Posted in home life

My husband, the Big Dog, and I email each other during the day.  That may seem impersonal to some, but it works for us and keeps us connected.  He also calls at least 3 times during his work day just to check in and tell us he loves us...awww!  ANYWAY, when we are sending an email that talks about lots of different things, we just title the email, "Stuff."  So that explains the title of this blog entry to you.  I have lots of things to tell you and share with you.

First, I have to brag about my shopping trip this morning.  I did my grocery bargain/coupon shopping today while The Big Dog, T-Bone, and Big Mac were at archery class.  I also picked up Angel Food.  We try to get two boxes a month.  It REALLY helps to stretch my grocery budget.  But that's not what I need to tell you about!

Drumroll please!  All of that pictured above...$4.74!!  I went to Rite Aid with my coupons.  I had two coupons from the Sunday paper for $2 off of 3 Hershey's bagged candy, Rite Aid had a $2 off 3-Hershey's bagged candy coupon in their flyer; AND RiteAid emailed me a coupon for $1 off any bagged candy priced $1.99 or more.  The candy you see above was priced at $1.99 a bag.  The Visine ended up being free after I used the Rite Aid coupon from the flyer and the $2 coupon from the Sunday paper.  The Stride Gum was priced at $1 each and I had a coupon from the Rite Aid flyer to buy two and get one free.  I also had a $3 off a $15 purchase sent to me because I am a Wellness member.  When all of my items were scanned at the register I first handed the clerk the $3 off coupon.  THEN I handed her all my coupons.  And the bottom line was $4.74!  I am filling the boys Easter baskets for under $5 and filling my husband's basket too!

I have Sherri Graham's Chocolate Cinnamon Graham Squares cooling on the kitchen table right now.  I'll let you know how they taste.  I have never made anything from Sherri's website  that I haven't loved.  I will never make another brownie recipe again after trying her brownies.

Tonight for supper I'm making a frozen pizza, which I got for a great price at Giant today.  And my friend Heidi'sStrawberry Spinach Salad.  I really want to try her Mock Hamloaf too, but not tonight.

This afternoon I am on my own again.  T-Bone and his daddy, my Big Dog, are going fishing.  I was going to have the afternoon with Big Mac, but while at archery one of his friends invited him to visit.  We've noticed that Big Mac has gotten lots of time alone with his daddy because they both shoot and love archery.  T-Bone doesn't always get that special alone-time with Daddy.  So today, Daddy Big Dog is making an effort to rectify that problem.  Alone time is important for children with both mommy and daddy, but I find as the boys grow it's especially important for them to have time with their Daddy.  They even ask me when I'm getting out of the house so that they can have a boy's night!  I've been really enjoying reading this blog about parenting and gotten some great ideas from there.  Not that I remember anything about boys nights, but it was parenting-related...

Well, that's most of my ramblings for this afternoon.  I'm off to watch food network and write a few reviews...stay tuned!

Posted in Family

My family grieves today.  Overnight, my Aunt Shirleen passed away in Deland, Florida.  She is the first of my mom's generation and on my mom's side of the family to pass.  She lived a full 78 years, raising four children, one boy and three girls, watching eight grandchildren be raised, and even getting the privilege of seeing many great-grand-children.  I think there are eight great-grand children in her family.

(my mother, my grandmother, and Aunt Shirleen in purple)

Aunt Shirleen was an entrepreneur.  She and her husband, my Uncle Lawrie, had a boat business.  I remember visiting while she was working at Angler's Boat Center.  She was a strong businesswoman and a powerful personality.  Seeing her at work made quite an impression on me as I can still remember the way she laughed and "schmoozed" with customers and salesmen.  On a recent trip to Florida, one of her grandsons, Roger, told me that Ranger used to make pink and purple boats just for Aunt Shirleen.  She loved the color purple.

(My mother, Aunt Shirleen in purple, and A. Shirleen's oldest daughter, Lawrene, recently in Astor, FL)

Aunt Shirleen was a fisher-woman.  She used to fish bass tournaments and had a team of women, I think my cousin Jeena was on her team, who fished bass tournaments throughout Florida.

(A. Shirleen, my mom, and their brother, Uncle George, on the St. John's River in FL)

Aunt Shirleen was an optimist.  Whenever you spoke to her and asked, "How are you?"  The answer was always, "Super!"  She was quick to gush out, "Love you!"  She laughed loudly.  My mom, her sister, laughs loudly too.  I inherited that from them.  We all laugh without abandon.  I remember when Aunt Shirleen and Uncle Lawrie used to come and stay with us when I was growing up.  They would play pinochle in the kitchen.  My brother, Michael and I would love to sit and watch them play cards because they had so much fun.  My Dad and Uncle Lawrie played against my mom and Aunt Shirleen.  Dad counts cards so he always knew what everyone was holding.  Mom and Aunt Shirleen would get frustrated with them beating them all the time.  They teased each other and joked around, laughing all the time.  It's a really fond memory of mine, watching the four of them play cards.

(a picture of a picture hanging in my cousin's house in FL.  That's A. Shirleen on the left and my mom on the far right.)

Aunt Shirleen was an encourager.  Recently my mom and I took the boys to Florida for a visit.  Mom spent her days with Aunt Shirleen watching game shows in her little cabin by the St. John's River.  The Florida experience was new for our sons, and at times they felt a little intimidated by meeting lots of family they didn't know existed, or just by being in unfamiliar surroundings.  Both boys told me that at different times during our visit Aunt Shirleen, who wasn't speaking much then, would look over at them and just wink.  For the boys, that was all they needed to feel reassured that everything was ok.  In the past 10 years, Aunt Shirleen never hesitated to tell me how beautiful the boys were whenever she visited.  She was always encouraging me as a mother.

(My mom's family.  Front row: Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, A. Shirleen.  Back Row:  U. George, U. Brad, U. Dave.)

