Grace Based Parenting Giveaway...

I love the book "Grace Based Parenting"... Reading it not only made a difference in how I raise my children, but it also helped make a difference in my children and their behavior...

now I am happy to share the opportunity of a giveaway from Family Matters ~ The Grace Based Parenting Video Study Part II".

You can check it out here...

Spelling Giveaway...

My friend Kayla is having a great giveaway on her blog...it's for a spelling program called "SpellQuizzer"....

This is how Spellquizzer works ~ Using SpellQuizzer, you can enter the child's weekly spelling list and make audio recordings of the words in the list. The software then quizzes the child, playing each word back to him one at a time, checking his spelling as he types in the words. SpellQuizzer corrects him when he types in a word incorrectly and re-quizzes him on any words he missed once the first pass is completed.

Free downloadable spelling lists (http://www.SpellQuizzer.com/Spelling-Lists.htm)
Video demonstrations of SpellQuizzer (http://www.spellquizzer.com/SpellQuizzer-Demo.htm)
Spelling software for homeschoolers (http://www.spellquizzer.com/Spelling-Software-For-Homeschoolers.htm)
SpellQuizzer community site (http://www.SpellQuizzer.com/Community)

You can check out the giveaway here ....

Little Chefs ~ a giveaway...

Are you raising the next Wolfgang Puck or does your child love watching Rachel Ray and Emeril?  well, then have I got something to share with you...

My friend Ami is hosting a giveaway on her blog for online kids cooking classes thru "Mixing Bowl Academy"    Stop by her blog  for the chance to win a free class or a month of classes...

Happy Cooking!!

Walking through Bethlehem...

Today DH and I took the kidlets on a journey... a "Walk through Bethelem"...

We discovered what the village of Bethlehem might have been like the night Jesus was born…We registered our family with the census taker at the gate (a card asking how many was in our party and if it was our first time there). We walked the crowded streets (and yes, they were very crowded). And we visited a bustling marketplace and talked with the vendors who were busy in their shops.

The kids got to hear a story in the storyteller's tent. We watched as grapes were crushed into wine by a young boy.  And learned of how people had used herbs, ecualyptus oil, and cinnamon to treat common ailments.

The kids got to make a clay "Star of David" at the pottery stall and a beautiful "jeweled" bracelet to bring home with them. They watched as sisters rolled and kneaded bread  in the street and tasted the bounty with nuts and berries...

We worshipped with a rabbi in the synagogue and learned about their cermonies at that time and the Tora. Then we met the Magi and saw dried myrrh and smelled the Frankincense while being aware of the Roman soldiers, who were patroling the streets to keep order in the Judean town.

We even went to the inn only to be told there was "No Room"....

Outside we talked with shepards and saw animals of that day ~ camels, 4 horned Jacob sheep, goats, and of course donkeys...  

It was a wonderful Christmas week activity and a great learning experience for them and us...

Hiding out with "Creation Camouflage"...

Have you ever thought about why an Arctic Fox is white or how a cuttlefish disappears in plain sight? Well, I hadn't either until we spent some time this week with "Creation Camouflage" , a Download N' Go unit... It was great to take time to look at all the wonders of the animal world and that God gave some of them a special method of hiding for protection, defense or for hunting that we call camouflage. 



Now this unit is like all the others in that it is written to be used as a 5 day study with objectives for each day. But as with all DNG units, you can do them at your own pace. 

• Day 1 : Hiding in Plain Sight


• Day 2 : Getting to Know the Rain Forest


• Day 3:  What is in the Desert?


• Day 4: Hiding in the Ocean


• Day 5: Cool Things about the Tundra

This unit is really thorough with geography and science studies, but the vocabulary lists are great too. Imagine your child and words like "mimicry, conservation, and endangered" and knowing not only what they mean but how to correctly use them.  Add learning about Jaques Cousteau and Jack Hanna to the mix and you have a wonderful week of learning!!!  And all the minibooks and worksheets are included in the unit. 



Now, as with all the DNG's we have used in the past, I only print off what pertains to my kidlets age and skill, and then I supplement if necessary or if we take a rabbit trail (which we always do)... And that's part of the ease of these units, they are so adaptable. They can truly be used by every homeschool family, no matter what method your family uses.

We enjoyed learning about different biomes and the amazing animals that live in each one, from the mighty Rain Forest to dry out in the Desert. From the icy Tundra and then a dive into the Ocean blue... these animals defy and amaze...

As usual, the research work is done for you with book lists and internet links provided in the unit. I also added some more links and activities since my kidlets were having such a good time with learning about camouflage.

Enchanted Learning has some great worksheets on various animals and their forms of camouflage. We added in some movies to the mix, since my kids enjoy and learn a tremendous amount from watching videos. One of these that we watched was a PBS video "NOVA : Kings of Camouflage" ... and Brain POP also has some great info and activities.

This week we played quite a few games. one of their favorites was hide and seek, each trying to "out-hide" the other one. And then we played "Hiding Animals"  ~  I looked online for some animal coloring pages and let the kids color one as realistic as they possibly could and the other as odd as possible.  Then we cut them out and they took turns hiding their pictures around the house and outside and letting the other one try and find it. They then had to decided which was easiest to find. We also did an activity using various shades of the same color crayons and coloring animals (in the same color but various shades) and looking at how difficult it would be to spot the animal if the background was the same color but of a different shade.

Finally,  here are some pictures that the kids and I enjoyed looking at trying to find the various camouflaged animals.

  Is it a rock or a toad?

 Wouldn't want to step on this bad boy...

 Now where is he????

You, too, can have a fun week and learn all about the maganificent creatures and their amazing camouflage abilities. This great unit and many other Download N' Go units on other fantastic topics can be found here and at only $7.95 each they are a bargain for a week of learning for the homeschool family.
 


 

As part of the the "Download N Go" review team, I have been provided with a copy of this unit to use, review, and post our family's honest opinions about it on my blog.

 

 

Snow Days...

Thought we would do a little stuff on snowflakes since we finally have some of the fluffy white stuff.

I found a great guide to snowflakes here.

and here's a great recipe for snowcream to enjoy on those afternoons after outside play...

Basic Recipe

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
large bowl of snow (about 3 quarts)

Blend milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough snow to make snow cream to an ice cream consistency.

NOW GO OUT AND HAVE SOME FUN IN THE SNOW!!!

Art Showcase

We recently attended an ART SHOW for DS's fall art class...It was taught at Trinity Performing Arts by a fellow homeschool mom... He learned so much, it was wonderful... She taught several different techniques and reviewed artists of that style with the kids... It was weekly for 45 minutes and was very inexpensive,  since all the supplies were included in the class tutition..

Here are some pictures from the show...



One of my favorite wall displays...

 Line and Color Study ~ Piet Mondrian style......

and here are some examples of DS's work...

 


and my favorite is in the Mondrian style... (I call it the "Partridge Family" painting)...

Giveaway opportunity #2 from TOS

TOS is offering one lucky person the opportunity to win a 1 year subscription to MATHLETICS...

This is a great giveaway. Mathletics is a subscription based math practice site for grades K-12, that the kids love. They create an avatar, compete with kids all over the world, and earn points.

My kids would love to use this and i am sure that alot of others would also...

Stop by here and check it out!!

Great Giveaway Opportunity from TOS

If you are interested in doing a study on the "HUMAN BODY" any time soon, then you are gonna want to check out this... TOS is offering a giveaway opportunity for a lucky person to win "Nutrition 101" from Growing Healthy Homes.

This is an awesome book loaded with lots of wonderful information! You can check it out here !!

4H Baking competition

DS recently competed in his 4H 4Him baking competition.. He received a purple ribbon and an invitation to compete in the county competition... I was mighty surprised since my biscuits could be used as hand grenades... Yes, mine are that bad!!! 

so, I am surrendering publicly that my son is "THE BISCUIT KING" and is "BETTER AT BAKING BISCUITS THAN HIS MOTHER"... (Tommy, are you happy now? I admit it... )

Here's the recipe he chose to use:

Touch of Grace Biscuits

(The secret of these light biscuits is the steam produced by a moist dough and baking the biscuits up against each other.)

Preheat oven to 475.

Blend together in a bowl:

• 1 1/2 cups (measured by dipping cup into flour and leveling against side of bag) White Lily self-rising flour


• 1 tablespoon sugar (we used 1 teaspoon ~ they were too sweet the first time he made them)


• Between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon salt

Work in with finger tips:

• 3 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)

Add and stir with a spoon until just mixed - dough will be wet and gooey:

• 3/4 cup buttermilk


• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For shaping and baking:

Spray 8-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Have 1 cup non-self-rising flour in a pie plate. Spray a medium ice cream scoop or tablespoon with non-stick spray . Scoop up biscuit dough and drop in flour.

Sprinkle with flour and roll in flour. Shake off excess and shape into a tall round. Place in cake pan. Continue process until all dough is used, pressing biscuits snugly next to each other. For wretched excess, you could brush bicuits with melted butter. Bake about 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat hot, turning out the panful of biscuits onto a platter, and gently separating them with a paring knife.

Time 4 Learning...

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning is an online educational program that can be used in many ways including as a homeschooling curriculum or afterschool tutorial. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

Thanksgiving Fun...

For the week of Thanksgiving, I promised the kids that we would devote our studies to Thanksgiving, Early America, and crafts... they are so excited and so far we have had a great 2 days and still got in some great learning!!

Tonight we made "Marshmallow Turkeys" ...I found the recipe here at the National Geographic website...  

They were so easy... and in less than an hour, we had a tray of yummy turkeys!!

 

Rice Krispy treats mixed up and placed in heaping spoonfuls on wax paper to cool...



Rolling the Rice Krispy mixture into balls (you will need 2 balls for each turkey...1 the size of a golf ball (head) ~ and 1 the size of your fist (body)



After we added candy corn feet, marshmallow and chocolate chip eyes, and spice drop  and Twizzler feathers...



GOBBLE!!!         GOBBLE!!!         GOBBLE!!!

 

Our week with Ben Franklin...

Ben Franklin was in the house this week… and boy, did we ever learn tons about what a great man he truly was…

I myself never realized all the great inventions he had made and the wisdom he possessed… WOW!!! It was as much a learning experience for me as for the kids.

We used the BEN FRANKLIN Download N’ Go unit study from Amanda Bennett as spine for our week. I love these units. They are easily adaptable to any style of learning and are so easy to use for even the busiest homeschool family.

The week was laid out for us like this:

 

• Day 1: Who Was Ben Franklin?


• Day 2: People and Places in Ben Franklin’s Life


• Day 3: The Accomplishments of Ben Franklin


• Day 4: Lessons to Learn From Ben Franklin


• Day 5: Remembering Ben Franklin

I have to admit, my favorite day was Day 3... I learned so much myself on this day.

Our week started with my usual preparation for a Download N' Go unit study ~ mainly looking over the weekly schedule and reviewing the suggested book list. Then I took a look at the “FUN FAMILY IDEAS”. These are little extras that are thrown in to the unit that can really enhance the study and increase the learning through fun.

We used books that we already owned and were lucky that a few of them were on the suggested reading list.

Here’s a few of the books that we used this week in our study.

                           

 

 Download N'Go units always have great video and informational links, so that work is done for me ~ I just looked for a few more things to satisfy the gamer in my son ~ who loves playing learning games on the computer…

I found these sites for him to play for fun review.   You can check out both of the games at the links below...

Ben Franklin games    and this one also  Ben Franklin: True or False  and then there is this Online Treasure Hunt...

We love using the lapbook/notebook elements of the Download N' Go units and the  Ben Franklin  unit had some great minibooks and graphics to choose from. My kids love making folders using these. ?

 
    

        

Ben Franklin was a great person on which to study character traits ~ He was honest, intelligent, wise, frugal, and a hard worker. All traits that I want my kids to possess and appreciate in others.

And speaking of being a hard worker, he appreciated time to enjoy his hobbies as well. Not only was inventing a passion of his, but he also loved music and played several instruments. One of which being the glass armonica (which he also invented) ~ my daughter was fascinated when she learned that the armonica is played during the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” in the Nutcracker (her favorite ballet).

We were able to add math into the week, using money with his image (the $100 bill and the 50cent piece)…

   

To finish off our week with Ben, the kids took in a class offered at our local Discovery Center on “ELECTRICITY” … The 2 hr. class introduced the kids to electricity where they not only had some cool experiments but also go the opportunity to be “SHOCKED” (which they both loved and couldn’t stop talking about)…

This great unit study and other Download N'Go products can be purchased here at The Old Schoolhouse. Each unit is extremely affordable at only $7.95 each and the ease of use is wonderful for the busy homeschool family. All the research is done for you and the included links make it a tremendous educational tool. And right now you can buy the Ben Franklin DNG unit for only $6.25 (that's only $1.25 a day for a week of learning and fun!!! WHAT A GREAT DEAL!!)

This unit was provided for my family to use in exchange for our personal thoughts and honest opinions in this review.

 

Operation Christmas Child...

Every year my church has a drive for Operation Christmas Child..  Our family loves having the opportunity to fill boxes and send them to brighten the world of children around the world... For the last 2 years, my best friend, Tracy, has came over and we have packed our boxes together to include in my church's ministry drive...

    My friend Tracy with the kidlets...

 Operation Christmas Child is a shoebox ministry of Samaritan's Purse...  The mission is simple ~ 

To demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Just last year over 8 million children received gifts from Christian families through the shoebox ministry... and since 1993, 130 countries have been blessed with these small gifts.. Through these small gifts, children come to know the love of Jesus Christ and the love that we have for them... Imagine what a wonderful sight to see a smiling happy face on a small child who has know more suffering and heartache that most of us will never know...  Here is a video about the ministry...



I truly believe that God will see that each of these boxes will go to the one child that needs it's contents...

Best Friends...

I know that one of the blessings of our homeschool journey is that in the end ~ they will always be best friends...