Review Year Two Comes to an End...Year Three to Come!

The review season is wrapping up and it seems as though it will be a little slow for a month or so before picking back up again.  I have been asked to continue with the TOS Crew review team for a third year, so no worries, we'll have some great review items to look forward to for the fall.  Products begin shipping in July, we usually have four to six weeks to use them and form an opinion, and then share that with you. 

This year, the Crew set up is a little bit different and they have split us into an Elementary group and a Jr./Sr. High group.  We should still receive some products that bridge the span of both, but will focus on one group.  As my kids will be 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 10th, I will be participating in the older one.  Potential vendors include Digital Frog and Vocabulary Cartoons, so I am excited. 

I hope to continue with the book reviews and MyBlog Spark giveaways too.  I love to share my love of reading and the giveaways are just always super fun!  I'll try not to let it get too quiet here before we gear up for review year three.  :-D

The Last Christian by David Gregory: Blog Tour

Summary:  A.D. 2088.

Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But a larger threat looms. The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether—but at what expense? 

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity.

In this fast-paced thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking religious themes to create a spell-binding "what-if?" novel.

My Thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised to find myself engrossed in this book from page one.  The pace was fast, yet easy enough to follow, the storyline intriguing.  It reminded me of a Grisham or Baldacci novel in that the story outweighed the character development, but I still consider the comparison complimentary.  I was sucked into an all too realistic world and found myself turning the pages quickly. 

There was a definite message or theme here, and I usually balk when it's presented with a heavy hand in a work of fiction.  However, this time it mostly worked as it grew from the actions and growth of the characters and plot lines itself.  When I turned the last page, everything wasn't tied up in a neat little bow but I was left with plenty to chew on and contemplate- and I like that in a story.  I finished this on Saturday.  It's Monday and I am still mulling it over in my mind.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good summer read.  I don't believe you'd have to be a Christian to enjoy the story, but then again I automatically read from my own worldview so please let me know if you read it and disagree.  Christian readers will find a lot of food for thought among the pages of a well done story that holds it own.

The Last Christian is available directly from Random House or your favorite online or local book store.

*Disclosure: I received this book at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.*

Lobster Network: A Place to Share Your Stuff!

It's a beautiful Cape Cod day.  The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and if you breathe really deeply you can almost taste the salt on the air.  The days of beaches, ice cream, and lobster are beginning.  It's the best time of the year.  I dream of the days lounging with a book while the kids splash happily in the water.  But before that can happen, we need to finish up our school year, go through all our books and curriculum and decide whether to keep, sell or loan, categorize and price things before our annual sale, figure out what we need for next year and whether it needs to be bought or borrowed, etc., etc. Before I can dream of lobster rolls, there's another kind of lobster I have for review that I think will be a big help with much of the above To Do list.

LobsterNetwork.com is a free service that provides a place to document your goods and then categorize them as Inventory, Loan, Sale or Trade items.  Once you sign up, you can enter an item one at a time.  You list it by name and then choose a category; Audio, Household, Print, Video, Video Games, Other. Then you choose the category to list it in and whether it is accessible to your friends, your private communities, or your public communities (Inventory is seen only by you).

I haven't had much time to invest in Lobster Network as of yet, but I can see the possibilities.  Support Groups could use this as a way to share resources among them.  Several homeschooling families in my local group seem to enjoy sharing their curricula.  This would be a good way to keep track of who has what.  For me, this would be a good reminder when I come across that book that I know I borrowed but I can't quite remember who I borrowed it from.  Or when I need that book I know I loaned out but I can't quite remember who I loaned it to.  Happens frequently with my brain.

Our annual used curriculum sale is coming up.  This will be helpful in listing my sale items and keeping track of what is sold and what is left to sell online.  I'd also love to eventually inventory my entire school closet, as I have purchased resources I already own too many times to admit.  I really wish we could add our own categories though, as it'd be great to list these items by school subject.  Then when I needed something for science, I could take a quick peek at what I already own using Lobster Network, rather than standing in front of the open closet staring blankly.

It seems to be a pretty useful resource and it's FREE.  Can't beat that!