Aunt Shirleen was a Christian woman.  Recently while visiting my Uncle's conservative church in PA, she shouted out, "Amen!"  I'm sure she worshipped without hesitation, and is doing so now on those streets of gold.  She and mom did their devotions in the morning while visiting together in Florida last month.  One of those mornings, Aunt Shirleen said, "I want to show you something." to mom.  The devotional book she was using was one mom had sent her as a gift.  Mom had written a note to her on the inside cover.  She had used it every day for years and years.

(Aunt Shirleen recently at her home in Astor, FL.  My cousin Lawrene in the background.)

Aunt Shirleen was a great cook.  When my cousin, her daughter, opened a restaurant, Aunt Shirleen baked the pies.  I remember big family dinners when we came to visit for vacation in Florida.  I still make her fish broil recipe today.  It's one of my very favorites.

(Mom's family.  Back row, l to r U. Brad, A. Shirleen, Mom, U. George.  Front Row, Grandpa, U. Dave, Grandma)

Like most women, Aunt Shirleen wore many hats.  She was a mother, daughter, sister, friend, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, business person, church member, cook, maid, and spouse.  In highschool she was popular, I'm told.  I can see why.  When she was in a room you always knew where she was.  She seemed to have friends everywhere she went.  In these last years, she may not have had the same energy of her youth, but her "super!" still shone through whether through a wink to a great-nephew, a lopsided smile to a sarcastic neice, or one of her own witty comments.  She left an impression, I'm sure, on all who met her.  I know she left a permanent impression on my life.

Posted in Family

Several weeks ago I was asked to create a family account on Family Mint and try it out for our family in order to tell you about it.  Logging in and creating accounts for each of our boys was a breeze.  There were no surprises.  Although we were able to manage the accounts very easily on our own, we did watch the getting started video that is available to you when you log-in.  But, truthfully, I didn't need the video.  This is a very easy program to use.  But now, I have to tell you the story...

I logged into Family Mint and our two boys, ages 13 and 11, logged into their accounts that are "under" mine.  We have been giving the boys allowance since they were very young.  They have had chores around the house that are age-appropriate since they were 4 years old.  The boys are not savers.  We require that they tithe and save a portion of their allowance, but they spend everything that is left after their required tithe and savings.  The night we set up their accounts, our youngest son set to work making his "MAC" card.  He now hands it to me when he has a withdrawl that I need to approve taking money from his Family Mint account.

Recently, the boys have become very interested in an on-line game.  The game itself was free, but there were features you could purchase.  The boys wanted to spend some of their money on this game.   I didn't want them to spend their hard-earned money on a virtual item.  We told them that we did not think it was a wise use of their money.   Because we try to let them manage their own money, they were allowed to spend some of their money on this on-line game.  THEN we started using Family Mint.  And the boys' eyes were opened like never before!

On their FamilyMint accounts, the boys have to enter withdrawls when they want to spend their money.  Every two weeks, their allowance is automatically added to their accounts by FamilyMint.  Then they must go in and move their tithe and savings money into those accounts which we set up for them.  After that, the money left is theirs to spend.  When the boys want to spend money, they make a withdrawl from the FamilyMint account and I go into the master account and approve it.  But as they are making these withdrawls, the boys can see the money that has been moved into and out of their accounts over the past few weeks.  That's when the lightbulb lit.

After a day of making another withdrawl to "buy" something on this virtual game, our sons had a conference.   They came down to our bedroom late one evening and announced that they were giving up the virtual game for good.  Now, I was not upset by this at all.  I prayed that their attraction to this game would be broken.  But I was confused.  Just that day the boys were playing their game and chatting giddily about it.  Now, suddenly, they were giving up the game altogether.  "Why?"  I asked.  "I don't understand." 

"I realized how much money I was spending."  My oldest explained.  It was Family Mint!  Because the boys were seeing where their money was going on Family Mint, they were quickly becoming more aware of what money they had!  "If I had all that money I spent...I'd have a lot of money!"  My son continued.

Since cancelling their on-line accounts on this game, the boys have set different savings goals on their Family Mint accounts.  They can move their money directly into these savings accounts from their open money.

And that is why I am a fan of Family Mint.  After years of me preaching, "Spend your money wisely."  "Don't buy that junk."  "Think about where you are spending your money!"  Family Mint SHOWED the boys exactly all those things in the matter of a few weeks.

Family Mint is a free service.  I cannot sing the praises of this system high enough.  It has changed how our sons spend their money.  It has shown them where their money goes.  Family Mint will prepare them to keep a budget when they are on their own.  We will keep using these accounts until that time to get them ready.  Get your free account set up today and start your kids saving and spending consciously.  I never realized that the way we gave the boys allowance and let them spend it without any accountability was setting them up to fail financially.  Now, they use the Family Mint account and see where their money is going and how much they are spending.  It's a fantastic program and long-overdue.

To contact Family Mint for more information, go here.  You will find all their necessary contact information on that page.  To read more crew reviews of Family Mint, go here.

Posted in Home Education

Geography is one of those required subjects here in PA that kind of gets "thrown in" over the course of a year.  Truthfully, I've never felt that I do Geography well in our little homeschool.  I have the boys do a few maps as we're studying history and call it geography.

Last month, I received a resource that might possibly solve all of my geogrphy problems for the rest of our educational career.  That's not an exaggeration.  The Olde World Style US and World Maps from Homeschool In the Woods  cover maps of every country, including their flags, as well as a very thorough coverage of the United States Maps.  Don't let the "Olde World" in the title fool you.  These are current maps of both the world and the United States.  There are also plenty of maps of the Ancient Worlde as well as the US as it developed prior to 1960

Although the maps are terrific, it was the bonus pages that really hooked me.  In the US Maps set, you not only get labelled and un-labelled maps of each state, the United States as a whole, and the US at differing time periods, but you also get fact pages for every state.  You could build a killer notebook by studying one state at a time, including it's state map with your own key of features you've studied and a completed state fact page.

