NotSoSuperwoman: October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Free Holiday Idea Book

2009 Holiday Digital Supplement/Idea Book

"WOW . . . a gorgeous Holiday/Christmas Digital Magazine filled with a fabulous lineup of planning, recipe, gift, and craft ideas you’ll love.

If you’re looking for inspiration to get your holiday spirit revived for the upcoming season of festivities, you’ve come to the right place. TOS has put together a gorgeous, full-color, digital magazine filled to the virtual brim with traditions-in-the-making.

“This is TOS’s gift to the homeschooling community, and anyone is welcome to it. The 2009 Digital Holiday Supplement will fulfill your yearnings for fresh and original additions to your long-treasured, family customs, and maintain Christ’s honored position first, and foremost, in your celebrations.”

—Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

If you’re familiar with The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, you know what an astounding resource it is, so you can expect the same standard of excellence. This 175-page Digital Holiday Magazine is not your typical E-Book. Created with the same high-quality format that’s used in the digital version of our print magazine, you can even “turn” the lavishly illustrated, full-color pages." -The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I just downloaded this and it is full of great ideas and activities so I wanted to be sure and share it with all of YOU! Consider it my public service announcement. GRIN.

Click the photo above or HERE to download your own copy. Be sure to follow the instructions for downloading, I almost missed them in my hurry to dig in.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space: Bright Ideas Press

I am a non-science mom. I prefer history, literature, art, music- the more artsy subjects. Math and science are just not my thing. When I discovered that Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space was written by another homeschool mom who struggled with science, this appealed to me. Some may prefer their science texts written by someone with a PHD in the subject, and that's great too, but I found comfort in the fact that this program had been put together by someone who's been there and wanted to keep it simple and easy to use for her fellow non-science moms.

Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space is an oversized softcover containing twenty four lessons in six units. Units cover the earth and it's structure, the lithosphere (plate tectonics, volcanoes, etc), the hydrosphere (oceans, glaciers, etc.), the atmosphere, earth's weather, and the universe. There are coloring pages, maps, puzzles, memory cards, graphics, and instructions for creating folderbooks from your studies. Hands on activities are included. These range from the simple (such as acting out the earth rotating around the sun- which my kids loved!) to the more complex (creating your own "volcanic eruption"). I appreciate that nothing is too complex and the instructions are simple and easy to follow. There's even a recipe for making Chocolate Nut Layer Bars when studying sedimentary rocks. Any curriculum that has you making chocolate bars for rock study is my kind of curriculum. Yes, I am easily swayed by chocolate. And coffee. (Curriculum providers: find a way to integrate coffee into the product, I'm sold!)

The authors intent was to make it user friendly and I think she has succeeded. The main prep for me is in making copies of the reproducibles. Each of my children have a 3-ring binder to store their work. I allow them to color the coloring pages as I read the text aloud. The text itself is easy to read and comprehend. There are times where it doesn't flow as it should and a point seems to come out of nowhere. I was able to overlook this and choose to just skip a sentence if needed. If you can't self-edit as you read, this may bug you.

The hands on times are great. My kids and I enjoy hands on learning and seem to retain more by doing. My only wish is for an all-inclusive supply kit to be available, as I have a tough time remembering to buy supplies before hand. In the absence of this, what I really need to do is go out and create my own all-inclusive kit at the beginning of the year.

We're planning to use this study for the rest of the year as it's a good fit for us. If you are a non-science mom like me and you'd like something user friendly, fun, and hands-on, this may be a good fit for you. If science is your thing, this probably won't be a deep enough study for you. If you're a science mom who loves this study, please feel free to disagree and let me know in the comments section. I'd love some input!

Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space is designed for grades three through six but can be adapted to use with a wider range of ages if needed. We are currently studying this with our second through seventh grader without any trouble. As the title states, this is a Christian curriculum and does come from a Creationist viewpoint. It is available for $29.95. You can also order a downloadable activity book for $12.95 which contains all of the reproducibles, making it easy to just print them directly from your computer.

*Disclosure: This book was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

A Young Scholar's Guide To Composers: Bright Ideas Press

A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers is the most complete composer study that I have come across. It contains everything you need for an interactive, hands on study of classical composers- everything but the music. An extensive resource list makes it easy to find the music via library or online.

