Buckaroo Days

Transforming Prayer

2011-04-10T19:19:00.001-04:00

I had always wondered if I was praying the right way. It seemed that everyone did it better. I'm not whinning, I just felt a little less proficient. But I picked up Transforming Prayer and it was The book to help me with my prayer walk. It has a lot of stories and guidance to help understand how to transform your prayer into a more worship based experience with our Father. I loved this book it was just what I needed to create that deeper relationship with God that I crave.

I encourage you to pick this one up, I'm sure that you will feel the way that I do!

Bethany House provided me with this book and did not expect a positive review. My thoughts and views of this book are my own.

Corps of Re-Discovery

2010-11-15T02:22:00.000-05:00

So a modest little packet came the other day. It was just this kit to make a coin pouch out of leather. I was amazed by it simplicity, Because everything that you needed to make a frontiersmen coin pouch was right here all together. No cutting of leather, no searching for string.

Cole was so excited to create this pouch that we had to drop everything we were doing, so that we could put this together. The Coin Pouch Kit came with two pieces of pre-cut leather with a snap already on it, piece of plastic string, and instructions. Cole got a little frustrated at first, because it wasn’t looking like mom’s stitches, but after a while he got the hang of it, and was able to stitch it with no problem. It also helped him a little more, when I snipped the end off a little to create more of a point. Here is what it looked like when we were finished.

We even went online to Corps of Re-Discovery to see what we could purchase next to accompany our studies. I think the Bear claw necklace kit might be something that my Cub Scouts den, the Bears could do as an inexpensive activity. I mean I wouldn’t have to spend all day in the Michael’s or Walmart looking for all the items needed to do this craft. What a time saver!

The Coin Pouch Kit is $4.99, and I think it’s a great little kit, not only with the reasonable price, but also with your time to collect everything and make it look “cool.”

The Corps of Re-Discovery is a home-school family that traveled the United States in an RV experiencing life and learning about our ancestors and how our country was built. They work together as a family to bring these creative kits to us. Check out the Corps of Re-Discovery, I’m assure you that you will find something that would enhance your studies of American Indians, Frontiersmen, and the Pioneers of America.

~I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review. Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews. My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

PG key

2010-10-27T14:40:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wondered how you are going to protect your children as they grow up? I have a lot. I try to teach him and I pray that he will one day grow up to be a good person. I still feel that there are areas that I need just a little bit of help. One area that I could use a little extra help is on the internet. It’s scary isn’t it? To let your son or daughter loose on the internet. With all the adult content, bullying, and scams. It’s enough to give someone nightmares. Cole hasn’t been on the internet too much yet, however that day will come when he will insist and I will need to let him. So the way to protect him is PG Key.

I have to say that this little item packs a lot of safety in it. My favorite is the Age Appropriate Website blocking. This function works wonders. In fact before I even knew what I was doing, it had blocked some of the blogs that I follow and even my own blog! Ha Ha. So it definitely works to block everything! All I had to do to fix it was enter in my password, remove my account from the protection, and it no longer blocked me. Easy!

Another feature is the Timelock feature. This is such a cool feature. If you only want your son or daughter on the internet for an hour or less. Set the feature to only give them an hour and then it kicks them off of the internet, needing a password to continue. No stress, no more yelling, and the most important part is that you know how much time is spent. Ok before I let Cole go online I set the time for 20 minutes. So when he started I told him he had 20 minutes, and when his time was up he was calling me. {grins}

The another feature that I like is the session recorder. This is designed to record all of the websites that your child visits. You can sit there and watch it back to make sure you know what they were doing. So as they get older and you give them more freedom on the internet you can see what they are doing. The PG key will also let you know the content of emails. Not just your child’s side of the email, but the person who is communicating with them too. Cole doesn’t email yet, but I will definitely have this ready when he is.

PG Key is available for $49.95, and currently is available for PCs only. While I am not tech savvy, it was fairly easy to install. I didn’t have any problems installing the PG Key. Overall I would recommend PG Key to anyone who needs a little more help watching over their child’s internet use.

Visit their website here.

William Tyndale – God’s Smuggler

2010-10-15T15:39:00.001-04:00

Did you know that centuries ago there was a man who devoted his life to translating the Bible into English so that we could understand it? When I say devoted his life, I mean his entire life. That man was William Tyndale. William Tyndale lived in the 15th century and was persecuted by the king and the church for heresy for disobeying the laws that stated no one was to translate the Bible into a common language.

Soli Deo Gloria Resources, which means“To God alone the Glory,” is a website that offers us a unique unit study on the life of William Tyndale. It’s called William Tyndale – God’s Smuggler Ebook.

It’s a one week unit study that guides us through more than history, it also covers geography, science, language arts, Bible, character study, and art. One thing that Cole and I enjoyed was one of the science studies on the printing press. We had such a good time making a mess and learning how they used to print books back then. I just wish my camera wasn’t broken. We also had fun mapping Europe and learning about the bubonic plague. The only thing that Cole didn’t like was some of the copy work, but that is normal. Does anyone have any ideas to help him enjoy writing more?

This Ebook is offered for a low cost of $8.00, so anytime that you need to add a little fun while learning into your year this would be a perfect fit. Not only is it inexpensive but also educational. It’s easily downloaded and after you collect some cool videos and books to go with this study you’re all set.

Even though it is geared for children of all ages, I feel that maybe children 2nd grade and up would understand it better than the younger children.

Soli Deo Gloria Resources also has other wonderful items in science, geography, history, and the Bible that are all affordably priced and would help you and your child to Glorify God in your studies.