And the World Maps section is just as valuable.  There are maps of ancient and current countries.  In addition to these maps, however, you have lots of really cool notebooking pages.  There are blank brochures ready for you to complete.  Study a country and have your student write a travel brochure about it.  There is a postcard notebooking page.  After learning about a country, you could have your son or daughter write a postcard to grandma as if her or she was visiting the country studied.  There are several report forms that go from the generic to the religious history of the country.  By completing some or all of the notebooking pages, you could have a really thorough study of a country.

And throughout all of the maps and notebooking pages are Homeschool in the Woods' beautiful graphics.  They do remind you of Olde World times.  If you are not familiar with their graphics, Homeschool in the Woods has a freebie page here.  Check out their items and you will see what I mean about the beauty of their products.  I'm learning that I am drawn in by beautiful visuals.  Homeschool in the Woods really has beautiful graphics and the Olde World Style maps are no exception.

If I were wishing I would wish for some lesson plans to go with these maps and resources.  The notebooking pages give me plenty of ideas, but it would be nice to have some examples of uses for these items.  As I said, though, it doesn't take much creativity to figure out how each of the notebooking pages could be used in conjunction with the maps to create a very thorough geography course.

If you would like to purchase Olde World Style Maps they are available as a download for $28.95.  This is the version I received and it was so easy to download and install.  You can also purchase the World maps for $18.95 and the US Maps for $18.95 if you do not wish to receive the set.  If you would prefer to have these maps and notebooking pages on CD, they are available for purchase on the Homeschool In the Woods website for $29.95.  Individually, the World and US maps are available on CD for $19.95 each.

Homeschool In the Woods has a lot of really great products.  I get a newsletter from them that usually has ideas for a mini-unit and printable pages which use their wonderful graphics.  For a complete list of their products, go here.  They have something for all ages.

You can read the reviews of my fellow crew members by going here.  And if you would like to contact this vendor all of the contact information can be found here.

Homeschool in the Woods provided me with a free copy of Olde World Style Maps to test and use in order to write this review.

Posted in Home Education

This would be a great title to use for one of our boys fights, wouldn't it?  But we are really studying the American Revolution and today we're having some fun learning about the battle of Lexington and Concord.  As a matter of fact I'm typing this entry while the boys are finishing a scavenger hunt.  They're trying to find the weapons, just like the British tried to find weapons when they marched to Lexington.

One of the activities we did today was to perform a news-cast as if we were current day news reporters trying to report on what happened in Lexington.  I thought I'd share the results with you just for fun today.  Enjoy our two beautiful boys!

 Here's Big Mac:

And here's T-bone:

Posted in Home Education

Ever since they were very small, our boys have drawg.  They have filled up numerouse sketchbooks.  They have hung pictures all over the house.  We're not just an "on-the-refrigerator" type family, drawings end up everywhere.  They even have a series of six frames that hang in the living room devoted to the boys creations.

Although I encourage them to continue drawing, that's about all I can do, encourage.  I don't know the first thing about shading, sketching, or any other area of art.  It's quite shameful since my mother and brother are artists in their own right.  But, me?  Clueless.

Then I received a complimentary copy of Artistic Pursuits Junior High Book One to review for the purpose of writing this blog.   I've got to tell you this is one of my favorite resources of all those I've received during this year of crew reviews.  I was immediately impressed with this resource.  I wish I could show you the pages from the book.  They are beautiful.  Examples of fine art to illustrate the technique being taught are woven throughout the book along with student sketches.  This is not only an art-technique book, but also an art-history and art-appreciation resource.  Each lesson has components that encourage the student (and in my case, the Mommy) to enjoy a piece of art from another period and country and consider it's beauty and the skill of the artist.  And the instruction is phenominal!  We have enrolled the boys in classes taught by art educators in the past and never received the detailed instruction we got from Artistic Pursuits.

In just the first lesson, our boys learned how to sketch using short soft pencil strokes.  And it's not just instruction about the art itself, but we've also learned a lot about art materials.  Both of the boys can tell you in detail which pencils are used for soft lines, and which pencils are used for darker lines.  The lesson gives art instruction AND instruction on the use and applications of art materials.

I am so impressed with Artistic Pursuits.  The book is a comb-bound book printed on thick paper in full-color.  The pages lay flat but I can also fold it back so that we're just looking at one page at a time.  We are taking almost a full school-week to complete each lesson and are really enjoying every bit of it.  I can not recommend this product enough.  Truthfully, the boys could be completing the lessons themselves.  I have a friend who's daughter is working through her Artistic Pursuits on her own, but I'm so enjoying this book I don't want to miss any of it with the boys.  Check out the pages sampled here.  You will see a prime example of the lessons including the art appreciation, and the art-instruction, along with the beautiful graphics.

Please check out Artistic Pursuits.  It is such a quality product.  The book I received, was the Jr. High Book 1 which retails for $42.95.  But if you have children of other ages, Artistic Pursuits has a curriculum for all ages from Kindergarten to Senior High. 

Want to hear other opinions, check out the TOS Crew Blog here, where my fellow crew mates are all blogging about Artistic Pursuits.  Or, contact Artistic Pursuits directly.  I love their contact email.  It's alltheanswers@artisticpursuits.com

Give this curriculum a try.  Now's the time to plan for 2010/2011.  I am DEFINITELY including Artistic Pursuits in my plans!

Posted in Home Education

Several weeks ago, I received a trial-period download of the software Graphics Toolbox to review for the TOS Crew and this blog.  I was excited to receive this software because there are numerous times when writing the blog, or trying to develop a worksheet or lapbook mini-book, and I have a certain image in my mind but can't find a graphic that suits what's in my mind.  To me, this is frustrating.  I have a clear idea  but no matter where I search I can't find the image to fit what I want.  Graphics Toolbox solves those problems.

In Graphics Toolbox, you can bring in a graphic or picture and change the color, remove items or details, add items or details, or combine graphics or pictures.  You can manipulate any graphic or picture you can find.  Now, of course, you are always bound by copyright laws in your own work.  I wouldn't publish a graphic or logo that belongs to someone else.  But you can take a generic graphic that you find and make it your own.

