help me organize my photos quickly and still end up with beautiful scrapbooks.

This screenshot shows what the program looks like. The various toolbars enable the user to either take a ready-to-go template and drag pictures in or to choose individual backgrounds, text, word art, shapes, and embellishments to create a custom design for each page.

I found this program really easy and fun to use. Anyone who can use MS Word can intuitively jump right in and start creating. I actually put together a couple of pages before even reading through the manual. Then, when I read the manual, I found some additional shortcuts and features to use on subsequent pages.

A nice variety of backgrounds and embellishments are included with the program and many many more are available for free and for purchase on the My Memories website. With the $10 credit that came with my software, I was able to purchase 3 nice add-on packs, adding hundreds of additional embellishments and backgrounds to the software.

And here is a banner for my newest game that I created on My Memories Suite. (I had to use Paint to crop it to the right size.)

While I have only explored the standard scrapbook page making capabilities of this program so far, it also does some other really cool things, like offer the ability to add music and video to scrapbooks.

I’m giving this product 5 stars!

Good News! My Memories Suite is offering you a coupon code toward the purchase of My Memories Suite v.2. Use the code, “STMMMS41016” for $10 off the $39.97 purchase price. Plus, the software comes with an additional $10 coupon toward add-on packs! That’s a $20 savings!

GIVEAWAY! (Ends Oct. 12)

Would you like to win a copy of My Memories Suite software? To enter, visit the site and tell me what your favorite digital scrapbooking kit add-on pack is.

For additional entries, do any or all of the following: (Leave a separate comment for each entry.)

-Follow me on Google Friend Connect

-Follow My Memories on Facebook.

-Spread the word about this giveaway on your blog or facebook and leave me the link. (2 entries)

Disclosure: I received a free copy of My Memories Suite to write this review. I am an affiliate for My Memories and may benefit if you make a purchase using the coupon. All opinions in this review are my own.

Changes for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

2011-09-22T12:44:00.001-05:00

YOU are invited to the The Old Schoolhouse^®Magazine’s Schoolhouse Birthday Bash – as they celebrate their tenth birthday and announce exciting developments coming in 2012!

These include big changes in the format of the magazine and really great freebies with new subscriptions. Click on the banner for all the details!

Thursday, September 22^nd – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m (EST): Join us for our Schoolhouse Birthday Bash Facebook Party!

Just stop by the TOS Facebook page during the event for meaningful fellowship with featured columnists, TOS staff, and homeschooling friends. We will have lively chat, homeschooling tips, freebies, and of course some fabulous giveaways!

The Girls Fooling Around at the Piano

2011-09-19T14:46:00.001-05:00

I thought this was cute. It’s nice to see the girls doing things together!

My New Book!!! Want to review it?

2011-09-16T11:41:00.001-05:00

I just published my first children’s novel! It’s available in e-book form at Amazon (Kindle) and Smashwords (e-pub and other formats) for $0.99.

Twelve-year-old April Matthews has just moved into her great-aunt's creepy southern mansion. Within days, she uncovers a century-old family mystery, rumors of ghosts, and the long-lost diary of her great-great grandmother. Are the mysterious dreams she is having related to the secret? Will she be able to solve the mystery before time runs out? This mystery is a fun read for 8 to 12 year olds.

If anyone would like a free copy in exchange for a blog review or short review on Amazon or Smashwords, please email me or leave a comment on this post!

debmlott@gmail.com

Measurement and Geometry (TOS Review)

2011-09-16T10:08:00.002-05:00

Emily and I have been trying out a unique way to learn geometry. Area Formulas for Parallelograms, Triangles, and Trapezoids, published by AIMS Education Foundation provides a hands-on way to learn about area. This book is part of AIMS’ Essential Math line and is appropriate for students in Grades 6-8.
Each unit has several components for the students:

Hands-on investigation, which includes measuring, cutting and re-forming shapes, and experimentation
Animations and videos (available on the included cd-rom)
Problem solving pages
Comics that reinforce the concepts

Teaching helps include:

A video (viewable from the included cd-rom) that explains the lesson and what the students will be doing and learning
Student reproducibles that can be printed from the cd-rom
Slide shows and animations to visually illustrate the concepts

I like this book a lot! Emily has been engaged and excited about using it (which is often not the case for math!) Many of the lessons involve cutting up and re-forming the shapes in order to measure area on a grid or forming a shape for which the student already knows the formula in order to master and understand a new formula. The hands-on approach helps her (and me) see why the formulas work. I think that in the future, if she forgets the formula for a parallelogram or triangle, she will be able to logically and quickly figure it out. The animations and comic strips do a good job of reinforcing what she learns.

