Blog Walk Week 14 ~ Jan 31- Feb 4

Late much?
Only two weeks behind..... yeesh.

Well better late than not at all I suppose... 
Get your coffee, and get ready to meet some amazing folks that work with the TOS Homeschool Review Crew!


1. Homeschooling In Nova Scotia, Canada
Lots of great reviews are up on this blog.  As the title suggests they live way up north in a far colder land than mine. They have a 50 Acre wood ( slightly smaller than Winnie the Pooh, but really who cares..)  She is a Work at Home Mom, that homeschools.  A fellow FLYer, and Workbox user.  Lots of great information here

2. Clever Title TBA
I know how that goes... you want to write a blog and you get stumped by the title!  I love this mom's solution to that!  A mom of 4 from Middle School down to new fresh and snugly, she shares with us reviews, and sweet childhood moments with her Tiny Talk Tuesday participation.

3. Until the Day Dawn Weblog
Very well written posts, by a mom of three.  This blog truly captures her passions.  There are great reviews and you will learn much about her faith, family, and homeschool when you visit.

4. RubySlippersSchool.com
Stay at Home Mom of 4, her days are full of fun.  Her youngest child is just precious.  With a face like that, you know you are in from some adventures with that child! Great reviews and information for those with children in the younger Elementary years.

5. Smooth Stones Christian
Wow.  This family is a must read. All their children are adopted, so far they have 6.  They are now on a journey to adopt 2 more daughters.  Through it all they homeschool, and share lots of love, and the light of Christ.

6. Clothesline Musings
This is a blog I have been following for awhile.  Stay at home mom of 3, she does a great job on reviews and always seems to have a pile of laundry like I do. :)   They have a pioneer night, that is lots of fun to read about.

7. Four Little Penguins
This family of 6 has you guessed it, four little penguins.  The header pictures are candid and full of personality.  I am sure that quiet moments in that house are few and far between.  I can relate to that! Great information for the early Elementary years, she is homeschooling Pre-K through 3rd grade right now.  Go refill your beverage, and get lost over here for a bit.

8. Laurie's School Days
Mom of two adorable girls, shares her reviews and other quiet moments.  She has this fish feeder thing on her sidebar, that is absolutely mesmerizing....

9. Sunshine to Flowers
6 great kids, all of whom are exceptional artists.Lots of Photos.  Information from Middle School on down.  I loved the snack her daughter made for her.  It absolutely made me smile!

10. One Big, Healthy Family
This one I am positive I am going to be following.  Goat kids in the house, chickens running around.... I have lived these types of days....  minus the chickens... but Goats for sure.... I am interested to go back and see how she uses Herbs and such...  My daughter will like it too... Herbs are her passion

Enjoy meeting these great people.  Don't forget to leave them a comment or two.  It is nice to hear from the lurkers :)

Stylish Blogger award? ~ who me?

I received a note from Wendy over at Homeschool Blessings that she awarded me a Stylish Blogger award.
My initial reaction was: "Aww, how sweet."

Immediately followed by.... " I am so not stylish.."

I mean really, sitting here in my washed out jeans, Ocean Week 2005 T-shirt from the school I used to work at, my hair barely done and in desperate need of dye, drinking my coffee out of a slightly chipped cup...
Stylish?...
well it just isn't a word that I would use to describe me....

ANY~ WAY....Thank you so much Wendy for thinking of me!

This award comes with some rules....
I am supposed to Thank and Link back to the person that Awarded me (check)
Share 7 things about myself...(ugh)
Award 15 other bloggers with this same honor (do I know that many people?)
Contact these bloggers and let them know about their award. (sounds easy enough)


I better get on with it....
7 things about myself........ hmmmm

1. I just turned 40 in October.  So far I have lived to tell about it.  My mom told me on the phone the other day, that she can't even believe she has a child that is 40....  don't worry mom, I can hardly believe it either :)

2. I secretly wish I could live in an RV and travel around the country.

3.  I have had the following jobs, Bank Teller, Collections Agent, Teachers Aide at a School for the Deaf, Bartender, Waitress, Bar Manager, Sold Industrial Fans, Pampered Chef, and Mary Kay, Kindergarten Teachers Aide, School Bus Driver, School Secretary.

4.  I have flown an airplane, a little one, with supervision, when I was about 8.

5.  My kids do something every day that makes me laugh.

6.  I have learned that when you move 750 miles from your parents, sisters and pretty much everyone you have known for your whole life, then ship your husband off to Iraq for a year only to find out you are (Surprise!) pregnant.....  you will live through the experience.

7.  I really like to cook.  I also like to teach people about cooking.  I find people are scared of it...  I want more people to know it doesn't have to be hard to make good food for your family.

OK.......  'nuff about me....
My 15 blogs are more like 7....  but that's ok.  I really would like to have you check these folks out. Some are on the list because I know them personally,  others I know only through the window of the Internet.  All of them I enjoy reading.  Only a few on the list have anything at all to do with Homeschooling.

1. Clothesline Musings
2. Interruptions
3. Pink and Orange Coffee
4. Everyday Christine
5. The Rest is still Unwritten
6. My Unrehearsed, Well-Examined Life
7. Consider the Lilies

Congratulations guys!

Curiosity Files ~ MRSA

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has come out with another great Unit Study Series.  The Curiosity Files are geared to help your child explore the wonderful oddities of science. They offer 9 different titles that are sure to get your 8-13 year old interested in the world around them.  You can purchase all 9 titles for $46.00, and they are available in instant PDF dowloadable format.  If you are low on storage space in your computer, or prefer CD-ROM format, they have that too!  It is available for $49.00.  Each one is also available for purchase separately, but it is best to check the website for individual pricing.

I want to take the time to define for you what a Unit Study is.  I remember back when I was just starting to homeschool, and people would talk about them, or I would see them as I searched the Internet for curriculum ideas....  and I never really understood what they were.  I don't want you to feel that same sense of confusion, so, here is my explanation of what a Unit Study is:  It is an in depth analysis of one topic, that incorporates other subjects to enrich learning. A study like this one, is science oriented, but it uses Math, Bible, and lots of Language Arts skills to reinforce the material.


We were able to choose the title that we wanted to study for this review, and my 3rd grader Hunter, chose to study MRSA.  We picked this nasty bacteria to study because his cousin, has an immune disorder, and is often affected by the MRSA bacteria.  We wanted to take the opportunity to better understand what someone we love has to fight often.

MRSA starts off with an introduction by Professor Ana Lyze. (The name makes me smile.) She very conversationally tells you all you never knew, you needed to know, about this little bacteria, that is simply EVERYWHERE. I would like to thank the developers of this study for permanently curing my 8 year old from picking his nose.  Ever since we learned how many germs are on absolutely everything we touch.... and that he has been putting those germs in his nose....  he is the picking police!

After learning the basics of the bacteria, there is a little "test" to see how much you have comprehended on the subject.  Here the study offers other ideas to increase the depth of study on this subject.  In our house, we let the older children who have taken or are taking Biology further explain why antibiotics don't work sometimes, and the differences in cellular structure between bacteria and viruses. 

The Bible Section does a good job addressing the issue of sickness from a biblical perspective, and leaves it nicely open to study the topic more in depth in the Scriptures.

In order to better understand just how small the MRSA bacteria is, the Math portion introduces the Metric System, and writing with Exponents.  For us, this complemented our current area of study in 3rd grade math very well.

I also enjoyed the Writing Section, which we did mostly through Narration.  This is really where an older student would really be able to shine and share all they had learned about this bacteria.  I liked the inclusion of the different methods you can use to develop your writing topic into a great essay or paper.

There are lots of ideas in the JUST FOR FUN section that help bring the studying of terms off the paper and into fun games that help you remember.

There was only one thing I saw that I might offer up as a change....Page 12 states that Bacterium "makes people and animals ill".  I offer up the addition of the word CAN into the definition.  God created some bacteria that are very useful, and without them we become sick....but maybe, those bacteria are another unit study waiting to be born.....

Overall, I think that the Curiosity Files E-Books are a great way to get your child interested in some obscure scientific topics.  They would be a great spring board for science projects in the upper grades, and certainly interesting enough to supplement your existing science curriculum.

Take the time to read reviews written by my TOS crew mates on the other 9 titles offered by The Old Schoolhouse Magazines Curiosity Files.

*** Disclaimer***
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I received a copy of the E-Book MRSA , free of charge, for the purpose of this review.  No other compensation was received.  All of the above opinions are my own.

Tick-Tock... Tick-Tock....

Time is running out!

I really don't want you to miss out on the Early Bird Pricing that is available for The Schoolhouse Expo...  So stop reading this post....  click HERE....... and go get your ticket!

GO on.... do it!
What are you waiting for?



Early Bird pricing($19.95) is over at Midnight (EST)  February 9, 2011

Now GO!

February's Character Qualities

The Character Qualities we will be working on this month are:

Initiative not Unresponsiveness
Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it.  (anyone else out there ever want that to happen in their house?)
Romans 12:21~ "do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Responsibility not Unreliability
Knowing and doing what both God and others are expecting me to do. (can I get an Amen?!!?)
Romans 14:12~ "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

As time has gone on, I have found that placing the definitions onto index cards has been helpful.  We go over each new card, and the ones that we have worked on previously, every day. The trait, definition and verse are read.  We then take the time to go child by child and ask them to tell us a time in the last 24 hours that they have exhibited the Character quality that is up for discussion.  If they can't remember, I offer up when I saw them exhibit that trait.  The positive feedback has been the biggest benefit for us all.  We are looking for the good in each other to brag about the next day.


I think that I am going to devise some games to help with the concept of Initiative.  Responsibility we can encourage with our chores, and other activities.

Hopefully working on these Character Traits will begin to lessen the stepping over of someones shoe in the living room because it isn't "mine", and the waiting until 10 pm to start washing the dinner dishes.... yes it happens to me too......sigh.

VocabAhead ~ Vocabulary made painless

Fun, Fun, FUN, that is what this book was....  The cover of the book boldly states "The Entertaining and Effortless Vocabulary Building Solution!"  They weren't kidding.  It was effortless and FUN!

The folks over at VocabAhead have products that will make learning common words that are on the SAT test, interesting, and at least in my house, quite entertaining.

VocabAhead offers two different physical products (and one virtual) to help your student, with their SAT vocabulary building needs. The first product is a book that covers 300 words.  It is available through Amazon for $12.95.  The second product they offer, is a DVD-ROM that contains 1000 words.  It is available through Amazon for $24.95.  They even have an iPhone App!  We chose to review the Book, and loved every minute of it.

The book is divided into chapters, that have a built-in review at the end.  All of the answers are provided at the end of the book, making it easy for parents to grade. Each word is accompanied by a cartoon printed below the word and definition, but above several sentences that use each new vocabulary word in context.  In our homeschool we used the Review first, to test our general ability to guess what the words might mean.  We then read through the chapter, and re-tested the Review.  It was interesting to see the close to 80% improvement over just guessing.

When you purchase the book it contains a web address that will entitle you to a free download of MP3s and Videos for you to keep on your computer.  We easily loaded these MP3's onto our portable players, and could car-school our vocabulary while running errands.

Both the book and the DVD are backed by a wonderful website.  In my opinion, this is where it all comes together.  Here is the perfect balance for both visual and auditory learners.  You can see the cartoon in full color, and then you listen to someone reading the information that is contained in the book.  It is a great way for more than on person to work on vocabulary lessons at the same time.  One child curled up on the couch, laughing, and the other on the computer laughing.  The pictures are silly and make an instant connection with these words,  putting familiar scenes together with difficult words, and making them easy to recall.

In the Study Room you can see videos, use flash cards, and take quizzes...  It is the perfect supplement to the book.

While this book is geared to those who are in the high school years and preparing for the SAT, ACT, and GRE tests.  It is a book that would make a great gift for any wordsmith you may know.  My husband and I both enjoyed reading through this book.  Everyone that has come over and seen it on the table, has picked it up, read a few words and chuckled.  I think that kids as young as the 6th grade should begin to be exposed to these words.... that way by the time they are taking their big college tests, they are quite familiar with them.

I know this product works.  I don't just say that because I have graded the Reviews that my children have completed, I say that because I hear them using these words in their conversations.  They have had their own War of the Words and every word came straight from the time they had spent using this product.  Another fun thing the kids did was use the words from the book to play Mad Libs.  They had to find nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc....  using only words they could find from the book.  When they read the Mad Lib out loud, they would give the definition of the word....  It made for some silliness when the words were used wildly out of context.

For more information on how this product may suit the needs of your child, you may send an email directly to VocabAhead through their website contact page.

As always, opinions on products will vary. To read more reviews on this product, as well as reviews on the DVD-ROM product, head on over to the TOS Homeschool Crew Review page.

****Disclaimer****

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew I received a copy of the Book SAT Vocabulary: Cartoons Videos & MP3s free of charge from VocabAhead, for the purpose of this review.  No other compensation has been received.  All of the above opinions are my own.

Do you have a Teentrepreneur?

I had a lemonade stand once.  A guy up the street happened to take freelance pictures for the newspaper, and that got me, Steven, and his sister Kara about 2 seconds of our allotted 15 minutes of fame....

I have sold Caramel Corn and my world famous Toffee, with a friend at local Craft Fairs....we did pretty well....

My husband wants to make and sell soap, and distressed furniture, and... and.... and.....

Lets just say the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in this house.  My teens have certainly caught the bug, My daughter babysits and works out on a farm, to learn more about animals, dreaming of a way she can go into business for herself with a place full of critters.  She checks out books from the library all the time on how to start a business at home. My son rakes leaves, mows lawns, and shovels snow, and makes some good money at it I might add. 

One of the things that is included with the Schoolhouse Expo this Spring, is a Teen Track.  That's right they are including some individualised business instruction for my teens!  My high school kids generally listen in with me while they are doing their work.  During the first Expo seminar we attended, for a talk on Creationism, I actually think it was my then 15 year old son, whose ears were glued to the speakers. I am confidant that for this Expo, some of the speakers are going to be family gatherings.  Especially the Hogans, a mom and son speaker team that will be discussing home based entrepreneurship.  That is right up our alley!

I think it is great to have specific topics like this, targeted to teens.  Let's face it, they aren't going to be in the nest forever, and during these years, they need to be exploring who they want to be, and what they want to do, when they grow up.  Having home based businesses now, will help them finance and pursue their goals and dreams in years to come.

Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, has written an article about her children and their own entrepreneurial  adventures, called Teens in Business--Beyond the Lemonade Stand.  I think you will enjoy it, so in your blog-reading-while-sipping-coffee-or-tea-time, take a moment to read it and see what you think.

Don't forget to get your ticket to hear all this great information.  Early bird Registration closes soon!  I want you to be able to get the best deal possible for your hard earned money. 

What's that?
You can't attend the Expo live?

That's ok...  still go and get an early bird ticket.  No, I haven't lost my mind.  Let me explain.  When you buy a Expo live ticket, you automatically get everything that happens; all the speakers, and workshops, delivered to you in MP3 format!  A few weeks after the actual event, you will be able to load them onto your listening device of choice and hear them while you are on the beach.  ( If you do that, don't tell me.  I will be jealous.  I love the beach.)  Buying the ticket to attend the Schoolhouse Expo now, is the best of both worlds, you will get all the freebies, AND the flexibility to listen and learn as you can.

I hope to see you, and your kids at the Expo!