This a full year's study and is designed for grades 4-8, but is adaptable for younger or older. I am currently using this with my second through eleventh grader. For the high schoolers, I am adding a research project on the composer of their choice. Even without that, this is pretty comprehensive. It includes an overview of each time period and then short biographies of the composers. There are note taking pages, composer info cards, timelines, maps, folderbook instructions, vocabulary, games, and coloring sheets. This makes it easy to adapt for different ages. I love having all of my children together as much as possible and this is one study that works well for a wide range of ages.

It's pretty easy to use as well. I do need to be sure I have the music available and I do need to make copies and cut out cards, etc. There is some prep work involved but the instructions are simple to follow and the book is very user friendly. I really like the composer cards. These are half sheet, double sided cards that the kids fill out with the composers information. There are profile illustrations of each composer to color and cut out for the front of the cards. The maps are another highlight for me. The composers profile is at the top and bottom of the page and the student is to draw a line to the place he was born. I love the integration of history and geography within the music study. Biblical character traits could also be covered, as attention is paid to the character and testimony of each composer. A creative unit study mom could use this as a starting place for many subjects.

A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers is available for $29.95 for the CD-Rom version or $34.95 for the oversized paperback book.

*Disclosure: This book was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

ABC Teach

ABC Teach is an online source for educational worksheets. These cover all of your main subject areas and more. There are worksheets available for holidays and seasons, for learning centers and reports, for pre-schoolers through junior high. Clip art is available on the site, as well as flashcard templates. One of the best choices available, in my opinion, is the custom worksheet generators. With these, you can create your own handwriting sheets, word scrambles, crossword puzzles, spelling lists, bingo games, math worksheets, sudoko, and more.

When my children were younger, I loved worksheet sites such as this one and found it well worth the subscription cost. For some reason, my pre-schoolers and Kindergartners just adored worksheets. My little ones would sit for quite awhile and "do school", coloring in pages and making paper crafts.

ABC Teach has a lot to offer for the PreK- Early Elementary crowd. Ideas for celebrating seasons and holidays can be used as an addition to your own unit studies or just for added fun. The worksheet generators are able to be adapted to both the younger and the older ones. The site does try to include enough worksheets to keep the older student involved as well, but we've moved away from worksheets as the kids have grown older. If your older students still enjoy worksheets, please do check it out. And if your children are in the PreK-3rd grade, this site could be a gold mine for you.

A one year membership will cost you $40. If you can pull your local homeschool group together, they also offer groups of 10-29 a price of $35 per year. Groups of 30 or more pay only $25 a year.

*Disclosure: A 1 month trial membership was provided to me at no cost, for review purposes.*

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

My Access! Home Edition

We are a home of nine people and four computers. Losing Internet access is considered a major catastrophe. Finding educational opportunities that exist via computer is a major windfall. So you can imagine I was grateful to try out Vantage Learning's My Access! Home Edition Writing Instruction.

My Access! Home Edition is a subscription based, online writing program for ages 8-18. One of the nice things about being an online service is that you can sign on from any computer with an Internet connection. I have four children using a math software program on the desktop. They must take turns in order to complete the assignment. With the online access, whenever there is a computer free, it can be writing time.

There are assignments pre-loaded for you and divided by age group. As the parent, you can keep all the assignments available for them to choose from or set it to show only those you would like assigned. There is also an option to add in your own writing assignments, which makes this a much more versatile program.

The student will log in, choose the assignment they'd like to work on, and begin wherever they left off. My Access! covers planning, organizing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. The program will let the student know where their proficiency is at and suggest revisions.

As a parent, you can decide if you'd like points to be awarded for completing work and what the rewards for these points will be. These can be a great motivation to many kids and having the option integrated into the program is a nice bonus.

I was excited to begin with this and was hoping it would be just what my two weakest writers needed. Unfortunately, they weren't quite ready for it and instead found it frustrating. There wasn't enough instruction for the beginning writer, the spell check was rather picky; marking character's names wrong, as well as anything else it did not recognize. The grading was a bit tough for my struggling writers and seeing below proficient was not as motivating as I may have hoped. Revision suggestions were repeated frequently and I ended up with children in tears rather than excited to improve their writing.

This is one of those products that did not work for our family but may work well for yours. We may have enjoyed it more had I used it with one of my strong writers. Each child is different and a tightly structured writing program with tough expectations may be just what your child needs to thrive and grow as a writer. For us, it was frustrating. For others, it may be fulfilling.

My Access! Home Edition is available as a one year subscription for $99.95 for up to 3 students or $129.95 for up to six. Check out their web site for more information and to view a demo!

