Loving My Lot... enJOYing every day!

Real, Whole Food~ Homemade Yogurt & Mayo!

2012-02-08T10:55:00.000-06:00

We are on a 'real food' journey in our home. We are slowly moving toward eating only real, whole food that promotes health in our bodies. Moving completely away from processed foods. We have never been a 'junk food' family, so the changes are not drastic. However, we have decided to start making some of our regularly consumed foods from scratch, e.g., bread. My hubby started making our bread about 6 months ago. He has it down now...the consistency is amazing and it taste so yummy!! The health benefits of making your own bread our numerous...read HERE. It is hard for me to eat store bought bread now, even the 'healthy' kind.

I have wanted to try homemade yogurt for a long time. I have fond childhood memories of my mom's delicious homemade yogurt! I'm sure I'm not alone here, didn't EVERY 70's kitchen have a yogurt maker? I think it came standard, like the avocado-green dishwasher. Ours looked like the one above (I know someone else is saying, "YES!"). Seeing this picture makes me feel fuzzy and warm inside...it's amazing how pictures can instantly trigger our memories!

Anyway, on my quest to find a good yogurt maker, I came across a recipe for 'crock-pot yogurt' and I got so excited that I squealed! Crock-pot?!...I can do that ~! I asked my hubby if his mom made yogurt and he quickly said yes [he, too, grew up in the 70s], but he thought it was disgusting. Perhaps his mom should have called my mom! ;)

I found the recipe HERE. I was a little hesitate, perhaps skeptical, to try it because it seemed too easy...could it be good? But that's a silly reason to not try something, so one day this past week I decided to go for it! And boy am I glad I did! It was to set for 8+ hours, so I made it late in the day and left it sitting out overnight. I woke early and could hardly wait to 'test taste' it. The results were perfectly amazing! My consistency was a little thinner than I wanted, so I drained out the whey [using a colander and coffee liner]. I ended up with wonderful, thick greek-style yogurt! And as a bonus...my hubby used the whey to make homemade mayonnaise!

Turns out you can do a LOT with whey. It's very healthy...full of protein, vitamins, minerals, & enzymes! The Prairie Homestead, another blog I love, gives you 16 ways to use whey! And this is the homemade recipe for mayo:

Ingredients:
2-3 egg yolks (farm fresh are best!)
½ tsp. mustard
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. celtic sea salt
¾ c. oil- hemp or grapeseed (I use grapeseed)
2 Tbl. whey

Directions:

1. Combine everything EXCEPT the oil into a container large enough for your stick blender to go into. *You will need a stick blender for this recipe (you can make it in a food processor, but it's a LOT harder and the results are not as good). It's a great kitchen tool that I put off buying for a long time, now I can hardly live without it and I wish I would have got it sooner!

2. Use your stick blender to mix until creamy.

3. While blending, add the oil in small (teaspoon at a time) increments and mix until it’s homogenized. Pour oil with one hand and with the other lift the blender up and down as it’s blending- the quick up and down motion helps the mixture to homogenize, and it will thicken right up. That's it!

Important: Leave out on the counter for 7 hours to make it lacto fermented (friendly bacteria)...the lactobacillus probiotics in the whey will multiply and change the mayo from a simple condiment into a probiotic! After the 7 hours, store in the refrigerator. It will last for several months with whey and about 2 weeks without.

Please note: my recipe does not include partially hydrogenated soybean oil and phosphoric acid! Thank goodness!! ;)

EnJOY!

2012 Booklist

2012-02-01T20:58:00.000-06:00

My theme for 2012 is '12 for 12', so guess how many books are on my book list? 22! I know...you guessed 12, right? So why 22? Well, today is February 1st and my goal is to read 2 books each month, so that makes 22; simple!

Here's my LIST on Pinterest, which gives a picture of each book.

To make my list attainable, I've placed 2 books in each month:
February~
1. Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes
2. 21 Days to a More Disciplined life
March~
1. Tell Your Time
2. A Praying Life
April~
1. Born to Run
2. Boundaries with Kids
May~
1. The No-Cry Sleep Solution
2. Getting Things Done
June~
1. The Money Saving Mom's Budget
2. Raw Milk Revolution
July~
1. A Charlotte Mason Companion
2. For the Children's Sake
August~
1. Pocketful of Pinecones
2. Real Learning
Sept.~
1. Dancing with My Father
2. The Mom Walk
Oct.~
1. Crazy Love
2. Organized Simplicity
Nov.~
1. Calm My Anxious Heart
2. Good Health
Dec.~

1. Becoming A Woman of Influence
2. Raising Great Kids

Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said,

"You are the same today as you'll be in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet."

So make that list and get to reading!

EnJOY! ~Kristi

12 for 12 ~Goals for the New Year!

2012-02-01T19:10:00.000-06:00

12 for 12! That is my plan for 2012!

Every year I set goals for the new year and they always seem to be too big and too broad, (e.g. never yell at my kids, run a half marathon, and eat ONLY organic food). And while it is perfectly fine to 'think big' and dream, it does no good if you become overwhelmed and give up. This year I will use two words to streamline my goals: simple and attainable. These are the two words that guided my goals below. I concentrated on four areas of my life and included three goals in each area; simple. And I'm building on and strengthening habits that already have a foundation; attainable.

Ready? Here are my 12 goals for 2012:

Personal:
1. Quiet time [Bible reading, prayer, journal] (30 min.) & other reading (30 min.), each morning. [I already wake early and have a quiet time, but I want to work on consistency and add the reading time].
2. Read 2 books/ month that encourage my 4 'life areas' (2012 Book List).
3. Blog 2X week to 'scrapbook' our life.

Family Relationships [people living in my house]:
1. Date night w/ Hubby every 2 weeks [put in budget]
2. Monthly 'birthday' dates w/ each child (rotate 2 children/ month for Greg & I)
3. Weekly family game or movie night.

Physical:
1. Use the 'Couch Potato to 5K' plan to train & run a 5K with Katelyn.
2. Pilates 2X a week at gym.
3. Eat more fruit & veggies: Using the 'Dirty Dozen' & 'Clean 15' Lists!

Home Learning:
1. Monthly field trips.
2. Weekly Nature Study.
3. FIAR [Five In A Row] w/ my littles (2 books/month)

So that's my plan! My next step is to break each goal down for each month, week, & day. If I break it all down into tiny, bite-sized steps I will be able to reach each goal. Again, I will be striving for simple and attainable. I'm currently reading the '21 Days To A More Disciplined Life' series by Money Saving Mom and she says,

" To intentionally cultivate discipline in your life, you must have goals. Not just dreams, not just lofty ambitions, but specific, realistic, achievable goals. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, you’ll lack direction and purpose."

That really hit me, because I usually write down my dreams and good intentions, but I have never written my 'ambitions' down as specific, realistic, achievable goals. How about you? Think of 4 areas and write out 3 goals for each OR 3 areas with 4 goals...either way you will end up with 12 for 12! EnJOY!

Carter Pierce~ 7 weeks!

2011-10-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

Katelyn~ 13!

2011-10-19T17:21:00.000-05:00

Everyone says that the years go faster once you have children, but no one can prepare you for how it feels to watch your babies grow and turn into young adults in 'the blink of an eye'.

Today is Katelyn's 13th Birthday! Hard to believe! My K-Kate, was born in a small East Texas town on a chilly, fall morning. She was tiny, 5 lbs., 1.5 oz.! She was so tiny that Greg and I were afraid to take her home, but we did and together we learned how to care for a newborn.
She was my first, she made me a mom, so she will forever hold a special place in my heart.
While it hurts to think about the few years I have left with her at home, it fills me with JOY to see her blossom into a godly, young women! She is kind, friendly, compassionate, sincere, full of life, creative, smart, funny, and so many things...but the thing I love most about her, is her love for Jesus! Happy Birthday to my beautiful (inside & out girl)!

It's FALL, Y'all!

2011-09-23T16:52:00.000-05:00

I LOVE fall!! It's my absolute favorite season...cooler weather, beautiful colors, yummy scents, apples, pumpkins, camp fires, and for our family ~birthdays! We celebrate Katelyn, Cason, Carrie, & Chloes's birthdays in the month of October! Fun? Yes! Crazy? Most definitely! And with baby Carter born in September...that makes all of my babies born in the fall. I think that was a special gift from God, because He knows I love fall! ;)
Today is the first day of fall and we kicked the season off with a field trip to Farmland Adventures. It's a festive, fall place that has a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and petting farm. We met our homeschool friends there and had lots of fun! We got to feed the pigs, goats, miniature horses, and donkey. We had a lesson about corn and journeyed into the maze. We also ventured into the pumpkin patch. The weather was sunny, with a high of 75 degrees...just perfect! Baby Carter enjoyed his first field trip! Here are the pics:

Carter Pierce Pool is here!

2011-09-03T11:15:00.002-05:00

Picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

39 Weeks! I'm READY {I think}...

2011-08-27T13:30:00.001-05:00

Today marks 39 weeks of my pregnancy. What a wonderful, JOYful pregnancy this has been...my best one! I am ready to see this baby's little face, to rub my cheek to his, to hold him, to nurse him, to stare at him for hours...oh, JOY!

Well, I *think* I'm ready. You see, this is my sixth baby to carry inside me and it may be my last. This year I turned 42 and I know that I cannot keep having babies forever. I do know God could allow another, but as my older children grow they need more of me and I do not want to neglect them because of the little ones that need so much attention. Does that make sense? My, oldest will soon be 13 and she already wants me to stay up late talking about 'life' stuff [why do teenagers want to start talking at 10pm??]. It's not easy to stay up late when you need to be up every few hours to nurse a newborn, but I know my older children need me just as much as my littles do. It truly makes me so sad to even think that this may be the last time I will feel a baby move inside me. When I hear other moms say, "I'm done!" I always think to myself, "Oh, I will never feel that way". I see children as a gift from God and I would never say "no" to a gift...especially from heaven!

However, I do know that the main reason I feel this way is because of the loss of our 2nd child. She was born perfectly healthy, but only lived three weeks. She died in her sleep and losing her completely changed me. It made me a better mom in so many ways...it made me more aware of the 'mundane moments' that we take for granted. I truly cherish every moment, because I know they can be gone in an instant. Shortly after losing her, I promised God that I would welcome every child He brought and He has faithfully brought four more! Some women lose a child and never want to have another, due to fear. I'm so thankful God allowed me to cling to Him and to TRUST Him through such a painful time. He gave me a strong desire to have more children. And I cannot imagine life without all these little 'gifts'.

So today...I wait. I patiently wait on God's timing...He will bring this new baby soon. He has the plan and it is good. If this is my last I will forever be grateful for the 39+ weeks I was allowed to be pregnant. Time is slow right now, but soon it will fly! So today...I wait and cherish the time.

New Year...I'm growing!

2011-02-11T17:33:00.001-06:00

It's a new year and I'm growing, because our family is growing! God has blessed us with our 6th child! I'm due September 3rd. We have Katelyn [12], Cason [9], Carrie [6], Chloe [3] and 1 little girl in Heaven, Abby [our 2nd born]. Now that the new year has come, and is already flying, I've been thinking about my 'goals' for 2011. I was feeling a little stressed about the fact that I feel 'behind' in many areas of my life (morning sickness will do that) and I can't seem to get everything done. God gave me a wonderful thought a few weeks ago; actually He brought a verse to mind that allowed me to take a deep breath and REST in His mercy. The verse; Matthew 6:33:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." [NKJV]
I like the New Living Translation..."Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

I quickly felt God's peace fall all over me and I realized that ALL I need to do is SEEK God first and in doing so, everything else will fall into place! I do strive to put God first by having a quiet time every morning and it truly sets the pace for my day. I can definitely tell a difference when I do not carve out that early morning time, but sometimes I allow fear and doubt to seep in, as real life hits, and I forget to SEEK God first in ALL circumstances. For example, I've been struggling with my homeschool schedule [not as far along as I need to be this school year and feeling overwhelmed with regret], so I applied this verse to the problem. Last week we got back on track by starting every day with prayer and Bible [putting God first] and it has 'smoothed' my mornings in many ways. And when I start to feel like I'm not doing enough or not doing what I need to be doing [in all areas], I remind myself that I'm putting God first and He promises to 'add all these things to me' and 'give me all I need'. It's true FREEDOM!

So what is my new year's resolution for 2011?...To grow! To grow spiritually as I strive to seek God 1st AND to grow physically as this precious new life grows in me! Happy NEW YEAR...make it JOYful!

I Made My Bed (with hubby's help)!

2010-10-07T07:51:00.009-05:00

We have had our bed & dresser for 10 years and I was ready for a change. I've had my eye on this Pottery Barn bed (above), but the $3000 price tag has kept me from making the purchase! And I cannot seem to find it on Craigslist [I search often]. SO I was ecstatic when I found Ana White's website! Ana White.com has FREE furniture plans in all kinds of designs...from beds to deck chairs and everything in between. It's awesome! Most of the Pottery Barn designs are available, as well. Looking at Ana White's site gave me a grand idea...turn my existing bed into a whole new bed! I have a handy hubby (he can build anything). All I have to do is come up with crazy plans and tell him to 'make it work'.

My old bed had panels across the bottom and I wanted them to be across the top, so Greg cut the headboard off, flipped it upside down, secured it, and put two boards on top [to create the 'chunky' top]. We put two boards on the foot board, to match and then I painted it all a dark, espresso brown. A fun project that took an afternoon of work and approximately $60! Now I have a new bed! I painted my side tables and dresser to match. Here are the pictures:

Before...

During...

After...

I LOVE it!!

JOYful, Kristi

School is in session...

2010-09-26T11:56:00.002-05:00

I'm blogging more over at POOL School! We are in full-swing with our new year and new schedule. Come visit!

The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks Virtual World

2010-05-24T09:56:00.003-05:00

Come travel the world, explore the continents, & learn...Wiglington & Wenks allows you to do all of this & more! *Warning*: Your kids will LOVE this website! It is a Virtual World intended to help 7-14-year-olds interact with history, geography, landmarks, inventions, nature, wildlife, the environment, and more.

Each traveler creates a virtual character who can travel to locations on every continent except Antarctica. Learning more about history and geography helps the traveler open up more locations or find more items.

Along the way, the traveler can interact with a diverse group of people — from Beethoven to Chief Joseph, from Genghis Khan to St. Patrick. The game sends them on a quest to locate and help these historical figures.

The travelers also have a chance to play games, design an island, dress up in costumes from many cultures, and interact with kids from around the world.

Start your child in Wiglington & Wenks by setting up a *FREE* account. You can then upgrade to a paid subscription ~or not [the free account is lots of fun!]. A paid membership will allow you to gain access to some of the special features that are only available if you buy one of the membership plans. They are reasonably priced at $5.99 for one month, $16.99 for three months, $29.99 for six months or $59.99 for one year. My son absolutely loves W&W, so we paid for 3 months...if he continues to ♥ it, I will go ahead and purchase the year plan. I'm honestly amazed at all he has learned and it is computer time that worthwhile. EnJOY!

Critical Thinking Co. ~TOS Review

2010-05-24T08:33:00.002-05:00

Critical Thinking Co. is known for their award winning products that sharpen the mind and create real thinkers! Recently they sent me a copy of Language Smarts, Level C ($39.99). This is a language arts product targeted for grade 2 [it also introduces several skills and concepts normally taught in third grade]. It is a HUGE book (320 colorful pages!) that teaches language arts concepts and skills including vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, reading and writing skills. And it does so with a variety of fun activities.

