Exploramania is the Company created  by Carrie Scheiner (aka- Miss Carrie on the DVD) Carrie has a really inspirational story about how she decided to start her own company and how she overcame a disability to make the DVD  which you can read in detail here if you would like: https://www.exploramania.com/TheStory.aspx

Miss Carrie’s story can inspire us to do some of things that we have only dreamed about, and her Gymathtics DVD will inspire your young children toward becoming, and staying strong and healthy.

In addition to helping in our quest to stay healthy by finding ways to make exercise a fun activity for our kids, scientific research shows that physical activity actually has a positive affect on our thinking skills.  Once you know that, exercise and Math seems like the perfect combination.

We had a lot of fun with this even though the music was not the style my kids prefer - I thought the bouncy music was a little repetative too, but the workout was enjoyable and we can always wait until later to " rock out"! It was not a really hard workout and it was a neat way to start our day.

The simple exercises and simple math concepts keep the exercise program from being overwhelming to young children and yet keep some of the older ones interested as well. Oddly enough, my son had just asked for a definition of perpendicular lines and she covered it in the video! The Math concepts weren't deep, but I do think that the video effectively reviews some math skills, and gives active kids with active minds a a fun way to review.

If you are interested in adding some more exercise into your daily routine, this 30 minute routine would be a great and inexpensive way to do it and rev up your mind at the same time!

Gymathics is available here for only $24.99 along with some other cute products that follow along that same philosophy of bringing education and healthy activities together in a fun and creative way!

http://exploramania.com/

The Gymathics Video that was sent to my family by Exploracise was received in exchange for my review and opinion on this educational product and no other compensation was received - they are not even paying for my ibuprofen!. 

Merit K

You will probably look as happy as me after you get in some comfy sweats and exercise with Miss Carrie!

Homemade Caramel without the mess

Lightly boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours, then chill. When you open it, it is supposed to be like caramel. You may have to add water to the pot when boiling to make sure the pot does not go dry or your can could blow. The longer it boils the thicker the caramels.

Good for a lonnng time in the pantry!

Another good post from Flylady.

~ ~ 

I just received this from Catherine Fortin - she has been a real resource for Language teachers and Home Educators and she offers classes as well:

(see link for details on her classes: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/NorthCarolina/744124/ )

My colleague Diane Farrug & I are starting up an exciting resource for homeschooling parents: a free e-newsletter full of free ideas, activities, and printables supported by clear "how to teach" tips for parents.

We realize that what we do, teaching a foreign language takes so much training and experience, and we want to give this to homeschool parents. We also include free videos on how to teach and how to do specific lessons and activities. The days of giving children a Spanish or French handout and not really knowing what to do with it to maximize it are over.  We're here to help.

Here is the link to the sign up for the free homeschool e-newsletter:

http://foreignlanguagefun.com/2009/11/free-nativity-mini-book-in-french-and-spanish-for-homeschoolers/


Catherine F Fortin
http://foreignlanguagehouse.com

This looks Great  - Go Sign up!!!! Merit K

There is no sign that this little girl is anything but extremely comfortable in her little luxury hotel.  I think God's delaying the nursery being done to help me be more patient. 

I'm not sure it's working.    

Jennifer

This is a time of year when as a family, we focus on the virtue of Thankfulness. We have been studying American History this year and how even though the colonists suffered greatly in this land they had travel to, they remembered to give thanks to the Lord for the things that they did have- especially their freedoms!

One of the ways that we have always loved to use to help us remember to be grateful, particularly at this time of year, is to make a "Thanksgiving Tree".

I haven't done it this year, since the kids are a little older now, but I used to make a "tree" with branches out of a pattern and some brown construction paper and cut out "leaves" from colorful paper similar to the ones here:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/leaf/leaftemplate.shtml

An easy way to do lots of these leaves is to print them on the computer. You can buy colored paper for the printer. Then have your little ones work on some small motor skills by cutting them out with you.

We put the Tree on the wall with "sticky tack" and then every day, the kids would write something that they were thankful for on a leaf and we put the leaf on or around the tree. When they were small, I made this part of their handwriting practice.

Here is a site that has a craft idea for a really cute Thanksgiving Tree using "handprints" from your kids instead of my leaf idea:

http://www.familycorner.com/archives/familytime/2.shtml

Another clever way to make a "Thankful Tree" is with branches or trimmings from your yard and a bucket or large plastic butter tub. You will need plaster of paris for this tree. Mix the Plaster of Paris according to directions and then fill the butter tub with it. Place the branches into the tub and let the plaster harden (about 1-2 hours) You might need to hold them up for a little bit until they stay upright on their own :0 )

Once this is fully hardened, cover the butter tub with colorful tissue paper or burlap fabric so that it looks "Fallish"

Then attach the leaves by punching a hole in each one and tying them to the tree with a ribbon, yarn or raffia.