Digital Frog

2010-10-08T16:25:00.001-04:00

This little box came the other day. It’s doesn’t look like much does it? It has a black cover with a few colors on it, nothing fancy really. Well let me tell you that when you put this interactive DVD into your computer you open up a whole new world, one that opens up imagination, learning, and maybe a little awareness to what’s happening around us.

This is the Digital Field Trip Series from Digital Frog. It’s a virtual learning tool that takes you on a field trip to

The Wetlands,

The Desert,

and the one that we spent the most time on was

The Rainforest.

Can I say that we love, love, love this DVD.

We opened up the DVD, we popped it into the computer, and we were faced with a hard question, which one to choose? They all look interesting, but we started with The Rainforest. There is so much information in this section that we are still learning everything that is has to offer. Like ecosystems, plant structure and function, microorganisms, and so much more!

Cole wanted to learn about the jaguar, so we started with the animals of the rainforest. We were able to watch videos and look at fabulous pictures. It also has a great feature that when you click on a word, it not only tells the definition, but also tells how it’s pronounced too!

You know that you are really “getting” something when you become emotional about a subject. Cole became so angry when he learned about the human impact on the Earth and deforestation. He asked “Why are they cutting down all the trees and killing the rainforest?” I was ashamed to tell him because of money. But on the other hand the DVD also showed other viable options for lessening the human impact on the rainforest.

While looking through everything I kept thinking to myself that this DVD needs a worksheet or some kind of study guide. Well it does! I only found out a few days ago and it was kind of hidden. The workbook is definitely geared for older students, but it definitely helps with your study.

A home license for the Digital Field Trip Series is $125.00. Which includes all three field trips and workbook materials that you can print off to help you study and learn. You can buy the field trips individually or all together and you can buy a home license, single educational license, or a building site license. I feel that this item would be perfect for all ages. Whether you just scan each screen for an introduction for Kindergarteners or full study for high-school students.

Digital Frog has other great products for learning, including the dissection, anatomy, and ecology of the frog, and also one about cell structure and function. I just wish they had these when I was in college taking Cell biology. Boy could I have used it back then!

Schleich Figures

2010-09-24T18:34:00.001-04:00

On the day that I received the Schleich animals, it just so happened to be the same day that I was watching a friend’s son. My son and his friend were busy playing with one of Cole’s train sets and they were so excited to see the Fedex guy drive up. We opened the package and they immediately took them to their train set and started playing with the animals.

When I was able to see one of the animals up close I was truly amazed. Can I say that these animals are WONDERFUL! They are very life like, and the detail is amazing. Great care has been taken to make these figures the best around and they take pride in the quality that they offer in each figure.

I turned it over and noticed that each figure has a Schleich embossed label in an inconspicuous place to signify that it is indeed Schleich. Schleich lists all of their animals on the website and in their collectors brochure, that way you can insure that you have a quality product. In fact, I went online and I noticed that someone was trying to pass off a figure as Schleich and was called on it. The person said that they didn’t recognize one of the figures and the seller said that it had gotten mixed in with the others. So you definitely know exactly what you are collecting.

One of my first reactions were to gather them up and set them on a shelf to look at and protect. But I decided that was too weird to do with toys and let them boys continue to play with them. They still look great even after being tossed around for several days.

They have all the animals that you can think of and even some that you may not have heard about. The animals that you do know about are the many varieties of dogs and horses. I think a niece of mine would probably like a few of these for her birthday next month.

One animal that I thought was interesting was an animal called the Okapi. It is said that it has a blue tongue and eats fruit, leaves, and fungi. What a great way to teach your children about the animals on our wonderful planet.

Another animal that I thought was interesting was Przewalski’s horse. As soon as we opened it my son said “Isn’t this the horse that grandma went to the Smithsonian to the lecture and brought me the shirt?” Wow! My son actually remembered the horse, not the name though, which is fine, it’s a hard one for me too! So we went on the web and looked up more information. Not only are these figures detailed and perfect for imaginative play, but also a good learning tool. Cole loved holding the figure while we discussed where the animals came from, what they ate, and whether they were endangered or not.

You can see what’s new on the Schleich’s website by going here.

They have a playground on their website that you can look around to see what’s happening in the different worlds that they have created. The world’s are Bayala, World of Knights, and the Wild Life World.

You can’t buy their figures from Schleich directly, but you can find them at many retailers including Target and Toys R Us. There is a wide range of prices, but they are definitely worth the investment to your collection.

Can you play only one time?

2010-09-15T16:00:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago a wonderful package came in the mail. It is called Pyramath, a math card game that is so much fun that you will be hooked immediately. Trust me!

Do you remember when you first started playing with regular cards? How they felt when they were all shiny and new? How about when you first learned how to play Solitaire, whether on the computer or with a deck in your hand? Do you remember the challenge that you felt when you were trying to beat it, and finish the game? Pyramath is just like that, it draws you in and challenges you to finish the pyramid.

There are 54 cards and each card is clearly labeled in English, Spanish, Chinese, Roman numerals, French, and Arabic translations and symbols on the front. What a fun way to help with your second language! Cole and I are using the cards to refresh our Spanish and Roman numerals. This is what the cards look like.

How d0es it challenge you? To play the game you use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. But you only use the number in the ones digit to solve the problem. For instance if you layout a two and a six. You can use the following numbers to build on your pyramid. ( I would show you in a picture, but my camera is having some issues…)

8 because 2+6=8
4 because 2-6=4
2 because 2x6=12, using only the two in 12
3 because 2/6=3

So these would be the only numbers that you could use on those two numbers. You continue with each group of numbers and build your way to a pyramid. Like this…

This game is a great way you can “polish” up your math skills all with the challenge of winning. Cole has learned multiplication and division up to the sixes, so I was able to help him with the rest of his multiplication so that he could play the game and he has a lot of fun with it. Each time we go over it remembering becomes a little bit easier.