The software Graphics Toolbox comes from the company Great Software Tools, Inc.  I found this company easy to work with.  They have great tutorials on their website.  As a matter of fact, I learned how to use this software by working through one of the tutorial videos.  Although the video is listed as being able to teach you how to accomplish one task, it covers so many features of the software that you learn the basics of using most of Graphics Toolbox by working your way through a tutorial. 

Let me show you very simply what Graphics Toolbox can do.  I took this image from the Great Software Tools website.

 But I wanted to make it look a little different.  So, after I saved it on my hard drive, I went into my Graphics Toolbox software and opened or "read in" the image.  After a few clicks, I turned it into this:

I've had fun playing around with this software during the trial period.  Two previous posts featured things I learned to do with Graphics Toolbox.  Check them out here and here.

I will be able to find multiple uses for Graphics Toolbox in our home.  I will use it to manipulate pictures for cards and invitations.  I will use it to modify graphics to use for worksheets and lap-book minibooks.  I will use Graphics Toolbox to re-define graphics on my blog!  Although I was the one who spent most of my time using Graphics Toolbox, our 13 year-old  caught on quickly and did a little graphics manipulations of his own.  Our boys are very computer literate, so I'm confident that our 11 year-old will be using Graphics Toolbox as well.

I must warn you, however, that this is not a software for the faint of heart.  It is, of course, very graphic, and once you understand the basics, I really think you can learn all of the features easily.  But if you don't have a computer or graphics background, getting used to using frames and using the desktop as a desktop and not a piece of paper is challenging.  But again, use the video tutorials to learn the features of Graphics Toolbox and you'll be golden.

Before committing to buy, check the computer requirements here.  If your PC meets the requirements, you can purchase Graphics Toolbox for $149.  If you would like to talk to the people at Great Software Tools, Inc.  you will find a contact form here.  Since this software is different from anything I've seen for the homeschool community, please read the reviews of other crew members here.  It always helps to get varying opinions!

At one time, I copied the entire book of Ruth into a notebook.  I've also completed at least one bible-study on the book of Ruth.  A Sweet And Bitter Providence by John Piper is a book that teaches on the book of Ruth but this book went places I never went when I was studying this well-known Old Testament book.

Have you ever thought that there are lessons about race in Ruth?  John Piper thought of that and expounds on it beautifully in A Sweet and Bitter Providence.  There are also many poignant minutes where you are candidly spoken to about sexual purity in this book.  This would be a great book for a single man or woman to be encouraged to remain pure.

A brief book, 3.8 hours, there is quite a bit of information to be found in A Sweet and Bitter Providence.  Although it is an exposition of Ruth, Mr. Piper is all over the bible.  As he makes a point, he supports it with scriptures from both the old and new testament.  Throughout A Sweet and Bitter Providence John Piper is listing specific scriptures to direct our thoughts and support his interpretation of the book of Ruth.

Once many years ago, I was questioning my Uncle about someone who did not believe in God.  Uncle Dave told me that he was convinced that God was at work in the lives of those who don't believe in order to bring them to faith in Him.  Mr. Piper supports that in his book A Sweet and Bitter Providence.  As with many, many other points he makes throughout the book, this resonated with me as I reflected on the various times in my life when I saw God working in my life and the lives of others.

Filled with good bible teaching, A Sweet and Bitter Providence also is filled with lots of stories to illustrate his point. This makes it easy to listen to the book and stay with it.  It's like listening to a really well-delivered sermon.  It is easy to hear and pay attention.

The narrator, Grover Gardner, will be familiar to you if you've listened to many other audios produced by Christian Audio.  His deep voice is authoritative and pleasant.  He uses a lot of intonation, so that the words don't blend together as you're listening.

I would recommend A Sweet and Bitter Providence by John Piper.  But be forewarned, you will want to dive into Ruth for yourself after listening to this audio book.  It will make you look at the fabulous love story of Ruth in a whole different way.

I was provided with an audio copy of A Sweet and Bitter Providence by John Piper by ChristianAudio.com in exchange for this unbiased review.

Posted in Home Education

Today, the boys and I began some new art lessons by Artistic Pursuits.  I'll be giving you a complete review in a few weeks.  But I HAD to share this quote with you, because, to me, it's revolutionary!

"OBJECTIVE:  to understand that artistic ability is not a talent possessed by only a few gifted people, but a skill that any individual can learn."

pg. 6

ARTistic Pursuits

Junior High Book One

The Elements of Art and Composition

Brenda Ellis 

Big Mac wants to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie.  I'm not a big Tim Burton fan, so I'm skeptical, but I made a deal.   If he reads the original book, unabridged, by Lewis Carroll, I'll take him to the new Alice in Wonderland movie.

While in Florida, we picked up a paperback copy at this really cool used book shop in Deland.  Big Mac started reading right away and kept reading passages to me.  He said, "This is written really beautifully!"  I really love that even though they don't know it, they are drawn to what Charlotte Mason calls a living book. 

One of the passages he read to me was a poem called "How Doth The Little Crocodile."  Today while I was playing around with Graphics Toolbox in order to write next week's review, I made a little display for the poem.  Check it out.  Keep in mind Graphics Toolbox does not do text well.  I should really have this as a word document, but I couldn't figure out how to show you a word document on the blog, so you have to settle for some imperfect text:

Look what I did today using Graphics Toolbox!  I'm learning to use this new software and I'll tell you all about it next week, but you've gotta check this out:

Posted in Home Education

Several weeks ago I received a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell from Apologia Press in order to write this review.  It was a fun package to receive because this is one HUGE book.  Including the notes section, the Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling is 509 pages long.

This is a very thorough book about homeschooling and its methods.  I was excited to receive it because I have a dear friend who is beginning her first homeschool journey with her 10 year old next year.  She is currently in the "research phase" of her homeschooling and I KNOW that this book will give her LOTS of information.

Mrs. Bell is a veteran homeschooler with a lot of experience not only homeschooling her own children but also teaching for years in classroom and co-op situations.  Her book is easy to read and I'm not a great non-fiction reader.  

