RubySlippersSchool

Busy crafting lately...

2012-01-11T22:38:00.000-05:00

...so my house is not so tidy to say the least. But I love what I've been doing!! Making flowers again! Found the tutoral for a new felt flower while browsing Pinterst (addicting!!!)
The idea for this felt Camelia flower came from Joy at How Joyful. You can find the tutoral and FREE printable pattern (love that) at her blog.

I made one in grey for our newest girl and liked it so much that I made one in pink for Littlest...no pictures of hers though. I think it turned out great and it was oh so easy!!

(Sorry, we don't have the greatet camera.)

I also came across the greatest idea on Pinterest for a message board for couples. Check it out:

Isn't it beautiful?!! Let's say he washes dishes for you one night...the next day or whenever you could write that on the board. Or you could write about how he always brings you coffee in the a.m. Anything.

I made this one for a friend but am totally making one for me and the hubs!!!!

This idea came from Lianne over at A Content Housewife. Go here for her tutorial on how to recreate your own! It's so easy, so inexpensive and so beautiful!!

I came up with a poem to go with this message board since I was giving it to a friend. This is what I wrote:

Use the marker to tell him why

You love him and are glad he’s your guy..

Take the time to let him know

And watch the love between you grow.

Feel free to use it if you are giving yours as a gift.

Anyway, that's what I've been crafting. What have you been up to lately?

Lovin' Learnin'

Our New Workboxes

2012-01-05T08:53:00.000-05:00

So way back when we began using the workbox system. Well, like most people we tweaked the idea to fit our homeschool style and space, you can read about it here. The idea worked great but it's been time for a change for quite some time. Enter my newest idea.

I had been checking out some craft storage carts at Michael's for, oh, say about 1 YEAR...yeah, I don't spend my money hastily...but could not bring myself to spend the $70 bucks they were wanting for them...times two! So, at Michael's they would sit.

Well for my birthday and Christmas I received Michael's gift cards. I was so excited. I checked out the sales ads the week after Christmas and saw that the storage items were 40% off!! Woot!! I also had the coupon for $5 off every $25 dollars spent...double woot!!!

The Monday after Christmas Biggest and I drove on into town with a mission: "Purchase those craft carts. Pronto."

Well thankfully there were about 3 left in the store by the time we got there and they were on sale for $34.99 - 50% off!!! Triple woot!!! So, with my discount, gift cards and the coupon for $5 off every $25 spent I purchased two of those babies!!!

Can I say that I LOVE THEM!! And they were so easy to put together!! They are not of gigantic size, they are slim...like I wish I were...they are colorful but not loud, they seem sturdy enough...but we'll see, Littlest will put them to the test I'm sure and my girls LOVE them!!! They (in the 3 short days that we have used them) have helped keep our school day organized!!

They come with 10 drawers...plenty for us...and have a nice shelf on top for extra stuff. I'm so in love with this purchase and the great deal I got!

Hubby was concerned about where I'd put them and honestly I was too as we have a houseful but they are just the perfect size and fit well in the living room.

Knowing me that will not be their final resting place...does anyone else have the ~~bad habit of~~ creative energy making one change living room furniture around all.the.time? Hubby goes with it but I know it drives him crazy. He's so great..I love him!!

Anyway, we honestly don't use all of those great numbers and labels that most people who use workboxes do. I did when we did our last system but I don't find it necessary this time around. Maybe the girls are old enough to just get in and get it done? Maybe the colored drawers are enough? I don't know but this system is so easy and straightforward. Perfect for my season of life!

Anyway, if you feel so inclined, check out Michael's...I've seen these carts on sale again since I've purchase them and Michael's is getting ready to have another great sale on Sunday from 1 - 7 pm...if you shop on Sundays.

And do you wanna see what I made with the boxes those carts came in? Here ya go:

Sorry it's blurry, a certain long-haired chihuahua thought he needed a picture taken...so camera focused on HIM instead...grrr...

Fabric covered boxes...FREE and made to my desired measurements!!! I followed this tutorial-sort of. Can't help it, I tweak everything!!!

Anyway, I'll post later about how things are going with our Christian Light curriculum...in a word...great. Details to come!!

Lovin' Learnin'

A sweet gift for a sweet chef.

2011-12-21T15:57:00.002-05:00

We recently found a wooden kitchen for our preschooler that we are going to sand down and paint. To go with that gift I have made this little chef's set. I found it here. It is quite easy to sew and turned out very cute! The tutorial is easy to follow so if you're so inclined try it out for yourself!

Can't wait for her to see them!! I'll post a picture of her in these after Christmas some time.

So, what's on your last minute gift giving list?

Update!

So she opened the gifts and LOVED them!! Check her out!!

So yes, they were bigger than I thought they would be. I knew they'd be big but I wanted the big girls to be able to use them too. I need to add some velcro to the back of the chef's hat so that I can adjust the size (I was waiting until she opened it to do that so I could add in a sufficient amount. The apron is just plain big but I have enough fabric to make another...I should have guessed that one cause she is so tiny for her age!

Also you can see from the pictures that we haven't found the time to sand and paint the kitchen set. Did I ever mention that life is busy with 5 kids, homeschooling, ministry and running (sort of :/) a home? We'll get to it. Littlest actually wants blue. I'm thinking of something very soft but that's a project for another time...soon hopefully!

Anyway, these turned out so adorable!! Check out the tutorial!!

Lovin' Learnin'

For Sale

2011-11-07T23:50:00.001-05:00

With the addition of baby #5 the amount of space in our home has quickly shrunk (I didn't even think it could shrink anymore!!) Since I have been a lover of books and buying them I have TONS of books that hubby sweetly suggests we can let go of. Honestly you have no idea how hard it has been to let some of these go. My girls kept saying, "Mom, we have too many, we don't need that one." Sigh, it has to be done-for the sake of our sanity and orderliness in the home. So, all of the following are for sale.

Since I need these gone asap and I LOVE a good deal all books are priced as follows (unless otherwise noted):

Paperbacks -.50 cents
Hardbacks - 1.00

That's it! You can click on the slideshow below to be taken to the web album. Thanks for looking!! Email me with any questions. Shipping will be calculated at actual shipping cost.

I will be adding more later this week so check back! And if the picture is still there then the book is still available!

Lovin' Learnin'

Frugal Fall Wreath

2011-10-12T23:32:00.000-04:00

Since our family is so big we are always looking for ways to do things frugally. When we go out to eat we are always looking for the least expensive way to feed our group, when we shop we do it frugally by going to thrift shops-you can find some GREAT things at those places! Decorating is no different. I'd been searching blogland for just about anything DIY on the frugal side and came across an adorable Fall Wreath that cost only $3.00! I was instantly interested, read the post and about a week later found myself creating my own Frugal Fall Wreath. You can find the original post at Thrifty Decorating. She's got tons of other great things to read about as well.

Here's how to pull it off:

Gather your items:
Two packs of fall leaves from the Dollar Tree. (Mine came in a combo of red and green and orange and green.)

Large foam core board (also from Dollar Tree), scissors, glue gun and a ruler.

Sorry I had already cut my board out before I thought to take a picture but you all know what a foam core board looks like I'm sure. :)

So as you can see I cut a big ol' square out of the middle of my board. I didn't have any real plan to that, just kind eyeballed it. I did find the middle of the board, marked it and then made sure that my square was even on both halves so that my cut wouldn't be too lopsided one way or the other. You can make your board as big or small as you'd like just make sure that your square cut-out is even all the way around. If you have questions about this feel free to ask and I'll go back and measure my board for ya.

Then start glueing down your leaves with your glue gun. I glued my layer of green down first since I had so many of that color. If I were to do it again however I would completely cover all white areas with the green leaves and save the brighter orange and red for the top layers. I say this because I had to go back at the end and fill in the white spots with the leftover green since I had only 25 each of the red and orange.

Once you are done with the green layer (imagine all white areas covered by green leaves here) glue down your orange and red leaves anyway you would like. Make sure to cover the board complelety and to hang the outer leaves off the edge of the board a little so that the sides are hidden.

Once you are doing glueing you are ready to hang that beauty up. And what is nice is that this wreath is so light you don't need a large hanger for it. I actually used a teeny tiny suction cup with a small hook because I forgot to purchase a hanger while shopping for supplies. The teeny tiny suction cup is doing fabulous by the way!

I hope that if you try it yours turns out great! And isn't that out of the ordinary square shape just lovely?!!!!

Lovin' Learnin'

The Shunning DVD Review & Giveaway

2011-09-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

Do you remember the book The Shunning by Beverly Lewis? I remember reading it as a teenager and although I have never been a big fan of fiction I found this book to be a terrific one. Well now they are coming out with a DVD version. Great for this busy Mom who seldom has anytime to read anything anymore!

Watch the trailer here.

Here's some background:

Before she succumbs to cancer, the dying wish of Laura Mayfield-Bennett is to be reunited with the daughter she never knew. Unfortunately, that daughter, Katie Lapp, is a member of the Amish order. Katie is about to be married, but uneasy about the path ahead. Now she discovers the secret her parents have kept from her: she's adopted.

The movie is great! Even hubby watched it (don't think he'd say it was great but he did enjoy it.) I actually fell asleep during our first viewing (ah, life with a newborn) so I had to watch it again.

The acting is great, the lead actress even sings a little song that is sweet. From what I remember of the book the movie holds true to the original plot.

The movie is refreshingly clean. Not a hint of violence or vulgar speech. The story is pure and this would qualify as a great family film. There are however a couple of kisses exchanged between the main characters. The film was given the Dove.org family approval for all ages and Beverly Lewis herself is very happy with the finished product. The film has been so well accepted in fact that the sequel is already in the works.

Now for the fun part. I have the opportunity to offer 1 copy of this DVD to one of my readers. If you enjoyed the book series then you may want to enter cause I have a hunch you'll enjoy the movie version too!!!

Here's the details:
This is an easy one to enter!

Follow me on GFC.
Like The Shunning on Facebook.

Giveaway begins tonight, Monday, Sept. 19th and will last until Monday, Sept. 26th. The winner will be chosen and announced that evening.

And PLEASE don't forget to leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win. I would hate for a winner to miss out simply for that reason!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lovin' Learnin'

Theo Giveaway WINNERS!!!!!

2011-09-19T15:23:00.002-04:00

First of all let me apologize for not getting the winners announced this morning like I said I would. My newborn has been a bit uncooperative today but is finally peaceful. My apologies, but this blog runs on family time. :)

Now, on to the winners. The winners were picked using Random.org's True Random Generator.

The two winners are
comment #8:

michelle said...

I "liked" it on facebook!

September 16, 2011 10:05 AM

and comment #12:

Lynn @ TDHGP said...

I think the Forgiveness episode would be amazing.

September 19, 2011 10:12 AM

Congrats to you two ladies! You're gonna LOVE this DVD. Please email me so that I can get your mailing information. We want to get these DVDs to you asap.

Thanks to all who entered. And I'll have another giveaway for the DVD The Shunning up sometime tonight so stay tuned!!

Lovin' Learnin'

Theo-A New DVD Series for Children Review & Giveaway!

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

I was recently asked to review a new DVD series on teaching theology to children and adults. Intrigued I looked up the Theo website and liked what I saw. So I agreed to do the review and impatiently anticipated the arrival of my review copy.

Theo is designed to teach basic theological truths to children of all ages using animation, adorable characters and Bible stories. In the DVDs we are introduced to Theo, (short for theology I'm thinking!) a pleasent Englishman with a love for singing hymns, teaching about theology and of course tea. It is Theo who takes viewers on a journey through some very important theological truths in a non-complicating way.

The Theo multi-media outlests include a DVD series, curriculum, books and iPhone/iPad app. Each can work together or independantly of each other. I am interested in seeing the curriculum myself.

I loved this DVD that we received. The animation was awesome, the music was great (and we are very picky about our music) and the theology, although very basic, was sound and followed what the Bible actually does teach!

Here's a breakdown of the DVD:

Episode 1 — Saving Faith

Themes: What is faith?
Bible Story: Abraham
Bible Passage: Hebrews 11:1

Bonus Session — Good News!

