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Feb. 2, 2010
TODAY ONLY! Exciting Nova Scotian Homeschool Freebie of the Day
The Mysterious Pirate Pit (MP3 Audio)
A story you and your children here in Nova Scotia are probably familiar with, but if you aren't, what fun to discover...
Almost 200 years ago, three boys found an odd tree and a shallow round pit on deserted Oak Island in Nova Scotia and realized that they may have actually stumbled across buried pirate treasure. But when they started to dig… they were amazed and mystified at what they found. This is an amazing story about one of the most mysterious and fascinating puzzles ever devised. This great radio program is courtesy of our sister site, Homeschool Radio Shows.com.
Bonus! Today’s audio program also comes with a coloring page AND videos to watch after you listen to the story! (Don’t cheat and watch the videos first… listen first, THEN check out the videos!)
Here's the link: The Mysterious Pirate Pit
And consider subscribing to the Homeschool Freebie of the Day for great freebies :) |
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Feb. 1, 2010
Download 'N Go - George Washington E-book - Review
Now why you may ask, if you are Canadian, would I want to learn about a U.S. figure? If you're like me, you like to teach your children about our neighbours to the north. I myself was rather tired of having no clue what all those television programs were talking about LOL, so I decided to teach my children all about American history in addition to Canadian history, and I learn along with them :) If you're an American, well of COURSE you want to spend some time on Washington! Did you know that George Washington was the only President of the U.S. not to live in the White House? Or that he was an early conservationist? Learn these facts and a lot more in this unit study.
All Download 'N Go titles include a week's worth of activities. The week's topics for George Washington:
Day 1: Who Was George Washington?
Day 2: People and Places in George Washington's Life
Day 3: The Accomplishments of George Washington
Day 4: Lessons to Learn From George Washington
Day 5: Remembering George Washington
Poetry, art, history, geography, math, spelling, character, the Bible, puzzles & games, everything is packed into this e-book. For those of you like me who love timelines, there's even a George Washington timeline :) As always with Download 'N Go titles, a lapbook is included. You can use the daily activities in the unit to complete the Lapbook by the end of the week if you like. A huge selection of links relating to Washington along with book suggestions are included throughout leading you to wonderful sites with information, games, pictures, trivia, and online tours of Washington D.C. If you are able to visit Washington as a finish to your study, it is a fantastic city for a family to visit - so much to see and do - I've been there with my family and highly recommend it.
This Download 'N Go - George Washington e-book is available for download at The Schoolhouse Store for just $7.95 US. You can Download 'N Go today :)
To read a review on another Download 'N Go title, click here: Birthday Bonanza
To download a free Download 'N Go title: Autumn Treasures |
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Jan. 26, 2010
Dr. Gabor Mate of Hold Onto Your Kids - CBC recording
Jan. 25, 2010
Heritage (Historica) Fairs - Time to Register
Last year I posted about the Historica Fairs which occurred in May. This year, they have a new name, Heritage Fairs. You can register your homeschooled children in Grades 4-9, who participate by preparing and presenting a Canadian historical project at your regional fair.
The Halifax Heritage Fair will be held on Saturday, May 8th.
For more information about the Heritage Fair in Halifax go to: History Society
The Cape Breton Heritage Fair will be held on April 29th & 30th. The early-bird deadline is January 29th, and intent forms have to be in by February 26th.
For more information about the Heritage Fair in Cape Breton go to: Heritage Fair 2010
To find a fair in another area, go to: History Society or your local School Board. |
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Jan. 16, 2010
Wanna Be...Series - huge sale!
Wow, I just saw this in my email inbox and had to share. I am a HUGE fan of these "I want to be...when I grow up!" e-books, and we have already purchased several of them for our homeschool. To see a past review, click on
I Want to Be...A Firefighter E-book Review. I cannot believe this great deal - you will love these e-books :)
Involve your entire family as you explore our fun and unique WannaBe™ Series.
Fan the flames of discovery for less than $2 a unit! Purchase our 10-pack for only $19.95 US! (regular price $89.50)
Meet a veterinarian, firefighter, pilot, farmer, police officer, soldier, and more! They are engaging for all ages!
