Friday, February 28, 2014

Blogging Through the Alphabet: U is For #abcblogging

I thought I would do something a little different for U.  I made an acrostic poem.  There were so many words that came to mind to blog about for U but there wasn't one that jumped off the screen for me. . . so this is what I ended up with:



Unique!  I have to say Unconditional and Understanding were close runner ups.  So what is my acrostic talking about?  My Love for my kids! 

Hope you enjoyed this little post.  It is part of Blogging through the alphabet at Benandme.com. 


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Glam it Up with Ipsy.com! #Review

A few of my friends have been receiving Ipsy bags for quite a few months.  At first I wasn't interested because a $10 commitment each month is pretty steep.  Then I saw the products they were getting and how much it was to try new things... and I FELL. 

While this is a review I want to state that Ipsy did not send me any product to review.  I paid the subscription price out of my own pocket! 

So for Ipsy you sign up and they charge you $10 on the first of the month. ( It is a monthly subscription service.) You don't know what your getting - they randomly choose products based on a questionnaire you fill out.  The mid month they release some hints on their website.  At this point you have two options.  Either stay tuned or stay off the site because eventually they tell you what exactly is in your bag.  So if you like surprises don't peek!

Then about the 15th of the month you should receive your Ipsy bag.  You are supposed to receive a tracking number but I never got one.  I also didn't get my bag until the 18th of the month. 

Here is what came:


I LOVE the pick mail packaging!!



Each month you get a little bag and this month's was hot pink.  *CUTE*

Glamorous eyelashes - saving those for special occasion

The color is Fresh Melon and I LOVE it!  This is an amazing blush.  Soft and long lasting.

This looks more brownish in person.  A good spring color for nails.

spot reducing gel.  ehhh not a fan but it is a tiny lil jar

Peony Petal.  This was really more mauvy pink.  I like the packaging and the color. 

So what are my overall thoughts?  I'm actually pretty happy.  I think for a love theme they nailed it by way of pinky colors.  I will actually use all the products which is another hit for me.  Each bag is different and there were some things this month that I wouldn't have liked as much so I think Ipsy did pretty well with their picks for me. 

I'm going to do another one of these reviews next month so you can see another bag and if this is something you would like.  At $10 it is not bad as a little beauty treat. 

Now if you would like to sign up for Ipsy I suggest doing it fast because they have a small amount of openings each month and they fill fast.  I fast tracked my account by sharing on facebook (they give you the option.) and was only waitlisted for a few minutes.  Next month's billing will be on March 1st.

If you would like to join please use my link.  Ipsy gives you referral points when friends sign up and after collecting 1000 points you can redeem for a free product!  I'm almost there!

If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer just leave them in the comments!

This post contains a referral link.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Plugged In - Using Technology In Your Homeschool!

Homeschool Technology


Plugged In - Using Technology In Your Homeschool!


In our home we really like to keep our big kids unplugged.   While that is our philosophy it isn't very practical in this day and age.  So we have slowly allowed some screen time in.  The kids use Teaching Textbooks for Math ( a computer based Math program)  on a computer in their bedroom.  We don't allow that particular computer to be hooked to the internet so it is just for school work.

They also do quizlet and Mango homeschool online.  My oldest received a Windows Tablet for Christmas so he does that work on his tablet.  This frees up the other two computers (mine for blogging and the laptop for his 11 year old brother to do quizzlet.)  While I'm not a fan overall I see how this really has helped us to accomplish more this year because my oldest can go in his room and complete his tasks easily and quietly.  This is very important when you have a three year old brother playing loudly!

So how do we keep the balance?

1.  Math is done in the bedroom alone (they share so only one kid is in there while they do their work.)
2.  My 13 yr hands his tablet back to us when schoolwork is done.
3.  11 year old does his computer work at the table with us.



This has worked well for us this year.  Now we also have a variety of gaming systems which my kids enjoy very much.  (this includes tablets.)  They are not allowed to play any of them from Monday- Wednesday.  On Thursday-Sunday they are only allowed free time if they have completed schoolwork and have a clean room. 


I also use technology to teach.  During  history I often have my iphone next to me or even one of my tablets.  This allows me to look up Bible verses or go to a website recommended in our history.  We don't have to take the time to load up the computer or move our stuff to where it is located.  I can just pass the device to the kids to see.

Additional tips:

  • My Bible app on my iphone is the quickest way to look up verses.