Themes: God's love, sin, salvation, eternal life, ABCs
Bible Story: Philippian Jailer (Acts 16)
Bible Passage: John 3:16

My children enjoyed the animation of course, especially the two little mice, Belyfry and Luther (his two "object lessons") that live in Theo's home who through various comical blunders also bring home the importance of the episodes theme. These little mice actually reminded me a lot of the two loveable mice from Cinderella.

When I asked the kids what they thought this is what they said:

Biggest-"I like that it teaches us about God."
Big Sis-"It's funny, I like that."
Brother-"I like the mice."
McPop-(the hardest to please by far)-"It seems to follow the Bible."

The pre-release DVD episodes that we received were quite short; one was around 5 minutes and the other about 9. I don't believe that these are meant to be long drawn out shows but possibly short supplements to your family Bible time, homeschool Bible courses or Church classes.

I recommend Theo to anyone with young children (honestly, I love cartoons so I'd watch it even without the children.) and who desires that their children learn basic systematic theology in a way that will be easy for them to understand.

And now some GREAT news!! I have been allowed to offer TWO copies of the Theo DVDs as giveaway prizes. You are too blessed!! Okay, so here's what I want you to do to enter: (Only the FIRST is mandatory.)

Mandatory: Go to the website: www.theopresents.com and take a look at the different episodes. Come back here and tell me which you are most interested in. This doesn't mean you will win those titles as I am not sure which ones will be sent as the prize.
Follow me on Google Friend Connect.
Like Theo Presents on Facebook

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and do not forget to leave me a way to contact you. I will select the winners on Monday morning, September 19th so be sure to enter!!!

I hope that you take a look around the website. I think you will be pleased with this series as we were. Thanks for reading!

Here are some links you may be interested in:

Web: www.theopresents.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Theo-Gods-Love/dp/B005ETZEPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315880173&sr=8-1
FREE app (available now for iPhone and iPad): www.theopresents.com
Church curriculum: www.lifeway.com/Product/theo-church-edition-foundations-of-faith-P005397446
Don't forget to enter the giveaway!!

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Lovin' Learnin'

Getting ready for baby

2011-07-21T08:54:00.000-04:00

So we have just about a month left in our wait for our newest child. We have been eagerly anticipating her arrival and are counting the days! Honestly, I'm just looking forward to being able to get out of bed without cringing in pain!! This pregnancy has definetly had its challenges-but she will be worth it!!!

Here is a little video showing of the little area of our room that our McBaby will occupy. Nothing fancy as we are simple people living a very simple life but its her space nonetheless!!

I just want to thank the Lord for blessing us with a beautiful crib and mattress given to us by a dear lady in the church! What a blessing these precious people are.

Isn't God good?!! Counting my blessings this morning.

Lovin' Learnin'

Making some changes

2011-06-28T23:35:00.002-04:00

Because sometimes life requires it right?! When we found out that we were expecting our 5th baby I quickly became overcome with this one thought, "Lord, how am I going to get it all done?" I was well aware of how many times I'd felt overwhelmed already but with the realization of another addition, well, no amount of excitement could remove the feeling of inadequacy from my mind.

So, I began praying-no pleading with the Lord to show me what to do, to give me direction. And you know what, He did.

He showed me what to do, and what changes needed to be made. Now I'll be honest with you, although most of what the Lord showed me that needed changing were things that I knew needed attention, there was one area that I was very hesitant about-textbooks. Yes, textbooks.

For the past few years I had happily studied and put into practice all I could from a "literature rich" education. We've used living books, narration, notebooks etc. to enhance our learning and now, and now I knew the Lord was calling me to make a change-a change that I wasn't sure that I was willing to make.

Textbooks-from what I'd read-had always been a "no-no" for a fun learning environment. They were the culprits of stealing the love of learning from children and replacing it with a disdain for "school." At least that's the impression that I took away from all those articles, workshops and blogs.

However, after talking things over with McPop, praying about it and thinking through things, I bowed my will to the Lord. I wasn't 100% happy but I knew that this was the Lord and that "His ways are not our ways." I knew that in following Him I would not be making any mistakes.

So yes, we are making changes here at Ruby Slippers School (gotta change that name too!!). We are going to a more traditional, textbook based homeschool. Can I tell you since I've began implementing these changes the Lord has been blessing all around! More on that in another post. But for now, this is what we will be using here for our 2011/2012 school year:

For the Big Girls:
Christian Light Education (CLE) Math
CLE Language Arts
A Beka History 4
A Beka Science 4
Literature-Christian Novel Studies
Penmanship-Peterson Directed Handwriting-Cursive
Missionary/Geography Studies-Put together byMcMama! I'll share what we are doing at a later time.

Even though Big Sis is only in 2nd grade she is still able to keep up with the 4th grade history and science. We do tweak the curriculum to fit our needs. I'll explain in a later post how we are using those texts in our schooling.

Brother:
Phonics-Reading Made Easy and Phonics Tutor as an additional supplement (I picked up the student reader and CD-Rom for free so I decided to put it to good use!!)
Math-Right Start Level B
Penmanship-Peterson Directed Handwriting
He tags along with our history, science and missionary studies. Though Christian Liberty Press has a great new history text out for the little ones that looks sweet. No money for that yet but I'd love to look into that more!

Littlest:
Animal Play-Teach Me Joy
Lots of activity bags-that I've yet to use!!!! Ugh!!!

We also still have our read-alouds as a family. Can't get away from those!!

So that is what we are doing. We have already started our school year so that we can take some time off when the baby comes. Things are going well so far but I'm not going to elaborate too much as I feel it is still too early in the game to say what has worked and what hasn't.

Anyway, that is what we are doing, have any of you began making your new year plans yet? Share 'em with us!

Lovin' Learnin'

Two new picture book reviews

2011-06-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

I just posted about two great picture books that we have enjoyed here at Ruby Slippers. You can read my reviews on the Book Guardians blog.

First up is Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile

and then The Firehouse Light.

Check 'em out!! There are other great book reviews to be read as well!

Lovin' Learnin'

McMama

A Tasty Treat Winner!!!!

2011-06-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this was a very low entry giveaway...that's alright!!! Better chances for those desiring to win?!! Anyway, we "professionally" put numbers 1-8 in a bowl and Big Sis picked a winner from the stash. I'm glad to announce that our winner is...

#4 - Kimberly Kovach said...
Following you :)
June 20, 2011 10:45 AM

Congrats Kimberly!!! I will forward your info to the great folks at Chex Mix so that they can put your prize package in the mail!!!

Thanks to all of you others who participated!!! Until next time!!

Lovin' Learnin'

A Tasty Treat

2011-06-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

Chex Mix. Delish isn't it?! I have always been a fan of Chex Mix I've recently been sent a great little package of Chex Mix Muddy Buddy to try out. This flavor was quite a surprise to me. It'sa chocolate covered Chex cereal filled with peanut butter and covered in powdered sugar. I didn't think that I would enjoy this flavor as I am not a big fan of peanut butter snacks but I was surprised! This flavor is terrific!! McPapa and the McKiddos loved this too!!!

Apparently this flavor hasn't been available year-round but now they are making it available at all times. So you can try it out any time of the year!

And now for the best part!! I have the opportunity to bless one of my readers with a great gift package! I am holding a giveaway for the following set:

A bag of Chex Mix Muddy Buddies
A nice sized snack bowl.
A magnetic, heavy duty bag clip.

An awesome Chex Mix container to store all that deliciousness in!!!

And what stands out about this container is that to open and close all you have to do is depress the circle on the top of the lid and it seals (or opens) the container quite nicely!!! McPapa was impressed by this little feature-and he's not easily impressed by much!!

So, if you would like to enter the giveaway for this gift package here's what you have to do:

Go to the Chex Mix website and tell me which of the flavors is your favorite. This is a mandatory entry.
Follow me on GFC.
Post about this giveaway on your own blog-this is worth THREE entries so leave THREE separate comments please!!

Please remember to leave a way for me to contact you so that I can notify you if you win this lovely gift set!!! The giveaway will last for 1 week beginning on Monday, June 20 and ending midnight Monday, June 27th. I will notify the winner Tuesday morning and post about it on here!!

Chex Mix provided me with the free information, product and gift pack through MyBlogSpark. All opinions stated herein are soley those of the folks here at Ruby Slippers School.

Lovin' Learnin'

Review "Field of Vision" from Family Movie Night

2011-06-09T23:04:00.000-04:00

I have been given the opportunity to review a new movie for families called "Field of Vision." The film premiers Saturday, June 11th at 8/7c on NBC.

The films focus is dealing with bullying in the high school arena. It focuses on two football team bullies and the team captain that is faced with whether or not saying something to an authority about the bullying is worth risking their final game and destroying life-long friendships.

The theme of bullying is not new to anyone today and is a big problem even in some elementary-aged groups. Nearly three-quarters of Americans consider bullying harassment a serious problem and more than 45% of students admitted to having been bullied in school.This is an important issue for kids of all ages to face, talk about and deal with. Bullying has led to some very tragic events in our country and is not an issue that we as parents should ignore. Sometimes it's hard to know where to begin or even what to say once we do begin but having a film such as "Field of Vision" as a springboard will help to give direction to this important issue.

The film is surprisingly clean and very family-friendly (and we are very picky about our movies). Watching this movie would be a great way to spend some quality family time together and you won't even have to worry about watching for colorful content! How's that for a great family night?!

Check out the links below for more information:

Website: http://www.familymovienight.com/field-of-vision/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/familymovienight

Mom's for Family TV: http://www.moms4familytv.com/

Dove Foundation Review: http://www.dove.org/reviewpopup.asp?Unique_ID=883

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I gained access to view the film, "Field of Vision" for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lovin' Learnin'

My Little Bookworm

2011-06-06T22:58:00.001-04:00

It's a wonderful sight to walk into a room and find your 2.5 year old doing this!

Lovin' Learnin'

Loving this puzzle!!

2011-06-06T22:27:00.001-04:00

This is my first opportunity to review for Timberdoodle, a great company that offers and amazing assortment of educational products, curricula, toys and books!

What We Reviewed:

Today I'm reviewing a product from the famous Lauri company, their A to Z Puzzle, lowercase. I've secretly been eyeing this puzzle since I first saw it as part of package deal for a different curriculum company. Getting the opportunity to review it now is so great! This puzzle is a part of Timberdoodle's Toddler Core Curriculum package but can be purchased separately for $8.95.

What We Think:
Upon opening the puzzle the high quality is easy to detect. This Lauri puzzle is made of a sturdy foam material, it's not flimsy or cheap at all! The puzzle is set in a tray (something that I was surprised about) with a puzzle size card between the two that has pictures of items that begin with each letter of the alphabet. The point is to have the children pull off the abc pieces and see what is underneath and figure out the sound of the letter. Simple phonics review.

Many of the pictures are common I just wish that for the vowels they could have either added two smaller pictures, one with the long sound and one with the short or just go with the short. It's more common in my opinion. The 'A' for example has an acorn. Not bad but when little ones are beginning to read the most common sound learned is 'a' as in apple.

The abc pieces are very sturdy as stated before but were a wee bit hard to get out of the foam frame. My Littlest, 2.5 had a hard time doing this on her own. Nonetheless she loves it!! Check her out in the video.

How We Used It:
Having said all of that I have to say that all of my children LOVE this puzzle! Especially my 5 and 2.5 year olds. We used this puzzle in a variety of ways:

As just a puzzle, figuring out where all the pieces go.
As a tool to practice letter sounds.
As a penmanship tool-tracing the foam pieces and the empty shapes on the foam.
As a way to practice spelling three letter words.

Do you see how versatile this puzzle is! I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to use it that we will be sure to find out as time passes. This puzzle is destined to become a much used and loved item for our Pre-School/Kindergarten stages!

**As a caution, the dots on the letters can pose a choking hazard so those should be removed when young children are playing with the puzzle.**

I also received Timberdoodle's Core Curriculum for Toddlers planning folder. This little packet is really quite cool! It contains the following to keep you organized and on top of your toddler's learning experiences:

a list of everything included in the Toddler Core Curriculum package
an introduction to give you ideas on how to get started
descriptions of each item in the curriculum, reasons why it has been included and ideas for using each item
a checklist to keep track of what you have done with your little one each day of the week
suggestions on other items you might enjoy using with your child
there is also several articles that are helpful for anyone homeschooling with a toddler in tow

Timberdoodle has really thought of everything! This is a great tool to have on hand!