*Disclosure: This program was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Kiss Me Again by Barbara Wilson

*Enter to win a copy of Kiss Me Again, see instructions below.*

Summary:

Many married women genuinely want to feel more desire toward their husbands. But while sex before marriage was hard to resist, now resisting seems like all they do. In her new book, Barbara Wilson shows how couples can suffer for years from the “invisible bonds” of previous relationships without even knowing it. Hidden emotions of distrust, shame, and resentment can sabotage even the most loving marriage.

In Kiss Me Again, Wilson:

· Shares her own story of healing and renewed desire

· Helps women forgive themselves and their husbands for past choices

· Shows readers how to break free from “invisible bonds”

· Explains God’s plan for helping a husband and wife to re-bond

· Includes conversation helps for both wives and their husbands

· Helps couples reignite the passion that they thought was lost

With assessment tools, write-in exercises, and gentle guidance, Kiss Me Again offers a biblical plan for rekindling the closeness and passion women long for in marriage. Because no past is beyond the reach of God’s healing touch.

Author Bio:
Barbara Wilson is the author of The Invisible Bond and former director of sexual health education for the Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center in Sacramento. She speaks nationwide to youth and adults with her message of sexual healing, and she teaches frequently in the women’s ministry at the multi-campus Bayside Church in Northern California. Barbara and her husband, Eric, have been married for twenty-eight years.

My Thoughts: Why would I want to review a book about restoring intimacy in your marriage on a homeschool review blog? As a pastor's wife and homeschool mom, I know this is a frequent issue among women. Sometimes as homeschoolers we can busy ourselves with the kids and the schooling and our social lives and allow our marriages to fall by the wayside. Many times it's not something we desire, in fact we truly want the opposite, but it's easier to ignore the marriage bed than deal with lingering issues we may have in this area.

Far too many women have experienced abuse in their past that they've never dealt with, some have the shadows of many past partners, others may regret not waiting until the honeymoon and long for the excitement of secret moments. These are the things that haunt our marriage beds and cause problems in our relationships. In Kiss Me Again, Barbara Wallace deals with these issues straight on, with much grace and compassion. She encourages us to break the bonds of our past and allow God to restore us to full intimacy with our husbands.

This will be a book I recommend frequently. If you have bonds from the past you need to see broken and restored, maybe this book will be a help to you. I am keeping my copy but have an extra copy to give away to one of my readers. If this will be a blessing to you, please follow the guidelines and enter by commenting on this review (on the blog please, not the Facebook entry).

Giveaway Instructions:

Leave a comment on this post (required)
Follow and/or subscribe to this blog (optional, for an extra entry.)
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For all extra entries, please leave an extra comment, letting me know which option you chose. If you already follow/subscribe, leave an extra comment saying so and be entered twice! Drawing will be held Monday, November 2nd .

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

*Disclosure- This book was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Virginia Soaps & Scents

What happens when a homeschooling family discovers a love of soap making during a history project? A new business is born and the love continues as they create handmade soaps and scents for all of us to enjoy!

Virginia Soaps & Scents is a homeschool family owned business. They supply handmade soaps, body bars, shampoo bars, laundry soap, lip balm and more. They even have shampoo bars made specifically for your pet! Members of the TOS Crew were provided with three sampler sized soaps, one shampoo bar, and a sample of the laundry soap.

The soaps are exactly what you would expect in handmade soap. They smell nicely and they look good sitting on the sink. I would suggest using a soap dish, as they do get that soap bar goo. I usually prefer liquid soap for this reason, but I love the handmade look and feel of this, so I could be persuaded to change my mind. The soaps come in several scents, as well as unscented.

I had never heard of a shampoo bar prior to receiving my sampler. I mentioned it to a friend whose husband is in the military and she said they use them frequently and her husband liked them. It didn't sound too exciting to me. Rubbing a bar of soap on your head? I thought my husband may like it, with his crew cut, but my color-treated hair wasn't going to work with a shampoo bar. To my surprise, my husband didn't care for the shampoo bar but I loved it! He thought he still needed conditioner, I didn't find any need for it. I loved how well it lathered up and how clean my scalp felt after rinsing it away. We may order a full size bar and try it with conditioner to see if we can make it work for both of us.

Making your own laundry soap was also new to me. I'm not really into the making of products it's easier to purchase, I admit. My time is worth a lot to me and I put off testing this product for weeks because I just didn't want to take the time to find a gallon bucket and then mix it with the hot water. I wasn't low on regular laundry detergent so I had no motivation. Then I read that you could just mix the dry ingredients (one tablespoon for small loads or two for large loads) and add that straight to your washer. That works for me!

