"A heroine to love. Jones just gets better with every book, and The Big Picture is her best one yet."
~BARBARA WARREN, author of The Gathering Storm

"Such inspiration in a package of fun and faith!"
~EVA MARIE EVERSON, author of the Potluck Club series

It's been a long time since I have been able to post a personal note here! Spring has finally sprung on our farm and we are very busy outdoors. So much to do...so little daylight! We're also busy working on our year end portfolios and checking into next year's curriculum. I will have some goodies for sale and for contests, to make room for the new, so be watching for that.

Speaking of contests, you need to check this one out! My friend Heidi is hosting this at The Homeschool Lounge. I know that I could definitely use $50 in the Schoolhouse Store!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Spring Promo is in full bloom.
Subscribe now to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and receive
25 BONUS gifts valued at over $550!
Our Winter promo sold out, don’t miss out the free gifts this time!


Add one of these banner ads (click here for coding):






If you would like an additional chance to win the $50 gift certificate, please share a brief post about why you like The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. Remember to tell us in your comment that you did so, for a second chance to win!
HURRY! Contest ends on April 14th!

"...a special sisterhood of island women whose wisdom and courage linger in the mind long after the book is closed."
-NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author SUSAN WIGGS

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than sixty seconds.

Bailey hung on to the counter, dazed. If she let go, she’d collapse—and the twitching fingers of the gunman would pull the trigger. The rest of her group huddled in frozen shock.

Dear God, help us! Tell me this is a dream . . .

The shooter’s teeth clenched. “ Anybody who moves is dead.”

“… essential reading … a harrowing hostage drama.” – Library Journal

“… heart-pounding … breakneck pace … satisfying and meaningful ending.” – RT Bookreviews

“This cataclysmic ending left me breathless … Kanner Lake is the Best Suspense Series of 2007/2008.” – deenasbooks.blogspot.com

“Collins has saved the best for a last .. a powerful ensemble performance.” -- BookshelfReview.com

“… a staccato tempo … Sometimes you just have to close the book in order to come up for air.” – Dale Lewis

“…a masterpiece of page-turning suspense with a cast of dozens.” – Peg Phifer

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

Ohh, I SO NEED this! :-)

I was so excited to see this contest! This has been on my "wishlist" for quite some time. Thank you JenIG for hosting this one... I'm keeping everything crossed!

**************************************************************

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE! 

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.

This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program.  Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking.  Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included!  For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports. 

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these paragraphs (highlight with mouse and then press Ctrl+C for anti-right-click sites) and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HEREhttp://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/  and leave a comment with the link showing. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it, and good luck!  The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog page.

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

"Truffles by the Sea is delightful! Julie Carobini has a new fan in this reader, and she's earned a spot on my keeper shelf." --Kay James, RomanceReaderatHeart.com

"This book is a delight to read, and the author has us rooting for Gaby from page one. This girl's never-say-die attitude is incredible, and her life is filled with all kinds of foibles. This is chick lit with heart – about so much more than finding a man.... While keeping the light chick lit tone, this book satisfied while avoiding the tired old formulas. Just when I’m ready to give up on the genre, I stumble across an author who can write without relying on stereotypes." --Cara Putman, writerinterrupted.com

"I liked Julie Carobini's first novel, Chocolate Beach, but her sophomore release, Truffles By The Sea, greatly surpasses it. I thoroughly enjoyed Carobini's second book and felt her writing was much stronger throughout. The characters are deeper and yet funnier – a great combination.... It's a great read for a cold winter day – you can curl up with the book, a nice fire and pretend you're the one by the sea." --Jill Hart, RadiantLit.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker with the release of her first novel Just As I Am.

Since then she has contracted eight novels and published numerous articles and short stories. She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill, August 2007) and her newest release, Stuck in the Middle(Revell, February 2008), book 1 in the Sister-to-Sister Series.

Her short fiction has been anthologized, and her articles have been published in a variety of Christian magazines. An energetic speaker, she loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, “Biblical Truths in Star Trek.”

Virginia is a speaker, and an avid Scuba diver. She and her husband Ted, divide their times between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement-or romance.