TOS Crew Favorites for 2009/2010

Last year, many of us on the TOS Crew review team chose our Top Ten of the Review Year.  This time, the Powers-That-Be decided to create a Crew Favorite award for the vendors and we all voted in the following categories.  I thought you all may want to know who won these prestigious awards (GRIN) and, since it's my blog, I thought I'd share my choices as well.  Remember, these are my favorites from the TOS Crew only.  Other review items were not in the running.  (BTW, I have no clue what's up with the formatting.  It looks fine in the editor but funny on the site.  BAH.)

How about you?  Any favorites reflected here? 


Favorite Language Arts Product :
My Choice-All About Reading
Crew Choice- Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services (EDUDPS)

Favorite History Product : 
My Choice: Wiglington & Wenks
Crew Choice- Bright Ideas Press  (All American History and Mystery of History)
  
Favorite Science Product:
My Choice- Christian Kids Explore Earth Science

Crew Choice- Nature Friend Magazine


Favorite Math Product:
My Choice- Math Tutor: Young Minds, Numbers and Counting

Crew Choice- Math Mammoth

Favorite Online Math Product:
My Choice- Mathletics
Crew Choice- Mathletics

  
Favorite Handwriting Product:
My Choice- N/A (only reviewed the one)
Crew Choice- Zeezok Publishing (Presidential Penmanship)

Favorite Fine Arts Product (art, music, etc.):
My Choice- Artistic Pursuits
Crew Choice- Artistic Pursuits

Favorite Pre-school Product:
My Choice- Math Tutor: Young Minds, Numbers and Counting
Crew Choice-Time 4 Learning


Favorite Elementary Product:
My Choice- Critical Thinking
Crew Choice- Critical Thinking

Favorite Upper-Grade Product:
My Choice-  Professor in a Box
Crew Choice-  Professor in a Box

Favorite College Prep Product:
My Choice- Cerebellum/Standard Deviants
Crew Choice- Cerebellum/Standard Deviants


Favorite Special Needs Product:
My Choice- Super Star Speech
Crew Choice- Super Star Speech


Favorite Health and Beauty Product:
My Choice- Beeyoutiful Balance Progesterone Cream
Crew Choice- Virginia Soaps and Scents

Favorite Christian Product:
My Choice- Bright Ideas Press

Crew Choice- Grapevine Studies


Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed: 
My Choice- StudyPod
Crew Choice- StudyPod

Best Homemaking Product:
My Choice- Virginia Soaps & Scents
Crew Choice-  Sue Gregg Cookbooks

Best Customer Service:
My Choice- All about Spelling
Crew Choice- Great Software Tools

Best Online Resource:
My Choice- Mathletics

Crew Choice- ABCteach

Best e-product:
My Choice- Homeschool in the Woods

Crew Choice- Growing Healthy Homes:  Nutrition 101

Best Office and Technology Resource:
My Choice- Tektoma

Crew Choice- Web Design for Kids (and Curious Grown-Ups)

Best Homeschool Resource:
My Choice- The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

Crew Choice- Apologia Press: The  Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

Best Map Resource:
My Choice- Homeschool in the Woods
Crew Choice- Home School in the Woods

Best Book, Novel or Magazine:
My Choice-  Hank the Cowdog
Crew Choice- Sarah's Books

Best Hands-On Resource:
My Choice- Homeschool in the Woods
Crew Choice- A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks

Most Adaptable Resource:
My Choice-  Sue Patrick Workbox System
Crew Choice- Sue Patrick Workbox System

Most Unique Resource:
My Choice- Lobster Network (Review coming soon!)
Crew Choice-  Lobster Network

Most Family-Oriented Product:
My Choice- ?
Crew Choice- Family Mint

Kid's Choice:
My Kid's Choice- Wiglington & Wenks
Crew Choice- Maverick Books:  Hank the Cowdog Series

All Around Crew Favorite:
My Choice- All About Spelling
Crew Choice-  All About Spelling (All About Reading)

Free Digital Magazine Supplements (My Article)

 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has put out two FREE digital supplements.  Both contain lots of homeschooling helps.  I am partial to the second one, on choosing curriculum, as MY ARTICLE is in that one!  It's entitled Choosing Curriculum: Seven Sanity Saving Steps.  It's the first article I have ever sold, the first bit of writing someone actually thought worth paying for, so yes- I am quite excited.  There are lots of great articles in there too, hopefully they can be a blessing and help to you!