This book can serve as a core curriculum for language arts or as a supplemental resource. We are using it as a core curriculum, 3 lessons a week, and I will stretch it through this coming year. I like that the lessons are short (10-15 minutes) my 8-yr.-old is able to work independently...I get him started and he 'thinks' his way through each lesson. You can check here to see what is covered at this level and check here for samples. Also, you can choose another level here. Overall, we ♥ this product! EnJOY!

Family Mint ~TOS Review

2010-05-24T07:56:00.003-05:00

Family Mint is a *FREE* online money management tool, where the parents hold the money and act as the banker. You do not actually put money in an on-line bank, you are simply using an on-line tool to keep track of your child’s money and to teach them financial wisdom.

It is fast & easy to set up each child's 'bank'. They are then able to track their money and set goals for saving, spending, & giving. It is a simple tool that teaches money management.

Main features of this program allow your children to see on screen:

Automated Allowance
Automated Interest
Matching Deposits
Transactions
Goals
Children can personalize their goals with custom pictures

What I love about this online tool?...it's FREE, easy, & effective! Go HERE to sign-up and get started.

EnJOY!

Spring= Deck time!

2010-04-14T16:14:00.005-05:00

We *finally* built a deck on the back of our house! It has been on the 'to do' list since we moved in, but life happens and we are just now (2.5 years later) getting it done. Oh well, we had other goals ahead of a deck {like having a baby~ha!}. Anyway, it is built and it is wonderful! Can't remember the house without it. It really adds room to our home. I love how it connects the two back porches and makes it all one, large space. I'm going to get a different outside rug, and we are going to get some sort of umbrella/shade, but here are the pics.

This is my latest yard sale find...a little picnic table for $20! Retails for $79! It looks brand new. It's the same picnic table I had when we lived in Houston...we gave it away and I'm not sure why, because I really like the 'nature' look of this model {you know how it is when you are moving and you just get rid of everything!~ha.}. I was very excited when I spotted it at the yard sale! It's a perfect place for the kids to have lunch and it matches our new deck.

CBH Ministries ~TOS Review

2010-04-13T14:42:00.004-05:00

Children's Bible Hour (CBH) has a new picture book series, titled Seasons of Faith, adapted from their classic programs. They recently sent me the 4 books and we have greatly enJOYed them in our home!

The 4 books in the Seasons of Faith series:

1. Race with Midnight
Becky spends spring break on her cousin Sarah's horse farm in Montana. Taking horse rides amidst the beautiful mountains and valleys, Becky tries to share her faith with Sarah as she talks about God's creation. Will Sarah listen?

2. You Can't Come
In Adam and his new friend Zack decide to build a tree fort one warm summer day. After zooming down a hill and falling into a muddy pond, Zack asks Adam about going to church and salvation. Will Adam be able to explain his faith to Zack?

3. Seventy Times Seven
Batter up! When Brad accidentally breaks the ice cream shop’s sign, the owner forgives Brad. But when his best friend Doug ruins Brad’s favorite baseball cap, will he be able to forgive Doug?

4. Braving the Storm
When Thomás moves away from his neighborhood and into a mobile home in his grandparents’ backyard, he misses his friends. There’s nothing to do around the apple orchard with no friends, his dad works a lot, and his little brother was hurt in an accident. All his sister wants to do is play with her dolls. Will Thomás be able to rely on God to get through the difficult times?

Each book also includes a CD of Uncle Charlie reading the story.

From the CBH website...

Seasons of Faith

The Seasons of Faith illustrated books encourage children to learn about their faith in God. Based on CBH Ministries’ treasure trove of radio scripts, these stories teach core truths of the Bible so that kids can easily apply them to their lives. Each book focuses on a season of faith-developing topics.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

I read to my kids during our regular school time, but at night they ♥ to listen to books on CD. They all gather in one room {on the same bed} for a story, so they were VERY excited when we received this set in the mail! They listened to a new story each night and loved all of them! The stories are adventurous and keep their attention. I like that each story teaches a faith-building lesson in a way that is easy for a child to understand.

Each book in the series cost $10 [softcover w/ CD]. When you use the code FREESHIPAPR15 between March 17 and April 15, 2010, you can receive free standard shipping with the purchase of the 4 book set.

Go HERE to see a video on the series.

Discussion questions are provided HERE to foster teachable moments.

As always, you can read more reviews on the TOS Crew Blog. EnJOY!

CBH Ministries gave me a set of the Seasons of Faith book series in exchange for an honest, fair review.

Homeschool in the Woods ~Old World Style Maps!

2010-04-10T15:07:00.002-05:00

If you have never heard of Home School in the Woods, grab a cup of coffee {or tea} and head to their website...you will be there a while! The site is full of wonderful information and resources galore. Amy Pak and her sweet family do home school in the woods and they offer a plethora of materials to help you teach history in a fun, meaningful, adventurous manner!

Amy recently sent me a set of her *new* Old World Style Maps. They took the Old World Style maps from the Record of Time timeline notebook and expanded them into two sets, offered in both CD & download...LOVE these maps!

The World Map set has over 130 maps~ beautiful hand-illustrated black-and-white maps with an 'old' look. They offer a hands-on experience that reinforce any history lesson! The set has both Ancient and Modern styles with or without labels. Plus a Bonus..over 40 fact sheets to be used as notebooking pages. I particularly enJOYed using the colored flags for our passports, while studying various countries. For a sample of the World maps click HERE.

The United States set has maps of each state, Washington D.C., and over a dozen American History maps! They are offered in three ways: with labels, without labels, and in outline form. Also included are Fact Sheets for each state and full color state flags to cut & paste to the fact sheets. We have enJOYed using the Fact Sheets & maps in our 'State Study Notebook', as a part of our postcard swap. For a sample of the United States Maps click HERE.

Price ~

Download version: $18.95 per set OR $28.95 for both sets {BEST deal!}.

CD: $19.95 per CD set OR $29.95 for both sets on CD.

This is a great find! You will use these maps in ALL of your history studies! Work the price into your 2010-2011 school year plans...you will thank me later. :)

For more reviews, on this incredible set, go HERE!

EnJOY!

I received both sets of the Olde World Style Maps in exchange for a fair, honest review.

Artistic Pursuits ~TOS Crew Review

2010-04-09T15:52:00.006-05:00

I LOVE art and I want my children to love it as well, so I have always tried to encourage it in my home. I have bins full of 'art supplies' and I tell my kids to create. I also display work from famous artists in our classroom, but when it comes down to 'teaching art'...I'm clueless!

So, I was beyond excited to find ARTistic Pursuits a few years ago. After looking at their website {tons of good info.} and reading several reviews {all saying great things about the program!} I bought the K-3 Book One and used it with my [then] 1st & 3rd graders. What caught my eye and caused me to buy this program, was the fact that ARTistic Pursuits combines art appreciation with art instruction...all in a fun manner that offers a variety of assignments.

The program is written by a homeschool mom, Brenda Ellis, and it is a homeschool art program that meets the specific needs of homeschoolers at home. However, it can be used by anyone!

When given the opportunity to review an art book {as a part of the TOS Review Crew} I allowed my 11-year-old daughter to make the choice between Book One & Book Two (grades 4-6). She loves to paint, so she decided to go with Book Two ~Color & Composition.

One thing I really liked about this book was the fact that my daughter could open the book and do the lesson on her own. She does one lesson a week {I put it in her workbox on Wednesday}. The picture, above, is her 'Final Project' from the 1st lesson. She is enjoying this book a lot and learning some great techniques. She is gaining confidence and it shows!

Things I love about ARTistic Pursuits:

♥ Real art lessons...not craft projects
♥ An excellent study of art history
♥ High-quality books with excellent images
♥ Step-by-step insturctions
♥ Creates artists!

The BEST thing about this program...my kids love it!

The price is $42.95 for the non-consumable book. It can be purchased on their website or on the CBD website {if you have other items to purchase, it may save on shipping}.

Read more reviews {other books were reviewed} HERE.

I received a free Artistic Pursuits book for the purpose of writing an honest review.

Homeschool Library Builder ~TOS Review

2010-04-09T14:54:00.003-05:00

"Fill your bookshelves without emptying your wallet"

Are you a book lover? I am for sure! Recently I visited my friend's home {a 20+ year homeschooling family} and she took me to her basement {aka library}...it was amazing! Wall-to-wall bookshelves FULL of wonderful, living books. I must have been drooling, because I was so envious...I want a library like that! I quickly asked, "How" and she told me to buy {and keep} books! Hmmmmm...sounds to easy, but I do have a nice *beginner library* and with the help of Homeschool Library Builder I know I can do it.

What is Homeschool Library Builder? HSLB is a Christian family-run book business dedicated to providing great literature at affordable prices. They offer new and used living books at bargain prices.

One feature I especially like about HSLB is the ability to search for books by curriculum! Curriculum search options include:

Ambleside
Beautiful Feet
Five In A Row
Heart of Dakota
Sonlight
Tapestry of Grace
Veritas Press

Oh, and check this out...'Spotlight on the Season' gives you book suggestions for that month's holidays and special events! You can then do a search for the books that interest you.

They have a FREE membership/rewards program that allows you to earn points toward books! Sign-up HERE...just do it, it's FREE and when you buy books from their site, you earn points. For each dollar you spend, you get one Book Point. Once you earn 15 points, you earn $1 towards future purchases.

I'm looking forward to using HSLB to purchase books for the 2010-2011 school year...more books to build my home library! *JOY*

Graphics-Toolbox ~TOS Review

2010-04-09T14:05:00.003-05:00

Graphics-Toolbox is a graphic software program that offers you endless creativity! This incredible software has too many features to list...go HERE to see them all. If you have ever wanted to design your own cards, change color in a photo, make a blog button, etc...now you can!

Graphics Toolbox was created by a team of software designers with over 20 years of experience in graphics programming. Their plan was to create a program for everyday graphics needs that would be easy to use and understand. The product they created is perfect for a wide range of people - from students to business people.
Here are just a few of the ways you can use Graphics-Toolbox:

Christmas cards
Birthday invitations
science diagrams
photo editing
notebook/lapbook pages
posters and business fliers
photo cartoons
scrapbook pages
blog headers and buttons

The GT website has lots of examples you can look at and they have a 30~day 'try before you buy' offer. The cost may seem steep at $149, but keep in mind this is a one-time price for the whole program! When you look at all that it includes and all you can do with it...I think you will agree with the price.

The online training sessions are a must...they will save you hours of time and make this program a breeze.

March Madness & The Schoolhouse Expo!

2010-03-13T08:29:00.003-06:00

If you're looking for homeschool encouragement, resources, and fun, check out all that is going on at The Old Schoolhouse!

Right now March Madness and Win Big are going on in the Schoolhouse Store. During March Madness, over 240 items are 10 to 40 percent off! Click HERE to read the details.

Then, if you're customer 139,000, 139,500, or 140,000, you will win over $348 in prizes. Prizes include a 5 year subscription to TOS (U.S. only), Scripture Sleuth literature series, guitar lessons on CD, and more!

The BIGGEST news of all--The Schoolhouse Expo is coming in May!
Pre-register now and save $5!

This is going to be a fabulous convention! Check out the speakers and topics HERE. Clay & Sally Clarkson and their daughter, Sarah, are featured speakers! I {HEART} the Clarkson family! Oh, and the *BEST* thing about this convention...you can attend in your pj's!

Pre-register today for only $19.99 through March 31.You do not want to miss this unbelievable, virtual homeschool convention! PLUS, you'll receive over $300 in free gifts when you register.
Get the details and preregister HERE.

AAS Beehive Reader ~TOS Review

2010-02-23T16:27:00.007-06:00

Marie Rippel, creator of All About Spelling, wrote a delightful reader that correlates with All About Spelling ~Level One. She graciously sent our family this reader to review. The Beehive Reader 1 {160 pages} is a beautiful hardcover book with charming illustrations and sweet, interesting stories.

My 2nd grader took the book out of my hands when it arrived in the mail. He was able to read through the book quickly and then read it again to his younger sisters. When asked, "What's your favorite story?" He answered, "The Bat and King Sam"...funny story! I plan to use this book with my 5-year-old, who will begin AAS Level One soon. I know she will enjoy learning to read the book her brother has been reading to her!

I like the fact that each new story in the reader adds a new reading concept {one at a time}, so it is not overwhelming for the child that is learning to read. And the reader is 100% decodable {correlated with All About Spelling 1}. It is a solid teaching tool that offers fun, interesting stories...hard to find a reader that does both!

Take a LOOK inside the book! You do not have to use All About Spelling to use this reader. It is a wonderful reader no matter what phonics program you use! You can purchase it online for $19.95.

The exciting news is this is the first book in the All About Reading Short Stories series! The next book will be out this spring, so stay tuned...I'll keep you posted! I know this is going to be an awesome reading program!

Go HERE to read more reviews, from my crewmates, about this delightful reader. EnJOY!

Love Legos? Love Star Wars? Check this out...

2010-02-23T16:00:00.003-06:00

Hearthside Homeschool Reviews has an incredible giveaway for a 471 piece Lego Star Wars set! Wow...super cool! Go check it out! & EnJOY!

Math Mammoth ~TOS Review

2010-02-21T08:01:00.007-06:00

What is Math Mammoth? A LARGE {mammoth} collection of Math resources! They offer a complete collection of supplemental math options for grades 1-12 and complete math curriculum for grades 1-5, all at incredible prices and an easy, instant download format!

The really cool thing about Math Mammoth is ALL the options! The program includes 4 different series:

B lu e ~ grades 1-5; concentrates on a few topics only {clock, fractions, geometry}.
Light Blue ~grades 1-5; complete, self-teaching *mastery-oriented* curriculum.
Golden ~grades 3-8; problems only {organized by grade}, for reinforcement or practice.
Green ~ grades 3-7; problems only {organized by topic}, for reinforcement or practice.

For this review, I received the Light Blue {grade 4 } complete curriculum [$29.70]. The complete set includes Part A & Part B, 156 Lessons to each part...super value! I placed my daughter according to the placement guide on the website. We have always used Singapore Math and it is heavy on word problems...a true 'mental math' program. I was happy to find that this program is as well! I was impressed with the fact that it requires a lot of thinking on the child's part.

I really like the fact that Math Mammoth Light Blue Series is a textbook/workbook combined. Each new concept is explained in the worksheets, so no teacher manual is needed. The beginning of each new chapter has some general 'helps' for the parent/teacher. I like this format, because it was easy for me to 'jog' my memory on some of the concepts...with them right there on each page. I'm able to place a new sheet in Katelyn's workbox each day and she works on it independently! Everything she needs is right there on the sheet.

I'm going to order some Golden Series worksheets to use for extra practice & review. At $12.50 a grade level...what a deal! I'm loving this site...the options are endless and the value is incredible! Go HERE to download 280 FREE worksheets and check-out all the good stuff!

And if you have a question about a certain series, you can read more reviews HERE. Each crew member reviewed a different series...lots of wonderful reviews to meet your needs! EnJOY!

Zeezok Publishing ~TOS Review

2010-02-19T17:54:00.007-06:00

I received a Presidential Penmanship CD, from Zeezok Publishing, to review. You have probably heard of Zeezok Publishing. They sell The Great Musicians Series. I did not realize they had other wonderful resources, so I was happy to receive the Presidential Penmanship CD-ROM. This Complete Program CD-ROM contains handwriting practice pages for first grade through senior high and sells for $39.99, it comes in six different handwriting styles [I received the Italic style]. It is also available in an E-book format for $9.99 per grade level.

