Today we've got two great resources from one of our favorite vendors, Grace and Truth books.  I love this vendor because they sell such quality books.  These are the books Charlotte Mason would have called "living books."  Grace and Truth has taken older books and republished them for children and teens today.  Their books focus on character and encourage children who read them to grow spiritually, and today's midweek markdown is no exception.

Our first offering from this wonderful vendor is the Children's Character Building Collection.  There are 11 books in this set.  All 11 will challenge your child or pre-teen to strengthen their character. But these books aren't just for children, adults love them too!  The books in this series are:

We are excited to introduce you to Trigger Memory Systems!  We carry 10 products by Trigger Memory Systems in the Schoolhouse Store, including Times Tales and their Clean N' Flip chore systems. Below is an interview with owners Marillee Flanagan, Jennie von Eggers, and Dena Wood.

Give us a general overview of the products you sell through the Schoolhouse Store.

Marillee:  We found that both parents and children are tired of multiplication drills. So many times it is just vain repetition with very little success and a lot of frustration. Times Tales is a unique way of learning the upper times tables. Frequently, we hear from our customers how much fun their children had working through Times Tales and how they beg their parents to do more. Our Story Flipchart is made up of ten simple, one to two sentence stories that are easy to remember. When you begin the program, it is not even necessary to tell the child they are learning their upper times tables. Just have fun with the stories. Within an hour most children will have memorized their upper facts without even knowing it! The program also includes a Roll-em Cube Game, crossword puzzle, flashcards, assorted tests, and our Memory Story Guide. All these aid in "anchoring" the upper times tables in the student's memory. We have found this step-by-step process through which the student moves from stories to the actual multiplication facts is quick, highly effective and a great way to make multiplication FUN!

We now offer three Clean N' Flips in our series. The one that started it all is our Bedroom Cleaning for Kids. This Flip Chart offers a fun, step-by-step system to clean a messy bedroom. The pictures are easy to follow and it is a great tool for all ages. There is even an optional job list located in the back that allows the parent space to add extra jobs if needed. Our second Clean N' Flip is Zone Cleaning for Kids. This Flip Chart provides the child with a step-by-step system to clean the major areas of the home: kitchen, bathroom and living room. Again, the pictures are easy to follow and it is ideal for all ages. What is unique about this Flip Chart is that we designed it so the child can check off boxes as the jobs are completed. It can be used over and over again with the dry erase marker that we include with the product. It is also totally customizable for your individual family needs and offers several spots where the parent can add jobs to make it the perfect fit for your home.
 
We are excited to introduce our latest addition to the Clean N' Flip series- Laundry for Kids. This Flip Chart provides children with a step-by-step system on how to do the laundry. Again, it has easy-to-follow pictures and is great for all ages. All three of our Clean N' Flips help children visually and systematically work through various cleaning processes. They make it fun and easy for both parents and kids.

Tell us an interesting fact or story about your company.

Jennie:  When I was in high school, I would make up funny stories or acronyms to help memorize for tests. At the time, I had no idea I was using a memory tool called "mnemonics", I just knew that it worked. Later, when I was employed as a waitress, I again used mnemonics to help memorize orders without writing anything down. This proved to be quite profitable as customers were so impressed by my little "trick" they would often tip me generously. So, later in life when my two homeschooled boys were struggling to remember their upper times tables, it was a no-brainer to incorporate mnemonics in this area too. 

The boys and I made up a few silly stories for each math fact. By the next day, they had those pesky upper times tables down pat! I was amazed at how successful and easy it was. A few months later, while visiting my sister in Oregon, I told her about this little mnemonic trick I had used for my boys. She suggested that it might be something we could try to sell. Within two weeks, three of us homeschool moms (myself, my sister and a friend) formed a company called Trigger Memory Systems and started selling our first few copies of Times Tales on the Internet. Much to my surprise, I returned home from my visit to Oregon as a new co-owner of a company.

How can your products best benefit the homeschooling community?