Homeschool 101

Your Guide To Examining Curriculum

Giveaway Results: Man Snack Pack

And the lucky Man Snack winner is...

                                               Drum roll, please...

                                                                                 janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com!

  

Janet, please send your mailing info to me at HomeschoolreviewsandMore@yahoo.com.

Mommy Rhapsody from You Tube

A friend of mine just shared this with me on Facebook.  I had to share it with you all as well.  Hilarious.

Light Speed History of the US AP Exam Prep

Planning to have your students take the Advanced Placement test?  This is a gem of a prep tool.  Not planning to take any AP exams?  Please don't skip this review thinking this DVD doesn't apply to your homeschool.  This is one of those times I feel blessed to be a reviewer, as I would have passed up a great tool for high school if not asked to review it!

Light Speed History of the US is brought to you by the same people who developed Standard Deviants.  If you're familiar with these, then you'll know to expect short clips of young adults explaining the topic to the camera, with a few jokes thrown in for good measure (usually groaners, and yet this format works well).  Light Speed is a little more serious than the Standard Deviants, and not as choppy, but the feel of lots of info in short bites still remains. 

If you have a child preparing for the AP exam, the first section of the DVD lets you know what to expect from the test, as well as test-taking and writing tips.  This is valuable information presented in a less formal and more interesting manner than most test prep books (or even DVD's that I have seen).  My favorite section, however, is the 30 in 30.

The 30 in 30 takes the thirty most essential topics to understand before taking the test and runs through them in about thirty minutes (or a little more, we had to pause frequently and restart, so I did not get a good sense of the actual time frame).  This covered main events from the time of the Colonists through the Vietnam War.  Although this is designed for test prep (and I believe would work well), this could be a great tool for homeschoolers who desire a simple "crash course" in US History.  Ever worry that you missed something important in your history study?  Adding this DVD as required viewing may help relieve those fears in thirty minutes.  I'm not promoting using a 30 minute DVD to replace your studies, but adding it as a video timeline of sorts. 

There is a second disc included, which contains a digital workbook.  This would be a must for test prep and could be adapted and used as part of your history curriculum as well.

History of the US is regularly priced at $14.98.  A sale price of $11.24 is currently listed and I also have a discount code to share with you!  If you use coupon code OSH20 at checkout, you will receive 20% off of your order.  This code is good through the end of 2010.

There are other topics covered and at this price,  I plan to purchase a few to add to my high school son's studies.  For me, this is a very reasonable price and a great way to add a little bit of review and highlight what the school's consider essential, as this is not my focus in choosing curricula.  If I can cover that in thirty minute bites, I'm sold.

*Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of this DVD, at no cost, for review purposes.  To see more reviews on this and similar products, check out the TOS Crew site.*

Does God Exist? TrueU DVD Set

 "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" 

In the DVD set, Does God Exist?, Dr. Stephen Meyer* attempts to answer the question, "What is the prime reality?".  This boils down to "What's the thing from which everything else comes?".  He takes a classroom (of what appear to be college students) through multiple competing hypotheses.  Looking at evidence from the natural world, he makes his case for which of the four worldviews (deism, theism, pantheism, and materialism) provides the best explanation. 


The set contains two DVDs, with ten thirty minute lessons.  These include Faith and Reason, The Big Bang Cosmology Parts 1-3, DNA by Design Parts 1-3, The Return of the God Hypothesis, and The Moral Necessity of Theism Parts 1-2.  There is also a nicely done booklet included, which contains an overview for each session, highlights from the lesson, and discussion questions that would actually lead to discussion.  For example, "Why is it important to think of the Big Bang as an 'effect' of the universe rather than the 'cause' of the universe?", "What is meant by "self-organization", and why does this theory fail to account for the arrangement of information in DNA?", and "Why is it so difficult to live as a moral relativist- to deny the existence of any objective moral standard?".


Dr. Meyers respects his student's intelligence, encouraging them to look at the objectives to his arguments and come to their own conclusions.  He makes his case for Intelligent Design and asks them to decide if his evidence is persuasive.  He doesn't belittle other theories and scientists, but rather explains their viewpoints and then shares why he does not believe the evidence backs them up.  This made a huge impression on me, as other Christian scientists I otherwise admire unfortunately seem to have a glaring absence of this kind of respect for those who do not agree with them.