I decided to use this product with my son, so my focus for this review is on the 2nd grade pages. The CD-ROM is broken down into each grade level, so I printed out the 2nd grade level and made a 'copywork book' for him to use daily. My son enjoys studying the presidents, so he really enjoys having this book, knowing each quote came from some of his favorite presidents! And having an uncle named Thomas Jefferson makes it extra cool!

In the 2nd grade pages, the child copies 36 quotes centered around the founding principles of the United States and character qualities such as honesty and hard work. These quotes are short enough to memorize, so together we chose a quote for him to memorize [one every three weeks; two per six-week term]. I allowed him to choose the ones he wanted to memorize, which made it more personal and motivating.

Here are the two he chose to memorize, [past six-week term]:

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." ~George Washington
"He who knows best knows how little he knows." ~Thomas Jefferson

Things I like about this CD:

All grade levels on one CD-ROM...print off only what you need!
Can be used for all 4 of my children, all 12 years...great deal @ only $39.99!
Delightful, 'meaty' quotes that are well worth memorizing!
Short daily lessons that tie history & character into copywork.
Meaningful penmanship practice...no boring drills!

Here are some sample pages to view.

Now is the time to begin planning for next year's curriculum. You will want to add Presidential Penmanship to your *must have* list! I know you will love it!

My other crewmates reviewed this product and other super products [including the Great Musicians Series] from Zeezok Publishing...go see HERE.

the Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling [Apologia Press]~TOS Review

2010-02-16T16:55:00.009-06:00

Apologia Press sent each member of the Homeschool Crew a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell, to review. And all I can say is , "Wow, wow, wow!"...where was this book when I first started down my homeschool journey?

This new version has been revised and updated and includes 500 pages of everything you could possibly need to know about homeschooling! A '*must* have' for newbies (or those curious about homeschooling) and a '*must* have on the shelf' resource for veterans.

I must admit that I have not read a 'how to' book on homeschooling in many years. When I see a book like this I usually think it is for those beginning homeschooling, so I did not think this 'homeschooling guide' would benefit me much, being that I am a 7-year homeschool veteran. ;) Boy, was I wrong about that! From the very first chapter {Determining Your Destination} I was hooked and it was hard to put the guide down. I've learned SO much! Part 4 of the guide: Preventing Burnout really spoke to my heart and refreshed my soul. This is truly a guide that belongs on every homeschooler's book shelf.

SO what does it cover? the Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling includes 10 parts:

Homeschooling: Is It for You ~ looks at the challenges and advantages of homeschooling and also includes information for single parent families along with tips for success.
Choosing a Curriculum ~ "How do I decide?", learning styles, curriculum fairs
Organization and Planning ~ learning environments and daily schedules
Preventing Burnout ~ examines 5 ‘Burnout Busters’
What to Teach ~ When and How ~subject-by-subject guidelines
Homeschooling Teens ~ "Should you do it?",course study, college admissions
Computers in the Homeschool ~ Hardware and software
Creative Solutions ~ toddlers, reluctant learners, transitions [school to home]
Measuring Your Success ~ assessment methods and targets
Resource Guide ~ products/supplies, academic contests and competitions

Go see a sample chapter [Six Ingredients of a Successful Home School] and the table of contents.

This incredible guide can be purchased directly from Apologia Press [$20.00] or from Amazon [$20.00].

Go HERE to read more great reviews on the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

*Apologia Press gave me a free copy of the Ultimate Homeschool Guide to review, in exchange for my honest opinion of the product. I'm grateful for the opportunity!

Dollar Homeschool -Ray's Arithmetic ~TOS Review

2010-02-13T18:27:00.006-06:00

Ray's Arithmetic is a math series that covers K-12 grade...from counting to calculus! This was America's standard math text for 50 years. It is a part of the Eclectic Education Series...

The Eclectic Education Series (EES) is a set of textbooks which from roughly 1865 to 1915 WAS education in the United States, almost exclusively. They were the standard textbooks in many states and were chosen independently by over 10,000 school boards as their standard textbooks.

The Ray's series includes a total of 38 books. These include the 12 core Textbooks, + Answer Key's, Teachers Editions, and several intriguing books of mathematical pursuits for the aspiring student, such as Surveying and Navigation, Astronomy, Book Keeping, and Physics. It comes as a CD and is meant to be a 'printable' curriculum...you print what you need, when you need it. The CD sells for $59...yes, $59 for a curriculum that covers K-12 and can be used with all of your children! Incredible! Click HERE to see all that is included on the CD.

Things I like about Ray's Arithmetic:

Follows the Charlotte Mason style~ short, effective lessons & no twaddle!
An abundance of word problems ~makes your child think!
Every concept is carefully explained, and all of the subjects follow one after another in a very logical progression.
Lots of history is tied into the word problems ~ “General Washington was born A.D. 1732, and lived 67 years: in what year did he die?”
You only print out the text needed...lots can be done orally or on a whiteboard.
Love, love, love the graphics [I've added an example below].

And here are some more sample pages.

Overall, this is a superb math curriculum that will create a strong 'mental math' foundation. It will take a little time to learn the new program and implement it...it is VERY different from what is on the current market, but it is effective and well worth the time you invest! The Manual of Methods {included on the CD} will help you learn the program and how to teach it.

You can order the complete CD from Dollar Homeschool for $59. Take a look at their Eclectic Education Series ~complete K-12 curriculum...incredible deal! You can order it for $159 {includes Ray's Arithmetic}. If you ever break or misplace a CD, Dollar Homeschool will replace it for you for only the cost of shipping. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee on all of their products.

Read reviews on the EES and more Ray's Arithmetic reviews HERE.

Grapevine Studies...NEW website & Sale!

2010-02-12T17:29:00.003-06:00

Grapevine Studies launched their *NEW* website and it is wonderful! You have to go check it out. Last summer, I wrote a review for two of their products and I cannot say enough good things about them!

To celebrate the new website, they are having a super sale that will be going through the end of February. They also have a great newsletter.

Dentist Anxiety...Real fear?

2010-02-12T12:37:00.002-06:00

This week I had to have a root canal. It was my first and I was absolutely terrified! It's funny how people like to share their root canal stories, much like a birth story...almost always a horror story! With the exception of two friends [one being my mom], I heard a lot of scary scenarios. My appointment was late in the day, 4pm, which was sheer torture because I spent my day worrying/praying/worrying/praying/worrying...by the time I actually made it to the dental office I felt sick! I sat in the dentist chair and began to fill like the walls were closing in on me. When my dentist entered the room and asked how I was, I quickly let him know that I was not happy to see him! He said, "I get that a lot".

I was given a local numbing medicine and I began to pray [again]. God put Kate on my mind. She's a little girl with brain cancer. I've followed her progress from the beginning, 7 months ago. I thought about how fearful I was, a grown woman, of such a simple, easy procedure. Kate is 6-years-old and she is facing SO many hard, difficult procedures. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized that fear was an everyday feeling for that precious little girl...so much to be afraid of on a daily basis. As I prayed for Kate, my fears melted away. I just needed to refocus! As the dentist began to give me 'THE shots' I did not feel it and the whole procedure went amazingly well!

I share my root canal story to encourage you...it's not bad at all! My best advice is to pray & not worry! To help you not worrry, pray for others, it takes the focus off yourself. Speaking of praying for others, please visit Kate's site and pray for her and her family, they are facing some difficult procedures over the next few weeks...reason for REAL fear. They need and cherish our prayers.

TOS Magazine Subscription for only $9.95!

2010-02-11T12:25:00.003-06:00

NEW 1 Year TOS Magazine Subscription
For a limited time, enjoy a full one-year subscription (U.S. print only) to The Old Schoolhosue Magazine for only $9.95. Use coupon code PRSUB995 at check out. Each issue is packed with homeschool advice, information, and resources. You'll be inspired, encouraged, and reminded that you are not alone!

Math Tutor DVD ~TOS Review

2010-02-10T09:18:00.006-06:00

Two wonderful products from Math Tutor DVD recently arrived in my mailbox: Young Minds Numbering and Counting and The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor. The kids were excited to have 2 products that they ALL could enJOY!

First we watched, the award-winning, Young Minds: Numbers and Counting What a fun, delightful video! My little girls (5 & 2) loved it! The intended purpose of the dvd is to teach young children numbers and counting up to 10, but it also teaches many animal sounds (REAL animal sounds-not animated), colors, names of objects, and action words...all set to a background of classical music! The graphics are vivid and feature real pictures of animals, flowers, & nature objects. We are a 'nature loving' family, so the nature pictures in the dvd were a big hit. My 5-year-old already knows her numbers, colors, objects and sounds well, so she pretended to be my 2-year-old's teacher and enjoyed pointing to the numbers and counting along. Overall, we like it and it's a great dvd to use in our preschool corner. This dvd is $19.99 and you can purchase it HERE.

The 2nd item we reviewed was The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor. This is an excellent *8 hour* instructional dvd set [2 dvds]! It is not 'fancy' by any means...a simple white board is the only prop, but the instructor, Jason Gibson, does a great job of walking you through each problem step-by-step. The dvd set is broken up into 15 teaching topics, which makes it is easy to skip to the exact area you need to cover. Each segment is short and easy to work into your daily math time.

Here are the 15 topics covered:

Disc 1
Section 1: Adding Whole Numbers
Section 2: Subtracting Whole Numbers
Section 3: Multiplying Whole Numbers
Section 4: Dividing Whole Numbers
Section 5: Adding Decimals
Section 6: Subtracting Decimals
Section 7: Multiplying Decimals
Section 8: Dividing Decimals

Disc 2
Section 9: Adding Fractions
Section 10: Subtracting Fractions
Section 11: Multiplying Fractions
Section 12: Dividing Fractions
Section 13: Percents, Part 1
Section 14: Percents, Part 2
Section 15: Ratio and Proportion

Jason Gibson, founder of MathTutorDVD.com and teacher in all of the videos, states on his website...I pride myself on providing quality educational content at affordable prices, and I have a passion for making "complex" subjects easy to understand.

The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor sells for $26.99...SUPER price for 8-full hours of instruction! AND there's a bonus:

LIMITED TIME FREE BONUS: Each new Math Tutor DVD customer receives 60 minutes of FREE live online tutoring available 24/7 through Tutor.com! A $35.00 Value!

Also, the money-back guarantee is incredible:

Every DVD on MathTutorDVD.com comes with a Money Back Guarantee! Our DVDs are guaranteed to raise grades immediately. If you are not fully satisfied, simply send the DVD back for a full refund.

Visit Mathtutordvd.com and take a look at all they have to offer...you will find MANY, award-winning, instructional dvds that cover:
- Basic Math
- Word Problems
- Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Advanced Algebra, Matrix Algebra
- Trigonometry & Pre-Calculus
- Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Calculus 3
- Physics 1 (Newtonian Motion)
- Physics 2 (Oscillations, Waves, and Thermodynamics)
- Physics 3 (Electricity and Magnetism)
- Probability and Statistics
- Unit Conversions

And go HERE to read more TOS Crew reviews.

I received these products for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

Kinderbach ~TOS Review

2010-02-10T09:08:00.005-06:00

I have always wondered if KinderBach would be something my preschoolers would enjoy, so I was very excited when given the opportunity to review it (I received a 3-month, free trial for my honest review). My older two will be taking piano lessons at home, beginning next month, and I have been searching for a good music program for my preschoolers...I found it!

KinderBach is a simple, fun, & effective way to teach piano skills to your children (ages 2-7). Through the use of online video sessions or lessons by dvd, your child [& you] will learn .
Learning is gradual and child-paced so you can go as slow or as quick as your child needs. KinderBach uses playful 'piano pals' to teach note reading, rhythm, singing, and composition. My 2 & 5-year-old LOVE Dodi & Carla the Caterpillar the best!

KinderBach offers a solid curriculum that provides a solid music foundation...Basics are basics and KinderBach covers them using language children understand. Youngsters will learn music vocabulary, note reading, rhythm, physical technique, ‘do, re mi’ singing, listening skills and music composition plus the joy in making music.

This became a daily lesson that I was able to work into our 'preschool time'. The lessons are short, approximately 10-15 minutes total [with the bonus activity sheets]. Long ago I purchased a music set that included rhythm sticks, so the little girls and I used the sticks to learn rhythm and it was great fun! We use the other instruments as well and they love our music time together.

One feature I LOVE is the fact that each music lesson ties in the 3 R's ~Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic! How? ...by overlapping and enhancing basic math and language skills into each lesson. It makes my life easier, because I am not only teaching music, I'm also covering math and early literacy through fun, age-appropriate, hands-on activities that focus on music. I'm ALL for multi-tasking!

To use the program, you will need the following:

1. Piano/Keyboard [plain keyboard is fine]
2. Computer - for viewing web video lessons and/or printing activity pages
3. Hi Speed Internet or a DVD player
4. CD player (optional)
5. Craft materials - Scissors, printer paper, crayons, markers, craft paper, glue etc...for activity sheets (examples below)

Go see the sample Lesso ns and try out the free lessons! I think you will agree that this is a fun, affordable way to teach piano to your little ones.

Price:

$7.99 a month – Billed in a 1-time annual payment of $95.88 (Save 60%) or
$19.99 monthly subscription – Billed monthly for a year (12 separate payments)

You can also purchase individu al dvds by level for $40.45 a level. Each level comes with an activity package that includes:

1 engaging live action and animation DVD (3 hours of video)
PDF activity book on CD (with parent guide) – pages to complete with the DVD lessons
1 audio CD with performance & demonstration tracks – literally piano ‘karaoke’ so your child can play along with the band!

The dvd sets are a good idea if you have younger children that will grow into this program. Miss Karri has some great 'value packages' to save you money!

And, with an incredible 30 Day Guarantee...you have nothing to lose!

KinderBach has a No-Hassle Return Policy for DVDs & CDs as well as a satisfaction goal for web members. There are no bad decisions with KinderBach. All Products carry a 30 day Money Back Guarantee.

In addition, all of our disks have a lifetime replacement should any be damaged or broken for any reason. We want you to be totally delighted with KinderBach.

EnJOY!

Want to read more reviews from the TOS crew? Go HERE!

I received a 3-month, online subscription to Kinderbach for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

Saxon factsfirst ~TOS Review

2010-02-10T08:10:00.003-06:00

From the publishers that you brought you Saxon Math, comes factsfirst. Factsfirst is basically a product that puts 'facts first'! It is... A personalized and fully adaptive online math product that builds a child’s confidence and helps develop instant recall of basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Although developed for Saxon Math, this product can be used with any elementary math program.

The main goal of the program is to help students improve their basic math fact skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Children work through the speed drills, quizzes and tests, and then they are rewarded with ‘arcade time’ where they can play after the completion of a unit...my kids love this feature!

When you first sign-on each child creates a personalized avatar ~ dressed head-to-toe to match your child's personality! Once the avatar is created, they move on to the units.

The units focus on mastering the basic facts by playing over 360 fun activities....
the lessons consist of five basic segments; new facts, commutative property, practice, quiz, and scoring. New facts are gradually introduced to children as they work toward mastery. Facts are grouped in units with each lesson in a unit introducing two new facts. A child masters these facts before starting another unit.

An overview sheet is provided for the parents to see how each child is doing on their various math facts. There is one sheet for each fact area: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division...the Math Fact Matrix provides an overview of your child’s performance on individual math facts. The Math Fact Matrix uses complex algorithms to present the child’s performance on individual math facts. It is weighted based on speed, frequency and other indicators of proficiency.