I also played several 2 player games with my son, my 16 year old nephew, and my husband. We had a lot of fun trying to build our side of the pyramid before the other. They are so competitive! {ahem}

To try out the online 5 card version of the game you can go here, or the online 7 card game here. When placing your cards make sure that they are properly aligned or it won’t accept it, even if it is the right answer. But if you are anything like me, you will enjoy having the cards your hand.

I feel that this math game would be great for kids of all ages, starting with Kindergarten. What a better way to teach them addition than to show them little addition pyramids to build. I know that several people in my family, children and adults alike, will be getting Pyramath for their birthdays.

A deck of Pyramath cards is sold for $6.95 and if you become a Facebook fan of Pyramath you can get a discount. Plus if you solve one of their challenge puzzles you will get a deck for free! Go check it out!

They also have a set of all their cards, Pyramath, Fractazmic, Prime Bomb, and "Dr . Ron's Succeeding in Mathematics with Games." in one bundle that you can purchase for $18.95.

Time4writing

2010-09-03T13:16:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, we were asked to review a company called Time4writing. I have to confess that when we started the Time4Writing class, it was in the middle of the summer and Cole politely reminded me that it was summer and that he didn’t want to participate in the class. I told him to give a try and let’s see what happens. He grudging said OK.

What is Time 4 Writing? It is an online writing class for grades 2-12 that will help your child learn the skills needed to write better and gain the confidence in themselves.

How do they do this online? Via multi-media lessons, writing assignments, and quizzes. When you are finished, the teacher grades the assignment and gives you feedback.

They have Elementary, Middle, and High School classes for students. Cole is in 3rd grade so we had these choices.

Grammar
Sentences
Paragraphs
Essays

Since Cole knew basic grammar, we decided to go with the Sensational Sentences Course. He can form sentences, but they aren’t very elaborate. In fact he doesn’t like to write at all. So we stuck with something that would improve his sentence structure.

~I will note here that if you set up an internet connection for them and put parental restrictions on it, it will not work with Time 4 Writing. Just saying.

In our first two lessons we learned the sentence types and how to distinguish the four types of sentences. We listened to an audio explaining the all the differences while we followed along.

The next few lessons covered nouns, verb agreement, punctuation, homophones, and homonyms. By the last lesson we should be able to create and proofread sentences. At the time this review is posted, we have only finished through week six and will finish in a week or so.

After each lesson and quiz we received a grade. Each grade is cumulative and by the end of the 8 weeks we should earn a certificate of completion.

There was one little problem that we had with this type of lesson. Cole isn’t very proficient with typing on the computer, he’s only 8, playing games is more his thing. He knows his way around a keyboard, but his frustration just increased. Partly because it was summertime and he was working on school work! I mean really mom! The other part was his hunt and peck typing. So I offered to type while he dictated to me. If I hadn’t done that, I think we would still be on lesson one.

Also while there was a teacher on the other end, we only interacted with her when there was an assignment that needed to be graded. She then offered encouragement or constructive criticism. Cole only needed constructive criticism a couple of times, and was always happy to see his grades. To those students that needed more guidance I’m sure that the teacher would be there for them. Simply send her a message and correspond through the website.

Each course is $99 and 8 weeks long, requiring 2 hours per week to complete. While it is a great idea to get children on the computer and writing, I feel that this type of lesson would be better suited for someone who is older and more comfortable with typing. For instance, that High school student that needs to improve his writing skills for college. Or maybe even the Middle school student who needs additional help with grammar.

I also feel that with a $99 price tag per course, that it would deter some homeschoolers because it’s a bit pricey for only 8 weeks. They could get an entire curriculum for that price. I think it will depend on the homeschooler and their learning style.

To learn more about the different lessons for your student go to their website at Time4Writing.com.

I am a member of TOS Homeschool Crew and receive free products and services in an exchange for a thorough and honest review. Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews. My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

Can You Believe It?

2010-09-02T12:47:00.001-04:00

As a homeschooler, I tend to search the internet for tips and advice from the experts to make our learning experience better. The best place that I have found for all kinds of information, including curriculum help is The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.

Right now TOS is offering a “Labor of Love” sale, because they know homeschooling is a “Labor of Love” and they want to keep you informed, encouraged, refreshed and most of all they want to remind you that you aren’t alone. Beginning August 31 to September 15, They are offering homeschoolers a one-year print subscription for only $7.95. Yes you read that right!! $7.95! If you would like the current print issue plus the one year subscription it is $12.95. I haven’t seen prices this low, so you must hurry to get this special deal. They are offering only 5000 subscriptions. So this special price may end before September 15.

Don’t miss this low price. Grab it before it’s gone. Go to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine to get yours today!

Peterson Directed Handwriting

2010-08-30T09:22:00.001-04:00

Last summer, when we first started homeschooling second grade, my son begged me to teach him cursive handwriting. It was the only thing that he insisted we learn. I purchased a handwriting curriculum, and we began to learn. This year we were given Peterson Directed Handwriting to review. At first, I thought that this wasn’t going to help us because Cole knows how to write in cursive, but then we started and I found out that we didn’t know as much as we should have.

Peterson Directed Handwriting is a very unique handwriting curriculum established in 1908 that focuses first on the controlled movement in a rhythmic manner with the aid of our voice. This way we can master the movements even before we begin to write on paper.