These lessons are not designed to argue a literal interpretation of Genesis versus Theistic Evolution. I would deduce that Dr. Meyers is in the latter group** (see note), but this is not the point of his teaching.  His goal is to show that the best explanation for the question of what's-the-thing-everything-else-came-from is God.  The lessons are full of scientific discoveries and history and theories, but even as a "non-science person" I found him easy to listen to and follow.  This will be staying in my homeschool library and will be required viewing for my high schoolers.  I think it would be a great addition to a biology course, or even a study on Origin Theories.  I have considered putting something together like this myself- combining materials from the Young Earth Creationists, the Theistic Evolutionists, the Intelligent Design crowd, and the Evolutionists.  After studying each "from the horse's mouth", the student could craft a persuasive paper sharing their own conclusions.  This would be a wonderful part of this kind of course and could generate much discussion.

Does God Exist? is available for $39.99 from Tyndale or your favorite online or local bookstore. 

*Author Bio: Stephen Meyer is director of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture (CSC) and a founder both of the intelligent design movement and of the CSC, intelligent design's primary intellectual and scientific headquarters. Dr. Meyer is a Cambridge University–trained philosopher of science and the author of peer-reviewed publications in technical, scientific, and philosophical books and journals. He has been widely featured in media appearances on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, PBS, and the BBC. In 2008, he appeared with Ben Stein in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. He's also featured prominently in two other science documentaries, Icons of Evolution and Unlocking the Mystery of Life.

**UPDATE: It's August now and I have received an email from Dr, Mike Keas, Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at The College of the Southwester, letting me know that Dr. Meyers is not a theistic evolutionist.  "Dr. Meyer is not a theistic evolutionist.  As a leading member of the intelligent design community, he thinks that Darwinism only explains very trivial change (not the origin of major new kinds of life). Thus the effort to reconcile Christianity with Darwinian evolution is pointless, he would maintain." and "Note also this, by one of Meyer's closest colleagues: Dr. Dembski.  Meyer agrees with this forthcoming book. Christian Darwinism: Why Theistic Evolution Fails As Science and Theology (Broadman and Holman, November 2011), mathematician Dembski and journalist O’Leary address a powerful new trend to accommodate Christianity with atheist materialism, via acceptance of Darwinian (“survival of the fittest”) evolution. 

http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/new-book-announcement-william-a-dembski-and-denyse-oleary-slam-christian-darwinism-in-forthcoming-book/" 

*This set was provided to me by Tyndale, at no cost, for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own.*

Ideal Curriculum for Preschool

 

Although my degree happens to be in Early Childhood Education, I am not a fan of using curricula for preschoolers.  I prefer preschool to be a time of play and snuggling together reading beautiful picture books.  If I were to promote a preschool product, it would be one that reflected this philosophy.  Ideal Curriculum is one that reflects more of a "pre school" methodology and would be a better fit in a day care setting. 

Available in print or as a download, this program includes monthly kits covering Literacy, Science/Social Studies, Math and Calendar. Daily lesson plans are provided, along with pages to print, e-books to read, and mp3's of music for sing alongs.  I received Month One for review which covers topics such as Letter Names, Listening Skills, Name Recognition, Print, Transportation, Rote Counting, and Time.

Their stated vision is as follows; "Our mission is to help every child be successful at learning.  95% of all children will not pick up academic skills on their own.  They need instruction and guidance.".  This is the root of my trouble with recommending this curriculum.  I firmly believe that if children are provided with the tools and the resources needed, they will learn.  Yes, we need to be there to guide and to teach, but much of the best learning occurs as the child is allowed to discover and problem solve on his own.     

Ideal Curriculum is available for $526 for the year (units may be purchased individually as well).  I rarely comment on price but this seems quite pricey for this age group.  Personally, I would recommend building a library of quality books and educational toys over purchasing a preschool curriculum. 

*Disclosure: Ideal Curriculum Month One was provided at no cost, for review purposes.  To read more reviews of this product, please see the TOS Crew site.*

Mighty Acts of God: A Family Bible Story Book

To be completely honest, I wasn't excited about reviewing yet another Children's Bible story book.  I put off this review until the last minute because I was concerned I could find nothing new to say about another Bible story book.  My fears were unfounded, as this is different from many of the story Bibles I have seen.