Area Formulas for Parallelograms, Triangles, and Trapezoids and other books in this series are available from AIMS Educational Foundation for $9.95. You may read more reviews of this book and other AIMs books at the TOS Blog.

As a TOS Crew member, I received a free copy of this book and cd-rom set from AIMs Education Foundation. All opinions are my own.

Deeper Roots Bible Study (TOS Review)

2011-09-12T13:09:00.002-05:00

Emily and I have been reviewing Discovering Our Amazing God, published by Deeper Roots Publications. This particular study is designed for 7th-9th grade students. Several other volumes are also available for 8th grade and up.

The lessons in this Bible curriculum were designed to move students beyond mere fact-learning to the application of Bible to life. The student book includes:

comprehension and application questions
journaling
writing assignments
Bible memory
mapping
video suggestions
mapping
reviews and tests
drama

The teacher’s guide includes the full student text plus lesson plans for each day in the margins. It also contains tests and answer keys. As you can see from the list, the curriculum crosses over into other subject areas.
We have been using Discovering Our Amazing God for several weeks and I really like it! Emily and I spend 5 to 15 minutes discussing the day’s lesson and reading the scripture, then she has a “On Your Own” assignment to do, which may include answering questions, journaling, writing a fictional story to illustrate a proverb, or designing a drama. I like the varied activities. They keep the lessons interesting and help Emily to apply what she is learning. It works well for us to do lessons three times a week.
In Lesson 1, we have had some good discussions about Esther and the wisdom of God. I think this curriculum will be very useful in developing Emily’s knowledge of the Bible and of God’s character. Although the curriculum is designed for 7th grade and up, Emily is doing fine with it as a 6th grader.
Discovering Our Amazing God sells for $19.95 (perfect bound student book) and $28.95 (spiral bound teacher book) and covers a full school year of study. Visit the TOS Blog to read more reviews of Deeper Roots Bible Study.
As a TOS Crew member, I received Discovering Our Amazing God from Deeper Roots publication free in exchange for my honest review.

Body of Evidence Video Series (Review)

2011-09-12T12:52:00.000-05:00

The Body of Evidence curriculum includes 8 DVDs that teach about the human body. Each video is hosted by David Menton, PhD, a former biomedical research technician at Mayo Clinic and associate professor of anatomy at Washington University School of Medicine. This DVD series is aimed for children ages 12 and up, primarily for those taking a high school anatomy course. I received DVD #7, The Urinary System, to review.

I thought this video was very well done. The format is basically an informal lecture given to 2 students. The material is very complete—I would think more in line with a college level course than a high school course. However, I though it was very well explained and easy to understand. The instructor speaks slowly and uses both colorful diagrams and models to illustrate concepts. I think a student would learn much more from this format than he or she would from the same material in a textbook.

The video was much too advanced for Emily in 6th grade, though. She really didn’t understand much of the material. We’ll come back to it in a few years.

This series from Timberdoodle Co. may be just what you are looking for to supplement your teaching science with any homeschool curriculum.

I received a free copy of the Body of Evidence Urinary System DVD as a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team in order to write this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Cell phone options

2011-09-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A number of years ago, my husband had a cell phone provided by his job. When I decided that I needed a cell phone too, I looked for the cheapest option. What I found was a TracFone. I used it for several years and it met my needs inexpensively and well. I mainly needed it to keep in touch with my kids when they were home alone or away at their various activities.

Our current cell phone plan has gotten so expensive that its' probably time to start looking at other options. TracFone is still around and is the least expensive way to own a phone in the US. Although my first phone was very simple, now TracFones come with So many features. Simple phones for calling and texting are available for under $10. Phones packed with features like cameras, keyboards, and web access are only $29.99! Tracfone provides great nationwide coverage and excellent reception. And international calling to 60 countries is included at no extra charge! With a husband who lives in Korea, I know how valuable that feature is. Real TracFone customers can choose "pay as you go" online plans, prepaid cards, or one-year service cards that include double minutes.

As Silver Refined (Review)

2011-09-09T10:45:00.001-05:00

As Silver Refined, Learning to Embrace Life’s Disappointments, by Kay Arthur, is a look at the refining work on God in our lives. The author opens the book with a description of the lengthy refining process of silver. This includes repeatedly heating the silver to higher and higher temperatures. Each time, the process is carefully monitored by the silversmith, who gently scoops off the impurities that rise to the top. Eventually, when the craftsman is able to see his reflection in the silver, the process is complete. Likewise, God uses our trials and difficulties to refine us, enabling us to eventually reflect His glory. Because He loves us so much, He allows these refining trials to enter our lives in order that we may grow, mature, and give glory to Him.