I really enjoyed everything I received from Virgina Soaps & Scents and would recommend them to anyone looking for handmade products with no harsh chemicals. These would be a nice addition to your own home and would also make a nice gift! The soaps sell for $4.50 per bar or three bars for $12. Shampoo bars are $5.50 each or two for $10. The Laundry Soap Kit is only $4.95 and makes 2 gallons.

*Disclosure: This product was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

Green by Ted Dekker


Buy		Read

Summary: As foretold by ancient prophets, an apocalypse destroyed Earth during the twenty-first century. But two thousand years later Elyon set upon the earth a new Adam. This time, however, He gave humanity an advantage. What was once unseen became seen. It was good and it was called...Green.

But the evil Teeleh bided his time in a Black Forest.

Then, when least expected, a twenty-four year old named Thomas Hunter fell asleep in our world and woke up in that future Black Forest. A gateway was opened for Teeleh to ravage the land. Devastated by the ruin, Thomas Hunter and his Circle swore to fight the dark scourge until their dying breath.

But now The Circle has lost hope. Samuel, Thomas Hunter's cherished son, has turned his back on his father. He gathers the dark forces to wage a final war. Thomas is crushed and desperately seeks a way back to our reality to find the one elusive hope that could save them all.

Enter an apocalyptic story like none you have read. A story with links to our own history so shocking that you will forget you are in another world at all. Welcome to GREEN. Book Zero.

FOUR NOVELS. TWO WORLDS. ONE STORY.

Author Info: The son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books, Ted Dekker learned at a very early age the difference between authentic Christianity and so-called religion. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After earning his Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Philosophy from Evangel College, Dekker spent time in the corporate world before turning to writing full-time in 1997. He states that each time he writes, he finds his vision of God just a little clearer and his expression of that vision a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work contains over twenty novels including Thr3e, The Circle Series, and Sinner.

He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.

My Thoughts: When I saw Green as one of the book choices for the Thomas Nelson blogger review program, I let out a little "squee" of joy. Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors and The Circle Trilogy is by far my favorites of his work so far. I couldn't wait to dive back into the world of Thomas, Rousch, the Horde, and Shataiki. I wondered how one added a fourth book to a trilogy, but I was going with it anyway.

The book states that it can be read as the first book or the last. Obviously, I read it last and would probably recommend that order. I think too much of the mystery from the previous books is revealed in this one and those who hate spoilers would be disappointed. Also, Red and White are the best books in the series (in my opinion) and I'd want the reader to get to the best stuff more quickly.

So onto the big question; Did the fourth book live up to the previous three? I'd have to say, not quite. I was able to put the book down several times and walk back into my own world without issue. It was an enjoyable read though and I would recommend reading it after you have finished the previous three. It's not the strongest follow up but it's worth the read. And if you haven't read Black, Red, and White yet, I highly recommend them. They are definite favorites.

Green is available for a list price of $25.99 at your favorite local or online bookstore.

*Disclosure: This book was provided at no cost, for review purposes.*

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sarah's Wish by Jim Baumgardner

"It's awesome! Great! Fantastic!"

This was the response from my ten year old daughter when I asked her how she was enjoying the novel, Sarah's Wish. Author Jim Baumgardner has written the Sarah books for his grandchildren and we're glad he's decided to publish these and share them with others. I wouldn't call my daughter a reluctant reader but she isn't one to express excitement over every book she reads. This one elicits a huge smile and a recommendation whenever she's asked about it. That's enough to elicit a positive review from her mom!

In the opening chapter, twelve year old Sarah becomes an orphan- an orphan with a very important secret. Determining who to trust could be a matter of life and death to the former slaves hiding on her farm. You see, Sarah's family is a stop on the Underground Railroad and her mother died before her "packages" could be delivered to the next stop along the way to freedom in Canada.

Sarah's adventures include facing down slave catchers, trading jokes with "Granny", and wishing desperately for a family to call her own. She is at times mature for her age and at others very much the opposite. A mixture of grace and goof, she is an interesting and sometimes uneven character.

My daughter was already in the middle of the book when I began reading it for myself. Her enthusiasm was contagious and my expectations were high. I struggled at first to find the flow and rhythm of the story. Although the writing seemed somewhat amateurish and the dialogue didn't quite ring true, still I found myself enjoying the story quite a bit. By the time I reached the end I was holding back tears and I realized that despite a few flaws, this is an effective story. The charm that had so easily won over my daughter had more slowly won me over as well.

