TOS Magazine Summer Promotion...Hurry!

TOS Magazine is having a super, summer promotion! Go check it out...you will get 19 gifts with a 2-year subscription, but hurry...it is for the first 5,000 subscribers and it will sell out quickly! I promise you will LOVE this magazine! EnJOY! ~Kristi

My FIRST TOS Crew Review! ~ Let's Plan!

By nature, I am NOT a planner! I'm a very laid-back, 'go with the flow' type person, but homeschooling requires planning! And the Lord has graciously helped me grow in this area. Each year [this will be my 6th year to homeschool] He leads me to great resources that help me tremendously! This year is no different, as I began to pray about the 2009-2010 school year, I once again asked the Lord for help in the area of planning...it's time to 'tweak' my routine/schedule and plan out the year. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw my first review assignment... The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner! Wow, wow, wow...this is one huge planner! Every page [all 374 of them!] will help you become a well-organized home/school manager...no fluff here!

The planner truly has it all...from 'Must Know' lists (Common Latin and Greek Roots, Cloud Types, Letter Writing Tips, & much more) to every form for home & school that you can imagine [almost 200 of them!] to Alphabet Writing Charts & Preschool Planning...this is a 'one stop' organization spot! The layout is very user-friendly! The E-Book format allows you instantly download it to your computer and print pages as needed [I created a desktop shortcut, so it is easy to find!]. AND it is an interactive pdf file!! ~ that means you are able to type in the pdf file, *personalize* your forms and save your information...yippee!

I especially like the first part of the planner...it is divided into 12 months [July 2009-June 2010] and each month has it's own 'month at a glance' view that includes 2 FULL pages with nice, large daily boxes for writing in assignments, appointments, etc.... And each month has a special 'mini-lesson' that allows you to explore new information with your children. Each topic is covered through a detailed article written by a well-known, well-loved homeschool author, like Michelle Miller [Truthquest History], Amanda Bennett[http://www.unitstudy.com/], Karen Mohs [Greek ‘n’ Stuff], Tammy Duby [Tobin’s Lab Hands-On Science For Families], & Terri Johnson [Knowledge Quest], to name a few.

In addition to the mini-lessons, each month has a page titled 'The Schoolhouse Store Resource' that has live links for products that correspond with that month’s topic. It's a great way to check out all that the Schoolhouse Store has to offer! Each month concludes with 2 wonderful, easy recipes, 24 in all, from REAL~life homeshool mommas!

Can you tell I'm excited!? My plan is to create one monstrous 'Home/School Organization Notebook'! I will personalize and print ALL the pages needed (from the planner): the calendar pages (both the 'month at a glance' & 'week at a glance'), mini-lessons, 'Must Know' pages, recipes, useful homeschool forms [Annual Plans, Yearly Goals, 12-Year Planning Pages, Daily Schedules, Weekly Schedules, Bible Memorization Record, Memory Work Record, Books Read This Year, Field Trip Log, Extracurricular Activities Log, Nature Journal Pages, Science Lab Sheet] and useful household forms [Important Phone Numbers & Contacts, Information for Babysitter, Monthly Homekeeping Reminders, Homekeeping Weekly Schedule, Grocery List, Weekly Menu Planner, Weekly Menu Planner, Food Inventory Log, Chore Charts, Dates to Remember] and organize them using a 3-ring binder and some month tabs. Yes, ALL of those forms are included in the Planner...and many more! My notebook will be BIG and I will be organized...ready for my best year ever! Want to join me?

Get your 2009 Planner TODAY!

The price is $39.00 ~a small price for peace! +If you order between June 11, 2009 and July 12th, 2009 you will receive the 2008 planner excerpts FREE!

And check out the 'Monthly Modules'...a supplement to the Planner. You can get the Planner and Planner Module Membership for $99.99! When you sign up for Module Membership, you'll receive supplemental monthly modules packed with great ideas and information [& lapbooking activities!]. You can also purchase the Modules separately.

Want to read more reviews? See what my Crewmates have to say...HERE!