Great analogy, isn’t it? And that is just the preface to the book!

This book is one of the best I’ve read about dealing with life’s disappointments. Kay Arthur encourages us to develop meekness, saying, “The meek focus on the Lord, not on self. Their happiness is in Him, not in their circumstances…Meekness is willing to wait patiently in the Lord.” Even more than that, Romans 5 tells us to exult in our tribulations. We “don’t give up or walk away, because that very tribulation and your endurance under it will make you more like Jesus Christ.”

This message in this book is very similar that of a favorite song of mine, “Blessings” by Laura Story.

But what if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you’re near?

What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?

I am learning to change the way I view the trials in life. I am learning to welcome them as God’s will for my growth in Him. This is a great book that I highly recommend for anyone who wants to grow in faith!

You can read Chapter One of As Silver Refined here.

I received a free review copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review.

Civilize This (Griddly Games) TOS Review

2011-09-02T12:09:00.001-05:00

We love games at our house, so we were excited to try out Wise Alec Civilize This from Griddly Games. This game can be used either as a travel game or as an expansion set for the award winning Wise Alec trivia game.

The Wise Alec Civilize This game assesses players’ knowledge of Ancient, Medieval, and Modern cultures. Each card includes questions of two different difficulty levels, making it ideal for family play. Wise Alec cards add a fun twist by having players do exercises, tongue twisters, or brain teasers.

The first thing I like about Civilize This is the small box. It is just the right size to hold the cards and die. We have a lot of games and so many of them come in unnecessarily large boxes. This box is sturdy and has a nice magnetic closure. A great travel game!

The game is fairly simple to play. Play goes back and forth as players answer questions and earn points. The Wise Alec cards add a fun twist, requiring players to do something silly, or awarding extra guesses for subsequent questions. Players win by reaching a point goal, which can differ from player to player, so it is easy to equalize play between older and younger players.

At this point, many of the questions are too hard for Emily (11). But we will be studying world history this year and next, so this will be a wonderful reinforcement of her studies! It is definitely a “learning game,” but Emily still begs to play it. That’s what I like to see!

Griddly Games also produces other fun family games.

Civilize This is for 2-4 players ages 8 and up and includes four decks of cards and one multi-colored die. It sells for $14.99 at Amazon.com and other retailers.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this game free in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Pig Pile (TOS Review)

2011-08-31T10:51:00.001-05:00

“The jig's up! The pig squealed! Over 39 Pink Pigs crammed into a little box! Now it's up to you to let them out! No mud slinging allowed in this fast-paced family game where players compete to corral the most pigs. Get rid of your cards first and be awarded the prime pile of pigs. Sounds easy, but pigs can be slippery! The more cards you have, the better your chances of calling out HogWash! and clearing away the deck! But don't hog the cards too long or you'll get stuck. The player with the largest stockpile of swine after the final round wins. Quick thinking and clever card play determine how high you'll heap your hogs.”

My first TOS Review for the year is a game called Pig Pile. Pig Pile was a big hit with our family. In fact, it was a hit with our neighbor’s family too—Emily has frequently taken it down the street to play it with her 15 year old friend and his parents. The game itself was fairly simple—We skimmed the rules and were playing in minutes. Basically, the players are trying to get rid of the cards in their hands by playing cards on the “pig pile” (discard pile). Any card can be played that has a higher number than the top card on the pile. Several twists made it more entertaining—“hog wash,” “hog tied,” and “ewe turn” cards clear the deck, create skipped turns and reverse play direction.

We enjoyed the game the first few times we played it, but according to the game rules, the adorable little plastic pigs are only passed out at the end of each round, requiring very little pig interaction. This also made the game very long, because several rounds were required to accumulate pigs. We wanted to incorporate the pigs more into the game play, so we altered the rules, awarding a pig for each “hog wash” and stealing a pig from another player for each “ewe turn” card played. The first player out of cards was awarded 3 pigs (as per game directions). We found that the constant pig earning and trading added a fun twist to the game, making it even more entertaining.

Pig Pyramids are fun to make between turns!

Although the game rules specify 3 or more players, we found that it worked quite well with only 2 players. For our family, this game was just plain fun, but I think it would be educational for younger children who are still mastering greater-than/ less-than skills. I recommend Pig Pile as a fun family game!

Pig Pile includes 80 cards and 40 absolutely adorable pink pigs. It is designed for is for 3-6 players, ages 7 and up, and sells for $15.95. R&R Games sells many other family-friendly games as well.