Here are some helpful links for ya:

Free Homeschool Catalog

http://www.timberdoodle.com/Articles.asp?ID=139

Homeschool supplies or homeschool curriculum

http://www.timberdoodle.com

Complete Curriculum Packages

http://www.timberdoodle.com/Complete_Homeschool_Curriculum_Packages_s/363.htm

Timberdoodle on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/timberdoodle

Disclaimer-As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team, I received this puzzle for free in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts shared are expressly those of the staff and students at Ruby Slippers School. Thanks Timberdoodle!!!

Lovin' Learnin'

Book Review: The Chocolate Diaries

2011-05-27T22:45:00.001-04:00

This is my first official review for Blogging for Books! Yay!!

The Book:
My review is on the book The Chocolate Diaries - Secrets for a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life by Karen Scalf Linamen. The basic focus of the book is to give it's readers savvy strategies for embracing a sweeter life-even when life leads you down a rocky road! Ideas for how to find more joy, give you reasons to laugh again and ideas to help you heal.

Sprinkled at the end of each delectable chapter are some great yummy chocolate recipes to try! Many are very tempting!!

Ms. Scalf Linamen creatively uses chocolate as a theme for her book, it's chapter titles, notes and jokes. I have to say that she is pretty creative author!

My impression:
I had high hopes for this book. I was excited about it and it's chocolate theme!! But as I began reading I began to think that there was just something missing. It seemed to me to just touch the surface of how to have joy and not go deep enough to penetrate my serious nature. Don't get me wrong, it's not that bad of a book but I find it a bit on the shallow side of truly leading someone in need of deep joy to it's source. God is talked about and readers are encouraged to seek Him but not in a way that would cause one to realize that our TRUE joy comes from a personal relationship with Him. To me that was a little disappointing.

The stories are somewhat funny, much is about the author's own life-she couldn't have had a more colorful one!! She also sprinkles in experiences from friends and family members as well. Let me tell you the people that she knows have gone through some tough experiences!! Wow!!

All in all the book was just okay in my opinion. I'm sure many people would like it but it didn't meet my standards. The chocolate recipes did however!!! Man they were good!!

In my opinion, The Chocolate Diaries fall short of a 5 star dessert but is worth maybe 3 stars for the creativity displayed and the great recipes.

You can take a sneak peek at the first chapter here.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. No other compensation was given. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own”.

Lovin' Learnin'

For Sale

2011-05-26T22:54:00.001-04:00

I am still trying to whittle our clutter down to the basics over here at Ruby Slippers. We've said goodbye to quite a bit of great items but I wanted to list what was left just in case you might be in need of something at your house. Email me if you want to purchase something or have more questions about an item!!!

Actual shipping will be calculated depending on weight! I don't try to make money off of shipping. I will gladly combine shipping for multiple items purchased!!

More pictures coming soon!!! If you are interested in something without pics let me know and I can get one sent to you!!!

Language Arts:
Language and Thinking for Young Children-Ruth Beechick

Ex. condition
$5.00

A Strong Start in Language, An Easy Start in Arithmetic, A Home Start in Reading-Ruth Beechick

Good condition, cover is smudged on the Arithmetic book
$5.00

Learning Literature Through Language Arts

older versions
$3.00 each or $12 for entire set
Levels are as follows: Red-2nd grade; Yellow-3rd grade; Tan-4th-6th grades; Gray-7th-8th grades
Spiral binding undone on Red and Gray books, looks like it can be redone at an office supply store

.Abeka Language 3

$20.00
Homeschool Parent Manual
Student Workbook KEY
Test KEY
Student Test Booklet-Test 1 completed only

Abeka K5

$15.00
Homeschool Phonics, Reading & Writing Parent Guide
13 I Can Read books-complete set
My Blend Practice Book

Abeka Handbook For Reading

$2.50
Scribbling on back inside cover
good used condition

Abeka Primary Bible Reader

$3.50
Good condition!

Abeka Pre-K Readers

$3.50
Set of 7 Little Owl Readers
Mini Alphabet Flashcards

Audio Visual:

Monki See

$15.00
Baby's First Words dvd and Know Your Monkey book
More information on their website

Digital Frog Field Trip

$50.00
Get more info on this great science product here.

Homeschooling Helps:
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling 3rd edition–Debra Bell:

$2.50
ex. condition

For the Love of Learning-Maureen Whitman

$3.50
Like New
Read more about this book on Amazon

Math:

Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards

$5.00
Great condition

CalcuLadder Masters Level 1 and Ready Writer

$8.00
All pages are in sheet protectors
In a three-ring binder
Include the write on/wipe off clear pages

Play and Find Out about Math-Janice VanCleave

$1.00
Ex-lib. – hardback
Great condition

Classic Literature:

A Child’s Treasury of Beatrix Potter-hardback with dust cover

$1.50
Great condition

Giant Treasury of Peter Rabbit-Tales by B.Potter with her Original Illustrations

$1.50
Ex. condition

Poetry/Art:

The One Year Book of Poetry

365 devotional readings based on Classic Christian Verse
$2.00

Hiawatha-H.W.Longfellow, Pictures by Susan Jeffers

$2.00
Paperback
Good condition

Science

Science:

No Sweat Projects-Scholastic

Shadowy Science
Bouncing Science

$1.00/both
Fun Experiments
Ideas for Group Projects
Tips on Doing Research
Great for Science Fairs
Great condition

Play and Find Out about the Human Body-Janice VanCleave

$3.00
Great condition-paperback

Forgein Language
An Usborne Introduction Learn Spanish

$2.00
Ex. condition, paperback
comic book style but very complete

Forgien Language:

Skill Builders - Spanish/Level 1

Like new condition
$1.50
78 pages
Encourages critical thinking
Vocab, numbers, alphabet, colors, shapes, review and drawing

History:

The Story of Our Flag

$2.00
Great condition-two pages colored in
Beautifully illustrated, this new edition tells all about Our Flag's evolution. The Great eagle Seal is also explained.
Like a fancy coloring book with awesome artwork and tons of information!

Bigger Hearts for His Glory

$45.00
Easy lesson plans

Bible:

Good Morning God-Apologia

$8.00
Beautiful artwork
A beautiful family devotional for younger children
Read more here.

Hope to hear from you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for stopping by!
Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Crew Review: Eagles Wings: Considering God's Creation

2011-05-25T23:31:00.000-04:00

The Product:
Today I get the wonderful opportunity to share with you my opinions on the science curricula Considering God's Creation. It is an in-depth encounter with natural science from a biblical perspective. It is unique in that it is easily adaptable for grades 2 through 7th and includes a 272 page student notebook and teacher's manual with music CD. At $29.95 it is a complete and very inexpensive investment for science!

Here is a list of what materials are covered:
Creation

Universe
Stars
Solar System
Earth
Light
Sound
Wind
Weather
Clouds
Rocks
Plants

Insects
Mammals
Reptiles
Birds
Fish
Amphibians
Food Chains
Reproduction and Genetics
Human
Animal Anatomy
Physiology

Included at the back of the Teacher's Manual are suggested resources such as books, videos, games and computer programs that parents can take advantage of to enhance what is being learned in each lesson.

McMama's Experience:
First of all I have to say that I just love a company that truly has their customer's best in mind. I just LOVE that Eagle's Wings allows parents to copy the pages in the student's book so that one book can be used for multiple children! Very cost effective.

Having said that...and having copied some material from the student book for my children I believe with all my heart that it is easier and more time efficient to purchase another manual. I actually ended up doing that. It has been so nice having the extra sheets all ready to be torn out of the books. The option of copying is always available if needed but I have to say that I have preferred having a book for each child.

Okay, my opinions. I've enjoyed this curriculum and so have my children. You can make it as in depth or as light as you see fit. Gotta love that flexibility!!

For our review we focused on the God Made Me portion since that is what we have been studying.

Here is a picture of what our human bodies are turning out like. They include the circulatory, respiratory and skeletal systems.

The kids had a blast making these and they have been great for review! I do have to say that they are missing their large intestine because Littlest has pulled them off. Ah, life with a 2.5 year old! :)

I have benefited from the good layout of each lesson we've gone through. Each lesson is laid out as follows:

Preparation - This section lets me know what I need to get ready in order to begin the lesson.

Vocabulary - we just went over some of the words but I didn't have the kids memorize any of the meanings just yet. You could have your children memorize them, use them as spelling words and learn the Latin and Greek roots.

Introduction - this is what I used to basically help me give an overview of what we were getting ready to study. I read it ahead of time and then paraphrased for my own kids what the main ideas were.

Song or Poem - this was a neat addition but honestly some of the songs are a little odd. My kids do enjoy them and did learn the Skeletal System for example thanks to the song but they, to me, were just a little odd.

Activity - this is always fun. For the skeletal system the kids had fun wrapping each other's arms in a sling as if they had broken a bone. (I have pictures somewhere!!)

Bible Reading - this included in all lessons and for me was the most important as we try to bring everything we teach our kids back to it's Biblical foundation. I took this in bite size pieces and we read some of the verses each time we met for Science. (The authors use MANY verses and that is great!!)

Notebook - this is a favorite part for sure! This is where the huge student manual comes in and the kids do a great worksheet, such as what is pictured above, to enhance learning and bring it home. Since my kids love worksheets, cutting, pasting and coloring this portion couldn't have been more perfect of a fit for them! I love how interactive this part has been and what a treasure and keepsake these will be!

Evolution Stumpers - This is awesome and I love how this helps me to teach my kids the evolution is wrong because "this" is how God created it and "this" is what the Bible says to prove it.

Review - is next and included are questions to go over with your children to make sure that they are learning and not just mindlessly working. There is also a reminder to have the student explain his notebook page to another person.

Digging Deeper - for older or more advanced children in the family. This portion includes reading from a recommended book, summarizing a certain topic, research and more.

All in all this is going to be one item that we will use consistently in our homeschool. It has been a great fit for us and for our learning style.

The Breakdown:

Considering God's Creation w/audio CD - $29.95
Additional workbook - $13.95
Great for keeping the family learning together!
Easily adaptable for youngers and olders; although the littlest ones will need help with the cutting.
Biblically sound.
See samples here.

**Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.**

Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Crew Review-Wordy Qwerty

2011-05-20T23:48:00.000-04:00

The Product:
Wordy Qwerty is another product created by the folks over at Talking Fingers. You may remember my review from last fall on their beginner product, Read, Write and Type. (Check it out! It's so effective at teaching my girls-especially Biggest how to type using 10 finger touch and it's reinforced phonics at the same time!!) Well Wordy Qwerty picks up where R,W&T leaves off.

WQ is aimed at 7-9 year olds in grades 2-4 and focuses on spelling the many words that they are now reading. WQ consists of 20 consecutive lessons that implement games and upbeat songs to make the learning stick.

Here's a quote from the website:

"The overall purpose of Wordy Qwerty: Foundations for Reading and Writing Fluency, is to improve phonological and morphological sensitivity, to develop a deeper understanding of how words are constructed in English, and to provide reading and writing activities with helpful feedback, in order to increase fluency and comprehension in reading and writing. "

As I stated above there are 20 consecutive lessons with 6 activities each (take a detailed tour of each activity here). The program covers the following spelling rules:

Silent E
Sounds of C
Sounds of G
J or DGE
W or WH
C or K
CK or K
CKS or X
CH or TCH
LL, SS, FF, ZZ
OI or OY
VE Words

Open Syllables
Double Consonants
Doubling rule
ER, IR, OR, UR, EAR
I Before E
Plurals: Add ES
Plurals: Y to IES
Plurals: F to VES

A sentence given through dictation. The child hears what is said and then needs to type the sentence. If delayed the program prompts the child and tells them which letters to type.

Pop a Word: Race the clock to pop as many balloons as you can that are in the 4 word sentence given.