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Jan. 10, 2010
Hold Onto Your Kids author lecture - Halifax Jan 21
Public Lecture & Parent Forum
Hold Onto Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers
Thursday, January 21, 2010, 7:30 PM
McNally Theatre Auditorium, SMU, 923 Robie St., Halifax
Speaker Gabor Maté is a physician, a former columnist for The Vancouver Sun and The Globe and Mail, and author of 4 Canadian bestsellers. He presents why many children no longer look to adults for emotional support, the teaching of values, or the modeling of behavior. Peer orientation undermines family cohesion and fosters boredom, aggression, bullying, precocious sexuality, drug use, developmental problems and “unteachability”. Dr. Gabor’s talk aims at restoring parenting to its natural intuitive basis, with practical advice to empower us to be the true source of contact, security and warmth for children.
For tickets or information, please
contact one of the following
school sponsors:
$10.00 in advance
or $15.00 at the door
ARMBRAE ACADEMY 423-7920
SHAMBHALA SCHOOL 454-6100
SACRED HEART SCHOOL 422-4459
HALIFAX INDEPENDENT SCHOOL 423-9777
HALIFAX GRAMMAR SCHOOL 423-931
I loved this book, I highly recommend it, and am hoping to be able to attend the lecture myself.
Love, Luck &
Laughter,
Kimberly |
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Jan. 6, 2010
Disney Homeschool Days Jan 25-26th
Jan. 1, 2010
250,000 Free E-books!
Ebooksread.com is an online library with over 250,000 free e-books! Search by author or title for everything from Shakespeare to Freud to Agatha Christie. A terrific homeschool resource :)
Love, Luck &
Laughter,
Kimberly |
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Dec. 29, 2009
Save on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Subscriptions - until Dec. 31st @ midnight!
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As you may know by my previous review on TOS Magazine, and my previous position as part of the TOS Crew, I read and subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! It's a wonderful publication just chock full of information for Christian homeschoolers. It always seems to contain within its pages just what I need at just the right time, whether it's encouragement, resources, or information :) And yes, this offer is for Canadians too!
Going . . . going . . . almost gone!
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is saying good-bye to their $7.95 subscription price (one year, U.S.) and international sale prices of 40% off at midnight on December 31, 2009. There is still time to treat yourself or share the gift of homeschool encouragement with your family and friends.
Receive 4 issues of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine RIGHT NOW for only $7.95 (U.S.)! That is less than $2 per issue. Canadian and international subscribers save 40%! Your subscription will start with the Spring 2010 issue. This includes one-year gift subscriptions!
Order the one-year plus current issue option and enjoy the Winter issue in January 2010 for only $12.95 (U.S.)!
Plus, new and renewing U.S. subscribers receive bonus gifts!
Get all of the details here.
Hurry! December 31 is the deadline for the sale prices!
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Dec. 23, 2009
Molly's January Money-Saving Digest - Review
As always, you'll find a week's worth menu plan of delicious recipes. A really great spin on grilled cheese sandwiches is included. I was a little disappointed when I got to the Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cake recipe and it uses a boxed cake mix - although I suppose a cake mix could be frugal, I really like baking from scratch myself.
Molly has started up a new section - the Kids' Corner. This month, the focus is on money - saving money, making a piggy bank, and opening a chequing account - things children should all have experience with.
I LOVE the pie-making section by The Homemaker's Mentor, it's definitely my favourite! Many recipes for pie crust, as well as recipes for the pies themselves are included. I can't wait to try the Buttery Pressed Pie Crust recipe, which you just press into the pan, no rolling. Also included are tips and tricks, along with pictures, for rolling out crusts, for making the dough in big batches and freezing it, for making your pies fancy on top, and how to make turnovers too! What a great idea - I'd like to make a bunch of these turnovers and freeze them, ready for when I don't feel like baking and we'd like a dessert.
You can purchase the January Molly's Money-Saving Digest at The Schoolhouse Store for $4.95 US, where you can also download a free sample! For more of Molly's Digests, and her Pick-a-Pack of Five Special for $20 US, click HERE. To read my other reviews, including some of the previous Digests, simply click on Reviews.
Would you like to keep up with all of Molly's frugal tips? You can join her at www.econobusters.com and read her wonderful daily tips, tricks and freebies, as well as sign up for her newsletter. You can also follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.
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Dec. 21, 2009
A Video Message From Santa
The Portable North Pole is a service put on by Sympatico.ca. Enter some details about your child, what s/he has asked for for Christmas, and even download a picture. Then your child can view a video message directly from Santa. The video can be in French or in English. My daughter loved this last year & I just made one for this year to show her today :)
Merry Christmas!
Kimberly |
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Dec. 11, 2009
FUNtastic Folders C is for Christmas & Cookies
A very useful list of all the materials needed for each of the unit studies is included at the very beginning, along with pictures of what your folders might look like when completed. Each Unit Study has some printing copy-work, which my daughter enjoyed. The copy-work is also available as tracing pages.