Sarah's Wish would be a wonderful addition to your study of the Underground Railroad and the evils of slavery. The author includes a glossary of terms in the beginning of the book and so many different bits of history are included in the story, this would be easy to expand into deeper study. You can subscribe to the Sarah's Web Newsletter, which is full of more historical facts and fun. Author Jim Baumgardner (who also publishes the newsletters) has a crazy sense of humor and is a lot of fun.

The first Sarah novel is available from the author for $9.99 with free shipping and handling. He'll even personally autograph it to whomever you'd like! A free audio book download is included with the book, which you can listen to via your computer, iPod or burn to a CD for listening on the go. Instructions for downloading are in the back of the book.

*Disclosure: This book was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Amazing Bible Timeline

At first glance, the Amazing Bible Timeline is pretty...well...amazing! Unfortunately upon closer inspection this is something I can NOT recommend. My copy will be destroyed upon completion of this review.

The publishers of the timeline also publish an LDS (Mormon) version. Some of the specifically Mormon dates are also on the timeline I received for review. I have only come across the idea that the ancient people of America somehow connect to the Jewish nation and may be part of the "lost tribes" in Mormon teachings. As an evangelical Christian who is familiar with the LDS church teachings, I cannot use or recommend a timeline that has any background associated with what I find to be heresy. I can't trust a product that presumes to tell me Biblical dates if I cannot trust the publishers worldview.

The publishers did respond to concerns regarding LDS content. Their response may be found HERE. While I do agree that we need more unity and cooperation among Christian denominations, I do not believe Mormonism to be a Christian religion (believing Christ to be A son of God as opposed to THE son of God is a huge distinction). I do believe we are to love everyone, regardless of religion or worldview. My opinion is not being shared to hurt or attack anyone of any religion, but to clarify why I personally cannot trust this timeline for my family.

The Amazing Bible Timeline is available for $29.97.

*Disclosure- This product was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

Sue Patrick Workboxes

If you Google "workboxes", you'll discover that these are the new trend to hit the homeschool community. Many homeschoolers are using workboxes successfully in their homes and raving about how they simplify assigning their students independent work.

I had heard of this system a few months before receiving the Sue Patrick's Workbox System User's Guide for review and was quite excited about trying this in our home. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more I knew this was not going to work for my family and was not going to be something I felt comfortable recommending.

My philosophy of homeschooling is best described as relaxed/eclectic. I do not desire artificially produced school at home. My ideal would be to have a home where learning and school time is integrated into our day and is as natural as everything else. We do have structure- most days we wake up, dress, eat, do chores, and start our schoolwork. The children all know what they need to accomplish independently and I treasure our together time of reading aloud or working on lapbooks or singing along with Schoolhouse Rock. If we get distracted by talking and sharing together about everything going on in life, I consider that a success. One major appeal in homeschooling is knowing my children.

Sue Patrick's guide not only encourages an extremely structured, classroom like atmosphere but almost demands it. The tone is caustic towards anyone with a different viewpoint and I found that difficult to get past. Comments such as, "I find there is way too much talking going on in homeschools" concerned me. Workbox components such as "I Need Help" cards, restroom break cards, and "Quiet" cards were just unfathomable to me in a home situation. Allowing your children to only ask you for help three to four times a day seemed to undo all the good of the homeschool setting and the individualized attention it provides.

My husband attended a strict ACE school as a child. He worked in a small cubby and raised a flag when he needed help. He was expected to work quietly and independently throughout the day. He does not remember this fondly. As I was reading aloud from the guide, he commented that it sounded to him as though the author was advocating bringing something similar into the home. This was not an option for our family. Combined with my own reaction to the guide, we were unable to implement the system into our home.

Sue Patrick developed this system for her autistic child. This may have been the best solution for her family and her circumstances. I do not have an autistic child and so I will not pretend to know anything about how this type of structure would work for someone with a special needs student. I just know that for our family, this is not a good fit. Many homeschoolers are using this system or an adaptation of this system successfully but for us, the philosophy of the guide is too opposite of our own beliefs to recommend.

Sue Patrick's Workbox System Users Guide E-Book is available for $19.

