Friday, July 31, 2015

Funtastic Unit Studies - Science for Homeschoolers! #REVIEW

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Funtastic Unit Studies sent me their Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers for review.  This is a physical book that includes science unit studies for ages 4-13.  The studies are broken up into two age groups:  4-7 and 8-13. 

‘Among the Fair Magnolias’ Southern Hearts Kindle Fire Giveaway & Review! #WIN

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There is something sweet about collaboration novels.  You get a sweet peace of writing from several authors.  If it is a beloved author - then your probably like me and want to read everything they write. If it is the first you've heard of an author - you get a good look at what their writing style is and an appetite for more!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Doozers DVD Giveaway & Review! #WIN

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Do you remember the Doozers from Fraggle Rock?  Well now they have their own series!  I'm so excited to share the two new DVDs with you.

With Lee in Virginia ~ A Heirloom Audio Productions #REVIEW

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Heirloom Audio Productions has been one of my favorite assets homeschooling my family.  Why?  We love read alouds.  Typically for read alouds I (mom) read a book to the older two children.  However sometimes when I'm not feeling well it is hard to read two-five chapters.  This year has been particularly hard since I'm pregnant and frankly feel bad all the time.  What's a girl to do?  That is when Audio productions come in handy!

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Our 8th Grade Curriculum Choices for 2015-2016





I'm still shocked that my middle son is already in 8th grade!  Where did the time go!  His school year was fairly easy to narrow down since I had quite a bit from his older brother to pass down.  This is just the bare bones - we will add electives through out the year.


Monday, July 27, 2015

UnLock Pre-Algebra #review

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I struggle with teaching math.  Yep I said it!  I frankly just don't remember the higher maths from high school and I find it easier to buy a program that will teach it for me (with me just helping here and and there.) I feel more confident when I have a complete program that can do most of the teaching work.  Plus it is a nice break in our day for my older children to have a course that is done entirely on the computer.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Melissa Jagears’ ‘A Bride at Last’ Book Review and a $100 Memory-Making Giveaway #WIN

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Can two people who have faced their share of loss come together and find a new beginning filled with hope and love?  That is the story A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears shares with us.  Kate is a strong woman of good moral character, she is devoted to her dying friend and taking care of her young boy when the friend passes.  Things get heated in her life when two father's show up claiming the boy - and Kate really has no stake on the child she has come to love as her own.  Only wanting what is best for the boy she teams up with the best choice and sets to making things good for them.  Along the way she sees that maybe their life might be good with her in it but can she overcome hurts of the past?  Can Silas allow himself to trust again and fall in love?

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Mia and Me: Friends to the Rescue DVD

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 It is not too often I get to share something sparkly and pink living in a household of all boys plus me!  However I have a cute DVD to share with you today from Mia and Me!  In Friends to the Rescue  will join Mia in the magical world of Centopia in this 75 minute DVD!


Thursday, July 23, 2015

SimplyFun Shape Whiz Game #REVIEW

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We love playing games in our household so I knew the boys would love working on this review from SimplyFun.  They sent us their  Shape Whiz game.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Bible Art Work Printable

I know that my bible gives me such peace.  Memorizing scripture has been a big part of that.  I felt inspired this week to share a few pictures that go along with some favorite verses.  Feel free to share, print or copy.


Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Intro to Economics : Money, History & Fiscal Faith Curriculum Review #WIN

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 Do you find picking subjects for high school as daunting as I do? There are so many ideas out there but some are just hard to implement.  That is one of the things I love about Masterbooks Curriculum.  It feels like they made these courses with Mom and student in mind.  I'm so excited to share one of my son's upcoming courses for 10th grade.  Economics!

Monday, July 20, 2015

LEGO® STAR WARS: The New Yoda Chronicles on DVD 9/15

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Coming 9/15 - LEGO® STAR WARS: The New Yoda Chronicles!!!  I have some very excited boys waiting for September to roll around! 


Space Boy and His Dog by Dian Curtis Regan #summerreading

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I have an adorable book to share with you - and today being the 46th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon - makes today the perfect day! Space Boy and His Dog by Dian Curtis Regan is a delightful book about a boy with a wonderful imagination.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Should You Homeschool? 4 Questions to Ask Before You Take The Plunge! #homeschooling





When we decided to homeschool we had a good friend that was already successfully doing it for years.  She sat down and asked us a few questions to determine if we had what it took to make it.  I value that conversation because it made us really reflect on why we wanted to take our family on that adventure.  So are you thinking of homeschooling?  I have a few questions for you!


Liquid Chalk Markers by Stardom Crafts #REVIEW


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I'm so excited to share with you a unique product today.  I don't know if you know this - but this blog actually started out as a way to showcase my craft projects. I don't really get to craft as much these days with homeschooling and the kiddos - so it was a real treat to get to play with Stardom Crafts Liquid Chalk Markers!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

The Mystery of History Review

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When we first started homeschooling 3 years ago I was first introduced to The Mystery of History.  It was exactly what I was looking for in a Christian History Curriculum.  In that time we've worked our way through the first 3 volumes (almost done volume 3).  This school year Volume 4 was introduced and I'm so excited to start using it this coming year.