Overall, I like the fact that factsfirst concentrates on math facts! And I enJOY the fact that this program offers efficient, yet fun math fact drill—much more fun than worksheets! An online one-year subscription to factsfirst costs $49.99 and includes up to 4 student accounts.

Go check it out the FREE demo! And read more reviews HERE.

I received a free 90-day subscription to factsfirst in exchange for my review, as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

Mathscore ~TOS Review

2010-02-10T07:06:00.003-06:00

Mathscore is an adaptive math skills program that is both challenging and fun. Created by MIT graduates with a mission to improve the education of millions of students by providing a superior learning environment compared to existing solutions. The program supports 2nd grade through Algebra 1.

Mathscore can function as a full math curriculum. It will save you a lot of time because it is paperless, instantly grades student work and provides appropriate solution explanations. Your children will learn at the fastest pace they can handle, often faster than the pace of public school environments.

Or Mathscore can function as a supplement to your math curriculum. After each math lesson, have your child log into MathScore and find a topic that matches the material you just taught. MathScore will generate an unlimited supply of math problems and adapt the difficulty based on performance. Once your child achieves a rating of 100, mastery has been achieved, and it is time to move onto the next concept.

We are currently using Mathscore as a supplement program. Each day, after their math lesson, my children practice math facts [or extra practice on that day's lesson]. They enjoy doing their practice work on the computer! Each child starts out as a 'rookie' and they earn points for each worksheet completed. Their rank changes as they earn more points. Once they have mastered a topic, they earn an award. This has been highly motivating to my children and they want to do the extra practice each day! Each day they spend approximately 10-15 minutes [per child] completing their practice work.

Overall I think it is a great program with no fluff! I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a supplement or a complete, online math curriculum.

Go HERE for an instant FREE trial!

MathScore's pricing starts at $14.95/month for the first child and gets significantly cheaper beyond the first child. There is a special right now...$9.95/month for 1st child (good for 2 months).

If you make a lump sum payment, it can reduce the price for the first child. You can also put your account on hold while you go on vacation or have a break in schooling and then reactivate it with no penalty, so you are not having to pay when you are not using it...nice feature!

As always, you can go read more reviews by TOS Crew members HERE!

Homeschooling or public school at home?

2010-02-05T15:40:00.003-06:00

Recently a heated, emotional debate surfaced within my homeschool yahoo group...should we split hairs on the definitions between true-homeschooling and state-based virtual schooling?

I say 'YES' we should keep clear definitions...why? For homeschool freedom! This article is worth the read! Let us not get 'cozy' in the freedoms we are enjoying as a result of the hard work from the homeschool pioneers...we should always be ready to 'fight' for our right to homeschool...free and clear of government control!

This is an article published in the HSLDA's Homeschool Court Report in summer 2007...it is excellent and worth sharing!

How Safe is the Homeschool Horizon?...Public School at Home

What would you say to a homeschool program that gave you curriculum, a computer, and regular access to experienced schoolteachers—all for free? Does it sound too good to be true? It just might be. Public-school-at- home programs (also referred to as virtual charter schools, cyber schools, or online schools—not to be confused with private online schools) are attracting thousands of homeschooling families. While these schools offer helpful services, homeschoolers should be aware that they are public schools, and as such, they present a growing threat to the private home education movement.

Public-school-at-home programs come in a variety of forms. The two most well-known models are public school online programs and home-based (or virtual) charter schools.

Many public school districts offer online classes, giving students the opportunity to take classes at the school or from home-students can take all their classes online, or use the online programs to supplement on-campus classes. Additionally, these programs augment enrollment at the public school, resulting in increased state and federal funding.

And then there are home-based charter schools—an innovative, fast-growing alternative to traditional public schools that seems to be particularly attractive to private homeschoolers.

Home-based charter schools are the 21st-century sequel to brick-and-mortar charter schools. All charter schools are publicly funded, and operate under the sponsorship of a state board of education, local school board, or other entities designated by the state.¹⁰

What makes home-based charter schools different is the opportunity for students to study from home. Some of these programs are centered around online instruction. Other programs provide a textbook-based curriculum and maintain parent/teacher communication via phone and internet. All of these schools use state-certified curricula, mandate standardized testing, and require the parent to regularly report the child’s progress.

The bottom line is that many of these schools place parents in the role of monitor or guide, not teacher. As Pennsylvania’s WNEP-TV 16 News Station explains in an online article on traditional public cyber schools, “Parents are not the teachers, but they are required to make sure the children are following the cyber school’s curriculum.”¹¹

The Wisconsin Virtual Academy, an in-home charter school, describes the responsibility of parents who enroll their children in the program: “Parents (or other responsible adults) guide students through the lessons and ensure that children are learning. They also contact teachers when students are experiencing academic problems, help students manage their time and set goals, monitor student work, and fill out daily attendance logs. Parents are also expected to participate in regularly scheduled conference call[s] with their teacher(s).”¹² (emphasis added)

According to the Center for Education Reform, virtual charter schools are active in 19 states, and 92,300 students are currently enrolled across the nation, as of early 2007.

“If we can’t beat ’em, let’s join ’em”

One mission of these virtual schools is to provide a choice for parents who homeschool their children, states Instructor, Scholastic’s magazine for schoolteachers.¹³

Kansas public school superintendent Randy Weseman said, “Our virtual school is mostly home schooled students. My philosophy is to work with families and help them become comfortable with public schooling.”¹⁴

But according to Christopher Klicka, public schooling is exactly what many homeschooling families have rejected so they can be free from governmental oversight and train their children according to their own beliefs and values. Klicka surmises that state departments of education recognize that homeschoolers cannot be persuaded to enroll their children in traditional public schools. So, the home-based charter school model is the departments’ way of saying, “If we can’t beat ’em, let’s join ’em.”

While home-based charter schools seek to attract homeschoolers for many reasons, the possibility of increased funding creates a powerful incentive. Just as traditional public schools try to find ways to count homeschoolers as part of their enrollment, thereby increasing per-pupil funding, home-based charter schools provide another way to assimilate homeschoolers into the public school system—and pad charter school budgets with extra government dollars.

“As HSLDA has pointed out in the past, the issue is money and control,” says HSLDA President Mike Smith. “The higher the student enrollment, the more money the school receives.”

Why are charter schools a threat?

Accountability to and control by the government are key components of home-based charter schools. For instance, the Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School (PAVCS) provides parents with a complete curriculum and testing requirements, connects parents with a teacher who monitors the program and to whom the parent is accountable, and requires parents to maintain attendance logs, among other conditions.

“The government takes responsibility for the education of children enrolled in virtual charter schools,” reports the Wisconsin Parents Association. “[The government] controls these schools; and dictates the knowledge, skills, and values their students are to acquire.”¹⁵

Because of this responsibility to the government, home-based charter schools also lose the “genius of flexible, individualized homeschooling,” Mike Smith says. The self-pacing of a home-based charter school, by nature of its government accountability, can never match the flexibility and tailored curriculum that homeschooling offers.

Parents’ ability to integrate religious beliefs with their child’s education is also limited in these schools. Because home-based charter schools are publicly funded, they are restricted from using religion-based curriculum. For example, MTS Minnesota Connections Academy explains that parents interested in their program should be “comfortable with a secular curriculum.”¹⁶ (See the March/April 2007 Court Report to read about one mother’s experience with the curriculum restrictions of a home-based charter school.)

“These are the same issues we fought so hard against in the ’80s and ’90s—in order to win the right to be free from this kind of control,’ says Christopher Klicka. Not only does government control restrict the flexibility and religious component of a child’s education, but it could eventually lead to another problem: If homeschoolers submit to government supervision through these public-school-at-home programs, public school officials and legislators may be further encouraged to regulate independent homeschoolers.

The Idaho Coalition of Home Educators and Christian Homeschoolers of Idaho State elaborate on this threat of increased regulation:

The IDEA [Interior Distance Education of Alaska] program initially included significant freedom and flexibility. Gradually those freedoms have been curtailed as calls for ‘accountability’ have gained traction. The same will occur in Idaho. And sadly, those calls will encompass not only those families enrolled in this [Idaho Distance Education Academy] program, but all traditional home schoolers, as well. The lines that have historically separated public school students from home schoolers will be sufficiently blurred to make it significantly more difficult to maintain our precious home schooling freedoms.¹⁷

Home-based charter schools may fit the needs and lifestyles of some parents and children. But for parents who want to train their children spiritually and academically, at their own pace, these programs contain some of the same roadblocks to that goal as do public schools. It may be hard to resist free services and to see home-based public schools as a challenge to homeschooling—but it will be even harder to regain homeschool freedom once lost.

Remember: WHILE PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE CURRENTLY HELD
IN HIGH ESTEEM BY MOST PEOPLE IN THE U.S.
THE GENERAL TREND OF SOCIETY
WILL NATURALLY GRAVITATE
FROM THIS VIEW OVER TIME.

Snow, beautiful snow!

2010-02-01T16:27:00.004-06:00

I LOVE waking to snow! Greg and I were SO excited last Thursday night when it was sleeting and we woke to LOTS of beautiful snow! It snowed ALL day Friday...non~stop and we ended up with 7" of fluffy, white snow!

Christian Keyboarding

2010-01-29T10:42:00.003-06:00

Katelyn has been asking if I would teach her to type and I had just started researching my curriculum options, when Christian Keyboarding sent me two wonderful typing programs to review...Keyboarding for the Christian School, Revised Edition and Elementary Edition both by Leanne Beitel. What perfect timing to receive these typing programs...God's timing never ceases to amaze me!

General facts on the two e-books I received:

1. Keyboarding for the Christian School is a typing curriculum for private schools and home schools designed for grades 6 and up and sells for $15.95 for a 107 page e-book. Your student can learn touch typing through typing drills, timings, letters, envelopes, APA and MLA reports, centering, proofreader’s marks, and creating tables “with a Biblical perspective.”

Lessons include:

* Lessons 1-20 Alphabetic Keys
* Lessons 21-25 Numbers and Symbol Keys
* Lessons 26-29 Number Pad
* Lesson 30 Centering
* Lesson 31 Enumerated Lists
* Lesson 32 Tab Key
* Lesson 33 MLA Reports
* Lesson 34 APA Reports
* Lesson 35 Cover Page
* Lesson 36 Works Cited
* Lesson 37 Bibliography
* Lesson 38 Personal-Business Letters
* Lesson 39 Business Letters
* Lesson 40 Envelopes
* Lesson 41 Proofreader’s Marks
* Lesson 42 Timed Writings
* Timing Scale
* Lesson 43 Tables

2. Keyboarding for the Christian School, Elementary Version download is 87 pages and is available for $12.95. This is geared towards students from grades K-5.

Lessons include:

* Touch Typing Technique
* Lessons 1‐20 Alphabetic Keys
* Lessons 21‐25 Numbers and Symbol Keys
* Lessons 26‐29 Number Pad
* Lesson 30 Centering
* Lesson 31 Enumerated Lists
* Lesson 32 Timed Writings
* Timing Scale

I decided to use the elementary edition with Katelyn, since she is in 5th grade and the lessons are geared toward the elementary level. I printed off a lesson at a time and she did one lesson per day (sometimes 2). I put each lesson in her workbox and she did it during her independent work time. She used the Studypod to hold each lesson near the computer. I also made her a 'mini-office' file that included the color-coded key chart and the touch typing techniques, both of these resources are included in the e-book.

Katelyn is zipping through the lessons! I love the practice sentences that Leanne Beitel has incorporated into this curriculum...ALL scripture! I have used the scripture for Katelyn's copywork and weekly memory verses to tie it into everything she is doing. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the program and I think the price is just right [Only $7.95 with the coupon below!]. Katelyn loves the program as well and she is happy with her new typing skills!

Visit the website for Free Sample Lessons and check out the current specials:

Need a Coupon to start the year right? Type NewYear5 in the Discount Code section for $5 off of your purchase of $12.95 or more available until February 28, 2010!

2010 NEW YEAR SPECIAL: Purchase both the Keyboarding for the Christian School, Revised Edition and the Elementary Edition for only $22! Yes, this is a big savings! So, purchase your e-books now for only $22 for both typing books!

Kregel Publications ~ TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:26:00.017-06:00

Kregel Publications offers over 900 titles including books in Christian education and ministry, contemporary issues, Christian living, fiction, and Biblical studies, in addition to reprints of classic works. They also offer a wide selection of over 500 solid, evangelical titles for the spiritual growth and encouragement of Hispanic readers world-wide.

From the website:
Mission Statement

Our mission as an evangelical Christian publisher is to develop and distribute, with integrity and excellence, trusted, Biblically based resources that lead individuals to know and serve Jesus Christ.
Kregel Publications recently sent me a book, Bertie's War by Barbara Tifft Blakey, to review. It is a title listed under 'Homeschooling with Kregel'. I enjoyed the book! It is considered historical-fiction. I have to admit that I did not learn much history in the public education system. I certainly did not remember learning anything about the Cuban Missile Crisis (yes, I had heard of it, but could not tell you anything about it!). I learned a lot from reading Bertie's War!
Because I mainly teach history through living books [historical-fiction], reading this book was a neat experience for me. It allowed me the opportunity to learn as my children do and it was fun...wish I would have learned history this way! The author did an excellent job of intertwining real-life history into the life of a young girl living in that time period.

The book, listed as juvenile history, is just under 200 pages and it was hard for me to put down! Although I was not born during that time period, I could relate to Bertie in many ways. I had my own 'war' with fear as a child and now (as an adult) I can see how many of my fears were unfounded, but very real as a child. The author did a good job of 'viewing the world through the eyes of a child." I think pre-teens & teens, especially, will relate to Bertie.

Bertie's fears (some based in reality, most not) continue to plague her life, but the ending brings everything together in a way that will teach your child to trust God. It's a good book to not only learn history, but to learn how God has a plan for our lives. Super book to read and discuss as a family.

Check out Kregel's selection of many, wonderful books as well as their best seller list to see what else they have to offer.

Go HERE to read more reviews from the crew.

I received this product for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

Mathletics~ TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:26:00.015-06:00

Katelyn: "Mathletics is super cool!"
Me:"Oh, ya...why?"
Katelyn: "I like to compete with kids in Australia!"

And she does! Thanks to Mathletics...my kids can compete (math challenges) with children from the US and around the world! What in the world is Mathletics? It's an online curriculum-based math community for students K-8 with colorful, engaging graphics and step-by-step animated support.

The online community of approximately 1,000,000 children creates a safe, fun place where the children [of the same age and abilities] can compete in real-time games of speed and skill. NO actual communication takes place, so it's a safe environment.

The site also has over 750 learning activities from age 5-14. My kids enjoyed the various activities (math games). The Mathletics math curriculum covers various topics in each grade level, which makes it easy to 'assign' activities that reinforce your particular math curriculum.

Another fun Mathletics feature, which my daughter loves, is the ability to earn awards and points to later spend in 'the store'. They can buy clothing, hair styles, backgrounds, hats, glasses and such for their avatar image which they design when they first sign on. It's just another fun, engaging motivator.

It's very easy for parents to keep up with their child's progress...you can view progress online, and you can receive weekly progress reports [via email]. You can also print out workbooks to use for further learning. And they offer a 6-page, Home Schooling Brochure with all the information you need to implement Mathletics in your homeschool.

Mathletics offers each child an individualized learning path...keeping track of their results and progress as they work their way through their individual grade curriculum. Each child also earns points as they achieve mastery of concepts and are individually rewarded. But the BEST part is they LOVE it and they do not even consider it to be a part of 'school', because it is so fun! They are learning, reinforcing, & retaining math facts and they beg to do it everyday! Love it!