When the title includes cookies, there's got to be some baking involved :) The first unit is entitled "Cooking in the Kitchen". My daughter's favourite recipe was the Snowballs. She loved them so much we made them two days in a row! They were quick, easy, and delicious. The second time we made them, I thought I'd try whole wheat flour instead of white. This worked well as they were still delicious, and a bit more nutritious (although they didn't look quite as pretty and white). Also included is information about kitchen safety, cleanliness, and a whole bunch of information and activities about germs. Now with my 5 year old, I skipped the germs part, as I know my child (once upon a time a Summer Camp counsellor taught her that flies carry excrement when they land on her sandwich and she had problems with eating outside for a LONG time!). Individual parents will have to determine how much of the information is too much for their own child - I think I'll save it for a future Science lesson. I like the included gift tags, printed out on card stock with a little photo of the giver placed where it indicates, they look great :) Now when I run out of gift tags, I just need to print off more.
Advent activities are included in the Christmas unit, which worked in well with our ongoing celebration of Advent. There is the story of the birth of Jesus, complete with brightly coloured pictures. Also, there is a calendar of things to do daily. Some of the crafts included are decorating Christmas trees and a Christmas star. And my daughter particularly enjoyed the Christmas-themed math pages. My eldest child is enjoying helping my daughter complete the crossword puzzle. And who doesn't like barnyard animals? Learn all about ones that may have been present at Jesus' birth, and cut out pictures of them.
Just a couple of nit-picky things: I would have loved a Table of Contents so I could easily find a specific page I was looking for. Also, the measuring cup drawings didn't show equal measurements between the 1 cup and the 2 cup measure - although my 5 year old didn't notice :)
This 67-page e-book is available for download at Currclick, where you can peek at a few sample pages. It's now on sale for $18.99, regularly priced at $21.99. |
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Dec. 11, 2009
Download 'N Go - Birthday Bonanza E-book - Review
Download 'n Go e-books are a combination of unit study and lapbook. Birthday Bonanza was designed to be used in the week leading up to your child's birthday. What a terrific way to celebrate a birthday week! Celebrate your child with 5 daily lessons all about them. Create a lapbook full of facts about your child, their birth, the year of their birth, and their favourite things. Choose from a list of terrific books to read along with each lesson. The e-book is also full of internet links and Biblical scriptures to augment each lesson. And that's not all! Also included are birthday party ideas, links, and planning forms. Although the e-book does mention States and Presidents, it is easy to adjust it with Canadian information. I just know my daughter is going to enjoy this e-book, she's already excited about her birthday and it's over a month away, LOL. I'll also be using some of these ideas & links leading up to my 10 year old son's next birthday.
You can receive the Birthday Bonanza E-book free with a Download 'n Go Subscription - pick 4 for $30, 19 for $114, or 38 for $190. If you don't already have the free Download 'n Go e-book, and want to see what they're like first, you can download the Autumn Treasures Unit Study here. |
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Dec. 7, 2009
Download Free Kindle for PC for Free Books!
Dec. 1, 2009
Usborne Books - For Homeschool & Fun!
We've enjoyed Usborne books and have used them in our homeschool for years. To take a look at all the wonderful, fun, educational books Usborne has to offer go to http://kim.yellowducksonline.com for the full catalogue. These can be shipped across Nova Scotia and Canada.
Usborne books are used in various homeschool curricula: The Well-Trained Mind, Tapestry of Grace and more! To see a run-down of some of the books used in these curricula, and some suggestions for children with special needs such as autism and ADHD, go to the Facebook Group Usborne Books - Cape Breton. |
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Nov. 30, 2009
Molly's December Money-Saving Digest - Review
Because homeschoolers are often pinching pennies to make ends meet, I very much enjoy bringing you these reviews of Molly's Money-Saving Digests. A copy of the December edition was provided to me in exchange for an honest review :)
As always, there are money-saving tips and recipes in the pages of the latest digest. An entire week's worth of menu-planning meals for supper-time are shared, including a terrific frozen recipe for meatloaf. My whole family has really enjoyed the recipe for breaded chicken nuggets - I substituted the bread crumbs for more nutritious wheat germ and they didn't even notice. There are a few recipes for making your own candy, along with links for others, and how to turn the goodies into great gifts.
In addition, there is fantastic idea-after-idea for low-cost gift giving - much appreciated in my household this year! You'll find twelve easy, practical gifts to give, and links to ideas, as well as step-by-step instructions for things like making your own calendars with your children's photos & artwork. Ten food-gift ideas are listed along with recipes. I really like the Hot Mocha-mix recipe because I miss having the odd Mocha at Starbucks.