Karaoke: One of Wordy Qwerty's musical rules.

McMama's Experience:
So, will you not judge me if I ~~say~~ admit that spelling is a weakness in our home? Our children simply struggle with it. It could be that we've just this year began a regular spelling program with them...or it could be development...or worse yet, genes!!!

But whatever the case our girls have really needed a program such as Wordy Qwerty. No, they are not doing so well. They haven't gone through many levels and haven't made the best scores. But ya wanna know the absolute truth....it doesn't bother me! I know that they are getting exposure to the spelling rules, having fun and in time (hopefully) all of this stuff will stick! I wouldn't let this be our only curriculum of course but as a supplement I think it works pretty well! The girls enjoy it and are disappointed any time we miss our alloted WQ time.

In order to organize our time on the computer I have scheduled them to work on WQ 15 minutes each day. Honestly we don't always get to it because life happens and our schedule changes but we do our best.

I haven't seen any major breakthroughs with their spelling yet but admitedly we haven't been using this for very long. I believe however that with extended use WQ can be an extremely effective tool in aiding my girls to conquer our spelling woes.

The Breakdown:

The parent account allows you to reassign the online licenses to younger children as an older child outgrows the program. It also allows you to see which lessons your child has passed and what their score is on the lesson they’re currently covering. They must achieve 80% to pass to a new lesson, and you can see if they’re only at 70%.

The current pricing for the online edition of Wordy Qwerty is as follows:

1 user - $25.00
2 users - $40.00
3 users - $52.50
4 users - $60.00
5 users - $71.25

Wordy Qwerty Home Edition is available on a CD-rom for $35, or online with a 5 year membership.

System Requirements:

Macintosh Hardware Requirements:

Mac: OS9 with CarbonLib or OSX

Windows Hardware Requirements:

Windows: 98, SE, 2000, XP

Also requires QuickTime 6 (included) or greater

We were provided two free 1-year licenses in exchange for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog toread more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Review: Institute for Excellence in Writing

2011-05-13T21:39:00.000-04:00

You've heard of them right? Institute for Excellence in Writing is one of the most popular and sought after curriculum providers around. Their reputation for excellency in their products and effectiveness for academic learning is widely known. Mr. Pudewa's great teaching style and sense of humor is well known also!

Well, I have had the wonderful opportunity to review their Student Writing Intensive Level A this year. I have felt so blessed to have been able to review such a great product!

In my package I received the following materials:

four DVDs
a binder with dividers
a packet with the Teacher's Notes, handouts and checklists (lots of pages here!)
portable wall
Structure and Style DVD

The Structure and Style Overview is a 2 hour 20 minute overview of the IEW method and briefly covers the 9 units of structure of the program. While the full teacher/parent Structure and Style (TWSS) course is recommended for an in-depth view of the method, the Overview DVD in combination with joining your student in watching the DVD lessons will give you the tools you need to successfully teach the materials.

I have to say that the materials packet is laid out well and very organized. With one read over the Teacher's Instruction page I was ready to put my daughter's notebook together and begin.

McMama's Experience:

We gathered Biggest's materials: notebook, writing paper and pencil, popped in the DVD and sat back to learn. Although I was excited about this program I was a little apprehensive about using it with Biggest simply because writing has never been something that she has enjoyed. She has struggles anytime she has to put her pencil to paper for any length of time. For this reason I asked my hubby to sit in with us and watch so that I could get his opinion. We watched together and honestly I was immediately taken with Mr. Pudewa's fun teaching style and amazed at how easy he makes writing. Biggest truly enjoyed her first session and although she struggled in some areas she was doing great, completed her first writing assignment with relative ease and was happily looking forward to the next session.

Once we were wrapped up I privately asked hubby what he thought and although he thought the program was great he wondered if it were too advanced for our reluctant 8 year old writer. I kept his thoughts in my mind as we moved forward.

We made it a couple of more lessons with Biggest then, after tears and frustration put it aside. It was just too much for her at her age and development. She loved Mr. Pudewa and enjoyed watching the DVDs and even put forth great effort at trying to write out her papers but for her it was just too much.

I plan on pulling this program back out for her maybe in the 2nd semester of her 4th grade year and trying again. (I LOVE that each level can be used with multiple grade levels! So awesome!)

The Breakdown:

That being said, I think that this is a great program! Writing is made so easy! I really wish that I had been taught this way! As I continued to watch the lessons and go through the notes on my own I was amazed that more educators of writing do not teach this way.

SWI has pre-written paragraphs for the children to use. Then, they are lead through a variety of exercises, beginning with finding key words from each sentence to make their own outline. Then they are taught to add in different dress-ups, sentence openers, decorations and sentence styles to make the sentences more complex. With the pre-written paragraphs the dread of coming up with original ideas is taken away and the children are able to concentrate on finding the most important words in the paragraphs and learn how to build a great paper from there.

I guess I should say that for struggling writers the pre-written paragraphs are great. If you have a child that doesn't struggle at all then they would only box her in. However the methods Mr. Pudewa focuses on would make it easy for advanced children to apply in their own ideas.

All in all this is a program worth looking in to if you have a child that freezes when blank paper is put in front of her. If your child doesn't struggle I wouldn't say not to try it but I would suggest maybe trying to take a good look at it from someone who already owns it that you know or really browse it at a conference.

The SWI Level A sells for $99, the Portable Wall for $7 and the Structure and Style Overview DVD for $10. All of the products come with a complete satisfaction guarantee. The website also has a ton of Help and Support for learning more about the products and what ones will suit your needs. And by the way, forts make a great space for some tear-free writing! IEW also hosts webinars on different writing topics and their products!

TOS Crew Review: Monki See Monki Do

2011-05-09T08:54:00.000-04:00

The Product:
Monki See is a 30 minute dvd aimed at the littlest group; ages 3 months to 2 years. Here are some quick facts:

MonkiSee Baby DVDs Quick Facts

These 30 minute interactive baby DVDs keep babies entertained and engaged.

MSMD baby dvds show lovable puppets that babies love to watch.

Upbeat children's music has babies moving and grooving to the beat.

MonkiSee theme song will have your baby singing along.

Original poetry builds child's language and vocabulary skills.

These baby dvds are Entertaining and Educational so your child easily learns new things while watching these favorite videos.

MSMD Baby DVDs teach important preschool skills in a fun and interactive way.

MSMD Baby DVDs include a Slide Show that provides fast and easy review.

McMama's Opinion:

I received the Baby's First Words DVD and Know Your Monkey softbound book for this review.

My first impressions were good. The characters on the DVD case and book looked cute. All of my kids wanted to watch the DVD and sat around as we put it on.

I was pleasently surprised with the music selection on the MSMD DVD. We are very conservative in our music choices and the country style music fit nicely within our standards which is very important to us.

The video consists of three parts:

A parent's Guide - This is where Krista Guererro talks to parents about the philosophy behind MSMD and the best methods to use the program.
Slide Show - This is just what it says. A slide show of all the words on the show with a live shot of something that word represents. The kids loved some of the comical pictures! The font is clear and large however the words move rather fast in my opinion.
The Show - the final part is the show. I'll get into that now.

The video is nicely done. I love how MSMD consists of very little animation! Most of the video consists of children acting out or showing what the words represent and there are also animals (from the Belize Zoo!!) that were exotic and beautiful that "helped out" with the word representation. I also loved the poems sprinkled throughout the program.

The MSMD DVD Baby's First Words covers more than 30 words. Words from hand, nose and ear to shoulder, rattle and pacifier. Yes, this DVD covers a lot! Although Littlest at 2 and a half know most, if not all of the words (what each means) she obviously doesn't recognize the words by their spelling. It is recommended by the creators to watch the DVD every day for 4 weeks and go through the slideshow and book in order to help the child recognize the words.

This review period obviously wasn't long enough for true "reading" to be attained but I can see how it could be a possibility if done in the ways outlined on the website and in the Parent Guide section of the DVD.

The Breakdown:

The DVD is cute and entertaining without being flashy and fast speed. It's definitely easy on the eyes and brain I think! At 30 minutes for me it is kind of long. My kids never complained of course but I as the parent would prefer to cut the viewing in half and work on just a portion of the video at a time. There is a lot of words in those 30 minutes!

Each DVD retails for $19.95
30 minutes in length
Other titles include: All About Colors and All About Shapes.
There is also a huge package deal offered here.

If you'd like to read what my other Crew Members have to say about this DVD program click here.

Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Crew Review: Kregel Publications

2011-05-06T06:33:00.003-04:00

The Product:
Kregel Publications is a company that I had never heard of before this review came along.

My review is on the book you see above, Andi's Scary School Days from the Circle C Beginnings series by Susan K. Marlow. This book is a soft-back Christian Fiction chapter book aimed at children ages 6-8.
Mrs. Marlow also wrote the Circle C Adventure books, when Andrea (Andi) Carter, then 12 enters the lives your older readers.

From the website; "Written for reading levels 2.0–2.8, the Circle C Beginnings series combines fun illustrations and six-year-old Andi’s signature curiosity.

In book four, Andi didn’t think she was afraid of anything—until now. School means being away from the ranch, away from her family, and away from Taffy. And tting next to a boy who throws things at her. Having to stand in the corner for something that wasn’t even her fault is the last straw."

Watch the trailer for the book:

McMama's Opinion:

We LOVE this little book!!

We read it the first week we received it and the girls completed the beautiful activity sheets that you can download from the website. This was a super product and if you have young girls ages 5 - 10 maybe this would be a great series to invest in! Read an excerpt if you'd like.

I do have to say however that some of the attitude that Andi shows surprised me somewhat. Andi has to go to school and really doesn't want to, doesn't like all of the rules, her teacher or just plain doing what she is suppose to do. However I went ahead and continued reading and took advantage of the opportunity for teaching my girls about what was wrong with the way Andi responds at times and what would be the response that Christ desires from us. Really, who naturally likes rules? Andi's responses were, in my opinion, similar to some of the way we react at times too. I spoke very candidly about God's instilling rules and authority to be a blessing and we honestly had some great conversations! This little book was a benefit for sure!

The Breakdown:

Currently retails for $4.99; available online at www.kregel.com or at local bookstores nationwide.
Other titles in the series are : Andi's Fair Surprise, Andi's Indian Summer and Andi's Pony Trouble and more.
Extra printable activities are available online-these are great!
From April 1 through August 31, 2011 you can save 30% off of your order using the code HOME11 during checkout. That brings the cost of these books down to $3.49 each! Mmmm, I like the sound of that!

Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Crew Review: Yesterday's Classics

2011-05-04T06:26:00.001-04:00

Do you love books as I do? Do you lack space as I do? Do you wonder what to do about those dilemmas a I did? Enter Yesterday's Classics, your one-stop destination for tons of great classics that take up no floor space at all. (Can you hear the angels singing already?!) Sound too good to be true? Well read on!

Yesterday's Classics is a company dedicated to making the beautiful, rich stories of yesteryear available to the families of today. They have been busily reprinting hundreds of classics so that we can benefit from the same literary beauty that educated many years ago.

Yesterday's Classics has put together an awesome 225 title ebook package to make storing and accessing these treasures much easier! These are many of the same titles that you will find on the reading lists of curriculum developers such as Ambleside Online, Heart of Dakota, Living Books Curriculum and Tapestry of Grace.

When you purchase this 225 title ebook package you get immediate access to the books either in EPUB or Kindle format. Don't have an ereader? Don't fret! I didn't either, but both formats are supported by PC computers! That's right, you can download the free Adobe Digital Editions, Nook for PC, Kindle for PC, Calibre and others.

I used Nook for PC and Adobe. I prefer the Nook for PC personally. However if you are new to all of this YC has information and comparison charts on the most popular ereaders available for you once you order!! It's very informative by the way!!

So what makes Yesterday's Classics so much different than the other versions out there? Well, the ebooks from YC are just beautiful! They have pictures (if the original had pictures), they have a table of contents that makes it easier to navigate to the exact chapter or page that you want. With the Nook for PC I was able to book mark, change font size and easily store the books in an organized fashion.

There are 22 different genres that are covered in this package such as World History, Poetry, Children of the World, Britain, Shakespeare, Kindergarten, Literature, Christmas Stories, American History and more!