Monday, July 13, 2015

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner: Homeschool Planet #REVIEW

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I've reviewed and tried out quite a few homeschool planners over the years. Recently I had the opportunity to try out Homeschool Planet from Homeschool Buyers Co-op .  This is a completely online homeschooling planner with so many amazing functions. Seriously it pretty much has everything I've ever wanted in an online planner.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor by Melanie Dobson #bookreview

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 Summer reading is in full swing in my house! I have a wonderful book Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor by Melanie Dobson to share with you today!  I loved this book so much that I read it in about 2 hours!  I couldn't put it down!

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Picture Perfect Love #summerreading #bookreview

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I love opening a book on a summer's evening and diving in. Knowing I don't have to wake up early the next day lets me stay up late and read through the night.  I just love summer reading! Last night I read Picture Perfect Love by Melissa McClone.  It is part of the series - A Year of Weddings.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Best Pencil Sharpener - from ClassroomFriendlySupplies.com #WIN {sponsored giveaway}

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We have gone through so many pencil sharpeners over the years.  Those little plastic ones, several battery operated, a plug-in electric and even a wall mounted traditional school sharpener.  Every one has failed us.  However, once we tried the Classroom Friendly Supplies sharpener - it was total love! 

ClassroomFriendlySupplies.com has what I consider to be the best pencil sharpener you can buy!  No need to wall mount it either!

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Amazingly Beautiful Skin Care Review & Giveaway! #WIN

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I have a really neat skin care set to share with you today.  Amazingly Beautiful is probably different than any other set you've used because it is oil based.  (I personally love facial oils as they are wonderful for the skin!) You might be scared about trying oils on your skin but I have to tell you they work amazingly with skin.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Homeschooling Preschool 2015-16 School Year







We have done preschool with our littlest guy the past two years.  Most of that was play time but last year we did do Horizons for 3s  and Sonlight Preschool.  Both were a big success!  Jace learned to love reading with Sonlight and enjoyed all the worksheets provided by Sonlight.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle on DVD

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 George and The Man in the Yellow hat are back in an all new adventure! Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle is available now on DVD!

Monday, July 6, 2015

Ring Bling from Anjolee #review #jewelry

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I was recently asked to review a piece of jewelry from the diamond engagement ring line at Anjolee.  I was given several beautiful options to pick from including rings and earrings.  I have to tell you it was a hard choice! I wanted them all!  In the end I picked the Unique Shared Prong Diamond Eternity Ring.  For the review purposes I received a CZ - which is absolutely gorgeous - however Anjolee makes real diamond jewelry.  In fact most pieces are customizable with stones and clarity.  You can truly get a one of a kind piece from Anjolee.

The Choice: Book Two of the Sidhe by Cindy Cipriano #summerreading #bookreview

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I'm am so excited to share with you book 2 of The Sidhe series by Cindy Cipriano!  I read book one last year ( The Circle) and it was a great story.  Book 2 - The Choice is equally awesome.  In this book our favorite characters Callum, Laurel and Hagen are back.  They are still searching for Finlay and learning about their other world - the Fairy World.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

All Creatures Big and Small On Google Play! Plus Activitiy!

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 AVAILABLE FOR FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ON GOOGLE PLAY STARTING JULY 1, 2015


 About:

In All Creatures Big and Smalla clumsy new species of Nestrians, led by patriarch Dave and son Finny, find themselves left off the list of animals allowed to board Noah’s Ark. With rough waters ahead, the father-son duo scramble in disguise to sneak onto the boat. Caught up in all the excitement, Finny accidentally steps off the boat and gets left behind leaving him and a few new friends to embark on an incredible and harrowing journey to reunite with their family. With the aid of creatures big and small, Dave must turn the Ark around to save his son in this heartwarming adventure of biblical proportions.

The release of All Creatures Big and Small coincides with the launch of Google Play’s new family-friendly discovery experience that is designed to help parents find apps, games, movies & TV shows and books that are appropriate for their kids.

About Google Play
Google Play is an online store with millions of digital songs, movies, TV shows, apps, games, books and more.  With access to 30 million songs, thousands of new release movies and next day TV shows, millions of apps and games, and thousands of news sources, Google Play is your one stop shop for digital entertainment on any device.











Star Wars Rebels Season 1 coming 9/1 on BluRay/DVD

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 I have three super excited kids about this upcoming release!  We even had a party when the season started this year!  I'm sure my kids won't be the only ones happy on September 1!

About:

In the first groundbreaking season of Star Wars Rebels, young hero Ezra Bridger joins the clever but motley crew of the starship Ghost in their resistance against the Empire. As the series begins, Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet, ruling with an iron fist and ruining the lives of its people. Ezra and his new rebel friends -- Hera, Kanan, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper -- embark on daring adventures in their fight against oppression across the galaxy, receiving help from familiar heroes such as Lando Calrissian, Ahsoka Tano, and Jedi Master Yoda. Pursued relentlessly by the Imperials and a Jedi hunter called the Inquisitor, this tenacious ragtag band of rebels will find itself in the crosshairs of none other than Darth Vader when season one closes in a shocking two-part finale. 