Jennie:  Most of our products geared toward visual and hands-on learning which work well with the homeschool lifestyle. We also strive to make sure anything we sell makes learning fun! We have heard from parents tell that when a Trigger Memory Systems package arrives it looks so fun they can hardly wait to get started. Another goal of ours is to keep all our products affordable and non-consumable.

Dena:  We feel that learning life skills and being an integral part of the "work" of family is critically important for children of all ages. Chores allow children to gain important skills, grow in self-confidence and develop a strong work ethic. Unfortunately, training in this area can often be pushed aside because Mom is short on time and it's easier to just take care of chores herself so that she can get to the schoolwork and other "important" duties. We understand that! Our Clean N' Flips series is aimed at making the training process as quick and easy for Mom as possible.

We also try and make the Flips as fun and enjoyable for the children as we can because a good attitude is such an important part of chore training. We know that a clean house, happy kids and a relaxed mommy can make a world of difference in the atmosphere of the home. We're hoping our Clean N' Flips help with all three.

Marillee:  Both Times Tales and the Clean N' Flips save time and reduce stress and frustration. Every homeschool can use that!

What new items can we expect to see from your company in the next year?

Dena:  We're working on a totally different type of product that we are all pretty excited about. It's a surprise, but involves an area all three of us are passionate about, will include both the parent and child, and should be a great deal of fun!

Which of your products are you most excited about? 

All:  We are really excited about our Times Tales program. A few months ago, we decided to offer a free trial download of Times Tales on our website.  This has been a huge success. It offers those customers that are curious how it works to test drive Times Tales and see it in action. 

What age groups are your products most appropriate for?

Dena:  The stories in Times Tales are geared toward your average third grade student learning their upper multiplication facts. However, the mnemonic device works for all ages. In fact, we've received several emails from moms who tell us they now remember their facts! By adapting the Memory Story Guide for older learners and moving quickly through the flipchart, the program works well as a memory tool for any age. I used Times Tales with a High School boy and a Junior High girl, both excellent students that just couldn't recall their facts. I spent less than 30 minutes with each and they were both able to recall the stories (and their facts) with no problem. Times Tales has also received a very enthusiastic response from parents of children of all ages who struggle with dyslexia.

Jennie:  Since our Clean N' Flips provide visual steps on how to complete chores, they work for any age. Even moms have emailed us telling how they use our Clean N' Flip System! At the same time, pre-readers can follow along simply by looking at the pictures. It truly is a "works for all ages" product.

What makes Times Tales unique from other math curriculums?

Dena:  I would not consider Times Tales a "curriculum". It is a memory tool, only. In fact, that's one of the reasons we don't include the lower facts in our program. We want to be sure children understand the math and feel they should be able to mentally calculate the lower facts quickly. Times Tales does not teach the concept of multiplication. It is simply a memorization tool that will save you hours and hours of time over the old flashcard method of memorization. We tested Times Tales on my then six year old daughter. She could quickly tell you what 7 x 8 or 9 x 9 was but would say, "I don't know" if you asked the answer to 1 x 1. For that reason, Times Tales is most definitely a supplement to your regular math program. The fun thing is that it doesn't matter when you use it. For example, when my daughter reached third grade we learned the concept of multiplication and the lower facts. Then I said, "You already know the rest because they're all Times Tales" and she did!

Will one clean and flip work for a family or should each child have their own?  Are they reusable?

Dena:  Either way will work. If your children are willing, the bedroom flips can easily be shared. However, at $7.95, it’s nice for each child to have their own. Personally, I would purchase just one Laundry flip and keep it in the laundry room. Zone Cleaning can be shared by the entire family and adapted to work best for your particular situation. An instruction insert offers suggestions for usage.

Can children with learning disabilities use your products?

Times Tales has received extensive praise from parents of learning disabled children. Recently, we experienced an overwhelming response from the Dyslexia community when Susan Barton, of Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, Inc., recommended Times Tales to her newsletter subscribers. Through the years, we've received many heartfelt testimonies about how Times Tales worked for a learning disabled child when others failed. Times Tales is simple and works for all types of learners.