*Disclosure: This product was provided at no cost for review purposes.*

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Guardian Angel Publishing

Guardian Angel Publishers desire to provide "fun, affordable and educational eBook computer experiences", as well as printed books for preschool through elementary age children. They carry picture books through chapter books that are available as ebooks, print books and on CD. They've stated on their web site that they are in the midst of releasing picture books to be used on the iPhone and/or iTouch via the app; iKids Play. That could be a really sweet addition to their publishing format for those with iPhones wanting to keep their young one occupied on the go!

I received five e-books for review; Stubby's Destiny, No Bones About It, Andy and Spirit Go the the Fair, Earthquake and Hamster Holidays. My first impression was not good but that's honestly because I seriously dislike reading books from the computer. I love ebooks for activity type books, where it's easier to print what's needed, but not so much for sitting at the computer and reading to my children. I'm just not a fan.

And yet, I really want a Kindle or Sony Reader. Perhaps I don't make a lot of sense. Probably, but there you have it. I'm just not a big fan of the e-book format.

I decided to put my issues to the side and just read the books for content. They were all varied in content, showing that this site does offer many different choices. I found the first, Stubby's Destiny, to be rather clunky and heavy handed but could see a toddler enjoying the illustrations and story. No Bones About It was more enjoyable to me. It's full of goofy illustrations and facts about our bones, along with a great rhymes. "Remember the tarsals, way down in your feet? Instead, hands have carpals. Phalanges repeat". Love it!

While I was reading through No Bones About It, it occurred to me that owning this in ebook form could be a benefit. This would be a great book to print off, cut up and use as the basis for a Lapbook or other project involving the skeletal system. Hmmm...

Andy and Spirit Go to the Fair is the only small chapter book in the mix. It's the story of a boy in a wheelchair and how he overcomes his disability by riding in the horse show at the State Fair. This is an admirable premise but the story is a little shallow for me. A child in the same situation as Andy may enjoy seeing a similar child as the main character of a story but there really isn't a lot of depth here.

Earthquake is another one that would be nice to use for Lapbooks or other projects. It contains illustrations and facts about Earthquakes in small bits of easy to read text. I like the science based books from this publisher. They are cute, full of information and could be used in more ways than just simply reading aloud.

Hamster Holidays: Noun and Adjective Adventures has more traditional illustrations and is pretty darn cute. Each page is a new month and features the hamsters celebrating an obscure, crazy holiday (Potluck Picnic Day? Monster Madness Day?). Nouns are in blue and adjectives in red. There are puzzles and activity suggestions included at the end of the book. This could be the jumping off point for tons of fun with K-3rd graders. Not only could you read through it and practice discovering the nouns and adjectives, you could also use this to teach the months of the year- even celebrating the crazy holiday along with the hamsters. I can't wait for Food Sport Day. GRIN.

I liked three out of five of the books and, as the saying goes," three out of five ain't bad". These range in price from $5 - $12, depending on the book and the format. I've added the summaries of each book below. Click on the photo of the book you're interested in to be taken directly to that page or check out Guardian Angel Publishing for a list of all the books they carry.

Stubby's Destiny
Author: Dixie Phillips www.floydslighthouse.com
Illustrator: Kim Sponaugle http://www.picturekitchenstudio.com

'“Stubby’s Destiny” is an inspirational story about a defeated donkey, Stubby, who feels he was born wrong. He was just about to give up when divine destiny tapped him on the shoulder. He was chosen to carry the King of Kings upon his back. “Stubby’s Destiny” will bring hope to hurting children who feel their situation is hopeless."

NO BONES ABOUT IT!

The Sum of Our Parts Series
Author: Bill Kirk www.billkirkwrites.com
Artist: Eugene Ruble

"Learning the bones in the human body can be a challenge for anyone. Using this clever learning tool in rhyme may be just what you’ve been looking for, no bones about it. You’ll be amazed at how fast you will be able to learn them from head to toe. Study the bones, find fun factoids, take the quiz, discover the mystery bones."

ANDY AND SPIRIT GO TO THE FAIR
Book 2 of the Andy & the Albino Horse Series

"Andy and Spirit’s world expands as they grow together and experience things neither would have had the opportunity to do alone. The two become heroes to each other as they meet and accomplish challenges Andy never thought possible before the two of them became a team. 10 illustrations, 2100 word storybook, 24 pages. Three extra pages of activities about 4-H and wild horse management."

EARTHQUAKE!
Author: Susan J Berger www.susanjberger.com
Artist: Eugene Ruble

"This book about Earthquakes empowers your kids with information and preparedness. What causes earthquakes? Can we predict them? How are earthquakes measured? How do we prepare for them? There are lots of fun factoids and a few experiments. (Learn how to make your own seiche.) What was the biggest earthquake? Find out here."

