The Fruit of Her Hands

ALEKS

2012-02-10T13:15:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make. I did not want to review ALEKS. We have reviewed quite a few computer things and my kids really don't care much for math so I just didn't want to try it. Well, was I ever wrong on this one!

ALEKS ( Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system for grades 3 and up. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics they are most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are very complete in their topic coverage and ALEKS avoids multiple-choice questions.

You start out by choosing a course (there are MANY to choose from). The student then takes an online assessment and they are ready to begin. I made an account for myself, my 16 year old daughter that struggles greatly in math, my 14 year old daughter that has always done well in math but was having some Algebra struggles, my 6th grade son and my 3rd grade daughter.

Watch this short video for a quick overview:

The Master Screen which allows you to edit your account, view your child's progress, create quizzes,
see how long your student as spent on ALEKS and more

Quick Tables is a math facts practice portion of ALEKS for grades 3 and up. Once they practice enough they get math games to play to further help their skills of the 4 basic operations. Watch this video for more information:

The green boxes show which facts the student has mastered.

The ALEKS pie that I love. Mouse over a piece of pie to see available topics to learn about.

The first week I just could not get enough of it. I was a poor math student in high school and then ended up majoring in math in college. It just sort of clicked with me later. So, for me it was great fun to do the math and watch my "pie" fill up. I think ALEKS is especially good for students that enjoy checklists. The pie serves as a checklist and is a real motivator.

So, what do the kids think? Well, my 16 year old daughter has tried everything in math and has never liked ONE thing we have tried until now. When it came up that we had a free 2 month trial she said, "We only get this for 2 months?" I nearly fell off my chair! She has spent a lot of time using ALEKS and I am delighted. My 14 year old also likes it. As to my 6th grade son, he says he doesn't like it but he works on it without me telling him to so it can't be that bad. My 3rd grade daughter likes it and would like to continue. Frankly, I don't think we can afford it for all of them, but if money was no object I would be signed up already.

One of the things I really love about ALEKS is that it keeps track of everything for me and sends me a report each week so I can see how each child is progressing and I only have to help when they can't figure it out for themselves (which hasn't happened much to be honest.)

a sample attendance report
you can see how long the student has spent each day the topics they worked on
and the topics that were mastered

A student can access an explanation of a problem by clicking on the "Explain" button.
The explanation typically provides a step-by-step solution, with commentary.
These pages can also be printed.

I am very impressed with the way you enter answers into this program. They avoid multiple choice questions and have an easy system for entering complex answers. Overall, I give ALEKS 2 big thumbs up!

A subscription to ALEKS for an individual student is:
$19.95 per month
$99.95 for 6 months- Six months for the cost of five
$179.95 for 12 months- Best Deal: You save $59.45

They also offer family discounts. Homeschoolers that have never tried ALEKS before can request a free 2 month trial. I think this would also be a great review tool for a student to use at the end of the year to see if they've learned everything they need to know before moving on. I did the entire Readiness for College Math course in a couple of days. (with great pleasure) Please be sure to add all of your children at once for your free trial. You will not be able to add additional children later on.

Read what others are saying about ALEKS on the TOS crew blog.

Disclaimer: I received a free 2 month trial of ALEKS in exhange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-02-06T11:21:00.001-05:00

Monday: Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet (with chicken)

Tuesday: Chicken Corn Chowder

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Meatloaf (turkey), potatoes, corn

Thursday: Spaghetti

Friday: Chicken Nuggets and Tater Tots

Saturday: Very Veggie Lasagna

Sunday: leftovers

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.)

Math Rider

2012-02-03T09:25:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks we have been given the opportunity to review a fun math facts game called Math Rider. Math Rider teaches basic math facts painlessly. Each "rider" works their way through math facts by going on quests. There is a short story at the beginning of the quest telling the rider what they need to do to rescue the princess and a variety of other things depending on the quest.

The game teaches the four operations of numbers 1-12. I personally wouldn't put an age limit on this. It would be helpful for anyone that needs work on their math facts. Math Rider recommends this for ages 6-12 which is the age most children should master their facts anyway.

Mainly my 9 and 6 year old daughters have been playing on Math Rider but I also created a rider for myself and played to see what it is like. If you look at the picture below you can see the horse with a box beneath it. The horse makes a galloping sound and jumps over each gate as the rider solves the problem that pops up in the right corner. The faster you go and the more accurate you are the more points you earn. My girls really love this.I just asked Emma (9) if there was anything she didn't like about Math Rider and she said, "No." Pretty high praise from a 9 year old.

screenshot of login screen where you can add new riders, log in or modify users

screen shot of the main screen where riders decide what to do next
and where they can see things they have earned

screenshot of the end of a ride-note what looks like a bar graph at the bottom of the page
these bars indicate how long it took to answer each problem
you can click on them to see further details

The quest map that shows the rider where they are in the land and
how much farther they have to go.

The problems come up in the lower right hand corner and move to the left. You have more than one opportunity to try the problem if you miss the first time. Once the problem slides all the way to the left your time is up. If you haven't answered correctly the correct answer displays on the screen and the game pauses while a child's voice reads the problem and answer. This is great because it is good for auditory and visual learners.

screenshot of the correct answer coming up after missing the question

The music on the game is pleasant but repetitive. It can easily be turned off though.

There is a practice section where the different operations can be mixed but each quest focuses on a single operation. Even as an adult I thought this was pretty fun and wish I had this game when I was a kid because I struggled with my math facts.

screen shot of practice mode-completely customizable

Math Rider compiles multiple statistics to show where your child needs improvement and how they are progressing. This is a really awesome and detailed feature. The game uses the statistics to adjust to where the child needs the most help. Watch the video for more details.

Video preview:

I was a little concerned at first about the magical aspect of this game but upon playing it I did not see anything objectionable. Others might not agree, so be aware that this is a game that includes a magical flower, "enchanted" lands and that type of thing.

Get a free 7 day trial or download Math Rider for $37 and obtain instant access. (The price will increase to $47 on 2/15 so take this into consideration if you plan to try it out or order.) It comes with a 30 day risk-free guarantee.

Anything you want to know that I didn't mention? Ask me in the comments. :)

Math Rider uses the Adobe® AIR™ runtime. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. Your computer requires about 80MB of available hard disk space. Your monitor (and graphics card) need to support at least a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. More details are available on the website.

Read what others are saying about Math Rider on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free trial of Math Rider in exchange for an honest review.

Celestial Almanack

2012-02-02T09:45:00.001-05:00

The Celestial Almanack is a monthly illustrated guide to learning the night sky from Fourth Day Press. Each month you can download your guide and begin learning astronomy instantly.

In the February 2012 issue learn:

* The Sun is moving higher in the noon sky, and rises and sets farther to the north, and how this relates to the days growing longer;

* The constellation Orion dominates the evening skies. Find Orion and his neighboring constellations, and how Orion can be used as a starting point for finding 35 constellations!

* Wow! Jupiter and Venus are drawing closer this month, approaching a spectacular conjunction in March! What an amazing sight!

* Mars and Saturn are visible earlier in the night, and are well placed before midnight;

* Discover these planets and also many bright stars on the evenings when they line up with the Moon

a snippet of a page discussing the analemma

I am so excited about this Celestial Almanack. I have never been able to figure out constellations (I can find the big dipper and that's about it.) I am really looking forward to using the information to actually learn some constellations and I'm pretty excited about some of the "sky events" that are going to happen this year that I didn't know about before reading this. It's written from a Christian point of view which I love too.

Over the next six months, the Celestial Almanack will be promoting three very rare sky events for 2012:

1) the Jupiter-Venus conjunction on March 15 (once every 24 years);
2) the annular solar eclipse on May 20 (once every 18 years); and
3) the transit of Venus on June 5 (last one til 2117!).

The Celestial Almanack is a 19 page color printable (pdf) periodical. You will find a calendar of moon phases and remarkable days for each day in the month, a page about how February came to be 28 days and all about leap year, illustrations of what the sky will look like during February so you know what to look for when you go outside, descriptions of the constellations that are currently visible and more!

The authors passion for astronomy shines through and I've caught the enthusiasm. I hope you'll check it out. It's very affordable too! Let me know if you decide to order and what you think. I am planning to read the Celestial Almanack each month so we can follow these events and learn the science behind it. I highly recommend you buy this TODAY so you don't miss anything that is happening in the skies this month! (No telescope or anything is necessary.) You can view free sample pages by clicking on the preview links under the picture of the cover here.

You can order the Celestial Almanack, Vol. 1, No. 2, February 2012 at CurrClick for just $3. Other products from Fourth Day Press include Moonfinder, a family storybook that teaches the phases of the moon and Signs and Seasons, a Bible based homeschool curriculum for ages 13 and up and much more!

See what others are saying about the Celestial Almanack on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free copy of the February 2012 Celestial Almanack in exchange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-31T10:53:00.003-05:00

Monday: Curried Chicken and Broccoli

Tuesday: Chicken Tetrazzini (The Freezer Cooking Manual)

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

Thursday: Mary Lu's cheesy tomato soup

Friday: Homemade Pizza and Chips

Saturday: Loaded Baked Potato Soup (or chowder)

Sunday: leftovers

Alternate meal: Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet (with chicken)

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.)

Kinderbach

2012-01-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

For the past several weeks we have been given the opportunity to try online piano lessons for young children by Kinderbach. It is absolutely adorable and my 4 and 6 year olds are enjoying watching the lessons and doing the accompanying worksheets. Ellie (4) is especially a fan of this. She will talk about Dodie's house throughout the day even on days when we aren't doing Kinderbach.

Kinderbach uses videos and pdf worksheets which can be purchased on DVD or you can buy an online version either by the month or by subscription. (pricing details are found at the end of this post.) Kinderbach teaches more than just music. A variety of additional skills are introduced such as counting, matching and even some phonics.

Each lesson has a worksheet that goes along with the video.
These are easy enough for young children. Many are just coloring pages.
My kids love them. You can print them out one at a time or print out the sheets that
go with each level all at once.

A sample worksheet from one of the later lessons.

Each key has a piano pal. Dodie (donkey) is the first character you meet.

The hardest part of using Kinderbach is printing out the worksheets. (In other words...not hard!) If I am prepared and set it up for the girls they are happy to do it. The creator, Karri Gregor, is a lot of fun for little kids. It is obvious that she works with children of this age group and talks to them at their level. My 9 and 6 year olds are currently working through a lesson and have been laughing and having a great time the entire time. (My 9 year old takes piano lessons and doesn't "need" Kinderbach but still can benefit from it and have a good time. I probably wouldn't buy this for a child that old but if you have a younger child with an older sibling they might still enjoy parts of it.)

Watch a sample of the video:

and this:

I truly believe that music is an important part of a good education. I highly recommend Kinderbach for families with young children. You can give it a try for free. The first 2 lessons are available on the website along with free coloring pages and song download.

There are 6 levels of Kinderbach and each level is designed to take 10 weeks. There are 4 sections to each weekly lesson. You need a piano or keyboard in order to use Kinderbach. A simple keyboard is fine.

Kinderbach is the creation of Karri Gregor
a professional musician and artist with decades of teaching experience.

You can purchase 6 levels of Kinderbach on DVD for $40.45 each. Each level comes with a DVD, audio CD, and a CD with a pdf Activity Book and Parent Guide or click here for specially priced packages. Kinderbach is also available as a subscription. You can pay $95.88 for a one year subscription (which works out to $7.99 a month) or pay month to month at $19.99 a month. I think this is a great option and MUCH cheaper than private lessons, especially if you have more than one child.

They are running a 40% off deal until January 31 with coupon code KBclear2012 and I am seriously considering buying the entire package or the set pictured above which includes the first 3 DVDs, pdfs and extra songbooks. So, if you think you might be interested don't delay in checking it out!

The sale mentioned above is over, however I just received a coupon code to offer here for 30% off ANY order and it's good for one year! TOScrew2012 Let me know if you decide to order and what you think!

Kinderbach has a 30 day no hassle money back guarantee

Read what others are saying about Kinderbach on the TOS crew blog. I do read the comments on my blog so please feel free to ask questions if you have any!

disclaimer: I received a free 3 month subscription to Kinderbach in exchange for an honest review.

Raising Real Men-Book Review

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

I was recently given the opportunity to read Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young. This 253 page book for parents was the Christian Small Publishers Association 2011 Book of the Year.

This book is filled with practical, godly advice for raising sons. As a woman with no brothers, 8 daughters and 2 sons, I definitely feel more equipped to raise girls than boys. This book is the remedy for that. (Though I have to admit I'd love to read a similar book for girls.) hint, hint :)

Following the introduction, the book is divided into 2 parts.

Part One: Virtues in the Rough

1. Someone to Look up to
2. Is There Not a Cause?
3. Standing Alone
4. Taking Up Arms
5. Who's in Charge Here?
6. Racing to Win
7. Doing Real Things

Part Two: Civilization for the Tough

8. First Things
9. A Faithful Steward
10. Your Own School For Boys
11. Chivalry is Not Dead
12. KP Isn't Women's Work
13. Love and War
14. Firing the Arrow

I really appreciate the fact that this book addresses issues that pertain to boys and recognizes the fact that boys and girls (men and women) ARE in fact different. I don't think I realized how different until I had sons myself. :) Before reading this book, I thought maybe this book would be better suited to fathers to read than mothers but I think it is great for any parent with a son.

In Chapter 8, First Things they share,

"This book is written from a Christian perspective, and we've tried to illustrate as often as possible how we've applied the Bible in our family's day to day lives. It's a principle in our home that we try to bring Scripture to bear in any situation so that our children are saturated in a Biblical worldview. We discuss it with them, point it out to them, and make sure they know we're looking to God's word."

Isn't that just what we should be doing as Christians? The Bible is the authority and we need to compare everything we do with with scripture. This book does exactly that. I found it encouraging and practical. I will definitely keep this on hand to re-read and refer to. Read a chapter for yourself here. (It's the chapter I quoted from above.)

You can purchase Raising Real Men on the website. The list price is $15.00 but you can see a variety of specials here. It's also available for the Kindle (my favorite way to read!) as well as Nook, pdf, audio, iPod etc. (I love technology!) Visit the Raising Real Men website to see other products available from the Youngs. Late last year I reviewed Christ Centered Christmas (click here to read the review). Go to the store to see books, webinars, workshops, Hero Tales audio CDs (which I will be reviewing soon) and more.

Thank you Hal and Melanie for writing this book and for giving me the opportunity to read it and write this review!

Authors Hal and Melanie Young are the parents of six sons and two daughters. They frequently speak on parenting, education and family policy issues, and their articles have appeared in publications in the US, Canada and New Zealand including Homeschooling Today, Homeschool Digest, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, School Reform News and Conservative Citizen.

disclaimer: I received a free copy of Raising Real Men in exchange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-24T12:41:00.001-05:00

Monday: Loaded Baked Potato Chowder

Tuesday: Spicy Black Bean Soup and Nachos

Wednesday: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and brown rice

Thursday: Spaghetti and bread

Friday: Homemade Pizza and Chips

Saturday: Stove Top Meatloaves, potatoes, green beans

Sunday: leftovers

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.)

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-16T09:54:00.001-05:00

Monday: Spicy Black Bean Soup and Nachos

Tuesday: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and brown rice

Wednesday: Hamburgers and chips

Thursday: Spaghetti and bread

Friday: Fish sticks & potatoes

Saturday: Emma's birthday party...menu to be determined.

Sunday: leftovers

I might decide to substitute one of the meals with this Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet made with chicken instead of turkey.

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com. (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.)

Learn Our History

2012-01-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

Mike Huckabee and Brad Saft co-founded Learn Our History with the goal of making learning history fun for kids. They have created a video series called Learn Our History: TimeCycle Academy. The series features a group of friends who go back in time to relive the most influential stories of our nation. Each video lasts about 30 minutes. Click here to see Mike Huckabee and Brad Saft discussing this series.

There are currently 5 titles available Columbus and the Great Discovery, The Birth of a Revolution, 911 and The War on Terror, Origins of World War II , and The Reagan Revolution with many more planned to be released this year. You can see a complete list here.

A few reasons parents love "Learn Our History" from the website:

Motivates and inspires your children to learn US history
Helps your kids understand and appreciate US history
Develops a strong sense of national pride
Teaches your children historical truth without bias
97% of kids remember what they learn from the videos
Learn Our History improves grades by making history fun

Sample videos can be found on the website or just watch below:
(you can see more previews by clicking on the links I posted above for each title)

Columbus and The Great Discovery:

The Birth of a Revolution:

I like the content of the videos we were able to see. The style reminds me of a cross between The Magic Schoolbus and Scooby-Doo. The animation is slightly rudimentary but not bad. You can read a description of each of the characters here. One character, Connor, is a rude boy and I really could do without him. He calls the other kids "losers" and "a crew of thumbsuckers" and other similar things. It's a real turn off to me and I don't like it at all. (and is frankly enough to make me not purchase the videos.) He also wears a shirt that says, "I rule, you drool." The videos are listed as family friendly and outside of this, I'd say that they are. The history is probably over the heads of young kids but from what I can tell some very serious topics are handled in a way that is appropriate for children.

There are links on each video page to discussion questions, a timeline, trivia and more that can be used in conjunction with the videos. These videos would make a nice supplement to any history curriculum.

You can order Learn our History DVDs from the Learn Our History website or call 877-US-HISTORY. Currently you can purchase Columbus and The Great Discovery for $9.95 and receive The Birth of a Revolution free. (Shipping is $3.95 PER video. This includes online streaming of the same videos (available for a limited time.) The DVDs come with a money back guarantee. Other DVDs are available for $9.95 each plus $3.95 shipping (see note below) and these come with a free bonus which includes a DVD storage case, a shoulder sack, a pair of binoculars and a Learn Our History sticker set.

One thing to note is that when you order a video you are then subscribed to receive new videos as they are released. An e-mail will be sent alerting you that a new DVD is available. If you do nothing you will receive the DVD and your credit card will be charged. If you do not wish to receive it, you must call within 10 days to say you don't want it which does not cancel your subscription. If you would like to cancel your subscription then you must call to do that as well. (I must admit I am NOT a fan of buying things through a subscription like that. I'd prefer to just order the ones I want.) The first DVD you order is $9.95 plus $3.95 shipping, subsequent DVD's cost $11.95 plus $3.95 shipping.

The website can be a bit difficult to navigate but if you scroll down to the bottom of the main page there are links to the other pages. They also offer a streaming only option which costs the same as the DVD's but there is no shipping charge. It is mentioned on the website but you must call to get this offer. (877-US-HISTORY that's 877-874-4786)

See what others are saying about Learn Our History on the TOS Crew blog.

Co-founders Brad Saft and Mike Huckabee

disclaimer: I received a free copy of Learn Our History in exchange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-09T12:19:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've made a meal plan. It feels good to be back meal planning.

Monday: Potato and Ham Skillet

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Italian Style Meatloaf, rice, green beans

Wednesday: Spaghetti and bread

Thursday: Amy's Minestrone

Friday: Homemade pizza and chips

Saturday: Chicken, potatoes, vegetable

Sunday: leftovers

Link up your own menu plan at orgjunkie.com . (Or just find great ideas from other bloggers that share their menus.)

Maestro Classics-Swan Lake

2012-01-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

Maestro Classics sent us a copy of Swan Lake on CD. This 54 minute CD is recommended for children ages 6-12 and their families though I personally think you can use it for children much younger than 6 (which I guess could be what they mean by "and their families" but I digress.) Maestro Classics are available on CD or as an MP3 download. The downloadable version will come with a link to download the 24 page activity book that is included with the CD.

The activity book contains a biography of Tchaikovsky, information on acoustic and electric guitars, sheet music and words for a sing-a-long, and explanation of major and minor keys, puzzles and more.

Free homeschool curriculum that goes along with The Story of Swan Lake (and other CDs) can be found on the Maestro Classics website. Activities are included for history, science, geography, language arts, art, music, and math. You could easily make a complete unit study from this CD and the curriculum guide which is something I do plan to do. You can hear samples of each track and get more information on the website.

We really enjoyed this CD. It takes a little getting used to for young children because there is a lot of music in between the narration of the story. There is also a cute little song that is easy to remember with the words, "Tchaikovsky wrote a great ballet, its name is Swan Lake." (see track 5 on the samples to hear it) I hummed this tune to my 4 year old yesterday (after not having listened to this for a while) and she said, "Mommy! That's Swan Lake!" (At first she thought it was called Swan Leg...LOL).

The only thing I didn't really like was the track titled Speed Metal Swan. It's a heavy metal version of Swan Lake and just not our cup of tea but it's easy enough to not listen to that track and wouldn't keep me from purchasing it. Don't forget that you can listen to samples of each track to see if it is something your family might enjoy. We also did not use the activity book that came with the CD. The pages are very small (CD sized) and my aging eyes struggle with small print.

I highly recommend Maestro Classics and plan to purchase other titles in the series.

Purchase Swan Lake at Maestro Classics for $16.98 on CD or $9.98 as a download. Other titles available include Peter and the Wolf, Casey at the Bat, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Juanita the Spanish Lobster and more! Also available is a set of all 8 CD's for $95.00. (less than $12 per CD) or as a smaller 4 CD Story Pack for $48.

You can find Maestro Classics on the web, Facebook and Twitter. "Like" Maestro Classics on Facebook for free coupons and giveaways! See what others are saying about Swan Lake on the TOS Crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free copy of Swan Lake from Maestro Classics in exchange for an honest review.

Air Hunterz Z-Curve Bow

2011-12-09T12:01:00.000-05:00

Ryan (12) loves all kinds of guns and bows and when he heard about the Air Hunterz Z-Curve Bow he really wanted to get one. So, with some birthday money we ordered it. It would be an understatement to say that he loves this bow.

This is the video we saw that introduced us to the bow

Kind of silly..but gives you a good idea of what the bow is like.

The Air Hunterz Z-Curve Bow shoots over 100 feet and comes with 1 foam suction cup arrow and 2 foam bounce back arrows. It also comes with a clip so you can clip the arrows on your belt loop. It is made of sturdy plastic with tubular bands that draw back. The bow hooks on two loops that are connected to the bands. It seems to be well made (unlike the toy bows I've seen in the stores).

I am taking the picture from the spot where Ryan shot the arrow from
and he is under the black arrow in the picture retrieving it.
I added the arrow because he was so far away and wearing
camo that I didn't think you'd be able to see him. He is well over 100 feet away!

Ready...aim....

shooting an arrow

Z-Curve bow and arrows.

The bow is about 4" by 22" and the arrows are 9 1/2" long.

clip the arrows right to your belt loops

When I asked Ryan if there was anything he didn't like about the bow he thought long and hard but the only thing he could think of was the color. He thought it should be camouflage since it's for "hunting". He then added that he thinks the grip would be better if it was turned around. (but it seems fine to me) I gave it a try and he is definitely the better of the two of us with it. :)

Air Hunterz Z-Curve Bow is recommended for ages 8 and up. It would make a great gift for kids young and old. (I think a lot of Dads will like this one too!)

I have long been a fan of Timberdoodle for homeschool curriculum and cool games and toys. It is one of my favorite places to order from and I love their catalog. You can order a free catalog here or just check it out online.

You can order your own Air Hunterz Z-Curve Bow from Timberdoodle for $26.99 or buy a set of 2 for $49.95.

Order this or other great gifts from Timberdoodle by Monday, December 12 (noon PST) to get your order by Christmas without upgraded shipping. Plus free shipping on all orders over $99.

Fractazmic Review

2011-12-09T09:33:00.000-05:00

Fractazmic is a learning game from I See Cards that we recently received. The first time we played we used the directions that were included for a simple game but it wasn't all that much fun. THEN we found the online directions for playing Fractazmic Trap and now we're hooked. (You can find the directions to Fractazmic Trap and other games by downloading the free e-book Dr Ron's How to Succeed in Mathematics. You will also find directions for a gin rummy type of game called Fractazmic Rummy.)

Here is a video explanation of Fractazmic Trap

and a video of how to play Fractazmic Rummy

The cards are sturdy and durable. They are also bright and colorful and each suit features a different graphic to show the fractional part. In the blue suit a box of eggs is used, the green suit shows liquid in a bottle and the red suit uses a ruler. (no pies for this game) Each fraction is shown on the top and bottom corner of the card but printed facing up. So when the cards are dealt you have to turn them all the right way (unlike regular cards where the number on the bottom is upside down so that the number in the corner is always right side up).

You can see what a hand might look like after being dealt.
I guess you could play with them upside down but I need them all facing up.

Here you can see the different measurements used on each card.

The cards in the deck are:

Sixteenth suit (red): 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16 and 1/2
Twelfths suit (blue):1/12, 1/6, 1/4, 1/3, 5/12 and 1/2
Tenths suit (green): 1/10, 1/5, 3/10, 2/5 and 1/2

Fractazmic teaches fractions, numbers and measurement.

Even though the basic game of Fractazmic willseem very simple, the game and the cards took about a year of development. The mathematicsreinforced here is the addition of fractions. The game also goes one stepfurther in that it reinforces the addition of fractions that are used in commonsituations. Even though mathematicstexts often have problems where children are forced to add fractions such as1/7 and 1/25-I have never in 30 years had the requirement to add these 2fractions. In Fractazmic there are 3 suits; tenths, twelfths, and sixteenths.In each of these suits there are cards ranging from 1/10, 1/12 and 1/16 up to½. -quote from Dr. Ron's How to Succeed in Mathematics

You can try an online Fractazmic as well as Pyramath speed. Both online games are free! If you can score in the top 10 you will win a free set of cards!

We are really enjoying Fractazmic. It's great for a variety of ages. It makes a good review for anyone who already knows fractions and a great way to get younger kids familiar with fractions before they are even introduced in their math curriculum. I highly recommend it.

Fractazmic is recommended for Grades 1-8 and Fun for All Ages. The games are for 2-4 players.

I See Cards offers other educational card games: PyraMath, PrimeBomb and I See Cards. Fractazmic is only $6.95. See what others on the TOS crew are saying about Fractazmic.

disclaimer: I received Fractazmic in exchange for an honest review.

Christ-Centered Christmas

2011-12-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

Christ-Centered Christmas:The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating a Christmas Your Family Will Never Forget is a recently released e-book from Hal and Melanie Young, the authors of Raising Real Men.

Hal and Melanie Young have written this wonderful 80 page full color e-book to help you find the true meaning of Christmas. It is filled with practical ideas you can implement this year with your family along with menus and recipes meant to help your family to truly ENJOY this season and to make it about Christ. I absolutely adore the chapter, "What about Santa?" It puts into words the exact reasons that we have chosen not to pretend Santa is real with our children.

The chapters include:

Decorating

The Ornament of the Year

Granny’s Christmas Tea

The Advent Season

The Christmas Story

Caroling Parties (including the lyrics to 16 hymns with clickable links to the tunes)

Christmas Baking

Christmas Eve

Chrismas Eve Menu (with recipes)

What About Santa Claus?

Christmas Gifts

Christmas Day

Christmas Feast Menu (with recipes)

Old Christmas

Other Great Resources

I read most of this book on my Kindle. I used my free Kindle address and sent the pdf file to it. The font was a little small but I could read it without any trouble (like you sometimes have with pdf's on the Kindle). I read the rest of it right on my laptop. This would be a wonderful book to print out and have bound but I love keeping things on my Kindle because my bookshelves are too full as it is!

I highly recommend this book if you are looking to make this Christmas and the ones to come very special in your family. Lots of great ideas!

Christ-Centered Christmas is available at the introductory price of $6.00 (regular price will be $15.00). Buy Christ-Centered Christmas and find some new traditions to bring you and your family closer to Christ and have many fond memories for years to come. Other titles by the Youngs include Raising Real Men and We Gather Together. Visit the store for books, CD workshops and character building gifts for your children.

disclaimer: I received a free copy of Christ-Centered Christmas in exchange for an honest review.

Medieval Machines by Pitsco

2011-12-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

Medieval Machines by Pitsco includes a model catapult and a model trebuchet with a teaching guide explaining the history behind the machines as well as experiments and mathematical problems and activities to go along with it.

This is what it all looked like when we took it out of the box.

Rob building the catapult while Ryan looks on.

Fun with the packing materials that were in the box

more fun...a giant tail

The finished catapult

I am not mechanically minded at all and didn't even attempt to build these. Rob built them (much to his chagrin I have to say). The catapult didn't take all that long. The pieces are precut they just need to be punched out. We had some quick grab glue that worked pretty good. The trebuchet on the other hand took a long time and he was pretty frustrated. We didn't have the glue we used for the catapult. He tried a super glue (Gorilla) but it wouldn't stick and ended up using wood glue (hence the longer time because he had to wait for things to dry). I did help with the strings because it takes tiny fingers and fine motor skills to make small loops (though I think he did end up doing some of that too.) Anyway, this is not the kind of thing you can buy and expect your child to put together.

Ryan (12) was a little disappointed with the size of the catapult. I think he wanted a life size model. HA! I took a picture of it next to the pencil so you can see the size of it. It's actually a perfect size for having around and nothing is getting wrecked and there have been no injuries! :)

the trebuchet

the catapult and trebuchet side by side

The catapult worked exactly as it should. The little tab that holds down the arm broke off but it still works. We just have to hold it down manually...not a big deal. In the Siege Machines book there are 5 pages of information about catapults followed by 6 pages of experiments and activities to go along with it. It covers mass vs. distance, averages, data gathering, tension vs. torsion, converting English to metric, graphing, and elasticity. Click here to see sample pages from the book.

Ryan preparing to shoot projectiles for our experiments.

You will need a balance or scale to measure your projectiles.

The Trebuchet section of the Siege Machines book is 9 pages long and gives information about trebuchets and experiments to go along with it. It covers gravity, levers, prediction, force, motion, scientific method and hypothesis.

A few other topics are included and the back of the book has 6 pages of standards for grades 5-8, 6-8 and 9-12 separated into ITEA, NCTM and NSTA standards. It also has a list of additional resources including books, websites and videos to further your studies.

The Trebuchet

We had some trouble with the Trebuchet but it was completely our own doing. I had attached the sling incorrectly so it wouldn't work. I contacted Pitsco and was very impressed with the promptness and the helpfulness of Pitsco's customer service. Once I fixed the way the sling was attached it worked.

Setting up the Trebuchet. We used the backside of wrapping paper
and a measuring tape to see how far our projectiles would go.

I think this set makes a wonderful addition to all kinds of studies....from history to math and science. It just happened that we were talking about how the Romans used catapults during this study. The book that comes with it is informative and covers so many topics and is very affordable.

Kit assembly requires: Hobby knife, needle-nose pliers, ruler, scissors, sandpaper, and white glue such as HD Bond II. Siege Machines book activities require: Tape measure; digital scale or balance; 15'-20' of white roll paper such as the plain side of wrapping paper or Pitsco’s Range Paper Tape; cool-melt glue gun and glue; straw; ruler; scissors; extra rubber bands: 4 –  3-1/2" x 1/16" (#19), 1 – 3-1/2" x 1/4" (#64) (not including the one on the catapult), and 4 – 3" x 1/16"; target – either an 8.5" x 11" piece of color paper or one pack of Target Pieces; 2" x 12" sheet of balsa wood or basswood; 2 – 2.5-inch-long axles, 4 nylon axle bushings, small washers, and model car wheels (such as those for CO2 cars) (We didn't use the last few items. There was plenty to do in the book without that. I imagine we will do that some time soon though.)

Pitsco, founded in 1971, offers Science, Technology, Engineering and Math materials. They carry an amazing array of kits and materials. Sustainable Energy, Robotics, Engineering, Aerospace and more!

You can purchase a Medieval Machines pack at Pitsco for $21.95. (This set does not include the modeling clay that I received but any modeling clay will do.) Be sure to check out other products from Pitsco or request a catalog. They also have a homeschool section on their website. See what others are saying about Medieval Machines on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free Medieval Machines pack in exchange for an honest review.

Slim Down Sunday

2011-12-04T16:11:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted for Slim Down Sunday in a while for no reason other than busyness (or laziness). I am always amazed at when the weight comes off. I hadn't lost anything since before Thanksgiving and was up a few ounces even though I was still following my diet (except for Thanksgiving Day.) Yesterday, my brother in law got married and I ate everything on my plate including cake and I was down .4 more lbs. I'll take it.

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace.

Pounds Lost: 56.4 lbs (down 1.8 from my lasts SDS post)

How is it going this week? Still going along steadily.

My Plan for the Week Ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing.(Which is 400 calorie meals 4 times a day.)

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

Artistic Pursuits-Review

2011-11-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Artistic Pursuits is a non-consumable art curriculum written for homeschoolers. It is available in 10 levels: Preschool, 3 books for K-3, 2 books for grades 4-6, 2 books for junior high and 2 for senior high. We received Grades 4-6 Book One: The Elements of Art and Composition. It is a comb-bound, soft cover textbook with 88 pages.

What I really love about this course is that it is not just a drawing course. It is art instruction and also features the art of American artists. I also like that it didn't require a lot of expensive supplies. I purchased what we needed at a craft store. I did end up going twice because I originally just bought drawing pencils because I didn't know what Ebony pencils were (and couldn't find anyone to help me in the store). I looked them up online the next time and found them without a problem because I knew what I was looking for. (See below for information about ordering an art supply pack that goes along with each book.)

One other great feature is that it is non-consumable which is wonderful for a large family like ours!

Book One: The Elements of Art and Composition covers:

Space
Line and Shape
Texture
Value
Form
Form using Value
Local Value
Contrast
The Shapes of Natural Forms
Edges
Balance
Rhythm
Overlap
Depth
Proportion, the Face
Movement

The following media is introduced through this year long course:

Ebony pencil
white pencil
black markers with point and wide tip
scratch paper
silhouette

This book is written for the student and ideally they can work on this by themselves. (I find that for most things I like to work with my students at this age.) It is designed for 2 lessons per week. Unfortunately, this book didn't click with Ryan (my 6th grader). We worked on some of the lessons but he really didn't enjoy it. I am hoping that over time that will change because I think it is an excellent curriculum. This is no fault of the curriculum though. He just doesn't want to learn to draw right now.

Although my daughter Emma is only in the third grade she is very interested in using this so I am going to slowly work through it with her. I also have a very artistic senior and though she is well outside the age range of this book I think it will be of great benefit to her. Book One: The Elements of Art and Composition is really packed with art history but more importantly, valuable instruction specifically in how to see things like an artist does.

Here is one of Ryan's drawings of our piano:

You can see sample pages by clicking on the pictures on this page. Here are a couple of pictures I took of the inside of the book in case you don't feel like clicking over.

Each level of Artistic Pursuits is available for purchase at $42.95. They also offer links convenient art supply packs that can be purchased through Dick Blick in order to save you from going to a store to purchase individual supplies.

You can read what others on the TOS crew are saying about Artistic Pursuits on the crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a copy of Artistic Pursuits in exchange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-11-28T14:10:00.001-05:00

Monday: Amy's Minestrone from 400 Calorie Fix

Tuesday: Grilled chicken, potatoes,vegetable

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Italian Style Turkey Meatloaf (from 400 Calorie Fix)with rice and green beans

Thursday: Quiche

Friday:Spaghetti & bread

Saturday: Going to a wedding. Kids will eat chicken nuggets/potatoes of some sort

Sunday: pancakes or sandwiches

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

The Reading Game-Review

2011-11-21T08:17:00.000-05:00

The Reading Game is a memory card game and includes a series of 6 black and white storybooks that correspond with each deck. There are 6 decks of cards and each deck builds on the previous one. The decks are divided into 6 groups of words. The children progress through the 6 levels learning new words as they go. (So there are 6 decks with 6 levels each...I'm not sure that was clear. :)

Once all 30 words are learned in the first deck the child can read the first book. The Skunk story book is the first book in the series and the entire story is written with only the words in the first deck.

From the website:

After completing Skunk, Game 1, the student has learned five words (can, cat is, me, not). Playing Game 2 adds an additional five words (sad, she, stay, this, with). The student is then tested by being required to read a couple of test sentences:

“This cat is not a sad cat. Can she stay with me?” Similar test sentences are provided after each even numbered game thereafter. It’s important that the tutor move on only after the student has demonstrated proficiency in the words already covered. Some students will take a little longer; a few may take a lot longer; but ANYONE CAN LEARN TO READ. It’s not hard to persevere when the learning process is fun!

Jenna makes a match

Ellie (4) loves to play.
She can't read the words yet but usually she can tell when she has a match.
It's only a matter of time before she knows these words.

Connor, Ellie and Jenna really like this game.
I'm so happy to have this game for them to play.

What the decks look like in the box (minus the one we were playing with)

Jenna reading her first book!

Each deck of cards in the series adds thirty more words for a reading vocabulary of 180 words by the time the complete series is finished. Of the twenty-five most commonly used English words, twenty-two are on that list; of the forty most commonly used English words –thirty. The multi-sensory teaching approach – through the card game play and the storybooks - works well for retention and student enjoyment.

The Reading Game is designed to be a supplement to your current reading curriculum and this is exactly how we are using it. It also meets the Common Core Standards for Language Arts and Reading and Foundational Skills for both kindergarten and first grade.

On the Reading Game website you will find a free Pre/Post Assessment worksheet you can use to evaluate progress. The Test Sentences worksheet is used after play but before reading each book as a tool for seeing if the child is ready to read the book. The test sentences are also included in the parent guide that comes with the game.

About the words used in the games:

• Dolch Word List of “service words” (pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs) that cannot be learned through the use of pictures. 60% of the words in “The Reading Game” are on the Dolch Word List for pre-k and k and makes up 54% of dolch words for Pre-K, K and 1st Grade.

• Of the first 100 most commonly used English words (source The Reading Teachers Book of Lists, Third Edition by Fry, et al) “The Reading Game” incorporates 88% of the most common twenty-five words and 63% of the first 100.

Watch this video to see how to play and to see what the cards look like.

We just really love The Reading Game and think it would be a great addition to any phonics program. The cards are a little thinner than I'd like to see, otherwise no complaints.

The Reading Game is from the author of Wordly Wise, Ken Hodkinson. Read more about Ken Hodkinson and how The Reading Game came to be here.

The Reading Game is available for $24.95. Read what others are saying about The Reading Game on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I was given a free copy of The Reading Game in exchange for an honest review.

Time Timer

2011-11-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

Time Timer is a timer that shows the passage of time. It is very easy to use and can be used for a whole variety of situations. The first place I thought of using it was on the piano as the kids practice their lessons. Emma is supposed to practice for 20 minutes a day. With the Time Timer she can see how much time she has left while she is practicing.

It's also great for timed test taking, time outs, computer time and in a pinch you could use it as a kitchen timer. It only beeps once but it's not very loud so you'd have to keep it with you. The uses for this timer are endless. I also think it's a great way to teach children too young to tell time about the passage of time.

This short video will show you how to set the timer and how it works:

Watch this video for the story behind the Time Timer and uses for it:

The Time Timer does not tick. It is completely silent (except for the small beep when time is up.) This is especially nice because it isn't distracting when you are trying to concentrate. The only thing I don't like about that is that there is no way to tell if it's actually working until a few minutes pass. Recently, the battery became dislodged so the timer was set but wasn't working and we didn't know it. Other than that, I can't think of any drawbacks to having a silent timer.

You do have to be careful not to move the circle too far around or the red disk "comes out" and you have to put it back in. It's an easy fix though. It takes one AA battery and has an on and off switch on the back. It also has a cover that snaps into place to protect it and that becomes the bottom stand when it is in use. It can sometimes be a little hard to open. Overall, I like this timer and think the watch version of this would be wonderful for anyone taking an SAT or exams of any kind.

Time Timer has a 1 year-100% satisfaction guarantee.

You can purchase Time Timer in a variety of sizes. The 3" timer is $30.00, the 8" timer is $35.00 and the 12" timer is $40.00. They also have a Time Timer watch for $40.00 and software and apps too! Read what others are saying about Time Timer on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received the Time Timer in exchange for an honest review.

What I've Been Knitting

2011-11-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago I started learning to knit. I've known how to crochet for close to 13 years. I learned when I was pregnant with Ryan and he just turned 12 this week. Anyway, recently I learned of a new tool called the Knook made by Leisure Arts. I bought it when I saw it in the store thinking it was something I could give my 8 year old for Christmas. When I looked at it I thought it was a crochet hook on one side and knitting needle on the other (which really doesn't even make sense). I ended up trying it out myself. It was too slow and if I made a mistake I didn't know how to fix it. (which was one of the major problems I have with knitting).

I had my 14 year old daughter sit down next to me with her knitting and I had my knook. We cast on the same number of stitches and had a race. She was finished with her row before I was halfway done with mine. I decided I should try knitting again.

Because I hadn't knit in a long time and didn't have that much experience anyway, I asked one of the girls to remind me how to knit. I automatically held the yarn in my left hand like I do when I crochet. It was only later that I realized that most people knit holding the yarn in their right hand. That was always so awkward for me. I have come to learn that there are names for each style of knitting depending on which hand you hold your yarn in (and other methods). I consider myself to be a continental knitter (though I still don't hold the yarn exactly the way they do but, I don't hold my pencil correctly either.)

So...here's what I've made in recent days.

me with my new coat and cowl scarf

closer up view of the cowl

The cowl is a knit only scarf made with a beautiful bulky yarn called Hometown USA in Phoenix Azalea. I only made this last week but I am drawing a blank as to where I got the pattern from. I'll post it if I remember.

Prior to making the cowl scarf I attempted to make a different cowl without a pattern. Once I sewed it up it wasn't big enough to go over my head so I turned it into a hat (which I haven't taken any pictures of.) Ryan liked the hat and I had a skein of the yarn left so I thought I'd make him a matching scarf. I decided to make this one. BUT, I didn't have enough yarn to make a long scarf so I ended up turning it into this scarflette (or neck warmer). I really love it. It's soft and comfy. I didn't realize that the button wasn't all the way through when we took the picture. (It's a toggle button)

Then I turned to dishcloth making. I made this one:

I used this pattern for the "yellow dishcloth". There is a mistake in it, but it's a dishcloth....it's OK. :)

I made this one today. I watched this video first. I love knitting on circular needles.
It was the first time I tried that. I love this pattern and will make many more of these.

This one is on my needles now. It's a dishcloth, knit with two strands.
Easy peasy-- all knitting.

I'm also working on this one(blue pattern). I really like it but, I made a mistake and it's a nightmare
trying to rip it out and fix it so I've set it aside for a bit.

my new 31 bag just for my knitting :)

I have so many projects I want to try and I am really enjoying knitting. I hope that over time I'll learn how to fix my mistakes and that will make it even more enjoyable.

College Prep Genius-Review

2011-11-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

The newly revised and updated College Prep Genius: The No Brainer Way to SAT* Success is a DVD, textbook, workbook set that prepares your students for taking the SAT (and PSAT).

The textbook is a 6 part book:

PART I: Introduction to the SAT
PART II: The Critical Reading Section
PART III: The Math Section
PART IV: The Writing Section
PART V: Scholarship Search
PART VI: Journal for Test Success

The book ends with 3 appendices. Appendix A includes a list of prefixes, B is a list of math terms and the final Appendix is a motivation test to help you "create a game plan that will help you chart your course to stay on track and reach your test score goals."

The textbook is a 325 page book FILLED with everything you need to know to prepare for the SAT. Beginning with information about what the SAT (and PSAT) is and then going through each section of the SAT.

The DVD portion includes 4 DVDs with 12 lessons (approx. 45 minutes each):

Lesson 1: Introduction the the SAT
Lesson 2: Critical Reading-Long Passage
Lesson 3: Critical Reading-Short and Dual Passage
Lesson 4: Critical Reading-Sentence Completion
Lesson 5: Math-Multiple Choice
Lesson 6: Math-Multiple Choice Practice Problems and Answers
Lesson 7: Math-Student Response
Lesson 8: Math-Student Response Practice Problems and Answers
Lesson 9: Writing- The Essay
Lesson 10: Writing- The Essay
Lesson 11: Writing-Sentence Error
Lesson 12:Writing-Improving Sentences and Improving Paragraphs

Each DVD also includes a section of acronyms that are used to help the student remember specific strategies for each section. This is an important part of the course and students are encouraged to memorize them.

The DVD is an invaluable part of this program. As author Jean Burke teaches the course she tells you when to turn off the DVD and then when you turn it back on she goes through each problem step by step. She also debunks many of the myths associated with the SAT. I learned a few things about that! Did you know that the SAT is really a logic test and NOT a test of knowledge. I had no idea about how a great score on the PSAT (and SAT) can make scholarships available to your students. I also found out how much the test has changed since I took it in 1986. :)

In the DVD students will learn how to best approach each section of the test with strategies for each. I wish I had this course when I took the SAT.I always liked taking those tests where you have to bubble in your answers. I would love to know how I would do on the test now. (nutty, I know..LOL)

I have to say these DVDs are not "fun" to watch. They aren't funny or overly interesting but I think the information in this course is vital to anyone preparing to take the PSAT or the SAT. I think this course is reasonably priced and would be extremely helpful to anyone planning to take the SAT. I do not currently have anyone preparing to take the SAT but my 9th grader will likely take the PSAT next year so I intend to have her use this course to prepare. I would definitely recommend this program. I would advise buying all of the components (DVD, text and workbook). You will get the most benefit this way.

I looked into SAT prep courses in my area and didn't find ANY that were as reasonably priced. The least expensive one was $125 at our state community college (which would involve gas money and travel time). I like this option better. Most of the courses cost much more.

A newsclip with author Jean Burk: (don't miss this!)

The complete program is $99.00 (25% discount over products ordered individually). To order individually, prices are as follows: College Prep Genius Second Edition Textbook $49.95, College Prep Genius Second Edition Workbook $19.95, College Prep Genius Second Edition DVD $59.95

Also available is the Vocabcafe series of books that help students learn SAT level words while reading an original story. (see reviewes on the TOS crew blog)

College Prep Genius offers a 100% money-back guarantee. (see website for details)

You can read what others are saying about College Prep Genius on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free copy of College Prep Genius in exchange for an honest review.

*The SAT and PSAT/NMSQT are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which does not endorse this book.

Keyboard Town Pals Review

2011-11-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

Keyboard Town PALS is a typing program for children. It is different from other typing programs because there is no emphasis on making mistakes (they are OK and you learn from them) or on timed typing. They actually deactivate the delete and backspace function so you can't fix mistakes (which drives me personally crazy but I think it's a good idea.) They do not want the students to dwell on mistakes. If you make a mistake there is no annoying sound to tell you so. That is kind of refreshing!

One other difference is that Keyboard Town PALS teaches typing one finger at a time rather than a row at a time. When I learned to type it was ASDFJKL; (I can still hear my typing teacher repeating that over and over.) The students learn one finger at time up and down the keyboard. I'm not sure if this is better but I think it is effective.

A video overview of Keyboard Town PALS:

A sample video of the first lesson:

Emma (8+) finds Sunny to be annoying and felt it a little babyish BUT she did stick with it and learn to type.

Keyboard Town PALS teaches children to type in about an hour however, that is all you learn. There is no opportunity for practice or accuracy drills. My 12 year old son thought he would try it too but he couldn't get past Sunny and the puppets. I do think this is fun for little kids but I think the price is a little steep for what you get. I think this would be good for young children if you don't mind the price tag.

Keyboard Town PALS can be purchased for $39.95 on the Keyboard Town PALS website. There is a web-based version or you can purchase the CD-ROM. See the website for other bundle deals that can include stickers and coloring books. You can read what others are saying about Keyboard Town PALS on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I was given a free 6 week trial of Keyboard Town Pals in exchange for an honest review.

Slim Down Sunday

2011-11-07T20:09:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm a day late (again) but here goes:

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace.

Pounds Lost: 54.6 lbs (same as least week)

How is it going this week? Still going along steadily.

My Plan for the Week Ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing. I still haven't felt like exercising unless you count knitting as exercise. :)

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

The Person I Marry- Bower Books Review

2011-11-03T20:47:00.001-04:00

The Person I Marry is a beautiful 32 page hardcover book from the Bright Future Series by Bower Books. Gary and Jan Bower are a husband and wife team that write (Gary) and illustrate (Jan) books for families. I am impressed with the beauty of these books. I was given a digital copy of The Person I Marry for the purpose of this review but I intend to purchase some (maybe all) of the books they have on their website. They are wholesome, godly and just plain beautiful.

From the website:

"Long before thinking of diamonds & glitter, here are some things that I need to consider."

The things that make up a person's outside are shallow, but deeper qualities like kindness, honesty, faithfulness, thoughtfulness, respect are what help build strong relationships. Written in poetry by award-winning author Gary Bower, and featuring the breathtaking oil paintings of award-winning artist Jan Bower, The Person I Marry is an adorable, yet profound, book that will penetrate hearts of men and women, boys and girls. Loved by young children, teens, engaged couples, and seasoned married people.

back cover

The oil paintings in this book are so sweet and the rhyming text is fun to listen to but packed with wisdom at the same time. In the background of each page (behind the text) various character traits to look for in a mate are sprinkled throughout the book. There is so much to look at on each page but in a visually appealing way.

Here is a sample:

Go to the illustration page of the Bower Books website to see more of the beautiful art.

Here is a video sample of the book:

The Person I Marry from Bower Books on Vimeo.

You can purchase The Person I Marry from Bower Books for $11.99 with free shipping on orders of $30 or more. Other books in the series include: There's a Party in Heaven, The Jingle in My Pocket and What Do Heroes Wear? Visit Bower Books to see these and other books. They also sell posters of the art and you can even have a custom portrait made.

You can read what others are saying about The Person I Marry on the TOS crew blog.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Person I Marry in exchange for an honest review.

First Start Reading and Classical Phonics

2011-11-03T14:31:00.002-04:00

I recently received First Start Reading:Phonics, Reading and Printing and Classical Phonics by Cheryl Lowe and Memoria Press to review. The covers of these books are so inviting. But since you can't judge a book by its cover, here is what you'll find inside.

First Start Reading: Phonics, Reading and Printing includes 3 students books and a teacher's manual. This covers beginning phonics in a traditional workbook style. I really love the black line drawings and simple pages. It covers consonants, short vowels, 45 common words, and manuscript printing. Children begin reading in the first lesson as they progress through 3 student books and 25 phonetic stories, such as "Hogs and Pigs" and "Jog to the Jet." The teacher's manual guides you through the program and provides a lesson outline, helpful assessments and teaching tips.

My just turned 6 year old Jenna has been working in book A and seems to enjoy it. It is very simple to use with virtually nothing for the teacher (me!) to prep. We like to just pick it up at a moments notice and go through a lesson. The coloring pages make it fun. Some lessons also include a box for drawing a picture. For instance in the lesson on A there is a box to draw a picture of a word beginning with A.

Lesson 16 in book A

Book A and B each have 25 lessons followed by word mastery review lists and assessments including dictation. Book C has 33 lessons followed by over 30 pages of review lists and assessments. Children begin reading real words by the third lesson. They begin learning to listen for phonetic sounds that words begin and end with. I think this is important not only for sounding out words but also for spelling later on.

First Start Reading also teaches correct letter formation. The lessons have letters with numbered arrows, dotted letters to trace and room for making their own letters. Each workbook also has a chart at the back of the book with correct letter formation.

From the website:

The first reading and printing lessons are critical, and although there are many adequate programs out there, we could not find one with the right combination we were looking for–a balanced, age-appropriate approach to phonics and reading and a serious focus on correct pencil grip and letter formation. In addition, many phonics programs today use the ladder approach (consonant vowel blending), which is fine, but we prefer the more traditional (vowel-consonant) approach combined with word families. And one more thing, mastery of the short vowels is the sine qua non of phonics programs, and few programs really give adequate practice in this very important skill.

Click here to see a sample from book A and here for a sample from book B. I really like the simplicity of these workbooks

On to Classical Phonics:

From the website:

Classical Phonics is a deceptively simple little book our teachers and families use constantly in both Kindergarten and first grade. It consists of phonetically-arranged word lists for students to practice their growing phonics skills. In a word list there are no context clues, so the learner must rely on his mastery of letter sounds. For instance, if your child can pronounce each word in this list correctly – pot, pat, pit, put, pet – he knows his short vowel sounds, and you can move on to long vowels! If not, he needs more practice, and Classical Phonics is the most effective tool I know of to address the repetition that young ones need when learning to read. Classical Phonics can be used as a supplement to any phonics program and covers nearly all English phonograms and sounds taught through second grade. Classical Phonics is your handy tool for phonics practice and for building confident readers.

When you get this book you will first want to turn to page 122 where you will find Suggestions for Teachers. There is a note not to put this book into the hands of your students until you have carefully studied this section. The section is only 4 and 1/2 pages long so it isn't too much and yet the suggestions provided (though I think intended for a classroom) are very helpful. It gives you tips on each of the 4 parts of teaching phonics: ear training, tongue training, eye training and word training.

table of contents

Classical Phonics is divided into 10 units as you can see in the picture above (click on it to make it larger if necessary.) It is intended for students in K-2. You can view a sample here. The first section has a page for each letter with pictures (black and white) and words to go with each letter. It ends with a review of CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant). From there it moves on to more complex words such as you see listed above (long vowel sounds, silent e words, blending etc.)

word lists

sample page

I really like First Start Reading and would recommend it for anyone looking for a traditional phonetic way to teach reading and penmanship. We will continue to use these books. I also like Classical Phonics but haven't quite figured out how we will implement it when we are done with the workbooks. There are no lessons and I like things all laid out for me. I think we will use it for review and spelling. If you have any questions, please ask.

You can purchase First Start Reading is available for purchase at Memoria Press for $29.95 with the teacher's manual and a set of 3 extra students books for $21.95. Classical Phonics can be purchased for $14.95. Visit the TOS Crew Blog to see what others are saying about First Start Reading, Classical Phonics and First Form Latin also by Memoria Press.

Memoria Press is a family-run publishing company that produces simple and easy to use classical Christian education materials for home and private schools. It was founded by Cheryl Lowe in 1994 to help promote and transmit the classical heritage of the Christian West through an emphasis on the liberal arts and the great works of the Western tradition. Memoria Press is currently developing a K-12 classical curriculum at Highlands Latin School in Louisville, Kentucky, where its popular Latin, logic, and classical studies courses are developed and field-tested.

Read more about Memoria Press or go shopping. You will find Full Curriculum packages, Latin, French, Copy Books, Rhetoric studies and much more!

disclaimer: I received a free copy of Classical Phonics and First Start Reading in exchange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-31T19:10:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty unoriginal plan but I haven't done any meal planning in a couple of weeks and I need to start somewhere!

Monday: Italian Sausage and Bean Soup and bread

Tuesday: pancakes or spaghetti (I'm going out with my friend :) )

Wednesday: Curried Chicken and Broccoli

Thursday: Homemade Pizza and chips

Friday: Fish sticks and potatoes of some kind

Saturday: Pasta and bread

Sunday: leftovers

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

Crocheted Trivet

2011-10-31T19:10:00.001-04:00

When I started this blog I originally planned to use it to share projects I was working on but over time it has mainly turned into a homeschool blog because I haven't been doing any projects. Recently I have become addicted to Pinterest. I have been pinning lots of things to do and finally decided to make something. I am not that happy with this project but I am going to share it anyway.

I found this trivet. In the original directions, it says to crochet over the plastic rings that hold soda cans together. They really are not round and the first one I made didn't look very good as you can see here:

I spent some time trying to figure out what I could use instead that would be perfectly round and wouldn't cost anything. I finally decided to cut circles from a milk jug.

I made a pattern from the soda ring on cardboard.

I traced them onto the milk jug and cut them out.

One finished ring with the pattern.

See the difference? The one of the left is with the milk jug circle and
the one on the right is the soda ring.

My finished trivet.

I'm not sure exactly what I don't like about this. I think that maybe the circles were a little bit too big. It is fine for me to use but it isn't nice enough for a gift. Maybe I would like it better with different colors? Or if I added a fancy edge?

The milk jug rings make nice little frisbees. :)

Slim Down Sunday

2011-10-31T18:34:00.000-04:00

I haven't participated in the Slim Down Sunday in a couple of weeks. It just hasn't fit into my schedule. I was going to try to get it done yesterday but I didn't get to it so here I am a day late. :) (better late than never I guess)

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace.

Pounds Lost: 54.6 lbs (down 3.4 lbs from the last time I blogged for Slim Down Sunday)

How is it going this week? I've been really hungry the past few days but I'm drinking extra and hoping it passes. I don't like to be hungry. Other than that it's going fine.

My Plan for the Week Ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing (which has not included exercise. I stopped exercising when I got sick at the beginning of the month and just haven't been 100% since and I just don't feel like it.)

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

George Washington Carver:His Life and His Work DVD

2011-10-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

Because of a glitch, I ended up getting not only the Lots & Lots of Firetrucks DVD and book but also a DVD of George Washington Carver. It is a 30 minute video on the life of George Washington Carver.

This interesting video would make a nice addition to your educational video collection. It has beautiful photography and soothing background music. The narrator has a southern accent which I find a bit distracting but does make it more authentic. I personally enjoyed learning about George Washington Carver and found his life to be very inspiring. He was certainly a man of character! It is done in a documentary style and wasn't necessarily what the kids would choose to watch but I think it would be great to have for a variety of different subjects from George Washington Carver himself to slavery, botany, character and more.

On the website you will find a study guide complete with questions and information about the life of George Washington Carver.

From the website:

Born into slavery and reared during the Reconstruction years in the South, George Washington Carver struggled through poor health, poverty and prejudice…to become a great benefactor, not only to his people…but to his country as well. Carver is known in history books as the “peanut man” – for his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton. As one of the world’s foremost experts in agriculture and horticulture, Carver, through his research and teaching at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama practically reinvented land management in the South. He is said to have compiled a list of over 300 uses for and by-products of peanuts such as cosmetics, dyes and paints, plastics, gasoline and nitroglycerin.
But his work as a creative scientist stretches far beyond that endeavor. He marveled at the world around him and his ability to inspire those closely associated with him may well have been one of his greatest lifetime achievements. As a living example of the importance of hard work, a positive attitude and a good education, Carver was instrumental in changing the stereotype of the time that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race.
Here then, is the story of Carver’s life…a life that should not be forgotten, for it is full of hope, meaning and inspiration. To commemorate his life and inventions, George Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary of Carver's death.
For anyone looking for an inspirational story, for historians, teachers and students, and for young and old alike this DVD featuring stunning photography and a superb original music score is certain to be watched again and again.

George Washington Carver: His Life and His Works is recommended for grades 4 through adult. Some younger children with a tendency toward nature videos may enjoy watching as well.

You can purchase George Washington Carver at Marshall Publications for $16.95 (plus S & H) with a 15% homeschool discount by using coupon code TOSC1 at the checkout. Order online or by calling toll free 888-300-3455 between 10am and 8 pm EST. Marshall Publications offers a variety of videos. Choose from other educational videos, see the website for complete selection or request a catalog.

You can see what other TOS crew members are saying about George Washington Carver on the TOS crew blog. Also, read my review of Lots and Lots of Firetrucks.

disclaimer: I received George Washington Carver:His Life and His Work accidentally and was not obligated to write this review

Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks DVD and Book Review

2011-10-27T23:10:00.000-04:00

Lots and Lots of Fire Safety Songs DVD and Fire Truck Book Combo

First the DVD: Lots and Lots of Fire Songs & Safety Tips

The menu allows you to pick and choose segments and songs or you can play them all. Various award winning instructional and musical segments performed by Award-winning music of family musician, James Coffey.

Songs include:
Lots and Lots of Fire Trucks
Call 911
Fireman Jim's Safety Tips
Stop, Drop and Roll
Your Home Safety Plan
It's An Emergency
Heroes Brave and Tall
Great Big Fire Trucks
Fire Trucks in Action

My younger kids (under 12) really like the songs and the videos that go with them. My almost 12 year old knows the words to all of the songs which are included in the book. Some of the video segments seem a bit outdated but the information is still really good. For instance it talks about using a payphone to call 911. I don't even know if there are pay phones anymore. I think the hospital might be the only place I've seen one.

Also, we have a 42 inch TV and some of the videos are a tiny bit fuzzy. I don't notice it much and probably wouldn't have thought anything of it, but it bothers my 11 year old son. (Note that it isn't on the whole video, just some of the segments.)

Here is a video sample:

Next: Lots & Lots of Firetrucks and Firefighters Book

This is a really nice soft cover book with glossy pages. It is great for the whole family from the younger child that just wants to look at the colorful pictures to teens and adults who want to read about firefighting. Our family really enjoys this book.

Ellie (3+ "reading")

This giant, 128 page full color book is loaded with lots of exciting color photos of fire trucks and firefighters in action, interesting facts, fire science, safety tips, history, recipes, trivia, and just about everything you’d ever want to know about the world of fire fighting.

Topics include:

Meet Meet the Firefighter
A Firefighter's Tools and Equipment
All Kinds of Rescue Vehicles
Fire Fighting Facts
Fire Science Basics
Fire Prevention Week
Safety Tips
Firefighters in Action
Tributes to Firefighters
Old Time Firefighter's Alphabet
Classic Fire House Traditions
History of Fire Trucks 7 Firefighting
Antique Fire Trucks
Greatest Fires in History
Firefighting Time Line
Fire House Museums
Fire Related Websites and more!

Video overview of the book:

When I was growing up, I remember having fire safety assemblies at school. This book/DVD combo is a great way to give homeschooled kids the fire safety information they need in an enjoyable format. I rarely find a product that the older and younger kids both enjoy. This one really fits the bill with the book and DVD combo. (I will admit my 14 and 17 year olds weren't thrilled with the video but my 15 year old liked it. My 14 and 15 year olds are interested in EMS and they both like the book.)

Marshall Publishing & Promotions is offering my readers a discount over the normal price of $49.90 (currently on sale on the website for $29.95). The sale price is $19.95 (plus S&H) by entering Promo Code: TOSF1 at checkout. Order by calling Toll Free at 888-300-3455 between 10 am and 8 pm EST or online at www.marshallpub.com or www.firesafetysongs.com Visit the website to see this set and other DVDs such as Lots & Lots of Trains, Lots & Lots of Monster Trucks, Lots & Lots of Penguins and all sorts of educational videos. (Book and video can also be purchased separately.)

You can see what others on the crew are saying about Lots and Lots of Fire Safety Songs DVD and Fire Truck Book Combo on the TOS crew blog. Also read my review of George Washington Carver, another Marshall Publications video.

disclaimer: I was given 1 copy of Lots and Lots of Fire Safety Songs DVD and Fire Truck Book Combo in exchange for an honest review.

Educating the WholeHearted Child

2011-10-20T22:17:00.000-04:00

Educating the WholeHearted Child: A Handbook for the Christian Home Education by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson was one of the first books on homeschooling that I bought and it helped shaped my homeschooling philosophy. I was very excited to have the opportunity to read and review this newly revised and expanded version and it did not disappoint. If I could only have one book about homeschooling this would be it. I was blessed to have been introduced to it when I started homeschooling and blessed to read this new updated version as well. This is the kind of book you don't read just one time. You will want to keep this book forever. (OK I might have issues with getting rid of books...but really, this one is a keeper.)

Educating the WholeHearted Child covers everything you would want to know about Biblical homeschooling. Click to see the complete Table of Contents. Following the 18 chapters, there is a 3 part resource section: Books for the WholeHearted Family, Books for WholeHearted Learning and Forms for Whole Hearted Learning.

The publisher's description:

God did not forget to include "school" in his biblical design for raising children:home education is a natural expression of all that God intended for parents and their children. Clay and Sally Clarkson's Educating the WholeHearted Child is about rediscovering God's original design for the family. What you'll find in this book is a homeschooling model that makes sense. It's an approach that is based on sound biblical principles of nurture, discipleship, instruction, and learning. Newly revised and significantly expanded, Educating the WholeHearted Child is about much more than homeschooling; it is about life. Effective Christian homeschooling must begin with the sure foundation of a Christian home, and the Clarksons' uncomplicated, common-sense approach to life and learning will provide you with the tools you need to experience God's abundant blessings for your family.

Reviewing this book is a bit overwhelming because it covers so much. A few of the things you will find include: Ten Good Biblical Reasons for Homeschooling (with multiple scripture references), 12 Pillars of WholeHearted Learning, How to Build a Home Library, Qualities to Look for in a Good Book, Creating a Home You Can Learn Within, Learning Styles, Discipleship, Living Books, Holidays, Keeping the Home and just so, so much more.

You can read the first chapter here. You will note that the margins have quotes (many of them scripture) and space for writing your own notes.

I liked these quotes from the first chapter because they sum up the purpose of this book:

"You will find some content in this chapter and throughout the book that sounds like a defense of homeschooling, but in reality it is there to provide insight and perspective that you can use to gain confidence as a Christian homeschooling parent that what you are doing is God's will for your family and is a sound biblical choice for building a Christian home." p.22

"We wrote this book to give Christian homeschooling families not just a reasoned justification for their choice for bringing their children home but a truly biblical vision and foundation for it." p.22

As I mentioned earlier the book is divided into 4 sections.

In Section 1: HOME there is lots of information on why to homeschool from a Biblical perspective along with lots of charts and answers to your questions (or questions others may ask you!) There are 5 chapters:

The Christian Home-Learning to Be at Home with Christ
The Christian Homeschool-Learning at Home to Be with Christ
Home Nurture-Shepherding Your Child's Spirit to Long for God
Home Discipleship-Shaping Your Child's Heart to Live for God
Home Education-Strengthening Your Child's Mind to Learn for God

In Section 2 there are 4 chapters on LEARNING

The WholeHearted Learning Model-Living and Learning Together at Home
The WholeHearted Learning Home-Creating a Home You Can Learn Within
The WholeHearted Learning Child-Understanding Your Child
The WholeHearted Learning Youth-Beyond the WholeHearted Child

In Section 3 there are 5 chapters of different METHODS

Discipleship Studies Methods- The Study of the Bible
Disciplined Studies Methods- The Study of the Basics
Discussion Studies Methods- The Study of Ideas
Discovery Studies Methods- The Study of Learning
Discretionary Studies Methods- The Study of Living

Section 4: LIVING

Family: Keeping the Vision Alive
Structure-Keeping the Homeschooling Together
Order-Keeping the Home Together
Support-Keeping the Spirit Strong

At the end of this section is a 4 page postscript challenge to Keep the Faith in the Family.

Throughout the book there are sections called, In Our Home where the authors share things they have done in their home to give you practical ideas. I absolutely love the Resource section with list of books in categories for you to enjoy with your family and to whet your appetite for another book written by Sarah Clarkson that is on my wishlist (and mentioned below).

The old and the new. You can see how much thicker the new one is
and how worn my older copy is.

Before receiving this new version I wondered how much different the new book would be. There are over 120 NEW pages in this edition. There are a few more pages in the appendix of this book. They are nearly all new (or improved) forms in the last section including a Bible reading plan, devotional pages and even My 24 Family Ways lists covering godly character and Biblical values along with blank calendar pages for monthly and weekly planning.

This book really has it all for the Biblical homeschooler that wants an organized Christian home and offers practical methods to equip you along the way. The only thing I don't like about this book is that it can be overwhelming and I sometimes feel like I definitely do NOT measure up. However, you do not need to be overwhelmed. Just read it in bits and pieces. Skip around to what attracts you. It's not a story book. It truly is a complete handbook for Christian Home Education.

Educating the WholeHearted Child is recommended for ages 4-14 but I think anyone even considering homeschooling should read it (don't wait until your child is 4) and I don't think it would hurt anyone homeschooling a highschooler to read it though admittedly it has less to offer to the older set.

About the authors:

Clay and Sally Clarkson found homeschooling to be the natural expression of their desire to disciple their children for Christ. After six years of post-college ministry and missions, they married in 1981 and began homeschooling their first child at the age of four in 1988. In 1994 they started While Heart Ministries to encourage and equip Christian parents to raise wholehearted Christian children. They have written numerous popular books for parents, taught dozens of parenting conferences in North America and ministered internationally. Clay is a graduate of Denver Seminary and Executive Director of Whole Heart Ministries. Clay and Sally are blessed with four wholehearted children-all homeschool graduates who are serving the Lord.

You can purchase Educating the WholeHearted Child for just $22 (I think this is a VERY fair price) at Apologia where you will find many other titles to enjoy including How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids which I reviewed earlier this year and other titles by members of the Clarkson family, (I want to get Read for the Heart soon), Diana Waring (LOVE her!) and more. Apologia also offers science curriculum, an online academy and MUCH more!

Read what others are saying Educating the WholeHearted Child on the TOS crew blog.

P.S. Don't forget to go read that sample chapter!

disclaimer: I was given a free copy of Educating the WholeHearted Child in exchange for an honest review.

Easy Way to Shuck Corn (and a Pinterest test)

2011-10-17T16:36:00.001-04:00

I saw this cool video today on how to cook corn in the microwave on a YouTube video. I tried to pin it directly to Pinterest but I couldn't make it work. I wondered if I embedded the video on my blog then maybe I could pin it that way...so here goes. (It worked by the way!)

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-17T15:36:00.002-04:00

I never got around to making a meal plan last week. It makes life so much easier when I do so here goes:

Monday: Country Chicken Pie (from 30 Day Gourmet's Big Book of Freezer Cooking)

Tuesday: Beef Vegetable Soup (crock pot)

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetable

Thursday: Chicken Tetrazzini (From 30 Day Gourmet's Freezer Cooking Manual)

Friday: Fish sticks and potatoes of some kind

Saturday: pasta and bread

Sunday: leftovers

lunches:
French toast
mini-bagel pizzas (homemade)
Ramen noodles
tuna noodle casserole
macaroni and cheese
grilled cheese
tuna sandwiches

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

Always Ice Cream

2011-10-12T15:39:00.000-04:00

Always Icecream is a website for girls aged 7-12. It has educational games and activities for which the girls earn scoops. The scoops can then be used to buy pets and things in MiniWorld. My 8 year old daughter Emma LOVES Always Icecream! The biggest problem we have is getting her to stop playing. When I asked her about it she said, "I love it! It's awesome!!". Even my almost 12 year old son likes it. He really wishes there was a boy version. (I actually had quite a bit of fun playing with it in order to write this review.)

This is a great overview video of Always Icecream:

There are so many things on this website for kids to do. Subjects covered include geography, history, music, Bible, math, science, language arts, typing and foreign language. There is a section of educational videos they can watch to earn scoops too.

When the girls log on the top of the screen looks like this:

They can choose whether they want to play learning games, read their messages, go to MiniWorld or watch videos. Always Icecream allows two kinds of "friendships". One is for any member that wants to be your daughter's friend. Friend requests can be sent to other girls and all of the messages sent between the girls are monitored. The other is for your daughter's real friends. You have a special code that you can give their friends so they can talk to their friends without moderation. I felt that my 8 year old didn't need to have "online" friends, so we didn't allow her to make friends on Always Icecream. She did, however, invite one of her real friends to join and they messaged each other.

screen shot of the Learn & Play section

In the above Learn & Play screenshot, you can see some of the choices of games they can play. Each game marked with an ice cream cone is one they can play to earn scoops. At the top right you can see how many scoops you have. In the lower right there is a music player. The girls can choose what type of music to listen to. (Some of it can be irritating as it plays over and over but you can shut it off. They do have some classical music and I like that.)

screenshot of US Geography

The games all have levels. The higher they go the more scoops they earn. If it's too easy they are allowed to skip up and if it becomes too difficult or they want to do it again they can do that too.

screen shot of the typing program

One thing in the parent section that I really like is the ability to reward your daughter with up to 2000 scoops per month. There is a pull down menu of ideas for things to reward her for (practicing piano, doing chores, feeding pets etc) or you can customize your own.

Give your daughter scoops for doing chores or just for being a good daughter !

You also can control which games your daughter has access to. In the parent section, you simply uncheck the games you do not want them to play.

screenshot of parental controls

Also, parents can access a progress report in the parent section to see what they are working on and any medals they have earned. They also will e-mail this to you weekly if you wish.

screenshot of learning progress

Now on to the "fun". Each girl has their own MiniMe that they can customize as often as they want to (no scoops required).

Girls can buy pets that they have to care for in Pet World. They use their scoops to buy food, or exercise their pets and keep them happy. They can babysit other girl's pets or have other girls do the same for them.

screenshot of pet world

Finally, there is MiniWorld. It is described this way on the website: Mini World is soooo cool! Design your furniture, your art work, your rooms and much more. Sell your best work in the store so others can buy it -- and you earn $coops :-) Put your pets into your rooms, add more rooms or buy bigger houses.Then visit your neighborhood and see all the awesome houses of your friends.

This video shows what you can do in MiniWorld:

Members of Always Icecream are able to give their friends a free one month trial using their special code. They even provide a printable certificate that they can give their friends or use as a party favor. Each month there is a scoop contest. The top 10 scoop earners can earn a special item for their MiniMe and get to double their scoops. On the main page there is always a list of the top 50 scoop earners.

Always Icecream is certified by the Privo Privacy Insurance Program and has many safety features that you read more about here. Here are a few quick highlights of the safety features: traceable membership, no ads, monitored communication, parent reports, and monitored media. Be sure to go to the safety page to read more.

We love Always Icecream and recommend it very highly! It's fun, educational and a safe place for young girls on the internet. Click on the pink Try it Free cloud for your free trial.

Always Icecream is available as a subscription or membership. For a subscription, the first month is just $.99 and then $4.99 a month after that. A 2 month membership is $9.98 . A one year membership is $29.99 while a lifetime membership is $99.99. See the membership page for full information.

You can read what others on the TOS crew are saying about Always Ice Cream on the TOS crew blog.

Disclaimer: I was given 1 lifetime membership (SO GENEROUS) in exchange for an honest review.

Visual Latin

2011-10-10T08:55:00.001-04:00

Visual Latin is just what it sounds like. Latin taught visually. It is available on DVD or in a downloadable form that can be played on your computer, ipod, iphone or ipad. We chose the DVD but also had the opportunity to try out the downloads as well. None of our children have an ipod touch but my husband does. He hasn't had it very long so it took us a little figuring to get it on there but we did it. If my kids had these I think I'd be more apt to get the downloadable version.

A few screen shots of the lessons.

The worksheets and answer keys are included in pdf format on the DVD or in your downloads. I love that because it means I can use it for all of my kids without having to purchase new materials for them or find a place to store them. The DVD comes in a nice slim case which I appreciate since the typical ones take up too much space.

Visual Latin is the joint idea of two dads whose wives homeschool their kids. One is a Latin teacher and the other a producer. They both like Latin and think everyone ought to be able to read it. Dwane Thomas, the teacher, has been teaching Latin for 15 years. He’s taught all sorts of students in all sorts of situations. He and his wife have been homeschooling their five children for as long as their kids can remember. Thomas Purifoy, Jr., the producer, likes to create curriculum. He and his company, Compass Cinema, have already produced the Modern Parables and Seek Social Justice series. His wife homeschools their three girls.

Visual Latin is for ages 9 and up. The only requirement is that they know how to read. My 11, 14 and 15 year olds have been watching the lessons. The older two are doing the lessons and the worksheets. My 11 year old started out doing the worksheets but as they got more difficult I let him stop doing them. I think he is capable of doing them but we'll wait until he's a little older. He does enjoy watching the videos. This is not to say that I disagree with the recommendation of 9 and up. I just think it's OK to wait.

Here is a sample video:

Visual Latin | A Quick Explanation from Compass Cinema on Vimeo.

You can download 4 introductory lessons and the first 2 regular lessons FREE so you can try it out. I recommend you do. A couple of advantages to the downloadable version of Visual Latin is that it is always available for download from the website and you can get it immediately though they do ship quickly if you decide to get the DVD.

We LOVE Visual Latin. Duane Thomas is very funny. Every time the kids are watching lessons they are cracking up and if I'm in the room I am laughing along with them. Each lesson is divided into 3 parts. Students watch a video then do a worksheet for each part of the lesson. The 3 parts are Grammar, Sentences and Reading. In the third part he speaks in Latin (and the words appear on the screen) and the kids understand what he is saying. I am finding that the Latin lessons are helping with English grammar as well.

My 15 year old daughter is not very enthusiastic about school, but she even has posted on her Facebook status that she can't wait to do her Latin lesson (and she was serious!). When I asked her if we should get the next 10 lessons, without hesitating, she said, "Yes!" So we have already purchased the next 10 lessons on DVD and will start them this week.

You can find information about how to use Visual Latin for high school credit and a scope of sequence here.

I highly recommend Visual Latin. You can purchase Visual Latin at the Compass Store. The first 10 lessons are available for $25 as a download or $30 on DVD. You will find other options available and even an online class taught by Duane Thomas. You can read what others on the crew are saying about Visual Latin on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I was given a DVD of the first 10 lessons of Visual Latin and in downloadable form in exchange for an honest review.

Slim Down Sunday

2011-10-09T07:58:00.000-04:00

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace.

Pounds Lost: 51.2 lbs (1 lb lost though for some unknown reason I was up a full lb from yesterday. I thought it was going to be 2 lbs)

How is it going this week? I didn't participate in Slim Down Sunday last week. I was sick and I had a wedding to attend that was out of state. This week my grandmother passed away so it's been hectic but I've just been sticking to my 400 calorie meals. I still do not feel good so I have not exercised in over a week.

My Plan for the Week Ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing and if I feel better I will try to exercise a couple of days this week.

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

Scruble Cube

2011-10-07T09:06:00.000-04:00

The Scruble Cube is a fun word game that is cross between a Rubik's cube and Scrabble. The makers refer to it as a word game and puzzle on steroids. As you can see in the picture each side has 4 rows and 4 columns. Each square has a letter with a point value or a special sticker such as 2x letter score or 2x word score. Each letter circle also rotates so you aren't spelling words with the letters upside down or sideways (unless you want to). The game also comes with a timer which you can use if you choose.

Watch this video to see the Scruble Cube in action.

Even if the Scruble Cube was only a fun game it would be worth getting but, it is a great educational tool as well. They have an entire section of their website dedicated to how you can use the Scruble Cube in your homeschool (or classroom). Some seem to be more suited to a classroom but it's worth looking at. There are free downloads with ideas for how to use the Scruble Cube as an educational tool.

A free worksheet to use with your Scruble Cube.
Find it here.
Though recommended for grades 3-6, my 14 year old really enjoyed using it.

Playing Scruble can develop these Academic and Life Skills:

You can find game instructions and a printable score sheet as well.

Scruble is a lot of fun to play and I love how portable it is. It's great for taking along to doctor appointments or other places where you might need a distraction while you wait. It's also fun for one or many. Anyone that can spell 3 letter words can play. (I kind of wish it came in a carrying case.)

The only problem we've had with it, is that you have to have each row lined up perfectly to get it to turn so it really isn't a game of speed. The other "problem" is that I am TERRIBLE at it. My 14 year old loves it and beats me every time.. I don't have a mind for puzzles but, it's fun just the same.

I mentioned earlier that the game comes with a timer that you can use if you wish. It is a 1 and 1/2 minute sand timer. In the rules it says that if all players agree you can turn it over 2 or more times to lengthen turn time. We didn't really use the timer because sometimes it takes a while to create a word (and I find watching a sand timer to be a pain.) If we decided to use a timer in play I think we would set a time limit and use a kitchen timer.

All in all, this is a fun game that would make a great gift for a game lover in your life. It would also be a great addition to your educational game collection.

You can purchase your own Scruble Cube for $24.95 on the Scruble Cube website or at locations found on the bottom of the main Scruble Cube webpage . Read what others are saying about the Scruble Cube on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free Scruble Cube in exchange for an honest review.

Goal Planning Monday

2011-10-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

I haven't linked up to Mama Manuscripts Goal Planning Monday in a few weeks. I just didn't get around to it. I need to do it because I get so much more done when I make a list. I'm not sure how much I'll get done because I have a nasty cold and I'm not feeling that great.

-daily devotions
-meal planning for next week
-type up science modules in schedule grid
-make granola
-lesson plans for next week
-pull out fall clothes
-pack away summer clothes
-go through clothes given to us this week
-go through shoes
-write and post Scruble Cube review
-write Visual Latin review
-write Always Ice Cream review
-set up and work on other upcoming reviews

Link up your own goal plans for this week here.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-03T12:39:00.001-04:00

Monday: Grilled Chicken, potatoes, vegetable

Tuesday: Curried Chicken and Broccoli with rice

Wednesday: Tortellini Minestrone and bread

Thursday: Country Chicken Pie (from 30 Day Gourmet's Big Book of Freezer Cooking)

Friday: Beef Vegetable soup (crockpot)

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday: leftovers

lunches: Ramen noodles, tuna noodle casserole, macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, grilled cheese, tuna sandwiches

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

A Quick and Easy Breakfast

2011-09-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

My current breakfast of choice is a Luna bar and Fage yogurt. I like to have something that I can just grab and eat with no thinking involved. It isn't the cheapest thing I could eat but I like it and it keeps me feeling satisfied all morning. My local Wal-Mart has recently started selling Fage yogurt at the best price of seen it (other than one time when it went on sale for $1 each), prior to that the best price was at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's and Wal-Mart both carry Luna bars for about $.98 each. (In Wal-Mart they are with the protein bars in the pharmacy.)

I can get this flavor and a couple others at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart carries S'mores, Nutz over Chocolate, Lemon and White Chocolate Macadamia. My two favorites are Blueberry Bliss and Chocolate Dipped Coconut. I have to get those at either Trader Joe's or a grocery store.

YUM

If you've never seen Fage yogurt the fruit is on the side
which tips up so you can squeeze it onto your yogurt.

The calorie count varies on this depending on which yogurt you get but it comes in well under 400 calories. What is your favorite grab and run breakfast?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-26T17:35:00.002-04:00

I had a really hard time planning this week. None of this is set in stone. :)

Monday: Chicken Tetrazzini (from The Freezer Cooking Manual)
(also making Simple Chicken Soup since I don't want tetrazzini)

Tuesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken with rice

Wednesday: Chicken Cacciatore with pasta (from 400 Calorie Fix)

Thursday: Tortellini Minestrone

Friday: Homemade Pizza and chips

Saturday: Very Veggie Lasagna

Sunday: leftovers

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

Slim Down Sunday

2011-09-25T09:10:00.003-04:00

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace. (My goal is to have lost 75 lbs total by the end of the year.)

Pounds Lost: 50.2 lbs (2.4 lbs lost this week)

How is it going this week? This was a great week. I finally lost over 50 lbs which was a major goal and really motivated me to keep going. I wanted to exercise at least 3 times this week and ended up exercising 5 times. I ended up doing a total of 15 miles with Leslie Sansone walking DVDs. I also blogged about How I Lost 50 Lbs.

My Plan for the Week Ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing and exercise at least 3 days this week.

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

BLT in a Bowl

2011-09-24T17:34:00.001-04:00

I had mentioned in a previous post that I think half the battle of losing weight is figuring out what to eat. I plan to share some of my favorite recipes and quick fixes that I have used while losing 50 lbs (so far).

This is a recipe I've had for quite a while, but sort of forgot about it until Rob mentioned it the other day. It comes from the Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats One Meal at a Time. Honestly, my kids prefer just the plain soup so I made them plain tomato soup. (Yes, from a can.)

I really had forgotten how good this was until we had it tonight. It's super fast and only 260 calories in about a 2 cup serving. (It made 8 cups and it serves 4 but I used 1 large can of soup instead of the 2 smaller cans and that makes for a little extra soup.)

B.L.T. in a Bowl

Two 10 oz cans less-sodium tomato soup (I just used the regular.)
2 cans water
6 to 8 oz. frozen cheese tortellini
one 6-oz. bag pre-washed baby spinach (about 4 packed cups)
4 tsp. real bacon bits (I bought some turkey bacon bits.)
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Pour tomato soup and water into large saucepan and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook, uncovered, according to package directions, stirring frequently. Do not drain. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve in individual bowls and top with bacon bits and Parmesan cheese as desired.

printable version

I highly recommend this soup and The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers. You'll find more recipes here.You might want to check the book out of the library first to see if you like it or better yet head over to their website. (or purchase it at Amazon.) They have a new book out, No Whine With Dinner that I haven't had a chance to look through but I'm going to see if it's at the library.

How I Lost 50 Lbs

2011-09-23T11:02:00.001-04:00

As of yesterday, I have lost over 50 lbs since October of last year. I posted on Facebook, "Goodbye 50 lbs-I hope I never see you again." This set off lots of comments of congratulations and lots of questions about how I did it. I thought I'd share about my weight loss journey....

In October of last year, I had a Pampered Chef party, the consultant and my dear friend, Amanda had just lost 30 lbs on Prevention Magazine's Flat Belly Diet. I was inspired. I had taken the book out of the library several times but never really read it. I decided it was time to get serious. Everything I had tried over the past several years had ended in failure and I was at the end of my rope and ready to just give up ever trying again.

Good to read but my least favorite.

I can't remember if I bought the book right away or if I just used the library copy. At any rate, the diet starts with a 4 Day Jump Start plan. There is a special water concoction called Sassy water that you drink each day and there are specific things to eat each of the 4 days to transition you over to the diet. It also starts you out on 1200 calories a day. It's a diet designed to reduce bloating. I think it claimed you could lose up to 7 lbs the first week. I think I lost 2 or 3. It was kind of discouraging but it was a start.

I then began on the 1600 calorie a day plan. With the Flat Belly Diet each meal has to have a MUFA which is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid. This includes nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, avocado, olives (yuck) and dark chocolate (YES!) A diet that includes chocolate is definitely a diet I can get behind!!

Great book to start with. Lots of quick ideas for meals
like Brown Rice Salad.

It wasn't too long before I purchased some of the books in the series. I was steadily losing a lb or two a week. I bought the Flat Belly Diet, The Flat Belly Diet Pocket Guide, and the Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook. Also available are the The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook and the Flat Belly Diet for Men.

It wasn't too long after that I discovered The 400 Calorie Fix. This book which is also by Prevention Magazine still recommends 400 calories per meal and not letting more than 4 hours lapse between meals. However, you have COMPLETE freedom to eat whatever you want. No MUFA's required. This is something I can do forever. It is the way I eat now. I can eat out, I can have birthday cake, I can do whatever I want...and if I flub up I can skip my evening snack or just start again the next morning with a 400 calorie meal.

For some reason limiting myself to about 400 calories per meal is different from planning to eat 1600 calories a day...that never worked for me. I really love this book! It has a section on what to eat when you're out (specific things to order at restaurants including Dunkin Donuts!). Also a section on pre-prepared meals and quick fixes. The remainder of the book is great recipes for "regular eating" not diet food. (There is a new 400 Calorie Fix Cookbook out that I can't wait to get a look at.)

One other thing is that I sometimes exercise. I am sporadic about it but when I am exercising I consistently use Leslie Sansone DVDs. My favorites right now are The Big Burn, Walk Off 10 Pounds and Walk Slim: Fast and Firm 4 Really Big Miles.

I hope to blog more about what I eat and continue participating each week in Slim Down Sunday. Would love to hear what you do to lose weight and if you'd like to read more about my weight loss journey, recipes etc.

Aletheia Writing Magazine Review

2011-09-23T10:33:00.000-04:00

Aletheia Writing Magazine: Creativity for Christian Teens is a relatively new magazine, founded in August 2010. It is a 40 page, full color, magazine printed on high quality paper and published quarterly. It offers teens a place to submit writing and art work. They accept fiction, non-fiction, fiction book reviews, artwork and nature photography. Specific guidelines for each are available on the website.

From the website:

Aletheia Writing Magazine is a quarterly publication focusing on the literary and artistic works of Christian teens, ages 13 to 19.

We are excited to offer Christian teens a healthy platform in which to express themselves, especially in a culture that so definitively shapes and saturates their worldview with unhealthy imagery and values.

In addition to the literary and artistic expressions of Christian teens, each issue offers a variety of unique features: a Writer's Challenge, the Featured Contributor, a book review, Glory to God for the Beauty of Nature, Ancient Ink, and an interview or other feature for edification and enjoyment.

Mission statement from their facebook page:

Our mission is to provide readers with quality fiction stories, along with poems, that uniquely unveil or glimpse Christian truths in mysterious, beautiful, or wondrous ways, and to allow young writers, artists and photographers to fulfill this provision through submissions.

So, what is Aletheia and how do you pronounce it? Aletheia is the Greek word for "truth" or "unveiling". It is pronounced Ah-LAY-thie-uh.

Those who have their work published do not receive any monetary compensation but they do get 3 copies of the magazine they are published in. This seems reasonable to me. They also have some fun blog buttons for those that are published (shown below).

I have mixed feelings about this magazine. I think it is a great idea to have a magazine that gives teens an opportunity to have their work published. I also find the website to be informative.There is a page of writing tips for fiction writers that would be a help to any young writer. They also have a writing blog for teens called Christian Teens Write. It is a beautiful magazine and I especially like the nature photos in the Glory to God: For The Beauty of Nature section of the magazine.

However, I am not sure that the content lines up with what I consider to be Christian. ( I am a conservative Baptist.) The featured story in the issue I received centered around a wizard. They also list themselves as pan-Christian on their Facebook information page. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant so I did a Google search, asked them on their facebook page and asked my pastor. Aletheia responded by saying, "It means that the magazine is open to all Christians and not just Orthodox,or Catholic, or Protestant, or Non-Denominational." My pastor said, "Pan-christian is a philosophy that puts together all religions and churches that claim any connection to Christianity without any regard of separation or doctrine. " He then went on to explain that it was dangerous and should be avoided and shunned by the true church.

My personal feeling is that they are not necessarily promoting pan-christianity (I couldn't find it on the website, only on the Facebook page) but by accepting works from all types of Christians it is not what I would consider appropriate for my family. I would recommend checking it out yourself before getting this for your teens. You can read a sample copy here. (the link is at the top right corner)

I also encountered several grammatical errors and that kind of bothers me too considering it is a writing magazine.

A one year subscription (4 issues) of Aletheia Writing Magazine is available at Aletheia for $26 (includes shipping) in the US and $29 in Canada.

You can read what others are saying about Aletheia Writing Magazine on the TOS crew blog.

disclaimer: I received a free print copy and a digital copy of Alethia magazine in exchange for an honest review.

Tuna Rotini Salad Toss for Lunch

2011-09-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

I am hoping to write a series of posts about what I have been eating while losing weight. Sometimes I think half the battle is just figuring out what to eat and what a reasonable serving size is.

One of my favorite diet cookbooks is the Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook. This recipe comes from this book and it's delicious. (It doesn't seem like diet food!) Actually, nothing I eat is "diet" food. I eat 400 calorie meals 4 times a day. That's really all there is to it. If you are looking to eat a healthier diet and lower your cholesterol then the Flat Belly Diet might be for you. The recipes are all heart healthy.

6 oz. multigrain rotini pasta
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise (I usually just use regular mayo)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I like to just buy the frozen cubes at Trader Joe's...simple and always on hand!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cans (5 oz ea.) water-packed solid white tuna, drained
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2" long strips
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 serving (1 1/2 cups) is 404 calories.

After I ate 1 serving for lunch I divided the remaining servings into individual containers for an easy to grab lunch. I used a glass container for one serving and the other two I put into trays that individual frozen dinners come in covered with Press N Seal. I make my own frozen dinners this way too. Often times my family is eating something that either has too many calories or I don't know how to count it so I eat something else. Pre-prepared meals are perfect for that.

Let me know if you try it and how you like it.

Brown Rice Salad for lunch

2011-09-20T08:54:00.001-04:00

My current favorite lunch recipe is a brown rice salad. If you've been reading my blog you know that I have been on an 11 month long weight loss journey. I began it on the Flat Belly Diet by Prevention magazine. In the FBD Pocket Guide there is a "recipe" for brown rice salad.

When my friend, Amanda, told me about this salad I didn't think it sounded very good but decided to try it anyway and I love it. Over the summer, I fell into a pattern of eating a 400 calorie lunch but it usually consisted of some kind of sandwich, baked potato chips and a Weight Watchers Ice Cream bar.(Dark Chocolate Raspberry!) Recently, I decided that I should get back to eating some healthier foods for lunch.

The recipe calls for brown rice which I do sometimes use. But currently I buy a brown rice medley at Trader Joe's that is delicious. I cook it in a rice cooker and then portion it out in half cup portions in Press N Seal and keep it in the freezer. Then I can have rice in 1 minute in the microwave.

So my salad consists of:

1/2 cup brown rice
1/3 cup pinto beans (I use whatever canned beans I have on hand..watch calorie counts, they are not all equal)
1/4 cup avocado
2 T. salsa
2 T. lime juice
1 small tomato, chopped
black pepper to taste

(The original recipe also calls for 2 tsp. olive oil but I leave it out so I can eat an ice cream bar...yes..I know I said I wanted to be healthier but I LOVE them. :) )

(I usually sprinkle with a bit of salt.)

It's so yummy and nutritious. Give it a try and let me know how you like it. What is your favorite healthy lunch?

Tri-Cross Game Review

2011-09-19T09:45:00.001-04:00

For this review, I was expecting to receive the Tri-Cross Eco-edition but was pleasantly surprised to get not only the travel edition, but also the board game version! I thought that was extremely generous. Tri-Cross is a fun game for the whole family. Children, teens and adults can enjoy this game together. The game promotes logical thinking, cause and effect, predicting, interpreting outcomes, abstract thinking, memory (in the face down version), and visualization.

The Eco version has a cloth board and folds up
neatly into a bag so you can take it anywhere.

The game pieces are the same for both games. They are high quality, smooth pieces that feel nice in your hand and are a nice weight. The Eco-version game board is made of organic cotton as is the carrying bag. The cloth board doesn't stay completely flat but it isn't an issue when playing the game.

The standard game has a nice game board that folds in half. It seems very sturdy. It's a bit too shiny so depending on the light you are playing in you can get some glare making it hard on the eyes if you're playing at night.

This is the standard version.
It has a bit of glare on the board as you can see.

The object of the game is to occupy the center square with your Tri-Cross piece for 4 turns in a row. The higher pieces jump (and remove) lower pieces with the exception that the Tri-Cross can jump the 6 (but only the 6). There is a face up version where everyone can see the pieces on the board and a face down version that is more challenging because you don't turn the pieces over until they are flipped (when they are next to each other.) Detailed directions can be found here.

This is a video tutorial for beginner Tri Cross players. You can see the board game version in this video. It's easier for me to learn a game by watching how to play then by reading the directions.

We like this game. It is fun to play and it doesn't last a long time, making it a great choice to play with children and to play even if you don't have much time. The recommended age is 8 and up but my almost 6 year old can play so it is possible for younger children to play too. You can play with 2, 3 or 4 players. I think it is best with 3 or 4 players but it can be fun with just 2 also.

Here I am playing with daughters Emma (8) and Jenna (almost 6)

the view from above

deep in thought...

On their website, they are giving away 10 Eco-games free. Rules and contest deadlines can be found here.

Advanced tutorials and complete directions can be found here. Also there is a nice FAQ page to answer questions that you may have or that may come up as you play. Though it really is pretty simple. You can read the interesting story of how this game came to be at Games for Competitors, the family owned business that produces Tri-Cross. If your family likes games I think this would make a nice addition to your game collection.

Tri-Cross can be purchased on the Tri-Cross website or at a local game store (retail locations found here.) Tri-Cross Eco-edition is available for $19.95. The standard edition is $24.95 and a wooden edition for $35.95. They also offer Tri-Cross t-shirts.See what others are saying about Tri-Cross on the TOS crew blog!

disclaimer: I was given Tri-Cross in exchange for an honest review.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-19T09:11:00.001-04:00

Monday: Lasagna Soup (I was supposed to make this last week but it got bumped.)

Tuesday: Baked chicken, baked potatoes and vegetable

Wednesday: Curried Chicken and Broccoli casserole

Thursday: Pampered Chef show (Rob taking kids out while I have my party.)

Friday: Homemade pizza and chips

Saturday: BLT soup (From Meal Makeover Moms cookbook) and bread

Sunday: leftovers

Lunches: sandwiches, macaroni and cheese (I want to try this one), tuna noodle casserole, hotdogs, Simple Chicken Soup

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

Freebie from Amanda Bennett Today

2011-09-19T09:05:00.000-04:00

Last year we used Amanda Bennett's Download N Go unit studies as our main curriculum (for the younger kids). We had a great time with Autumn Treasures.(my review)

Today she is offering Autumn Treasures free to the first 300 customers! Check it out on her blog.

Slim Down Sunday

2011-09-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace. (My goal is to lose another 25 lbs by the end of the year.)

Pounds Lost: 47.8 (lost a whopping .2 lbs)

How is it going this week? This week I got back into exercising. I use Leslie Sansone walking videos. I did between 1 and 4 miles on Sunday-Thursday. We had some events this week including a birthday party Friday night. In the early days of dieting, I would not have eaten the food at the birthday party because I would have been afraid that any deviation from the diet would send me back to eating too much but I no longer have that fear. So, I try to eat in moderation when these things come up and then just get right back on track. It's working for me so far.

My plan for the week ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing and exercise at least 3 days this week.

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

Before Five in a Row Review

2011-09-17T15:43:00.000-04:00

Right up front I will say that I have been a Five in a Row fan for many years. We have "rowed" many Five in a Row books over the years. ("Rowing" is the term Five in a Row users use to refer to the current book they are doing a unit study of.) I have owned a copy of Before Five in a Row for a number of years along with quite a few of the picture books that go along with it. (Unfortunately, some of my books are missing. :( I hate when that happens!) Anyway, I never really took the time to read Before Five in a Row and actually use it. I was so happy to have this opportunity to review it because I knew it would force me to sit down and really read it and use it.

Before Five in a Row is a treasury of creative ideas to inspire learning readiness for ages 2-4 written by Jane Lambert. In the first part of the book you will find 23 mini-units written by the author of Five in a Row. It is written in a similar style to Five in a Row but without the 5 day schedule. It is written for times when you "want a special story with 'ready to use' activities and ideas that inspire creative interaction." (p.4)

Each mini-unit uses wonderful books written for young children. Each book is listed with a variety of activities to go along with it. Many are simple activities requiring nothing more than a few minutes spent with your child looking for something in the book, or singing a song, while others can be more involved like art projects or acting out a part of a story. There is a short Bible verse to tie in with each book if you'd like to, often with an easy way to tie a Bible story in with what you've read.

When I originally started to write this review, I thought of Before Five in a Row as a wonderful curriculum for preschoolers. But, as I've spent some time reading it, I don't really think it is curriculum. I think calling it curriculum misses the point.

I have a few quotes from the introduction that I would like to share to further explain what I mean:

"Before Five in a Row suggests a wide variety of interesting topics and activities to present, now and then, after a story is read. These discussions and activities provide added interest for both the reader and the child." (p.3)

"The point is not so much to instruct or teach as it is to have a happy introduction to books, provide an interesting, light introduction to many different topics, and to build intimacy between the reader and the child." (p.3)

"Before Five in a Row is not attempting to teach academics, but rather to provide a strong foundation of academic 'readiness'." (p.4)

In addition, this is the Before Five in a Row Vision Statement:

"Dedicated to protecting and nurturing the early years ofchildhood, Before Five in a Row opens up the world of learning through greatbooks and creative play, and builds a solid foundation for more formaleducation to come."

I loved this quote from the website:

"Before Five in a Row is passionate about teaching, but theteaching comes through the subtle forms of play that are intrinsic to earlychildhood."

Before Five in a Row is not a curriculum that tells you what to do each day or week or even month. It is a treasury of ideas (like it says on the cover) to be used through the pre-school years. Don't less this scare you off if you are looking for curriculum though. I really believe you don't need anything more in these early years. However, if you want to use Before Five in a Row that way there are loads of resources on the internet to help you to do that. I however plan to keep it simple and use it as is. (Not that I won't ever find things online to do, it's just that I know I don't need to!)

Unfortunately, there are no sample pages available online for Before Five in a Row. I will do my best to try to share with you how it works without the benefit of samples.

One of the stories we have been reading is Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. For each mini unit the book information is at the top of the page including title, author, illustrator, copyright year and any awards it has received followed by a summary of the story. Next there are activities listed by topic. In this book the topics include Bible: Health and Safety, Math, History, Classification, Zoology and several others.

What I did was spend a few weeks just reading the story here and there several times a week so that it became familiar to them. I also made up some animal classification bookmarks that I found online (from a suggestion on the FIAR message boards) and laminated them to use as we go through the stories as suggested in the book. You could make your own using magazines or the internet but if I can find them already made up and all I have to do is print them, I'm going for it! :) We have been using these just to look at and identify animals but as time goes on we can use these to practice sorting and matching them up with the stories we are reading. Sadie (2 next week) and Ellie (3 yrs. 10 months) love to look at all of the animals. Sadie will repeat each one as I tell her what they are...so cute.

Animal Classification bookmarks from Homeschool Creations

For another activity, I made a "tin pail" using a soup can and some craft wire and Ellie put blueberries (store bought) into her "pail" so she could hear the kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk as they do in the story...and practice counting some too. :)

In the meantime, we are reading other stories, sometimes finding an activity to do and sometimes not. We read a variety of books including Before Five in a Row books. I like it because I can easily fit this in to my busy day. I keep the manual handy so that when we have some reading time I can easily pick it up for an idea to enrich our story time and learn something new.

One other thing I have done is to create a small book basket just for the younger ones. It is easily accessible for any of us. Ellie and Sadie can look at the books or ask one of the "readers" in the family to read to them. I love to see the older children reading to their younger brothers and sisters. It really warms my heart.

So far I have only mentioned part one of Before Five in a Row but it is a two part book. The second part of the book is entitled, Parent's Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness. It truly is a treasury. There are book ideas, music suggestions and activities, ideas for increasing large and small motor skills, things to do at bath time or in the kitchen or at the store, toy suggestions and more!

Though the book is recommended for 2 to 4 year olds, the stories are timeless and most can be read with children much older. Many of the activities could be used with older children as well. I plan to continue using this all year with Sadie, Ellie and even Jenna (she'll be 6 next week) and Connor (who is older but has a developmental disability).

In addition to Before Five in a Row, there are 4 volumes of Five in a Row (for 4-8 year olds) and 3 volumes of Beyond Five in a Row (for 8-12 year olds) and Above and Beyond Five in a Row based on Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field. They also have a digital store with planners, units, Fold N Learns, audios and much more. They also have the most fabulous homeschooling message boards for FIAR users. When you use any Five in a Row product you will want to tap into the resources and wisdom of the moms on the boards.

Before Five in a Row is available exclusively through Rainbow Resource Center for $35.00. They also offer a literature package and individual books. (note: a few of the titles are out of print but I have found them all to be available through my local library's interlibrary loan program)

You can read what others on TOS crew are saying about Before Five in a Row on the TOS crew blog.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Before Five in a Row in exchange for my honest review.

Goal Plan Monday

2011-09-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

Last week I only finished about half of what I planned. I'll be putting the unfinished things on my list again but this is a very busy week so I'm not sure how much of it I will get to.

-~~daily devotions~~
-~~schoolwork with the kid~~s
-~~lesson plans for next week~~
-continue cleaning out closet
-~~declutter E/R room~~
~~-write B4FIAR review and post~~
~~-play Tri-Cross~~
-~~work on Tri-Cross review~~
-play Scruble
-work on Aletheia review
-~~meal planning for next week~~
-~~exercise at least 3 days this week~~
-start pulling out fall clothes

If I can get all of this done this week it will be quite an accomplishment. You can link up for with your goals for this week at Mama Manuscripts.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-12T08:51:00.002-04:00

I'm glad that I have started doing meal planning again. Last week I even cooked several meals at the beginning of the week and really didn't have to cook all week(I put 2 in the freezer for the later part of the week.)

I am still keeping a pretty empty freezer. I have one package of chicken sausage (to make minestrone) and no other meat on hand in the freezer. It's kind of nice having a half empty freezer. It's much easier to find things!

Monday:Cheesy Rigatoni Bake

Tuesday:Hamburgers, Potato Salad, chips

Wednesday: Pizza with out of town relatives

Thursday: Mary Lu's Cheesy Tomato Mac Soup

Friday: Jenna and Sadie's birthday party-probably serving soup and bread

Saturday: Lasagna Soup

Sunday: leftovers

Lunches: sandwiches, Spicy Noodle Edamame Salad, macaroni and cheese I want to try this one, tuna noodle casserole, hotdogs, spaghetti, Simple Chicken Soup

Link up with your menu plan or see what others are planning this week at orgjunkie.com.

Big IQ Kids Review

2011-09-11T14:37:00.000-04:00

Big IQ Kids is an online spelling, vocabulary, math and geography website. They have also just recently added an SAT vocabulary prep program. The programs are designed for students in grades K-8 and encourage independent learning through multimedia reinforcement. (This is a secular program but I did not find anything objectionable thus far.)

Big IQ Kids offers Free and Premium programs. The primary difference between the two programs is the ability of the Premium program to monitor the progress of the student and advance them only when mastery of the subject matter has been achieved.

With the PREMIUM program, students have their progress tracked, problem areas are identified and then these findings are reported to you via email . Students in the Premium Program are offered customizable buddies, full game page access and the ability to save game coins and high scores. .The games are a big motivator for kids to practice their spelling and geography (at my house anyway). The PREMIUM program has very limited advertisement and no ads are displayed during lesson interaction. More information about Free Vs. Premium can be found by following the links on the bottom of this page.

Emma (3rd grade) and Ryan (6th grade) are using this on a daily basis. Emma really loves learning the states and doesn't complain too much about doing spelling. The vocabulary games are a nice feature as well. Occasionally a word you want is not in the system but you can request to have it added (I didn't try this.)

Kaitlyn (9th grade) has been enjoying the free spelling program as well. Since she doesn't have a spelling program we just used the included 8th grade spelling list because I thought it would be a nice review.

A Big IQ Kids customizable avatar.

You begin by logging in to Big IQ Kids. A voice prompts you to enter your member name and password.

Once you log on you can choose the program you wish to work on. Here you can see how Emma customized her avatar:

We'll start by looking at the Spelling and Vocabulary page. For us, the spelling has been a wonderful addition to our homeschool. Emma and Ryan are each using different spelling programs but it doesn't matter because I can take the word lists from their current curriculum and just add them into the program. (If you don't have a spelling curriculum, Big IQ Kids has their own graded program so you can just use theirs.)

It is very easy to add words by just clicking on Create/Modify Word List. There is no limit to the number of words you can add. I have been making a new list of words for each week (you can name each list) and naming it by the week of school we are on. Once the words are added you have nothing else to do but let the kids practice their words with games and tests.

The first part of the spelling lesson is a word introduction. The words from the list are put into a sentence. Then the computer reads the sentence to you and asks you to spell it by typing it in or using your mouse to click on the letters on the on-screen keyboard. It also shows the definition, synonyms and antonyms.

Then there are many other games and puzzles, a Word Jumble (you drag the letters into the correct order),Spelling Bee, Word Search and Hangbot (which is like the spelling bee only with a robot). Next you will find vocabulary activities to go along with the spelling words. You can match words to definitions, determine if a word is a synonym or antonym, drag the correct spelling word into a sentence, a crossword puzzle and a vocabulary test. It's a very impressive collection of activities and games that really familiarize the user with the words through repeated use.

The lessons can be printed as well so you do not have to do everything on the computer.

The parent has the option of setting a passing grade by increments of 5 between 70% and 100%. There is a report card that shows the activities completed with the score, date completed and any of the words missed on each activity.

The only thing we don't like about the spelling program is that the voices used are very monotone and robotic sounding. (this is true of the entire website) Sometimes when being asked to spell a word it's hard to tell what word they are asking you to spell but overall it's not too bad. You can hear a sample of the voices by trying the interactive homework lessons on the bottom left of the homepage.

Big IQ Kids Math is good for practicing skills but the kids really didn't like it all that much. I played with it some to see what it was like and feel that it is a bit awkward to enter the answers once you get beyond working with single digits.

Students enter answers by typing them in or using the mouse to click on
the calculator. There is a worksheet space on the right but it would be awkward
to actually use to figure out problems. I had fun drawing. :)

The math program adjusts to your student's needs. If the problems are too easy it will advance the student to the next topic. Later, you can re-set this if you wish. (I know this because when we first got it I was playing with it and advanced too far for Emma...oops) This would be good for a kid who would rather type in math answers than write them down. As a parent, you are able to go in and customize it to your child's math level. Also, you can put a timer on it or turn it off. You can print lessons and print a progress report which tells you the amount of time spent, number of problems worked, grade and a summary.

This is the screen you see why you modify the math lessons. You choose what percent of the problems you want to be addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You also can set the starting digit for each section. When the section is mastered it will show up here with a check mark. This is also where you can turn the timer on and off.

When students move up in a level I am notified by an e-mail like this one:

Hi Ryan's Parent/Guardian:

 Ryan achieved mastery for 'Division - Digit Number 1' and is moving up to the next level. If you would like to review or modify Ryan's lesson plan click on the 'Modify Lesson' button on the main menu.

 Ryan is doing great!

 Thanks for using www.BigIQkids.com

The kids favorite program is the States program. It teaches kids location of states, state spelling, state capitals and abbreviations. I like the fact that they are learning US geography by just having fun doing it and then get to play games as a reward for the "work" they are doing.

For each lesson the child does they are rewarded with game coins. At the end of the lesson they can play games or save their game coins for later (with the Premium program, this is not an available option for the Free programs).

This is what the game screen looks like:

This is page 1 of the games, there are 3 pages. The kids enjoy the games.

I can go into their accounts at any time and check to see how they are doing or have their results e-mailed to me. Ryan and Emma have both been scoring 100% on the spelling words at the end of each week. They have a Big IQ Kids test and then I test them on paper as well. I'd say that BIG IQ Kids is a big part of their spelling success.

I'll let you in on a little secret too. I like to use Big IQ Kids myself. :)

Besides the programs I have mentioned thus far Big IQ Kids also offers a Junior Spelling Program, Interactive Homework Lessons, Spelling and Vocabulary Competitions and humorous chapter books that can be used on your Kindle, Nook or iPad.

In the graphic below you can see pricing for individual programs and further down I've listed the bundle pricing. You will find this page here.

More information about the SAT vocabulary prep is found here.

Bundle Package - Includes all 4 programs - Big Savings!
SpellingTime.com BigMathTime.com
BigStatesTime.com BigVocabTime.com

Individual Bundle Account: $19.99 - 1 month membership or

Individual Bundle Account: $99.99 - 1 year membership ON SALE now for $89.99 during the Once a Year Back to School Promotion!

Overall, I give Big IQ Kids a big thumbs up. We will continue to use this all school year. You can read what others on the crew are saying about Big IQ Kids on the TOS crew blog.

Disclaimer: 2 Free Premium memberships were given to us in exchange for an honest review.

Slim Down Sunday

2011-09-11T08:35:00.001-04:00

Goal: Continue losing weight at a steady pace.

Pounds Lost: 47.6 (stayed the same this week)

How is it going this week? About the same. I sometimes want to eat more than I should but I don't. I always feel discouraged when I don't lose for a whole week. I also participated in the Fearlessly Feminine Challenge this week where I wore a skirt (or dress) every day and took a picture of myself and blogged about it. It was hard to look at those pictures every day (and post them.) It's been nearly a year since I started this weight loss journey and I haven't even lost 50 lbs yet. I'm seriously thinking of exercising to hopefully jump start things a bit.

My plan for the week ahead: Just keep doing what I've been doing and maybe start doing my Leslie Sansone DVDs again.

If you would like some encouragement or to encourage others in their weight loss join us at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday. You can link up here.

Fearlessly Feminine Challenge-Final Day

2011-09-10T13:32:00.002-04:00

So, I made it. 7 days in a row in a skirt or dress. Today we went to an apple orchard and I was a bit nervous about wearing a skirt to the orchard when there are usually lots of bees around. It wasn't too bad today because it's early in the season. I was afraid I'd get bees in my skirt.

I am glad I participated but I am looking forward to wearing jeans again. It's nice to know I could wear skirts all of the time if I wanted to. I also realized that right now I have a lot of skirts/dresses. I wore a completely different outfit every day and still have some things I didn't wear.

Here is a picture of me with my almost 6 year old and my 8 year old daughters at the orchard today. It's not the best quality because my husband took it with his phone and the sun was behind us.

Thanks to Swinging on Small Hinges for offering up this challenge.

Illuminations and Our Current Curriculum

2011-09-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

For a while now I have been meaning to post about what we are using for curriculum this year. In the spring, I learned of a curriculum I hadn't heard of before: Illuminations by Bright Ideas Press. Right away it looked like something I might be interested in. I liked the idea of all of the kids working on the same thing. Last year I had too many different things going on and I wanted us to be mostly on the same page as a family.

You can watch this video for an overview of what is covered in Illuminations

I purchased both levels of Illuminations 1. The younger level covers grades 3-8 with included lessons for early learners) and the upper level covers high school. You can download samples from the website.

Illuminations 1 uses The Mystery of History as the "spine" of the curriculum. In grades 3-8 lessons are provided for Bible, Literature, Writing, Spelling, History, Grammar, Biology, English from the Roots Up, Copywork, Geography and Humanities. When you purchase Illuminations you are buying the lessons but the books do not come with it. Many of the literature titles are available through my local library so I didn't have to purchase very many. I already owned English From the Roots Up, The Ultimate Guide to Geography and Natural Speller so I had a bit of a head start.

You can pick and choose to use as much or as little as you want to use. Each week I have a pdf schedule grid with all of the available lessons. I can add to or change anything I want and then save it. When I choose to change things in the grid I don't lose the original so I can feel free to change things around at any time and still be able to go back to the original.

This video will show you more about the Illuminations program which is available as a download (what I did) or on CD.

This is what we are using:

Ryan (6th grade)

Bible
Illuminations copywork
Illuminations Literature Guides for Read Alouds and Read Alones
Write Shop (Illuminations lessons)
Natural Speller (Illuminations lessons)
Mystery of History (Illuminations lessons)
Easy Grammar 6 (Illuminations lessons)
Christian Kids Explore Biology (Illuminations lessons)
English from the Roots Up (Illuminations lessons)
The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide (Illuminations lessons)
Teaching Textbooks 6 (not a part of Illuminations)
In addition, we will cover physical education, health education and various other topics particularly things I get to review on the TOS crew.

Emma (3rd grade)

Bible
Illuminations copywork
Illuminations Literature Guides for Read Alouds and Read Alone
Winning with Writing (not included in Illuminations)
Soaring with Spelling and Vocabulary (not included in Illuminations)
Growing with Grammar (not included in Illuminations)
Mystery of History (Illuminations lessons)
Christian Kids Explore Biology (Illuminations lessons)
English from the Roots Up (Illuminations lessons)
Hands On Geography (Illuminations lessons for Early Learners)
Life of Fred Elementary series and Daily Word Problems
(Emma will also cover the subjects above I mentioned for Ryan)

For my High School Students:

Rachel (11th grade)
Bible
Illuminations Literature Guides for Read Alouds and Read Alone
Write Shop (Illuminations lessons)
Easy Grammar Ultimate (no lessons necessary..you do one page a day)
Mystery of History (Illuminations lessons)
Apologia Physical Science (I prepared the lessons for this)
English From the Roots Up (Illuminations Lessons)
The Ultimate Geography and Time Line Guide (Illuminations)
Business Math (Paces)
Spanish (Mango Languages)

Kaitlyn (9th grade)
Katie is using the same curriculum as Rachel except she is taking
Life of Fred Beginning Algebra
French in 10 Minutes a Day

(Kaitlyn and Rachel will both study other topics including health and PE and parts of the Life 101 course also included in Illuminations.)

I have other children that are not using Illuminations but I'll discuss that in another post. In the coming weeks I hope to share about some of the curriculum I listed here and how we like it. I also hope to share about what the other children are doing.

We have completed 5 weeks of Illuminations and I just love it. I love the convenience of the schedule grids and I love the curriculum. We have really been enjoying the literature choices too. I was really worried just before school started that I had made a mistake and should have just stuck to what I already knew (mainly unit studies) but I am so happy that I purchased this.