Click 'About Mathletics' on the Mathletics website to explore all they have to offer.

The annual subscription to Mathletics is $59.00 PER CHILD, per year. If you know the Human Calculator's Favorite number [answer is '9'], you can purchase a single child subscription for $49.95 (per child/per year). I think it is definitely worth the money when you think about the reinforcement and retention it will offer. They give you a 10-day money back guarantee, so you can 'explore' it for 10 days and see if it is something you want to keep...I think you will love it.

I received a 45-day subscription to Mathletics, for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

Tektoma~ TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:25:00.006-06:00

Do you have a child that loves video games? If so, you [and your child] will love Tektoma! What is it? Tektoma is basically a website that offers access to engaging video tutorials that teach children game programming. My son, who is 8-years-old, enjoyed making a simple race game, but it took lots of help from me. The website states 7-17. I would say a child would need to be at least 10 before he could do this independently, but I know it depends on the child's computer experience. Overall, it was a fun experience and the tutorials are very well made...easy to follow and understand. My son really likes video games and I liked the fact that this was very educational!

From the Tektoma website:

Engaging video tutorials for ages 7-17
Tutorials of varying skill levels and topics
Learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home
Natural progression helps develop technical skills
Customize your learning experience
Low monthly membership fee gives access to all our resources

A Tektoma membership is available for $14.95 per month or $140.00 per year, and includes access to all the tutorials as well as online help via the forums.

You can get a FREE 14-day trial...check it out and see if it is something good for your homeschool!

Read more Tektoma reviews from my wonderful crew mates HERE.

I received this product for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

All About Spelling~ TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:24:00.006-06:00

Last Spring, a good friend of mine raved on and on about a spelling program [All About Spelling] that she was using. She was seeing some amazing results in her children and she knew I was looking for a program to 'play catch-up' with my daughter [5th grader] and to use as a starter program with my son [2nd grader], so she encouraged me to look into using this spelling program as well. Needless to say, I was beyond excited when I realized All About Spelling [AAS] was 'on deck' to be reviewed! And I was even more excited when I found out I would be reviewing Levels 1 & 2.

Here is what I received from AAS:

Starter Kit [Letter tiles, Magnets for letter tiles& Phonogram CD-ROM] $26.95
Level One (includes Teacher's Manual and One Student Material Packet) $29.95
Level Two (includes Teacher's Manual and One Student Material Packet) $39.95

My first 'struggle' was do I start my 5th grader at Level 1? She can spell, but I know she has gaps. I found my answer quickly on the FAQ page! It led me to a wonderful article titled, Should We Start in Level 1 or 2? According to the article...ASS is a building block program (one level builds upon the previous one), so they strongly recommend that you start all students on Level One. I still felt a little uneasy about starting my daughter, who actually spells pretty good, at the VERY beginning. Then I read this statement:

If your student needs remedial spelling...

The All About Spelling program is perfect for the student who needs remedial work. All holes in his knowledge of spelling are filled in. You can move as quickly or as slowly as your student needs. If you are working with an older student , he probably understands some of the concepts but not others. In this case, very quickly skim the parts that he already knows and slow down on the parts that he needs to learn.

That calmed my anxiety and I set forth with the 'set-up phase'. At the beginning of each manual there is a section titled Preparing for Level _______. It completely outlines everything you need to gather, read, organize, and set-up. The Starter Kit, which is used in all 6 Levels, is GREAT! The tiles work very well with the magnets! I purchased a large, 2'X3', magnetic dry erase board that is the perfect size...plenty of room for the magnets and room to 'work', plus room for me to write, if needed. The Phonogram CD-Rom was a 'life-saver' for this 'phonogram-challenged' mom (with a deep-rooted, Texas accent)...I learned a lot!

It took about an hour to carefully follow the directions [I listened to the CD-ROM while I cut out the tiles and organized the cards]. I LOVE the organization of this program...a breath of fresh air! I cannot tell you how many programs I have considered buying, but decided it would be too difficult to set-up and use OR have bought a program and soon put it on the shelf [to gather dust] because it was too complicated to set-up. I'm an intelligent person, but I like things that are simple, yet amazing...ASS is both! The set-up phase built my confidence in the program even more, and I was ready to begin.

The day-to-day lessons were an absolute breeze! As a matter of fact, several times I re-read that day's lesson plan to make sure I did everything right. It took ZERO set-up time! Each lesson clearly states:

WHAT you will teach during that lesson.
What you need to teach that lesson (i.e., tiles, tokens [colored disks included in the materials pack, word cards).

My daughter moved through Level 1 very quickly. She surprised me by knowing some phonograms I thought she needed to learn! And there were a few she did not know [that I thought she did], so it worked out great to begin at Level 1!! Once Level 1 was completed, we jumped right into Level 2 and she will be ready for Level 3 soon. I'm going to start my son in Level 1 next week. You can have two children in the same level at the same time, but you will need to buy an additional material packet {$14.95 for Level 1, $19.95 for Level 2}.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with this fabulous spelling program! It truly 'teaches' your child the how & why of spelling. Even though my daughter was already a 'pretty good' speller, I definitely saw a difference in her spelling skills after working through Level 1! And most importantly...her spelling confidence shot up tremendously! I'm hearing her say, "Oh, I know how to spell that" a lot more often.

I know this program would be a blessing to those of you that have children that struggle in spelling. On the home page of the website, founder Marie Rippel, outlines Why All About Spelling Works:

All About Spelling is multi-sensory.
All About Spelling is logical.
Contains NO gaps.
The program is mastery-based, not grade-level based, so when students master a specific concept, they move on.
All About Spelling has continual review.
Finally, the program is clear.

The website also has some wonderful articles on teaching spelling. One article that I found extremely helpful was Teaching Spelling in Your Homeschool. And the section on dyslexia might be beneficial to those of you that have a dyslexic child, or for those that think your child might be dyslexic. You can also sign-up for the Spelling Newsletter.

I'm positive that you will LOVE this spelling program! And the company is as well...they offer an Unconditional One Year Guarantee! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to review All About Spelling...my search for 'the best spelling curriculum' is over!

To read more reviews, including from those that have children that struggle with spelling, go HERE.

I received this product for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

American Heritage Education Foundation ~TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:23:00.005-06:00

"The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty."

James Madison

American Heritage Education Foundation sent us a CD titled America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty~ K-12 Teacher Lesson Plan Resource. It is a K-12 Teacher Lesson Plan resource for social studies, U. S. history, U. S. government, political science, economics, geography and speech. It includes three levels: Elementary School, Middle School, and High School.

According to the American Heritage Education Foundation website:
"The resource aims not simply to present historical facts but to provide opportunities for students to explore and understand the factual and philosophical significance and meaning behind events, causes, and effects—the whys—relating to and influencing the early history of the United States."

We will definitely use this CD as a supplement to our American History study next school year. As I looked over the Elementary level, I saw MANY wonderful lesson plans that I can easily work in to my plans. This is a super product for ALL, whether you homeschool or not. AND the best part? It's FREE! Yes, FREE for all! Go HERE and get your copy today! You will be amazed at the knowledge you and your children gain!

"A people can only be free, happy and great in proportion to the virtue and intelligence of the people."

Stephen F. Austin

I received this product for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

Exploramania "GyMathtics" ~TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:22:00.010-06:00

According to Exploramania..."Everyone can GET FIT! GET SMART! HAVE FUN!"

Exploramania is a company that develops products that deliver enriching and powerful educational experiences for children! As a part of the TOS Crew, we received a DVD, from Exploramania, titled Gymathtics . It is one of two DVDs in the Exploracise collection. According to the website, Exercise + Education + FUN = Exploracise!

The DVD is unique in that it teaches math and healthy lifestyle concepts while performing a complete [30 minute] exercise routine. The exercise program is great for kids of all ages. The math facts target 2nd-5th grade levels.

Some of the Math topics covered include:

Even and odd Numbers
Counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.
Prime Numbers
Place Value
Pattterns
Triangles

Overall, we enJOYed it! My children had fun and the exercise was a great workout! They also learned while exercising, which according to research enhances retention! At $24.99, it seems a little pricey, but if you are looking for an exercise DVD to add to your collection, you will be happy with the product!

Exploramania has lots of educational, fun products...check them out HERE.

And don't forget you can read more great reviews, from my wonderful crew mates, HERE.

I received this product for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

AVKO~ TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T15:22:00.007-06:00

AVKO [Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic, Oral] Educational Research Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded, in 1974, by Don McCabe. It's mission is “to provide free and low-cost resources to home and school educators in order to achieve literacy for all, even despite learning challenges or dyslexia.” The site specializes in teaching children with dyslexia how to read, spell, write and even type. AVKO creates materials and books using a multi-sensory approach, combining the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a one-year membership from AVKO, in return for an honest review of the membership benefits. I have to admit that the website is a bit overwhelming when you first look at it...SO many good resources! But it is well-organized and once I spent some time navigating it, I found it to be user-friendly. The free e-books, that come with the membership, are amazing and well worth the $25 annual membership. I've been quite pleased with the membership!

The 5 FREE e-books ($400.00 worth) are:

The Patterns of English Spelling
To Teach a Dyslexic
Starting at Square One
The Teaching of Reading & Spelling
The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words

More membership benefits include:

*workshop recordings from Don McCabe
*AVKO newsletter (with freebies and discounts)
*supplemental resources (worksheets, word games, etc.)
*access to pre-tests and placement tests.
*AVKO's Individualized Spelling on SpellingCity.com

Have a look at their freebies page and the membership page...I know you will enJOY this incredible website and the annual membership might be a blessing as well!

As always, you can read more reviews from my crew mates HERE.

Jean Welles Worship Guitar ~TOS Crew Review

2010-01-07T09:13:00.005-06:00

When Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class Volume One Book and DVD came in the mail, I thought, "This is not going to be an easy review!" You see, I am 'musically challenged' and I do not know anything about teaching it! This product scared me and I did not open it right away. Once I worked up my courage...I was pleasantly surprised to find both the book and the DVD to be easy & fun to use! My son has wanted to learn guitar, so we watched the DVD together and he amazed me with the skills he quickly picked up. I learned some things as well and it greatly lessened my 'music phobia'. One thing that I love most about the program is Jean Welles desire for you to learn music as a way to worship God!

The Worship Guitar Class for Kids Volume One includes the following lesson topics: Tuning, Parts of the Guitar, Rhythm Patterns, How to read Chord Patterns, and eight songs learned over nine weekly lessons. Even the very first lesson teaches a song! There are additional practice sessions for the introduction and all 7 lessons with further clarification including helpful information such as singing on key.

You can view an introduction to the course on the website. There are over 80 products available for sale on her site.

DVD Volume 1 + Book 1 - $29.95. OR the complete 4 book/DVD series is available for $119.80. What a bargain...have you priced private guitar lessons in your area? This is a GREAT deal!

She also has a class designed for kids! You can see more reviews, by some of the other TOS Crew members, HERE!

I received this product for free in exchange for my review as a member of the Crew. No further compensation was received and I offer my honest opinion.

1st Snow ~2010!

2010-01-04T16:10:00.000-06:00

SNOW DAY!! What a wonderful way to start the new year! It started snowing late Saturday night [Jan. 2] and has continued (on-and-off) through today...and more is on it's way! I was going to start back to school today, but I was looking for an excuse to 'ease back in' and I found it. :) Katelyn's [public school] friend spent the night last night, since schools are out, and this morning she asked if she could do school with us, so we did some stuff. It was fun!

Happy New Year!

Be JOYful, Kristi

Maestro Classics ~ TOS Review

2010-01-02T17:37:00.010-06:00

The Tortoise and the Hare..a favorite Aesop classic with a fun musical surprise!

As part of the Homeschool Crew, I received a free copy of The Tortoise and the Hare by Maestro Classics to review. The CD features the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and is narrated by Yadu, a.k.a. Dr. Konrad Czynski.

This came in the mail the day before we were leaving on a weekend trip, so we listened to it in the car and everyone [including Mr. Pool] loved it! So much so, that I ordered 3 more titles [The Story of Swan Lake, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, & Peter and the Wolf] to put in the kid's stockings, which the kids were delighted to receive!

Maestro Classics does an incredible job of blending beautiful music with great stories. Each CD includes a booklet packed with information about the conductor & the story. The Tortoise and the Hare booklet taught us lots of information about

instruments in an orchestra
whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and rests
measures
time signatures
the difference between a tortoise/turtle and a rabbit/hare

Overall, we found this CD to be delightful!

The CD cost $16.98.

Visit the website where you can listen to samples and take advantage of a super special ~3 CDs for $45.00 [coupon code MAESTRO45].

To read more reviews of Maestro Classics, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog.

Happy Halloween~ 2009!

2009-11-06T21:02:00.004-06:00

Here are a few pics from Halloween. We went 'trick-or-treating' at Daddy's office. Katelyn was with a friend and I did not get a pic of her. Cason was Darth Vader (again!). The little girls and I were dressed in our '50's Outfits'...Chloe was our little poodle. When Katelyn was 5, I made she and I matching poodle skirts to wear for Halloween that year. Now Carrie is 5, so I pulled out my poodle skirt, but I could not find the one I made for Katelyn. :( A few weeks ago, I found one at a resell shop AND I also found the cute little poodle costume for Chloe!

ABC Teach ~TOS Crew Review

2009-11-02T21:05:00.001-06:00

When I was given the opportunity to review a membership to ABC Teach, I must admit that I was not thrilled. Why, you ask? Well, I *thought* ABC Teach was a website that only offered a bunch of worksheets and I'm not a worksheet fan, so I just did not think it would have anything I needed. BUT, boy was I wrong! I'm SO thankful I was given the opportunity to review the membership and to experience all the incredible items ABC Teach has to offer!

The membership site has over 35,000 items! The materials are for PK-8th grade. The website is organized well and it has a Directory to help you find items [I'm still finding neat things daily!]. Okay, so if I do not like worksheets what does this site offer? It does have LOTS of worksheets (on every subject imaginable), but it also offers hands-on materials that I can use in our workboxes. Here are some of my favorites:

File Folder Games! Over 1000 print-and-make games to reinforce learning.
Art Lessons based on famous artists work [Van Gogh, O'Keefe, Picasso, Seurat, Monet, & more].
Book Units [vocabulary & reading comprehension activities] for the American Girl books! & many other books like Charlotte's Web, Flat Stanley, The Door In the Wall, Peter Pan, Treasure Island...lots!
Lots of Pre-K items: Letter Posters, patterns, booklets, cut-and-paste, etc....
Science Experiments/Investigations...perfect for my science center!
Mini Offices [see picture below] are SO neat!

ABC Teach graciously gave me a six-week free trial to their membership site and it has been a treat! In fact I loved it so much, I bought a yearly membership to keep my account active. The membership is $40/year. AND you can get 50% off HERE...yes a whole year for only $20! It is well worth it!

To read more reviews on this terrific site, go see what my crew mates had to say on the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Pumpkin Patch fieldtrip!

2009-11-01T15:13:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Field Trip!...B-17G Flying Fortress

2009-10-31T16:17:00.005-05:00

My hubby found out that the Flying Fortress, a B-17 Bomber, was making a stop at our local Flight Museum, so last Tuesday, October 27th , we went to tour it! The B-17 changed history in WW II when 1000's flew, but now there are only about 100 left and only 4 that can still fly!
From the website:

Between 1935 and May of 1945, 12,732 B-17s were produced.
Of these aircraft, 4,735 were lost during combat missions.