The fun thing about the plaster of paris tree is that you can change the covering on the butter tub for lots of different occaisions and make it a Christmas tree or a candy tree, an Easter Tree (you are getting the idea)... so it makes a nice decoration and learning tool in the future seasons as well, depending on what creative ideas you come up with for using it!

Have a creative week full of Thanksgiving!

(and try not to be a turkey)

Merit K

I am a veteran.  Now before you accuse me of tooting my own horn, I have real trouble owning the fact that I'm a veteran.  Most of my time in was spent in school.  I spent about 6 months on a ship, and then a medical problem demoted me to driving a desk while I waited for the brass to decide that I was not in fact a big faker and it would be better to let me go.  Because of all this, I am excruciatingly uncomfortable being asked to stand to be recognized along with those I consider to be "real veterans".  Maybe I'll post more about this some other time, but right now, it's not my point.

So if I'm so uncomfortable, why do I stand at all?  Good question and much more to my point.  I stand so that those who know I served don't think I am ashamed of having served.  My shame lies in knowing that my friends were away from their families, losing sleep and working hard, while I learned to be a very good secretary.  While they were the "point of the spear", I was the butt end feeling very much like dead weight.

As my husband reminds me, that's not what's important.  What's important is that I signed up.  I was willing to go.  I joined not for adventure, not to see the world, but because I wanted to help.  At the heart of it, I wanted to be of service.  The willingness to serve is what we honor today. 

What is easy to forget in this time of war and terrorism is that men and women served even when there was nothing "interesting" going on.  They stood late night watches over peaceful seas and bases, losing sleep and time with family mainly for practice, but it was that practice that has made our military ready to do what was needed when it was needed.  Again, I'm reluctant to include myself in this because I did so little of it.

I'm not in any way trying to belittle the sacrifice of those serving now.  It takes a special kind of courage to sign up when you know you'll go in harm's way and may never come back.  It takes a special kind of parent/spouse/friend to not beg or manipulate them to change their mind and stay where it's safe.  I just wanted to make sure that those who served during the peaceful years are not forgotten or are not ashamed to stand up when their branch's song plays.

Here's to all those Coasties, Whoops, Squids, Jar-heads, and Zoomies out there (and those that love and support them)!  Fair winds and following seas.

Jennifer

Free Homeschooling History Curriculum – really!

Some of you know that I am a member of the Old Schoolhouse “Crew” (a homeschool product review team). We were recently sent a CD of an American History Curriculum product called “America’s Heritage” that is available to anyone for the asking- FREE.

We were asked to examine and use it and then to post our opinions of it so that you could decide if it was a resource that might work for your family.

 Right now, I am teaching 5^th, 7^th and 9^th grades. Although the CD I received contains all lessons for all the grade levels, I chose to try the High School Level of the American Heritage Foundation’s product since I am using All American History (see my previous review) with my 5^th and 8^th graders.

 “America’s Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty” is targeted for students in grades 9-12 and it provides good information on some of the aspects of our country that other texts may leave behind. This curriculum tackles some tough issues that we are dealing with today, such as the right to freedom of religious expression, particularly in the public schools. It addresses the free enterprise system and some of the heroes of that system, entrepreneurs who had a profound influence on the culture and prosperity of our Nation.

 Here is an excerpt I really liked from the forward of the Curriculum for 9-12^th Grades:

“The Miracle of America: A Revolutionary Idea

In only a little more than 200 years, our ancestors transformed this country from a wilderness into a great nation. This nation demonstrates what can be accomplished by free people who create a government limited to serving the people rather than being their master. The moral and ethical basis of good conduct was derived from the faith that built America. That faith grew from the common belief that each individual is endowed with basic rights and responsibilities by our Creator. That is the foundation of our democratic republic expressed in the Declaration of Independence.”

As I mentioned, the America’s Heritage Curriculum is available free (they can accept donations at their site) from the American Heritage Foundation. It has been valued at around $150.00. The program was developed for grades K-12, as a way to promote good citizenship, and good stewardship of our freedoms. The American Heritage Foundation seeks to do this by educating students about our country’s history.

It seems to be geared towards a classroom setting, but it contains some great kernels of information that both public school students and those that learn at home can benefit from. My daughter and I both loved that the curriculum included the wording of some of our original documents, such as the Mayflower Compact and the Bill of Rights. It did a good job of trying to relate the rights and responsibilities we have today and those original writings which have so clearly enumerated those rights for us throughout our History.