  • I don't like my Samsung Galaxy 2 tablet at all.  It is not user friendly and hard to look things up on it.

  • The kindle Fire has been a big help with reading books - and it is easy to use.  It doesn't have java so you can't do everything the windows tablet can. 

  • The Windows Tablet my 13 year old has is basically the best of both worlds: tablet/laptop.  This is perhaps the favorite technology we have.



This post is part of  SchoolhouseReviewCrew.com.

This post contains affiliate links.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Water & Weather: From the Flood to Forecasts - Book Review



I'm pleased to be bringing a new monthly feature to A Rup Life.  (You can read my previous reviews here.)  I'm a member of Moms of Masterbooks and will be bringing a new book for review each month.  In the past their have been some pretty awesome books - most which are perfect for homeschoolers!

This month we had the priveledge to review Water & Weather:  From the Flood to Forecasts by Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves.  This book is set up simply with a little reading and an experiment for each section.  There are 20 sections and each has an experiment or activity.

About:

  • Learn about zones in the ocean, from warm, clear water to the deepest, coldest places
  • Find out the facts about the weather cycle, earth's purification system, weather instruments, and more!
  • Discover the important connection between water and fossils—how this helped to form, alter, and reveal them
Science unfolds as activities bring alive the natural curiosity of children. This new title covers not only the weather and varying climates around the world, but explores the results of weather events in the past. The great Flood was a cataclysmic event that left behind fossils, and these impressions reveal much about what happened during and after this historical event. Form a connection between this biblical history and the world experienced outside your door as natural processes like rain and wind are shown to be forces at work in the environment!

Our experiment:

We did experiment #19 - From Gentle Breezes to Dangerous Winds
 Tornado in a Bottle





My Thoughts:

If you have a kid that likes hands on science this is a great book.  Each section is broken up in to bite sized chunks so it is easy to complete.  For most of the activities we had stuff on hand we could use - or could have with a little planning (such a saving a 2 liter bottle.)  My only compliant is that they don't  give you more explanations with the experiments.  I really loved the reflection questions at the end of each chapter.  This book is a great course for studying weather with a biblical worldview which fits nicely into our homeschooling philosophy. 

You can purchase this book online at nlpg.com or amazon


Be sure to join us for the Facebook Party at  Master Books on February 25th at 7pm CST.  This is a great chance to learn more about the book and maybe even win a prize! 

This post contains affiliate links.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

T is for Transformation! #abcblogging

I remember the day I was transformed!  I was sixteen years old and I knelt next to my bed and accepted Jesus. 

Looking back I was young and had no idea that I would need Jesus as much as I did and I do.  See my Mom was very sick back then and it was Jesus that got me through those tough times.  When she went to heaven it was that assurance that I would meet her again that got me through.

I jump ahead and a bit off topic.  Transformation is the topic at hand. 

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  - Romans 12:2

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  - I Corinthians 5:17

See when I met Jesus that day I was a changed person.  Some things became easier - like praying and trusting in Him and some things because a challenge.  See my sin (drinking, smoking, foul language) didn't feel so good anymore.  I didn't have to give those up but I did because there was no enjoyment in them anymore.  

It wasn't an overnight change - which my highschool friends would attest too!  However it was rather drastic like night and day!  

Am I happy to be transformed?  Absolutely!  I love this life that God has given me - ups and downs.  I love Jesus and I am happy that people that knew me back then see a new and different creature just like the Bible says they will.  

They say proof is in the pudding and I want my testimony to be proof to who I have become because of Jesus in my life.  



This post is part of blogging through the alphabet with benandme.com

Monday, February 17, 2014

Tom and Jerry: Mouse Trouble DVD

Who doesn't love Tom & Jerry?  These classic characters from my childhood are still a hit today.  My kids enjoy the cartoon as much as I did!  The newest dvd Tom and Jerry:  Mouse Trouble is now available!