We climbed up into the plane and explored it. It was very neat and exciting. We have not studied this area in history yet, but won't it be super when we do to remind the kids of this experience! The kids loved it, especially our boy!

They might be coming to your area...check out the tour schedule HERE! You can even fly on the fortress for $399/person...that was not in our budget, but the tour itself was only $15/family and well worth it! :)

Here are the *COOL* pics:

Virginia Soaps & Scents ~TOS Crew Review

2009-10-27T08:32:00.006-05:00

I'm enjoying my year on the TOS Crew...I never know what will show up in my mailbox. A few weeks ago I received a package with wonderful soaps in it! I love yummy smelling, homemade soaps, so this truly made my day!

The package came from Virginia Soaps & Scents. The Spargur Family, from Virginia, make the homemade soaps. From their website:

We are a homeschooling family with nine children living in rural Virginia. Our interest in soap making began with a history lesson and developed into an artistic passion.

My package included the following: 3 soaps [Fresh Orange - Smells fresh squeezed!, Oatmeal, Milk & Honey - A warm scent with real oatmeal, & Coconut Lemongrass - Light and tropical].
My 11-year-old, made some cute soap dishes in her art class, so I put one in bar in each downstairs bathroom and the Coconut Lemongrass by my kitchen sink. Here are some pictures of the soap after using them for approximately 3 weeks...they last! Look close and you will see the cute soap dishes that my Kate made, they are in the shape of fall leafs. So cute!

The Fresh Orange was moved to the bathtub [the girls decided this was going to be their bath bar!]. The other item I received was a shampoo bar in the Cherry Almond scent...heavenly! The shampoo bar went fast...ALL of us loved it! I have *normal* hair with a natural slight wave in the back. It gets dry in the winter, but stays pretty much normal (no oil problems) throughout the year. It worked GREAT on my hair and I did not need conditioner. It left a 'squeaky-clean' feeling. My oldest daughter has thick, long hair and she loved it as well. She tends to get oily [pre-teen] hair, so I am going to order her the Oily Hair Clarifying Formula in Tangerine Grapefruit...yummy!

I know you will LOVE these soaps as much as we have, so go take a look at all the wonderful products Virginia Soaps & Scents offer. It's time to start thinking about Christmas...

it will be here soon! LOOK at the pretty Christmas soaps...don't you love the smell of Christmas!?! And check out the gift sets available HERE. Oh, and LOOK at these extra~yummy Gourmet Soaps! Fun, useful gifts for everyone!

Amazing Bible Timeline~ TOS Crew Review

2009-10-27T08:32:00.004-05:00

Recently, I received an Amazing Bible Timeline, to review for the TOS Crew. We are studying the old testament [via Grapevine Studies] this year, so I was excited to review this timeline...I felt it might be helpful in our bible study lessons.

The timeline ships in a nice tube, for protection. Once I got it out and unrolled, I realized that it is HUGE! It is a 37" by 45" wall chart [see pic below] printed on sturdy, durable cardstock with a nice protective coating. Great quality!

According to the website, you can See the Whole Bible At Once!
It covers 6000 years of biblical and world history from Adam to present day...it has over a thousand references! The timeline is in a circular format and works like a clock. This made it hard for me to read and understand [gave me a headache trying to read in a circle]. I like a linear time line with blocked sections. I understand that it would have to be much larger to be linear, but that is just my preference.

Even though it seemed overwhelming to me, I think bible students would enjoy all the information. You can go look at their website and see if it is something you might enjoy. They have a full page of 'Bible Questions' HERE. I would like to point out that there are Mormon references on the timeline [only a few] and this may cause you to not want to order it. I know I would have been surprised and a little upset if I had paid for it and then found out, so I wanted to let you know.

You can purchase the timeline from Bible Charts and Maps LLC for $29.97 plus $6.00 shipping and handling. Order now and you will receive free extras including the Interactive Maps of the Holy Land download, a digital copy of the Amazing Timeline, and two PDF versions of the genealogy of Christ. Also, you can order two for $49.97 and they both ship for $6!

Still not sure? Read lots more reviews HERE!

*I received the Amazing Bible Timeline free of charge in exchange for my honest review. The opinion is mine alone.*

Sue Patrick's Workbox System ~TOS Crew Review

2009-10-27T08:10:00.007-05:00

Sue Patrick's Workbox System has helped me bring order to my day. As a laid~back, Charlotte Mason homeschooler, I sometimes lack order and focus. I was in need of a system that would help me stay on track with the day-to-day items that need to be accomplished. I had heard of the Workbox System and wondered if it would help me with my daily schedule? Would it fit with my CM style? Could it bring order and focus to my days? Yes, yes, yes...the system works and it's easy to implement into any homeschool style!

Sue Patrick, a homeschool mom, developed the Workbox System out of necessity when her son was diagnosed with autism. She has helped countless families, that have children with developmental disabilities. She now offers the Workbox System User's Guide, $19 [ebook] on her website, to help ALL families implement her system.

The Workbox System User's Guide is a 122 page manual that includes 12 helpful chapters like...What is the Workbox System?, Who is this System For?, & How a Day Works to name a few. The guide does an exceptional job of detailing all you need to implement Sue's Workbox System in your homeschool. The guide includes great pictures and you will also receive basic forms to download, when you register your purchase online. Her website has lots of good information on it.

Likes...

My children enjoy seeing the work in the boxes and knowing what they will need to accomplish during their 'seat work' time. They each have 6 boxes to work through. They have also enjoyed the file folder games and the individual centers that I have incorporated into their daily learning. As a former public education teacher, I know the value of centers, but I forget to include them in my lesson plans. With theWorkbox System it's easy to plan the activities into their schedules! Another thing that the children enjoy is our new science center. I set up a science area and once a week [or more] I set up an experiment and they go to the center to complete the experiment and record their findings. It's fun, new, & adds excitement to the classroom.

Dislikes...

One thing that I do not like about the Workbox System is the fact that it puts a big emphasizes on 'school time'. I believe that ALL we do everyday...every minute is tied to learning and we do not 'have school'. I follow Charlotte Mason's philosophy and most of our learning is gained through reading and discussing good books. Time spent on the reading couch...well, you cannot put that in a work box! So there are a few things in the User's Guide that I will not follow. For example, we will not 'clock in to school'. Life IS school! Also, the system puts a huge emphasizes on 'independence'...where children are to work quietly and on their own. One thing that I absolutely love about homeschooling is the fact that we are all together...talking, laughing, and learning together! It does not bother me for my children to talk to me, and each other, while working. It does not bother me if they ask for help. And it does not bother me if they help each other or work together. Independence will come~ I want to cherish these fleeting days that we can all be together.

I do like that this system is easy to tweak and use according to your homeschool needs. Overall, the User's Guide is a great resource. It has helped me be consistent and intentional with the day-to-day items that need to be reinforced [math, spelling, copywork, etc...] and by incorporating review via file folder games and centers. I feel more focused, & on track with my children's learning. If you are looking for a system that will add structure and consistency to your day...try theWorkbox System!

Educaching! ~TOS Crew Review

2009-10-21T21:16:00.002-05:00

Educaching...

let the hunt for learning begin!

What is Educaching? Jason Hubbard, a 5th grade teacher, created a full curriculum that combines geocaching and education to create an exciting learning adventure! The GPS based curriculum is for teachers grades 4-8, but can easily be adapted (homeschoolers love that word!) up or down. For this review, I received the electronic version [PDF format] of the Teacher's Manual.

It is a large manual [128 pages] and is divided into five parts:

Teacher Training: includes explanation and internet links about GPS technology; terminology, overview of equipment/gear
Lesson Plans: beginner, intermediate and advanced lesson plans on mostly math and science related subjects (there’s some language arts, social studies, and physical education). Each lesson has a list of National Teaching Standards that it meets.
Field sheets: worksheets from the lesson plans that students use to complete as they find their “caches”
Acquiring GPS: This section is more applicable to traditional schools as it goes into details about how to obtain GPS units at no cost (e.g., grants/grant writing). For homeschoolers, Walmart carries a great, basic Garmin GPS for $76!
Beyond the Basics: additional ideas for implementing GPS technology with educational learning.

When given the opportunity to review the 'educaching' program, I knew it would be something we could easily do, since we started geocaching [as a family] about two years ago and we know how to use our GPS quite well! But don't worry if you are a beginner...the first section of the manual is perfect for beginners, you will learn all you need to know! After downloading the manual I started reading through it and I quickly realized that this manual is written for the public education, classroom setting, but it can be adapted for homeschools and homeschool co-ops fairly easily. There are lots of lesson plans to choose from and I decided to try the 'Dino Discovery' lesson, because my 8-year-old loves science and loves dinosaurs and loves our GPS, so this was going to be a 'triple treat' for him!

ALL the materials you need are lined out in the lesson plans. It's nicely organized and easy to follow! For the 'Dino Discovery' lesson...I made a map of where I wanted to hide the 5 caches and proceeded to make 3 copies of the 'dinosaur bones' [on red, yellow, and blue cardstock], cut out the pieces, mixed all the bones up, and put them in 5 different baggies. I hid the caches and my hubby helped me set the waypoints. The kids 'hunted' for the dino bones and once found, we sorted the colors and they each worked on creating their dino. They had a great time and I was amazed at how well they used the GPS and worked together to find the caches. Fun, cooperative learning...gotta love it!

Educaching...what a neat concept! It will be easy to incorporate some of the other lessons into my homeschooling and I've already got lots of ideas to create my own lessons. I'm very pleased with the concept and the manual. I think it is a wonderful resource for homeschoolers, especially those that are interested in geocaching.

Read more Educaching reviews from my TOS Crew members HERE.

2009 Birthday Celebration!

2009-10-20T18:41:00.001-05:00

October is our 'party month'! ALL of our children were born in October! You may think it is a curse to have 4 birthdays in one month, but actually it is a huge blessing! We always choose a fun destination and celebrate ALL the birthdays together. We do not have 4 separate birthday parties. Each child has their own 'special day' that we honor their birthday and then we do one BIG celebration weekend. This year we chose to go to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City! It was a blast! The kid's had a fun, fun time and so did my hubby and me. This is our 'roll over' month...so now we have an 11, 8, 5, & 2-year-old! Here are the pics from the Lodge:

Sarah Books~ TOS Crew Review

2009-10-18T19:02:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I received a beautiful, autographed copy of Sarah's Wish from author Jim Baumgardner, a Christian writer. When I sat down to read Sarah's Wish I quickly realized this was a historical fiction ~living book [a favorite in our home]! Set in Ohio in 1858, the story is about a 12-year-old girl named Sarah who becomes an orphan, after her mother dies in a tragic accident. Sarah and her mother were a part of the Underground Railroad and now Sarah is left with the difficult and dangerous task of delivering the 'packages', waiting to be transported, on her own. Sarah relies on her faith in God as she faces much difficulties and danger. The happy ending ties in the meaning for the butterfly on the cover of the book...love it!

The author, Jim Baumgardner, is a friendly, kind man that loves and lives history! As a volunteer at The Old Cowtown Museum, he helps keep history alive. He also goes into schools and homeschool groups to help students learn more about the Underground Railroad, trail drives, Indians, & more. His love for history is evident in his writing. Sarah's Wish is a historical 'living book'...an exciting story that teaches history. When asked, "Why history in fiction instead of non-fiction?", the author stated "stories bring facts of any history book to life." So true! That is why we enjoy 'living books' so much more than dry, boring textbooks. You and your children will learn about the Underground Railroad, slavery, travel on riverboats, the Orphan Train, and Apothecaries.

Mr. Baumgardner is a grandfather and all of his grandchildren are homeschooled. He has a 'homeschool page' on his website. You can sign-up for a *FREE* Sarah's Web Newsletter on the homeschool page.

Sarah's Wish is the first book in the Sarah series. Sarah's Promise & Sarah's Escape are also available, which I plan to order soon for Christmas presents! I know you will love the Sarah books too!

Go HERE to order an autographed copy of Sarah's Wish for $9.99 [includes shipping!].

Guardian Angel Publishing ~ TOS Review

2009-10-13T08:33:00.004-05:00

Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. recently sent 5 Ebooks for me to review (Guardian Angel Publishing provided me with a free copy of the Ebooks to test and use in order to write this review). GAP publishes *FREE* and reasonably priced books for children ages 0~12. The books are offered in Ebook format (instant download), CD format, & print format (paperback). I will review each book individually.

No Bones About It !

This book covers the 206 bones in the body set to a catchy rhyme. I was amazed at how fast my older children learned all the bones from head to toe! The book includes interesting 'Factoids' on each page that gives more detail and information about each bone. The drawings are fun & entertaining, only one page [26] seems a bit scary (eye balls popping out and a long tongue sticking out) for little ones. For easier study, I printed the book out and put it in a notebook with page protectors. This was my 8-year-old's favorite...he loves science, especially books about the body! Ebook download is $5.00.

Andy and Spirit Go To the Fair

This is one of three books that make up the Andy & the Albino Horse Series. Andy and Spirit Go To the Fair is an inspiring story about Andy, a boy in a wheelchair, and his horse, Spirit. Andy and Spirit have a special bond. They work together to overcome obstacles and become true heroes to each other. Three extra pages on wild horse management and 4-H are included. Ebook download is $5.00.

A portion of the proceeds from this book are donated to Healing Reins of Bend, OR. www.healingreins.org , a non-profit organization, and Horseplay of Fernley, NV. http://downshorseplay.googlepages.com

Rainbow Sheep
Come along on a wonderful adventure with Genevieve, the shepherdess, as she cheers up the bored, lonely rainbow and causes him to cry happy tears. Much to her delight, the happy tears turn her sheep into rainbow sheep! The author, Kim Chatel is an incredible fiber artist. The illustrations in the book are all created by Kim using only wool...it's amazing! My 10-year-old, who loves all kinds of crafts, wanted to try the needle-felting, so she is working on her own sheep (I will post a pic soon). The book includes four informational pages on needle-felting with complete instructions on how to create your own sheep. We all love this Ebook!...download is $5.00.

Maybe We Are Flamingos
When Flora and Fernando hatch from their eggs, they soon realize they are the wrong color...white, not pink! They are confused and begin to wonder if they are in fact flamingos at all. They finally gather enough courage to ask their 'mum' and learn a fascinating fact that calms their fears. This book is fun, exciting, & educational! The Ebook download is $5.00.

I purchased the iKids Play app for my iPhone [$2.99 at iTunes App Store] and my 2 & 5-year-old both love it! It has a neat feature that allows you to record yourself reading the story...my older children love this feature! Or you can choose the 'read' option that has a person read the story. It also has a 'paint', 'rub', & 'color' feature that are very fun for your little ones.

Earthquake

Wow...LOTS of information in 28 pages! Engaging illustrations, interesting facts, and science experiments to try at home (learn how to make your own seiche)....this book has it all. We all learned a lot from this book. It explores earthquakes from every angle and even has an excellent overview of geology. There is an earthquake safety page available on the website for further study. Look HERE. Love it..added to my science notebook for further study. Ebook download is $5.oo.

Overall, I enjoyed all of the books from GAP. At $5.00 an Ebook, I plan to buy other titles for my homeschool. My only complaint is that the website is not well organized and a bit confusing...some of the links do not work. It needs a new look and a site map. However, the books themselves are wonderful! I know you will want to go see the *FREE* books and browse the many books available, HERE.