One reason it's an easy read is that it's very graphic and filled with personal stories to support statements and explanations.  You can view a 10-page sample of the book and see what I mean here.  I just loved the way the book was arranged.  The headlines/title chapters and little insets really add to the pleasure of reading this book.

I do want to leave two quotes with you.  I have not always met with total support of homeschooling our boys.  But I've always known that homeschooling is God's plan for our little family.  We are a very close family.  We don't even do extra-curricular activities unless all four of us can be together as a result of the activity.  This goes against the cultural norm where many families are all off "doing their own thing."  The following quotes really spoke to me and validated how God has led us to structure our family.  This is actually from the introduction.  Yes, I'm that girl who reads the introductions.  I read acknowlegements too.  Here are my two favorite quotes from the introduction where Mrs. Bell is discussing homeschooling:

" It's a proactive stand against a disintegrating culture that splinters families apart and exalts self-absorbed individualism."

and

"I do believe it is an example of the creative solutions God can be counted on to supply when we feel out maneuvered by cultural forces.  Homeschooling is a defense against the relentless and pernicious assault upon traditional family life.  More than that, it is a traiining ground from which future redemptive leadership can come forth.

If you are new to homeschooling, or if you want to try out a new homeschooling method, you should read The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell.  I would even suggest reading this book just as a refresher or encouragement.  It is so full of tips and ideas.  I am sure that the most veteran homeschooler can find something new IN The Ultimate Guide.  You can purchase your copy from Apologia Press for $20 plus shipping and handling.  You will find lots of parental support products from Apologia Press here . 

As always, please read the reviews of the other crew members.  Mine is never the only opinion!  You will find many other reviews here. 

Posted in Home Education

Our sons and I are leaving this Sunday for Florida.  Since there is 20 inches of snow on the ground in central PA, most everyone is pretty jealous of us.  Our trip is not totally for pleasure, although the boys and I are planning some outtings.  We are taking my mom to Florida so that she can visit with her ailing sister.  Mom needs to take this trip, but at 76, doesn't feel comfortable taking the trip alone.  So the boys and I are are her chauffeurs for a week.  I'm completely honored to be able to serve my mom in this way.

Since we will be driving, I'm going to take advantage of the time and the boys' captivity and I'm preparing lessons for the journey.  We've been doing math on-line this year.  When I first reviewed it, I loved it.  The longer we used it, the less we loved it.  Now we can't wait for it to be over!  And we're close to it being over.  That being said, we can't take an internet-ready PC to get to our math curriculum while driving.

That's why I was so glad for the opportunity to review products from Math Mammoth.  When Math Mammoth contacted me and asked which of their items I would like to review, I had no idea.  I mean, they have a lot of great items.  Just check out the lists on their home page!  I read over all they had to offer and talked about it with our guys.  They were really intrigued with the Make It Real Learning workbooks.  Specifically, the boys wanted to try out the Sets, Probability, Statistics I Workbook.  I contacted Maria Miller.  You can do that here.  And told her about our boys.  She suggested I go with the Grade 7 Pre-Algebra Worksheets  (7.75) in addition to the Make It Real Learning workbook.

I printed several of the Grade 7 worksheets for the trip and placed them in a clip board ready for the road.  The first thing that impressed me about these sheets is how clean they are when printed.  I'm running low of colored ink, so I printed them in black and white.  The pages are crystal clear and print very nicely.

Even the beginning worksheets are challenging.  The first group of sheets deal with basic math concepts but the problems are not at all easy.  I like that even though the concept is a review subject, the problems are challenging.  Of course, as the worksheets go along the subjects get more challenginging.  I'm finding lots of usefulness for these sheets however since our oldest son has completed a pre-algebra course and our youngest will begin pre-algebra next year.  For Big Mac, these sheets can be used as a review.  For T-bone, I will use them as a reinforcement of next year's learning.  You can print as many sets of these sheets as you need for your homeschool. 

The boys are actually looking forward to trying out the Make It Real Learning book.   That really excites me because if you've read any of my other blog entries, although the boys are great at math, they hate it.  So if I can hear "Yeah!  Let's do that!" about a math I'm one happy girl.  The idea of Make It Real Learning is that it's an opportunity to show children why we learn certain concepts.  Make It Real Learning answers the question, "But WHY do I have to learn this?!?"  There are lessons sets in this series on a variety of subjects, all available for $4.99.

Another cool thing about Math Mammoth is that they offer a variety of free worksheets so that you can see the kinds of products available.  I especially love that you can try sample pages of the books you want to buy.  That's a feature every company should offer, but not alot do.  Math Mammoth provides a great service by offering sample pages.

If you would like to learn more about other Math Mammoth products, check out the reviews of other crew members here.  We were all given options about what product to choose, so you can learn about the many different products and levels that Math Mammoth offers from the reviews of other crew members.  And check out Math Mammoth's products.  They offer a variety of products including full curriculum.  What we received was well-done and easy to use and implement in our little homeschool.  Maybe you will find the same results if you give Math Mammoth a try.

Posted in Home Education

The short answer to that is a resounding, "Yes!"  We have four six-foot book shelves filled with books.  Most of the shelves are stacked two deep.  Did I just buy a bag full of books at the used book sale?  You betcha!

So when I was asked to tell you about HomeSchool Library Builder (HSLB), I jumped at the chance!  This is a really neat business idea.  At HSLB, you can buy new and gently used books, but it's so much more than that.  By becoming a member, which is totally free, you earn book points.  Every 15 book points equals one dollar toward purchasing a book.  You earn book points just by becoming a member.  You earn book points every time you purchase a book at HSLB.  You earn book points by promoting HSLB on your blog or website.  You earn book points when a friend becomes a member, uses your name as a referral and purchases a book!  Ok, I'll admit it...HSLB is feeding my book addiction!