About:
Join the favorite cat and mouse duo in Tom and Jerry: Mouse Trouble, a collection of shorts comprised of some of the funniest episodes from Tom and Jerry Tales and classic, theatrical Tom and Jerry shorts. Each cartoon is filled with fur-flying, action-packed chases, schemes and pranks that will delight kids and their parents time and time again. Look at what the cat and mouse dragged in! Included in this all-new, expansive collection is the Academy Award®–winning (Best Short Subject: Cartoon) Mouse Trouble, which has Tom following the ill-fated advice of a book on how to catch mice.  Get ready for a rowdy reunion when Jerry’s Uncle Pecos comes to visit in Cry Uncle. Cat got your tongue? Maybe it’s Cat Got Your Luggage?, the short which has Tom working as a bellhop in a fancy hotel and Jerry is a guest that is sure to overstay his welcome. Then Jerry helps an escaped circus lion in Jerry and the Lion. Tom presents Jerry as a gift to his beautiful feline girlfriend, Toodles Galore in Love Me, Love My Mouse.  These and several other hilarious cartoons are featured on this must-own set. So sit back, relax and hide the frying pans and mousetraps, this one is going to be a laugh riot!


Tom & Jerry: Mouse Trouble
Disc One
Disc Two
1.Down and Outing
16. Jackhammered Cat
2. Tee For Two
17. Tomcat Superstar
3. Rock ‘n’ Rodent
18. Little Big Mouse
4. Jerry, Jerry, Quite Contrary
19. Cat Show Catastrophe
5. Bad Day at Cat Rock
20. Don’t Bring Your Pet to School Day
6. Love Me, Love My Mouse
21. Cry Uncle
7. Is There a Doctor in the Mouse?
22. Cat Got Your Luggage?
8. Hockey Schtick
23. Feeding Time
9. Little School Mouse
24. Summer Squashing
10. Designs on Jerry
25. Salt Water Tabby
11. Mouse Trouble
26. The Invisible Mouse
12. Down Beat Bear
27. DJ Jerry
13. Jerry and the Lion
28. Game of Mouse and Cat
14.  Mouse For Sale
29. Zent Out of Shape
15. Prehisterics
30. Kitty Foiled


My Thoughts:

My husband and I had a blast talking about the old episodes we watched as a kid.  We both agreed the one where Jerry's uncle visits is a favorite and guess what it is included in this two disc set a new visit from Uncle Pecos!!  It was awesome to be able to share a memory and a new memory too!  It is a really nice collection of shorts and your sure to find your favorite out of the thirty shorts!

You can purchase your copy at your local retail or online at stores like Amazon. 


The Credits

About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing both CG and traditionally animated projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. For TV, WBA produces series such as Beware the Batman and Teen Titans Go!, as well as the forthcoming The Tom and Jerry Show and Mike Tyson Mysteries. WBA also produces original content — including animated shorts — for Cartoon Network’s multiplatform branded DC Nation programming block in the U.S. As the home of the iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com and WB Ultra.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Grasping at Grammar ~ Tips for Teaching a Subject You Struggle With

Grammar is a mystery to me.  Even though I like to think of myself as a writer I struggle with teaching this subject.  Thankfully my older kids have a wonderful foundation from their private school days and Abeka curriculum.

My oldest, who is in 8th grade, is a big blessing because he really understands all of the direct objects, indirect objects, underlining the subject... he gets it.  This helps because he is actually the first person I ask when teaching his younger brother something I don't quite grasp.  I've even let him teach us direct objects because he understood it so well!  What a great confidence booster for him! 

Another thing I do is use a grammar program that gives me help as the teacher.  We currently use Easy Grammar and I like how they are set up.  Each new concept has examples to help me to teach the new material to them.  I can easily put the lesson on the whiteboard.  Then the workbook has several pages of exercises for them to cement the learning.  

Asking for help is another great resource.  Either by finding it on the internet or through a friend that has a wonderful foundation when it comes to grammar and grammatical terms/ uses.  I'm thankful that their are plenty of resources out their online to help.  When my middle son was in fifth grade he had a hard time with direct objects.  We went online and found a little quiz that really helped him learn the concept.  Now I hear him repeat, "subject+verb+who/what = direct object."

Lastly we push through.  Grammar is not my best subject and I could have easily said we won't learn that.  I could have skipped it.  They certainly learn grammar through their writing, reading and our read-alouds.  We have the organic learning down pat (and I suspect that is how I've managed to be able to write without memorizing my prepositions...).  I push though to teach us all the lesson that just because something is hard doesn't mean we skip over it.  Sometimes we need to prove to ourselves (and our kids) we can accomplish a task that is not our strong point.  Will I learn what a gerund is or be able to find the past participle?  Probably!  Will my kids learn these concepts? Absolutely! 


Thank you for joining ARupLife.com for this Crew Carnival.  You can visit the rest of the crew and see their thoughts on The Subject I Struggle Teaching Most by clicking on the graphic below!  As always comments are great appreciated!