That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to catch his eye and get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut and into the life she's been hiding from.

Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry that is sure to make you smile.

"A gentle story of one young woman's season of growth, deftly blending the tangle of family relationships with gifts of whimsey and revelation. A joy to read."
~SHARON HINCK, author of Renovating Becky Miller and Symphony of Secrets~

"Virginia Smith has created a charming and humerous novel that celebrates small-town life, generations of women caring for each other, and the value of finding a deeper, more active faith."
~SHARON DUNN, author of the Bargain Hunters mysteries~

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

ABOUT THE BOOK

"What more can any woman want? Sisters, Ink weaves the love of sisters, the fun of scrapbooking, and a romance as sugary and tingling as Sweet Home Alabama. A must read for those who love southern fiction."--DiAnn Mills, author of Leather and Lace and When the Nile Runs Red

"Fun . . . funny . . . fantastic! Rebeca Seitz has brought together scrapbooking and sisterhood in a lively romp, with a love for going home again."--Eva Marie Everson, coauthor of The Potluck Club series.

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. She is the author of numerous titles including novels, novellas, and a nonfiction. In addition, she's written several short stories, articles, devotions, and has contributed to several nonfiction compilations.

DiAnn believes her readers should "Expect an Adventure." Her desire is to show characters solving real problems of today from a Christian perspective through a compelling story.

Several of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents, and she remains a favorite author by Heartsong Present's readers. Two of her books have won short historical of the year by American Christian Fiction Writers both in 2003 and 2004. She was named Writer of the Year for 2004 at the 35th Annual Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference and is the recipient of Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards for 2005 in the long contemporary and novella categories.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, ChiLibris, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops. DiAnn also belongs to Cy Fair Women's Networking, an exclusive professional women's networking organization.

She lives in sunny Houston, Texas, the home of heat, humidity, and Harleys. In fact she'd own one, but her legs are too short. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

1803, the colony of Texas


Awaken My Heart is set in 19th century Texas and tells the story of 18 year old Marianne Phillips, the daughter of a wealthy rancher, Weston Phillips. Weston is involved in a hostile struggle with Armando Garcia, the infamous rebel leader of the 'mestizos' who claim to own the land that Phillips has settled.

Marianne Phillips, the daughter of a wealthy rancher, has never agreed with her father's harsh treatment of the poor mestizos who first inhabited the colony of Texas. When rebels kidnap Marianne, in hopes her father will trade back their land for her freedom, she realizes her loyalty lies with her abductors, not her father, who plans to marry her off to the don of a nearby estate.

Armando Garcia is the locals' reluctant leader, but his people revere and depend on him. Knowing that without his leadership they'd be forced from their land, Armando accepts his role, but does not approve of the latest attempt to manipulate their enemy. When he learns that Marianne actually speaks his language, of her loyalty to his people, and of the faith that keeps her strong, Armando is faced with a difficult decision. Will his newfound love keep him from letting her go? Or will he set her free and risk losing their land forever?

Posted inBooks We Love and Reviews

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sally Stuart has been writing for the last 40+ years, and has been putting out the annual "Christian Writers' Market Guide" for the last 23 years. Her other writing includes several Christian education resources books, a children's picture book, a basic writing text, writing resources, and a western novel--plus hundreds of articles and marketing columns. She writes marketing columns for the "Christian Communicator," "Advanced Christian Writer," and the Oregon Christian Writers' Newsletter. She speaks and teaches at Christian Writers' Conferences nationwide. Sally is the mother of 3 and grandmother of 8. She and her husband, Norm, spend their free time vacationing on the Oregon coast.

Check out her blog!


ABOUT THE BOOK:
The essential reference tool for the Christian writer, Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide is now in its 23rd annual edition!

Check out the section on Blogging on page 69...the CFBA is listed!

Writers’ Conference listings, Book Publishers, Magazine Publishers, and a Bookstore filled with the resources you need to be successful in this business. Get a Book Contract or Manuscript Evaluation, and check out the Writer’s Resource links. This book has all you need to connect to all these valuable helps for the beginning, intermediate, or professional writer.

One of the blessings of being a part of HomeschoolEstore's 12 Blogs of Christmas is being paired with Knowledge Box Central. I'm sure that most of you have heard of them and may have used some of their products in your homeschool. They have a fantastic selection of Lapbooking, Notebooking and Copywork pages in a great variety of subjects. We're currently using some of their products in our own little schoolhouse, and I'll be sharing those in a future entry. Because of my love for my family history, one that I am particularly excited about using is Grandmother's Virtues Lapbook (From the Interview Series). We'll be able to create a family heirloom!

So, you might be asking, "What IS a lapbook?"

A lapbook is a collection of booklets, fold out graphs and charts, drawings, etc., with highlights of a particular subject, all tucked inside a folder like book.Typically, you start with three standard folders, but how you arrange the contents is up to you and the sky is the limit! Here are some completed lapbooks (courtesy of Cyndi Kinney, Knowledge Box Central).

Cyndi was gracious enough to answer a few questions and I wanted to share my interview with you!

Cyndi, thank you so much for taking the time during this busy season to answer some questions for my readers and me. Would you please tell us a bit about your homeschool and family?

No problem at all! One of my favorite things to do is talk (or ramble)!

I am married to the love of my life, Scott, and we have 1 child, Shelby, who is a 12 year old girl (13 on the 30^th of December…Ugghh!). I had visions and dreams of having lots of children, but God obviously had other plans. After several miscarriages we finally brought home a baby, only to be told later that I needed surgery that would prevent further pregnancies. So, God is in control, and He gave me a child that has tons of friends over all the time…so I feel like I have lots of children….but I can send them home…so it works out pretty well!

As for our homeschool, it’s a bit eclectic. My daughter is very “hands-on,” so we use a varied list of curricula. Our biggest challenge is that my daughter does not enjoy reading. She reads very well, but she doesn’t like doing it. So, I find myself teetering between forcing her to read and just reading to her myself. Obviously, she prefers the latter.  So…we trudge along…continuously praying that God will change this in her.  In the meantime, we just have a LOT of “family reading time!” 

What prompted you to create Knowledge Box Central?

Actually, creating Knowledge Box Central was an accident. I know that sounds crazy….but I wasn’t planning on starting a business…it just happened. My daughter, as I said before, is very “hands-on,” so we had been creating little booklets to go along with our studies for years.  She also enjoys origami, so this folding of paper for the subject that we were studying was similar enough to origami that she really picked it up and ran with it.

I started using this method in teaching classes at our local co-ops, and soon moms were asking me to show them how to do it. Then, at our Tapestry of Grace co-op, I designed lapbooks for each unit, and one of the moms mentioned these lapbooks on that curriculum’s online forum.  Soon, I had moms from around the country asking me to sell them the templates that we used for our co-op lapbooks. So, completely ignorant to the ins and outs of this type of business, I agreed to sell them.  Wrong answer! Within 2 days, I had the owner/author of Tapestry of Grace calling me and VERY graciously informing me that I was violating the rules of their online forum (and copyright laws) and that I could not create and sell products that were based on their curriculum. I was so embarrassed. I was clueless. However, she was wonderful about it….and ended up asking me to design for them. So, suddenly I had a business. 

Since then, we have been asked to design lapbooks and copywork notebooks for several other publishers/curricula…like Apologia Science, The Easy French, Galloping the Globe, and others….  God truly blessed my efforts, even though I had no clue what I was doing!  He is pretty cool like that!

My boys and I have really been enjoying your products and they certainly make learning fun! Does your daughter have a favorite lapbook?

My daughter really loves studying about the Ancient Civilizations. So, I would have to say that the Ancient Egypt lapbook was her favorite.  When we studied Ancient Egypt, she even made jewelry, a headpiece, and a dress that resembled that worn by Cleopatra, and we placed pictures of those in our lapbook. The only problem is….the part she remembers most about it is about how the organs are removed prior to mummification…..particularly the brain hook thingee…..not always the best bit of information for her to share with others…but somehow, it is always what she chooses to share when telling anyone about her Ancient Egypt lapbook. Oh well…..at least she is excited about something..LOL!