But there is much more to this company than just books.  Last weekend, they offered a special sale where you could earn an extra 15 percent discount on top of the current sale if you made a donation to Heartline Ministry's mission to earthquake-torn Haiti.  This is a company with a heart.  On their website, there is a HELPING HAND option.  If you purchase any of the books listed there, all of that money will go towards sponsoring a child from Compassion International.  At other times they have helped other very worthy causes.

The other thing I think is really cool about HSLB is that they support and ENDORSE other homeschooling moms with their home businesses.  At this link you will find the HSLB marketplace where different vendors are featured each month.  There are some really different and interesting vendors there.  Check it out.

Right now, all the books at Home School Library Builder are on sale for 20% off.  Remember whatever you buy you earn book points for.  And speaking of book points...when you register, tell them Lori Lynn Lydell sent you!  I need to give my husband a reason to put a fifth bookshelf in the study!

Posted in Home Education

When I learned that I was on the list of people to review the Beehive Reader ($19.95) from All About Spelling, I thought, "What?!?"  You see, our guys are in the Jr. High age-range.  We've been out of beginning readers for a LONG time.  But it's always fun getting a package in the mail, and this was no exception.  I opened the All About Spelling padded envelope and found that I held a lovely little treasure.  If your early-reader gets a copy of The Beehive Reader he or she will treasure it for years to come. 

The book itself is sturdy and well-constructed.  But when you open it, the pages are simply beautiful.  Every page has a lovely shaded pencil sketch with the words framed to look as though they've been tacked onto the page.  Here's a great sample page:

The reading itself is simple.  There are 10 stories in the reader.  The beginning stories all contain one-syllable words.  This sometimes makes the stories stilted, but my boys learned to read using one-syllable readers.  They felt as though they had accomplished something by reading a book all by themselves.  They weren't worried about the fluidity of the sentences.  They were reading!  That is how the stories in this book are structured.  About three-quarters of the way through the book a few two-syllable words made their way into the stories.  And there's a really fun story that uses tongue-twisters.

Each page has a beautiful drawing such as the one shown to you above.  I remember when I was teaching the boys how to read that we would "read" pictures to help us with the text.  This reader gives you pictures on each page that are as "readable" as the text is charming.  The pages are on quality paper that appears slightly grayed and aged and adds to the book's beauty. 

If you've read my blog in the past, you know that I reviewed the All About Spelling program for level 1 and level 2.  This reader is meant to go along with the spelling program.  I think I may have read The Behive Reader with our sons a year or two before beginning the spelling program.  But I certainly would have resurrected the reader when we launched the spelling program later. 

If you're in the market for a lovely little reader for your beginning student, look into The Beehive Reader.  It's a book that will become a treasured keepsake well-after your child has gone into more advanced books.

All About Spelling has a very thorough spelling curriculum available on their website.  You may also get your copy of The Beehive Reader there.   If you would like to contact All About Spelling, do so here.  And do read the other reviews of fellow crew-members here.

Posted in Home Education

When I learned that we were receiving a product from Zeezok publishing to review, I was hopeful that I would receive one of their composer books.  I must admit I was disappointed when the package came in the mail and I received Presidential Penmanship DN Style.   Then I began reading the quotes in the Jr. High version of the copywork program.  I was so moved by many of them.  Heidi, who oversees the crew, has often said that God knows what you will be sent and there's a reason you receive it.  Boy is she right!  I will get a lot of use out of the presidential quotes found in Presidential Penmanship DN Style, not only as copywork, but also as character lessons.

If we take the route of the permanent handout, the American character will itself be impoverished.  -Richard Nixon.

To me, that quote is prophecy.  I try not to get too political, I find it devisive.  But I think every Christian knows that the moral character of this country has diminished by great proportion in the last half-century.  Couldn't Richard Nixon's words above have predicted the measure of our nation's character today?  I spent a lovely evening reading the presidential quotes from all the presidents and found many of them to be either a prediction of the state of the country in 2010 or just a wonderful word spoken into my life.

The CD itself is a great value.  There is enough copywork on this one CD to cover your child's entire education.  The PDFs are divided by grade level from 1st through 6th grade.  Then there is a JR. High version and a Sr. High version.  In each edition, the quotes are original, so your students won't get bored and say, "I copied this last year!"  Cursive begins with the grade 3 version.  In each version, the beginning lessons are shorter and build up to longer paragraphs by the end of the year.

The Jr. and Sr. High versions contain 108 quotes.  But these quotes are not just for copywork.  They are great for memorization.  I also think I may take a few and make posters for the boys to read regularly to enhance their character.

The concept itself is not rocket science.  Each page has a quote written in cursive or manuscript, in the lower grades, with lined space below on which the student can copy the quotes.  If you wanted to avoid printing all the pages, your child could write their quotes in a notebook or sheet of ruled paper while viewing that day's quote on the computer screen.   Could you create a similar product on your own?  Sure.  But finding these quotes would be difficult and time consuming.  I'm telling you, there are some real gems there!  But for $39.99 you get years of copywork AND character lessons on one CD.  All you have to do is print the quotes for your child to copy and slip into a notebook.

I'm glad I received Presidential Penmanship from Zeezok.  I would have missed a great learning experience for myself as I read the words of past presidents and reflected on where our country is today.  I will be using these quotes around our house, not only for our homeschool, for years and years.   They would make great jumping off points for essays, too!  Or just use a quote for a discussion starter over the supper table.  You will not only copyr copy work/language arts, but also civics by using this CD.

Zeezok has lots of great products.  A catalogue of products was included on the handwriting CD I received.  Spend some time on their website to learn more about the products they have to offer.  If you'd like to contact them, you find that information here.  And, as always, read the reviews of my other crew members.  Mine is NEVER the only opinion.  And the crew is reviewing other products from Zeezok, so you may find another item you'd like to get here.

Zeezok  provided me with a free copy of Presidential Penmanship DN Style Complete Program to test and use in order to write this review.

