Nativity Set by One 2 Believe

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...at least at our house! Last week we were delighted to receive One 2 Believe's Nativity Set to review.




I love having at least one Nativity Set available for the kids to play with during the Christmas season. We've had a soft stuffed pillow type set for the past several years and it finally had to be tossed last year, so this was perfect timing for us to receive this set. It seemed like an early Christmas gift!










I liked this set immediately upon opening and so did my kids. The figures are a good size and seem sturdy. One of the first things my six year old noticed is that the Baby Jesus figure was not attached to the manger. He heartily approved of this feature, as it makes it much more appealing for play. They not only had him passed around between Mary and Joseph, but they discovered they could place him in the neck of the camel and act out the "fleeing from Egypt" scene.




My six, eight, and nine year olds played with this for days. They acted out Biblical scenes using the characters as intended. They created their own stories using the figures as different characters. It has been a huge hit in our home. I packed it away until Thanksgiving weekend, when I know it will be met with grins once again. I look forward to this set becoming a part of our family traditions for years to come.




And it seems as though it will last for years. We put it to the Toddler and Preschooler Test. I had friends over and their children played with the set as well. The toddler tossed it across the room several times, but didn't seem to do much damage. The star on the stable seems somewhat vulnerable to an attack, but was attached too well for me to pull off. A toddler may be more determined than I was though, which is probably why it has a 3+ designation. Younger children will adore the set as well, but you'd want to keep an eye on them in case any small part was to detach.

If I had to dislike something, it's that the characters are not ethnically correct. Unfortunately, that seems to be common in our society and not specific to this company. I'd love to see Biblical characters that actually look Jewish, but that's a personal pet peeve. It's something I discuss with my children and then let them go ahead and enjoy what's available.

One 2 Believe carries other toys as well, including the P31 dolls, which I think are adorable. They also have a Bible Points reward program. Just cut out and save the reward points from the back of the package until you have enough to redeem for free toys. As a mom of many, I find this to be a nice bonus!

If you are looking for a Nativity Set your children can actually play with, or if you'd like to check out the other Bible based toys they carry, hop on over to One 2 Believe and see what they have to offer. Be sure to come back and let me know what you think, feedback is much appreciated!

Homeschool Library Builder

"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." ~ Louisa May Alcott


If you're anything like me and you love books, you will adore this new online used bookstore, Homeschool Library Builder. Grab your cup of coffee, curl up in your chair, and check out everything they have to offer. They're bringing a wonderful used homeschool bookstore right to you, and as fellow homeschool moms they have great insight into what you, the home educator, finds appealing.

I couldn't browse through the site for this review without finding gems I just had to have. The selection was good, but as with any used bookstore, if you find something you like, grab it. Many of the books I chose were then out of stock, as there was only one copy available. However there may have been the same titles available in different conditions and at different prices. If there is something specific you are looking for, try the search feature.

The site was very friendly and easy to use and the prices were excellent. Right now they are having a Big Bin Blowout Sale and there are books for $1, $2, $3, and $5. I found most of my purchases in these bins and I am a picky purchaser at this point (I already have a huge homeschooling library). These are not just books tossed over into a low price category because no one will want them, they are actually books many homeschoolers are looking to buy. My $1 purchases included the Anne of Green Gables Chapter Book and a Magic Tree House book. For $5 I picked up a Radio Theater version of two Christmas stories by O. Henry, which I am already looking forward to sharing with my kids this December.

There is even a category for those of you using Ambleside, Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace, Veritas Press, Five In A Row, or Beautiful Feet. Click on Search By Curriculum and a list of these will appear. Click on the one you want and you'll see all the books they currently carry for that curriculum. The owners are also happy to track down a book title for you, if they don't have what you need. Having used a few of these curricula myself, and having spent hours on Veg Source and Ebay hunting down books, I have to say this is a wonderfully thoughtful feature!

They offer a frequent buyer program for members of the site. Membership is free and was very quick and painless. Once you are a member, you can begin earning book points. Fifteen book points equal $1 and they never expire. These can be earned by purchasing books, referring friends (In fact, if any of you purchase and list me as having referred you, I won't complain!), and linking their site to your blog. Members also receive an e-newsletter which lets you know about sales, promotions, member products, and free seasonal sites of interest.

They also provide fundraising, free product marketing for members, and a helping hand program to raise funds and awareness for those in need. I have saved this site to favorites and can tell it's one I'll enjoy personally. If it sounds like something that would be beneficial to you as well, spend some time browsing the site and let me know what you think!

I'll update this post when I receive my order.

Promised Update: I received my order last week and am still well pleased! The books were all in the condition described and were packaged well. I will be back!