R&R Games is offering a discount code of 20% off any purchase from their website. “CREW20”

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this game free in exchange for my honest review. If you’d like to read more reviews of Pig Pile or another R&R game, Flea Circus, please visit the TOS Blog!

My Artsy Daughter

2011-08-22T14:28:00.001-05:00

Katie has spent the last month painting, sewing, and crafting. Most of these items will be gifts for her sorority little sister this coming year. I am always impressed with her finished products and envy her creativity! These are all her own designs and ideas—I think she needs to start an Etsy shop!

Even the push pins are painted to match!

Why Can’t Christians Be More Like Bikers?

2011-08-18T18:57:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, at the Women of Faith conference in Atlanta, Lisa Harper told of an experience she had while riding her motorcycle in Colorado. She was all alone on a lonely mountain road when she sighted a group of deer clustered by the highway. She pulled her bike off to the side of the road and just stood for a while, enjoying watching the deer and admiring God’s creation. As she stood there, a big, burly biker pulled up beside her. Very close beside her! As she started to panic, he asked, “Are you OK, Ma’am?

She replied that she was fine.

He asked, “Is your bike OK?”

She assured him that she was just fine and had just stopped to admire the view. After assuring himself that she was fine, he zoomed away. A few minutes later, another lone biker stopped to see if she needed help.

Lisa was impressed with the concern these intimidating-looking men had for a fellow biker. She made the point that—How much more should we Christians be caring for each other? Do WE have the reputation of being there for each other? When we are in distress, do we have the assurance that our brothers and sisters in Christ will be there for us? And if not, why not?

What if the world saw us like that?

God Works Through Brokenness

2011-08-16T14:23:00.001-05:00

One of the wonderful speakers that I was privileged to hear last weekend at the Women of Faith conference was Nicole Johnson. We were treated to two of her powerful dramas—one about the many roles we women juggle and one about the “invisible woman.” She also told more of her personal story than she has done before at WOF.

She described how her life had been broken through divorce, leaving her feeling like she was unable to be of use to God. But she came to understand that , just as coffee beans must be picked and handled and roasted before they are of value, we too must often go through the fire before we can be all that God has planned for us.

It is through our brokenness that God can make so much more of our lives. Nothing in God’s economy is ever wasted!

I know this is true in my life. I am in a broken place right now and have been for several years. I would have never chosen to be here. But I wouldn’t trade the spiritual blessings that have come from this situation for anything. My prayer life has grown; I have more compassion for others; I have learned to trust in God as my provider. I have learned that He is enough! I am so blessed to hear the testimonies of other women that have suffered so much more than I have, yet survived to tell of God’s love. God is truly using them to do His kingdom work.

Nicole also discussed the anger that women so often feel and display. What triggers our anger is seldom the actual cause. We need to ask ourselves what the issue really is—powerlessness? anger at God? Good food for thought here, as well.

Angie Smith (at her third WOF event ever) shared the difficult story of her baby’s death. She, too, shared that “pain is not wasted in the Kingdom of God.” She talked about Peter walking on water. Although he sank, when he lost focus on Jesus, as he was going under the water, he reached out his hand to the only One who could save him. Sometimes in life, we are so broken, that is all we can do—to muster together just enough energy to reach for Jesus. And that is enough!

Laura Story shared her wonderful music with us, including one of my favorites, “Mighty to Save.” She too had a story of God’s mercy, comfort, and sovereignty as she shared about her husband’s ordeal with brain cancer only one year into their marriage. Several years later, he has still not fully recovered, but she continues to look toward God instead of circumstances.

I am so thankful for these women who are willing to share their stories and pain. And I am even more thankful to God, who holds each of us in His hands and will never ever let go.

Thank you to BookSneeze and Women of Faith for providing me with free tickets to this event!

First Day of School

2011-08-15T21:22:00.001-05:00

Today was our first official day of school for the year. Unfortunately, not a great day. It started well. Emily opened her traditional “back to school” gifts—some fun patterned mechanical pencils and 6th grade Brain Quest cards.

She zipped through her math and Wordly Wise assignments. Next was science—what I thought would be a fun experiment book on Light. She tried to breeze through the 2 experiments without reading the directions carefully, requiring me to read them to her and enforce that she actually perform them correctly. By this time, her attitude was sinking fast. When she gets angry and stubborn, nothing will get accomplished. After a short break, we sat down to read our devotional, but I abandoned that when she stubbornly refused to discuss the lesson. I was set to start our Beyond Five in Row study (Cricket in Times Square), but decided to put it off until she showed a better mood.

We picked back up after lunch and completed everything with a better attitude.

I’m hoping tomorrow goes better!