Posted in Home Education

For years I've read about Ray's Arithmetic on various blogs or in homeschool catalogues and been curious.  If you've read this blog with any regularity, you know I'm a math-lover.  I would look at Ray's arithmetic and think, "Can a 100-year old math curriculum really keep us current and competitive?"  And so I would plow through with my favorite math curriculum which was renown for being advanced and keeping our sons mathematically advanced.  By the way, my favorite math curriculum is NOT our son's favorite math curriculum.

In general, I subscribe to Charlotte Mason's methods.  I believe in good books.  I believe in the value of copywork and nature study. But I neve considered any other method of teaching math other than how it was taught to me in school.  I was going to be a math teacher, but God had other plans for me.  So I KNEW how math should be taught.  I bought math curriculum and we drilled-drilled-drilled.  We spent twice the time on math that we did on any other subject.  And our boys are very advanced in math.  But they hate it.

So this year we switched to a computer-based on-line math program, in hopes that the boys would find more enjoyment of it.  They liked it better, but still did not like math in general.

As I was reviewing the Ray's Arithmetic e-books I received from dollar homeschool, a light-bulb lit up over my head.  Fireworks launched in our living room.  A rocket shot to the moon.  Can you get how much of a revelation this was to me?  Ok, here's the revelation...are you ready?  Maybe you should sit down.  Here it is:  I've been teaching the boys how to do all the math problems.  They've learned all the formulas.  They know all the processes.  We've never really covered WHY we do ANY of it!!!  I remember as a Jr. High student sitting in Algebra class and thinking, "Yeah, but when am I ever going to USE this?"  That's the age-old question with math right?  I believe that this is the disconnect with our boys that have made them hate math.  We learn and we learn and we learn new math processes, but we don't apply them.

I had this revelation while reading through Ray's Practical Arithmetic, which I received as part of the Ray's CD from Dollar Homeschool.  I began paging through several of the books included in the Ray's CD and I stopped at Practical Arithmetic.  It begins with a review of the math basics, but it was the final chapters that sparked my interest.  After the basics are mastered in this upper elementary text, the math is applied to real-life.  Subjects such as interest, discount, insurance, and taxes are covered in great detail.  I was thoroughly impressed by this text and find the books that follow to be thorough and well-explained.   It's amazing to me that a product used in the late 1800s and early 1900s could be applicable today, but it is!

And, this is an excellent value for the money it costs.  You can get the complete Ray's arithmetic from Dollar Homeschool for $59 on CD.  Of course, you will have an additional cost when you print from your PC.  I like to print my e-books.  I use a free program called fine print to print my e-books two pages on one printed page.  It is still readable and saves me some paper and ink.  But, I digress, back to the value...not only do you get the complete Ray's arithmetic program, which could span the entire 12-year educational career of your child, but you also get several other texts on science and math that are so valuable.  You could fill your curriculum needs in many areas with this one CD for $59!  Go here and see the complete list of all the books included on this CD.  You'll be impressed.  But I was warn you ahead of time, I'm an old-book lover.  I love this CD because it's full of quality texts that are not new or current.  It's the old-paths that I'm seeking for our little homeschool.  The tried and true.  You get 38 tried and true texts on the Ray's CD

At first, I was confused about how to use Ray's Arithmetic.  The books aren't labelled as "grade 1", "grade5" etc...  Then I read the Welcome PDF.  (duh!)  The books are book marked along the left side of any of the texts you pull-up from the CD.  They are listed in order of use on that left side book-mark section!  Brilliant!  So once you find a level to start your student (there are suggestions for how to do that in the welcome section) you begin with that text and just move down the list at your own pace.  While this is the method to use when using Ray's in your homeschool, you will have to figure out how and when to use the supplemental books in your homeschool.  Rest assured that you are covered for math and science for many years!

Wow, this is really starting to sound like a sales-pitch isn't it?  I'm sorry about that, but I am really excited about using Ray's in our little homeschool.  We are currently working feverishly to finish our commitment to an on-line math curriculum we reviewed earlier in the year.  When that is over, I'm printing Ray's Practical Arithmetic and the three of us are going to start with the review, which the boys will find easy and so be encouraged, and then we will learn to apply math to our real world.  The "whys" will be answered.  I may get some math lovers out of the deal after all!

Dollar Homeschool is not only the purveyor of Ray's Arithmetic.  Check out their website for all of the products they offer.  If you are an old-book lover, you'll find a lot to love at Dollar Homeschool.

If you'd like to read the reviews of the rest of the TOS Homeschool Crew, visit the Ray's review post here.  Contact information for Dollar Homeschool can be found here. 

Dollar Homeschool provided me with a free copy of the Ray's Aritmetic CD in downloadable PDF-form to test and use in order to write this review.

Posted in Home Education

Math has never really been a problem in this house.  I've loved math for as long as I can remember.  The truth is that I only just began loving writing in the last few years.  Math was my first educational love.  As a result, we don't really struggle with math in our little homeschool.  But I know that a lot of moms and a lot of homeschools consider math to be their most difficult subject.  If this is you, you may find the DVDs available at MathTutorDVD.com to be very beneficial. 

I received The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor 8 Hour Video Course! retailing for $26.99 which is part of the 1st through 7th grade math DVD program.  I think it would be optimal for a fourth grader through 7th grade as the subjects get progressively more difficult.

The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor   is an 8 hour DVD set about word problems.  Word problems are usually a stumbling point for most math students.   It takes different skills to be able to read a paragraph and write a math problem than to just simply do a math problem put before you.  This DVD set covers the following subjects on 2 DVDs:

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

As you can see the level of difficulty gets progressively more complex.  This is not a DVD that you will cover in one year.  The first few subjects may be covered in the 4th or 5th grade year, but you won't get to Section 15 Ratio and Proportion until much later in your child's math-career.

Each section is presented in a clear and consise manner, and explained very well.  The instructor talks about different words that are "dead giveaways" in a word-problem.  Finding those words is very helpful when trying to decipher a word problem.

Unfortunately, the presentation, although clear and thorough, is very dry.  The video is just the instructor and his white board.  The instructor's voice is very monotone.  He doesn't get really excited about what he's instructing, or try to liven it up in any way.  If you are watching the video to learn a process, you will do that.  If you want your child to embrace word problems with love and affection, this DVD won't do that.