Thank you Dena, Jennie, and Marillee!  

As always, if you have used any of these products, be sure to stop by and share how they worked for you in your homeschool! 

Do you and your family acknowledge Advent in your home?  If you’re not familiar with Advent, it is the period leading up to Christmas.  Some families or churches begin the day after Thanksgiving.  Some Advent studies begin on December 1^st and lead you up to Christmas Day, December 25, 2009.  In the past our family has done different Advent studies during the Month of December.  One year we used a book as a guide.  One year we listened to specific audios every day leading up to Christmas.  I always plan a special study that the boys and I do during the day together leading up to Christmas as a special Advent study just for us in addition to what we do with Daddy in the evening.  During the month of December when things get a little crazy I can be sure that we are still getting a little writing, maybe some art and music, and some reading completed each day by working through our special Advent study.  I love to have a new study for our family each year.

If you are still looking for that perfect Advent study, I may have just the thing for you today.  Today’s midweek markdown comes to you from Graham Family Ministries.  Today we are offering the  E-Book: The Glorious Coming - A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration for a special price of  $5.00.  That’s $2.95 off the regular price of $7.95.

This E-Book will help you and your family to create a Jesse Tree.   To quote the description from our Old Schoolhouse Store, a Jesse Tree traces “the family line and heritage of the family of God, of human beings from the beginning of time to the coming of God Himself, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”  Each day there is a scripture to read and a short reading.  Then, there is an ornament for you to hang on your Jesse Tree.  You can print these on cardstock and laminate them to use year after year.  Your Jesse Tree could be a branch you bring in from the yard, or you can draw a Jesse Tree on a sheet of poster board and hang your ornaments there.  This is an Advent study that you can do as an entire family.  The readings are short enough to keep a younger child’s attention, yet worded well to keep the attention of older children and adults.

Graham Family Ministries is donating all of their proceeds from the sales of The Glorious Coming during the month of December to Samaritan’s Purse. Each year, the Graham family finds a worthy charity to receive the blessings of their sales in December.  This year, the recipient they chose was Samaritan’s Purse.  So, the portion of your midweek markdown purchase that goes to Graham Family ministries will go directly to this charity that focuses on blessing needy children all over the world.

So, there’s plenty of incentive to purchase The Glorious Coming – A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration. 

            #1.  It’s a study that will bless your family, bring you closer together, and closer to our Saviour.

            #2.  It’s at a great price!

            #3.  Part of the proceeds will help children all over the world.

If you do pick up a copy, stop back to the blog and let me know how your Jesse Tree goes this Advent season.  I’ll be looking for those comments!

I have a lot to share with you today, so I won't bore you with my personal stories!  This week's midweek markdown comes to us from vendor Amy Puetz.  She is offering six of her e-books at very special prices to you.  As always, these specials will only be for one day, Wednesday, November 4, 2009.  So, get yours today! 

E-book:  Countdown to Christmas

Regular Price:  $21.95

Sale Price:  $17.00

Countdown to Christmas is a book that will lead your family from the first of December right up to the 25th, Christmas Day.  Every day you and your family will gather around the kitchen table or cuddle up on the sofa and read a story or article about Christmas and then do an activity together around that reading.  Many of the readings are from writings in the 1800s and 1900s.  This book has a feature from one of my favorite authors, Louisa May Alcott, as well as, Edith Nesbitt, Hans Christian Anderson, the Bible, and the editor/compiler of the book Amy Puetz. 

If you get this ebook today, you will have plenty of time to get your activities planned before the first day you begin this charming path to Christmas.  This is a large book, 150 pages, so when you order it, you will have four separate downloads.  Check out this great seasonal resource today!