Star Wars Rebels is created by Dave Filoni (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Simon Kinberg (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Sherlock Holmes), and Carrie Beck. The Lucasfilm Animation production is also executive-produced by Filoni and Kinberg as well as Greg Weisman (“Gargoyles).

Featuring the voices of Freddie Prinze Jr. (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) as Kanan, Vanessa Marshall (TV’s “Young Justice”) as Hera, Steve Blum (“The Boxtrolls”) as Zeb, Tiya Sircar (“The Internship”) as Sabine, Taylor Gray (TV’s “Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures”) as Ezra, David Oyelowo (“Selma”) as Agent Kallus and Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter”) as the Inquisitor.

Bonus Features:
Blu-ray:
  • Rebels Infiltrates Star Wars Celebration (Exclusive to Blu-ray)
  • Season One shorts: “The Machine in the Ghost,” “Art Attack,” “Entanglement,” “Property of Ezra Bridger”
  • All DVD Bonus (see below)

DVD:
  • Rebels Recon: 14 behind-the-scenes featurettes
  • Star Wars Rebels – The Ultimate Guide
  • Star Wars Rebels Season 2 – A Look Ahead

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Summer Reading $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! #WIN

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Now that we are in July, it truly feels like summer.  Finally we are having some warm weather and BBQs!  One thing I've always loved about summer is the time to read. Nothing like staying up late with a good book.  To help support this habit -I'm doing a fan appreciation giveaway for a $25 Amazon E-Gift Card!


WIN WIN WIN
$25 Amazon Gift Card


Wild Kratts - Super Sprinters on DVD 6/23

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Calling all Wild Kratts fans!  They will be releasing a new DVD tomorrow (6/23/15) called Super Sprinters!  This DVD features to fun episodes with our favorite brothers Chris and Martin!

About:

In each episode of WILD KRATTS, creature teachers Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt take kids and their families along on extraordinary animal-powered adventures. The show transforms the Kratt Brothers, creators of the award-winning KRATTS’ CREATURES and Emmy-winning ZOBOOMAFOO, into animated versions of themselves, allowing the real-life zoologists to visit wild animals in their little-seen habitats and showcase key science concepts along the way. WILD KRATTS airs weekdays on PBS KIDS

Cheetah Racer
Chris and Martin announce that no creature or vehicle can travel as fast over the rough and tumble African savannah as the cheetah. Aviva takes the challenge and declares she will build a ground racer that can run even faster than a cheetah. Of course Zach wants to prove that he is a better inventor than Aviva and joins the race. The team, inspired by the cheetah, “revs up” to explore the different functions required for speed to build a cheetah racer and win the race.

Falcon City
The Kratt brothers are itching to fly with the world’s fastest animal, the Peregrine falcon, which can hit top speeds of 240 mph. But their efforts are side-tracked when the rest of the Wild Kratts team challenges them to find the falcon in the city instead of in the wild, and Chris’ Creature Power Suit is accidentally activated with Pigeon Powers! But then they discover that Zach is sending his Zachbots to clean off a building that has a Peregrine falcon nest! Martin and Chris must activate their Peregrine falcon powers and harness the force of gravity to pull off a high flying creature rescue!

Our Thoughts:

We loved this DVD.  The Kratt brothers make learning a fun adventure that is perfect for holding my little guy's attention. The combination of live action and cartoon is the perfect blend.  As a Mom, I'm just happy to see him gaining knowledge about animals and the world around him.


You can get your copy of Wild Kratts Super Sprinter's at your local retailer or at stores online like Amazon.

ARGOs at Diggerland USA! #NJFIELDTRIP

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Last week we were invited to test out Diggerland USA's latest ride - ARGOs!  This is an amphibious, 8 wheel vehicle that you can drive at Diggerland (you must meet height requirements.) Both of my bigger kids had the chance to drive and let me tell you they loved it!






My oldest sure is looking old behind the wheel!  I think that might have been the coolest part - that at 12 and 14 they could both have an opportunity to drive a real vehicle.  There was a staff member who was co-pilot to help each of the boys.  Little brother was able to ride in the back as a passenger.

We always have a great time at Diggerland!  There is so much to do.  No trip would be complete without a turn on the excavators!



Getting to try your hand at real equipment - isn't that every child's dream. While we were there we saw boys and girls having a blast! My little guy certainly 'Digs it' just like his shirt says!


Diggerland USA is located in Berlin, NJ and is America's first construction theme park.




Our Chickens Are Growing!



Our chickens are growing!  We have a rooster too!  Even though we were guaranteed all girls - one of the flock is definitely going to be crowing in the future instead of laying eggs! This has been a fun adventure and we really do enjoy their unique personalities.  They tend to attack us a bit when we try to feed them - but that is part of the adventure!


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The Gang eating 

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Our Rooster


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