Christmas TIps + A Chance at FREE Books!

Today I Have a few tips for you as you start, or maybe finish up shopping for the kids on your list this year!

1. Set a budget. As with any spending it's important to have a spending limit or you'll spend way beyond what you initially intended to spend. Be sure your hubby is on the same page with you too!

2. Look for deals. I've been hearing some things about "black Friday" deals not really being deals lately. Be sure that if you are going for a deal that it really is a deal! Checkout the original price of the item before buying.

3.  Keep four gifts as the key. Something to wear, something they need, something they want and something to READ! Most kids have plenty of WANTS! I know mine do. But it's also a good idea to get them things they can use as well. Something to READ will last longer than a pile of toys they'll be bored with in a few weeks. The books will be there to inspire their imagination for months to come!

I have the something to read covered for you!  Usborne Books has been running specials all weekend. Today for Cyber Monday they have added a lot of new items to the sales! Tonight join me to party in our PJ"s on Facebook at 9pm EST. I will share info about the books on sale, games with prizes and one guest will win the hostess rewards! Anyone has the opportunity to win free books and other prizes so be sure to click here to RSVP and join us for the fun! If you can't make it to the party you can still checkout the deals here.

Today is the Day!

Today is the day that I've been excited for over the past few months. We started our regular school work a few years ago. The kids are enjoying it so far but they've been excited for today too.

So, what's today?

Today is our very first day ever of Classical Conversations! We visited last winter and as we went home the kids were all begging to go back again!

Why the switch?
I LOVED our curriculum that we were using before but I felt that my oldest needed something to help her remember things we were learning and also something to get her moving with writing. When a friend mentioned that she was part of Classical Conversations and how much she loved it I was very intrigued.

After our visit and much prayer over where God was leading us for this school year we took the plunge!

What is CC (classical conversations)?
Classical conversations is more than a homeschool co-op. It's a curriculum that covers all the major subject areas. Children in elementary school go to a class where the new memory work is introduced as well as an art project and science experiment. After having lunch together children in fourth through sixth grade attend an English and writing intensive class which uses IEW. It's also a great community of moms coming together to teach our children and encourage each other along the way.

I hope that helps a bit to shed a little light on what this program is and why we chose this path. I'm nervous to be tutoring a class of four year olds but also super excited to get started. Back packs are packed with folders and snacks, my white board has all of our memory work on it, lunches are half way packed and all of the things I need for today are in a bag. All that's left to do is finish lunches and get the kiddos moving! They've been asking for weeks when we would be starting and couldn't wait for today to come.

Have a great day!

Summer Days 2015

Have you had a great summer? I sure hope so! It seemed to just FLY right by! Here's a few things we did this summer.

Cook outs with friends!



4th of July fun including checking out a helicopter!


4H Projects like Chelsea's sewing project which came out beautiful! (Thanks to my mother in law  for guiding her!)



LOTS OF GREEN BEANS! 34 quarts to be exact!



Celebrated my baby girls' 2nd birthday! (How can she be 2?)

Where she slept for 2 hours of her party :)
9
We had camp fires with the kiddos and friends




Yummy S'mores!



Lots of tree climbing! I Love these great trees in our yard!

AND a family reunion where the kids got to play with LOTS of new cousins and Wayne and I enjoyed some corn hole competition.

So much fun to be had and also some work with the garden and canning all 34 quarts of green beans. I was ready to get back to our regular school routine and will be sharing about that soon!

The Geography Drawing Series: Initial Thoughts

Hi! I have the pleasure of trying a brand new product from Brookdale House! It's the geography drawing series which has a USA and Europe edition. I will be continuing to use the USA edition with my kids in the coming weeks.

How this program works

Each week there's one state to study. The activities are broken down into four days worth of practice.

Day 1: Study the New State.
Complete the State Fact Table.
Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.
Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 2: Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.
Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 3: Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.
Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 4: List, from memory, the states studied thus far.
Using the blank text box, draw, also from memory, all of the states you
have learned.