I do have to say however that there are some genres that we, being very conservative in nature, won't be persuing. It would be nice if there were some package deals available. I know that there are a few books that I am not going to be using with my children and would personally love something like a pick and choose option. Maybe 'x' amount of books for 'x' dollars for package A and 'x' amount of books for 'x' dollars for package B etc. I'm not sure how complicating that would get for Yesterday's Classics though. The deal that they have now is a great one, this is just my little suggestion based on the dynamics of our family.

Here are some of the titles we have enjoyed:

And there are more to get to!! Oh so much more!!! I'm so glad I don't have to find shelf space for all of these!!!
I can tell you that these books look great. They are well formatted and the picture quality is very nice. These Yesterday Classics versions are much easier on the eyes...and much more appealing...than most of the free versions that I have seen and downloaded but NEVER made myself use because they were just too hard to read!

So, if you are wanting some great literature, I'd urge you to check this package deal out! Honestly, I know it's pricey but when you think about the amount of books you are getting and the amount of money you are saving on storage space I think that you would find yourself saving in the long run!

To do the math for you:

225ebooks @ $99 = 44 cents per book!!

Can you believe it?!!

Here's the deal:

Buy anytime between now and May 31st and you get all 225 ebooks in Kindle or Epub versions for $99.95!!!

Read all the details here!

Find out how my other Crew Mates loved this deal by clicking on the banner below.

**Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.**

Lovin' Learnin'

Start Marriage Right!!!...but how?

2011-04-25T15:29:00.000-04:00

You've seen them too haven't you? The fairy tale endings I mean. All of those "chick flicks" end the same, all of those stories finish with a *sigh*. The handsome leading man and beautiful leading lady although odds surmount and they experience crazy event after crazy event and close call after close call, they finally end up walking off into the sunset together. They're dreamily in love and "all is well" with the world. And the viewers, well we are left with a feeling of happiness for the lucky couple but also an...emptiness?

Why an emptiness? Well because for most of us we know what happens after that dreamy sunset walk. We know what it's like to wake up years later and wonder what happened to that sunset? Where did the love birds go? Where did all that romantic music run off too?

You see, real life, a real marriage, doesn't end when the bride and groom leave for the honeymoon. Yes, that's climatic and worth a hundred daydreams at least but real life is about what happens after the "credits roll." Movies don't go there do they? They don't show us how that lucky couple fairs after 11 years of marriage, children, a mortgage and numerous misunderstandings. Why don't they by the way? I'll tell you why, because those scenes are not always pretty and unfortunately in our day and age they don't end in happily ever afters.

So, what's a couple to do? Well, unfortunately many decide that they would be better off going their own ways, splitting up the family and trudging down the rough road. But it doesn't need to be so. God instilled the union of marriage and He intended it to be a beautiful thing. But since it involves two sinners it often isn't an easy thing. And for many the option of just giving up and going separate ways seems all too easy.

I was recently asked to review a new website entitled StartMarriageRight.com. Intrigued with the title I quickly began to browse the site. Honestly, I was expecting some shallow articles and not much help but can I tell you that's not what I found!

I was immersed in some great articles that even challenged and encouraged to become a better mate to my husband of 11 years. Inspite of the title I believe that there will be treasures here for any one; whether about to get married, considering marriage or married with some years behind ya.

Just take a read at this quote from Dr. Tony Evans' article entitled "Complementing, Not Conflicting in Marriage."

"Oneness doesn’t mean sameness. Oneness means demonstrating a willingness to work together toward the same goal."

That statement drove home to me the reality that I had been wrong in some of my thinking these past 11 years. And that was just one article. There are many more articles available to readers such as

And many more!! There are suggested book lists for three different stages; dating, engaged and married. There are helpful links and an option to discover your love language!! (That was an interesting one!!) You can also submit any questions that you may be having or read questions from others.
I've come to the conclusion that www.startmarriageright.com is a great tool! Not only for those who are considering or preparing for marriage but for those who've been married for a while and find some of the struggles to be a little overwhelming.

One thing that I have often wished for is that hubby and I would have had marriage counseling. Oh sure, we met with our Pastor...once....but some steady, consistent, "let's get down to the nitty-gritty" of marriage information and wisdom would have been so helpful. Start Marriage Right.com will do some of that for those considering marriage! What a valuable tool!!

But whether you spend some time on the site or not I would be remiss if I didn't leave you with one last thing: in order to "start marriage right" you need to be sure that you are starting with Christ. Go to Him with your questions and concerns. Ask Him to lead you to your future husband. Take that argument to the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes to your own faults. Cause, you see, although the website I've just reviewed is one of the best I've seen in a long time it's still a man made tool and shouldn't be used as a substitution for Christians seeking God in their own relationships. So, seek God first, then startmarriageright.com!!!! I believe that you will be well prepared if you do!!

Go on, pray and then check it out!!

Lovin' Learnin'

Progressing with Progressive Phonics

2011-04-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Phonics.

What do you think of when you hear that word? Flash cards? Drill after drill? For a long time that's all I thought of when I heard that little word. But the Lord has grown me these last, oh I don't know, how long have I been homeschooling? Five years? Has it really been that long?

Anyway.

My thoughts and opinions about phonics and how to approach it have really changed since I started homeschooling but today I want to share with you what I am using with Brother and what I think about it.

I had been looking for something to use with this boy that was different than what I used with Biggest and Big Sis. With Biggest I used a drill intense, flashcard based program that was great but a lot of work and a little much in my opinion. Big Sis basically taught herself to read with little to no training at all. Brother is a different story. He is almost 6, doesn't know much about sounds, is dying to learn, but wants the learning to happen...like NOW. I knew that I needed something that showed results pretty quickly, was not overwhelming and was-above all else-FUN. He's a fun loving guy ya know!! :)

I asked advice from some of my Crew Mates over at the Homeschool Crew (*sigh* I just love those ladies!!) And I was given quite a few suggestions. I really wanted to find something that was inexpensive since we are anticipating another baby, a move and are trying to put all we have into paying off debt. And with having to school 3 children this fall I know that buying for each will be difficult.

One of my fellow Crew Mates suggested a program called Progressive Phonics and finally decided to check it out. This is the first line of what I read over at their website:

"Progressive Phonics is an all-in-one reading program that is easy, fun, and totally FREE---that's right, totally and completely free!"

Is that not what I was looking for?! The program can be started at whatever level your child is at, we started with the Alphabet books as they are the very beginning level books. They also have the following levels; Beginner Phonics, Intermediate Phonics, Advance Phonics and even Handwriting.

The program offers FREE online books that can be printed (we just read from the screen) that are really like your lesson plans and reading work all in one. You can read more about the Alphabetti approach here. I will just tell you what we do here.

Now, I've only just been using this for a few weeks so our work is beginning but exciting.

I sit down with an excited Brother and open up the book we are working with (on my laptop) we go over the sounds of the new letters, the first book covered o, d and g. Then the books talk a little about how to form those letters. They do it in a great way that works wonderfully with my guy. The have pictures of hands and show how to form the letters with our hands. For example 'o' is just a hand with round fist and 'd' is the same round fist (left hand) with a straight, flat right hand pressed against the left. I can't tell you how much I love how they teach letter formation!

I then review the sounds of his new letters and we are off reading. Progressive Phonics uses the shared reading approach. The parent does most of the reading but there are words in larger, red print that the child reads. So, in the first book Brother read the words dod and dog. This shared reading takes away the dullness of reading a book with two or three words only. Because we are both reading from the book there is a feeling of "true reading" going on. Not only that but the story lines are hilarious! He is always laughing throughout the stories and always wants to do more. That is great!!

There are also worksheets that can be printed out for every book. Each new letter has it's own "circle the picture that begins with the '*' sound" page, some handwriting pages, coloring pages, a neat page on letter formation and then a sheet cards with the words learned on them that are to be printed, cut and played with.

I also have created a salt box for more letter recognition practice, I am making play dough for him to form letters from that and I use our All About Spelling letter tiles to review during the week. (He loves those things!)

Brother has painlessly and almost effortlessly learned 5 words in the last two weeks or so. Doesn't get any better than that!!

So, all in all I am impressed and excited with the results from the first three books that we have used. This program is fun, colorful, hits many skill areas and effective.

So, if you are on the hunt for a phonics program for your little ones give Progressive Phonics a try. I think you just might be surprised!!

Update: We have now made it through the first 5 books and things are still going great! Inspite of some confusion with 'b' and 'd' (normal stuff) Brother is doing great! He can now read the following words:

dod (the main character's name), bob, bag, bad, dog, and bab....I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two...I've also taught him God since he's learned all the letter sounds.

Brother still loves his phonics time and honestly it feels too easy! I am always thinking that I need to add in more but this simple approach and the addition of the salt box, play dough and letter tiles is showing results! Go ahead and check it out for yourself!!!

Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Crew Review: Growing Healthy Homes

2011-04-20T06:00:00.004-04:00

The Product:
Today I am reviewing something very different from my other reviews. Today's review is a nutrition and health curriculum for the entire family. The company, Growing Healthy Homes, is a family-owned company started in 2007 by a mom, her oldest daughter and daughter-in-law. Isn't that great?! The birth of this book came about from a desire to do better for their families and offer a way to teach their children in a way not offered before.

Nutrition 101-Choose Life 448 page book is available as a hard copy book, a CD-ROM or as a combination of CD-ROM (to print out certain pages) and hard copy book. (I would prefer the hard copy but that's just me.)

Why would you need both? The CD-ROM and book contain the same information, so the value of having both is the flexibility to use the CD-ROM to reprint individual copies of the recipes, shopping lists, charts and any other relevant pages and still have a bound book to enjoy.

Thinking about using this in a co-op setting? Great idea! Check out their FAQ for co-ops here.

This book is written for elementary ages as well as secondary students. Check out a 27 page sample!!

McMama's Opinion:
This review opportunity came up at a great time! We have been studying the human body in science so the lessons in Nutrition 101 have meshed wonderfully. I am thoroughly impressed with the amount of material and quality of information available here. I tell ya, these ladies know their stuff!! Each lesson is jam packed with information, facts, pictures, activity ideas and great recipes. They all tie together to make for a memorable experience.

Checking her pulse during our study on the heart.

For example, when working through the lesson about the digestive system not only was the material that we had learned from our regular science program reinforced but it was enhanced and we all (yes, myself included) learned how to better care for your digestive system and even tried a recipe that promotes a healthy and smooth operating system. Just think, fruit salad, green apple bean salad, quinoa vegetable risotto and spice cookies. Not only is this a health course but its cooking class as well!! The digestive system unit talks about acid/alkaline balance, water, enzyme supplementation and the importance of fiber, cleansing and probiotic supplementation. And after you complete the recipe there are more activities that relate directly to it. For the Fruit Salad recipe Elementary students have the option of choosing a fruit used and find out how it grows, looking up the word antioxidant, finding out what organic means and preparing an oral or written report about one of the fruits used. There is more than enough here to keep everyone busy for years to come!

Her play dough model of a heart.

Each chapter ends with discussion questions such as, "What Scriptures support the information we have learned about digestion?" "How many times do you chew each bite?" "How can you help your family to remember to chew slowly?" Activities follow with options such as tracing your child's body and butcher paper and drawing and labeling the parts of the digestive system, testing taste buds with different types of flavors, and finding out how much food your stomach can hold. (It's 1 liter by the way, just over a quarter of a US gallon.) There are also more options for secondary age students. Yes, this is a "hey, let's get the family together and learn at the same time" kind of a program. It fits across the board.

Honestly, I had to paraphrase quite a bit simply because some of the information was a bit heavy for my young children but it did not change the effectiveness or fun of this program. And because the authors have reading, comprehension questions, activities and recipes I think that Nutrition 101 would suit any type of learner!

Here's a sample suggested weekly schedule:

Monday-Read over chapter and discussion questions, choose activity.
Tuesday-Review the chapter highlights and pick up items for power recipes.
Wednesday-Prepare the recipe for a snack or meal.
Thursday-Choose activities related to the power recipes.
Friday-Discuss what has been learned throughout the week during a family meal time.

A sample of the first page of chapter 1.

The Breakdown:

Available as a CD-ROM, a hard copy book or in combination with the CD-ROM.
Current price as of the time of this review is: CD-ROM: $79.95, Printed book: $99.95 or the combo: $129.95
Great to use as a family health/science/cooking course. But be prepared to do some paraphrasing for the younger set. Mom will have to look at the material ahead of time.
Plenty of extra activities and questions. Great pictures.
Fun!!
Here is a 15% off code: TOScrew11. This is the same discount you would receive at a Homeschool Convention.

If ya want to read what my Crew Mates thought of Nutrition 101 click on the banner and read away!!

Lovin' Learnin'

Our trip to the Patch...

2011-04-14T06:14:00.000-04:00

Here is another video I had worked on that never got posted...guess I got too busy with reviews to finish them. This was us back in October '10 spending some time as a family down at the pumpkin patch.

Create your own slideshow

Lovin' Learnin'

My Semi-Organized Homeschool #2

2011-04-11T06:28:00.001-04:00

Here is my 2nd installment of My Semi-Organized Homeschool. You can read my first post on mini-offices here.

I have been sharing my desires for a “school room” with the Lord for quite some time. He, as always, listened and gently reminded me to
1. “be content with such as ye have”
2. be patient
Although difficult at times I did try to remain that way. Well, for whatever reason, this week I began to feel very claustrophobic about having all of our school stuff mixed in our living/dining/kitchen space (it’s an open space.) I wasn’t really experiencing a complaining spirit – for once – just felt like I needed to do something.
I kinda mentioned it to my hubby and then said, “Ya know, we could just combine the kiddos-3 girls, 1 boy-into the bigger room and use the smaller one as the school room.” He said yeah he thought we could. I kinda stopped for a minute wondering if the boy would even survive in a room with 3 girls or if we would be ruining him for life etc. etc. My hubby later reminded me that it is probably more common throughout the world to have family members all sleep in one large space…why be so worried about it? That was Tuesday…by Thursday I had a mission in my heart.
The kids and I ~~slaved~~ diligently worked all day to get the job done. I can tell you that although it was back breaking work (and I made myself promise not to buy any more books for a little while…we’ll see how long that one lasts) I feel so excited, fufilled, renewed!! Working in our new room today was so nice!
Now, it’s not a large room by any means, a little more on the small side and with four kids and me in there it did get a little tight but the Lord finally gave me my school room and we didn’t even have to move!
I LOVE IT!!!

I painted the Noah’s ark mural for my little guy when he was born. We’ll paint over it eventually. Kinda breaks my heart!! The black bookshelf homes all of our books and some math manipulatives. You can see a part of the table and I put the chalkboard between the table and the wall for easy access, better view for kiddos and it saves space. It worked out great today!!

This shot is to the right of the door as you walk in. The armoire will be explained later. The animals will be gone a little later. The boards have our artist study painting, lit. theme, character trait sheet, memory verse cards and there is a nifty map underneath.
We also have a picture of our favorite President. (That is now framed!)

This is what you see when you walk into the room (I know, my pics. aren’t in order…it’s late). The board above the easel now has my kiddos lovely and colorful artwork hanging from it. This art easel has a homey spot by the door so and can roll out and away from the wall so that another child can use the other side. The containers underneath hold paper, art books and foam stickers. Our art caddy is also tucked in there…no, there’s no paint in here…we have carpet.

This is a shot from the door looking at the far corner of the room, across from the armoire. You can see the table and chalkboard better here. The shelves hold games, my narration basket and our flags and Bible. The toy shelf is to keep Littlest occupied. There are about 8 bins with a few toys in each (nothing major so I won’t have a hurricane of toys to clean up after we’re done). The basket and pillows are for a quiet read.

This is inside the armoire. You can see our workboxes, baskets with color coordinating pencil boxes, index card boxes, rulers etc. We have our computer subjects kept in the cubby on the right (i.e. forgien language and typing CD-ROMs). The cubby on the right holds my folder. That is where the girls put their work when they are done so that I can go back later to check it. It is an 8 tabbed accordian style folder so they each have their own section. I also have extra report covers in there so when I put their completed work in their portfolios they are within easy reach. I also have stickers and a red color pencil for marking and rewarding.
The drawer on the bottom left holds all of our audio cassette books and our tape players. The bottom drawer on the right hold felt letters and numbers, felt board, craft items etc.
I just LOVE it!!! The Lord does give us the desires of our hearts doesn’t He?! God is good.
Tune in next time as I talk about how color coordinating the McKiddies school items has saved my sanity!!

TOS Review: Science Weekly

2011-04-08T16:30:00.001-04:00

The Product:
Science Weekly is a science newsletter for kids. You can subscribe via snail mail (which I LOVED) but they also have a new online interactive area where you can access the newspapers from your computer.

The creators of Science Weekly understand the importance of science in the academic career of our little citizens so they have created a fun and age appropriate newspaper for kids grades K-6th.

Included with each newspaper bundle is the all important Teacher's Guide. This guide includes notes on all levels along with helpful information. Think, already completed lesson plans!! Let the angels sing!!! :)

The pricing for Science Weekly is as follows:

Classroom Rate is $4.95 per student for a duration of 15 issues.
The individual rate (or families) is $19.95 per student for a duration of 15 issues.
Each has a minimum order of 20.

So this sounds pricey for homeschoolers right? I mean I have 3 that I could use this with. At $19.95 each that would be $60! Yikes!! However, upon checking out (and according to the email I received in response to this question) I noticed that at the classroom rate, as long as I have a minimum of 20 orders then I can choose from any grade levels. Say you go and ask some other homeschooling (or non-homeschooling) friends and they become interested and they pass it along etc. As long as you have at least 20 different levels being purchased you get the classroom rate. THAT makes it MUCH better!!!

Here are some of the topics that they have covered so far:

Composting
Cats
Glass
Poisonous animals
Caves
Fractions and much more!!

And in the months to come:

Teeth
Deserts
Green Buildings
The Moon

See a sample for all levels and Teacher's Guide on Coral Reefs here. (Please note that the interactive newspapers may not reflect exactly what you would get in your physical newspapers...I think there's more available in the interactive papers.)

McMama's Opinion:
We received the issue on Influenza and it came at a great time because we were just getting over the flu here at our house!

I really like these newsletters! I love the convenience of having all the information on a particular subject ready and organized. I love that with Science Weekly you can sit down with all of your children and study the same topic but have grade level material for each child ready and waiting to be poured over. The Teacher's Guide is wonderful! It gives background information, initiating questions and follow-up questions. The Guide also has notes for each individual level.

For example, Pre-Level A (the Kindergarten level) has vocabulary which is just tracing letters in the words, weekly labs, math-counting 30 seconds while washing hands, storytelling-the child has the opportunity to talk about a time that he had the flu, and a challenge section-putting pictures in order. Doing one section a day makes this quick and fun!!

My children loved the colorful pictures and the experiments and enjoyed being able to work together. This was a nice change from our regular routine and would be welcomed sprinkled in throughout the year.

The only complaint that I have is the cost. I mean, don't get me wrong, paying $4.95 per student is great but having to gather up 20 orders for homeschoolers isn't always easy. I could easily come up with about 10 but not 20. It would be great if they could lower the minimum number of required purchases for homeschoolers. Yes, there are some who are involved in large co-ops and can easily get 20 orders but there are those of us who would have a harder time with it. It is just my personal opinion on how Science Weekly could be made more homeschool friendly. Also, from what I understand, only 1 Teacher's Notes is sent with every 25 orders (according to their order page.) Great for classrooms but not beneficial for multiple homeschooling families purchasing at one time in order to reach the minimum 20, which wouldn't even qualify for the Teaching Notes as it's not 25. Maybe contacting them before ordering would change this?

The Breakdown:

I really like these newsletters! I think that they are beneficial to homeschoolers in many ways, and at $4.95 (as of the time of this review) per student they are affordable, very affordable!!
I think they give a pretty good overview of the topic at hand.
If they would maybe work on a more homeschool-friendly minimum for orders many would jump at the chance to purchase these!!

To read the reviews on this Newsletter and other topics from my Crew Mates click here.

**Any opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. I was not compensated in anyway for doing this review other than receiving a set of Newsletters to complete the review. I want to express my gratitude to the makers of for Science Weekly allowing me to review their product!!**

Lovin' Learnin'

Chore Chart FREEBIE!!!

2011-04-07T11:29:00.000-04:00

So don't you love all of those adorable graphics that you see in everyone's posts about their workboxes and chore charts?! I know that I do and I, admitidly, am not tech savvy enough to know how to create my own nor do I desire to spend a lot on something that I'm gonna have to then pay to print out.

BUT

Today, I saw a FREEBIEE from Currclick that I'm hoping you will love!! There is a pdf file available here that is filled with clipart covering chores and schoolwork. They even have charts for you as well.

Check em out!! I know I did!!

Lovin' Learnin'

TOS Review:Kinderbach

2011-04-06T22:55:00.001-04:00

The Product:
Kinderbach. Ever heard of it? Of course you have, who hasn't? I remember about 3 years ago I had looked into it for my oldest but never did get beyond the free trial. Well, this was my chance. But now my oldest is 9 and she wasn't interested in this "easy stuff." So, I focused on using this with Brother, 5 and completely clueless when it comes to music and rhythm.

Kinderbach is an online or DVD program that is child-paced curriculum so you are free to go as slowly or as quickly as your child needs in order to truly own the material. Kinderbach that teaches note reading, rhythm, singing and music composition. The basics necessary to move on to any instrument of choice. KB consists of 6 levels that each have 10 lessons. Each lesson requires an activity book (downloadable or hard copy) and utilizes songs, demonstrations by Miss. Karri, and active work at the piano to bring the learning home.

In the first lesson, the children are introduced to Dodi, a lonely donkey who lives on the D key. His house is the two black keys that surround D. Other cute characters, including Dodi’s friend Frisco and others are introduced to help children remember the names of the keys. My girls loved Dodi and his friends!There are lessons to watch online but there are also worksheets that are to be printed out ahead of time so that the child can actively complete them along with Miss. Karri during the lessons.

The videos used in Kinderbach are not overwhelming or flashy but very appropriate for the age range. The creating of adorable characters makes it easy for the child to fall in love with this program and retain what is taught.

McMama's Opinion:
Honestly we did not get as far into the program as I had originally intended. Due to a few difficult life circumstances things got out of control for a while personally. I do however think that the parts that we have done with Brother and those that I've gone through on my own are excellent. Even Littlest goes to the piano as says, "This Dodi house Mama." Just last night she was trying to clap in rhythm with Miss Karri while her and Biggest were watching a lesson.

I think musically this is a great, gentle and fun way to introduce music and its theory to young children. I think that, when used consistently and going at the child's own pace Kinderbach can be very effective on creating a long lasting relationship with music.

Both of my bigger girls are already taking music lessons of their own however Brother is not. Kinderbach is something that I am going to try and budget in for him and Littlest for the upcoming school year. I think it's a good way to expose them to music at younger ages without having to pay the big price of two more private music lessons.

If you have been wanting your child to start on the road to learning about music then I would highly suggest taking a long look at Kinderbach. I regret not purchasing it years ago! Please don't make that same mistake yourself.

The Breakdown:

Created for ages 3 - 7 years.
Online and DVD versions available
Online version is $95.88 per year (billed yearly) or $19.95 per month.
Find info on the DVD package here.
I would recommend this for someone who lacks the confidence to teach their young child themselves, desires a fun, non-traditional way of exposing littles to music, or someone who (like us) has a larger sized family and doesn't have the budget to accomodate more private music lessons. This gets them learning and building a relationship with music but at a less expensive cost.
Not sure, sign up for the free trial!

Click on the banner below to see how my other Crew Mates faired with Kinderbach!

**Any opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. I was not compensated in anyway for doing this review other than receiving access to kinderbach.com to complete the review. I want to express my gratitude to the makers of Kinderbach for allowing me to review their product!!**

Lovin' Learnin'

GoGo Kabongo-TOS Review

2011-04-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

The Product:

Isn't it nice to find something that makes learning fun? I'll be the first to admit that online learning is not my first choice but GoGoKabongo does bring some fun to learning. GoGo Kabongo is an online world of color, fun, and education wrapped up in one. GoGo Kabongo claims to develop cognitive skills that are essential to reading such as: attention and focus, memory skills, processing, planning, visualization and comprehension. GoGo Kabongo uses games and quirkly alien/monster type creatures to engage the children in practicing these important skills while having fun. The site has three habitats, or lands, and each has 3 games. There are six levels to each game and the difficulty slowly increases with each level. The child moves up to the next level at his or her own pace.

Learning Skills Chart

Okay, so this is just another "online gaming world created to zap the few remaining cells my poor little baby has left due to the high volume of electronics and entertainment available these days" you say? Well read this quote from the website:
"Proven effective. GoGo Kabongo games have been rigorously evaluated by cognitive psychologists in a controlled environment, as well as being field tested by kids and teachers in classrooms across the country. For more information, see The George Mason University Study"

So maybe you can rest a little easier knowing that this website has been evaluated by people who know what they're doing and understand that we, as parents, just don't want anymore mindless electronic games available for our children.

You can meet the Characters of GoGo Kabongo and read about each different Habitat if you'd like.

McMama's Opinion:

So this little website has some great aspects to it. I for one LOVE the details available to the parents at each child's personal progress report page. I can quickly and easily see what skills my children are learning at each level and how things have slowly gotten more difficult. The funny thing to me is that the levels that each of my children excel at are the same strengths that I see in their everyday academics and vice versa. I think there might be something to this place!

I like how, if I want Brother who is learning his letter sounds to work more on Phonics I can instruct him to spend more time in Galaxy Gardens playing Rocket Racer where he needs to identify letters while maneuvering his avatar through space or I can direct him to the Twister Top habitat to play Desert Dash where he has to associate the letters with their sounds. He has tons of fun meanwhile I know that he's
not just playing some mindless games but working on some important skills.

Honestly my kids LOVE this site! I wasn't too thrilled with another online site "claiming" to help my children while they play but I've been pretty satisfied with what the kiddos are doing on GoGo Kabongo. I do however limit how much time that they are allowed to spend on the computer. We do about 15 to 20 minutes 3 times a week. With that I feel comfortable and I know (as I've stated) that their little brains are being worked.

When I asked them what they thought about this website a couple of weeks after we began using it Biggest said, "Oh it's fun Mommy and we're learning stuff too." Her own words. So, if they can tell that they are learning and not mind because it's fun then I'm willing to let them go at it!

I don't really care for the language used by the characters on GoGo Kabongo however. Think California surfer. :)...hope I don't offend anyone!! (I'm from Cali by the way). I thought some of the "lingo" was a bit silly to be honest with you. It's not something that I want my children to start copying.

Also, since the site is currently in its Beta stage (preparing for release but not there yet) there were a few glitches to it. Completely understandable. When emailed customer service was quick to respond saying "Well get right on it." Admittedly we did not have as many troubles as some of my other Crew Mates.

The Breakdown:

Although I'm seriously not a fan of online games this one I think we can allow a little more often simply because I see benefits in using it.
Most of this site is FREE but you can get two more habitats - Galaxy Gardens and Twister Top by purchasing them for $4.95 each. BUT here is a special offer that is good at the time of this review: Sign up now and you get the galaxy gardens and habitat FREE!! So, you'd pay about 5 bucks for the last two habitats and would be ableto enjoy this place fully.
Great emails letting parents know what their children are learning and doing!
Extra activity ideas to enhance the skills the games focus on.
GoGoKabongo was created for children ages 4-7 (although my 9 year old enjoyed it quite a bit) but they are also testing a website designed to boost reading skills for children ages 7-10. To sign up go to www.skatekids.com. (I know nothing about this particular website but thought I'd throw that out there.)
Recommended system requirements:

Broadband internet connection

Processor speed of 1.5 GHz or faster

Screen resolution of 1024x768

Adobe® Flash® Player, version 9

Internet Explorer (IE) version 6 or higher, or Firefox version 2.0 or higher

Click on the banner below to read what my other Crew Mates have to say about GoGoKabongo!

**Any opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. I was not compensated in anyway for doing this review other than receiving access to GoGoKabongo.com to complete the review. I want to express my gratitude to the makers of GoGoKabongo for allowing me to review their product!!**
Lovin' Learnin'

Why I love RS Math Part 2...finally

2011-04-04T06:20:00.001-04:00

A while back I had written this post stating that I would be posting more about why I love RightStart Math. Well, life got in the way of my blogging and I failed to do that. I'm so sorry!! Blogging is a love but not a top priority unfortunately. But, I did just find these pictures in the archives and decided to finish up this post and get it on the blog so those that were interested could see a little into the program. RS uses games as a reinforcement for key skills learned. Although we don't play them as much as we should we always enjoy the ones that we do play!

One of those games is called Corners. This game is used to help children add or subtract by 5,10, 15 and 20. The object is to match up one of the sides of your cards to another card in the playing area that fills two requirements:

The numbers have to be the same color.
The sum of the two numbers must equal 5, 10, 15 or 20.

Here is Biggest playing against me one day a few months ago. She uses the abacus when she has trouble adding the numbers in her head. She has since gotten much better at this and doesn't use the abacus near as much.

Here is a shot of what our game was growing into. I can't remember but I think that Brother was on my team. I guess I needed the help! :)

This is the score sheet. She was only allowed to write the sums down. No math work allowed. Yes, I LOVE the emphasis on mental math in this curriculum!!!

Lovin' Learnin'

Memory Work

2011-04-01T06:42:00.004-04:00

I found this sitting in my posts list just waiting to be posted. I'm not sure why I never posted it and I hope the video works but here ya go. This was Brother back in late October of '10 showing us how well his memory skills are...

A photo slideshow by Smilebox

Lovin' Learnin'

For Sale

2011-03-31T22:00:00.003-04:00

We are trying to clean out here at Ruby Slippers so if you are looking for some homeschooling items read on. If you find anything you are interested in contact me. Unless otherwise noted I will calculate shipping after you have decided what you want to purchase so that you are charged actual shipping only.

I will be posting more the next few weeks so check back often!!

Heart of Dakota:

Little Hearts for His Glory Set-$95.00ppd

Teacher's Manual
History for Little Pilgrims plus Teacher Manual
History Stories for Children
Finding the Answers skills book (completed to pg. 15)
Burgess Story Time Set - 8 books plus The Adventures of Happy Jack
The World God Made
Devotions for the Children's Hour
Reading Made Easy on CD plus Workbooks on CD (the 4th wkbk. is printed out and included but not pictured), plus The Francis Study Guide.

~~Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory-$75.00ppd~~ SOLD

Teacher's Manual
American Pioneers and Patriots
Stories of the Pilgrims
Boys and Girls of Colonial Days (two versions)
God's Wonderful Works

Incomplete Beyond Emerging Readers set-$25.00ppd Sale Pending

Frog and Toad All Year-bent front corners
Frog and Toad Are Friends-Good condition
Wagon Wheels-Great Condition
Amelia Bedilia-Great Condition (hardback)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader-Great Condition
Animal Adventures-Great Condition
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain-Great Condition
The Courage of Sarah Noble-wrinkled at top of book, writing on top right corner of book and stamped on inside

DITHOR-$50.00ppd

Teacher's Manual-spiral bound with thick lamination on front and back covers-I purchased this used and it was missing the appendix but have been able to acquire it since then and is now included.
Student Book Level 2/3-binding is cut off for easier use/filing. The biography section is completed and not included. The rest is unused and free from marks.
Book Projects to Send Home Level 2

Various Story Time Selections-$25.00ppd

Charlottes Web-exc.
The Cabin Faced West-great condition
Helen Keller-good, covered with clear contact paper for durability
The Railway Children-exc.
The Sword in the Tree-great condition
The Apple and the Arrow-exc.
The World of Pooh; The Complete Winnie-the-Pooh and The House At Pooh Corner-ex lib, good condition but cover shows wear
Ginger Pye-good condition, price tag marks on upper right corner

Homeschooling Helps:

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling 3rd edition–Debra Bell:

$2.50
ex. condition

For the Love of Learning-Maureen Whitman

$3.50
Like New

The Homeschooler’s Book of Lists-Sonya Haskins

$4.00
Includes CD with printable lists
Good condition except for tear at top left of front cover

Language Arts the Easy Way-Cindy Rushton
Notebooking, Yes you can be a Binder Queen-Cindy Rushton

$2.50 each or both for $4.00
both are paper covers
one is coil bound the other is comb bound
shows shelf wear but otherwise good condition

The 3 R’s of Learning – Ruth Beechick

$5.00
Includes all three titles
Good condition

Language and Thinking or Young Children-Ruth Beechick

$5.00

The Way They Learn- Cynthia Tobias-sale pending

$4.00
Great condition

Educating the Whole-Hearted Child-Clay & Sally Clarkson-sale pending

$2.50
Older version but filled with excellent info.
Great condition

For the Children’s Sake-Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

$4.00
Exc. condition

A Charlotte Mason Education-Catherine Levison

$2.00
Some highlighting throughout
Fair condition

~~Charlotte Mason Study Guide-Penny Gardner~~

$1.00
This has been loved and used greatly
Cover is very creased
Some page corners are bent due to long shelf life
Still very useable

How to Devel0p Your Child’s Gifts and Talents During the Elementary Years-RaeLynne P. Rein, Ph.D

$1.00
Creases on cover, sticker on inside cover
Name on inside
Some underlining

A First Thesaurus

$1.00
Good condition,paperback
A Golden Book

November-Carson Dellosa

$1.00
Exc. condition, paperback
Full-color monthly activities for Grades 1-3

The Weaver Curriculum

$15.00
Interlock, ‘87 version
Large 3-ring binder with dividers for all units
Includes resource section for printables
When I checked a few months ago they said that most of this curriculum has stayed the same but you may want to double check before you purchase
Good condition with some writing/highlighting throughout
Heavy!!
I also have the staple bound book that had cards for Dad to fill out to be involved with the learning

Math:
CalcuLadder Masters Level 1 and Ready Writer

$8.00
All pages are in sheet protectors
In a three-ring binder
Include the write on/wipe off clear pages

~~Math Games for Learning-Peggy Kaye~~

$4.00
Good condition
Shows some shelf wear

~~Rightstart Math Level A~~

$35.00 ppd
Teacher’s manual
Student worksheet

Play and Find Out about Math-Janice VanCleave

$1.00
Ex-lib. – hardback
Great condition

Picture Books
Christopher Churchmouse Classics-Barbara Davoll

$1.00/each
Rainy Day Rescue
The Camping Caper

A Child’s Treasury of Beatrix Potter-hardback with dust cover

$1.50

Giant Treasury of Peter Rabbit-Tales by B.Potter with her Original Illustrations

$1.50

The Tales of Three Trees-Angela Elwell Hunt

$1.00

America A Patriotic Primer-Lynne Cheney

$1.00

Dear Mrs. LaRue, Letters from Obedience School-Mark Teague

$1.00

All the Children of the World-Karen Mezek Leimert

$1.00

Chapter Books
The Adventures of Mr. Mocker-T.Burgess

$.50
Great condition, paperback
Wal-Mart Version

Poetry/Art
Hiawatha-H.W.Longfellow, Pictures by Susan Jeffers

$1.00
Paperback
Good condition

A Child’s Treasury of Animal Verse-Compiled by Mark Daniel

$1.00
Ex-library/Hard back
Great condition
Beautiful paintings accompany many of the poems

~~The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Baby Animals~~
~~Little Ones At Play in 20 Works of Art~~

$1.00
Exc. condition, hardback
beautiful!!