Refreshed and Renewed

2011-08-14T18:53:00.001-05:00

I got back from the Women of Faith conference last night—physically tired, but definitely renewed spiritually. I plan to post more later about some of the specific messages, but here are some of my initial thoughts….

*Sheila Walsh—Wow! Sheila has always been one of my favorite WOF speakers. I was thrilled that she spoke 3 different times this year! She always makes me laugh AND cry. Her love for God and faith shine through everything she says and her honesty and “real-ness” inspire me. And then to hear her sing as well. Wow.

*I was sad not to hear some of the “regular” speakers, since there are now two WOF teams—one on the east coast and one on the west. But I loved getting to “know” new speakers—Angie Smith, Lisa Harper, and Laura Story and to hear their stories. I seriously couldn’t pick a favorite speaker this year!

*There is NOTHING like singing praise songs in an arena with 8000 other women! Amazing experience.

(The worship team on stage; Dramatist Nicole Johnson is in orange.)

*My seats this year were on the floor! It was fun to be so close to the stage. We were about 15 feet from the “front porch” where the speakers all sit. I loved seeing the speakers dancing to the praise music, whispering together, and supporting each other as they spoke. Some of their children were in and out as well. Such fun to see the children of one of the singers from “Mary Mary” dancing to their mama’s music! And why was Sheila Walsh taking a picture of the monitor with her cell phone while Mary Mary sang? Hmm.

(The speakers’ “front porch.”)

This year’s theme is “Imagine.” “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory…” Eph. 3:20 The message I heard over and over from every single speaker was “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33 And each speaker was an amazing example of that!

Seriously—if there is a Woman of Faith event anywhere near you, grab a friend or group of friends and go!

Thank you to BookSneeze and Women of Faith for providing me with free tickets to this event!

Summer Days

2011-08-09T20:53:00.001-05:00

We don’t do a lot of structured activities in the summer. I have Emily do about an hour of schoolwork and piano practice, which leaves her a lot of free time.

I love seeing her creativity.

She plays outside a lot and likes to catch lizards.

One day, she set up an employment agency and tried to determine the perfect job for her draftees (uh-applicants). Here is Katie during the interview process.

Another day, she set up a restaurant, took orders, and made everyone lunch.

Yes, there was a bill! I refused to pay however, since it was MY food she was cooking!

Lunch turned out rather….uh….interesting! Pita bread pizza with an egg on top!

Schoolroom photos

2011-08-07T16:29:00.001-05:00

We are fortunate to have a study in our home, so it also functions as a schoolroom. When I was teaching several children at home, it was easier to use the kitchen table. We have a hutch/cabinet in the kitchen that held our school supplies.

Now that I’m down to one child at home, the study works well for us. I have a desk and can work at my computer while being available to help Emily when she does her seat work. We still use the kitchen for art projects and spend lots of time reading on the couch, too!

I think this will be the last year Emily can use this desk! Her finished work goes into the basket at her right.

These are the workboxes we have used for the past 2 years. I’m not sure if we are going to continue with the workbox system or just have her use a checklist this year.

This cabinet/shelf stores the books we are currently using. The striped bin holds games and the maroon bin holds colored pencils and markers.

Yes, we love books! We have more shelves in other rooms, too. The bottom shelf holds toys—this used to be the playroom!

Old Schoolhouse Magazine—Free Digital Copy!

2011-07-29T14:59:00.001-05:00

I haven’t even received my print copy of The Old Schoolhouse magazine yet, but the digital copy is already online. The Old Schoolhouse has made this issue FREE! I really like my print copy, but the digital issues are really nice because of the clickable table of contents, the ability to click on ads and be taken straight to the advertisers’ websites, the ability to search the magazine using keywords, etc.

The Summer issue includes articles on special-needs homeschooling, the Charlotte Mason method, lapbooking, and much more!

Free Shipping at Super Star Speech

2011-07-21T16:27:00.001-05:00

I’m offering free shipping on all Super Star Speech books until August 20. If your child (or a child you know) has articulation errors, I hope you will take a look!

Beginning August 3, the e-book versions will also be 20% off at Currclick’s Back to Homeschool Sale.

I’m going to Women of Faith in Atlanta

2011-07-19T12:14:00.001-05:00

I just found out that I was chosen to be a BookSneeze blogger for the Women of Faith conference in Atlanta on August 12-13. I am so excited! I have been to several WOF conferences and loved every minute. Two full days of laughing and crying while listening to life-changing messages. And there is nothing that compares with singing praises together with thousands of other women!

I wasn’t able to attend last year and didn’t think I’d be able to afford this year’s trip until now, so this is a tremendous blessing.