What I think So Far

I love that it's scheduled for you and broken down in a way that is quick and easy to follow. You're not just given a packet of worksheets to figure out how to use. The schedule slowly introduces kids to each state, lets them practice drawing it alone and then moves on to placing it on the map.
ve that it's already

The states are introduced in a way that makes sense. They aren't just sporadically introduced. They start in the north east with Maine and work across the map toward the west.

Drawing Around the World can be used with a wide age range. Younger kids can learn how to trace the states and all the information while older kids can have more of a challenge with timed drills.

I really like that you're not just teaching geography with this program. While that's the focus, it's also teaching information about each state such as the capital, big industries, state bird and other interesting facts.

Be on the lookout in July for how my kids liked using this program! 

Teacher Appreciation Week!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Ever since fifth grade I wanted to teach! My  teacher that year was the best! She was funny, used lots of hands on activities to teach and I could tell she just loved teaching! I never thought at that time that I'd be a homeschool teacher for my own children! I'm so glad that God has led me on this path. I know many who read this blog are homeschool moms. So in honor of teacher appreciation week I want to acknowledge YOU! 

Here are three reasons why I am thankful for educators:

1. You know your kids best and are able to tailor their education to their needs.

2. You put their education above your own wants.

3. You persevere through the rough days and cherish the wonderful ones! 

Education has such an impact on ourselves and our little ones. Educents is here to help you pay it forward. In honor of Teacher Appreciation week, Educents & Peekapak have teamed up to provide your favorite educators with a gift basket worth over $40, which includes a FREE $10 Educents Gift Card & 3 months of Peekapak lesson plans (3 digital storybooks, 12 in-class lessons & 12 at-home activities) that teach Character Education and Language Arts.

So, whether it's your mom, your classroom teacher, your neighbors, or another special human being who taught you important lessons, thank them by giving them a FREE gift basket, on Educents!

Fill out the form here to send this freebie to an educator you know.

I have another great way to celebrate teachers this week! Join me Thursday night May 7th at 9pm on Facebook for a chance to learn about raising kids that love reading, great Usborne books to help you in your homeschool or classroom and PRIZES! All sales from this event will earn free books for a local children's home! You can check it out here. I hope to see you there! 

Who is a special educator that you want to recognize this week?

Monday Matters: Week 2

Welcome to another week! I hope you've had a wonderful weekend! As before feel free to linkup your encouraging posts to help us off to a great start to our week.

I want to share with you something I learned yesterday in our parenting class at church. We are going through "Shepherding a Child's Heart" and watching the videos. Today Tedd said something that really got me thinking. He mentioned that we tend to get caught up in the situations happening with our  children instead of the real issue at hand, their heart. 

My encouragement to you as you start your week is this. When situations arise this week as they always do, don't worry about what is happening so much. Instead work on why your kids are fighting or disobeying. Are they being selfish, prideful, seeking revenge? Take them to God's word to help them see why it's wrong to act in those ways. 

Of course you still have to deal with the conflict that happened but take the time to lead them toward Jesus instead of debating about the conflict they are having. 

One Sentence Storybooks Review

This winter I was quite excited when Tyndale offered to send me a set of the "One Sentence Storybooks" in exchange for my review of this lovely little book set.When you open the box you'll find ten Bible story books. 

In the back of each book there is a page with pictures and the corresponding words to help your kids learn to read the sentence. On the opposite page you'll find a Bible verse to memorize and information to go over with your child. This takes the one sentence a bit deeper than just the basic Bible "story." 

What I thought: As you can see, my five year old really enjoyed these! Each page of the book builds on the sentence which helps with sight word recognition. They are quick and easy for kids to read which is nice. I really liked that they had the additional information and passages to read with her. You could use this as a quick read through or make it into a themed lesson with the verses to memorize and other activities to go along with it. 

Choosing Curriculum: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself when Considering a Change

It's the time of year when many of us homeschoolers start planning and buying for the next school year. What do you do when you stumble upon something new, but you're unsure of whether or not to make the switch? This is an issue I've wrestled with this winter. We have loved our current program but at the same time I've found something else that I really like. I have five questions to ask yourself when considering a change in curriculum. If you are doing the back and forth in your head these may help you work through your decision making process and come to a conclusion one way or another.