Hamster Holidays:

Noun and Adjective Adventures
The Pet Parade Grammar Series
Author: Cynthia Reeg www.cynthiareeg.com
Artist: Kit Grady www.kitgrady.com

"A troupe of hamsters celebrate a year of hare-brained holidays in their unique hamster style. The book highlights nouns and adjectives on each page, as well as exploring opposites. Activity pages include scrambled words, match-up and crossword puzzles—plus much more. Grammar becomes fun and games with hamster helpers."

Friday, October 9, 2009

Bonnie Terry Learning- Easy Math Reference Guide

Bonnie Terry is a Learning Disabilities Specialist and a Board Certified Educational Therapist who has over 35 years of teaching experience. After years of being asked where one could purchase the learning tools she had created, she began marketing them through Bonnie Terry Learning, and now they are available for everyone. There are helps for those struggling with learning disabilities, as well as tools for everyone who desires to make learning easier or more enjoyable.

Bonnie Terry Learning is a repeat vendor for the TOS Homeschool Crew this year and last year I was thrilled to review The Sentence Zone Game. This is still a product we use and enjoy in our homeschool. As I stated in that review, I love games that promote learning. We are a gamer family and if we can incorporate games into our schooling, I am one happy camper.

This year, I received the Easy Math Reference Guide to review. I must admit, a math reference guide is just not as exciting as a game. After I spent a little time thinking about though, I realized that this is a great little tool for my family. Math is probably my weakest area and so I need all the help I can get with this subject (Thankfully, my husband is good at math and there are plenty of software and online based curricula. My weak areas do not have to inhibit my homeschooling!).

The Easy Math Reference Guide is a 16 page guide, printed in color on glossy heavyweight paper. The last page is oversized and hole punched so that this may be easily stored inside a 3-ring binder for quick reference. It covers the basics of math for 1st-8th grade- addition, subtraction, odds and evens, multiplication, time, division, word problems, graphs, rounding and estimating, place value, geometry, fractions, decimals, percentages, measurements, money equivalents, averages and medians, and math vocabulary. As I was reading through this, I realized that this is not only a great resource as a quick reference for review but that it would be a great "jumping off" point. For those who are math inclined, this could be used as a basis for teaching your children yourself. For those like me, this is a great way to be sure you don't miss any of the basics.

I have one daughter who is non-math minded, like her mother. She is currently studying for her PSAT's and is a little overwhelmed with the prep course. This will be a good way for her to be sure she knows her basics, in a simple and easy to follow format. Then she can concentrate on brushing up on her higher math skills. I'm realizing this is a little gem that I didn't recognize at first. That's one of the blessings of reviewing products- sometimes I discover items that I never would have glanced at twice but prove to be worthwhile for my family.

The Easy Math Reference Guide is available for $17 from Bonnie Terry Learning.

*Disclosure: I received this product at no cost, for review purposes*

Blogging from Borders

I remember the days when a "date" with my husband consisted of putting the kids to bed early and getting take out from the local Olive Garden. Now that my kids are older, time together is a little easier and we have a weekly "date day". We usually grab lunch somewhere (today it was the food court in the mall, nothing fancy) and re-connect. Being married to a busy pastor, and being busy myself, knowing we will have that time together on Fridays is often enough to carry us through a crazy week.

Recently, we began hanging out in the Borders coffeeshop after lunch. It's my hangout anyway. I spend time there for writers group, homeschool meetings, and our summer book club. I feel comfortable and relaxed there and now I can share that with my husband. I bring my tote with my Dell Mini and my review products, he brings his Bible and his PSP. We enjoy time together while working separately on various projects and it's nice. Quiet, peaceful, and still productive.

And he buys me coffee. What a guy.

If you're in the season where your only chance at time alone together is after the kids are in bed, treasure the moments you have. Purpose to make time for that late night date and just enjoy each others company. The time will come (much too soon!) when your kids are older and able to care of themselves. If you're already in that part of your life, purpose to take time to get out together and stay connected. Maybe it won't be once a week but a regularly scheduled time together can go a long way towards keeping the lines of communication open. Someday the kids will be grown and gone and knowing how to spend time (and enjoying it) in both relaxation and discussion is vital.

A good cup of coffee with that man of yours can make your week sparkle, trust me.