Watch this video clip to learn more.

If you have the opportunity to attend a Women of Faith event, don’t pass it up! It will be a weekend you will always remember!

Next Year’s Curriculum

2011-07-17T16:15:00.001-05:00

We’ve been enjoying a relaxed summer. Emily has been doing about an hour a day of math and some science experiments. We’ll start our next school year in mid-August. This is what our curriculum choices look like for 6th grade:

Math:

Singapore Primary Math 6

Language Arts: My main focus is to have Emily do a lot of writing this year, much of it coordinating with history. I’ll incorporate spelling and grammar instruction into her writing. We’ll also use--

Wordly Wise

Write With the Best

Editor-in-Chief

History: In the fall, we will complete our World Cultures studies by learning about South America and Europe. In January, we will begin Diana Waring’s world history series. I have the first edition which I used with my older kids. I don’t think it’s as structured as the current edition, but I found it very easy to include all the extra resources we have or will borrow from the library. I love all the activity and writing ideas included.

Science: I have a hodge podge of science planned, including some of the Curiosity Files, Classic Life Science, and TOPS Magnetism. I’m hoping to receive something interesting as a member of the TOS Crew, too!

Other:

Rosetta Stone Spanish

Building Thinking Skills

Piano

We will start off the year by doing a couple of units from Beyond Five in a Row—Cricket in Times Square and The Saturdays.

All of this is pretty flexible and subject to change and modification as we use TOS Crew review items throughout the year.

TOS Crew

2011-07-14T14:50:00.001-05:00

I was chosen to sail for another year with the The Old Schoolhouse Crew. Review products will start being sent out in the next few weeks and I’m looking forward to another fun year trying out homeschool products and reviewing them here on my blog!

Shake it Up!

2011-07-13T14:18:00.001-05:00

We’ve been busy busy this week with Vacation Bible School. I’m leading the music and Katie is acting as accompanist. This year’s “Shake it Up” curriculum calls for lots of motions, dancing and jumping around. I feel like I’m getting a good aerobic workout for 2 1/2 hours every morning leading the songs over and over! It’s been fun, but I come home tired every afternoon.

Emily has “aged out” as an upcoming sixth grader, so she has a new role as a youth helper. She’s been acting as a general gopher and helping with the snack station. I love that all ages have a place in VBS at our church, so no one feels left out of the fun.

Dollar Days at CurrClick

2011-07-01T10:57:00.001-05:00

Currclick is currently running a Dollar Days sale, with many curriculum items marked down to $1.99. A couple of my games are included in this sale. If you’re looking for games to supplement your curriculum, I hope you will take a look!

Super Star Games

I also have 2 brand new games: Galloping Through Ancient Greece and Roaming through Ancient Rome that are now bundled with Exploring Egypt in an Ancient History Games Pack that is temporarily priced at $4.95 for all three games!

Super Star Games

Bird Watching

2011-06-28T21:36:00.001-05:00

We just put up a new squirrel-proof bird feeder. The birds seem to like it—We’ve had a lot of activity there lately! We have a good view through the kitchen window.

We’ve seen chickadees, tufted titmouses (titmice???), nuthatches, cardinals, Carolina wrens, goldfinches, and hairy woodpeckers.

We have had several young cardinals that seem nervous about perching on the feeder and stay on the deck, eating what falls. Occasionally, one will make some noise and the male cardinal will bring it some food.

Here’s a hummingbird at the hummingbird feeder.

The squirrels and chipmunks spend their time on the deck eating what falls. The seed in the feeder is lasting a lot longer now!

Give Them Grace (Review)

2011-06-23T11:03:00.001-05:00

Give Them Grace, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson is written by a mother-daughter team. The authors explain what so many of we Christians understand, but fail to implement in our parenting—that teaching our children to understand and embrace the GRACE of God should be our most important goal.

I want my kids to be good. I want them to obey the rules. I want others to think them well-behaved. But in making these things my goals, I teach them that following the rules will grant them not only my approval, but God’s approval.

I am a Christian only by God’s grace. God loves me, a sinner, and sent His Son for me. There is nothing I can do to earn salvation. It is a gift. I want my children to understand that. I don’t want them to think that God rejects them if they are bad or accepts them if they are good. One thing I like about this book is that is continually emphasizes that our little rule-followers need God just as much as our little rebels. And they need to be reminded of this continually.

The authors provide examples of conversations to have with your children to point them to God’s grace at every turn. I thought the examples, as given, were much too wordy and would cause kids to tune out, but the ideas were good.