With our curriculum last year, it focused on the form, shape and slant so much that it drove us both crazy. It was trace this or that and for my son became so tedious that he quickly dreaded it and for me I became frustrated because he would find every excuse not to do his handwriting. With Peterson it wasn’t like that, we were able to print a worksheet for each letter and quickly move through the letters.

The first thing that we were taught was how to finger trace and by creating a game out of it, it was easier to teach. Another thing that we learned was that as a leftie Cole didn’t have the paper in the proper position. So I tried to teach him the correct way to hold the paper and Cole told me that it was harder this new way. I keep trying to teach him the correct way, however I may have to give up on it, because he just resists too much.

I used the PDF by Hand Cursive step 1 first to learn the basic movements and review the letters the Peterson way. It has 81 pages that include the steps to learn the rhythm and four basic movements for the letters. I then moved on to PDF by Hand Cursive step 2 it has 59 pages and gives you “sequenced movement practice for cursive letters and words.”

Both of these are e-books that were designed to work with a digital tablet. We don’t have a digital tablet, so we printed a worksheet a day and moved through the lessons at our own pace. They are in color, but if you don’t have a color printer it can be printed in black and white. They are individually priced at $19.95. But if you wanted the PDF by Hand full version, which includes the note pad (digital tablet), picture pad, On Your Mark Game, Print step 1-3, Cursive step 1-4, and Word Masters 3 and 4. All for $125. I recommend that you contact Rand at Peterson Directed Handwriting for the best fit.

One of the unique features of Peterson’s is that they offer a series of handwriting webinars at no extra charge for those who register. I found the few times that I “sat in” on the webinar with Rand, I found him extremely informative and helpful. They also have a wide variety of tools from pencils and position guides to textbooks and training classes.

I do believe that if we had started with Peterson Directed Handwriting it wouldn’t have been as much a struggle to learn cursive handwriting, and I also believe that he would handled it much better. Cole said that he liked Peterson better than the one last year, but he doesn’t particularly like that we have to learn everything over. I reminded him that this time we were doing it the correct way.

The Schoolhouse Expo

2010-08-19T16:21:00.001-04:00

It's back to homeschool time and registration is open for the online Schoolhouse Expo, October 4-8. It's five days of top homeschool speakers, fellowship, and fun door prizes.
Save $5 per ticket! Register between August 16 and midnight August 22, and you'll pay only $19.99. Plus you'll receive over $200 in free E-Books.

You’ll be inspired by speakers including: Zan Tyler, Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright,Carol Barnier, Diana Waring, Todd Wilson, Davis Carman, Kim Kautzer, Lee Binz, and many more!

A special teen track is planned--the entire family will definitely want to listen to these special sessions. They've also planned a special focus on a topic that touches every homeschool--writing. Plus, an array of other topics that will inform and inspire you throughout your homeschooling years.

Don't forget, MP3 copies of each session comes with your LIVE event ticket.

There are two special preconference shows on August 24 and September 21 with Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, and Kim Kautzer.

The theme this fall is “Celebrate Homeschooling” We're going to celebrate the unique blessings of homeschooling, the beginning of another school year, our families, and the freedom to tailor our children's education to best meet their needs.

If you cannot make the Live event, then the October Expo To Go is just your ticket! You'll reserve MP3s from all of the workshops. This week only, pay just $14.95!

You can visit either of these links to get more information.
http://www.SchoolhouseExpo.com
or
http://bit.ly/aWHFiL

Disclosure: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I will be receiving free tickets to the Expo in exchange for this post.

The Most Amazing Planner!!

2010-08-15T19:22:00.001-04:00

Are you an organized person?

Do you have all important household or homeschool information in one place?

Do you go to stores hoping that you will find one planner that will help you organize, plan, and budget your home, only to leave the store either frustrated because you haven’t found the one you wanted or you have purchased yet another planner that will fall short of your expectations because it doesn’t do what you want?

Then The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is just what you need!

The Old Schoolhouse is a trusted source for Homeschooling and The Schoolhouse Planner is no exception!!

The Schoolhouse Planner isn’t just a planner, it is a unique customizable tool that ensures you have everything you need to keep you organized and savvy!

How you ask?

By giving you unlimited access to wonderful printouts in every category needed to keep your home and home school running smoothly.

IT’S INCREDIBLE!

For the Homeschool it offers

Assignment and Attendance charts
Monthly, weekly, and daily calendars and schedule pages
Journaling worksheets
Report cards
Activities and field trip logs
and MUCH MORE!

Wait a minute you say…“I don’t Homeschool”

That’s OK! With this planner it doesn’t matter! It will help you organize ALL IN ONE PLACE! Or maybe two or three depending on how you want to do it!

For the Home it offers

Meal planning- helps you save money and includes lots of savory recipes throughout the year.
Car Maintenance schedule
Chore charts for you and your children
Budget worksheets
Bible devotions
Garden planning sheets
The list goes on!!!

To think that is just a planner is an understatement. It offers you so much, how you survived without it is mystery.

In fact with 614 pages of forms, recipes, articles, and links there is no way you will be able to use it all in one year! In fact I dare you to try! You have never seen a planner like this in any store for this price!

IT’S ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN A PLANNER!

Have you gotten yours yet?

Go Now!

It’s simple.

No waiting.

No trips to the store.

Just download and you can start organizing right away!

Download The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner for $39.00 or if you prefer a CD you can get that for $44.00 with free shipping.

Warning: The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner does not include free tickets to Disney World, however it does offer a trip planning worksheet that will help you make your trip more organized and stress free.

*As an Independent Contractor for TOS, I have received a free copy of The Schoolhouse Planner, so that I could participate in The Old Schoolhouse advertising campaign, which makes me eligible to receive a prize. No other compensation has been given to me.

Blog walk week 7 & 8

2010-08-12T17:33:00.001-04:00

The thought of walking outside makes me weak in the knees. Why? Because it’s 90+ degrees outside. It’s been like this all summer! I don’t like it when it’s this hot so I’m going to hibernate for the rest of the summer!

So do you know how I’m going to beat the heat? I’m going to blog walk. So grab your lemonade and let’s take a walk!

1. Closing Time
2. One Blessed Mamma
3. El Cloud Homeschool: Busy Minds, Busy Hands, Busy Feet
4. Alive in Spirit
5. Ozark Rumblings
6. Army of 5
7. Fenced In Family
8. Debbie's Digest
9. Footprints in the Butter
10. Got Chai?

1. Ramblings from the Crazy House
2. Chicagoland Homeschool Network
3. Marine Corps Nomads
4. Faith, Family and Fun
5. Books and Bairns
6. Chatter, Clatter and Things That Matter
7. Canadianladybug Reviews!
8. Life at oak Grove
9. Home Sweet Home(school)
10. a glimpse of our life

Blessing Others

2010-07-22T06:56:00.003-04:00

In my family I have a younger sister and a brother. Like many siblings we would often argue and fight. It would really get bad when we visited my grandparents. It wasn’t because we were going to see our grandparents, it was because of that very long trip confined to the car… together. On a good day we would be in a car for a minimum of two hours one way, on a bad day it could be up to three, depending on who had to go and when, or traffic.

We would pile all of our stuff in the back of our station wagon, load up, and hit the road. At that time , the ~~torturous~~ fun trip began.   How we survived back then is a mystery to me, one of us would sit way in the back with the luggage, and the other two would sit in the middle seats and draw a line down the middle of the seat to separate “our space”. I don’t think we were even out of the driveway, before the arguing all started. Why do we do this? I know now, but back then I didn’t have a clue. How can we stop it?

Well I think the answer to that came when I downloaded TOS Travel Kits. Yes, we have a portable TV and it has often helped us but the thought of having my son sit in front it for hours doesn’t give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. However creating a travel kit for him does, something that he can explore and learn to keep him occupied while we are on the road.

What is a Travel Kit? A travel kit is a collection of items used to entertain and bless travelers, each item is chosen for that particular traveler to make their travel a more pleasant experience. Travel Kits starts by teaching how to create a plan for the family that needs to blessed. It asks how many people are in the family? What are their ages? Boy or Girl? Number of packages? Will you bless the parents too? When are they leaving? How long will they be traveling? Answering these questions will help you with that plan.

After creating the plan, the gifts will need to be purchased and wrapped.   This e-book offers tons of ideas on what to purchase and so many creative ideas to wrap them. I am not very creative when it comes to this kind of stuff, so this keeps me from stressing out and then not sending the gift at all.

Next a distribution plan is created. I think that this is where the fun lies, when a travel kit is sent with the traveler, determine when they can open them. There are many examples to help you with this step. For instance, have them open one every half hour. This way the anticipation is keep up and the travelers occupied. All while keeping the parents at peace, and now that I’m a parent I think this is a wonderful idea!

This e-book is full of fun ideas for plans, containers, gifts, wrapping, and snacks. I would recommend it for anyone who would like to spread the joy and bless their friends and family. The e-book costs $12.45 and can be downloaded immediately. Go to TOS Schoolhouse store to find out more.

~I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review. Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews. My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

Blog Walk Week 6

2010-07-20T11:37:00.001-04:00

I’ve been wanting to get my post for the blog walk up first thing on Monday’s, but so far I just hasn’t happened, and this week is no exception. I’ve had a crazy start to my week. First I had to teach children’s church on Sunday and then that same evening we began our VBS. Whew! I’m in charge of snack this year and while we are having lots of fun playing, yes playing ;-), with our food it still can zap the energy from you. So I hope that you enjoy week 6.

1. Deanna’s Corner
2. Light, Liberty, and Learning
3. Bunny Trails
4. Flowers N Plaid Homeschool
5. Gadow Ohana
6. His Wonderful Works
7. Expand
8. Confessions of a Homeschooler
9. The Sojourner
10. A Full Heart

Travel The World!

2010-07-19T07:12:00.001-04:00

Remember last month when I told you that I was now apart of The Old School house Magazines’ Homeschool Crew? Well guess what ? This is my first official review! I have been so very anxious to dive in and get started and I can’t wait to share this with you. It’s called TOS June 2010 Module – Travel The World!

What is a module you ask ? Well according to TOS a module or e-book is an add-on for The Schoolhouse Planner, offering enrichment activities in various topics for your family each month.

We started this e-book by learning basic map stuff like the Earth’s axis, the equator, and a compass rose. Then we found out about the five oceans and the seven continents. It gave us tons of trusted web sites that saved me from hours and hours of searching the internet for each little subject. It also included lots of fun sites that had games that taught us many lesson points, like latitude and longitude. This is where Cole and I had the most fun. We learned how to find a little girl by the coordinates given and we also learned that we didn’t know as many countries in Europe as I we should.

This e-book works for children of all ages and it included great copy work pages that Cole didn’t care for only because he is an 8 year old boy and dislikes writing. It even has an High School Expansion where your high school student can learn about the branches of Geography and how to incorporate Geography into a home based business!

It has a price point of $7.95, and I was able to print off as many copies of the activity pages, quizzes, or copywork pages that I needed. It also has several convenient maps that can be printed off in color, or in black and white for coloring pages.

It doesn’t come with an outline, which I didn’t feel we needed but an outline for this module could be easily set up for those who needed one. We aren’t homeschooling for the summer so we enjoyed the freedom this e-book gave us to read and learn casually. Just sitting in front of the computer, playing and learning at the same time!

Overall this is a fun e-book study that I could see us using as a welcome break anytime during the year or possibly using it monthly to help enhance ~~Cole’s~~ our learning experience.

A 12 pack of the 2009-2010 modules can be purchased for $83.95 saving you $11.45 over the individual module’s price. A few of the modules included in the 2009-2010 12 pack are Wondrous Weather, Checks and Balances, Bible Stories, Astronomy and many more . Check out The Old Schoolhouse Store website for more information.

Rain Gauge

2010-07-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

We have been going through a heat wave and dry spell this month in our area, so the rain from the stray thunderstorm is welcome. A few weeks ago we created this rain gauge, and I wanted to share with you how much rain we got over the last couple of days.

This past year I was a cub scout leader for a different den than the one that Cole was in (long story, this year is different!) and I had looked this up on the internet to find out how to make rain gauges. Unfortunately I do not know the websites to list as a reference.

We took an empty two liter bottle and cut the top part off of the bottle where it starts to slope inward. Like this.

We taped it to the inside of the bottle upside down so it acted like a funnel for the rain. Then using a ruler, we drew a line with a sharpie to create a baseline at the bottom of the bottle where the plastic slopes inward. We then took a ruler and using the baseline drew the lines for the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch increments.

We put rocks in the bottom to act as a weight and added water to the line to act as the starting point of our measurement.

I am happy to say that it started raining on Monday afternoon and it has rained off and on until this morning. When we checked the totals this afternoon it showed that we had an inch and a half of rain over those two days. I do not know if our modest little rain gauge is accurate or not, but it cannot be too far off. Here is what we saw.

One thing that we didn’t do and found out after the first rainstorm was that there wasn’t a way to pour off the excess water to get ready for the next rain. I had take it apart to pour out the water to get it back to the start line. While it was apart I also created a hole towards the top of the rain gauge to act as a spout to get ready for the next rain. This is much easier to do than to take it apart each time and tape it together again.

Blog Walk Week 4 & 5 Catching up!

2010-07-11T20:54:00.001-04:00

I want to catch up, I need to catch up. So guess what I’m catching up! I don’t know if you are having fun taking a walk through everyone’s blogs, but I am!! It’s wonderful seeing their different personalities, creativities, and amount of children in their families. It’s so interesting!! Make sure you leave a comment on their blogs, it’s fun meeting new people!!

1. King Alfred Academy
2. Confessions of An Organized Homeschool Mom
3. Curriculum Reviews from Oak Creek Farmhouse
4. I Can't Decide
5. My Life on A Taffy Pull
6. Losing My Tale
7. Made in His Image
8. Serenades and Solace
9. Our Village is a Little Different
10. SisterTipster's Tell'n It!

11. ME! - Buckaroo Days
12. Our Homeschool Reviews
13. Reed, Party of 6
14. Training Hearts at Home
15. Along The Way
16. I Love Science!
17. Through the Calm and Through the Storm
18. Created for Home
19. Tractors and Tire Swings
20. Guiding Light Homeschool

Thank you Father

2010-07-10T11:03:00.001-04:00

In our area it has been extremely hot, Too Hot, triple digits even. Temperatures that we rarely ever see in our little part of the world. I have to say that I don’t care for temperatures over 85, much less 105! How do people do it where it is like this all the time? Everything is dying, we are running out of water and our electric bill is probably going to be very high this month. But do you know what? It rained last night! It was absolutely wonderful!! Have you ever missed rain so much that when it did come down, in buckets I might add, it was so refreshing. Like a weight being lifted off. So I wanted to share part of my prayer to praise our Father this morning.

Thank you Father for the extreme heat that you brought to us this week to teach me to appreciate the 85 degree temperature that summer time usually brings. Thank you for the soothing rain that you gave us last night, that washed away the dirt and extreme heat. Which brought back life to our garden that was withering away. I praise you for everything that you give. In His name we pray. Amen.

Blog Walk Week 3

2010-07-05T14:53:00.001-04:00

Whew! Getting ready for camping this weekend and then actually going, has really gotten me behind on my posting. Here is week 3 and I hope that I get caught up this week. Enjoy reading all the blogs this week.

1. All American Family
2. Growing Fruit
3. Learning to Teach
4. Codex Young Author's Publishing Program
5. Stairsteps Homeschool Academy
6. Kingdom Academy
7. Living Sola Gratia
8. Wynfield Christian Academy
9. The Cow Queen
10. Peace Creek on the Prairie

Blog Walk Week 2

2010-06-29T21:40:00.004-04:00

This is week 2 of The Homeschool Crew's blog walk. Here are the next 10 blogs that I am visiting. I hope that you take the time to stop by their websites! I am learning so much from everyone else’s blog. It’s so much fun

1. Second Star to the Right and Straight On Till Morning
2. Surviving the Testosterone
3. Family Style School
4. School Around the Bible
5. 1628 The Story of the Goebels 5
6. Morris Family Madness
7. Homeschool Musings
8. Homeschooling (and then some!)
9. Heartfelt Homeschooling
10. following Him home

Don’t forget to leave a comment if you enjoy the blog. I love it when someone leaves a comment, and I know that everyone else does too.

Blog Walk Week 1

2010-06-21T06:08:00.005-04:00

This week I found out something very interesting. This year's Homeschool Crew consists of over 250 homeschoolers! So several of the crew members came up with the idea that we would visit each of our crew members blogs and check their blogs out. I have always loved looking at new blogs and was eager to participate, and though I found out about it a little late, I will catch up this week so that I will be back on track next week. Here are the blogs for our first week. Enjoy reading them! I know that I did!

1. Reaping a Harvest

2. Pink & Orange Coffee

3. Live, Laugh, and Learn!

4. Mrs. Mandy's Musings

5. The Fantastic Five

6. Refined Metals Academy

7. Just a Moment in Time

8. Providence Farm

9. My Journey

10. Petra School

Would you like a new top?

2010-06-16T19:25:00.006-04:00

Would you like to win a free top? Are you a size 14 or over? Then you need to go over to Reviews and Reflections right now so you can find out more information about winning from Alight. I don't know about you, but it's hard to find plus sized clothes that are even remotely stylish and all without the steep price tag. This is a website that offers us trendy and contemporary styles all within our budget. There's even a sale section for items under $15 too!

I'm entering to win a new top, How about you?

Poison

2010-06-12T09:13:00.012-04:00

So I have a funny story to share with you. My husband and I have been married for 9 years and we have often struggled with one little topic. Sunscreen. I am fair skinned, burn within 15 minutes, and have in my teenage years often burned myself to the point of almost crispy. Ouch! I still shudder from the memory. So I turned to sunscreen to help me or I just didn't go out.

Now I didn't put sunscreen on just to go to the park or go for a walk but I would lather up if we were at the beach, pool, or rafting. Now my husband has always worked and played outside, all without the aid of sunblock. When we met while I was applying the sunscreen I would hand it to him and he would refuse. I asked him what about skin cancer? He said he would take his chances with the sun because that stuff is "poison". He even made funny faces when I asked him to put it on my back. I wanted to be protected, ya know?

So year after year it was the same with us. When My son came along I put sunblock on him when we went to the beach and the pool. I noticed right away that anything with PABA would break him out in a horrible rash, so we switched to PABA free sunscreen. We continued using the other stuff though.

Well I came across Kari's blog p.s.love.love about sunscreen. What did I find out? That I have been applying toxic chemicals on my son and me! Can you say poisoned? UGH!! I can shake off the fact that I did that to myself, but to actually think that I was poisoning my son gives me anxiety. Well no more. I threw out the stuff that I bought recently (which by the way hurt, because I hated to waste the money) and will look for sunscreen that won't harm us as much.

Then I went to the Environmental Working Group's website on sunscreen and found that the more chemicals in the sunscreen the more harmful it is to your body. Who knew! There is a place that you can find out how your sunscreen measures up. It was interesting to find mine ranked in the 5-6 zone. So while I do still believe in sunscreen, I will be more cautious in the future.

You're probably wondering if I told my husband about this little find and yes I did. I had to. He isn't often right ;-) (you know what I'm talking about!) but you know seeing him strut around the house acting like the big man is just too funny! I will trade a laugh for eating a little humble pie anytime!

TOS Homeschool Crew!

2010-06-10T16:05:00.021-04:00

Hey Guess What?!! This past spring I tried out for The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew 2010-2011 and I am so excited to share with you that we were accepted!!! My son and I will be reviewing different products throughout the year and then I will be posting it right here for you to see. I hope you join me for a fabulous year!

Visit to Washington

2010-04-25T16:54:00.026-04:00

This week we decided to take a trip to visit a fairly new museum in our nation's capital. Acually I didn't know it existed until my dad said that he wanted to go. I am always up for something new, so we packed up and took a few hours drive, got on the Metro and went to the National Museum of the American Indian. Since we don't live near the city, my son had never been on the Metro, I mean he's only 8, I don't think I have deprived him too much. :-) But he was extremely excited about taking the Metro underground.

Once he got on the train, he couldn't stop looking out the window for something new to see. We know that it's mostly dark, but he wasn't so sure.

At one point on our ride, I told him that we were going under the water and he asked if we were going to see sea life. We chuckled and told him that we would be in the tunnel and wouldn't see any water. Thank you Lord! Once we got to our stop we shuffled off and up the huge escalators, Cole insisted that we take them and I wasn't one to deny him the ride. {ahem}

We walked a few blocks and made it to 4th and Independence, right next to the Capital building. I was impressed with the landscaping and architecture this building offered, complete with a cascading water feature and hand built clay sculptures.

Once inside we were able to check out this scupture called The Beaver and the Mink , by Susan Point.

Cole and our cousin Christian standing next to one of the Native reed boats in the Potomac Atrium.

Another unique feature of this museum was that we started our tour on the 4th floor. There we watched a mini movie in the Lelawi Theater that celebrates the Native life and from there we went to Our Universes and then Our People, both were fascinating areas of the beliefs and histories of the Native Indians. On the third level, we explored the contemporary Native life. I was happy to find that there are lots of Indians still living and celebrating their culture in different areas of the Western Hemisphere. It's amazing that we all live in this tiny part of our world and sometimes don't realize what's on this beautiful planet.

One comment about lunch, they have a nice cafe on the 1st level with meals and snacks of the Native American but they also have some burgers, chicken strips, and fries for those that don't want to be too adventurous. One warning is that it can be a bit pricey and an alternative could be bringing your own lunch and having a picnic on the Mall.

We only scratched the surface of the marvels of this museum, but I would definitely go back and visit again, if only to visit longer and explore. Evidently this is one of three sites that make up the National Museum of the American Indian and it opened on the Mall in 2004. Go check it out when you come to Washington.

Download N' Go Series - Expedition Australia

2010-04-02T18:22:00.021-04:00

Many years ago my brother went to Australia and worked for an entire winter (their summer). I wanted to go with him, dreamed of going to the Opera House or the Great Barrier Reef to scuba, but for whatever reason I wasn't able to go. When he came home he showed us all the pictures of the places he had been and brought back gifts from this unique land down under. One day I would like to go and visit this intriguing and mysterious land of Australia, but for now to explore it with my son (8 yrs old) is just the ticket.