 The High School Curriculum focuses on pointing the student towards the foundations of the freedoms that we have to day. It includes specific Lesson Plans, Templates and soundly teaches students about how our past faith relates to our present freedoms.

 In my opinion, the lessons are a bit dry, but they can really be spiced up by using this along with some living books and the internet. Overall this could be used as a good framework around which you and your student can hang some additional discussions and research.

Did I mention that the American Heritage Education Foundation’s High School American History Program is FREE? You can also request a CD to be sent to you, (also free). If you would prefer to have everything already printed out, this excellent resource is available in a printed our binder format for only $19.50.

It is simple to pay that online: http://americanheritage.org/online_pay.html, or you may mail them a check.

If you just want the free stuff (and there is some good stuff in there) you can download the pdf files or request a CD Here: http://www.americanheritage.org/

There is some helpful information here and the price is right !

Celebrate American Heritage Month in November!

“American Heritage Month gives us all an opportunity to reflect on our roots as Americans from a fresh perspective. It is a time to remember that we Americans have brought with us many different heritages, but we have joined together in this country as one people.

The Declaration of Independence sets forth our fundamental values, and the Constitution serves to protect those values. Our schools, teachers, students, and other citizens help preserve and strengthen the miracle that is America. As Thomas Jefferson said, ‘If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.’”

The American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc.

I truly am Thankful at this time of the year, for the many blessings of faith, freedom, friends and turkey!

Merit K

The History text we recently reviewed, has this eye catching phrase as it's subtitle:  

 "Uniting America's Story, Piece by Piece"

That thought provoking phrase caught my attention on the shiny cover of the lovely new book in front of me.

It is true that puzzle of our relatively young country continues to come together, and there is only one who can see the complete result. But surely, one way we can improve our chances of making sure that the future result is a thing of beauty, is to understand our past and to trust in God with our future.

This History curiculum is one great resource for giving your students the ability to do that. The author truly brings to life the people of the time periods that we are learning about. Being able to read about how things began is an exciting way to relate to some of the things that are happening in our culture in the present era!

For the purpose of this review, our family received this History textbook set free from Bright Ideas Press.The History Textbook's title is ” All American History, Volume One- The Explorers to the Jacksonians” by Celeste W. Rakes.

We reviewed the entire set which includes the Student Reader, Activity book and the Teacher’s Guide. It is available for purchase as a set, for $68.00.

This is a complete curriculum, intended for grades 5-8. The 32 weekly lessons in Volume One can easily be modified to meet the needs of your family or classroom. The accompanying Teacher’s Guide offers many ideas for adding value to your student’s learning experience with creative activity suggestions and research ideas for your older students, as well as suggestions for adapting the material for the younger set, so it works very well either for a Home educator or a classroom teacher.

This book is also perfect for use with a timeline! It includes some of the figures you will need in the back of the Teacher’s Guide – your students can add them to the pages in the activity book and then put those into a timeline notebook, if they like. Bright Ideas Press also sells additional timeline characters in a separate package which are very nice (I use them)  

The Teacher’s Guide contains Lesson Plans, including activity ideas, additional resource suggestions, timeline dates and even a checklist for materials that lets you know which materials are optional and which materials you will be required to have on hand to teach each lesson. The Answer Key for the Student Activity Book is also found in the Teacher’s Guide.

The Student text includes a very good amount of information about the people, places and events that began our American History. The material is organized in an easy to follow chronological format with clear maps and Student Activity Pages in the Student book which make it simple to create your own timeline or American History Timeline Notebook. We found that the Student text is written in a way which is not just informative, but creates interest in the historical events and the people who lived at that time period. We are enjoying this curriculum very much. (not just because the cover is shiny :) 

The Teacher’s Guide offers the teacher guidance in how to use the text as a framework for further research and exploration.

I especially love that the activities included in this extensive Teacher’s guide are more than just “busywork”- they involve them in more learning! There are game ideas, geography and map work, quality book suggestions which are conveniently listed by age groups, and writing assignments which allow for integration of writing skills into your history curriculum.

I have always believed that integrating subjects is a great way to increase both retention of information and enjoyment of the subjects! This textbook does that very well. If you are looking for an American History program for next year, I would suggest that you look into this one. It is very creative and yet logical!

Two thumbs up  from Mom (who is not typically a textbook kinda gal) And two thumbs up from the kids  

Here is where you can find more information or even purchase these books (There is also a Volume Two)

http://brightideaspress.com/?page_id=6

Here there is even Yahoo Group Support for using these texts :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AllAmericanHistory/

Timeline Guide and figures can be seen here (I really do like these too):

http://brightideaspress.com/?page_id=132 

 Thanks for Reading :)

Merit K