When I started the book, I was afraid that I might find the authors advocating ignoring rules, but they don’t at all. They just distinguish between teaching proper behavior and leading children to Christ. Both have their place, but they are not the same thing.

My thoughts: I liked the premise of the book and will be implementing some of the suggested strategies. However, I had a hard time getting all the way through it. It wasn’t gripping reading and was somewhat repetitive. It just wasn’t a book I loved even though the ideas are good.

I received a free review copy of this book from the Crossway Book Review Program. All opinions are my own.

Money Secrets of the Amish by Lorilee Craker (Review)

2011-06-21T13:20:00.001-05:00

Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving

The title of this book intrigued me! The Amish are known for their simple lives. Obviously, they don’t spend money on gadgets and “stuff” like most of the rest of us do. But I have really never thought of looking at their lives as models for thrift.

The author, Lorilee Craker, realizing that Amish people seem to thrive in a good or bad economy, spent time visiting Amish communities, getting to know the people, and interviewing them about their lifestyles of frugality. In doing so, she extracted many principles that are valuable for any of us who want to save more money and stretch our resources.

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read. I enjoy learning new ways to save money and also find the lifestyle of the Amish people fascinating. The principles that were brought out in this book: reusing and recycling, de-spoiling our kids, avoiding debt, buying in bulk, delayed gratification, and bartering are useful concepts for anyone and I picked up quite a few new tips to try in my own household. The author’s interviews with various people made them come to life for me. I enjoyed reading about such things as one community’s “Trivial Pursuit night” –played with a $2 second-hand game, a 2 1/2 year old helping to wash the silverware-because everyone works hard(!), and bartering of a quilt for midwife services.

She has a great sense of humor as well, which added to my enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in moving toward a more frugal lifestyle or if you are just fascinated with the Amish, like I am!

I received a free review copy of this book from C. Grant and Company. All opinions are my own.

Saving Money at Disney World

2011-06-17T11:34:00.001-05:00

When I saw the topic for this week’s Destination Disney, I knew I had to participate! Over the years, we have found LOTS of ways to save money on a Disney vacation. Some of the things we do are:

1. LODGING We really like to stay on site. For us, it’s just part of the Disney experience. If you go off season and watch for specials on room rates, they can be reasonable. We stayed at the Pop Century Resort two years ago for about $70 a night. Our very favorite place to stay is the Fort Wilderness Campground. We’ve usually brought our Pop-Up Camper, but last fall, we did stay in a tent for the first time. (Since Chris didn’t go on this trip with us, I was a bit nervous about handling the camper all by myself.) We’ve paid as little as $35 a night in the off-season. Fort Wilderness is a very very clean, well kept up campground with a nice pool and a lake, where you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant each night. There are sidewalks everywhere for biking or walking and even a lovely bike trail leading to the Wilderness Lodge.

2. TICKETS In 2002 and 2005, we bought 10 day non-expiring tickets for each member of our family. By doing this, we only paid about $25 a day, plus had water park tickets as well. Each time we go, we use a few days off these passes and still have enough left for another trip or two. Since Disney tickets seem to go up at more than the rates of inflation, I think they’re a good investment!

3. FOOD I’m the ultimate cheapo when it comes to food! We eat breakfast at the campground or hotel room (cereal, etc.). We carry snacks with us—granola bars, fruit, string cheese, etc. Then we usually eat one main meal in the early to mid-afternoon and treat ourselves to a snack, such as Mickey Mouse bars. If the meals are large (and they often are), then two of us may share.

4. MOUSESAVERS.COM Visit this site and subscribe to their email list! You’ll find, not only useful information about closed and future attractions, but notifications of lodging specials and links to discounted tickets.

What are your money saving tips for WDW? I’d love to hear them! Reply here or visit Destination Disney to join in the blog hop!

Slimed!

2011-06-14T10:16:00.001-05:00

Have you ever made “slime” with your kids? If not, here’s a fun and easy recipe to try.

In one bowl, mix:

1 cup water and 1 T Borax

In a second bowl, mix: 4 oz white glue, food coloring, and 1/2 cup water.

Add contents of one bowl to another and stir. The slime will form into a glob that can be mixed further by hand. Some liquid may be left in the bowl. Ours didn’t solidify enough and we had to add a tiny bit more borax to make it perfect.

No Place Like Holmes (Review)

2011-06-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

Emily LOVES mysteries and detective stories, so I thought that No Place Like Holmes, by Jason Lethcoe, would be a fun book for her. We received a review copy in e-book format, which was also fun, since she has a new Kindle as of a few weeks ago.