E-book:  Costumes with Character

Regular Price:  $21.95

Sale Price:  $17.00   

This 112 page e-book is chock-full of history.  In it you will find the patterns for eleven costumes ranging from the 1620's to the late 1800's.  But this is not only a costume book, it is also the basis for a unit study.  You will find facts and quotes from each time period that you can use for copy work or to make mini-books for a lapbook.  There is also a list of resources for further study of the time periods.  Pick up a copy of Costumes with Character at this special price for today, one-day only.

Read a review of costumes with Character here.

And finally, all four of Amy Puetz's Heroines of the Past e-books are on sale for this special one-day only sale.  In each book you will find a complete unit study for that period of history featuring the famous, and some not-so-famous women of that time period.  Each book contains biographies, activities, (usually a costume), games from the period, book reivews, a quiz, art appreciation and so much more.  These e-books are truly a treasure and unlike any history unit in the fact that they are about historical women.  Check them out today.  Each of these e-books normally sells for $14.95.  Today you can get them for $11.50 each.  Follow the links below to the product page to pick yours up or learn more about these e-books.

 E-Book: Heroines of the Past: Civil War 1861-1865

Regular Price:  $14.95

Sale Price $11.50

 E-Book: Heroines of the Past: Colonial 1630-1775

Regular Price:  $14.95

Sale Price:  $11.50

E-Book: Heroines of the Past: Patriot 1775-1783

Regular Price:  $14.95

Sale Price:  $11.50

E-Book: Heroines of the Past: Victorian 1870-1900

Regular Price:  $14.95

Sale Price:  $11.50

So, I've left you with a lot to consider today.  You can pick up a resource for the upcoming Advent Season, or maybe an e-book or two to spark something in your history studies!  I hope you find something that will bless you this week!  If you do, leave me a comment and tell me what you got!

Until next week,

Here we are again for the midweek markdown.  I'm really excited to share this with you because this week's midweek markdown is FREE!  We will be offering a new freebie each quarter, so tell your friends to subscribe to the blog so that they won't miss a freebie.  Remember, as with the regular midweek markdowns, this will be available for one-day only, in this case, Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

This week, we are offering all of you a free copy of one of our Schoolhouse Planner Modules.  To see all The Schoolhouse Planner Modules, go here in the Schoolhouse Store.  The Planner Modules are a great idea to spark something different in all of our homeschools.  You can subscribe to the planner modules and receive a new module each month.  All the modules are filled with great ideas, information, and activities.  Go here to view the 2009-2010 Planner Module Membership.

The module we are offering to you today is Amusing Mathmatics.  This was the November 2008 module.  For me, this couldn't come at a more perfect time, being about a fourth of the way into our school year, our guys are pretty tired of the old routine!  Taking a day for some different and fun math activities just might be the ticket to get them out of our rut!  I'm planning on downloading this module and using it to break up our math lessons in the coming weeks.

Included in this book are math jokes and riddles, lots of activity pages, coloring pages, math tricks, and even copy work.    I know our boys are always amazed by number tricks where you add, subtract, multiply, and divide one number and somehow the person giving you the trick can tell you what your ending number is.  Do you know those?  Well, learning those number tricks will impress every grandparent!  So get your copy of this week's Midweek Markdown, and start impressing!

Download your copy of Amusing Mathematics   today!  Because it won't be free tomorrow!

If you would like to read a review of this particular module, check out what a fellow homeschooler had to say. (hint:  she gave it 5 stars!)

One addiction I seem to share with a lot of other homeschool mothers is a love of books.  I love looking over all the wonderful books offered by Grace and Truth Books.  My wish list for this vendor is very long and today we have THREE special offers for you!

If you have girls in your home, today’s midweek markdown is a wonderful way for you to fill your bookshelf with these valuable treasures.  The Girl’s Heritage Set from Grace and Truth Books contains 8 books.  That’s more than 900 pages of quality character reading.  If you get this set, you will receive the following books:
First Impressions of God
Grace Raymond
The Little Girl's Treasury
Behind Mr. Bunyan
The Dairyman's Daughter
I Have A Soul
The Young Cottager
Patty's Curiosity

Since we are planning to read Pilgrim’s Progress this year, I may pick these up even though I have two boys.  “Behind Mr. Bunyan” would fit well with our plans.  And, after all, I’m a girl!  I know I could benefit from some reading for my character!