EnJOY, Kristi

The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew ~2009-2010!

I'm SO excited to announce that I have been chosen to be on the 2009-2010 TOS Homeschool Crew! The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, for those that do not know, is a homeschool magazine that rocks! It is always chock full of super encouraging articles that help us homeschoolers stay on track. The TOS Crew is a group of homeschool moms that receive curriculum items to use with their children and then post reviews on their blogs. I'm not paid to for my reviews, but I do get to keep the products. I love to share information with my friends and I love FREE stuff...so this is just right up my alley! :) Check back often to read my reviews. I will have the opportunity to use the products with my 4 children and I will do my best to give an in depth, helpful review. You are welcome to email me with further questions, if you are interested in any of the items I review...this will give you the opportunity to 'chat' with a real mom that has used an item that you want to buy! I hope it is a blessing to you!

LOOK at the all 'vendors on deck' for 2009~2010...

3 P Learning/ Mathletics• ABC Teach• ACT, Inc• Aleks• All About Spelling• American Heritage Education Foundation• Apologia• AVKO• Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting• Barnum Software- Quarter Mile• Beeyoutiful• Bible Charts and Maps• Bonnie Terry Learning• Bright Ideas Press• Brill Kids/Kreative Land• Christian Keyboarding• Classical Legacy Press• College Prep Genius• Critical Thinking Co.• Dollar Homeschool/Ray's Arithmetic• Educaching/ SDG Creations Ltd.• Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services• English for Life/Madsen Method• Exploramania• Grapevine Studies• Growing Healthy Homes• Guardian Angel Publishing• Handipoints• Homeschool Library Builder• Journey Through Learning• KinderBach• Kregel• Lesson Planet• Maestro Classics• Master Innovations• Math Mammoth• Math Score/Accurate Learning• Math Tutor• Maverick Books• Nature Friend Magazine• Passkeys Foundation• Professor in a Box• Rocket Phonics• Sarah Books• Saxon Harcourt• Sense and Sensibility Patterns• Sue Gregg Cookbooks• Sue Patrick's Workbox System• Talking Fingers Inc.• Tektoma• Vantage Learning• Virginia Soaps and Scents• Web Design for Kids -Click Drag Solutions• We R Fun Life on the Farm• Worship Guitar Class• Zeezok Publishing/The Book Peddler

I do not know which items I will get the privilege to review, I will not review items from all of the vendors, but I'm looking forward to whatever I am sent and I know it will be a great experience! So enjoy the reviews and let me know what you think!

Joyful, Kristi

Day Camp Summer 2009!

This past week the big kids, Katelyn & Cason, went to a local church's day camp. It was Monday-Thursday from 8-5! & Friday, 8-Noon! They left the church each morning and went out to the lake (about 15 minutes from the church) where they had a blast! They did all kinds of fun things from archery to fishing to tubing! And learned a lot about the Lord, while surrounded by His beautiful nature! That's what I love about camp...no better place to 'meet God' than out in His big, beautiful backyard. From all the fun stories [and songs] we heard each night, I think it was clear that they had a GREAT week, but they are worn out! Last night was 'family night' and they had a huge cook-out at the lake, so we got to go see where they have been all week. They broke into their small groups and passed out awards. Katelyn was given the 'Heart of Christ' award because of her attitude, smile, and willingness to help in every situation. Cason was given the 'Magnetic Friend' award because, according to his camp counselor, "Cason came to camp with one special friend [Jase], then as the week went on he began to 'let go' and make lots of new friends! He was always cheering for his friends on the stage." The lake lot was an amazing place! A church member owns it and they allow the church to use it each summer...to minister to kids. Wow! What a blessing! Carrie & Chloe missed the big kids a lot, but it was fun to spend time with the little girls...I don't think I have ever had them all alone like that...they kept me very busy! I do not realize how much the big kids [especially Katelyn] help me with the little ones, until they are not here. I had big plans to get the classroom organized, cleaned, and ready for the new school year, but I did not get it all finished. That's okay...we all had a fun week! Here are some pics from there week: