tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151690989942707862024-03-05T10:38:12.695-06:00Debbie's Homeschool CornerDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.comBlogger1058125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-15053485757413962352019-11-20T19:17:00.001-06:002019-11-20T19:17:19.629-06:00Grammar for Writers Review<a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="320" src="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/media/banners/1K_grammar_for_writers.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="320" /></a><br />
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How do you feel about teaching grammar? Some homeschooling families study grammar every year while others never do a formal study of grammar, but teach grammar concepts through writing. Others are in between. I think most of us agree that helping our students become good writers is our end goal, and we hope that all those grammar workbooks will help get them to that point.<br />
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<i><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" target="_blank">Grammar for Writers</a></i> is a new program published by Compass Classroom for high school (and possibly middle school) students that is intended to make students into better writers through grammar study. I have been using <i>Grammar for Writers</i> twice a week for several months now with two high school students that I tutor. These students have done little formal grammar study in the past. Although their writing is creative and the ideas they try to convey may be good, their sentence structure and organization of ideas within an essay is very weak, characterized by incomplete sentences and awkward wording.<br />
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<i>Grammar for Writers</i> is a very easy course to use and teach. Each lesson begins with a 10-15 minute video lecture by the author, Jonathan Rogers, PhD. The accompanying coursebook (available for purchase as a separate workbook or included in PDF form with the course) includes a lesson summary for each lesson and a quiz (practice exercises) for most lessons. We have found that lessons take around 30-45 minutes for video, exercises, and discussion. At 2 lessons a week, the 41 lessons will take us a little over a semester to complete.<br />
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My students enjoyed watching the video lessons. After the teacher explains the concept, he gives examples of that part of speech (participles, infinitive phrases, etc.) in sentences, giving the students hints on how to locate and identify the target word or phrase and understand what part of the sentence the phrase modifies. Several examples are given of confusing sentences and the student is taught <i>why</i> the wording is awkward and how to revise the sentence to make it clearer.<br />
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After watching the lessons, the girls completed the corresponding quiz, then we went over each exercise together, both correcting and discussing the choices they made. The majority of these practice exercises required rewriting sentences to make them more clear.<br />
The girls found the assignments very challenging. (Even I found them challenging at times!) However, I feel that the process was extremely valuable in teaching them to be better writers. Every grammar construction taught was immediately put into use and they could see the importance of choosing words carefully and assembling them into sentences in an intentional way. Often, each student would change the target sentence differently, allowing us to discuss which final result sounded best.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Bxi4cwDR8LfPBbKA_XXdIRqDP_kY1iKKQhMyOCv52OwSqzcIqq9KJHls5UcA0nq68goI1v6-AuHAdZT85X4J84E0MqmtBb6kmVWzuLgs7uwHUCcz39sRiWjAZE7EoYriYugZOiRaDeg/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Bxi4cwDR8LfPBbKA_XXdIRqDP_kY1iKKQhMyOCv52OwSqzcIqq9KJHls5UcA0nq68goI1v6-AuHAdZT85X4J84E0MqmtBb6kmVWzuLgs7uwHUCcz39sRiWjAZE7EoYriYugZOiRaDeg/s400/1.JPG" title="Grammar page" width="380" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenVq8QKlJGJZ6OYhRLegE1FkJkPuNJteQWn99bq_PzWMLhF0CO8wSlOnHXXhgD5LldJWh0YQ6Z2pquAuo5-zdWpmpD0aNEFRzOAzZjhnnHq3fWBJn-UVhmYQ9lOon97onUfZN_HTAD3I/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="571" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenVq8QKlJGJZ6OYhRLegE1FkJkPuNJteQWn99bq_PzWMLhF0CO8wSlOnHXXhgD5LldJWh0YQ6Z2pquAuo5-zdWpmpD0aNEFRzOAzZjhnnHq3fWBJn-UVhmYQ9lOon97onUfZN_HTAD3I/s400/Capture.JPG" title="Grammar for Writers" width="397" /></a></div>
I really like the Grammar for Writers course and wish it had been available a few years ago when my daughter was in high school. It is the only program I have used that really integrates a thorough education in grammar concepts with writing. I'm looking forward to seeing improvement in my students' writing skills! The streaming format is great for us, because it's so easy to use anywhere...on a phone, tablet, or computer.<br />
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Want to know where to buy Grammar for Writers? It's available for purchase in download, streaming and/or DVD formats at Compass Classroom. BUT, my favorite way to access Compass Classroom courses is through their Compass Classroom Membership. At only $29 a month (first month free) for streaming access to over 22 complete courses, this membership is a total bargain! We have used most of these courses and have loved every single one.<br />
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I received free access to this course in exchange for my honest review.<br />
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<a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_36_1_442" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_4_1_212" target="_blank"><img alt="Compass Classroom" height="145" src="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/media/banners/compass-580x145.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="580" /></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-67907640429350089402019-08-01T14:36:00.002-05:002019-08-01T14:37:16.963-05:00Compass Classroom Sale!<a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_37_1_449" target="_blank"><img alt="Compass Classroom Back to School Sale 2019" height="250" src="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/media/banners/Back to School Sale 2019_300x250.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="300" /></a><br />
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Some of my FAVORITE homeschool materials have come from Compass Classroom. I was first introduced to Compass Classroom years ago through the Visual Latin Program. This video-based program is FUN! Try it out for free with <a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_2_3_1" target="_blank">6 FREE Visual Latin Lessons!</a><br />
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We have also used Dave Raymond's American History, Word UP!, Economics for Everybody, Grammar of Poetry, and parts of Old Western Culture: Greeks. (Although my daughter has graduated from high school, I'm planning to finish this course on my own. It is SO interesting!) The video-based lessons for each of these programs are easy to use and my daughter has loved each one.<br />
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This is a good chance to check into these courses, since Compass Classroom's back-to-school sale is going on right now. Honestly, the best deal is the Classroom membership, which offers access to most of the courses for only $29 a month.<br />
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<a href="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=303_14_1_220" target="_blank"><img alt="Compass Course Subscriptions" height="145" src="https://affiliates.compassclassroom.com/media/banners/subscription-meme-580x145.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="580" /></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-4501032040744602442018-12-12T12:03:00.000-06:002018-12-12T12:03:20.786-06:00Ellie Claire Devotional JournalsThe beginning of a new year is when we all think about adding new routines to our lives and keeping a regular Bible and devotional reading time is on the New Year's resolution list for many of us. Over the past few years, I've found Bible journaling to be a meaningful practice. I love reading scripture and recording my thoughts and prayers in the margins. Before I had a journaling Bible, I used a separate journal. These <a href="http://worthypublishing.com/product-category/ellie-claire/" target="_blank">Ellie Claire Devotional Journals</a> are a variation on quiet time journaling, with a dated devotional book and journal in one. I was able to review three of these journals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHICiTl46YJEqld6crdivAjVp9uaPv0mxHOwBJhA7UiQqeph5JRguxk9y-rTVKi7bfSbB6rMjuD3BkJSY_joJWQxxXZjzwO1TKdvsYG_zrlxDiFRY38daOfZfJijnOzYjctgTehbkC8wg/s1600/P1040417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHICiTl46YJEqld6crdivAjVp9uaPv0mxHOwBJhA7UiQqeph5JRguxk9y-rTVKi7bfSbB6rMjuD3BkJSY_joJWQxxXZjzwO1TKdvsYG_zrlxDiFRY38daOfZfJijnOzYjctgTehbkC8wg/s640/P1040417.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Each of these lovely devotional journals features a beautiful cover, decorated pages, a ribbon bookmark, and an elastic band closure. The 7x9" size is larger than the typical devotional book, allowing plenty of room for my own journaling. The 365 readings are dated for each day of the year, offering a bit of motivation to keep up the daily habit to keep up with the schedule! The readings for each book are focused on a single theme, but are written by various authors. Each includes a Bible verse, a short prayer, and some include related quotes from other authors or from songs and hymns. The daily reading fills half the page, with the rest of the page lined for responding to the devotional thoughts, writing out prayers, or whatever else comes to mind that day. I plan to use this as a daily "thankful" list as well journaling my thoughts and prayers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGt8LUcfFDfBRaoGysAhNJg7BfrET_DjK2LRcQOZsXL_c_OxIrKIfncW86Rs0UEzd_zWBeVvx1CtsuzpXiJyh7QTmqSIKTliw8ymwQg56bGU7b6iZcCFqK8WPZyG9euOyA1UXyyfPsYo/s1600/P1040419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGt8LUcfFDfBRaoGysAhNJg7BfrET_DjK2LRcQOZsXL_c_OxIrKIfncW86Rs0UEzd_zWBeVvx1CtsuzpXiJyh7QTmqSIKTliw8ymwQg56bGU7b6iZcCFqK8WPZyG9euOyA1UXyyfPsYo/s320/P1040419.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://bit.ly/PeaceonAmazon" target="_blank">Peace Begins With Me </a>has an aqua, marble-look cover and page borders. Just opening the book gives me a peaceful feeling. Who isn't craving more peace in this stressful society? This volume points the reader toward God's Word and praising him as a means of finding peace in her heart and relationships.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6kZ-9aIdaE0H3sUIoxWeW271diShKpLheVUstghzgLNNoBnZQPJwap9bwPxOKDevQR1_iez94TLYI3Yeu-ajEL2t6G1ucisREbk1ck3wr5reL1-McAXCafIC4iqrBvZyjheAJzK1WA4/s1600/P1040418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6kZ-9aIdaE0H3sUIoxWeW271diShKpLheVUstghzgLNNoBnZQPJwap9bwPxOKDevQR1_iez94TLYI3Yeu-ajEL2t6G1ucisREbk1ck3wr5reL1-McAXCafIC4iqrBvZyjheAJzK1WA4/s320/P1040418.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/EyesonAmazon" target="_blank">Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus</a> begins each day with a quote from a hymn or song and the devotional passages encourage the reader to turn toward Jesus, trusting him with our lives each and every day. The pink borders and flowery decor are very girly. I think this is the one that I will be using in 2019!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy88TuaKm-9B5kr8nYOx8JSn17EWdCwshJ_wRSErm1hkWEpRQoyGZCjKJ6YvwVw809LGOZSY1Oiripk7yJyoB0P0O8ldHnnZWpHaPWcNKzmcl1pYlreTnLUzOHSc7oeAAcgs4htIT1Ato/s1600/P1040420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy88TuaKm-9B5kr8nYOx8JSn17EWdCwshJ_wRSErm1hkWEpRQoyGZCjKJ6YvwVw809LGOZSY1Oiripk7yJyoB0P0O8ldHnnZWpHaPWcNKzmcl1pYlreTnLUzOHSc7oeAAcgs4htIT1Ato/s320/P1040420.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://bit.ly/EarthonAmazon" target="_blank">The Earth is the Lord's and Everything in It</a> focuses on God's wonderful creation. This is perfect for nature and animal lovers (like my daughter), who will love the reminders that God's hand can be seen all around us in the wonders of the natural world. Peacocks and flowers embellish each page.<br />
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Just opening these devotional journals makes me happy! I love pretty things and the beauty and exceptional quality of these books will make my devotional time even more special. I'm looking forward to adding this to my morning quiet time. One or two of these books will be given as Christmas gifts, and I'm sure the recipients will love them as well.<br />
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<i>I received these devotional journals in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.</i><br />
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Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-66222576631877986742018-11-12T16:09:00.001-06:002018-11-15T20:10:23.439-06:00Ellie Claire Art Journals (Review)<br />
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I'm excited to share with you some absolutely beautiful journals by <a href="http://worthypublishing.com/product-category/ellie-claire/" target="_blank">Ellie Claire</a> that I was recently sent to review. All three exude quality and elegance, featuring textured cloth-bound covers with pages for journaling, coloring, lettering, and doodling. The paper is heavy weight enough to allow use with markers or even paint. (I can't use these mediums on my thin Bible pages.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AOIpVP5T9jg9bMI0JTQDXsP7uB5dbwlvEmq_NCFuXRdnqBCfy7LUAE2A7HfcHQJu-F5fcFttMDcqS6lLV_7CApCtJbLE5RJ5poVQoB5agd2mRw4p2sJmhalE37iJz_hFuB5RBM-DBhc/s1600/P1040396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AOIpVP5T9jg9bMI0JTQDXsP7uB5dbwlvEmq_NCFuXRdnqBCfy7LUAE2A7HfcHQJu-F5fcFttMDcqS6lLV_7CApCtJbLE5RJ5poVQoB5agd2mRw4p2sJmhalE37iJz_hFuB5RBM-DBhc/s400/P1040396.JPG" width="267" /></a><i><a href="http://bit.ly/Illustrated-Amazon" target="_blank">The Illustrated Word</a></i> is an illuminated Bible coloring journal that features both color reproductions and coloring pages reproduced from medieval illuminated manuscripts. This one is perfect for people who love intricate coloring designs. I've found that I enjoy praying and meditating while coloring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE76LuI7LRs_nsYbnffBGvxuhQIQ8VPnEJjkAPWue0i0fDH6vXaaGh8yGl6wANw6ZHyXnsPeu4fYEdYuViBwrth-u1uufSszBIEaJ3CeAiNcEWKGUx7TUIn10-mRCie26imI-GS_LlDiY/s1600/P1040398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE76LuI7LRs_nsYbnffBGvxuhQIQ8VPnEJjkAPWue0i0fDH6vXaaGh8yGl6wANw6ZHyXnsPeu4fYEdYuViBwrth-u1uufSszBIEaJ3CeAiNcEWKGUx7TUIn10-mRCie26imI-GS_LlDiY/s320/P1040398.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsT036BeshF-x192TFeRDXiHbbtYG14GXU5M86TgOFZGCY8WpAvGahD3hcX9RIt_wyCZLPwaQhQXR9cu3NGndqcNgnrWmuT-kUOUG1VkPQepEXabj7ZW7wjBpSgwzzU2DA_oQKSNuv7XU/s1600/P1040399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsT036BeshF-x192TFeRDXiHbbtYG14GXU5M86TgOFZGCY8WpAvGahD3hcX9RIt_wyCZLPwaQhQXR9cu3NGndqcNgnrWmuT-kUOUG1VkPQepEXabj7ZW7wjBpSgwzzU2DA_oQKSNuv7XU/s320/P1040399.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4UTvsuWABV-UG2pa9vej2iOev9wMuKbx-zkRjjPERTEmHutcpOXGR5UPfJ3hrws0G3dTzzVDZovZEqDUv4ZHi4F4s5g1I2CaRXksvLUoAUKlud6gMhkmU0bXtY5f1iXbs6XgXsefakQ/s1600/P1040385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4UTvsuWABV-UG2pa9vej2iOev9wMuKbx-zkRjjPERTEmHutcpOXGR5UPfJ3hrws0G3dTzzVDZovZEqDUv4ZHi4F4s5g1I2CaRXksvLUoAUKlud6gMhkmU0bXtY5f1iXbs6XgXsefakQ/s400/P1040385.JPG" width="267" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://bit.ly/Illuminate-Amazon" target="_blank">Illuminate Your Story Journal</a> </i>has a ribbon bookmark, a keepsake pocket inside the back cover, an elastic pen holder on the spine, and an elastic closure. This book has step by step directions for drawing an entire alphabet of illuminated letters just like those found in ancient manuscripts. The step-by step instructions are fool-proof! Blank journal pages with inspiring quotes are interspersed with the instructional drawing pages.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRjbPCOftRAb0XvI1RkpnFIUSN0og7Z7tu_MXBhYSCrYe-cXmVn3kdpUV3IQKs-vAaLm5tlM_cU1wrTp96CvOoUZr235hzhIYZLfq9t6tJFoq5vbUYvddElVsngW3a2i4fea6TgaCN9k/s1600/P1040386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRjbPCOftRAb0XvI1RkpnFIUSN0og7Z7tu_MXBhYSCrYe-cXmVn3kdpUV3IQKs-vAaLm5tlM_cU1wrTp96CvOoUZr235hzhIYZLfq9t6tJFoq5vbUYvddElVsngW3a2i4fea6TgaCN9k/s320/P1040386.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<i><a href="http://bit.ly/FaithAndLettering-BN" target="_blank">Faith and Lettering Journal</a> </i>is my very favorite of the three. I've been using a journaling Bible for the past year, but don't have much skill or confidence in my lettering skills. This journal is an instructional manual for letters, flourishes, banners, and other doodles with plenty of blank, lined, and grid pages for practicing. It is also a traditional journal that includes both blank pages and pages with small inspirational quotes like "Fear not, I am with you." There are several completed decorative quotes for tracing and copying--a great way to develop confidence before actually drawing in a Bible.<br />
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I really love the "pro tips" that are scattered through the book. I learned that ovals are more pleasing to the eye than circles, so calligraphic letters and flourishes should use ovals. Another pro tip offers the suggestion to draw containers to hold large quotes, titles, or lists. I know that my artistic confidence will grow as I use this journal.<br />
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Any one of these art journals would make an awesome creative outlet, quiet time journal, or Christmas gift!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-16718739581236641822018-10-30T13:53:00.001-05:002018-10-30T13:54:03.868-05:00Updates!Lots of changes in our home in the past months! Emily graduated in May. Our cover school had a lovely ceremony planned by the students and held at "Burritt on the Mountain," a historical home and park with views overlooking the city. She spent much of her summer doing an FBI internship. She was thrilled to have this opportunity, since she's hoping to have a career in the FBI eventually.<br />
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In August, she moved off to the University of North Alabama. She's loving college life, making many new friends, and doing well with her classes so far. She started with plans to major in psychology, but will probably change her major to criminal justice. Since she's only an hour from home, she has been back about every other weekend.<br />
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I'm finding myself tutoring every morning for three different homeschooling families, so I haven't left the teaching/homeschooling life behind yet!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/214/35EE35055B9B329DF1CFB6A889FB5D8C.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-8511010439395144842017-11-06T15:36:00.000-06:002017-11-07T21:04:09.514-06:00ESV Illuminated Bible Review<div>
#ESVIlluminatedBible #FlyBy </div>
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One of the latest trend in Bibles is journaling Bibles. Journaling Bibles vary in their translation and format, but generally have wide side margins for making notes, writing out favorite verses, or decorating with designs and pictures. Some have printed designs on some pages for coloring. This allows the reader to react to and relate with the text while reading in whatever way inspires and spiritually nourishes the reader.<br />
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The new <i><a href="https://www.illuminatedbible.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ESV Illuminated Bible</a>: Art Journaling Edition</i> is a beautiful option in the world of journaling Bibles. It uses the ESV translation with a single column format on cream paper and features lovely gold embellishments in the margins and a blue ribbon bookmark for an elegant appearance.</div>
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The ESV Illuminated Bible comes in a sturdy slipcover featuring the same design as the fabric bound gold embellished book cover. </div>
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I really like the cream paper that this Bible uses. The color is easier on the eyes than a bright white. Although the pages are fairly thin, as most Bibles are, they are thick enough that the print doesn't show through the back side of the page too much. I always find that distracting in Bibles with very thin pages. The gold embellishments do show through somewhat, and I'm sure that any reader added notes or drawing in ink would show through to some extent as well.<br />
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I received the navy version for review, but this Bible is also available in green, burgundy, or leather bindings. If you are looking for a new Bible, a new way to interact with scripture, or a great gift idea, the <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/060FAE2C-365C-4591-87C0-39ADAC08D5E9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ESV Illuminated Bible</a> </i>might be a great option! </div>
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<b>“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides
Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): </b>Many
thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this item for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary
compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for
this review and post.</div>
Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-54697872811679662362017-10-26T14:15:00.000-05:002017-10-26T14:15:36.712-05:00Disney Fun<br />
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Last month, we enjoyed a fun trip to Disney World. This trip was a little different from our typical family trip since my girls brought along a friend and a boyfriend. We visited just after Irma blew through, but, in typical Disney style, the trip was as magical as always.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/214/35EE35055B9B329DF1CFB6A889FB5D8C.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-7410258406784246152017-10-14T13:58:00.001-05:002017-10-14T14:09:31.122-05:00Mermaid Costumes<p>Still looking for a Halloween costume? Do you have a little mermaid that needs a new tail? <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MysticCoveMermaid" target="_blank">Mermaid costumes</a> are available in my Mystic Cove Mermaid etsy shop and I ship all orders out in 1-2 days!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QYcWpmwgt0w/WeJeR2B3SmI/AAAAAAAAJ9w/j6Yc8Tlq1PgRO_I5KfR96Fg-bb7aigWAACHMYCw/s1600-h/P1060014%255B5%255D"><img title="P1060014" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1060014" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tszX-PbrAls/WeJeSVSjFCI/AAAAAAAAJ90/qCD6uow3uaABvQstcnts13Nnx0QuT4U6gCHMYCw/P1060014_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" width="278" height="389"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IBOjPA8zJF0/WeJeSipV-HI/AAAAAAAAJ94/PDehwE8V3zowYmtNIEuHHDlRfBO912FVACHMYCw/s1600-h/P1050995%255B4%255D"><img title="P1050995" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050995" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cfx1M-fI0Yk/WeJeS2rB38I/AAAAAAAAJ98/ucoHCuLSn7kzdVsgxm59BXeFnXDyfe3cwCHMYCw/P1050995_thumb%255B1%255D?imgmax=800" width="284" height="390"></a></p> <p>The easy to walk in skirts are new this year. If your mermaid would like to use the tail year-round for costume and for swimming, the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MysticCoveMermaid" target="_blank">swimmable mermaid tails</a> are also a great option (although harder to walk in).</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YbygId7vo2s/WeJg6Um3skI/AAAAAAAAJ-Q/UA5IApgL-vgmVUU7ICi9cbkq4E-H0wzvACHMYCw/s1600-h/icm_fullxfull.125189846_6zlpto931wkk4kw0cwsk%255B8%255D"><img title="icm_fullxfull.125189846_6zlpto931wkk4kw0cwsk" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="icm_fullxfull.125189846_6zlpto931wkk4kw0cwsk" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5U6U5fabeqg/WeJg6YuqmiI/AAAAAAAAJ-U/zt1qh6ro9805bsqxo-sdaBvObOmBN-60wCHMYCw/icm_fullxfull.125189846_6zlpto931wkk4kw0cwsk_thumb%255B8%255D?imgmax=800" width="586" height="411"></a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-70725039970049254712017-01-23T17:44:00.001-06:002017-01-23T17:44:09.725-06:00Christmas at the Beach<p>We spent Christmas at the Beach with my parents, 3 sisters, and their families. It was a big crowd and lots of fun!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wKwogClWiBc/WIaVMshYYCI/AAAAAAAAJ6A/UAhVj1BUwH0/s1600-h/P1050879%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050879" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050879" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tb1gG4F_0uA/WIaVNUYM-xI/AAAAAAAAJ6E/2BWzZ1hBd-k/P1050879_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="599" height="470"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ilN8DVJSakk/WIaVOfH4CqI/AAAAAAAAJ6I/0v-l2b5jaIE/s1600-h/P1050881%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050881" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050881" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ym5_u_1Paj4/WIaVOyURD1I/AAAAAAAAJ6M/959ElHKDXh0/P1050881_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="603" height="471"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SUIuJs-H0Ns/WIaVPjG8mAI/AAAAAAAAJ6Q/QUPNIfqz9cA/s1600-h/P1050885%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050885" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050885" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NKxHSXToHeA/WIaVQSPOHpI/AAAAAAAAJ6U/-TBPzAtoo20/P1050885_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="587" height="461"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b7FyTS9vqWY/WIaVQ6EEsuI/AAAAAAAAJ6Y/mfSLvqAZuEg/s1600-h/P1050901%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050901" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050901" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7rmmXUoU0ME/WIaVRi6wLWI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/cYom6nM4cXg/P1050901_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="612" height="490"></a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-69958578509354577942016-12-19T12:16:00.001-06:002016-12-19T12:16:04.325-06:00Groupon Coupon Deals<p><em>This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. #GrouponCoupons #ad</em></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jU1rn6fhCUc/WFgj3aEg2MI/AAAAAAAAJ5I/dw8_6zH5TOU/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k8m0UJCe9D0/WFgj31xo3bI/AAAAAAAAJ5M/g8XrXjuopmE/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="161" height="50"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wotETQI1Dng/WFgj4NtNjCI/AAAAAAAAJ5Q/webFb1ozGNg/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bu_aHHRjGMU/WFgj4ghyZRI/AAAAAAAAJ5U/rsqHkSIDCXQ/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="383" height="366"></a></p> <p>Do you know about Groupon Coupons? I have often purchased Groupon’s local deals, primarily for saving money when eating out, and have purchased from Groupon Goods as well. Until now, I actually hadn’t paid much attention to <a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Groupon Coupons</a>.</p> <p>Actually, I’m not sure why. When I purchase online, I try to remember to search for any available coupons or deals that will save me money on my order. While browsing, I discovered quite a few great coupons, like 20% –30% off at Barnes and Noble, Walgreens, Sears, and dozens of other online sites. I noticed a coupon for 20% off an <a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons/stores/angieslist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Angie’s List</a> membership. I wish I’d seen that before I joined a few months ago. (I’ve been trying to get started on some long-neglected home repair and home improvement projects in the past few months and Angie’s list has been a huge help in finding local service people and contractors that do quality work. I love being able to read reviews from other customers before I commit to hiring someone.)</p> <p>While browsing Groupon Coupons, I came across some new sites, like <a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons/stores/care.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Care.com</a>. Care.com looks like a very helpful place for people to find caregivers and related helpers, including child care, senior care, tutoring, or pet sitters. Caregivers can register on the site as well to be matched up with those needing services. Seems like a great idea!</p> <p>Groupon’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Groupon.US/?brand_redir=526662987435979" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/groupon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> accounts provide a good way to keep up with the deals. I plan to keep a closer eye on the Groupon Coupon deals in the future.</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-91369765059806766882016-12-14T05:32:00.000-06:002016-12-14T05:32:15.762-06:003 Seeds: A Game Review<p><img title="" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="image001" src="http://www.charagames.com/assets/Uploads/_resampled/ResizedImage430184-image001.jpg" width="386" height="173"></p> <p>I recently reviewed <a href="http://www.charagames.com/games/commissioned/" rel="nofollow">Commissioned</a>, a cooperative game published by <a href="http://www.charagames.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chara Games</a>. The company has a brand-new game out now called <a href="http://www.charagames.com/games/3seeds/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Seeds</a> that we also got to try. The company describes it as a “light strategy” game. It is designed for 2-5 players and is for ages 12 and up.</p> <p>When I opened the box, I could tell that this was a bit more than a typical card game. The small box contained 4 kinds of cards: Harvest, Crop, Event, and Seeds. It also included a wooden turn marker, scoring cubes, plastic point tokens, and scorecards. </p> <p>Game play is a bit more complicated than many card games, but, as with Commissioned, once we started playing, we picked up the rules pretty quickly. It took a second play of the game to start incorporating strategy into our choices.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iTEASzl_PL0/WFCFDr7__TI/AAAAAAAAJ34/ba4u10WPWtU/s1600-h/IMG_20161213_1326374_rewind%25255B1%25255D%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_20161213_1326374_rewind[1]" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_20161213_1326374_rewind[1]" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vIs2nU_scpU/WFCFEL95W6I/AAAAAAAAJ38/gF83KjkZHVw/IMG_20161213_1326374_rewind%25255B1%25255D_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="289" align="left" height="378"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kD8ude_44qQ/WFCFEorJVTI/AAAAAAAAJ4A/_AdXC3vjMUc/s1600-h/IMG_20161213_1329565_rewind%25255B1%25255D%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_20161213_1329565_rewind[1]" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_20161213_1329565_rewind[1]" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uSZBAXJqug4/WFCFFFVE7qI/AAAAAAAAJ4E/V75NHjPe3JU/IMG_20161213_1329565_rewind%25255B1%25255D_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="264" align="right" height="377"></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>The basic game play is as follows:</p> <p>Each player has one Crop card face up in front of him at all times. He also has a Harvest card that assigns a point value to that card. Each crop card requires a specified number of Seed cards (Time, Money, and Labor) to for that crop to be completed. Each player, on his turn, plays 2 seed cards on his on crop or on another player’s crop. When a Crop is completed, points are assigned to each player, depending on how many seeds he has placed on that crop and the number of the corresponding Harvest card. Event cards add twists to the game, allowing players to add to their harvest points, swap crops with another player, and so on.<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VoJmqOh1Alc/WFCFF0ZhmYI/AAAAAAAAJ4I/KY_JXsZ8mu4/s1600-h/IMG_20161213_1317338_rewind%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_20161213_1317338_rewind[1]" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_20161213_1317338_rewind[1]" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TwgwN9rl9os/WFCFGLKhbdI/AAAAAAAAJ4M/sgLuz2etOFg/IMG_20161213_1317338_rewind%25255B1%25255D_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="474" height="652"></a></p> <p>Game play took us about 45 minutes for 2-3 players. I thought the game was quite unique—we have quite a few games, but nothing like this one. The Crop cards are fun to read as you play. They feature unusual “crops” like “Hyper Jalepenos: Heat that keeps you on your toes,” “Blissful Bamboo: Recommended by 10 out of 10 pandas,” and “Cautious Kale: A hyper aversion to the unknown. Side effect: No friends.” We enjoyed playing the game and I am sure we will play it again, but it’s really not one of our favorites. Game play seemed repetitive from turn to turn and, although there is some strategy needed for accumulating the most points, it didn’t feel very challenging, nor did we feel the competition against other players that makes some games a lot of fun.</p> <p><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="389" height="142"></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-27384059963320076202016-12-13T18:27:00.001-06:002016-12-13T18:27:11.746-06:00I love shopping from home!<p><em>This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. #Groupon #ad</em></p> <p>I’m really not a big shopper and one thing that I hate is fighting the holiday crowds. Over the past few years, I’ve done more and more of my Christmas shopping online and just love the convenience. I mean, how can you beat relaxing in your warm home with a hot cup of coffee as you choose gifts for your loved ones?</p> <p>This year, I’ve found several great deals at <a href="https://www.groupon.com/goods/apple-iphones" target="_blank">Groupon Goods</a>. I found these adorable mini speakers (and there were hundreds of options to chooser from) and a set of Glasslock bakeware for the best price around. I’ve been using Groupon for quite a while for their local deals, but am shopping there more often for the Groupon Goods deals. The prices are quite competitive and the selection is quite broad.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4EoDzcLeLFQ/WFCRy2X6fnI/AAAAAAAAJ4c/VI2iaEY-uLg/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6PWsnaaNTOA/WFCRzukdFyI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/sDsBwlpC5ms/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="247" height="298"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OjYm6vr30nw/WFCR0PCkyKI/AAAAAAAAJ4k/kzDiyx8vPlQ/s1600-h/image%25255B10%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vhSzZvDnr-k/WFCR0jdIGBI/AAAAAAAAJ4o/gmz_3TIa6TM/image_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="292" height="292"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h9hbqqLR2qU/WFCR2srsNGI/AAAAAAAAJ4s/E6Mu44cVXtM/s1600-h/image%25255B12%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LNSXrLFPmu8/WFCR30CuBGI/AAAAAAAAJ4w/CiZ3FDFjlc0/image_thumb%25255B6%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="540" height="332"></a></p> <p>My recent orders all arrived within a week or so. I was excited to find the Glasslock dishes (Yes, they are for myself, not for a gift.) It’s hard to find the larger sizes and I since I make and freeze a lot of meals to eat later, I like to have a variety of sizes on hand. </p> <p>The speakers are really cute. The reviews for them are good, so I’m hoping the recipients of the gifts will be happy with them!</p> <p>You can keep up with Groupon deals by subscribing to their emails or by connecting with them on <b>Facebook -</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Groupon.US/?brand_redir=526662987435979">https://www.facebook.com/Groupon.US/?brand_redir=526662987435979</a> or<b>- Twitter -</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/groupon">https://twitter.com/groupon</a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-59842952539898102262016-11-19T20:42:00.001-06:002016-11-19T20:42:08.602-06:00Mermaid Tail Sale!<p>Does your little mermaid need a tail for Christmas? My handmade with love <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MysticCoveMermaid?" target="_blank">mermaid sets</a> are on sale right now at my Etsy shop. Save 10% off your purchase with the code, “MERMAID10.”</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uo1c-NcEoF8/WDENcmE0Y2I/AAAAAAAAJ20/3wUH3lUkpqk/s1600-h/_DSC0964%252520%2525282%252529%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="_DSC0964 (2)" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="_DSC0964 (2)" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YZRib7PXlDk/WDENdNtFlBI/AAAAAAAAJ24/tIDfaBVupf8/_DSC0964%252520%2525282%252529_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="582" height="563"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PgoOd8cGlb4/WDENdWz8clI/AAAAAAAAJ28/MnhxK7WNd5M/s1600-h/DSCN5826%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSCN5826" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="DSCN5826" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xLJq7DWKtYY/WDENdqmdKVI/AAAAAAAAJ3A/3rMX_eW2cB8/DSCN5826_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="476" height="413"></a></p> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XeeKbFR0QTo/WDENeO8QmzI/AAAAAAAAJ3E/h2BacePB2cU/s1600-h/P1050850%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050850" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050850" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i62XMPe7CXI/WDENetY42KI/AAAAAAAAJ3I/nVyWotLSqt0/P1050850_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="658" height="516"></a> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fVi1PB0kecg/WDENe1YyndI/AAAAAAAAJ3M/0e-TKi1Fqz4/s1600-h/green%252520mermaid%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="green mermaid" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="green mermaid" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HQHP8KS3SMo/WDENfJ61SzI/AAAAAAAAJ3Q/YI7qowCZM00/green%252520mermaid_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="635" height="446"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UP7Hk8wYNmk/WDENfjHnTRI/AAAAAAAAJ3U/XvuwlGmOPo4/s1600-h/h3jill%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="h3jill" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="h3jill" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2juvASB1kGA/WDENf9Q7PwI/AAAAAAAAJ3Y/s2uNxTdZ4NE/h3jill_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="354" height="423"></a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-9012401820820027052016-11-16T13:06:00.001-06:002016-11-16T13:06:18.505-06:00Physics 101 (Homeschool Review)<img style="float: right; display: inline" alt="cover of Physics 101 DVD set" src="http://www.the101series.com/phy/images/dvd.jpg" width="267" align="right" height="356"> <p>Are you looking for a fun way to tackle high school science courses? <a href="http://www.the101series.com/">The 101 Series</a> offers video based courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, with a General Science scheduled to come out soon. I received the <a href="http://www.the101series.com/phy/index.html">Physics 101</a> course to review and it has been a hit in our home!</p> <p>The core of Physics 101 is the video instruction. 20 videos, each ranging from 20 to 40 minutes long make up the primary “textbook” for the course. For some students—those who want to use the videos as a supplement to another course or students who are younger than high school age—the video content will be sufficient. For high school students who want to use Physics 101 as a complete high school course, the DVD set includes two additional pdf resources.</p> <p>The Guidebook is a 106 page resource that includes a 2-4 page summary of the content for each video, discussion questions, and a quiz. The Accreditation booklet pulls everything together, with schedules and assignments for video, research, labs, and quizzes. The schedule even includes space to document the required 120-180 hours to earn a full credit. While completing the course, students do a significant amount of research and write reports on their findings. The videos demonstrate each of the labs and the students are then expected to perform the labs on their own as well.</p> <p>Physics 101 is divided into 7 topics, with 1-4 lessons within each topic. I think that you could complete the topics in any order, although lessons within the topic should be watched in sequence. Topics include:</p> <ul> <li>Light</li> <li>Sound</li> <li>Heat</li> <li>Electricity</li> <li>Motion</li> <li>Physics of the Weird</li> <li>The Future of Physics</li></ul> <p><a href="http://www.the101series.com/">The 101 Series</a> is a family enterprise. The concepts are all taught by Wes Olson, a filmmaker, science buff, and homeschool dad. Filming is done by family members. You would never peg this as an amateur production, though. The videos are top quality, professional films. Video lectures by Wes Olson, animations, experiment demonstrations, and photos combine to clearly explain and illustrate complex concepts.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ulzC4Myc-FU/WCyuC2R8UMI/AAAAAAAAJ1g/SgNWCY_BWQc/s1600-h/P1050817%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050817" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050817" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-57AbYDOtImU/WCyuDBKAEsI/AAAAAAAAJ1k/SpT1WLj02dc/P1050817_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="294" height="206"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IP9CViU7lpY/WCyuDn-qhUI/AAAAAAAAJ1o/S4YoKoSNQyk/s1600-h/P1050826%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050826" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050826" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wIf7V4BOeSM/WCyuD97LRbI/AAAAAAAAJ1s/VNPEsPcJOJI/P1050826_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="297" height="193"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qv4mcbQCUOQ/WCyuERATR7I/AAAAAAAAJ1w/qCsidQwUYV0/s1600-h/P1050828%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050828" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050828" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uTuZHYo3kPU/WCyuGX4NwJI/AAAAAAAAJ10/OzCfha6g3B8/P1050828_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="271" height="213"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oGffgGtOvuc/WCyuG5xckUI/AAAAAAAAJ14/YzUN88kg5P0/s1600-h/P1050830%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050830" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050830" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NCKFrpxKLNY/WCyuHNl53AI/AAAAAAAAJ18/a5FwT0xnDkM/P1050830_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" height="203"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Abj2ijB1lvs/WCyuHqrao9I/AAAAAAAAJ2A/OjtapH3jS78/s1600-h/P1050833%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050833" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P1050833" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lL8g0WxoehU/WCyuIAAAEKI/AAAAAAAAJ2E/jyKdlGBsUrA/P1050833_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="423" height="332"></a></p> <p><strong>How did we use Physics 101?</strong></p> <p>Emily watched a video, read through the corresponding summary pages in the Guidebook and took the quiz orally. She aced all the quizzes, which tells me that the material was taught well. She tried out a couple of the experiments, but hasn’t done any of the online activities or research reports yet, since at this point we’re using Physics 101 as a supplement instead of a full curriculum.</p> <p><strong>Our thoughts:</strong></p> <p>Emily loved this series. Seriously, this is an actual quote, “Physics makes me smile. I love physics!” My original intention was to complete a small portion of the course this year, then to save the rest for next year, but since she keeps asking to watch more videos, I now expect that we will finish it this year!</p> <p>I think that Physics 101 is ideal for an average student who wants a non-math based physics course. We’ve watched 6 of the 20 videos so far and find the teaching clear and solid. The concepts are related to their usefulness in daily life, answering questions such as “How does electricity get to our homes?” and “Why does light pass through some materials and not others?” Because the experiments are all demonstrated on the videos, students who choose to skip performing some or all of the labs will still get to see the results. All the experiments that we watched, however, were fairly simple. While this made them easy to do with household objects, they seemed more like middle school level labs. I would prefer that the labs be explained in the written course materials as well as demonstrated on the videos. It was sometimes difficult to remember exactly how a lab was done after viewing it one time and having written instructions would be more convenient than having to find and re-watch the lab on the video.The additional research activities in the Accreditation Booklet are helpful for building Physics 101 into a more solid course. This course would be easy for a student to study on his or her own without a lot of parental guidance other than grading or looking over the research reports.</p> <p>We plan to have Emily do a more intense math-based physics course next year since she is strong in math, but will definitely use this video series as a supplement (if she doesn’t finish watching them all this year.)</p> <p><em>The Physics 101 Guidebook includes summaries of each video segment that are work well for review or as a study aid.</em></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LWzcaBQo_c8/WCyuIR4sXyI/AAAAAAAAJ2I/PDOJfx_F3Z8/s1600-h/image3.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rST3cr28P2A/WCyuI099F9I/AAAAAAAAJ2M/zPWJbp_grtM/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" width="280" align="right" height="348"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KwmgTPtMU_8/WCyuJMpJmpI/AAAAAAAAJ2Q/0LV_h3MwpF8/s1600-h/image2.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RvCvuGXYEG8/WCyuJWUD99I/AAAAAAAAJ2U/M4P-V3zbV5A/image_thumb2.png?imgmax=800" width="262" height="350"></a></p> <p><em>The schedule in the Accreditation Booklet suggests additional activities and research assignments and provides a easy way to document study time.</em></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l9IWS0kvuIg/WCyuJxF5gQI/AAAAAAAAJ2Y/tS6S6DTw44g/s1600-h/image6%25255B1%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xteoofl0Oog/WCyuKZWzwPI/AAAAAAAAJ2c/u7l1b4QuItY/image6_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="581" height="627"></a></p> <p>The Homeschool Review Crew reviewed all three of these courses, so be sure to hop over to the Crew blog to learn more!</p> <p><a href="http://www.the101series.com/phy/index.html">Physics 101</a><br><a href="http://www.the101series.com/chem/index.html">Chemistry 101</a><br><a href="http://www.the101series.com/bio/index.html">Biology 101</a> <p> <center> </center> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/physics-chemistry-biology-101-the-101-series/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Physics, Chemistry & Biology 101 {The 101 Series}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg"></a></center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="389" height="142"></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-61092681462754384482016-11-15T16:21:00.001-06:002016-11-15T16:21:07.103-06:00Commissioned (Homeschool Review)<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/commissioned-chara-games/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Commissioned {Chara Games}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/11%20-%20November/14%20-%20Chara%20Games/Commissioned_zps3upxfxaf.jpg" width="365" height="365"></a></center> <p>Our family has the pleasure of trying out a new game this month, <a href="http://www.charagames.com/games/commissioned/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Commissioned</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.charagames.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chara Games</a>. Right out of the box, it was obvious that Commissioned is a quality game. The game board is beautiful and two-sided, each side featuring maps of the areas visited by the early Apostles. The game includes wooden game pieces, tokens and Apostle cards of heavy cardboard, and good quality game cards.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dyb3XmjZohw/WCuKQb0jnOI/AAAAAAAAJ0w/1X8tiHERXh4/s1600-h/P1050838%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050838" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050838" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ChthPWha9BA/WCuKQ_GNAVI/AAAAAAAAJ00/5PqKjEqxELk/P1050838_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="572" height="449"></a></p> <p>Players of Commissioned aim to “spread the gospel’' across areas of the Middle East as described in the book of Acts. While the game is Christian-themed, no prior knowledge of the Bible is assumed or necessary. Players are likely to learn a bit about the geography and actions of the early church as they play, but the game is primarily a cooperative strategy game rather than an educational one.</p> <p>I haven’t had a lot of experience with cooperative games, where all the players work together to accomplish a goal and wasn’t sure at first how fun this concept would be, but we actually did enjoy working together. After several game plays, we still haven’t won, though, which is making me even more determined to figure this out and win next time! If you really feel the need for competition between players, there is an “adversary variant,” which we haven’t yet tried.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SNojOFbp-gE/WCuKRXtUejI/AAAAAAAAJ04/r3tH4lZgmYE/s1600-h/P1050840%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050840" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050840" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yfqCgr9h6Cc/WCuKRw5_irI/AAAAAAAAJ08/MnyuyttvIGU/P1050840_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="296" height="241"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jQt-WVrKQfM/WCuKSfHAkzI/AAAAAAAAJ1A/c4n4zZvZ_Hk/s1600-h/P1050841%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050841" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050841" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4z7qMTYmSQ4/WCuKTEnuVdI/AAAAAAAAJ1E/O0s9ej5wfGw/P1050841_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="293" height="239"></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.charagames.com/games/commissioned/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Commissioned</a> is NOT a game with “quick start” instructions or one that you will intuitively figure out. The 10-page rule book clearly explains how to play the game, but it took us a while to actually master the rules. The first time we played, I skimmed through the instructions, then studied the rules as we played through the first few rounds. After the game, I read back through the rules to clarify some of the choices we made as we played. My older children were home for the weekend, so we had a group of 5 to play the first game. My son-in-law did a pretty good job of interpreting the rules or guessing what to do next while my daughter, confused by the rules of game play, grumbled, “Where is the Ban**** game?” Chara Games has also provided several videos that show how to play the game that will clear up some of the confusion and simplify matters. You can see them right on the product page to get a better idea of how the game is played.</p> <p>Game play was much easier the second time through, and by the third time, Emily was begging to play! There’s a bit of a learning curve to the game, but it’s worth the effort!</p> <p>Basic play required each player to take on the persona of one of the early apostles. Each apostle comes with game cards that perform different feats, so even before the game starts, choosing your character is part of the strategy. Using the apostle, missionary, and church member playing pieces, players work cooperatively to plant churches in cities around the map. Trial cards offer setbacks to the team progress and faith cards can offer help in growing new churches and multiplying members.</p> <p>There are actually five different variations for Commissioned, each with different requirements to beat the game. After we played the first variation, Acts of the Apostles, a couple of times and felt that we had a grasp on it, we tried Peter’s Gentile Outreach, and found that our strategy needed to change quite a bit to achieve the new goals. I really liked that this game is ever changing with the different game options!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z3qJC_hxd8g/WCuKTXTocPI/AAAAAAAAJ1I/2tfT2nHH_to/s1600-h/P1050835%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="P1050835" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050835" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lvvEAwEXZ2E/WCuKT49RkZI/AAAAAAAAJ1M/wTZTbiBxgpE/P1050835_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="531" height="740"></a></p> <p>We really enjoy playing Commissioned. The game is unique, and, while a bit difficult to learn at first, has been a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to trying out all five of the game play options!</p> <p> <center> </center> <div align="left">Chara games also sent me a brand-new, hot off the presses card game called 3 Seeds, which I will be reviewing very soon. It is for ages 12 and up, and players compete to earn the most points as they “sow seeds” and aim for the highest harvest returns. It looks like fun, too! <img title="" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="image001" src="http://www.charagames.com/assets/Uploads/_resampled/ResizedImage430184-image001.jpg" width="386" height="173"></div> <center> </center> <center>Please read more about <a href="http://www.charagames.com/games/commissioned/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Commissioned</a> at the Homeschool Review Crew Blog!</center> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/commissioned-chara-games/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Commissioned {Chara Games}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg"></a></center> <a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="389" height="142"></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-50868306523478179972016-11-04T12:36:00.001-05:002016-11-04T12:36:07.033-05:00Five Minute Friday—Journey<p>5 minutes of pondering on the topic of “journey”…</p> <p><a href="http://katemotaung.com/2016/11/03/five-minute-friday-journey-plus-giveaway/" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="journey" src="http://katemotaung.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/journey.-600x600.png" width="380" height="380"></a></p> <p>Life is a journey. A long, winding one with unexpected twists and turns. </p> <p>When I plan a trip somewhere, the first thing I do is plan. I read the guidebooks, research on the internet. I make an itinerary, reservations, and notes about what to see and do. I pack carefully, thinking about what I might need. Because of all this planning, things usually work about more or less according to schedule. I may forget to pack something or have minor car trouble along the way or catch a cold, but the trip turns out more or less as planned.</p> <p>To me, the word journey somehow seems to connote a more difficult or longer experience than a trip. I think of winding paths, uphill struggles, and coasting down the easy parts. I think that’s more like life. I like to think I can plan everything out (and would love to do so), but life takes unexpected turns that I can’t plan for—some wonderful detours, and some more difficult times as well. But doesn’t that really make life better and richer and more interesting?</p> <p>Read more or write your own post and link up at: <a title="http://katemotaung.com/2016/11/03/five-minute-friday-journey-plus-giveaway/" href="http://katemotaung.com/2016/11/03/five-minute-friday-journey-plus-giveaway/">http://katemotaung.com/2016/11/03/five-minute-friday-journey-plus-giveaway/</a>.</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-4644607103324009982016-11-01T12:11:00.001-05:002016-11-01T12:11:00.540-05:00Accountable2You (Homeschool Review)<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/across-all-your-devices-accountable2you/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Accountability across all your devices {Accountable2You}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/10%20-%20October/31%20-%20Accountable2You/Accountable2You%20Accountablility%20Accross%20ALL%20your%20Devices_zpsljifhbub.jpg" width="467" height="271"></a></center> <p>This month we have been trying out the <a href="https://www.accountable2you.com/">Accountable2You</a> internet accountability plan. Accountability software differs from filtering software, which actually blocks sites and search terms. Filtering software can be very helpful, especially for children who may accidentally stumble upon inappropriate content during their web use. Accountable2You offers a different approach. It does not filter, but instead it monitors activity and app usage, then sends alerts or reports to a specified accountability partner of any questionable activity</p> <p><a href="https://www.accountable2you.com/">Accountable2You</a> offers several different plans: Individual, Family, Small Business, and Group. We reviewed the <a href="https://www.accountable2you.com/pricing#personal">Family Plan</a>. The benefits of this particular plan include monitoring of up to 20 devices, child user accounts, unlimited accountability partners, and the ability to set time limit alerts. Like all the account options, it offers a choice of daily or weekly email reports, instant text alerts, real time reporting, and management of objectionable word lists.</p> <p>The user is responsible for making good choices while on the internet. Determined users can sometimes disable or get around filtering programs and “beat the system,” but accountability programs teach the user to self monitor. If the user knows his password, he can change settings himself, but his partner will get a notification that he did so!</p> <p>Accountable2You works with many different devices, including computers, tablets, and android phones. Unfortunately, the features are more limited for iPhones and iPads because of Apple’s own restrictions. Apps cannot be monitored and internet usage is only monitored through a specially designed browser on Apple products. </p> <p>I already have filtering software on the computer that Emily uses. However, since I don’t have a filter on her Kindle Fire, which is the device she is more likely to use anyway, I was excited to have the opportunity to give Accountable2You a try. I don’t have any particular concerns about her internet usage, but I do like to monitor what is going on just in case.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8P-XjE5nyu4/WBjMklw35LI/AAAAAAAAJz4/x4I-ant6Gg0/s1600-h/image6.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jx-jqtdavQk/WBjMlDWJoBI/AAAAAAAAJz8/5QGH0P1W_-I/image_thumb2.png?imgmax=800" width="573" height="213"></a></p> <p>Accountable2You is easy to use. </p> <ul> <li>Step 1: Set up an account. <li>Step 2: Add family members to the account. Each person will have his or her own sign in name and password. <li>Step 3: Install the app on each device. Each device is linked to a person and individual time controls, alert words, and accountability partners can be set for the device.</li></ul> <p>Devices are then monitored automatically. Depending on the setting, emails or texts are sent to the designated accountability partner. Notifications can be sent instantly, daily or weekly, depending on settings. I have Emily’s reports set to daily (although I will get an instant notification for time infractions or serious concerns). The daily report will show me any questionable activity and also lets me click onto the site to see ALL of her app activity. This could be a good way to see if your child is getting distracted during school time!</p> <p>Emily’s alert activity has been pretty quiet. The first day I put it on, though, I got an alert that she was on the internet after 10 p.m. It was okay—she had a friend spending the night and they were listening to a song on YouTube shortly after 10:00, but I’m glad that I got the alert. I definitely want to know if she’s staying up late watching Netflix or browsing the internet at 1 a.m.! </p> <p>I entered a few terms as alert words just to test the program. She’s currently taking a course in Terrorism and Homeland Security, so I chose “crime” and “terror.” I didn’t get an alert when she searched for “terrorism,” so I realized that I did need to specifically list forms of words.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tW3rtOgOKm8/WBjMlj7AoaI/AAAAAAAAJ0A/CVc4QsK2s1o/s1600-h/image7.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CWWftdOwA3Q/WBjMl-Bg26I/AAAAAAAAJ0E/cEvY8JmkmkM/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" width="585" height="275"></a></p> <p>Emily also has an iPhone SE. Her Safari browser inexplicably stopped working recently, so she was happy to install the Accountable2You browser and I don’t have to worry about her using another browser to avoid being watched. The app does NOT monitor any other app usage, though. One feature that is supposed to work on the iPhone is tracking. This would be wonderful to have. I’d really like to be able to better monitor her location when she is out with friends. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get it to work. I sent a message to the company and they responded quickly and were very helpful, but after trying the suggested solutions, it just didn’t work. If the tracking feature was functioning, I would be able to see a location map like this for her location over the past 24 hours or more. </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gDr5trPpEj8/WBjMmYkhYiI/AAAAAAAAJ0I/5hQGVCSQRwg/s1600-h/image%25255B10%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FXuh8XvHszE/WBjMmzrxA7I/AAAAAAAAJ0M/6GNlnaUBrII/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="466" height="324"></a></p> <p>I also installed the app on my Fire Phone to test the features. Here, I was very impressed. Although the location app didn’t work on my phone either, all the other monitoring features worked well. I was sent alerts for questionable activity, like disabling or enabling features and apps within the phone. Also, when logging onto the website, I could view data about all activity on the phone, including the content of text messages and senders and receivers of all phone calls and data about what times the phone was used. This was really awesome! I really wish all this data was available for Emily’s phone as well.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fgYpAnIU9AU/WBjMnUotT8I/AAAAAAAAJ0Q/asNogdun_yk/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EF-mCX185sE/WBjMn3KYnNI/AAAAAAAAJ0U/cUWY-bHgsqo/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="575" height="528"></a></p> <p>If you have any concerns about your child’s app or internet usage, I highly recommend <a href="https://www.accountable2you.com/">Accountable2You</a> for use on Android devices, tablets, or computers.</p> <p>Plans start at $6.99 a month and a 10-day free trial is available.</p> <p> </p> <p> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/accountability-across-all-your-devices-accountable2you/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Accountability across all your devices {Accountable2You}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg"></a></center> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="389" height="142"></a></center>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-35301982547788552092016-10-28T19:18:00.001-05:002016-10-28T19:18:36.877-05:00Friday Freebie! American Revolution Game<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aOiM_qmmPkA/WBPq0BjgGLI/AAAAAAAAJy0/-fbI8wbUH7Y/s1600-h/image7.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sKdIygzOjs8/WBPq0tXlOqI/AAAAAAAAJy4/gwi5IfjRQV4/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" width="279" height="377"></a></p> <p>One of the best ways to reinforce knowledge is through games. This is a game I designed to quiz your children’s knowledge on the Revolutionary War. It’s a fun way to wrap up a unit or even to review information that you have studied in the past. Download <strong><em><a href="http://www.superstarspeech.com/file-downloads/road-to-revolution/" target="_blank">Road to Revolution</a></em></strong> here!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vr_tnhmVrLo/WBPq1PrW5AI/AAAAAAAAJy8/lxXjguHypsE/s1600-h/image15.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y4UNcakYEXs/WBPq1QBLHeI/AAAAAAAAJzA/NPRsTf5xJ3c/image_thumb7.png?imgmax=800" width="281" height="377"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tRxsfU0JOoU/WBPq10vdwfI/AAAAAAAAJzE/99Tsh3WrbJg/s1600-h/image16.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JghsCSnuC8o/WBPq2Eetw0I/AAAAAAAAJzI/DzewiJDSB3Q/image_thumb8.png?imgmax=800" width="271" height="376"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fgxYLbrpZ90/WBPq2T6RsiI/AAAAAAAAJzM/qmAHctfadF0/s1600-h/image17.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v90wBWGdYUg/WBPq26DrvdI/AAAAAAAAJzQ/9laviZk90y0/image_thumb9.png?imgmax=800" width="383" height="533"></a></p> <p>Did you have fun playing <strong><em>Road to Revolution</em></strong>? Use this link to learn about the 13 US colonies and purchase <em><strong><a title="Colony Quest Game" href="http://www.currclick.com/browse.php?discount=9f2b7b8688" target="_blank">Colony Quest</a></strong></em> for only $1 (reg. $3.50) Or buy all 15 of my learning games for only $15 at <a href="http://www.currclick.com/browse/pub/141/Super-Star-Speech?affiliate_id=4445" target="_blank">CurrClick</a>.</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-47559876356357254502016-10-26T14:21:00.001-05:002016-10-26T14:21:38.657-05:00CrossTimber (Homeschool Review)<p><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="CrossTimber Logo" src="http://www.meaning.name/00images/layout/CTlogos/CT-LOGO-NG.png" width="278" height="110"></p> <p><a href="http://www.Meaning.Name">CrossTimber</a> is a company dedicated to “name meaning gifts.” One of their primary products is the <strong>Personalized Framed Plaque with Name Meaning and Bible Verse</strong>, but they also offer mugs and music boxes, as well as some smaller items like cards and bookmarks.</p> <p>Names are special. As CrossTimber explains, “When your name is spoken before God, it represents who you are, and brings to His mind your reputation, identity and relationship with Him.” Our names will be written in the Book of Life.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z4tooRtEfkM/WBECOPjPHQI/AAAAAAAAJyI/uMoAoLhVXPQ/s1600-h/image10.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uaBMjZYfp-M/WBECOgJ_zlI/AAAAAAAAJyM/dYj-G1bhrc0/image_thumb4.png?imgmax=800" width="296" height="218"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KLDu8UQQYxA/WBECO-V0pNI/AAAAAAAAJyQ/1fJlC-MfENw/s1600-h/image11.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-quYQv3gK3f8/WBECPBonHFI/AAAAAAAAJyU/YU5-0T0HRhE/image_thumb5.png?imgmax=800" width="291" height="220"></a></p> <p>What makes CrossTimber unique? We see personalized items everywhere, so why is this company different?</p> <ul> <li>They will put <strong>any name</strong> on your product. If you have an unusual name or spell your name in an unusual way, that’s no problem. <li>Every item includes the meaning of your name and an encouraging Bible verse that corresponds to that meaning. Every name is fully researched, making the item special and unique. <li>Hundreds of options are available for background art, allowing the purchaser to choose a favorite scene or motif even to choose a picture that reinforces the name meaning, such as rocks for the name, Peter. <li>Items can be even further personalized. You can ask for a different Bible verse from the one usually assigned to your name or to leave off the verse. You can have an extra message printed on the back of a mug.<a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/personalized-framed-plaque-with-name-meaning-and-bible-verse-crosstimber/" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Personalized Framed Plaque with Name Meaning and Bible Verse {CrossTimber} Reviews" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/10%20-%20October/26%20-%20CrossTimber/SY31-ALL_zpsumddrixw.png"></a></li></ul> <p>I was given a coupon code toward the purchase of any item on the site and decided to order a <strong>personalized mug</strong>. Before I even started shopping, I contacted the owner and asked about the meaning of my name and of Emily’s name. I received a reply within minutes.</p> <p>I knew my name meant “queen bee.” Blah. But when John from CrossTimber sent me my name meaning, it was much more special:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Debbie --Hebrew </em> <p><em>Honey Bee, Enabler of Fruitfulness: </em> <p><em>One of Leadership and Organization </em> <p><em>Psalms 19:9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and altogether righteous. They are to be more desired than gold, than much pure gold: they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb</em>.</p></blockquote> <p>I love that! It is so uplifting. And the leadership and organization definitely sounds like me! <p>Here is Emily’s name meaning: <blockquote> <p><em>Emily --German </em> <p><em>Hard Working, Industrious, Creative: </em> <p><em>She who Devotes All Skill and Strength to God's Work </em> <p><em>Galatians 6:9 Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.</em></p></blockquote> <p>I chose to order a mug for Emily because I though she would appreciate something she could use rather than something that would hang on the wall. The hardest part of the ordering process for me was choosing the background design. There were SO MANY choices! I almost ordered a mountain scene that reminded me of Glacier National Park, where we visited recently. I didn’t see a picture that particularly illustrated her name meaning or verse, but that would have been a good option. There were some that were cute, but I didn’t know if they would seem to little kid-ish to her. I finally settled on the “Fanciful Lamplight” background. Pretty, a bit unique, and I thought the lettering would contrast well with it. <p>This is the finished product. Isn’t it special? I haven’t yet given it to Emily—it will probably be a Christmas gift if I can wait that long! I’m hoping that as she drinks her tea or hot chocolate, this mug will remind her of how special and unique she is and encourage her to live up to the challenge of her name. <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vfOMphmCChc/WBECPTy-ZEI/AAAAAAAAJyY/87mEaDawzSA/s1600-h/P10508136.jpg"><img title="P1050813" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050813" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-akRkfbyrSt0/WBECPr4PolI/AAAAAAAAJyc/wgjQxvA1WeU/P1050813_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="570" height="466"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J1oVf28uxNQ/WBECP_o0EEI/AAAAAAAAJyg/EYSiWL28mKQ/s1600-h/P10508143.jpg"><img title="P1050814" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050814" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KXrVw59iEq8/WBECQDhyN6I/AAAAAAAAJyk/q4U9cmxwsB8/P1050814_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" align="right" height="244"></a> <p>Here is a name card that came with the mug, also beautifully defining her name and encouraging her to “not grow weary of doing good.”</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>CrossTimber is sponsoring a “giftaway” for 10 different prizes, including a free plaque or mug and $10 gift certificates. This contest ends on Dec. 4, so be sure to go enter soon! Their personalized items will make great Christmas gifts!</p> <center><a href="http://www.meaning.name/giveaway.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="CrossTimber 2016 giveaway" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/10%20-%20October/26%20-%20CrossTimber/2016ChristmasGiveaway%202_zpshtwxnlmv.jpg"></a></center> <p> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/personalized-framed-plaque-with-name-meaning-and-bible-verse-crosstimber/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Personalized Framed Plaque with Name Meaning and Bible Verse {CrossTimber} Reviews" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg" width="442" height="221"></a></center> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="389" height="142"></a></center>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-28111581768441496562016-10-25T18:16:00.001-05:002016-10-26T14:58:25.786-05:00Middlebury Interactive Languages (Homeschool Review)<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VnOf1i4910g/WA_nqEQC5DI/AAAAAAAAJxI/CA1Iw-WgcmM/s1600-h/image%25255B20%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MyIRqgs0Nv8/WA_nqhdDoaI/AAAAAAAAJxM/xldVTf_tz5A/image_thumb%25255B14%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="555" height="400"></a></p> <p>Emily has used the <a href="http://shop.middleburyinteractive.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Middlebury Interactive Languages</a> program for the past two years and we have been very impressed with the courses. Emily completed the first semester of the regular High School Spanish 2 course last year. I’ve always been curious about the difference between the “competency” and “fluency” courses, so we decided to try out the <a href="https://shop.middleburyinteractive.com/language-courses/class/cat/high-school-9-12-spanish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">High School Spanish 2 Fluency Course</a> this year as she continues with the second semester of Spanish 2.</p> <p>A semester of a high school Middlebury Interactive Language course has 90 lessons, each taking 30-60 minutes to complete. The Fluency course that Emily is using is broken up into 12 units for the year. Each unit includes 8 lessons, a review, 2 evaluations, and 2 projects involving research and writing. Each unit is focused around a theme: food, celebrations, travel, etc. and includes one or more topics of grammar instruction as well. All of the instructions for High School Spanish 2, written or spoken, are given in Spanish.</p> <p>The student proceeds through a variety of activities each day, including watching short videos that introduce the lesson, matching, fill-in-the blank, and recording answers to questions. Lessons frequently include cultural information as well as vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MHKX9NxVki0/WA_nq4ReofI/AAAAAAAAJxQ/Fkw5edOEDCg/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m8jEgX2bLwg/WA_nrEZkIMI/AAAAAAAAJxU/zZuXq0mWfIg/image_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="295" align="left" height="221"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nFtNnbq2-vg/WA_nrqmJTHI/AAAAAAAAJxY/CdVimr1fmJk/s1600-h/image%25255B13%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JGdVRDdq6y8/WA_nrwGf3OI/AAAAAAAAJxc/RIlCZXwxblY/image_thumb%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="293" align="right" height="217"></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>The Spanish 2 Fluency Course shows days in the the lives of teens that live in Spanish speaking countries. Through video, the student is introduced to these teens and follows them through various scenarios. These actors don’t slow down their speech or necessarily use only vocabulary that has been previously taught, leaving the student to pick up as much as he can as he watches. Each lesson begins with a video and asks the student to answer several questions about the content. Then the activities teach and reinforce new vocabulary and grammar, often using shorter clips of the original video. This creates an immersion effect, requiring the student to listen carefully in order to get the general meaning of the conversations if not the whole conversation, much as he would have to do if visiting another country. Fortunately, the video and audio clips may be listened to multiple times and we found that we both were able to understand a bit more each time we listened.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ryPlrq228H0/WA_nsN_DVpI/AAAAAAAAJxg/uYg4AwBBPv0/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wioa8aiabqE/WA_nsiP0OAI/AAAAAAAAJxk/p9ilkHASBhA/image_thumb%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="632" height="401"></a></p> <p>I don’t see a huge difference between the traditional course that Emily took last year and the fluency course, but she is enjoying this one more. There is still some direct grammar and vocabulary instruction, but each unit is centered around one main video vignette. Cultural education seems to be more incorporated into the story than presented in a separate, unrelated lesson. The conversations that the student listens to are very realistic. The speakers speak quickly and chatter to each other instead of the camera, just as in real life. This really stretches the student’s abilities.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CtBCyf6jLNg/WA_ns8ueuTI/AAAAAAAAJxo/NUWJGJEeQpo/s1600-h/image%25255B15%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dye65cnAZ2E/WA_ntKU7d5I/AAAAAAAAJxs/DvpqTLex8JI/image_thumb%25255B11%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="598" align="left" height="462"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VsrZdvSYIhg/WA_ntYUwUVI/AAAAAAAAJxw/D22Zzrm5Sno/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a08n_Y2gc9Q/WA_nts4ustI/AAAAAAAAJx0/_q8Yd0q_n4w/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="219"></a>- </p> <p>Emily is really enjoying her Spanish course this year. She often completes more than one lesson a day and is making great scores, which tells me that she is mastering the material. She says:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>I like Middlebury a lot this year because they have really improved on it. I am able to understand the audio more and it repeats things that I have already learned, so that I really get it worked into my mind. The evaluations at the end of each unit are also very helpful because they pack a lot of the information I learned into the test. I find it very helpful that it is repetitive. I learn better if I hear something over and over again.</em></p></blockquote> <p>We are very pleased with Middlebury’s <a href="https://shop.middleburyinteractive.com/language-courses/class/cat/high-school-9-12-spanish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">High School Spanish 2 Fluency Course</a>. It is a good mix of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with possibly the largest emphasis on listening. The teaching is challenging, thorough and enjoyable, and there is plenty of review. It is designed to be used independently, so parents don’t have to know the language in order for their students to use the program. </p> <p>Want to learn more? Read my previous reviews of Middlebury Interactive Languages <a href="http://debbieshomeschoolcorner.blogspot.com/2014/10/middlebury-language-courses-schoolhouse.html" target="_blank">Spanish 1</a> and <a href="http://debbieshomeschoolcorner.blogspot.com/2015/09/middlebury-spanish-schoolhouse-review.html" target="_blank">Spanish 2</a> or visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read reviews of other languages.</p> <p><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/spanish-french-german-or-chinese-middlebury-interactive-languages/" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Spanish, French, German or Chinese {Middlebury Interactive Languages}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg" width="472" height="236"></a></p> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="389" height="142"></a></center> <center> </center>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-49127941134528360842016-10-21T16:23:00.001-05:002016-10-21T16:23:42.954-05:00Five Minute Friday: Park<p><a href="http://katemotaung.com/2016/10/20/five-minute-friday-park/" target="_blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="Picture" src="http://anetintimeschooling.weebly.com/uploads/6/9/0/3/6903461/five-minute-friday-4_2_orig.jpg" width="355" height="355"></a></p> <p>I’m trying something new this week. I’m joining the “Five Minute Friday” challenge to write for just five minutes on a topic. This week’s word is “park.”</p> <p>“Park” immediately brought me back to earlier days in my parenting life when we often spent afternoons at a neighborhood park. It was a treat for the kids to get out of the house to play elsewhere. They would run around and climb on the play equipment. In my breaks between supervising and pushing little ones on swings, I would sit on the bench and enjoy a good book.</p> <p>For a while, when my oldest ones were toddlers and preschoolers, a group of church friends and I had a weekly play group. That was a special time of fun and fellowship for kids and moms alike. Some weeks, we’d meet at homes; occasionally we’d all go to the park for the morning. Now that our children are grown, we have gone our separate ways, but these young adults that were babies and toddlers together still have a special bond. These days, it seems like the only time we all get together is when another of our “babies” gets married!</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-87688932173158651042016-10-18T14:22:00.001-05:002016-10-18T16:21:57.124-05:00Come Join the “Crew!”<p><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" alt="2017-homeschool-review-crew-application" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2017-Homeschool-Review-Crew-Application.jpg" width="422" height="353"></p> <p>Are you a homeschooler with a blog? Would you like to review some fantastic homeschool products? The <a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/2017-crew-applications-now-open/" target="_blank">Homeschool Review Crew</a> is currently accepting applications for next year. I’ve been a part of the Homeschool Review Crew for over six years now and it has been a wonderful experience. Great (free) products to review, an active forum that offers the support of other homeschool reviewers and blogging encouragement. It does take time and commitment, but it has been great fun and an important part of our homeschool and lives for a long time. I’ve discovered curricula that has been just what we needed, learned about dozens of products that I can recommend to other families, and made some great online friends through the experience.</p> <p>Read about the details at the <a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/2017-crew-applications-now-open/" target="_blank">Homeschool Review Crew</a> blog and if you apply, let them know that Debbie Lott sent you!</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-44932306080498276322016-10-17T14:16:00.001-05:002016-10-17T14:24:18.683-05:00Educeri (Homeschool Review)<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/educeri-lesson-subscription-service-educeri-a-division-of-dataworks/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Educeri Lesson Subscription Service Reviews" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/10%20-%20October/17%20Educeri/More%20than%201000%20Handouts_zpsgzuu8ysr.jpg"></a></center> <p>We have recently been supplementing our homeschool curricula with ready-to-use lessons from the <a href="https://teach.educeri.com/lesson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Educeri Lesson Subscription Service</a>. <a href="https://educeri.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Educeri ....... Educeri a division of DataWORKS</a>, is a source of online lessons for grades K-12. Over 1000 lessons cover topics in English, Math, History, Science, PE, Music, and more. Our focus was on the lessons available for high school students.</p> <p>We primarily used the English lessons from the site and I found plenty of great material to keep Emily busy! Just the high school English category includes over 50 lessons with topics like “Analyze the Development of Theme,” “Determining the Figurative Meaning of Words and Phrases,” “Evaluate Influences on American Literature,” and “Analyze and Evaluate Multiple Interpretations of a Literary Work.” The lessons were meaty and very relevant. I really prefer that English courses, particularly at the high school level, consist primarily of reading and writing, rather than short lessons “about literature” or worksheets. I felt that most of the lessons gave Emily tools to interpret and write about literature, and to improve her writing skills in general. They never felt like busywork.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-URFI6xopmhA/WAUjj6fkMyI/AAAAAAAAJwM/WAR4rPx5olk/s1600-h/image11.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Z9CcLcIlkw/WAUjkTsp-JI/AAAAAAAAJwQ/6BOBFeRnfq0/image_thumb41.png?imgmax=800" width="539" height="505"></a></p> <p><strong>What is an Educeri Lesson like?</strong></p> <p>While the lessons are designed for classroom use, they were just as easy to use with one student. Each lesson is tied to a Common Core ELA standard. (While I don’t care about following Common Core, the topics were relevant for us, and were ones that I wanted Emily to cover.)</p> <p>First, an opening page provides an overview of lesson content, usually in chart form. This slide can be referred back to for reference at any time during the lesson.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yqt9rPs2Fvs/WAUjkznNAnI/AAAAAAAAJwU/lUk1GaqyVic/s1600-h/image14.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Kcmj-BvTE7k/WAUjlM1s6VI/AAAAAAAAJwY/wL_Ad7cGJVE/image_thumb7.png?imgmax=800" width="280" height="236"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GU5-JdXvGvw/WAUjlceK9BI/AAAAAAAAJwc/eaFoBDeO_Ms/s1600-h/image13.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cPrFp3RReO8/WAUjlos1MjI/AAAAAAAAJwg/XZUtINh3gxE/image_thumb6.png?imgmax=800" width="307" height="243"></a></p> <p>Subsequent slides provide practice in analyzing written material in regards to the topic. Typically, the student is asked to not only answer multiple choice or short answer questions, but to identify sections in the text that support his answer. Each click of the “next” button reveals another answer in red for checking answers as “the class” proceeds.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RselkifC78c/WAUjl6588HI/AAAAAAAAJwk/GAXz4cDUXdI/s1600-h/image10.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0Ek-bsHtlFU/WAUjmMh3gLI/AAAAAAAAJwo/Pksdqagvlhg/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" width="580" height="455"></a></p> <p>Discussion questions are provided in the margins for teachers to use, ensuring that students understand the terminology and are applying the concepts.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MQJ1zrFBwNM/WAUjmUcj2ZI/AAAAAAAAJws/H9PEvG98PM4/s1600-h/image8.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JONYqXaxUTA/WAUjmrQZ7pI/AAAAAAAAJww/8LZuqzmMCUY/image_thumb4.png?imgmax=800" width="562" height="481"></a></p> <p>Each lesson took about an hour, but could be easily completed over two or more days if desired. The last three slides are designed for periodic review, although we’ve generally been completing the whole lesson, including the review slides at one time. A few of the slides referred students to longer works found online to use for analysis, but generally, the text was a paragraph from a longer work and was printed on the lesson page.</p> <p>While a high school student could do a lesson independently (and Emily usually prefers to work independently), we did these together because I felt that discussion of the topics was an important part of the lessons. We found that most of the target literature selections were ones commonly assigned for high school reading, such as <em>Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Walden, </em>and <em>Moby Dick</em>, and other writings by Jonathon Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Edgar Allen Poe, that Emily was already familiar with.</p> <p><strong>Other Subjects:</strong></p> <p>There were only six history lessons, covering the American Revolution, Principles of Democracy in Historical Documents, The Cold War, and Great Awakening.</p> <p>The history lessons followed a similar format with passages to read, questions to answer, and identifying key phrases in each passage to support the student answer. There was also independent practice with application and compare contrast essay questions. We didn’t use any of these, but probably will when the lessons coordinate with what Emily is studying.</p> <p>16 Science lessons cover a variety of lessons in earth science, biology, and chemistry. Over 60 lessons cover topics in algebra and geometry. If a student needed extra help on a particular topic, these could be useful. The teaching style is very much what a student might see as a teacher explains a topic and works out problems on a white board or smart board in a classroom.</p> <p><strong>What we thought:</strong></p> <p>The ELA lessons were very useful to us. Unless a homeschooling parent has an English degree, he or she may not be entirely comfortable teaching topics like development of character and theme, literary periods, structure and tone of a text, or figurative language. These lessons are a very nice resource that teaches concepts that can be applied to any literature.</p> <p>Likewise, although the other subjects didn’t include content areas that were useful to us right now, they seem like a good supplement to other curriculum.</p> <p>Other Homeschool Crew members used other subjects and levels of Educeri, so be sure to check out some of their reviews as well!</p> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/educeri-lesson-subscription-service-educeri-a-division-of-dataworks/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Educeri Lesson Subscription Service" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg" width="424" height="212"></a></center> <center> </center> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="378" height="120"></a></center> <center> </center>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-87477033906693774382016-10-10T13:37:00.001-05:002016-10-10T13:52:40.496-05:00MyFreezEasy (Homeschool Review)<center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/myfreezeasy-com-freezer-meal-plan-membership-myfreezeasy/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership {MyFreezEasy}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/10%20-%20October/10%20-%20My%20FreezEasy/MyFreezEASY_without-tagline_zpsw06xyzbg.png"></a></center> <center> </center> <center> </center> <center> </center> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/myfreezeasy-com-freezer-meal-plan-membership-myfreezeasy/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership {MyFreezEasy}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/10%20-%20October/10%20-%20My%20FreezEasy/10-meals-1-hour-300x250_zps09g2o2ma.jpg"></a></center> <p>How often do you realize it’s 5 p.m. and you haven’t yet made dinner plans? If you’re like me, this happens fairly often and you find yourself scrambling to get something on the table. When I cook, I often make an extra meal or two for the freezer, but have never tried out a serious freezer meal prep plan. Frankly, spending half a day or more in the kitchen just sounds exhausting, even if I do end up with 10 or 20 meals for the freezer. <a href="https://www.myfreezeasy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MyFreezEasy</a> has taken the freezer plan cooking concept and simplified it greatly. In only an hour, the user can prepare and put 10 meals into the freezer for later use.</p> <p>I received a <a href="https://www.myfreezeasy.com/join" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership</a> to try and found that the program has greatly simplified my daily meal preparation!</p> <p><strong>How does MyFreezEasy work?</strong></p> <p>A membership to MyFreezEasy provides the user with eight different meal plan options each month: traditional, gluten-free, all chicken, all ground beef, slow cooker, “clean eats,” 20 meal plan, and all pork chops. Each plan includes 5 recipes. Following the plan will yield two meals to serve four for each of the five recipes. Each meal plan includes recipes, shopping lists, and directions for freezer prep. for 5 recipes. A basic monthly membership costs $7 a month or $77 a year. </p> <p>Although the regular membership offers ready-to-use menus for every taste, the Premium monthly membership ($10 monthly or $95) a month adds a lot of versatility to menu planning, allowing the user to customize serving sizes, customize existing meal plans or even create her own meal plans from dozens of meal options. Just choose your meals and number of servings for each, and the program will automatically create shopping lists, directions, recipes, and even labels for the meals!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wLVqfwZ_y4w/V_vfuNcnw9I/AAAAAAAAJuo/bn8arCxGxGM/s1600-h/image1.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wF6jM1-9dJU/V_vfvGUhTqI/AAAAAAAAJus/LKH3XHJ3IS8/image_thumb1.png?imgmax=800" width="398" height="803"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Our Experience:</strong></p> <p>The first thing I did was to browse the monthly recipe plans. I decided to try the traditional plan for the month and to also take advantage of the premium membership feature to create my own plan. The meals in the <strong>traditional plan</strong> for September were Slow Cooker Spicy Mango Tacos, Chicken Fajita Bake, Lazy Lasagna Bake, Slow cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, and Slow Cooker Spanish Rice. I substituted Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef soup for the Spanish Rice, which my premium membership easily allowed me to do. The recipes I selected with the <strong>Build Your Own Meal Plan</strong> feature were Baked Crunchy Coconut Tilapia, Corn Chicken Chili, Dutch Oven Italian Chicken and Potatoes, Lemon Dijon Salmon, and Stovetop Taco Soup.</p> <p>Once a meal plan was chosen, all I had to do was click “print,” and I had a complete shopping list, individual recipes, a freezer prep plan, and even stick-on labels for each dish. Super easy!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HMDQey6b_Os/V_vfvZjCqrI/AAAAAAAAJuw/GdxMzHGMRuM/s1600-h/image9.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SqX70uBgrWQ/V_vfvr0JOrI/AAAAAAAAJu0/PMe_ccLdzKI/image_thumb5.png?imgmax=800" width="301" height="418"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZQfEXsicl08/V_vfwIZZw-I/AAAAAAAAJu4/HICyN825u8o/s1600-h/image10.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cwimhZ2014Q/V_vfwogEljI/AAAAAAAAJu8/sTmtuMDpgIY/image_thumb6.png?imgmax=800" width="280" height="420"></a></p> <p>I checked my pantry and evaluated what I still needed to purchase from the shopping list, made a quick trip to the store and was ready to start!</p> <p> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E--5FsxP0QM/V_vfxBiDirI/AAAAAAAAJvA/nuuByFdFkRE/s1600-h/P10507605.jpg"><img title="P1050760" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050760" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JN386lOsrqI/V_vfxX5rUiI/AAAAAAAAJvE/9xCYxTaSS0k/P1050760_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="555" height="446"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xw7t6zMfOHY/V_vfyAzIQDI/AAAAAAAAJvI/PlL8VperlPY/s1600-h/P10507624.jpg"><img title="P1050762" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 11px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050762" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p_3hrmEKS9c/V_vfycXNdRI/AAAAAAAAJvM/DXm13nDqP3U/P1050762_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" align="right" height="359"></a></p> <p><strong></strong>Even with Emily’s help, it took about 2 hours to get all the meals ready for the freezer. That’s more than advertised, but still pretty good for having 10 meals ready to pop into the oven or slow cooker on a busy day.</p> <p>The following day, I did the prep for the next set of meals. Again, the process took about 2 hours, including kitchen clean-up. This time, I put one of the two vegetable soup recipes straight into the slow cooker instead of a freezer bag for dinner that night.</p> <p>Most recipes go into gallon-sized freezer bags, which will stack easily in the freezer, although some recipes require disposable baking pans. (I used regular pans or casserole dishes.) I was able to use quart-sized bags for a few of the meals.</p> <p>Here are the results of 2 cooking sessions:</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CWIdnILoS4M/V_vfy1YyQPI/AAAAAAAAJvQ/a00ravseYpY/s1600-h/P10507654.jpg"><img title="P1050765" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050765" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gnybCRsOT2k/V_vfy8jjj5I/AAAAAAAAJvU/-SmWOmm5FBo/P1050765_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="557" height="437"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nIK6peyn-Jk/V_vfziy1kVI/AAAAAAAAJvY/SK8qePcoENE/s1600-h/P10507704.jpg"><img title="P1050770" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050770" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dEqYxbLTkZA/V_vfzxYAPOI/AAAAAAAAJvc/tYVHxowGq2Q/P1050770_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="571" height="448"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VGLX-uh_Pc4/V_vf0J5PieI/AAAAAAAAJvg/QJ5S2EcplwI/s1600-h/P10507674.jpg"><img title="P1050767" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 6px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050767" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l730AiVgbC8/V_vf0iKQsKI/AAAAAAAAJvk/ubCMYh6Np7A/P1050767_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="271" align="right" height="213"></a></p> <p>I loved the printable labels for each recipe. They include the post-freezer cooking instructions, so there’s no need to look up the recipe or do any guesswork about heating time.</p> <p>I love having so many meals in my freezer. All I have to do is pull one out early in the day to thaw. Then, following the directions on the label, I just have to put the prepared meal into the slow cooker, oven or stovetop for the specified amount of time and prepare a side dish such as rice or salad. Most of the meals so far have been quite good. I didn’t care for one recipe that included carrots and potatoes. Freezing the raw vegetables, then cooking them, really reduced the quality. I think that if I make anything with carrots or potatoes, I’ll cut them up and add them on the cooking day. The Chicken Fajita Bake and Crunchy Coconut Tilapia were fabulous and I’ll definitely be adding them to the list again. We found that serving sizes were generous, leaving us with leftovers, which we always enjoy for lunches. </p> <p>Here are a few of the finished meals.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZPbgH2WhrX0/V_vf1GBkLAI/AAAAAAAAJvo/TO4idL1ygRQ/s1600-h/P10507826.jpg"><img title="P1050782" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050782" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3q53E2zjsKE/V_vf1a1YHoI/AAAAAAAAJvs/BDmYYMAZ0IQ/P1050782_thumb6.jpg?imgmax=800" width="285" height="241"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gFeoxEA1bd0/V_vf1wi0jbI/AAAAAAAAJvw/VJXE-gDbATg/s1600-h/P10507857.jpg"><img title="P1050785" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="P1050785" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UPpX3O2qai0/V_vf2CSefvI/AAAAAAAAJv0/ZNjfyJtt4Bo/P1050785_thumb10.jpg?imgmax=800" width="276" height="246"></a></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FsytnMKqjZU/V_vf3NQDaXI/AAAAAAAAJv4/VsZ0FByfOIg/s1600-h/IMG_20161001_1909296_rewind15.jpg"><img title="IMG_20161001_1909296_rewind[1]" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="IMG_20161001_1909296_rewind[1]" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M-ORgQRp5KQ/V_vf3ZeaNEI/AAAAAAAAJv8/kvzWBYQPY4k/IMG_20161001_1909296_rewind1_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="316" height="255"></a></p> <p>I’m looking forward to preparing a new batch of meals as soon as I finish more of the 20 meals from my overstuffed freezer! <a href="https://www.myfreezeasy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MyFreezEasy</a> has been a hit in our home!</p> <center><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/myfreezeasy-com-freezer-meal-plan-membership-myfreezeasy/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership {MyFreezEasy}" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/2%20Click%20Here%20to%20Read%20More%20Reviews%202016_zpsmmmkbumm.jpg"></a></center> <p><a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com" target="blank"><img style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Crew Disclaimer" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/0%20Homeschool%20Review%20Crew%20Banners/3%20Crew%20Disclaimer%202016_zpscwpb9ywe.jpg" width="435" height="138"></a></p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-915169098994270786.post-33178153119183121752016-10-06T21:55:00.001-05:002016-10-06T21:55:52.696-05:00Friday Freebie! Super Star Speech Sampler<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yXcXm8lFKUE/V_cOtexUD_I/AAAAAAAAJuQ/-xUjxg7BYTo/s1600-h/image2.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RNnXYsxshrc/V_cOtxNK9bI/AAAAAAAAJuU/XSK0wRoTYo8/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="195" align="right" height="244"></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Does your child have trouble pronouncing the /l/ sound? Or would you just like to get a free peek at my Super Star Speech program that helps parents work with their children’s articulation errors at home? This week, I’m offering my <strong><em><a href="http://www.superstarspeech.com/file-downloads/super-star-l-sampler/" target="_blank">Super Star L Sampler</a></em></strong> for free. This volume includes teaching tips, picture cards, and practice activities for the /l sound. Please share with anyone you know who might benefit!</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><a title="Super Star Speech" href="http://superstarspeech.com" target="_blank"><img title="Book covers-002" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Book covers-002" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X3UpWYS9erI/V_cOuNLeQvI/AAAAAAAAJuY/bO2gQp0n6Do/Book-covers-0024.jpg?imgmax=800" width="237" height="316"></a></p> <p>Until November 15, 2016, you can use this link to purchase the e-book format of <a href="http://www.currclick.com/browse.php?discount=90e5875d38" target="_blank">Super Star Speech: Expanded Edition</a> for only $14 (reg. $21.50). The spiral-bound print version is available at the <a href="http://superstarspeech.com" target="_blank">Super Star Speech</a> website.</p>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14952931228489764783noreply@blogger.com0