So when The Old Schoolhouse asked me to review the Download N Go Expedition Australia I was very excited to share it with my son. I told him (mistakenly I might add) that we were going to Australia, he said "Great mom! When do we leave?" Oops! I had to explain to him that we were going on a pretend trip to learn and study. While I could see a little let down about an actual trip, he was eager to learn more about the country that his uncle had once visited.

I have to say that I started homeschooling last fall. I have seen many blogs that talked about lapbooking, but I didn't quite understand the concept of a lapbook, my Buckaroo came from a public school and I was in public school for most of my education, so therefore this concept was completely foreign to me. When I opened up The Old Schoolhouse's Download N Go Expedition Australia, one of the first things that I noticed was the introduction to lapbooking. So I thought to myself let's give it a try. Boy we have been missing out!

On the first day we went over basic geography, studied the Great Barrier Reef, watched four video clips, and learned about the Koala. (I didn't have to spend hours researching!)

On the second day we learned about the regions and cities of Australia, the Uluru, and the kangaroo. We watched a few more video clips, colored, and added stuff to our lapbook.

The third day we learned about the Desert, the wombat, some history, and music. It's all very sneaky to learn this much while having so much fun!

The fourth day we watched a few more videos, learned about the platypus and the culture.

The fifth day we investigated the Outback, the boomerang, the Tasmanian devil, and music. All of this is included in a convenient daily outline.

They have a variety of Unit studies for Kindergarten to 4th grade and examples that you can choose from are Ireland and China, George Washington and Ben Franklin, Whale tales and Sea Shells.

This Unit Study is affordably priced at $7.95. It is definitely worth it, you get so much interesting and fun stuff to work with that you might not get it all finished in a week. Since we had so much fun we continued working on Australia into the next week.

Here is a price breakdown:

One Week $7.95.

4 Weeks $30.00 with a bonus study called Birthday Bonanza.

19 Weeks $114.00 with Birthday Bonanza and Summer Sensations plus 2 Amanda Bennett E-Books.

38 Weeks $190.00 with Birthday Bonanza and Summer Sensations plus 2 Amanda Bennett E-Books.

The last option is for a full semester and is where the savings would be. So you could definitely design a custom study for your children for a week or for the entire semester. Go to Download N Go for more information. All you do is download the info and you are ready to go. When I first started homeschooling I ordered my books and for some of them I had to wait weeks to get started. Ugh! I love that you can get all that information right at your fingertips! The only thing you have to wait for is when you go to the library and find all the books that this study recommends.

I also thought that this would be great for larger families. What do you do if you have 2 children or more? With some curriculum's they have worksheets that only one child can use. I think it would be great to spend so little to teach more than one child for an entire week!

For anyone who is new to homeschooling this is a unique way of learning. It is not the cookie cutter P.S. lesson that you might be used to, it is a solid lesson of culture, science, math and then some! I was asked to give the pros and cons of this study and while I could give you all the pros, I really couldn't find any cons. What a fun way to learn!!

Wanna Be Series - Firefighter

2010-03-19T08:11:00.015-04:00

The Old School House sent me an E-book to review for their WannaBe Series called When I Grow Up I Want To Be a Firefighter.

I thought to myself I wonder what my son Cole will say about the title, since he wants to be a police officer, but he said that it was ok and wanted to get started learning about firefighters. I think it would be fun to check out When I Grow Up I Want To Be a Police Officer next!

When I opened the file I found that it was not at all skimpy with the content. In fact it has over 70 pages of information! It has history, science, math, handwriting, and even physical fitness. I loved the way that it included prescreened websites and recommended books to complement this study. Since we have been working hard with our regular curriculum, it was a welcome break this week.

The download didn't come with a daily outline, but I didn't see any problem with that and created one easily. But anyone who likes more freedom or flexibility with their lessons should find it would suit their needs completely.

Cole enjoyed learning about the building codes and even put it to use by noticing other peoples' roofs in our area and he felt that most people were up to code! :-) He loved reading about Wilshire the fire dog too! I thought that the information included was very interesting and I feel that I learned just as much about being a firefighter as he did!

This unit of study is set up for ages 4-10. What I liked about it was that you can customize it to your child/children. My son is 8 and I thought that with the exception of a few small parts, that it was a great lesson for him, with very little that I had to omit. For younger students though, you may need to tailor it more, because some of the math and science may be too detailed. But who ever complained about something being too detailed! Usually it's the other way around! Oh and don't miss out on the section for creating a whole firefighter themed birthday party!

I also think that you could use it for students older than 10 who wanted to find out if being a firefighter is something that they would like. Not many books go into detail about being a firefighter and include salaries for the reader to explore.

The cost is only $8.95 and is downloaded immediately. How cool would it be if your son or daughter came to you and said that they wanted to be a firefighter and you could produce a whole book on it and explore together while the questions are still fresh? They have several other careers to choose from like doctor, police officer, pilot, and veternarian, but they even have other interesting professions like farmer, missionary, chef, and artist.

Overall it was a great lesson which can be used as a one time learning experience or incorporate all of them in your school year to compliment your core studies.

Cow Limp

2010-03-11T20:08:00.004-05:00

So my son came out of the bathroom after taking his bath and said " Mom, why do I have to have a cow limp?" I was confused until he started pushing down his semi dry hair that was sticking up in the front.

I chuckled and said " Don't you mean cow lick?"

He replied, "Oh yeah that's it, so why do I have one?"

I gave him a hug and told him not to worry about it, he is perfect the way he is.