For more reviews from my TOS Crew members...go HERE.

Nature Friend Magazine ~TOS Review

2009-10-07T08:26:00.006-05:00

Last spring, while thumbing through The Old Homeschool magazine, I saw an ad for Nature Friend magazine. Being a huge nature study fan, I thought it looked like a super magazine for our classroom. I tore the page out [with intentions to order a subscription], put it in a 'safe place' and forgot about it. Well, you can imagine my excitement when I found out I was going to have the opportunity to review this magazine! Nature Friend sent both the August & September magazines & study guides for me to review [Nature Friend provided me with two free copies of their magazine for me to test and use in order to write this review].

Nature Friend magazine is in its 27^thyear (began January 1983). Kevin and Bethany Shank have owned Nature Friend since May 2006. From the website:

We are a children's magazine the whole family, including the grandparents, can enjoy. We publish twelve issues per year, six of which are gently nudged towards an older age. They are the January, March, May, July, September, and November issues. This is easiest to observe by the two-page art lesson that goes a bit more in-depth than the one-page lesson. While 8-16 may be a nucleus, we publish drawings by 3-4 year olds and quotes/writings from parents and grandparents.

The first thing that caught my eye was the incredible photography! Both covers have awesome pictures that create great curiosity...we could not wait to look inside! Once inside Nature Friend, I noticed right away that this is a magazine that honors God! It is the publisher's desire to encourage children to believe in God as their Creator and to seek out, recognize, and appreciate His handiwork.

Special features include:

'Invisibles' ~A drawing with numerous objects hidden within the drawing (similar to Highlights Hidden Pictures, which was a favorite of mine when I was a child). My 8-year-old wanted to find the hidden objects right away!
'Articles' ~ Character-building, Creator-honoring stories that both teach and delight the reader.
'Puzzles' ~fun, nature-related puzzles that educate.
'Scavenger Hunt' ~hidden objects (two or more) somewhere in the magazine. My son loves this feature, too!
'Learning By Doing' ~ an educational science feature that reinforces the lesson.
'The Story Behind the Photo' ~photographers capture a stunning photo and tell about the events leading up to the incredible photo.
'Caption This' ~ Approximately every other month a photograph is featured and readers are invited to submit a caption for the photograph. One or several of the captions are featured in a later issue on the back cover.

Children enjoy seeing children's work and they get excited about the possibility of having their work published. Here are some of the many ways Nature Friend offers reader/student contributions:

The 'You Can Draw' feature is a monthly art lesson. Each month the magazine features artists from previous 'You Can Draw' lessons. My daughter completed the black bear lesson (from the September 2009 issue) and we submitted it for possible publication in a future issue.

'Pictures & Poems' features nature-related artwork and poetry.
Reader submitted photography is featured in the 'Creation Close-ups' section.
'Nature Trails' has stories/photos about activities that readers like to do each year in a particular month, or something they did one year and enjoyed (children are welcome to submit to this feature as well).
The 'Readers' Issue' is published twice a year and features, cover-to-cover, material from Nature Friend readership.

A Study Guide is also available to the Nature Friend readers. The Study Guide is a wonderful resource! The Study Guide ships with the magazine, and is 8-12 pages in the center portion of the magazine. It features the following:

Exercises that reinforce what can be learned from that particular issue of Nature Friend. Exercises may include crossword puzzle, acrostic, fill-in-the-blank, true and false, etc. Several research questions are also included... “For You to Research,” challenges the student to go even deeper into the topics being discussed.
“A Study in Nature; a Lesson in Writing” teaches creative writing using a nature study as a springboard.
“The Photo Critique” teaches nature photography tips.

Using the Study Guide, from the August 2009 issue, I planned an 'end-of-summer' walk. The Edge of Autumn article helped me plan a fun, educational nature study that we all enjoyed immensely! We took a walk and used our five senses to look for signs of summer coming to an end. We made an entry into our nature journal and took pictures of some items we found. We read the poem and the prayer (also included in the Study Guide). I'm very excited about the Study Guide...excellent resource! Check out a sample HERE.

Overall, we LOVE this magazine! I'm on my way to subscribe right now...don't want to miss a single issue! I know you will love it as well! Want to 'try before you buy'? The website has 3 sample issues for you to view...look HERE.

Ready to order? Go HERE!
1yr subscription- USA- $36.00
2yr subscription-USA- $68.00
You will want to add the study guide for $2.00/ issue [this is not a separate feature...it is included as an insert in the center portion of the magazine, if you subscribe to it].

*Nature Friend is currently offering a promotion, BLOG93 can be used to save $3.00 off of any new subscriptions and this promotion is valid until November 30, 2009.

Our playhouse is finished!!

2009-10-03T21:17:00.008-05:00

After lots of painting...

The hard work paid off! The house is finished and it is awesome!

We went with a 'nature' theme because we love nature study and God's creation! We found a neat picture, on clearance at Target, that has the earth on it and says, "Conserve". We found a great green rug on clearance too. And I made curtains with material [also on clearance at Target] that says, "Think Green", "I 'heart' Nature", "Trees are our friends", etc....So it's a 'Nature Hut'. :) Hard to all agree when you have a boy that wanted absolutely NO pink in the little house! Notice Katelyn & Carrie's dolls and dollhouse...the Lego's are hidden in the stools! ~ha! I cannot wait to have tea time in our little house next week! We have electricity and Katelyn put the heater out there for when it is chilly. I'm just as excited about it as the kids! Thank you sweet Hubby!

Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services

2009-10-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

Recently, I received Write with the Best, Vol. 1 from Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services (EDUDPS) to review. EDUDPS offers several items, from complete writing curriculum to a vocabulary program, career planning and learning diagnostic tools. They have a resourceful website chock-full of incredible information...see the site map here.

Write with the Best , Vol. 1 is a writing program written for students in grades 3-12. It focuses on descriptive writing skills, literature analysis and grammar. Grammar is taught in the context of writing, not as a separate subject [no sentence dissecting!]. The idea is to teach your child how to write descriptively by having him model great works of literature.

From the 'Focus and Goal' page of the manual:

The goal of the program is to produce successful writers who know how to write effectively, who know how to proofread their work efficiently, and who know how to properly analyze great literature.

Each of the nine units provides activities for 10 lessons, designed to take 2 weeks to complete. Each lesson has 1-3 objectives for each day which breaks down the writing task into small, manageable bites.

Nine different genres are covered:
* Describing an Object from Jules Verne
* Describing a Place from Charles Dickens
* Describing a Character from Daniel Defoe
* Writing dialogue from Kenneth Grahame
* The Short Story from O. Henry
* Fables from Aesop
* Friendly Letters from Robert Louis Stevenson
* Poetry - Rhyming Verse from William Wordsworth
* The Ballad or Narrative Poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The curriculum also includes a grading guide, answer key and other suggestions for different learning styles.

Katelyn is in 5th grade this year and up to this point we have covered writing through copywork, dictation, & narration. I was ready to go forward with some actual writing lessons, for this year, so a writing curriculum was on my 'find list' all summer! When I was given the opportunity to review this product...I happily accepted! I'm certainly glad I did, because it eases the student into the writing process and teaches them excellent writing skills through a 'gentle' approach [Charlotte Mason style!]. While the author suggests each unit taking 2 weeks to complete, she also encourages parents to not rush through each genre. It took us 5 weeks to complete the first unit. It is my plan to work a little each day [15-20 minutes] and use Volume 1 the whole year.

Write with the Best sells for $19.95 to $24.95. The e-book version is currently on sale for $14.95. The first two units (out of a total of nine) can be downloaded as a trial version HERE...go check it out.

Growing Healthy Homes ~TOS Crew Review

2009-09-25T19:40:00.007-05:00

Growing Healthy Homes has created an incredible product titled Nutrition 101: Choose Life! It is awesome! I received the e-book and it is HUGE...448 pages! The pictures are beautiful, so I have been printing each chapter in full-color and putting them in a notebook with page protectors [to make a nice book].

The first 283 pages covers 6 units: 1) The Brain and Nervous System; 2) Digestion and Elimination; 3) Respiration and Olfactory; 4) Muscular and Skeletal Systems; 5) Cardiovascular and Immune Systems; and 6) Endocrine System and Emotions. The units include hands-on activities, science and art projects and nearly 80 family-friendly recipes. The remaining pages include an answer key and 31 appendices filled with nutrition facts, charts, practical tips and an exhaustive index.

It is a strong desire for my hubby and I to feed our children well and to teach them to eat healthy, so we cook low-fat, meals that focus on nutrition and I do my best to not buy junk food. We also buy organic, local when possible. We are all very active...the children are in gymnastics, tennis, & swim, my hubby mountain bikes approximately 50+ miles a week, and I exercise daily. We want them to grow up in a health-focused atmosphere, but I have been searching for a health curriculum that would teach my children the 'why' behind our choices. I had just about given up on finding a biblically based program (thought it did not exist), so you can imagine my excitement as we began reading the first unit 'The Brain and Nervous System'. The first paragraph states:

Psalm 139:14 declares "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." God made our brains and nervous systems to do some amazing things!

I quickly realized that this was the health curriculum I have been searching for!

Each chapter is approximately 5-10 pages long and includes a yummy recipe. It works well with my four-day schedule! We read/study the chapter the first two days, complete the activities on the third day and create the yummy recipe the fourth day! As we worked through the first chapter 'The Brain' I gave my children a picture of the brain to color (found it on Enchanted Learning). My children focus/listen better while coloring and we enjoy notebooking, so I always try to find a picture that goes with the chapter/unit we are studying...once colored, we add it to our notebook.

The second chapter 'Brain Health and Nutrition' included a Greek salad recipe. On our 4th day of study, we celebrated with a 'brain power' lunch! It was fun and the kids ate the salad right up! I quizzed them by asking questions like: "Which ingredient contains omega fatty acids? How does it protect our heart?, etc.... They seem to eat better [and make better choices] when they know how different foods effect our bodies.

I 100% love this product! It is a complete science/health curriculum that the whole family will enjoy and benefit from. We have made a few changes that are already reaping benefits...cutting out sugar! The kids are on board because they now understand why sugar [a chemical] is bad for our bodies. Learning the 'why' behind our choices empowers us and motivates us to live healthy!

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is available as an e-book on a CD-ROM for $79.95. The printed book can be bought for $99.95, and the book and CD-ROM can be purchased together for $129.95. *I would order the full-color printed book...it's beautiful and well-worth the price! This will be a resource you keep and use for many, many years!

Take a look at the sample pages. You can see the table of contents with all the details and index topics!

To read reviews from my TOS crewmates, click here!

STUDYPOD ~TOS Crew Review

2009-09-23T15:14:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago, I received a nifty invention in the mail to review. It's called a STUDYPOD and it is basically a book holder ~with perks! At first I thought I would not use it much, due to the fact I'm not in college, but one morning I used it during my bible study time...now I do not know how I have lived without it!

From the STUDYPOD website: Developed by a teacher, the STUDYPOD book holder provides a simple way to improve your studying. It holds any size textbook and study sheets upright at a comfortable level (similar to the angle of your computer screen) helping maximize your focus. It holds virtually any textbook wide open, freeing hands for writing, typing or eating. You’ll love the book-like design and the handy internal pocket that can hold your other study supplies.

The STUDYPOD has great features:

~Holds virtually any size book. Large and small, soft and hard bound books are supported by the STUDYPOD book holder's durable design.

~ Holds your stuff- pens, pencils, calculator, note cards and other study supplies.

~Shaped like a book for easy storage and portability.

~Great for copywork, sheet music, crafts/painting, cookbooks, magazines, bible study, & more!

Here are some pictures showing the many ways we have used it in our home [click the pic to enlarge]:

Cooking, copywork, crafts, quiet time...we have used it a lot and we all LOVE it! Kate wants a pink one!

The STUDYPOD Black, Blue, and Pink and the BOOKPOD [same product] is available in Black, Gray, and Beige.

The STUDYPOD/BOOKPOD costs $19.95 or if you buy two or more you can purchase them at a discounted price of $16.95 each. You can mix and match STUDYPOD and BOOKPOD to take advantage of the $16.95 price. PLUS right now, they are offering a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for my readers! You can get $5 off your order by entering the code TOSBLOGS. I'm ordering lots for Christmas presents this year...perfect gift!

If you'd like to read more reviews from my wonderful crew mates, go check out the TOS crew blog!

Pool School is launched!

2009-09-12T07:32:00.003-05:00

POOL School is officially up and running! It will be a record of our day-to-day learning adventures. Go HERE to follow us.

More progress on the playhouse!

2009-09-09T17:07:00.007-05:00

Lots of good progress was made over the long weekend! The roof is on and the outside is complete...we will get the door on next. Lots of good pics, so one day we can say, "Look how little _____________ was when Daddy built the playhouse". :) Love it!

Cason drilled the holes for the electrical cord and then he pulled the cord through the holes. He's learning, so one day he can build his children a playhouse!

Playhouse!

2009-09-07T17:13:00.006-05:00

When we moved up from Texas we left behind a wonderful playhouse that my multi-talented hubby built. I have dreamed of the day that he would build another one...the day has arrived! Yipppppeeee! I had a playhouse when I was a child and my sisters and I made many fun memories in that cute little house, so I have always wanted my children to have their own little cottage. My hubby said that he was building it more for me than the kids! :) More pics coming soon.

Super FREE Printables

2009-08-30T08:13:00.002-05:00

I found a great site that has free curriculum & free printables...check it out HERE. Lots of goodies...copywork, charts, lapbooks, & more! She also has a great blog.

Web Design for KIDS ~TOS Crew Review

2009-08-29T06:37:00.004-05:00

A month ago I would have thought it was impossible to teach my 7 & 10-year-old children enough HTML to create their own web page, but Web Design for Kids proved me wrong!

Web Design for Kids (...And Curious Grown-Ups!) is a simple DVD, not a software package. You do not need extra software to make it work. All you need is Internet Explorer & Notepad. These two programs are already on your computer (if you use Windows as the operating system).

The DVD is approximately 1 hour and 22 minutes long and consists of seven chapters covering the following (plus a lot more!):

* The 10 Basic Lines of Code
* Coloring the Background and Letters
* Making Letters Move Across the Screen
* Designer Backgrounds
* Changing Fonts
* Adding Pictures

The DVD host is Mr. Brian Richardson, a middle school computer literacy teacher and technology expert. He does an excellent, thorough job of explaining each step. Two children are also on the DVD and they ask Mr. Richardson questions as they go...this was helpful to my children. My plan was to sit with my 10-year-old and allow her to create her web page, but I soon realized that the instructions were simple enough for my 7-year-old to create a web page as well. So, I went back through the DVD with him and he LOVED it! He likes a challenge, so this was great for him!

We placed my laptop right next to my PC, which made it possible to watch the DVD and follow along as Mr. Richardson had us do various exercises on the PC. Both of my children followed along well and were able to create fun, functional web pages...very exciting for them!

If you are looking for a fun, rewarding computer course...this is it! And the price cannot be beat: $19.99! [This is a limited time special offer].

You can see a one minute video clip HERE.

Want to see some sample websites? Go HERE.

One more noteworthy fact...Mr. Richardson believes "we're all blessed -to be a blessing" so he donates a portion of his company’s profits to the following charities:

Ronald McDonald House
Children’s Miracle Network
The Smile Train
Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
American Foundation for the Blind

And he established the Click Drag Foundation, which provides DVDs and instruction to at-risk youth programs in urban neighborhoods across the U.S. and the world.