1. Do I enjoy teaching and do my children enjoy learning from our current program? 
Now, children aren't always going to "enjoy" school but there shouldn't be tears daily over lessons or even daily battles. When we were using workbook based curriculum with Chelsea school was a daily struggle. When we switched to a more hands on approach the atmosphere of our school changed drastically!

2. Is our current curriculum meeting the goals I have for my children?
Each year we have a general idea of the things we'd like our children to accomplish. Some may write them down or you may be like me and just have them in your head. When considering our possible change this year I spent a lot of time contemplating this question.

3. What are the pros and cons of each curriculum choice? 
If you are really feeling undecided this is a good activity to help you along. Write down good things about changing and possible draw backs. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

4. Have you prayed about it?
This really should be number one! Pray about your options. God will tell you which way you should turn. Maybe you really enjoy your current curriculum and are afraid of a change? Pray about it and go where God leads you!

5. What do others have to say?
I often find myself asking homeschool friends about curriculum choices. They don't have the exact same child I do but they can definitely point out some things that I may not know just by looking at a book or a website. you can also checkout reviews on the Homeschool Reviews website.


Have you started planning for the next school year? What changes are you considering/

Monday Matters: Encouragement to Start Your Week

Welcome to the first ever Monday Matters linkup!

 My good friend Erin at My Crazy Blessed and Honored Life and I have decided to start a linkup each week to bring you encouragement to start your week! 

Some linked posts will be shared on our Facebook pages. 
My Crazy Blessed and Honored Life
My Blessings Homeschool

Rules? We just have a few
1, Your post should be encouraging in some way.
2. Visit other posts that have been shared. 
3. Have fun! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Standard Deviant Accelerate Review!

Thanks to Educents I had the chance to try out this program and share it with you all!  Here's what Standard Deviant Accelerate is.


For over 20 years, Standard Deviants has been the leading producer of top notch educational videos that teach you everything you need to know about a subject. We’ve taken our newest educational videos online and added a ton of activities to create the perfect curriculum supplement, Standard Deviants Accelerate!

There's 2 types of accounts, one for the teacher and one for the students in your class. In the teacher account you'll choose which courses students will take and then pass along a code to sign students up with. Also on the teacher site you can view progress, grades and find all the information you need to know how your student is doing.

The classes are mostly junior high level and up but there are math courses for 3rd grade and up as well. We used the arithmetic with my ten year old. Once logged in you click on the icon for the class you are planning to work on next. Then a drop down menu appears and you choose which topic you will learn that day. h

Once you've made your selection you'll go to a screen which has a basic overview of the chapter and several tabs up top. The first one is the video. You can print the transcript of the video to follow along or for notes which would be great for upper level courses! The videos are great and definitely my favorite part! They use visuals and several speakers to teach the concepts. At the end there is a quick review of the material with several examples

After the video you head to the next tab which is the quiz or practice questions. These test the students' knowledge of the material covered in the video.


I've definitely enjoyed using this program for the arithmetic course and am looking forward to using it in the future!

Have you used this program? What did you think?

Note: I was given access to this site for my honest review of the program. 

Going form Small Garden to a BIG One + MORE

Last year we had a smaller garden for the first time in a long time. It went pretty well and we had lots of fun with it! Toward the end of the summer my husband had stopped by his grandparents house and noticed their HUGE garden that had been left unused. He gets the awesome idea to take over the garden this year and they agreed. YIKES! We're going from our little garden to a GIANT garden! This gardening newbie is nervous!

This past year I also got my first taste of canning. That was quite the experience! My mother in law has canned fruits and veggies and sauces for years and we've enjoyed them! Now with this gigantic garden happening this year I have a feeling I'll be doing a LOT more canning!

Wayne and I will be doing plenty of research this winter for the gardening part but I'm glad to have a tool already on hand for when all of those awesome plants start producing fruits and veggies for my family.