Mighty Acts of God is not simply another pretty book retelling the Biblical stories for children.  This book reads more like a family devotional, albeit a chronological one.  Rather than focusing on the stories or the characters, the author focuses on a characteristic of God revealed in each Biblical story.

The book itself is a brightly illustrated hardcover.  There is more text throughout than pictures, giving this a more "serious air" than others of its kind.  Ninety stories are contained within and each is about three pages long, with a discussion box included at the end of every story.  The writing is at child's level without being dumbed down. 

As this is not simply a retelling of the stories, but a teaching tool to share God's character, I was interested to discover what theological "bent" the author was coming from.  The Crossway site was very helpful in that and it states in their description that this comes from a Reformed perspective.

I am impressed despite myself.  Mighty Acts of God has managed to bring something new to the table.  Although it could be read and shared with your children as any other Bible story book, I believe it would best be used as a family devotion, to read and discuss together.

Mighty Acts of God is available from Crossway for $24.99, or your favorite online or local bookstore. 

*Disclosure; This book was provided at no cost through Crossway, for review purposes.*

General Mills "Man Snack Pack" Giveaway

 The Man Snack Pack, that's what I've dubbed the latest review and giveaway from MyBlogSpark.  I received two of each of the following three General Mills snack items, sold only at convenience stores, with the request to share them with my man and let you know how he enjoyed them. 

Cocoa Puffs Treats Triple Chocolate: "An indulgent cereal bar that combines the great taste of Cocoa Puffs cereal and chocolate into one decadent treat, Cocoa Puffs Treats Triple Chocolate is perfect for satisfying any sweet tooth."  

Bugles Hot Buffalo: "Need something salty with a bit of a kick? Look no further than Bugles Hot Buffalo Crisp Corn Snacks, which blends the taste of hot buffalo sauce with crispy corn Bugles." 

Nature Valley Oats ‘N Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars: "If you want the best of both worlds, give Nature Valley Oats ‘N Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars a try. These bars mix dark chocolate pieces, oats and crisp rice nuggets for a classic crunch and burst of whole grain goodness, making them a perfect natural snack that's high in fiber and protein, but low in saturated fat."

When it comes to movies, I have man taste. Give me a good thriller or some great action over those syrupy romance dramas.  But when it comes to snacks, I'm not digging the man pack.  None of these were a hit with me.  But what did my husband think?  We'll start with the bad news.  The Cocoa Puffs bar was not a winner (although I admit to adoring Cocoa Puffs in a bowl, with milk).  In my husband's words, "I only made it through half the bar.It was just too weird and the flavors never really meshed for me."  The other two snacks received high praise.  "The granola bar was great. Loved it. Great balance of chocolate and everything else. It worked." The Bugles were by far the favorite. "First time I have really loved Bugles.  I ate the whole bag in one sitting. Tastes great and has a nice kick."

Along with the snacks, we also received a Nature Valley travel mug and a Bugles t-shirt from General Mills and MyBlogSpark.  I have an additional "Man's Snack Pack" of snacks, mug, and t-shirt to give away to one of my readers.  

TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post (required).  
What snack will your man adore? Is he the sweet or salty type?

2. Share this giveaway via Twitter (optional, leave additional comment with Twitter name)

3. Share this giveaway via Facebook (optional, leave additional comment letting me know )

4. Share this giveaway on your blog (optional, leave TWO additional comments letting me know)

5. Follow/subscribe to this blog (optional, leave additional comment letting me know- if you already follow, leave TWO additional comments)

6. Place my button on your blog (optional, leave TWO additional comments letting me know.)

Drawing will be held on Wednesday, May 19th. 

*Disclosure: This snack pack was provided at no cost through MyBlogSpark, for review purposes.*

Beeyoutiful Balance Natural Progesterone Cream

If you're a guy who's shy about the hormonal ins and outs of the female body, you may want to skip this post.  Fair warning.

"If Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  Oh, the truth in that statement.  And oh, the difficulty in keeping a smile on your face and a bounce in your walk when your emotions are on edge.  For the last several years, I have experienced times of such emotional turbulence that I was unsure if I could get through the day.  Or even get up and face the day.  Once I realized this occurred around the same time every month, and that I'd be just fine if I could get to the week after my cycle, I was able to handle it much better.  It was clearly hormonal issues.  But it still wasn't fun. Along with these hormonal problems, which are at their worst the week prior, come physical symptoms the week of my cycle.  The first day I do well to not leave the house.  That's not fun either.