HelpMe2Teach.Com

I am a researcher. My idea of a fun, relaxing evening often involves surfing the internet for random bits of trivia I find interesting. If I have a question, it is easy for me to hop online and just Google it. I know this isn't the case for everyone. Many people find themselves lost and overwhelmed by the abundance of information available via search engines. Many are also concerned about their children stumbling onto questionable content by mistake. HelpMe2Teach.com would be an excellent solution for them.

HelpMe2Teach.com is a subscription web site created to serve as a help to anyone involved in the education of a child. The site describes itself as "an internet directory for teachers, students, and parents". There are over 2,000 links that the author has screened herself and designated into subject category and grade level, and she continues to add sites daily.

A search engine is available, where you can type in the applicable subject matter, but I found the Table of Contents to be more helpful. You can scroll through subjects such as Animals, Arts & Crafts, Holidays, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, etc. and then choose the sub-topic that interests you most. I live near the ocean, so I chose Oceanography as my example. Clicking on the sub-topic gave me 14 links from which to choose. Among these were research information, activities and games, and lesson plans.

If this sounds like something that would be helpful to your family, check out the 3 day subscription offer for only $3.95. I think this would be a great way to discover for yourself what HelpMe2Teach.com has to offer. She also has a special promotion going on through December for TOS Crew readers, the $29.95 One Year Subscription is being extended into TWO FULL YEARS. Just use the discount code TOS when ordering.

FYI- Fall Promo TOS Magazine

I shared a review of the Old Schoolhouse Magazine earlier, specifically regarding the digital version, but wanted to share the current Fall promo for the physical, hold-it-in-your-hot-little-hands edition.

"I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!

It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote bag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half of them are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry! (They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download item."

So there you go! If you are in the market for a good homeschool magazine, now is the time to subscribe. Free stuff is always a plus. And I seriously LOVE that tote bag.

The Schoolhouse Planner

I am not a planner. I am a researcher, a fangirl of curriculum even, but not really a planner. I like to be more relaxed, laid back, and just let things flow. With seven children in seven different grades, that's just not working for me right now. I must plan and schedule, but I need it to be as easy and user friendly as possible, so I went in search of the right planner for our family. One of the planners I was already considering purchasing, The Schoolhouse Planner, was made available to me for reviewing. I was thrilled to have the opportunity!

This is a brand new planner, put out by The Old Schoolhouse magazine. It is available as an e-book, which is what I love most about it. You can print it out if you prefer, or you can type directly into the pages and print as needed. This has been the most exciting feature for me. I can type information in once, copy and paste to multiple children or multiple dates, and just change page numbers as needed. Then I print the pages I need for that week and place them in my binder. Easy. I like easy.

There are two Weekly Planner formats available. One is for multiple children on one page, one is for one child with room for more detail. I use the individual planner for my high schoolers and then plan the five younger students on one sheet. My one complaint with this is that I haven't found a way to save the weekly planner sheet on it's own, I have had to save the complete e-book into two files so that I can use the Weekly Planner for more than one student. Not a major problem, but that would be helpful for future editions.

This planner is so much more than just Weekly sheets. The Table of Contents is three pages long and contains links to the pages you want, which is a great feature. I can just go to the Table of Contents and click on the form I want and it brings me directly there. Magic.

The first section contains the homeschooling forms, and there are many. I have friends who love staying organized and this would be like Christmas for them. There is a form for everything you could want, from Yearly Planners to End-of-Year Evaluation. There are Report Card forms, Grading sheets, High School hourly trackers, Field Trip Planning, Science Labs, Co-Op Info, even a form for Unit Studies and Unschooling Records. Anything you want, it's probably in here.

And it's not all about forms. After each Monthly Planner, there is a section containing information on a different subject, with links to learn even more. Topics include Inventions, Composers, the Periodic Table, Countries & Capitals, Measurements, US Presidents, History Timelines, Artists, and more. From what I understand, there is a module for each month available for purchase that goes even more in depth. Honestly, you could homeschool for the year using this planner as a starting point for unit studies. Oh, and there are a couple recipes each month too. When I said everything you may want, I wasn't kidding.

The second section contains Household forms. These include Chore Charts, Menu Planners, Grocery List forms, Budget sheets, Prayer Journal, Address Book, Gardening plans, and more. I appreciate the Menu Planner and Grocery Lists personally. Things run more smoothly when I actually plan meals and shop in advance, hopefully having these shiny planner pages will help motivate me! I used these yesterday for meal planning and shopping and really liked them. My Meal Planning sheet is in a plastic protector sheet on the front of the refrigerator. Helpful and easy to use. My kind of planner!