As I watched the word-problem explanations, I wished for additional problems.  I could imagine watching the DVD and then handing one of my sons a worksheet that would apply what he'd just learned and worked through with the video instructor.  This DVD doesn't allow that itself.  But MathTutorDVD.com does have a membership program with access to worksheets.  You can find more information about that membership here.  With the right set of worksheets, this DVD could be used as a brief curriculum.  Not a full year, but a few weeks of good thorough training in word-problems.

The other DVD I reviewd was Young Minds Numbers and Counting which retails for $19.99.  This would be a great DVD for a toddler or early-preschooler.  I loved this DVD and longed to have a young person in this house so that I could pop in Young Minds Numbers and Counting and let them enjoy the music and the beautiful pictures while they learned about numbers and counting. 

In this DVD, beautiful classical music (some of my favorites) plays in the background, moving photographs are shown while numbers and counting are being discussed.  It is a gentle and beautiful way for a young one to learn these basic math skills.  Our two boys (ages 11 and 13) are WAY beyond this DVD, but they even enjoyed looking at the pictures on the screen.  There wer puppies and zebras and frogs and horses...the list goes on.

If you have a toddler in the house, get them this DVD it will be a favorite for years.

MathTutorDVD.com carries a lot of math DVDs on a wide-range of subjects and grades or ages.  If you visit their website this page is an index of all the products they offer.  If you would like to contact MathTutor for more information, you will find their contact information here.   As always, please check out the reviews of my other crew-mates here. 

I reveived two free DVDs in the mail a few weeks ago to review from MathTutorDVD.com in order to give you this review. 

Posted in Home Education

If you've read my blog at all this year, you know that I am a member of the 2009-2010 TOS Crew.  I've spent my weeks since July, 2009 reviewing products with our boys and posting my reviews here on this blog.  It has been such a fun year.  Getting the mail has been like Christmas with packages of new books, curriculum, and sometimes just fun stuff!  My e-book library is growing exponentially!  I've read curriculum that I've been curious about for years.  I've been surprised to find things that I love that I never thought I'd like.

So, you must know by now, I highly recommend being part of the TOS Homeschool Crew.  It may seem like we review a lot of products, but I've always had LOTS of time to complete these reviews.  The people you work with are so pleasant and understanding.  I've added lots of readers to my blog, which is something I'd hoped for for years.

Right now, TOS is looking for future crew members for next year's crew.  If you would like to be considered as part of the 2010-2011 crew, follow this link.  You will lots more information than I can give you on the new crew page.

Give it a try!  I'm sure glad I did!

Posted in Home Education

This review is going to be a little different than my usual format.  I try to stay really organized and give you all the pertinent details in a pretty standardized fashion when I review a new item, but this time I did this a little differently.  I was given a complimentary review of MathScore, an on-line math curriculum, in order to give you this review.  When I logged onto MathScore I spent a lot of time doing problems and completing tasks.  As I was completing different on-line worksheets, I logged some of my responses to this program below.  As a result, this review may seem a little "all over the place."  Please bear with me, I'll summarize at the end.

Getting logged into MathScore is a piece of cake.  They offer a free trial version, which you know I love!  I love that you can try something out for a while before committing to using it regularly.  And, if after your two-week free trial, you decide to subscribe to MathScore, then there is a discount available on their web site.  You can contact MathScore here for more information. 

There were a lot of things that I loved and a few things that I didn't like about math score.  I'll give you my overall rating before you read the details.  MathScore is a no-frills on-line math site that gets a lot of stuff right.  It is easy for a parent to use and get detailed information of what the child has completed.  It is easy for a child to use and know how to complete and accomplish goals.  Although there are few bells whistles and graphics, advancing through the program is not complicated.  This is a solid program, but not one your child will be excited to use because it's not like playing a video game.  And now, on to my random comments about MathScore.

When a student takes a test he is told after each section whether he is right or wrong.  If he is wrong, or mostly wrong, he gets the option of trying again!  I LOVE that!  I am a firm believer that a child should have numerous tries at success especially in math.

With any on-line math program, it's difficult to do more complicated math problems.  For instance, when multiplying a 3-digit problem by a 3-digit problem there is no room to work on the screen, so you have to do the work on a piece of paper and just type the answer on the screen.

This would be a great program for mastering multiplication tables, or addition facts.  Any of the basic facts are routinely drilled and drilled-well using MathScore.  Doing this drill work is difficult on a laptop if you don't have a number pad.  But what's great is that there is drill work to do to help you master the number keys and the tab button even before you work on the math drills.  So if your child or student spends time doing the copy cat and copy cat preparation drills  to learn how to enter numbers and use the tab button to maneuver through the screen and do the timed drills much quicker.

This is not a highly graphic program.  But the explanations are clear and consise.   Our 11 year old was sitting beside me when I was testing this and he said, "It looks boring."  He said this because there isn't a clown telling you how to do the next problem, or a skateboard going over a ramp when you answer correctly.  There is a reward system for answering correctly which will provide incentive for the student but it is not graphic intensive.  There are always sentences that are written in a very encouraging language to incite the student to keep scoring well and the student earns badges to move him or her to different levels.

The parent's pages are excellent.  You can easily see your children's progress.  You can see what's correct and what's not.  You can see how much time is spent per subject and where a child needs more work.  If you look on the test results page, there is even a list of recommended subject to review with the student.  Other programs we've reviewed have not been nearly as easy to use from the parental perspective.  And, to my surprise, I woke up the day after beginning to review MathScore and there was a summary of the student's work in my in-box.  All I could think was that these emails would be perfect to use for our year-end portfolio! 

So, MathScore is pretty great.  If you go to this page you will find information to get started on your free-trial, and the subscription prices available.  If you are looking for something with lots of graphic intensity or the equivalent of a video game, you are not looking for MathScore.  But it you want a sound math program that does a fantastic job of communicating with you as a parent on your child's progress, check out MathScore.