Quarter Mile Math~TOS Crew Review

2009-08-26T14:57:00.005-05:00

At the beginning of summer I was on a quest to find a fun, effective way for the kids to practice their math facts while on summer break, so I was delighted the day Quarter Mile Math was delivered to our house. The package stated "Math Practice Software Kids Love"...I was anxious to try it! It came with a CD that was very easy to install and a booklet with full instructions. Once set up, I began to play and the kids gathered around me wanting their turn. We explored the whole program for over an hour. Conclusion: We like practicing math...it's fun!

Quarter Mile Math is a software program that is highly motivating because you compete against yourself. The screen displays your car or riderless horse racing against others, after five races you race against your best times. You are able to see your progress as you get better and better with each race! It's almost addictive...even for mom! And boy, is it effective! The reason it works so well is because the game is tied to the math. You type in answers as fast as you can which accelerates your car or riderless horse and causes you to become very efficient in mental math, very quickly!

I received the Deluxe Version which gives you access to all 3 Levels (all 323 topics in the entire product line and all 70,000+ problems, covers K-9th grade [pre-algebra]). Look HERE for the exhaustive list.

The Deluxe Version (best choice for multiple levels) has some neat features:

It tracks a student's progress over time automatically.
Students can be in real-time tournaments with other family members on multiple computers.
Multiple students can use it on different computers simultaneously.
FREE upgrades!

The Deluxe Version has 3 payment options:

$2.95 per family per month
$19.95 per family per year
$34.95 per family for two years

You may also choose the Standard Version, which is shipped to you in CD form and prices range from $39.95-$89.95 depending on the level(s) you want. HERE is a Deluxe/Standard product comparison chart.

The kids are asking, "Can we play that race game?" daily...no more whining and complaining when it's time to practice our math drills! I like that the game is self-competitive, because it allows 'healthy competition' to motivate. Katelyn is very competitive, she turns everything into a 'race'. She greatly enjoys the self-competition format! Cason, on the other hand, is not as competitive [big sister always wins], so I wondered if the self-competition would be as motivating for him. It is! He likes to see if he can beat his high score each time...when you race against yourself, the pressure is eliminated. Even Carrie, my 4-year-old, enjoys it! She is able to do the kindergarten level with help.

Overall, we all LOVE it! Where was Quarter Mile Math when I was in school? I could have used the math practice for sure and the keyboard practice would have been wonderful in college! I'm definitely learning right along with my children. This program is now a part of our curriculum line-up...it will be used for daily math drill practice. If you are looking for a fun way to sharpen math fact skills, download the Free Demo...you will be 'hooked' as well!

**Barnum Software is offering a special for my readers...$5 off any product ~Standard or Deluxe. Use this code: 7R7Y7 There is a place to input this code on the order forms. This Referral Code will be good until September 30.

Sense and Sensibility Patterns; Girl’s Edwardian Apron~TOS Crew Review

2009-08-24T09:25:00.008-05:00

What a FUN item to review! I enjoy sewing. I'm not an expert by any means, but my mother taught me basic sewing when I was young (thank you, Mom!) and I like to create things. I have taught Katelyn basic sewing as well, I want to teach her how to use a pattern, but I do not like the material that patterns are made of [easy to tear and hard to work with!], so I had decided to wait until she was a little older. When I was given the opportunity to review the Girl's Edwardian Apron from Sense and Sensibility Patterns the first thing that got me interested was the fact that I would receive the e-pattern, $7.95 (also available as a traditional paper pattern, $12.95) and I would be able to print the pattern on printer paper. I wondered if the printer paper would be easier to work with? Short answer: It is!
I received an email containing the e-pattern & class combination [$24.95], which includes , e-pattern, and full class instructions...slide visuals in pdf format and audio in MP3 format. Plus an extra 4 demo videos to 'walk you through' some tricky areas. The $25 is well-worth the step-by-step instruction Jennie Chancey, Sense and Sensibility owner, provides! Apron information from the website:

* Sizes 2-14 all included in one envelope.

* Extremely forgiving and adaptable fit!

* Easy to sew. This is a fantastic pattern to use as a mother-daughter project to teach sewing!

* Yardage Chart available online.

Katelyn and I watched the slide show and listened to the audio. Then we read through the pattern instructions and downloaded the pattern...all 25 pages! The 'fun' part was piecing the pages together. I laid out a large piece of white paper to make it easier to line up the pattern lines, then we taped the pattern together and Katelyn cut out the pieces. It was really easy and went fast. The end result was a sturdy pattern...Katelyn had no trouble pinning the pieces to our material! Jennie suggest that you trace the pattern to interfacing to create a sturdy, reusable pattern, but I knew I was going to make four aprons in 4 different sizes (one for me and my 3 girls), so I decided to use the paper pattern. We started with the largest size and worked down to the smallest size, downsizing the pattern as we went. It worked great, and gave Katelyn LOTS of good pattern practice! Once it was time to start sewing, we started with the size 4 pieces(Carrie's apron; see pictures at bottom) . I thought it would be a good size to handle while teaching. Katelyn and I worked together and it was fast, fun & easy! The instructions, especially the step-by-step slides [actual pictures] are a HUGE benefit, especially if you are a visual learner like myself. The end result is an adorable apron that fits Carrie perfectly. Katelyn said, "Mommy, I like to sew," which made my day! Now we need to complete the other 3 aprons! I will post pictures once they are all complete...give me a few days. :)

As we were cleaning up, Katelyn looked at the pattern lay-out page [small scale of the whole pattern] and asked if we could use it to make her American Girl an apron. We carefully measured her doll [waist, chest, & skirt length]. Next, we glued the bodice piece to paper and made it a little bigger, according to our measurements. Once it was cut out, we held it up to the doll and it was the perfect size! Katelyn cut out the remaining doll pattern pieces, pinned the pieces on the fabric, cut them out, and we sewed it up...now her doll will match! Fun!

If you are looking for an easy, affordable way to teach your daughter[s] to sew, you will love this adorable apron pattern with step-by-step lessons. I especially like the big, deep pockets on the apron...little girls love pockets! Check out the wonderful website here... it is chock-full of gorgeous patterns in yesteryear style, super sewing tips and a customer show and tell page. Jennie offers online photo instructions for most of her patterns.

Here's Carrie in her new apron [click on the pics to enlarge them].

My Classroom is ready!

2009-08-23T20:56:00.008-05:00

Yes, it's true! My classroom is finally ready for school! It took me ALL summer, but this is how I have wanted my classroom for a LONG time. I'm very excited! My books are ordered and will be here this week, so we will officially start next Tuesday. My sweet friend, Anne Marie, reminded me that it will soon be very cold here in NWA...only a few weeks until fall! We will soon miss these nice warm days, so this week will be spent playing outside...the best 'classroom' on earth! Okay, on to the pics...the first 4 pics show Katelyn & Cason's desk area where they do their independent work.

Carrie's desk:

Our sewing area:
The last 4 pics show our bookshelf (all current curriculum on top shelf), that AWESOME cubbyshelf I found on Craigslist (I printed labels...Science, History, Language Arts, Music, Art, Bible, Math, etc...to organize each cubby!), our bulletin board ('Look What We Did' to show current work), and my desk area.

Grapevine Studies ~TOS Crew Review!

2009-08-16T06:54:00.019-05:00

"Stick Figuring Through The Bible"...peek your interest? Did, mine! I recently had the delightful opportunity to review Grapevine Studies Bible curriculum and I like it...a lot!! Grapevine Studies is an easy-to-teach, FUN Bible curriculum that incorporates visualnesthetic learning into Bible study by 'drawing' your way through the Bible. They offer multiple studies, ages 5-adult, that cover the Old Testament, New Testament, Biblical Feasts & Holy Days and Bible geography. I chose to review the Old Testament Overview (Level 2) and the Catechism course: Old Testament Basics. All of the studies are available in ebook or hardcopy form. I received both the teacher books and the student books in the 'ebook' format...I could not wait to get started! :)

The Old Testament Overview has 50 lessons that cover characters and events from Adam to Nehemiah. Each lesson takes a week to complete [4-day schedule], so this will last approximately 175 days. Each lesson begins with a review of the Old Testament timeline [taught in Lesson 1] and then 'dives in' to that week's topic. For example...Lesson 2 covers Creation. Each lesson has four parts: Bible Reading, Drawing, Lesson Review & Memory Verse. After reading the Scripture from your Bible [the translation you desire], you 'stick figure' the Scripture on a white board and your children draw in their student books [they can copy what you draw or be as creative as they want]. My VERY creative 10-year old Kate takes a lot of time to draw her figures. My 7-year old Cason copied my drawings at first, but now is becoming more creative as well. Each lesson ends with a set of questions to check comprehension and review the learned material. One of my favorite questions that the author includes in each review is “What do we learn about God from these verses?"...the answers are priceless.

I'm using the Old Testament B asics [Catechism] in conjunction with the Old Testament Overview. The two studies compliment one another and I like that it adds a little extra review to our study. The teacher book includes 225 questions, Bible verses and answers. It is flexible and easy! You ask a question, read Scripture, and 'stick figure' the answer. We are doing one lesson a week. All questions deal with biblical facts (not doctrinal issues) and compliments any of the studies.

In graduate school, I learned quite a bit about 'visual learning'. The statistics are fascinating... written information is 70% more memorable when combined with visuals and actions. The brain processes images 60,000 times faster than words alone. Retention & comprehension soar when information is learned both verbally and visually! As a public school teacher, I had my students 'draw' their vocabulary words for better understanding...it was both fun & effective. Grapevine Studies values this approach as well...

"Grapevine Studies believes that students who are taught using reading, hearing, and drawing will have a higher retention rate than those who are just lectured"

The proof is in the pudding...I'm seeing very positive results in my kids! They LOVE the lessons [beg to do more each day] and they are retaining the information! About a week after we studied 'God' [OT Basics, Lesson 2], we were eating dinner and my 7-year-old boy held up his triangle shaped tortilla chip and announced, "Look! It's the 'God sign'!" My husband gave me an odd look... "The 'God sign' is a triangle shape", I explained, joyfully. :) This is a definite 'keeper' in my curriculum line-up. You will LOVE it, too!

For my readers, Grapevine Studies is kindly offering a 30% discount for a limited time on ALL of their studies! Use this code: crews when ordering. Good until September 15th!

The author of the studies, Dianna Wiebe (also a homeschool mom!) was very helpful in assisting me with deciding which studies would work with the ages of my children and she would be happy to help you as well...just send her an email or call.

If you want to read reviews on one of the other studies offered...Go here!

EnJOY!

It's that time of the year...'Back to School'!

2009-08-08T16:06:00.012-05:00

We rarely get the newspaper, but last Sunday my hubby rode his motorcycle up to the local gas station and bought one for me [I think he was just looking for a reason to ride his new KLR!]. I opened the paper to the ad section and I had a slight panic attack...ALL of the ads confirmed the fact that it's 'Back to School' time! Summer has flown by and I'm not ready to officially start school. I usually wait until the first week of September to start, but this year I had big plans to start a little earlier. I thought it would be nice to 'ease' back into our full schedule, but my classroom is a HUGE mess! I'm blessed with a large 'bonus room' upstairs that we use for our classroom. It has a nice window [sunshine!] and good space for desk work, projects, and plenty of floor space for spreading out and listening to lessons. However, it has turned in to a 'clutter pit', not a peaceful, happy learning environment! So, I started back in June...trying to clear-out and organize, but it has been a S~L~O~W process! I have a LOT of stuff. I taught public school for 7 years, prior to having my own children, and it is hard for me to get rid of items that I think I might use 'someday', but I'm determined to de-clutter so I'm sorting through everything and letting go of the things I know I will not use. I found a great cubby shelf on craigslist and it will help me organize the items I keep. Hubby told me that he would help me work in my classroom on Saturday...he always motivates me and helps me a bunch, so I was excited! He has helped me get my classroom in order for about 13 years now! I started teaching [public school] in the fall of 1993 and when Greg and I started dating in 1995, he helped me move my classroom and get it set up each year. He built me a reading fort in my classroom when I taught 1st grade in TX! He's really creative. So Saturday we got A LOT done. I've scattered the 'before' pics through out this post. I'm working in my classroom today, so I should have the 'after' pics up soon...I'm hoping this will motivate me to finish! It's not easy to show you my mess, but I hope it motivates and inspires those of you, like myself, that struggle with organization. I know that 'clutter' leads to stress and we do not need added stress in our homes...AMEN!! EnJOY the pics! I took 4 pictures...from the 4 angles of the room.

Loving My Lot... enJOYing every day!

Real, Whole Food~ Homemade Yogurt & Mayo!

2012 Booklist

12 for 12 ~Goals for the New Year!

Carter Pierce~ 7 weeks!

Katelyn~ 13!

It's FALL, Y'all!

Carter Pierce Pool is here!

39 Weeks! I'm READY {I think}...

New Year...I'm growing!

I Made My Bed (with hubby's help)!

School is in session...

The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks Virtual World

Critical Thinking Co. ~TOS Review

Family Mint ~TOS Review

Spring= Deck time!

CBH Ministries ~TOS Review

Homeschool in the Woods ~Old World Style Maps!

Artistic Pursuits ~TOS Crew Review

Homeschool Library Builder ~TOS Review

Graphics-Toolbox ~TOS Review

March Madness & The Schoolhouse Expo!

AAS Beehive Reader ~TOS Review

Love Legos? Love Star Wars? Check this out...

Math Mammoth ~TOS Review

Zeezok Publishing ~TOS Review

the Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling [Apologia Press]~TOS Review

Dollar Homeschool -Ray's Arithmetic ~TOS Review

Grapevine Studies...NEW website & Sale!

Dentist Anxiety...Real fear?

TOS Magazine Subscription for only $9.95!

Math Tutor DVD ~TOS Review

Kinderbach ~TOS Review

Saxon factsfirst ~TOS Review

Mathscore ~TOS Review

Homeschooling or public school at home?

Snow, beautiful snow!

Christian Keyboarding

Kregel Publications ~ TOS Crew Review

Mathletics~ TOS Crew Review

Tektoma~ TOS Crew Review

All About Spelling~ TOS Crew Review

American Heritage Education Foundation ~TOS Crew Review

Exploramania "GyMathtics" ~TOS Crew Review

AVKO~ TOS Crew Review

Jean Welles Worship Guitar ~TOS Crew Review

1st Snow ~2010!

Maestro Classics ~ TOS Review

Happy Halloween~ 2009!

ABC Teach ~TOS Crew Review

Pumpkin Patch fieldtrip!

Field Trip!...B-17G Flying Fortress

Virginia Soaps & Scents ~TOS Crew Review

Amazing Bible Timeline~ TOS Crew Review

Sue Patrick's Workbox System ~TOS Crew Review

Educaching! ~TOS Crew Review

2009 Birthday Celebration!

Sarah Books~ TOS Crew Review

Guardian Angel Publishing ~ TOS Review

Nature Friend Magazine ~TOS Review

Our playhouse is finished!!

Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services

Growing Healthy Homes ~TOS Crew Review

STUDYPOD ~TOS Crew Review

Pool School is launched!

More progress on the playhouse!

Playhouse!

Super *FREE* Printables

Web Design for KIDS ~TOS Crew Review

Quarter Mile Math~TOS Crew Review

Sense and Sensibility Patterns; Girl’s Edwardian Apron~TOS Crew Review

My Classroom is ready!

Grapevine Studies ~TOS Crew Review!

It's that time of the year...'Back to School'!

Super FREE Printables