So here I sit, preparing to write a review, my netbook open on the table, my husband handing me a Hazelnut Toffee Mocha. The realization of how blessed I am just overcame me and I needed to share and thank God for this simple moment. I am profoundly blessed.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

First Day of School- A Month Late

I realize it's October but I'm not quite sure how that happened. I blinked, it was October.

Seems like it anyway.

I borrowed a camera (as mine is in pieces from my husband's attempt at fixing it) specifically so I could have photos for my blog. I took pictures on our "first day of school", I pasted them into a post, and here they have remained. Lonely and awaiting words and posting.

A month later, here I am. Finally taking a moment to share our first day. A little late but better late than never, right?

I'm going with it.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast. It was blueberry pancakes last year. I'm slipping.
But they seem happy enough. And pretty darn cute.

This year, they had first day surprises. My 16 year old received a pretty accordion file full of pens and pencils and notebooks and a beautiful bookmark about reaching for her dreams and living her beliefs. Oh, and Wizards of Waverly Place pencils. One is never too old for Disney pencils. At least not in my family.

The rest of the kids had plastic boxes filled with school supplies. The youngest four also had character sets that I found on sale at ToysRus for $4. I couldn't buy everything separate for that price and it's actually what prompted my supply box gift idea.

It felt a little like Christmas morning there for awhile. Not a bad way to start the school year.

Happy with the surprise, we headed to the table to begin our first day. I had printed historical color sheets, maps, etc. for them to work on while I read aloud. Now they can each grab their box and their binder and be set to go!

I'm keeping my ninth grader with us as much as possible for one more year, but my junior works on her own now. She's currently working through Sonlight Core 300 and was highly annoyed at my interrupting her to snap this photo. But she's still cute in her not-so little flannel shirt.

And by the way, her favorite book in Core 300 so far is How To Ruin Your Life By 40. I'd better get to work, I only have a year left.

And this is my graduate. He was checking Facebook before he headed out to work. Just had to snap his picture before he left. It is weird not having him schooling at home anymore. But it's good. Our first graduate.

Our first month has passed and already it's a better year than the last (I discovered that homeschooling seven grades is just plain hard. But it was worth every moment). We're using Sonlight as a base and then adding in review items. We've already discovered a few gems and put a few others to the side. We've attended a few park days and a not-back-to-school at the beach party (I have pictures of that too...somewhere). We're almost finished with The Golden Goblet and I'm so glad to be back to reading aloud to my children. It's one of my favorite things about homeschooling. My reluctant reader just finished a novel on his own (review coming soon!) and we're happy with our math programs (For some reason, finding the right math has always been an issue. We're using Teaching Textbooks, Life of Fred, and Professor in a Box).

I'm excited to see where our homeschooling adventures lead us this year!

Homeschooling Posts

I hope someday to have many more of these than I have now, but this blog is a work in progress by a mom of seven who is currently homeschooling so it's slow going! I write many more posts in my head than ever make it from there, through my fingertips, and onto this blog. If only they could create some sort of thought typer...nah. That'd just be plain scary.

Our Homeschool/Family:

Blogging From Borders
Coming Soon: Summer Vacation
(Pre) Convention Update
Convention Update: Day One
Convention Update: Day Two (Part One)
Convention Update: Day Two (Part Two)
Eternal Sonata Lapbook

First Day of School- A Month Late
Homeschooling vs Housecleaning

It's National Novel Writing Month
Our Family & Homeschool Vision
Our First Graduate
Pizza on the Beach, Our First Day of School, and Delusions of Youth
Planning for Next Year
School Year Wrap Up 2009/2010
Two Goals in Too Many Words Link

Blog Cruise: Question of the Week:

Algebra + Biology = HUH?! Help For the Scary Subjects
All in the Family: How Do You Know What to Teach?
Alternative Co-oping: Parties and Shopping, Oh My!
But What About Socialization?
The Comparison Trap
Considering Homeschooling or Just Getting Started? Time For a Little "R & R".
Feeling Burnt Out? Been There, Done That, T-Shirt's Buried Somewhere In the Laundry Pile.
Getting It All Done or HaHaHaHaHa! : Coffee.
Homeschooling All These Kids. . .And What About Baby?
Oh, I Could Never Do That- My Kids Won't Listen.
Spreading the Reading Disease.
Sunny Days and Stomach Bugs
You're in My Space. Proceed With Caution.

Reviews By Subject

Work in Progress! There are more reviews on the site than listed here. I am still working to input them all. Labels are available at bottom of blog page as well.

Art: