College Kids–Save Some Money! Rent!

I’m going to date myself here . . . in the spring of 2013, it will be exactly 25 years since I graduated from high school.  One of the things that really made a huge impression on me that year was the cost of my college textbooks.  I attended a local community college and I think I paid more money for my textbooks than I did for the actual classes themselves! 

Back then, I was a packrat and thought I’d want to save all my books forever.  About 5 years later, while doing an attic clean-out, they all went to Goodwill.  Many of them were already outdated.  I regretted having spent all that money, and wished the option to rent textbooks had been available to me. 

Recently, I’ve been introduced to Campus Book Rentals.  This site allows college students to rent their books at a fraction of the price of purchasing new.   Now, I don’t remember the exact textbooks that I had to buy for my classes those 20+ years ago; but, out of curiosity I wanted to see how much Campus Book Rentals might save me.  So, I looked up a Child Psychology textbook (one of the classes that I took).  This particular textbook sells for $187.  However, it can be rented for only $33.34 (a savings of $153.66)! 

Now, to me, that’s a no-brainer.  Especially for a textbook that, if you’re anything like me, you’ll never pick up again (it’ll just sit in a box in your attic collecting dust!) 

Campus Book Rentals offers:

-savings of 40-90% off of bookstore prices
-free shipping both ways
-the ability to highlight in the textbooks
-flexible renting periods

And, if that isn’t enough, they also donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented. (If you aren’t familiar with Operation Smile, they are an awesome organization that performs life changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it.)

If you’d like to learn a bit more about how Campus Book Rentals work, check out this informative video:

Yep, I’m left wondering where this service was 25 years ago.

If you’re in college, or maybe you’re the parent of a college student, would you consider Campus Book Rentals?  If you have experience with them, please leave me a comment.

Experiencing Lincoln

Several weeks ago, I posted about my anticipation of the soon-to-be-released film, Lincoln. 

Ashley and I found ourselves with some free time in our schedules this past Sunday afternoon – so we set out to see it.  Here was my FB status afterwards:

Despite the fact that the theater was packed and Ashley and I ended up in the 2nd row (HATE sitting up front!), we really, really enjoyed Lincoln. It's totally worth your time and money to see it. Highly recommend.

Yes, I hate sitting up front.  Yes, I hate crowded theaters.  I had all intentions of complaining afterwards that they would hold such a popular movie in one of the older, smaller theaters (while I believe the new Twilight film was being shown in not one – but two – of the newer, larger theaters).  Ggrrrr!!!  To me, that is just a sad commentary of our times.

But, I quickly became so engrossed in the movie and the story that was being so realistically portrayed in front of me, that I forgot all of my complaints. 

Gracie was interested in seeing the movie also, but wasn't sure about the PG-13 rating.  While there was some bad language used during the film, it was very understated (and, quite frankly, used at appropriate times).  I have been so frustrated during other films with a seemingly decent story that Hollywood seems to ruin by throwing in bad language, just because.  In this true story, which is set during a horrific time in our country’s history, I see the reason for any bad language that was used. 

There were certainly visions of war that were not pretty – there were scenes of many, many dead bodies scattered on battlefields.  There was a scene where Lincoln’s son Robert witnessed some medical employees dumping a large mound of amputated body parts.  It wasn’t easy to see – but it was factual. 

I would have no problem bringing this movie into our home.  I think Gracie could have handled this movie with no problem.  And, I think it is an important movie for we Americans to see.  Our country has strayed so far over the past 150 years. 

I would venture to guess that there were probably plenty of 12 year olds down the hall, watching movies about vampires.  Yet, the media would suggest shielding them from TRUTH? 

(I’m currently reading a little book called What Would Our Founding Fathers Think? by David Bowman that is cementing this idea into my head.  Our founding fathers would, no doubt, be ashamed of what we’ve done to the country that they worked so hard to establish.  Watch for a review of this book – coming soon – at Homeschool Mosaics.)

If you can get out to see this movie in theaters, I’d encourage you to do it.  I’m tempted to go back and see it again – sitting further back in the theater so I can really take it all in this time.  If Daniel Day Lewis doesn’t receive an Academy Award for this portrayal, there’s something wrong! 

Have you seen Lincoln?  What are your thoughts?

If you’re planning to share this movie with young people, there’s a neat book that’s been written as an accompaniment to the film that would be great to check out.  Click on the book cover at right for more information or to purchase (affiliate link used).

Have a Crafty Kid? Try Kelly Kits!

Kelly Kits encourage art play using a wide variety of creative tools & materials beyond what coloring books can offer and are the perfect holiday gift for your creative kiddo!  For 72 hours only Kelly Kits is having a site wide sale where all products are 10% off!  Get your favorite little artist a years worth of art kits or a special gift pack with 5 activities that explore the five discipline of art:  Drawing, Painting, Print Making, Collage & Sculpting!

I have some kids at my house that would LOVE these kits!  Who will YOU be buying for?

The Beginner’s Bible App for iPad

I’ve  been a long-time fan of The Beginner’s Bible.  Both my girls (now 18 and 12) received copies of the Bible when they were dedicated.  Those Bibles got a LOT of use over the years, as we’d read the stories over and over again at bedtime. 

So, I was excited when I heard that they had released a new app for the iPad.  Ian loves playing on the Ipad, so I figured he would enjoy the app.   Here’s a bit about the app from the website:

The bestselling Bible storybook of all time with over 6 million copies sold is now available in an iPad app that includes enhanced audio with compelling narration, music, and sound effects that help bring 94 Bible stories to life like never before.

With Bible characters you can touch, coloring pages, puzzles, and games, this special iPad edition of The Beginner’s Bible brings God’s Word to children ages 2-6 in an engaging and interactive way.

Ian is 6 now, so he’s on the upper end of the suggested age range.  He played for awhile, but soon tired of it. 

I have to admit that even I had fun with the coloring pages!  I love those!

You can download the first “Story Pack”, which includes 6 stories, coloring pages, puzzles, and game, is included in your app download, completely FREE!

Unlock all story packs of 6 Bible stories each with coloring pages, puzzles, and games with in-app purchases of only $1.99 each. The second Story Pack is available for in-app purchase now with additional Story Packs releasing between now and the next three to five months.

Check it out for yourself (and your little ones)!

Magical Mouse Schoolhouse by Jodi Whisenhunt

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, then surely you’ve picked up on some of the things that I’m passionate about:

1. Disney!  I love Disney.  I’d live at Walt Disney World if it were an option (and I pray that someday it will be!)

2. Homeschooling.  We’ve been homeschooling since my oldest was in Kindergarten and there’s no end in sight – since Ian’s only in first grade this year.  I know the time will pass much too quickly though.  I love the extra time it allows for me to spend with my kids – and that I can learn right along with them!

3. Reading.  I’ve been an avid reader since I was very young.  Anytime I can lose myself in a good book, I’m there!

Now, what do you get when you take these three things, put them in a jar with a lid, and shake them up?  Well, let me tell you . . .

You get a book called MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE: Learn While You Play at Walt Disney World Resort. This book was written by my blogging friend – fellow Disney-lover and homeschooling mom – Jodi Whisenhunt. 

For the past several years, Jodi has been writing a blog by the same name – Magical Mouse Schoolhouse. After the prodding of friends to “write a book  based on the blog”, Jodi has done just that.  And the results are awesome!

So, what can you expect to find in Magical Mouse Schoolhouse?

The book is divided into 7 sections – one for each of the 4 parks at Walt Disney World resort, one for each of the 2 water parks, and one for “extras”.

Each park section is divided into 15 chapters.  Each chapter is devoted to a specific thing about that park – such as a certain attraction or a bit of information.  The water park sections each contain 5 chapters of similar content, while the last section contains 10 chapters of additional information that doesn’t pertain to a specific park. 

Each chapter starts with the information section.  I love these because Jodi writes in a personal style, so some of the chapters share her family’s personal experience with a certain attraction or topic.  In any case, they are always thorough and informational.  Then, the second section of each chapter is what Jodi calls “Today’s Takeaway”.  There is where the “homeschooling” comes into play in the book.  These takeaways are extensions of the topics – they cover areas such as science (biology, zoology, physics, etc.), home economics, the arts (drama, photography, etc.), physical education, social studies, family fun, and much more!

There are activity ideas for preschoolers, right on up through high school level.  While Magical Mouse Schoolhouse doesn’t claim to be a full curriculum, it is filled with TONS of supplemental learning ideas – enough to expand your homeschool classroom for a long, long time! 

I’m one who likes to bring Disney home with me after our vacations – and we spend a long, long time planning our trips too.  That way, we always seem to have Disney with us, even when we aren’t actually there.  Using the ideas in this book will be one more way to have a touch of Disney in our lives when we are feeling separated from the parks. 

Even if you’re not a homeschooling family, you can certainly benefit from this book.  Taking the kids out of school for a Disney trip often means you need to show some learning was taking place on your trip --- use some of the ideas in this book to present to your child’s teacher, then follow up by showing proof of the learning!  And, if you’re a classroom teacher, you can also utilize these ideas with the students in your classroom – because we all know that sometimes both you and the kids could use a break from the traditional textbooks! 

Reading, Homeschooling, and Disney all rolled into one resource!  You might guess I’m pretty excited about it!

You can purchase your own copy of Magical Mouse Schoolhouse at Amazon.com.  It’s available in both paperpack and Kindle editions. 

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book with the intent that I would read it and share about it on my blog.  I only share honest reviews. This post contains affiliate links.

My Well Planned Day Goes Digital! (Giveaway)

Several years ago, I co-created another well-known planner in the homeschool marketplace – a .pdf format planner that could be used entirely online, or printed out and bound to create your own personalized planner.  Because of my connection to that particular planner, I resisted the urge to check out the other planners that were out there (even though I’m a known planner/planning junkie!)  This year, though, I decided it was high time to make some changes in my life – and the lives of my children – when it comes to our homeschool planning. 

Despite my creation of said-planner, I have always created personal planning forms for my kids.  I like things to be exactly the way I want them – I know that might sound picky, but it’s just the way I roll.  This year, though, with Gracie entering the 8th grade, I really felt that it would be beneficial for her to take a more active role in her school planning.  So, I went in search of a printed planner that might work for her. 

What I ended up with was the Student Planner from The Well Planned Day.  I posted about my early experience with that planner over at Homeschool Mosaics several weeks ago.  Quite honestly, we have had a busy summer and really haven’t gotten much further into our school year – but we have used the planner to schedule in all of her music lessons and various field trips.  And, I’m continuing to really like the format for her. 

A few weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to test (and give away!) the brand new DIGITAL VERSION of The Well Planned Day.  I wasn’t 100% sure that I really “needed” the extra planning software, but I was curious to see what all it had to offer.  And I thought it might be a good way for me to oversee ALL that is going on in our homeschool – Ian’s first grade work, our busy family schedule, etc. 

While I must admit that, with our crazy-busy summer, I haven’t had a lot of time to really dig into this software, there are definitely a few things that I’ve observed about it that I really like:

• It is fully customizable (if you click on this link you can see all the color options that are available – and, while this might seem trivial, I love things to be pretty and “me” so this is a great addition!)
• You can create separate records for individual students.  Within those accounts, you can have various file folders for different things – projects, field trips, extracurricular activities, etc.
• I’ve talked about our homeschool portfolios in the past.  While I love creating them as keepsakes for my kids, they do take up space and space is always limited.  This year, we decided to go paperless with our portfolios.  With this software, you can keep record of your children throughout their school years (in other words, this software will last you through your homeschool career – not just for one year, like a paper/print planner). 
• It’s more than just for school.  This planner gives you the option of tracking your budget, keeping your family calendar, creating chore charts, making your menu, and much more!  I love that it’s so versatile.
• And, did I mention that it’s pretty?  Yep, I think I did.

Now, all that being said, this is just a planner software – it’s not your brain.  Therefore, there is a learning curve involved.  I still haven’t figured out all the features.  (But, then again, I really haven’t had the time.)  I look forward to investigating it further over the weeks to come. 

So, what do you think?  Have you looked into this program at all for your homeschool?  Are you maybe sitting on the fence, not quite sure if you’re ready to invest the $65 to try it out?  If so, then I think you’ll be pleased with this ---
Just for reading this post on Heidi’s Head, you are entitled to purchase My Well Planned Day Software for $15 off!  Just enter this code at checkout: 05wpdblog12 (the code is case sensitive, contains no spaces, and expires on October 1, 2012).

I also have ONE COPY of the software to give away to one of my readers.  If you would like to win, simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions in the widget below.  (Please note that due to international sweepstakes laws, this giveaway is for US entries only.) 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: This giveaway is not connected to any social media site. I received a free access code for the software, in the hopes that I would try it out in my home and share my thoughts on it.  I only ever share things that I feel will be beneficial to my readers.  This giveaway is sponsored by Home Educating Family.

Win a Mickey Mouse Greenhouse!

Earlier this year, I posted about our Princess Castle Greenhouse and the great experience that the kids and I had with growing our flowers in it.  Now, I’ve got a great opportunity for you to enjoy a Disney greenhouse of your own!

I’m teaming up with Miracle-Gro Kids to offer one lucky reader a Mickey Mouse Greenhouse.

The Disney Mickey Mouse Greenhouse boasts the iconic shape of the most famous mouse in the world!  Alongside Mickey Mouse and his pals, kids will enjoy the fun of growing a bountiful vegetable garden with the Miracle-Gro® Gro-Pod™ system.  Adult supervision recommended.

This greenhouse has a retail value of $12.99 and is available at Peachtree Playthings.  However, you can win one simply by following the Rafflecopter directions below to enter! 

Before we get to that, though, here’s a bit more information from Miracle-Gro Kids:

Teaming up again with renowned lawn and garden care business, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Peachtree Playthings® continues to turn a classic hobby into a fun, interactive and easy activity for children with their Miracle-Gro® Kids gardening sets.  The 2012 product line includes innovative and Disney themed sets that are packed with the essentials, including seeds, plant care instructions and specially-formulated Gro-Mix™ that gives kids everything they need as seeds blossom into sprouts within weeks.  With non-toxic, color-changing planting mix that indicates when it is time to water, parents can rest easy as their kids learn and have fun growing plants on their own.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fun Summer Learning Ideas

Ideally, Fridays are supposed to be my day to share updates on how things are going in our homeschool.  We actually do school in the summer months – we just started earlier this week.  We start slow (basically, Gracie has only done 2 days of math so far).  Today, I plan to add in some Bible and maybe another subject. 

Anyway, whether you homeschool or not, there are lots of things you can be doing with your kids during the summer months to keep the learning alive.  Here are some suggestions from Commonwealth Connections Academy (here in PA):

Vote for Summer Learning With Your Children This Summer
With an eye on the upcoming election, these fun summer activities keep kids engaged in learning, prepared for the new school year.

Learning over the summer doesn’t have to be a drag for your children – it can actually be a lot of fun.   In July and August, “vote” for learning by tapping into one of 2012’s biggest current news items.

Research shows that when students don’t engage in educational activities over the summer, “summer learning loss” can occur --- meaning more time will be spent reviewing previously learned knowledge and concepts once school begins.

Educators at Pennsylvania public cyber school Commonwealth Connections Academy suggest that parents looking to support summer learning in the home to develop a fun learning theme – like the upcoming presidential election – to help with planning and lend structure to activities.  After all, politics and social studies don’t have to be a dreaded subject by even young students!

To get you started, here are Connections Academy’s Top Ten Election Education Activities to allow children to have fun while practicing math and English skills --- while learning about the United States’ democratic process at the same time.

1.   Don’t argue, debate! –A light-hearted “formal” debate offers children the opportunity to analyze their opinions, organize thoughts, and speak in front of a group. Whether your family is debating whether or not to add a hamster or a puppy to the family, EducationWorld.com offers some great tips and ideas to get you started. 

2.   Walk the footsteps of our nation’s leaders – Take a day trip to local historical sites, government buildings, and, homes of past Presidents. Many offer guided tours and have historical documents and artifacts on display.

Living in Pennsylvania, we often have the unique opportunity to show students Philadelphia, PA – where our nation first began! Visit the National Park Service’s National Historic Landmarks website to scout out your adventure.

3.    Vote for… dinner! – “Nominate” two dinner choices and explain that you will hold an election to determine the winner.  Make campaign posters, a ballot box, and paper ballots; count ballots to bring out math skills or introduce new vocabulary words such as nominate, election, and more. 

4.    Start (Electoral) College early – Older students will most certainly review the Electoral College in the fall. To learn more about this complex system, visit the National Archives and Records Administration’s page on the U.S. Electoral College. Students can even try predicting who will win the next presidential election with the Electoral College Calculator.

5.    Climb the branches of government – Have your children research and create a visual representation of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of government.  Use reference materials or other online resources to gather facts.

6.    Get presidential with poetry –Have children start with, “If I were President, I would…” and encourage them to fill in the rest with a paragraph or more (depending on the child’s age) about what they would strive for as President.  Children can even send their thoughts to the President by visiting the White House website.

7.    Learn about local officials – Have your child practice research skills and report writing when they write about a local official.  You can also take a short trip to your state Senator and/or Representatives district office so your child can ask questions of their staff, and gather information.

8.    Explore the free Election 2012 Activity Pack– Pearson is offering an interactive online resource that is with games, a student-friendly blog, historical facts, profiles of the candidates, and much more.
 
9.    And, as always, read with your children–Libraries offer many children’s books about government, the election process, presidents, and more for parents and children to enjoy together.  Check out titles like Duck for President and others on the U.S. Senate’s kid’s bookshelf – a great resource for books about how government works, the constitution, and more.

**For more Summer Learning Tips, visit Connections Academy’s online newsroom and blog.

Enrollment for Connections Academy virtual schools is going on now.  To learn more visit www.ConnectionsAcademy.com.

Princess Castle Greenhouse

My love for Disney is so obvious on my blog that even MiracleGro took notice of it!  Recently, they contacted me and asked if the kids and I would like to review one of the new products from the MiracleGro Kids line – the Princess Castle Greenhouse.  Two things immediately came to mind:

1. It’s a Disney-related product, so of course we want to review it!  We love all things Disney here!
2. And, there are colorful flowers involved and it’s the perfect time of year to be thinking about adding some color to our flowerbeds. 

We received the kit a few weeks ago, but life has been insanely busy around here and we just finally found the time to really dig into it and check it out - - - it was worth the wait!

After getting everything out of the box, Gracie organized it and got right to work following the directions to put our greenhouse together.  The directions were easy enough for a young child to follow (the box recommends the product for ages 5+ and I think that’s very appropriate.  Ian could have easily assembled it as well.

The greenhouse includes a base, insert (to hold the planting cups, 4 “walls” and a “roof”.  Everything fits together nicely. 

Already I was thinking that this kit was just pretty darn cute, and we hadn’t even started doing the “real” part of the project yet --- the plants!

Next on the list of things to do was to take the Gro-Mix packet and add water to it.  It was fun to watch the mix expand in the bowl!

We filled the Grow-Pod Containers (plastic cups) with the Gro-Mix (as directed).  Then, we added a different kind of seeds to each cup (the kit includes sunflowers and both pink and white cosmos).

Once the seeds were placed in the cups, we added a thin layer of Gro-Mix to the top and inserted the labels in each cup.

The lid was put in place; and we placed the greenhouse in a sunny window in our living room. 

Now, all that’s left to do is wait and watch our plants grow! 

I love that the directions include information about watering your plants (and when). I will be the first to admit that I do not have much of a green thumb; so the additional instructions are welcome!  It should be simple to know when watering is needed as the Gro-Mix will actually change color to a light brown.  Yeah!

There is also information about the three different kinds of plants.  Another thing I don’t possess is a tremendous amount of patience; so I’m excited to see that we should see the sunflowers sprouting leaves in 5-8 days, followed by the cosmos plants in 7-15 days. 

While we’re waiting, MiracleGro Kids included a Growth Chart for the kids to plot the growth of the plants, as well as an Informational Pyramid full of helpful tips.

I’ll be sure to update later with the status of our plants.  We are already looking forward to being able to transplant them outdoors once they grow a bit.

These kits are available at your favorite local retailer, such as Wal-mart, K-mart, Lowes, or Home Depot.  In addition to the Princess Castle Flower Garden Greenhouse that we received, there is also a Pixie Hollow Flower Garden Greenhouse and a Mickey Mouse Vegetable Garden Greenhouse available also.

These products would not only make great gifts for any Disney-loving child in your life, but they also make a great homeschooling project and an opportunity to teach your child more about plants and  gardening.  Be sure to check them out!

NOTE: I received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my posting about it on my blog. I never recommend a product that I do not personally test and believe to be of good quality and beneficial to my readers.

Kids & Chores

Currently, my kids are saving money for an upcoming Disney trip, so it’s easy to get them to do their chores.  (I posted about our Disney chore charts earlier this year.) However, I must say that I have been putting a lot of thought into how I am going to keep them doing their chores when we return from our vacation.  Ideally, it would be nice to always have some big upcoming event to “bribe” them with; but that’s not always possible.

I’ve been looking for an alternative method of encouraging my kids to do chores; so when I came across an online Chore Chart, I got nothing short of excited.  My kids absolutely love being online!  And while, as a parent, I try to limit the time they spend on the computer, I knew having a chore chart like that would totally appeal to them. 

I immediately set out to create a chore chart for Ian (5).  You are  given the opportunity name your chart, and set it up for e-mail reminders (if desired). There is a nice selection of background images to choose from, so you can really customize the charts to suit your child’s personality.  Once you’ve decided on the theme, you are then further able to customize the chart by adding in the responsibilities.  These fall into categories – Chores & Responsibilities, Behavior Goals, Healthy Habits, and even an area where you can create a custom addition.

After you’ve done that, you have an online chore chart that your kids can see, access, and add “stickers” to as they complete their required tasks.  These, too, have lots of options – so there’s definitely something your child will love!

So, what do I love about this?  Well, first of all, it’s FREE.  Secondly, it’s online and interactive, which means I don’t have to print out a chore chart each week (wasting paper and computer ink) and make sure I always have stickers on hand. Also, the homeschool mom in me likes the fact that a system like this could help teach kids, tweens & teens many important lessons, including:

• Responsibility; A Chore Chart is an ideal way to help your kids feel like they are making a contribution to their family by doing their part around the house.
• Understanding right from wrong; Setting behavior goals is an important way to help children strengthen their character and judgment.
• Healthy Habits; Teaching good habits involving nutrition and physical activity are the cornerstone of prevent obesity in children and adolescents.
• Money Matters; The optional point system teaches children three important lessons for managing money; earning, spending and saving.

What do you do to keep your kids active with their chores?  Would you consider an online program like  this?  If so, what appeals to you about it?

Celebrate the Journey with Apologia Live!

Last July, I shared about a luncheon that I attended in Baltimore with the ladies from the Apologia Live Retreats.  It was a great time of fellowship with other homeschool moms (who are in the trenches just like me) and refreshment (for me, personally).  At that time, I mentioned that I would be giving away a ticket to an upcoming Apologia Live event.  And guess what?  Now is the time!

This year’s Apologia Live theme is Celebrate the Journey - - -

Celebrate the Journey of homeschooling, wifehood, and being a mom during the good times, the bad times and yes, even the ugly times.  Join us as we look at the scriptures and seek encouragement from veteran homeschool moms on how to Celebrate the Journey!

Apologia Live invites you to a retreat designed to encourage and support homeschool moms.

Meetings will be held this spring in Baltimore, MD (March 9 – 10) and Atlanta, GA (March 23 – 24).

I have one regular ticket to give away to one of my readers!  This ticket is valued at $115 and includes the Live Event only (6 General Sessions and 2 Prayer Sessions on Friday afternoon and evening, starting at 3:30 pm and running through Saturday at 4:15 pm. The Retreat price also includes lunch on Saturday.)  Hotel reservations and the additional Nuts & Bolts pre-Live session will be the winner’s responsibility.  Winner will have their choice of attending either the Baltimore or Atlanta event. 

If you are looking for refreshment, encouragement, and fellowship, I’d highly encourage attending Apologia Live!  I have never attended before – but I’ve spent time with some of the speakers and know them personally and I’ve been listening to past Live events on cd. 

If you’d like to register on your own, you are more than welcome to do so.  They are offering a great Buy 2,  Get 1 Free Special.

FYI: I plan to attend the event in Baltimore and would love to meet you!

Now, on to the giveaway . . .

I want to keep this simple so we’ll just have one mandatory entry – simply leave a comment to this post telling me why you would like to win this ticket to Apologia Live and which location you will be attending if you win. 

If you’d like more opportunities to win, you can choose from the following list (please leave a separate comment for each on that you do do):

• Visit the Apologia Live Blog and look around.  Come back here and tell me one thing that you learned about the Apologia Live conferences.
• Like Apologia on FB to learn more about the Live events.
• Follow Apologia Live on Twitter.

I will leave this contest open for 2 weeks and will select a winner on Monday, January 16th.

NOTE: The ticket for this giveaway is being provided by Apologia Live. I will also be attending the event for free as a gift to me in exchange for helping to promote the event.  I do not promote anything on my blog that I don’t personally believe in.

Holiday Learning Tips

I received the following tips from Commonwealth Connections Academy.  These are some great ideas for keeping your kids’ bodies and minds active during the school break (these are applicable to both homeschoolers and those with your kids in a traditional school setting).  I hope you’ll read them and let me know if you decide to use any of them.

No Holiday Homework:
But it’s Important to Keep Learning Alive During Winter Break
Commonwealth Connections Academy Virtual School
Offers Tips for Families

The winter break from school usually means no homework, but families can keep learning alive with some fun and educational tips from Commonwealth Connections Academy. There are a variety of low-cost opportunities for parents to use to keep their children’s minds sharp while they’re not in school. The educators at Commonwealth Connections Academy have come up with a great list of suggestions for activities and teachable moments. With each idea listed below it may be helpful to assess your child’s comprehension level and take breaks to answer questions.

Writing Family and Friends – Build on your student’s writing abilities and penmanship by having them personalize holiday greeting cards and letters to relatives. Expand their knowledge of geography by exploring where the card recipient lives and have them find that town on a map. Hand-written thank you notes promote social skills. Encourage your child to trace their family tree; asking older relatives about their stories. This will also improve writing and research skills.

Cooking up Skills – There are a number of learning opportunities in the kitchen which incorporate science, math, reading, writing and vocabulary skills. Children can look up ingredients for a recipe the dictionary, calculate the costs for each item in the grocery store, then help measure, pour, bake, boil and use other cooking techniques. Check out this link to see science experiments specially designed for the kitchen.

Arts and Crafts – Gift wrapping is a great way to help kids enhance their math skills by using a tape measure or ruler to figure out the correct size of wrapping paper to use. They can also get creative and make their own wrapping paper out of newspaper and grocery bags, ribbons and other materials you have around the house. Or perhaps you have an amateur photographer in your family who might enjoy taking holiday pictures for a scrap book.

Travel or “Stay-cation” – A holiday road trip can give students a chance to show their knowledge of geography and you can take along questions from Commonwealth Connections Academy’s Quiz Bowl trivia game. You can also stick closer to home and have a “stay-cation” to a local museum or other educational sites.

Reading is Key – Show your children that reading can be fun with a trip to the local library to pick out a new book for them to read over the holidays. If you read to your students every day you’ll teach them a good habit they can carry into adulthood.

Physical Fitness – Help burn off all the calories from holiday treats with plenty of physical activity, indoors and out. If winter weather produces snow in your areas have the kids make snowmen and snow angels, go sledding or launch an old fashion snow ball fight.

Commonwealth Connections Academy is a tuition-free online public charter school in the state serving nearly 5,000 students in grades K-12. The school provides an individualized approach to learning with state certified teachers, a state standards aligned curriculum, state of the art technology and community experiences to create academic and emotional success for students.

Kids 7-12? Great last-minute gift idea (& giveaway!)

A few months ago, I had opportunity to share a review for an online social media site for girls, called Always Icecream.  Since the writing of that review, the founders of the website have released a new site for boys called Clever Dragons.

=> Both sites are geared toward children ages 7 – 12. 

=> They both providing various opportunities for playing and learning.  The learning portions include various subjects, such as language arts, math (both basic and advanced), geography, science, music, art, history, computer skills, foreign language, and Bible.

=> Kids love playing the games because they can earn fun rewards like medals (for achievement), virtual pets, and ice cream $coops (Always Icecream) or gold coins (Clever Dragons).  These things  can be used to access other fun content on the websites.

=> Parents love the sites  because they can control the fun.  Each week, parents receive e-mail reports with updates on their child’s learning progress.  Parents receive a complimentary account, alongside their child’s account, and can use this to enable or disable the “community features” (which enable children to communicate with other members).  Parents are also able to customize educational content and reward additional $coops and/or coins for things kids to “in real life” (such as chores and music practice, etc.)

=> Unlike some other social media websites, Always Icecream and Clever Dragons are safe for kids.  All content on the websites goes through a moderation process, contains no advertising, and is blocked to search engines.

=> While a large percentage of the children using these websites are homeschooled, homeschooling is not a requirement for membership.  The founders are homeschool parents, however, and the educational content on both sites has originated from that personal experience. 

Here’s a quick run-down of the features you can expect to find at Always Icecream and Clever Dragons:

• Learning Games and Rewards
• Educational Videos
• Shops and Games to Spend Rewards
• Weekly Progress Report to Parents
• Friends and Profiles
• Comments and Messages
• Entertaining Games and Videos as Rewards
• Social Games like Pet Sitting and Arts Shop
• Moderation prior to being visible to other members

And best of all --- Always Icecream and Clever Dragons guarantee your satisfaction. Your child will have fun and learn relevant skills – or you get your money back!!


So, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea for  that special child in your life, I’d love to recommend a membership to one of these websites.  The regular one-year membership price of $29.99 will currently get you an extra 6 months of membership for free (that’s 18 months for the price of 12).  You can sign up to join Always Icecream here, or Clever Dragons here.  Payment  can be made using credit card, debit card, or PayPal. 

~~~~~~~~

Guess what?  I’m giving away 4 FREE MEMBERSHIPS! 
I have one (1) LIFETIME membership to give away,
and three (3) ONE-YEAR (18 month) memberships.

If you’d like to win one of these memberships for that special child in your life,
simply fill out the form information below.

I’ll leave this contest open until
Thursday, December 22nd, at noon (est).
I’ll contact the winners right away, via e-mail,
so we have plenty of time to get those memberships set up before Christmas!

Big Book of History from Master Books®

Several weeks ago, I received something really cool in my mailbox.  It looks like this ===>

It’s called Big Book of History and it comes to us from one of my very favorite Christian publishers of educational materials – Master Books.

At first glance, you’ll think this large hard-bound item is just a book – but it’s so much more!  While you are certainly welcome to turn the pages and look at this like you would a regular book, you are also able to open up the entire thing and spread it out like a timeline (a 15 foot timeline, to be exact)!

Now, I need to insert a little homeschooling confession here ---
My kids do not like creating timelines.  And while the thought of them really appeals to me, I have to admit that I’ve not been too fond of the timelines we’ve done.  We’ve tried 3x5 card timelines and notebooking timelines.  The next format I was going to try was an online timeline.  I could just see my girls looking at me and rolling their eyes though. 

So, when the Big Book of History arrived at my door, I was excited!  This book/timeline covers 6,000 years of history, starting with the days of creation and working up to the year 2,010 (when “President Barack Obama declares the U.S. is no longer a Christian Nation”).  The pages are in full-color, making this timeline very visually appealing.  It is divided into color-coded lines, representing four different areas of history – Biblical/Christian, World Events, Inventions/Technology, and Civilizations/Empires – yet tying them all together in one great resource.

Since we have started back with ancient history again this year, this book will be a must-have resource for us for many years to come!  I’m excited about it because we can pull it out and refer to it whenever we want to (daily, even!) and I don’t have to listen to my kids complain!

While the Big Book of History is geared toward ages 7 – 13, I’d venture to guess that your older kids (and you) will get just as much enjoyment out of this book.  It sells for $19.99 and is well worth the price, as it’ll make a great addition to any homeschool bookshelf or church library.

If I didn’t describe it well enough, maybe this video will help:

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from Master Books and New Leaf Publishing Group.  I was under no obligation to write a review. I only share products that I feel are of good quality and worthy of my reader’s attention.

Homeschoolers – are you studying the American Revolution?

If the American Revolution is part of your plan of study for this year, then I think you’ll find this information very helpful to you!  FYI: On October 19, 1781, the British troops surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown, giving up any chance of winning the Revolutionary Way.

“Life, liberty, and…”
Are you a history buff? A student? A teacher?
Test Your Knowledge on The American Revolution Center’s Retooled Website

Kids, parents, teachers, and others interested in American history will find lots to enjoy on The American Revolution Center’s new website. It features an interactive timeline that allows you to virtually “handle” objects from the Center’s collection, a reading list, a searchable database of lesson plans, video podcasts, and the opportunity to test your knowledge about the American Revolution. By answering demographic questions, you can compare your answers with others who have taken the quiz.

• Do women know more about American history than men?
• Does political affiliation impact results?
• What generation knows the most about the American Revolution?

Find out by taking the survey and share your results on Facebook and Twitter.

Questions include:

• What are the inalienable rights stated in the Declaration of Independence?
• What are the opening words to the U.S. Constitution?
• Which document outlines the division of powers between the states and the federal government?

Visit www.americanrevolutioncenter.org to take the quiz and find out more about why we now enjoy the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!

The American Revolution Center is a non-partisan, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to engaging the public in the history and enduring legacy of the American Revolution. The Center is establishing The Museum of the American Revolution in historic Philadelphia.

Always Icecream

That should seriously be my motto – because, let’s face it, I LOVE ICE CREAM!  But, I must confess . . . when the information came through that the Crew would be assigned to review a new website for girls ages 7-12 called Always Icecream, my first thought was “oh great” (note: sarcastic tone).  I’m just not a huge fan of online learning websites for kids.  Maybe it’s because, thanks to my job with the Crew, I see an overabundance of them; and a person can only take so much of a good thing. 

In any case, my expectations for Always Icecream were not real high.  I figured that, when I presented the website to Gracie and told her we were to review it, that she’d groan.  But, boy, was I in for a  big surprise!

Gracie loves Always Icecream!

In fact, I think that she’s probably their biggest fan!  She would be on that website all day long if I’d allow it.  Too bad I’m a mean mom, right?  Anyway, the cool thing about Always Icecream is that, not only is it super fun for girls, but it’s also educational as well.  Since starting to use Always Icecream, she’s learned to identify ALL THE COUNTRIES in the world!  She’s been practicing lots of math facts (she loves math, so this is fun, not work!), parts of the body (which comes in handy since we’re doing Anatomy this year), and lots of Bible and history facts. 

Always Icecream is something like Facebook for girls.  They can interact with other “friends” in a secure, controlled, and safe environment.  I know this probably sounds trite, but Gracie has actually become more confident since using Always Icecream; and my former timid child is showing signs of leadership.

But, rather  than me bragging up Always Icecream, I’m going to turn the rest of this review over to Gracie, since she knows MUCH more about the site than I do . . .

I like A.I. because they have tons of games. Well, that’s ONE of the reasons anyway. They have geography games for every country, like Asia, Africa, and so on. They are also putting up 50 new games this school year. Maybe if I just do the 50 games, I can get out of doing school……

They also let you have friends, pets, and let you send mail to each other. There is also a game that lets you create art and furniture to sell in your shop so other girls can buy it for their houses. There is a person named “Aki”, that is automatically your friend. You can tell her ideas for A.I., any problems on the website, and more. There is also something called “Top 50 $coophunters” where you can get an item for your profile. To earn $coops, (which is money on A.I.,) you have to play A LOT of educational games. So if you learn a lot, they will reward you.

So, there you have it, straight  from the 11-year-old who is a proclaimed Always Icecream addict!  If you’d like to introduce Always Icecream to your child, go here. You and your daughter can try it out FOR FREE!  Then, if you decide you like it and would like to continue, various subscription rates are offered.

NOTE: We received a lifetime membership at Always Icecream, in order to use it and write an honest review. This review is part of the Homeschool Crew review program.  I was not obligated to write this review.  I only share products that I feel have merit for my readers.

Have you seen the Scruble Cube?

There’s a new word game on the market, and it’s called Scruble Cube.  That’s kinda fun to say, isn’t it?!

Members of  the Crew received the Scruble Cube to review.  When we received ours, and I opened the box, I was immediately excited.  See, I’m a sucker for a good word game, and this one is packaged so that the game is entirely visible from all sides – I couldn’t wait to get the box open and pull it out!  Thing is, though, I didn’t get a chance to play with it because Gracie snatched it from me and took off with it! 

Gracie’s 11, and words are not her thing – numbers are.  So, I was surprised when she took such an interest in a word game!  But, Scruble Cube isn’t just any word game.  It’s been said that it’s a cross between Scrabble (which I’ve personally never been a fan of) and a Rubiks Cube (remember the whole Rubiks craze of the 80’s?!) To Gracie, Scruble Cube appeared to be some sort of mind puzzle – and she’ll take that as a challenge any day!

Inside the packaging, in addition to the Scruble Cube itself, you’ll find a timer and instructions.  I didn’t feel that the packaging was really created for re-use, so I threw it away.  Hindsight would later tell me that was a mistake (but more on that later). 

So, how do you play Scruble Cube?  Well, as you can see by the picture to the left, you can turn the cube in various directions (think Rubiks).  Each lettered circle also contains a point value (think Scrabble).  And the really cool thing is that each circle is able to be rotated so that, when you find a word, you can turn all the letters so that they are facing the same direction.  Pretty cool, huh?  We think so!

In addition to the directions that are included in the packaging, Scruble Cube provided Crew members with some alternative directions and ideas for making game play extra educational.  Any game involving words is educational, but the extra ideas were fun and very welcome!  Do you think a word game could be beneficial for teaching math?  What about science?  That sounds somewhat ludicrous, right?  Well, think again.  You can see some of the great ideas for using Scruble Cube here.

I must share a personal story about the Scruble Cube and offer a shout-out to their exemplary customer service . . . We thought that, with the compact size of the Scruble Cube, it would make an ideal camping game for us (we recently purchased a camper and have been stocking it with good camping entertainment). Gracie came in the house one day – after having gone to the camper for something – just sobbing.  She had accidentally dropped our Scruble Cube and it broke into a million pieces (well, maybe just 96). Obviously, she adores the game!  After trying to console her, I e-mailed our contact  from Scruble Cube – Gracie was thrilled to hear that she would be putting a new cube in the mail to us.  And, let me tell you, we were not the easiest of customers – right after receiving our cube, I discovered that my 5-year-old son, Ian, had thrown the timer in the trash.  Scruble Cube had already replaced the timer – and now they were replacing the Cube as well. 

All that to say that the Cube is fragile.  Recommended age is 8+; but it should be explained that caution and care are needed.  Scruble Cube will stand behind their product though – which I find refreshing in today’s marketplace!

If you’re ready to purchase a Scruble Cube of your own, you may do so here.  The Scruble Cube sells for $24.95.

NOTE: I received a free Scruble Cube as part of the Homeschool Crew review program. I only share reviews of products that I have actually used in my home.

Carlito C. Caterpillar's MathHouse Games (& a giveaway!)

My Ian is a very special little boy!  He brings so much joy and laughter into our home.  But, he’s VERY DIFFERENT from my girls.  He’s 5 now, and I knew that we needed to start some “formal” schooling with him this year.  Boy, has he been teaching me a LOT of lessons!  Let’s just say it’s a very good thing that I receive so many great homeschool products as a result of my job.  Otherwise, I’d be very poor.  We try one thing, find it doesn’t work or he bores with it, and we’ve got more great things to move onto and try.  I’ll be posting more reviews of products that have worked this year with Ian, but today I’m talking about Carlito C. Caterpillar’s MathHouse Games . . .

Games have certainly proven to be a great way to teach Ian.  To him, it’s just quality bonding time with mom – he has no idea that he’s actually learning.  I feel almost deceitful playing games and calling it school; yet I’m seeing exactly how much he is learning and committing to memory through the use of games, and I’m amazed. 

Here’s a bit about these math games:

Carlito C. Caterpillar's MathHouse™ Game Cards
Based on Domenico’s proprietary 20 Step Sensory Math Teaching System
Featuring two uniquely designed games to demonstrate each step (40 games in all)
The set contains

• 30 double-sided, full color, illustrated Game Cards
• Related editorial information explaining to parents The What, Why and How of Each Step
• Each 8" x 4" loose leaf card is printed on heavy card stock, lacquered to help protect from spills and ring bound to keep together and facilitate play

While we haven’t had time to actually play many of these games yet, I know these will come in handy over the next few years.  I was impressed just reading the introductory cards.  A few things stood out to me that I wanted to share . . .

When primary age children are asked “What is your favorite subject?”, a great number say “math.” Ask the same question to older students, and the answer changes.  Why? The approach veers away from play and games to the 3 R’s: rules, repetition, and rote.

I found this to be a true scenario with my oldest daughter, Ashley (who is now 17).  I started out homeschooling her and she loved math.  I sent her to public school for 2 1/2 years (from 2nd-4th grade) and she came home absolutely hating math.  What happened in that time?  The fun of math was taken away from her. 

I found the Myths and Realities of Early Mathematical Learning to be very informative also. You can read these for yourself here.

Many of the math games require manipulatives that can be downloaded on the website. Printable achievement certificates can also be printed out at this same link.

These games are appropriate for preschool through middle-elementary grades.

Would you like to try Carlito C. Caterpillar’s MathHouse Games with your child(ren)?  Great!  I have one free copy of these math cards to give away to one of my readers!  Click on the “read more” link below to find out how YOU can win!

Homeschoolers – do you LOVE Disney, like me?

If so, then you might be interested in having your kids take part in the Earn Your EARS program, put together by Jodi over at Magical Mouse Schoolhouse.  I asked Jodi to share a bit about the program and how it works with my readers ---

MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE is a unique blog that plusses the homeschool experience and prompts home educators to think outside the textbook. Our bi-weekly posts expose teachable moments in Walt Disney entertainment, from the history of Walter Elias Disney to Audio-animatronics, from theme park attractions to Disney conservation efforts, ending each article with creative ways to learn while you play when Disney IS school.

Magical Mouse Schoolhouse’s Enriching Academic Reward Series, or Earn Your E.A.R.S., a FREE monthly incentive program, kicks the blog concept up a Disney notch.

As a homeschooler, I emphasize learning. I do not stress getting good grades, and so my children do not always appreciate the value of a high score. I would rather see them grasp concepts than celebrate or despair over rankings. Earn Your E.A.R.S. stimulates students to do their best. It motivates them to complete their assignments and gives them the desire to do more. 

Here's how Earn Your E.A.R.S. works:

1. If you have not previously done so, register your students by submitting the registration form between the 1^st through the 5th of each month.
2. Magical Mouse Schoolhouse will email your assignment by the 5th of each month.
3. Have your students complete and return the assignment by the last day of the month to receive an incentive reward. Please note that Earn Your E.A.R.S.  is not a standalone curriculum; it enhances students' current course loads and rewards their diligent efforts. Magical Mouse Schoolhouse will NOT assign grades. We are interested in completion and education.
4. Students who complete ALL NINE MONTHS' assignments will receive a Certificate of Completion and small "graduation" gift in June.

Earn Your E.A.R.S. is open to all skill levels. If you registered your children last year, you are still in the system and do not need to sign up again. The program runs August through May of each school year and takes the month of December off.

Contact Jodi Whisenhunt at jodi(at)magicalmouseschoolhouse(dot)com for more information.

Magical Mouse Schoolhouse is sponsored by 3D Travel Company, an Earmarked Disney Travel Agency.

Introducing THEO (& a giveaway!)

I love having the ability to share the gospel with my children through multimedia products like music and DVD’s.  While there are some good-quality, Christian DVD products out there for kids, there’s definitely room (and need) for more.  So, I was pleased to hear about the Theo Presents series. Michael Joens may be best known for producing and directing the “McGee and Me” and “Adventures in Odyssey” series. While Theo Presents was in his head for many, many years, God just recently opened the doors for Michael to produce this new series.  Mike’s hope is that God will use Theo to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children and adults in every country of the world!

Theo Presents is centered around the adventures and teachings of the main character, Theo, a student of Godʼs Word. Theo lives in a cozy corner of a quaint English village, in the heart of the Cotswolds, and entertains many guests, including two mice, Belfry and Luther.
The animation series of Theo guides children and adults through a careful study of systematic theology. Theo discusses doctrines about sin, Godʼs character, the Bible, salvation and godly living with easy-to-understand illustrations that make children want to learn more about the Christian faith.
Theo Presents recognizes a universal fact: children and adults alike love cartoons. Theo captures the attention of young minds with liberal amounts of humor and high quality animation to present the Gospel of the Christian faith through the teachings of Theo and with the use of his two object lessons, Belfry and Luther.
Theo Presents is designed to serve as a multi-media resource tool that will help men, women and children fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, to go into all the world and make disciples and to teach those disciples Godʼs Word. The multi-media outlets include a DVD series, curriculum, books and audio CD series. Each of these facets are designed to work with one another or individually.
Theo was created to reach kids of all ages. The lessons and teachings of Theo can be used for Sunday school lessons, Christian school curriculum, missions, evangelism and homeschooling. The overall purpose of Theo Presents is to provide as many tools as possible to help present the Gospel to many kids and audiences around the world.

The DVD that we received to review is called Introducing Theo and contains two videos.  The first is Saving Faith and the second (bonus video) is Good News. Being the Disney fanatic that I am, as soon as the video started, I commented that the library scene reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.  My kids caught on and found other Disney similarities – for example, the two mice in the series reminded us of Gus and Jaq in Cinderella (as did the bluebird).
The animation is great, the characters are fun, and the storyline is spectacular.  The gospel is presented clearly and forthrightly. Sin is presented as the separation between God and man, and salvation is presented as the only way to close that separation gap.
To me, these videos are way too short.  I found myself wanting more.  However, on the other hand, my teacher’s brain was thinking that these would make great introductions to a Sunday School class or children’s Bible study.  Watch the short video, and then discuss what was presented. 
On the Theo Presents website, you will find free downloadable coloring pages for kids.  Parent Guides are also available and would be useful for both homeschool parents and Sunday School teachers.

 

I have two copies of Introducing Theo to give away to 2 lucky readers. To enter, please click the “read more” link below . . .