This fast paced mystery takes place in London; in fact right next door to the renowned Sherlock Holmes. The hero, Griffin Sharpe, is a 12 year old boy with uncanny powers of observation. His uncle, Rupert Snodgrass, who Griffin is visiting for the summer, is a bungling, inefficient, detective-want-to-be. Nefarious criminals, a man-eating Loch Ness monster in the Thames River, kidnappings, and a disappearance of a boatload of Chinese fireworks all come together to create a challenging adventure.

I enjoyed this book and think it’s a fun mystery for kids. It’s fast-paced enough to keep the attention of even reluctant readers, I think. It is a Christian book, and introduced some themes of forgiveness and faith, although I felt that those parts of the book were a bit forced and awkward.

Emily told me that the book was exciting and was one of her favorites. She finished it in two days, which is pretty fast for her. The last chapter included a teaser for the next book, which did confuse her, leaving her feeling that the story wasn’t finished yet, with a new mystery being introduced in the last pages!

This is the first book of a series featuring Griffin Sharpe, boy detective. I’ll look forward to reading more!

I received a free review copy of this book from BookSneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Do You Buy Store Brands?

2011-06-09T05:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am very much a bargain hunter and always try to get the best value for my money. One way I implement this is to carefully shop sales and to use coupons when possible. Another way is to purchase store brands instead of the more expensive name brand products. In many cases, I have found the store brand to be just as good and much cheaper, especially when it comes to over-the-counter medications.

A quick look in my cabinet revealed several Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. One of these is the A thru Z Multivitamin/ Multimineral Supplement. In comparing the labels, it is evident that this complete supplement is quite comparable to name brand vitamin and mineral supplements on the shelf. I've been happy with this product and the other Walgreens products that I've used. In fact, Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products are Walgreens pharmacist recommended, usually contain the same active ingredients as other national brands, and have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Purchase of every Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Product supports bringing preventive wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™.

Visit http://www.walgreens.com/walgr… to learn more about Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. Several bloggers are offering giveaways of Walgreens Gift Cards, so be sure to enter for a chance at even more savings!

Great Resources from The Schoolhouse Store

2011-05-27T10:54:00.001-05:00

Are you looking for some great resources for next year? I know I always am! Here are some of my favorite resources from The Schoolhouse Store:

This section of the store is great! Lots of e-products for only $1. Learn about zombie fire ants or red tides with The Curiosity Files. Learn about various professions with the “I Wannabe” series. Or look over the dozens of unit studies or lapbooks available.

The Schoolhouse Planners are amazing products, offering hundreds of pages to be printed to create customized planners. Emily has been using the Intermediate Student planner and loves it.

And what’s better than free? Many companies are offering product samples to enable you to try out their curriculum before you buy. My own Super Star Speech is participating here. If you’d like a free Super Star Speech L Sampler book, click this link.

I am an affiliate with This Old Schoolhouse, so I will receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links (except for the Freebie Directory).

Happy 11th Birthday, Emily!

2011-05-24T20:32:00.001-05:00

A Kid’s Guide to Drawing the Presidents of the USA

2011-05-24T20:13:00.001-05:00

Would you like to draw your way through American History? Timberdoodle Co. is featuring a series of 42 books entitled A Kid’s Guide to Drawing the Presidents of the USA covering every president from George Washington to George W. Bush. Each library-bound book features biographical information about each president and step-by-step instructions for drawing the presidents and important events of the time. This set is available for a limited time with a discount of over 80% off of the list price!

We received How to Draw the Life and Times of William McKinley to review. Each page of text is followed by a page of drawing instruction.

The large print text summarizes the highlights of McKinley’s life. I found the sentences to be short and choppy. If you wanted your child to read a brief biography, this would do the trick, as plenty of information is included. However, I don’t think this is something my child would pick up for fun. It was factual, but just not terribly interesting. Here is a typical passage:

“….at the time Cuba was fighting Spain for independence. McKinley did not want to get involved. He was forced to take action when Spain was accused of blowing up the U.S. battleship Maine, shown above, which was in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. On April 25, 1898, the United Sates went to war with Spain.” (You might notice that this particular passage was also missing a couple of commas.)

I must note that, despite my observations about the writing style, Emily said that she “loves!” the book.

The drawing lessons, however, were excellent and very enjoyable. This particular volume teaches the student to draw the Maine, a carnation, McKinley and his wife, his “full dinner pail” campaign button, a “gerrymander” cartoon, and more. Each drawing included step-by-step instructions that are probably appropriate for children ages 9 and up.

Emily and I both followed the instructions—Here are our finished drawings.

This series might be just what you are looking for to supplement your history curriculum or art curriculum. I know that we will enjoy continuing to use this volume.

As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.