Science
No Sweat Projects-Scholastic
Shadowy Science
Bouncing Science

$1.00/both
Fun Experiments
Ideas for Group Projects
Tips on Doing Research
Great for Science Fairs
Great condition

Play and Find Out about the Human Body-Janice VanCleave

$3.00
Great condition-paperback

Science Pocket-The Solar System-Ideal School Supplies

$3.00
48 Reproducible Black Line Masters
Good condition
Includes extra puzzle

Good Enough to Eat-Lizzy Rockwell

$1.00
A Kid’s Guide to food and Nutrition
Great condition

Kenneth Lilly’s Animals – Text by Joyce Pope

$1.50
Information and pictures about animals from all around the world
Great condition

Maps and Mapping-Barbara Taylor

$1.00
Great condition, paperback

Electric Gadgets and Gizmos-Alan Bartholomew

$.50
Great condition-paperback

History
The Look-Up Book of Presidents-Wyatt Blassingame

$3.00
Ex. cond., paperback
Goes through Clinton

Penmanship
Writing the Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory Alphabet-Sarah Morgan Major

$3.00
This was an ebook I purchased and had comb bound
Great condition
Upon selling this will be deleted from my computer files

Forgein Language
An Usborne Introduction Learn Spanish

$2.00
Ex. condition, paperback
comic book style but very complete

Early Readers-$1.00/each
Calving Time-Dave and Pat Sargent
The Ladder at the Door-Dave and Pat Sargent
Bible
My Good Night Story Book-Susan L. Lingo/Kath Parks

$2.50
Exc. cond., hardback
45 Devotional Stories for Little Ones

First Music Monthly

2011-03-28T06:55:00.000-04:00

I’ve decided to post a video of the kids and their music once a month to give family an opportunity to see how they are improving….well hopefully improving. My Mom so wonderfully helps out with the cost of the lessons so I also wanted this to be a way for her to see that the money she gives is being put to good use. (Thanks Mom!!)
So, here we are, at our first Monday.

Big Sis has been playing violin for 7 months and has grown to thoroughly enjoy this instrument. She has a great violin teacher who has played for the symphony and is a homeschool graduate herself.

Biggest has played the piano off and on for about three years now. We took some time off here and there when things got tight financially or when she seemed burned out. She has been taking from the same teacher as Big Sis (yes, the teacher plays both instruments) and is also doing a fine job.
The songs that they play for you on Music Mondays are those that they choose because they enjoy them. I hope that you enjoy hearing and seeing them play.

Big IQ Kids-TOS Review

2011-03-25T06:58:00.000-04:00

The Product:
BigIQkids.com is a web based program that focuses on math, spelling, vocabulary and state facts for grades K-8. This program is FREE but there is also a paid Premium Membership (that I am reviewing today) that is available. You can compare the two options here.

BigIQkids.com uses customizable lessons and rewards for passing those lessons as a way to teach children good study habits and hard work ethics. When used each day for around 10-15 minutes per lesson, BigIQkids.com guarantees that improvement in the child's academic grades will appear.

This is where parents or teachers can modify a spelling lesson to reflect the words in your current curriculum.

BigIQkids.com is unique in the fact that the student can use this program independently. Here's a quote from the website: "BigIQkids.com provides true, self-learning applications without the need for parental oversight. All our material and instructions (each word and sentence) are delivered to the young learner by interactive characters with phonetically correct lips so even children with limited reading skills can utilize our e-learning applications."

Read more about BigIQkids.com here and learn about how it works here.

McMama's Opinions:

Can I say that I LOVE the Premium spelling portion of this website?!! Before this review came up I was really feeling bogged down with schooling two girls on different levels in math, spelling, reading and writing. I was earnestly seeking a way to "tweak" things so that some of my time could be freed up so that we could accomplish all that we needed to each day.

Enter BigIQkids.com. My worries began to ease!! Because the program allows you to either use the preprogrammed lists or input your own I was easily able to add our words to their spelling lessons and they would then get their lessons in on the computer. I still met with them each day to review rules, words and sounds and do some dictation but the meat of their lessons were done on BigIQkids. They loved it and so did I!!!

What made it even greater is that with the Premium membership I was sent automatic progress emails which told me the score on their tests and if any words were spelled incorrectly how the girls spelled them. Isn't that great?!!! I could see what we needed to practice one on one because the program kept "tabs" for me!! In the life of a busy homeschooler/wife/mother/cook and everything else having help in one little area makes a huge difference!

My girls loved their lessons on BigIQkids and I think that much of that had to do with the fact that each lesson is different. Sometimes they practiced with word scrambles or robot lesson. Other days they would have a spelling bee. There was also a review and pop quiz and finally a test. All I have to do each week is input the words into their word lists and viola! Done!! The girls still get good spelling practice and I am given a few more minutes each day to get some other lessons done. Love it! They also love that they earn a game coin for successfully completing a lesson. Most days they were allowed 1 or 2 games but we did keep a limit on that. My girls mostly enjoyed the games where they could dress up someone or change up their Big IQ Buddy. (That's their avatar...well, I guess that's the word for it. I'm not up to date with all that lingo).

I focused on the spelling portion for our review because that's what we enjoyed and used the most but there are other areas available. Here is some quick information on them:

Math: You can set up a child's lesson to mirror what they are doing in their current curriculum. For example, if the child is on double digit addition and single digit multiplication, the program can focus on just these two areas providing invaluable practice and reinforcement that is certain to provide them with the tools to ace their next test. Or, BigMathTime can automatically generate grade specific and subject specific lessons as per your requirements.

Start menu for math with a neat little scratch pad to the right. You can see Big Sis' "avatar" on the bottom right...she always goes through wardrobe changes! On the bottom left is the green modify lesson book that the parent clicks on to personalize the lesson to each child. The teacher at the top left talks the child through lessons with encouragement and direction.

I liked the math portion ok. It was a little confusing to set up at first. You use percentages to determine how much of what kind of problems you want your kids to focus on. I would also always get emails saying that the girls mastered this or that but it never showed up on their lessons.

Vocabulary: With an extensive library of elementary through SAT prep words, BigVocabTime comes pre-loaded with word lists OR, as a parent or teacher, you can easily enter your own word lists and the program will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes and tests around your own list with the goal of achieving 100% on the week’s vocabulary test.

After reading the definition, synonym and antonym the child is then prompted to spell the word. This is lesson 1, step 1.

I had meant to input our own words from our science program but never did. I think that this is a great aspect of the program however it starts at the 3rd grade level (although you can customize). Even with that the words were difficult for my learners at that level.

U.S. States: Every elementary student will be confronted with the need to know their US State facts to mastery. BigStatesTime is the ultimate tool in learning the state's location, capital, spelling, abbreviations and general state facts. The program allows parents/teachers to add additional facts which will be included in the child's lessons and the program culminates in a “State Mastery Exam” that, if passed with 100% mastery, awards the child a State Master
Certificate.

This is the Intro. lesson to States. Student clicks on any state to learn more about it.

My girls are funny. Honestly they never seemed to do well on the state parts but they LOVED the lessons anyway. I guess that means we need to work on comprehension a little more? The computerized teacher, Jake, tells them some information on a particular state and then they are to answer questions about what they learned. Yeah, need to work on that comprehension. I appreciated this portion of the program because the girls were able to be exposed to material that I just wouldn't have the time to cover right now.

The Breakdown:

I love this!
Premium Memberships can be purchased for each individual subject:

Spelling - $7.99/month or $39.99/year
Math - $9.99/month or $49.99/year
US States - $39.99/month
Vocabulary - $9.99/month or $59.99/year
All four programs - $19.99/month or $99.99/year

Most of the sites can be accessed for free (however for us the premium membership for spelling would be worth it!) Check out the difference between the two.
Can be used with those in grades 1 on up. Everything is told to you by the computerized teachers so no extra reading is needed.
Can be used independently by the student.

Click on the banner below to read what other Crew Members experienced with BigIQKids.com.

**Any opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. I was not compensated in anyway for doing this review other than receiving access to BigIQKids.com premium membership to complete the review. I want to express my gratitude to the makers of BigIQKids for allowing me to review their product!!**

Lovin' Learnin'

Artistic Pursuits-TOS Review

2011-03-23T01:35:00.001-04:00

Don't you just love art? Does it cause you to envision fields of flowers swaying softly in the breeze while bees softly buzz from flower to flower looking for their next source of food? Do you hear the birds sweetly chirping and wind softly blowing through the trees? Do you see an artistic soul with paints and brushes in hand dressed in casual chic quietly painting the landscape? Ah, I can just see it now.

Unfortunately for me, our "art time" usually entails spilled paint, the cry of a toddler, the swaying of a young boy who never stays still and the mother, dressed in pjs at noon wondering why I even try. Yeah, that's kind of close to my reality. :)

When the opportunity to review Artistic Pursuits came about I became excited and jumped at the chance. I hoped that this curriculum, that I'd heard so much good about, could send us in the right direction and help us to find that peaceful scene described above...uh, before the reality scene.

The Product:

Artistic Pursuits doesn't need an introduction because they are highly popular to most homeschoolers. I have heard about this company for a few years now but had never had the opportunity to really take a look at their products. This review was my first opportunity.

I am reviewing the K-3rd Book 2 today but they produce books for Pre-School age on up to High Schoolers.

The K-3rd book 2's 32 projects cover the Artists and their Art and the materials introduced are:

pan watercolors
tempera paints
oil pastels
printmaking
stamping
paper-mache
mixed media

And it covers Artists such as:

Cimabue
Rembrant
Michaelangelo
Raphael and many more

The pictures of famous works are beautifully printed in sharp color images on heavy weight paper. You can see a sample lesson here. I appreciate how the lessons lay everything out for the teacher. You don't have to be an art major to teach from this material! But I will tell you what Artistic Pursuits is not. It is not a step by step guide to the mechanics of art; how to draw, techniques of painting or sculpting etc. I was a little surprised to find this out but once we dove in saw the beauty in the approach used here.

McMama's Opinon:

I was nervous about not having any direction to lead my girls to certain painting strokes or the abc's of drawing a face but I have come to appreciate the approach taken by Artistic Pursuits.

I am normally someone who has to have everything laid out for me word for word. I like to have complete lessons for the teacher so that I know exactly how to direct my children. This program catapulted me into a new experience.

Even Brother wanted a try at it!

After running to Michael's to purchase my supplies for the lessons my girls chose we set out on our first lesson. We gathered our supplies, a blanket and cup of water and headed outside to paint our picture. I read the story about the artist to them, explained what we were going to be doing and we began.

The girls eagerly set to work and I sat back and watched. Do you know what, they didn't need my direction, they didn't need to know what strokes to perform in order to get the perfect tree or cloud, they just painted. It was the most relaxing and rewarding lesson we have had all year. I was amazed. I honestly believe that had I been given exact steps to complete the project that the lesson would have been less enjoyable for the girls.

Biggest's painting.

This is what she was trying to paint.

The scene I described in the beginning of this review became a reality for us.

Read here a quote from their website:

"The Artistic Pursuits program presents both the expressive and the technical aspects of art in an age-appropriate manner. Children are curious and expressive from the start. We work with those interests to teach them to observe more closely. Skills develop as each child observes nature and enjoys the process of creating. Using ARTistic Pursuits, a child carries art tools to locations which both inspire and are chosen by the child. Creating truly personal work gives a child a sense of accomplishment that cannot be attained by copying from a book or watching an adult do it for him. They learn because direct observation is the best teacher when accompanied by an understanding of the foundational elements of art and compositional ideas. " (Read more here.)

Artistic Pursuits has something going here. I think that giving the background stories about the artists so that children can relate to someone who lived hundreds of years before them but whose art still lives today and basic directions for completing the art project that the children are truly using their own creativity and on the way to becoming great little artists.

This is what she was trying to paint.

Big Sis' painting.

I am highly impressed with this curriculum and think that even those who usually need complete direction will find pleasure in implementing this curriculum in their own homeschools.

The Breakdown:

A.P. can be used with children of all ages-Mom and Dad may even want to join in on the fun!
Complete art history examining the work of great artists.
Encourages individual creativity and is not a "how-to manual."

Lessons are laid out in an organized fashion so parent knows exactly what is needed to do and what the goal of the lesson is. Although the manual is written to the student my girls liked me being there with them.
Can be purchased using PayPal, credit card, check or money order and has a no risk satisfaction guarantee for individual orders.
This book currently sells for $42.95.

Lovin' Learnin'