As a non-planner person, I can recommend The Schoolhouse Planner as easy to use and with so many choices, you're bound to find something that fits your style. If you are a planner person, this will be incredible to you. Everything you could want or need, at your fingertips, with the ability to type directly onto the forms and print as needed. I never thought I'd be so excited about a planner! Highly recommended.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Here it is, that time of year again- Back to School! At our house that doesn't mean the kids are finally out of the house, it means they are finally home again. After a busy summer, it's time to refocus on homeschooling. One good way to recharge after a long summer is to immerse yourself in a great homeschooling magazine, so I am excited to have the opportunity to review The Old Schoolhouse magazine.

The Old Schoolhouse magazine is now available in a digital version, delivered straight to your email. At a little less than $17 a year for the digital format, it's an inexpensive and convenient way to stay up to date and encouraged in homeschooling (and the publishers often offer free e-books with a subscription, which is an added bonus). You can either read it online or save as a file and read at your convenience.

The magazine had a lot more to it than I would have expected. There were many articles; ranging from personal experiences in homeschooling, to lesson ideas, to various philosophies of home education. The current edition covers Charlotte Mason philosophies, Relaxed Homeschooling (including a great interview with Mary Hood), Theories in History, and Intelligent Design. There are articles concerning adoption, help with teaching reading, art lessons, a unit study on Flight, information for those teaching gifted children, contests, reviews-it is a full magazine.

There are also a good number of advertisements, which I actually appreciate in a homeschool magazine. I love knowing what's out there and available, whether it's new to the homeschool market or just new to me. One thing I really enjoy about the digital format is the capability to simply click on an ad to go to their website and get more information. For me, this is the major selling point of the digital version of the magazine.

TOS magazine is an unabashedly Christian publication and there is a lot of spiritual encouragement to be found within it's pages. There is also a lot of educational wisdom, so I believe those who homeschool for non-religious reasons but are not opposed to Christian philosophy would also find much to benefit them.

Homeschool Buyers Co-Op

Have you heard of the homeschool buyers co-op yet? It's free to join and offers many different discounted group buys throughout the year. Because they have a large membership, they are able to negotiate great discounts with educational companies, many of which I would not have heard of if not for their research and advertising. Check it out; Homeschool Buyers Co-Op

I am excited about one of their latest Group Buys and have just placed my order. Descartes' Cove Math Series is a software program developed by The John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. It's an adventure on an island that covers middle school through early high school math. The student must complete math problems and puzzles in order to continue the adventure, culminating in his successful escape from the island. It covers measurement, numbers and operations, data analysis and probability, algebra, geometry, reasoning and proof. My eleven and thirteen year olds are chomping at the bit to receive this and get started.



If interested, you can check it out here; Descartes' Cove

It sells for $150 but is available through the co-op for $105. These are the kinds of deals the co-op provides for it's members. And no, I don't work for them or make any kind of commission. GRIN. I just think it's worth sharing with other homeschoolers!

The Bible Experience

For Christmas, my husband surprised me with an Ipod Nano. It is one of the best gifts he's given me because I can not only download music but also audiobooks, video, tv series, etc. The first item I wanted to purchase was my favorite episode of Firefly. Unfortunately I was an Ipod noob and accidentally purchased the entire series of Firefly. Oops. I guess if I was going to make a $30 mistake I can at least take comfort in the fact that I will actually make use of the mistake and watch the series again. It's actually a great thing to have when waiting anywhere for any length of time.

After waiting to purchase another Itunes card, I began browsing the site to see what I could see. I was excited to find The Bible Experience Audio Bible available. For only $1.99, I downloaded Hebrews and James and decided to use this as my morning Bible "reading". These were followed by Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians and I am off to make my next choice after I write this post!

It's been great, as it gives a fresh feel to books I have read several times before. Many different black actors lend their talent to this and they do an excellent job (Samuel Jackson reading Scripture in your ear is really rather cool). They really do well at making the words and message come alive and the change of voices throughout keeps your attention. Gospel songs are woven in between the reading. As a music lover, I really like this aspect. Sometimes music touches me in deeper ways than the written word and to hear the words or concepts from the Scripture set to music places it deeper in my heart.

The version they use is the TNIV, which I know is a controversial version due to their decision to make it gender neutral (brothers and sisters rather than brothers, they rather than he). For serious study, I would recommend the New American Standard as the most literal translation but for the purpose of simply listening to Scripture, I don't have any problem with the version they chose. Feel free to disagree, but it's my review. ;-)

All in all, I would highly recommend The Bible Experience Audio Version. It is available at Itunes and also at Amazon or Christianbook.com on CD or MP3. Check it out!