Subject Struggle

Monday, February 10, 2014

Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Smoothie #abcblogging



Another smoothie using my Ninja.  I have found I like it okay.  I do not like that it is too tall to store under my counter top.  That was a poorly thought out design.  Onto the Smoothie:




Ingredients:
a couple taps of cinnamon
a good squirt of honey
one single serving container of strawberry greek yogurt
one frozen banana
a handful of Kale
a bunch of frozen fruit (mixed)
enough almond milk to blend



Doesn't look that great blending but it came out amazing.  By far out of the few I posted this was my favorite.  I think the tang of the yogurt made a huge difference.  I don't mind the calories so much as long as this is a meal replacement.  With the whole yogurt and the almond milk plus fruit I don't think this is a good option for a snack. 

Hope you enjoy this post!  It is part of blogging through the alphabet at Benandme.com.  Join me next week for T is for!


Friday, February 7, 2014

PEANUTS DELUXE EDITION: TOUCHDOWN CHARLIE BROWN! Now on DVD!


 Who doesn't love Charlie Brown and the whole Peanuts gang?  I know my kids were excited to watch Touchdown Charlie Brown.  Perfect for this season with the Superbowl just ending and Valentine's around the corner - it is sure to be a hit at your house!


about:
This football-inspired title is comprised of the re-mastered, animated TV special, It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, in which the Peanuts gang celebrate homecoming, plus three football-themed episodes of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. 


In It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, it’s homecoming season at Charlie Brown’s school. The kids celebrate with a parade, a dance and most importantly, football!  The big game, which is refereed by Snoopy, draws many spectators. Charlie Brown is the team’s placekicker and Lucy is the placekick setter. The pressure to win is on but can Lucy control her urge to pull the ball away just as Charlie Brown is about to kick it? Or will she risk losing the game for a chance to humiliate him as she’s traditionally done in the past?

Good grief! As if the game wasn’t enough pressure, Linus and Charlie Brown are chosen as escorts for the homecoming queen and her court. Charlie Brown is asked to escort the queen, which happens to be none other than the elusive, little red-haired girl, whom Charlie Brown has been pining for all his life. In spite of his trembling from nervousness, he escorts her to the dance floor and somehow summons up the courage to kiss her on the cheek. This kiss is electrifying. However, from that moment forward, everything becomes a complete blur for Charlie Brown. He wakes the next morning having no memory of anything that happened.  


You can find your copy at local retailers and online at Amazon. 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Valentine's Day Revisited: Ideas for crafts, cards and teachers!




I love pink and Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to make pink food and crafts!  I've done a lot over the years and I would love to share some of the ideas that were a hit at our house!


The mailbox above was bought un-decorated at Target in the dollar section.  I just added the paper and decorations.  They were filled with candy and given as teacher gifts when my children were in school.  You can find the entire blog post here



Another quick Valentine's Teacher Gift I made were the little notepads above.  You can find their link here.  

Teacher's Valentine's using Forever young cricut cartridge:



A few Valentine's I made for my family using the Cricut Create-a-Critter cartridge (my favorite cricut cartridge).











Valentine's boxes for classmates:
You can find more info about the boxes here!


Last is a lantern craft we did last year (and it lasted all year!)



I hope you enjoyed all of these ideas and perhaps they inspire you to create.  I'm planning on making  mailboxes for my kids this year and filling them with some yummy candy for Valentine's Day. 

Valentine's Day RoundUp

Monday, February 3, 2014

R is for Remembering #abcblogging

R is for Remembering

I have a hard time remembering the past.  Pictures help but I often wonder if I remember the picture or the moment.  My mother died when I was 17.  She was sick with cancer from when I was little except for a brief 4ish years of remission in between.  I have some memories... but not as many as I would have liked.

I remember riding in her little datsun car on a road nearby and it had hills and I would scream WEEEEE!

I remember going to the lake almost every summer day and sharing a cheeseburger and her taking time in the water playing with me.

I remember when I was 5th grade I had singing lessons and we would go to McDonald's and have a Big Mac each week.

I remember her sitting on the couch every morning drinking hot tea.

I remember how much she loved my Dad and how he was definitely first in her life.

I remember her keeping our home so clean and having dinner on the table every night.

I remember when I was old enough to share clothes.


I hope my kids will have beautiful memories of our time together....

This post has been part of Blogging through the alphabet with BenandMe.com