Hi friends,

Our support group just activated its new web site.  We're quite pleased with it, though still have a few little bugs to work out.  We have links to curriculum, articles, and resources, as well as a blog.  If you or someone you know lives in the Chicagoland area and is looking for a support group that focuses on home-based discipleship, please refer them.

Christian Home Educators of Southwest Chicagoland

Blessings,

Barb

We recently experienced the death of a homeschool dad in our support group.  I have had a burden for this mom and her girls.  We are coming together to try to help as best we can, but the grief is still fresh and she still is having trouble making decisions.  Moms in this situation will find it hard to homeschool, so I am posting these links primarily for us to share with these moms, but also for the general benefit, as in these economic times, who couldn't use free materials, right?

I have a few sites that I regularly get freebies from. I try not to subscribe to too many newsletters, etc., as I end up not having the time to read them. But I access these regularly.  Some of you are probably already familiar with these.

• Homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com (if you sign up for their weekly newsletter, you get a heads up on what is offered that week and also an extra freebie not offered to those who don't get the newsletter)


• HomeschoolRadioShows.com (my kids love these audio files -- a new one every week; they also offer, for members, a study guide to accompany each audio selection)


• CurrClick.com (weekly free item to download -- lots of unit studies, lap books, etc.)
  Behemoth.com (free audio file changes, I think, daily, so check in often)
  

I was doing a search for free resources online and came across these that you might be able to utilize in your homeschool or family time. Perhaps, if you know a single mom who wants to homeschool or a widow who is looking for assistance in low-cost curriculum, you could forward these links. Let's make a conscious effort to help those women withouth husbands and those children without fathers!

• ACE Youth Fitness (7-lesson plan)


• U.S. Geological Survey -- has lesson plans, online resources, etc.) (watch for evolutionary bias)


• A&E's Biography.com


• NASA


• The Smithsonian


• The Charles Edison Fund


• National Postal Museum's Postal Pack


• Miami Museum of Science "Hurricanes" site


• The US Evironmental Protection Agency


• Ambleside Online (Charlotte Mason lesson plans)


• A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust


• The Anne Frank Center


• The National Park Service


• Cornell's bird study educator's guide

Blessings,

Barb

I was thinking about using this course for my son.  Has anyone used it?  Do you have any thoughts on it?

Blessings,

Barb

Check these out:  http://momsbb.seaeagle.hop.clickbank.net/

Blessings,

Barb

Click above to see all the great items on Vision Forum's year end sale list!  Wow!  I think I might order a few books that I've been holding out for. 

Blessings,

Barb

For standard shipping, today is the final day to guarantee delivery by the 24th, so take advantage of this great sale. (Click on image to use my affiliate link, please.)

Blessings,

 Barb

Friends,

Just wanted to let you know that starting Monday the 15th and ending Wednesday the 17th, Vision Forum is having a great sale that includes FREE SHIPPING, which I always love.  If you could lick below on the image to use my affiliate link, I'd be much appreciative.

Blessings,

Barb

Before we pack up and head out the door...

I found this yesterday and thought I'd share it.  A cool bird coloring book.  It's a PDF file.

Birds

Blessings,Barb

I've never been too hung up on standardized testing.  Actually, my 14yods was test "phobic" when he started school.  Math timings were very stressful for him, so we stopped doing them for several years.  Now that he's in high school, I'm facing the "big one," the ACT or SAT.  He's not a good writer, despite my best efforts.  Like his dad, he just seems to have difficulty expressing himself.  He is improving, but I often wonder if college (with it's internminable essays/reports/etc.) is the right option for this young man who wants to be a missionary pilot.  Anyway, in looking over ACT/SAT info, I came across the following:

Explore Test sample questions

My 14yods took the English portion this morning in place of a portion of his regular work, and he got 8 out of 10.

We'll continue to plug along.  I probably will enroll him in a prep class the summer before his junior year, or do the ACT online prep, which is quite reasonably priced.  I'm still concerned about college admissions writing assessments.  I wish we could afford a writing tutor or Sylvan or something like that, but the budget is way too tight.  So I continue to do my best and pray that God will provide the understanding that is needed.

Blessings,

Barb

OK, so the van repair today was over $400.  Yikes.  Didn't have that money.  But, at Homeschool Freebie of the Day I downloaded "Savvy Money Management for Families."   I'm looking forward to reading that, and even today, after signing up for the free newsletter from "Living of a Dime", I already found some tips that will work for me.  When you sign up for the newsletter, you get a free mini e-course entitled "Five Simple Steps To Save $500 A Month On Your Grocery Budget". I read the first installment of the e-course before going to Aldi today, and instead of getting juice or other drinks (besides milk), I bought two stackable containers to put in the fridge with spouts, and I'm going to fill them with water.  Now, I'm not a water drinker.  I LOVE my Diet Coke, and even more, my Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. But lately I've been hearing this nagging voice that I need to drink more water.  You know it's bad when you feel you HAVE TO HAVE IT or you can't get through the day.  I know I've once again become addicted to caffeine.  I don't do coffee, or hot tea in the mornings, so often, especially this summer as I'm out early taking ds to his volunteer job, I'm stopping at McD's for that large diet coke to keep me going.

I also know we need to get a handle on the occasional eating out.  We don't do it that often -- though it has been more often this summer as we've been on the go so much.  It takes more work, and more planning, to pack a lunch.  But I just need to be disciplined and do that.

So, check out the above resources.  Perhaps we'll be able to save enough for that trip to California early next year for a family wedding after all! :-)

Blessings,

Barb

 . . . since I actually blogged anything.  Life is so very busy, and this is just not a real priority for me.  But I like to share freebies with my friends, so I posted a link to some health resources.  Another great source of info about free resources is the Graham Family Ministry.  I get their monthly newsletter which is always packed with links to free downloads.  Their website is:  school4jesus.com.  You can sign up for their newsletter.  If you do this quickly, they'll send you July's newsletter, which includes links to some great books available online about Biblical manhood and womanhood, plus a free e-book for signing up.

Blessings,

Barb

Just wanted to share the following links that I received from a friend.  You can order free drug abuse prevention and healthy eating resources from these sites:

Drug Abuse Resources

Healthy Eating Resources

Blessings,Barb

If you're not aware of the annual "Hearts at Home" conference in Normal/Bloomington, IL, I highly recommend it.  It's a great time to get away and get encouraged in your stay-at-home mom role.  Women attend from all over the country.  Online registration for this year's conference is now open -- click here.

Blessings,

Barb

I was recently concerned at how easy it was to locate one of our church teens on MySpace.com.  Her picture, full name, and city of residence were listed on her blog, including the fact that she was looking for guys to meet.  Pretty scary!

I found the following information/resources that may be helpful:

* An information packet about internet safety (you can order up to 50 sets free for your church or homeschool group.

* NetSmartz Kids is a fun interactive web site for kids, with games and activities teaching them internet safety.

Blessings,

Barb