I share this so that you will understand why I chose to review Beeyoutiful Balance Natural Progesterone Cream.  Beeyoutiful carries natural products for healthy living.  Members of the TOS Crew were given the option to choose between various products for review.  When I read the following, I knew I wanted to give this product a try; "Beeyoutiful Balance progesterone cream is specially formulated to help women’s bodies achieve hormonal balance. Progesterone deficiency is epidemic in America, with approximately 90% of women suffering from a host of related symptoms such as PMS, hot flashes, osteoporosis, infertility, early miscarriage, depression, menstrual irregularity, and breast cancer. When applied properly, Beeyoutiful Balance will give the body the physiologic amount of progesterone needed to help bring balance to the hormonal system."  This, combined with the testimony of other women experiencing relief by using progesterone cream, compelled me to choose this product.

I have only used this for a month, and they state that it can take up to three months for your levels to balance out, but I can share the results so far and update in a couple of months.  Although I still found myself teary and a little more sensitive than usual, I did not experience the extreme emotional swings that can be frequent.  My husband noticed this as well, so there's an objective opinion from a man who knows!

I'm not sold on it yet, but I am hopeful and plan to continue with the cream for the next couple of months.  Unfortunately, it made little difference in the physical symptoms.

Why do I share this on a homeschool review site?  As women, we can find ourselves frequently overwhelmed and burnt-out.  If some of this is caused by a hormonal imbalance, and a simple cream can help regulate that, this could make a huge difference in our family life- including homeschooling.  I was amazed by how many women have imbalances with their thyroids and adrenal glands and the like.  I know I was shocked to discover how very ill my own Vitamin D deficiency made me last year.  Sometimes our discouragement is caused by physical symptoms and if we work to improve our health, it will improve many other aspects of our lives as well.

If you're interested in checking into a good source for natural products (they carry many other items), Beeyoutiful seems to be a quality company.  Personally, I am glad to have found them.

Beeyoutiful Balance Progesterone Cream sells for $23 for a 2oz jar (about a two month supply).

*Disclosure: I received this product at no cost, for review purposes.  To read more reviews for this product and others, check out the TOS Crew site.*

Giveaway Results: Cascade Complete $25 Wal-Mart Gift Card

Spring Fever hit hard yesterday and apparently one of the symptoms is temporary memory loss, as I completely forgot to draw the winning name for the $25 Gift Card!  I also piled the kids in the van to run errands and found myself driving to the seasonal ice cream stand instead and enjoying our first cones of the season. 

So there you have it.  On to the results...

The winner of the $25 gift card is Michelle of A Life Better Than I Deserve.  Congratulations, Michelle!  Please send your mailing information to HomeschoolReviewsandMore@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

New giveaway coming soon!  Man Snacks, anyone?

A Link, A Myth, and A Moment

Yeah, so I'm a little slow and this post, The Public School Parent's Guide to Homeschool Parents, is now a week old.  But it's too good not to share, in case any of you missed it last week! 

A couple tidbits that popped in my head as I read this;

I am one of those "religious homeschoolers", whose primary motivation is faith based.  However, I love that she nails this stereotype.  I'm still searching for a stereotype to fit in, hasn't happened yet, so I'm happy to see these myths dispelled!

When reading #3, I remembered a moment last year that I just have to share.  In my many years of homeschooling, I never used the public school as a threat.  This is our lifestyle and that's just how it is.  But last year I was having a day.  My husband's kids were awful.  So awful that they were his kids at the moment.  GRIN.  All the coffee in the world was not helping with my patience quota (see #1!) and I had HAD IT.  I was done, simply done, and I found myself shouting (not a proud moment), "THAT'S IT!  YOU'RE ALL GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL!"

My then six year old began running around the room yelling, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, PLEASE, NOT THAT!"

Then he stopped suddenly, turned and looked at me, and said, "Wait, what's public school?"


Somehow these moments of insanity are always turned into moments of laughter.  We all cracked up and moods were lifted and the day was improved.  My crazy kids keep me sane!