If the girl’s heritage set is not a good fit for your plans, how about two excellent books to help parents? Courtship or Dating: So What's the Difference?  and Parenting From the Heart: Practical Parenting From a Mom of 14 Children are two great resources to help you on your parenting journey.

Courtship or Dating: So What’s the Difference? has been touted as “the most sensible and Biblical book on courtship.” 

Finally, Parenting From the Heart: Practical Parenting From a Mom of 14 Children is a gem full of practical advice and tips for parenting and homeschooling.  You will glean so much from this book.  It, too, comes highly recommended. 

So, there are quite a few recommendations for a Wednesday!  Don’t forget, these prices are only valid today, Wednesday, October 21, 2009.  Don’t miss them!

Grace and Truth Midweek Markdown,
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Girl’s Heritage Set
Regular Price:  $39.00
Sale Price, one-day only:  $31.00

Courtship or Dating: So What’s the Difference?
Regular Price:  $6.00
Sale Price, one-day only:  $4.95

Parenting from the Heart: Practical Parenting from a Mom of 14 Children
Regular Price:  9.75
Sale Price, one-day only:  7.99

If you would like to read the TOS review of Grace and Truth books, go HERE.

And don’t forget, you always get free shipping!  Go to the Old Schoolhouse Store today and pick up your copies! 

When I was in school, I never really cared for History class.  Most of our homework required reading the textbook and, although I LOVED to read, I found our history texts to be terribly boring!  When we had our boys, I was so excited to learn about Charlotte Mason's ideas of using living books to teach children.  This opened up a whole new world to me.  Now I love history.  I can't get enough historical fiction or biographies!

If you enjoy historical fiction, then you'll enjoy today's midweek markdown.  Today we are offering the E-Book, Father's Birthday and the Great Chicago Fire by Gail Kappenman of Kap and  Pen Publications for only $1. 

Did you know that the Great Chicago Fire occurred in October, 1871?  It did.  And Kap & Pen's book chronicling events that took place during the Great Chicago Fire will provide you with lots of information you didn't already know about this tragic event in American History.  Loosely based on the author's great-grandfather, Father's Birthday and the Great Chicago Fire tells of William and his family who are living in Chicago in October, 1871.  Not only are they in the city during the fire, but they are also part of the clean-up and restoration after the fire.  I learned things about the occurences surrounding this fire, just from reading the synopsis of the book!

And this book isn't just about the fire.  There are many other things to be learned just from conversations you get to "hear" while reading about William's family.  Subjects such as marbles, the history of chess, and D.L. Moody are mentioned in Father's Birthday and the Great Chicago Fire.

So, pick up your copy today.  You will not only enjoy the text, but also the pen and ink illstrations in this 73 page book.  For $1, you can add to your history study in immeasurable ways!

E-Book: Father's Birthday and the Great Chicago Fire

Regular Price:  $3.95

Sale Price:  $1.00

October 14, 2009 only

We are happy to welcome two new vendors to the Schoolhouse Store:  Mapletree Publishing Company and Math A Big Deal.

Mapletree Publishing Company has 3 new books to help and encourage you while you homeschool.  Math A Big Deal has a math game designed to increase proficiency of elementary math skills.  

Be sure to stop by and check them out, and as always, let us know if you’ve used these items and how they have helped you in your homeschool!

With Columbus Day fast approaching, how about taking your child on a journey with Christopher Columbus?  The book we are featuring today in our midweek markdown is so much more than your basic unit study.  I remember learning about Christopher Columbus in school.  I remember 1492.  I remember Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. But the Brandenburg study of Christopher Columbus goes way beyond the basics.   In the words of the author, “It looks at the inventions and changes that led to exploration; biography of Christopher Columbus; Navigation and mapping; and his 4 voyages.”  That sounds like an exciting time of discovery for our homeschools!

Heidi Strawser, E-book Reviews Specialist for The Old Schoolhouse ® Magazine, LLC wrote the following in her review of Brandenburg Unit Studies:
Each unit study by BrandenburgStudies contains a note to the instructor/parent, explaining what to expect from the study and how to make the best use of your time.  Also included are a lesson plan (that tells you what will need to be done each day), printable information and worksheets, lists of suggested literature and video supplements, notebooking instructions, project ideas, and the curriculum itself.  Each page of the unit study curriculum is filled with full-color photographs and lots of Internet links for further research. 

You can read all of her review here  as part of the description of the product.

When many of our other subjects require a lot of preparation on my part.  It’s nice to have at least one subject for which I don’t have to spend a lot of preparation time.  This Brandenburg study of Christopher Columbus is one of those studies that you can implement in your homeschool very easily.

This is a really great unit covering so much more than just the basics of the discovery of North America.  You can get your copy at a special price today only. Regularly priced for 9.95, this unit study is on sale for 35% off.  You can get yours for $6.47.  But hurry, this sale is for one day only, Wednesday, October 7, 2009.

E-Book: Christopher Columbus

by Brandenburg Studies

Regular Price:  9.95

Sale Price: 6.47  (35% off)

Date:  Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Get your copy today!

Can you believe that it is October already? The older I get the faster time seems to fly. Soon the holidays will be upon us and life will get busier than it already is, if that is even imaginable. One way I keep myself organized is by planning ahead. I have a home manager binder that I try to keep up to date with goals, schedules, and other information to keep my family on track. In my manager I keep a calendar of events and many lists of information that are ready at the turn of the page. I keep a set of menus that I rotate throughout the months, a gift buying wish list with information for each person I will be buying for, chore schedules with monthly reminders, and many other holiday planning lists to help me keep on top of things. I also keep other important and helpful information in my binder so that I am not hunting the house for it. I keep things like important phone numbers and addresses, miscellaneous medical information, and budgeting and inventory lists. I keep a separate binder for all our school records including our year’s goals, a resource list of the books we are using, and a four year plan for my son’s high school years.  

It has taken me quite a while to put all this information together and in the past I had created my own forms. But last year I received the Schoolhouse Planner and it became so much easier to get the information where I wanted it. Now I just type my information into the interactive PDF forms, print them out and add them to my binders as I need. This year’s planner has so many more new useful forms and I have used many of them to update information. All the effort it has taken to gather this information has so been worth it. I now have everything in one place and ready to use when I need it.

From now until the end of October, when you purchase the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner you will receive a special bonus E-Book: Homespun Holidays: Fall and Winter, absolutely FREE at checkout! This beautiful e-book, $12.45 if purchased separately, is filled with beautiful projects you can make now to beautify your home for the holidays. There are recipes, gift ideas, inspirational stories and poems, and more. You are sure to find something to add flavor to your home.

And right now you can order the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner on CD for only $29, regularly $44, and get the bonus E-Book: Homespun Holidays: Fall and Winter absolutely FREE at checkout! You save a huge $27.45. What a deal!

And don't forget to check out all the bargains on the 2009 Planner and Module combinations.

There’s one more special offer that you won’t want to miss out on; The TOS BOGO Friendship Subscription. Purchase the special TOS BOGO Friendship Subscription (US subscriptions only) to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine  for $39 and get one for a friend for FREE! Can you believe that? Your two (2) year subscriptions begin with the Winter issue but your friend will also get the current fall issue in their mailbox as a special bonus. AND you both get the fantastic 19 FREE gifts!  A gigantic value of over $885 for $39! What a wonderful gift of encouragement and support to give to a special homeschool buddy!

As you can see, the holidays don’t have to overwhelm or overrun you. The tools to make this season the most organized, inspirational, and successful are waiting for you at the Schoolhouse Store.