Some ideas on focusing on the meaning of the season - keeping Christ in Christmas - especially for our children are shared, along with tips for staying sane and simplifying the season. One idea shared that we already do, is taking three weeks off around the Christmas season to decorate, bake, prepare, and celebrate. Also proposed is reducing the amount of people you give gifts to, or even doing away with gift-giving outside your immediate family altogether. And there are ideas for decorating too, such as yummy-smelling cinnamon ornaments, as well as some non-Christmas decorating ideas for your home. I'm going to be referring to this copy of the digest often as Christmas approaches!
The December Digest is available for download now for just $4.95 US at The Schoolhouse Store. As always, all E-books published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine come with a money-back guarantee! |
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Nov. 30, 2009
Weaving: Make Your Own Loom & Watch Live Weaving!
Weaving on a Loom can be a very educational addition to homeschooling your children, especially when studying historical periods & cultures that weave. Not only that, but they can create great little weavings for themselves or for gifts! You can make your own loom using simple index cards (or print THIS out on cardstock and yarn! Click HERE for the step-by-step Youtube video.
Do you want your children to see how a professional weaves on a big floor loom? Tune into http://www.justin.tv/janetdawson to witness my wonderfully talented friend Janet, weaving on her loom in her home studio. Simply enter the code "jammiecam" and you can watch with your children. Janet loves questions, so simply click the little blue chat bubble at the bottom right and start typing.
Enjoy!
Love, Luck &
Laughter,
Kimberly |
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Nov. 23, 2009
Free Advent Study - Advent Begins November 29th!
| Until last year, I hadn't ever celebrated Advent, and didn't even really know what it was. A few homeschoolers on The Homeschool Lounge had talked about Advent, and posted a link to a free Advent study, and I thought I would give it a try with my family. I'm so glad I did as we all enjoyed it! We will be starting our nightly Advent celebrations again this year, on November 29th. I have my free Advent study all downloaded and ready to go. You can download it too, at the Our Grace Journey blog. If you're like me and don't like doing fill-in-the-blank activities with your children, simply discuss things with your children instead. There are also colouring pages, scriptures to read, and of course the lighting of the candles, which my children particularly enjoy. We find it's a great way to get excited about and prepare for the coming of the Christ Child :) We also like to include some readings of other books and stories nightly - last year we read A Christmas Carol and a story from "What Really Happened in the Middle Ages" about who Good King Wenceslas really was. |
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Nov. 11, 2009
The Canadian War Experience - a resource
On Remembrance Day, you are probably, like me, teaching your children about our soldiers and the wars they have served in. There is a terrific resource on the internet, full of primary sources...
The Canadian Letters and Images Project is an online archive of the Canadian war experience, from any war, as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves. It began in August 2000, located in the Department of History at Vancouver Island University. In November 2003 the Project was very pleased to bring in as partners the History Department at The University of Western Ontario. Students at Western will be working under the guidance of Dr. Jonathan Vance, Canada Research Chair in Conflict and Culture. This partnership between Malaspina and Western will ensure that more material can be made available to the public through the Project web site.
There is a short video about the project done by a student at Vancouver Island University currently available on YouTube. You can access the video by clicking on the the link here.
Each day, a letter is posted, matching today's date. On this date, November 11th, you will find a letter from 1918 detailing the celebration of the end of WWI in France. |
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Nov. 2, 2009
National Novel Writing Month
Nanowrimo is here again!
What is NaNoWriMo?
National Novel Writing Month happens every November!
The challenge is to write an entire novel in just 30 days. That means participants begin writing November 1 and must finish by midnight, November 30. The word-count goal for the adult program is 50,000 words, but the Young Writers Program allows participants who are 17 years old and younger to set reasonable, yet challenging, word-count goals.
All around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants of all ages are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. And everyone wins, you get a certificate of participation at the end of the 30 days, providing you've reached your word count.
In 2008, 119,000 adults participated through themain site, and 22,000 young writers participated through the Young Writers Program.
If you are 13 or older you can sign up on the main site at www.nanowrimo.org. Just know that you will have to write 50,000 words since the adult site doesn't allow you to set your own word-count goal. This is terrific, because you and your child can both write a novel and encourage each other all month long :)
If you are under 13, visit the How NaNoWriMo Works for Young Writers page! If you are an educator, visit the How NaNoWriMo Works for Educators page.
Happy Writing!
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