You've shared that you battle MS. I'm also dealing with an illness and find it difficult to have the strength to "do it all" some days. Do you have any wisdom to share with homeschool mothers, like me, who are dealing with chronic illness?

You know….this is probably the question I feared most. The reason for this is because I happen to be going through a really difficult time with “the strength to do it all” right now. In fact, I just wrote in one of my newsletters about “taming my inner Martha.” You know in Luke, there is a story about Mary and Martha, sisters whose house Jesus was going to visit. When Jesus got there, Mary knelt at His feet to listen, but Martha kept running around preparing, cleaning, gathering, serving…..and Martha even had the nerve to tell Jesus that He needed to tell Mary to get up and help her. Jesus let Martha know right away that Mary had chosen what was better and that Martha was worried and distracted. I am Martha. I am worried and distracted by my illness all the time…instead of kneeling at the feet of Jesus……and instead of enjoying that things that He has given me in my life.

My M.S. took years to diagnose. I was diagnosed with so many other illnesses first….it was called fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, mini-strokes, etc. Finally, a brave doctor in Dallas took on my insurance company and prescribed me M.S. medications (injections), and SURPRISE…I got better. So, ever since them I have been on daily injections…..and my disease has not progressed. So, obviously, it’s working!

I would encourage you to listen to God….and your family. Seek out a specialist who will LISTEN TO YOU. Pray that God will reveal the source of the symptoms to your doctor. Take it easy on your body.  Most importantly….don’t be worried and distracted by it like Martha.  (I’m preaching to myself here.) Take the Mary approach. I know that’s easier said than done…believe me, I do know.

Since it is the Christmas, would you please share one of your favorite family traditions?

One of my favorite things to do as a child at Christmastime was to pile everyone in the car with hot chocolate and drive around looking at Christmas lights. The displays that some people come up with are amazing! We continue to do this now, and I still see things that I’ve never seen before each year. 

Now that my daughter is older, she is really getting interested in this whole Christmas-light-thing. In fact, this year, I have taken many pictures of her and her daddy on the roof, creating a Christmas light display of our own. The new addition for this year is that my daughter wants to put a “fishers of men” symbol on the roof….so I bought more Christmas lights yesterday….and I figure the fish will be up by the end of today!

Again, Cyndi, thank you so much for participating in this interview. It was a joy to get to know you better and I look forward to incorporating more products from Knowledge Box Central into our homeschool.  Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas!

Posted inIn The Schoolhouse

Back in 1800's Virginia, my great-great-great grandmother, Charlotte, taught a "loud school" in her home. She gathered her ten to twelve students around her fireplace for lessons and each pupil studied "out loud." During the Christmas season, she baked little ginger cakes for each one as a gift. I told my boys this story and since I am of course, their teacher, I decided to bake these for a little school day treat.

1 2/3 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 T. baking powder

1/2 t.  ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup raisins

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup dark molasses

SPICED SUGAR TOPPING

Mix the following in a small bowl:

2 T. sugar

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground ginger

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375. Grease and flour muffin tin (or decorative molds), or line with paper or foil liners. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in raisins. Combine eggs and oil in small bowl. Mix well. Stir in milk and vanilla. Add molasses and mix well. Stir into flour mixture and mix until just moistened. Spoon evenly into muffin cups or molds. Sprinkle spiced sugar topping over batter before baking, if desired. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Jocelyn is hosting a contest that will close in a matter of minutes so I need to get this entry in!

She has asked that we share a memory and it's funny because I was just talking with my mom earlier today about memories. I was telling her about a few of the things the boys and I were doing today and she asked me what I remember about Christmas as a child. She mentioned, almost apologetically, how she wasn't very festive or creative and typically didn't decorate much. (Really? I don't even remember that.) She also said that we didn't have a lot of money for gifts so they didn't overboard. (Hmm...We always had nice gifts to open. I don't remember ever feeling like we didn't have enough.)

Just dropping by to say....

I'm hosting a contest for HomeschoolEstore's 12 Blogs of Christmas, over at my homestead blog! Please stop by for a visit and to enter! The winner will be drawn on December 21, 2007 and will receive a $50 gift certificate to HomeschoolEstore!