I'm super excited to get the Simply Canning: Survival Guide for Safe Home Canning ebook from the DIY bundle! I don't know much at all about the world of canning and this book is going to be coming in handy this year!

Here's a little bit more about the book from Simply Canning 

Do you know the most important information for safely home canning? Do you have the assurance that you won't poison your children?

Simply Canning the book... will lead you step by step through the most important safety information for both Pressure Canning and Water bath Canning.

This book also includes canning directions for most basic foods, plus some fun stuff too.  Learn how to can tomatoes, green beans, meat and fruit.  Then have fun and create jam and jelly, marmelade and fruit butters.  Jars with dandelion and corn cob jelly make great gifts. 

Here's a look at the other home and garden books that are included in the 76 ebooks and courses that are a part of the DIY Bundle sale.

Something Great for Us Busy Moms!

There aren't enough hours in the day, right? With work, helping the kids with their schoolwork, preparing meals, cleaning up after everyone and putting yet another load of laundry on, there’s very little time for sleep – let alone DIY and crafting!


But do you look at that bare wall in the den and that tatty tablecloth on the kitchen table, and just wish you had a few hours to do something about them? Or do you browse through those wonderful crafting successes on Pinterest and think to yourself that “one day” you’ll have a few more minutes to yourself so that you too can create something incredible?
You’re not alone – there’s a huge community of people out there who are feeling just as frustrated as you are!

Thankfully though, there’s an exciting new product to help you quickly and easily get into (or back into) the creative projects you’ve been desperate to start. It’s called The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and it’s a collection of carefully curated DIY and crafting eBooks and eCourses from the world’s leading authors and bloggers in the industry.
For the crazy low price of just $34.95, you get access to a carefully curated library of over 76 eBooks and eCourses. And let me reassure you that this really is great value: the Ultimate Bundles team (who produced the resource) has spent MONTHS seeking out the most respected experts in the industry and asking them to contribute their premium-quality eBooks and eCourses. These really are the best of the best when it comes to DIY and crafting advice and information.
Topics in the bundle include:

• Home decor
• Furniture painting
• Photography
• Chalk pastels
• Handmade gifts
• Homemade skincare products
• Cake decorating
• Photography and photo-editing
• Paint colors and interior design
• …and a whole lot more (76 eBooks and eCourses in total) – to help you be inspired or get started with your next DIY or crafting project!

There’s no need to worry about information overload though: The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with a complete guide to getting started, so that you can know exactly which resource to use for your specific crafting or DIY project and jump straight into it with confidence!






Hurry though! The Ultimate DIY Bundle will only be on sale for 6 days – from 8am EST on Wednesday, January 21 until 11.59pm EST on Monday, January 26.
You can buy with complete confidence because you’re covered by the Ultimate Bundles 30-day money-back guarantee. That means you have a full 30 days to enjoy all the eBooks and eCourses in the bundle, and if you don’t think they provided enough value, you’ll get a full refund.
Not only that, but The Ultimate DIY Bundle comes with 4 awesome bonuses, worth over $118. That’s 3x the price of the bundle alone! These include…
A free $15 Store Credit PLUS 8×10 Art Print from Hope Ink ($43 Value), a free online class from Craftsy (up to $60 Value), free $15 store credit to Fawnsberg.com, and a free sewing pattern PLUS a Premium Video Class from UpCraft Club ($19.99 Value).

So, don’t miss your chance to grab The Ultimate DIY Bundle, and get 76 incredible eBooks and eCourses for just $34.95. All you need to do is take action by midnight on Monday, January 26!
This amazing deal ends in just…



Pick up your copy right now, before it’s too late. Or, lear

I have included affiliate links in this post. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

Lush Decor $200 Gift Card GIVEAWAY!

Good morning and happy Monday! I hope you had a blessed weekend! Today I have something exciting to share with you all. I was contacted by Lush Decor last week with the offer to run a giveaway for you all! After taking a look at their site I thought surely you all would love the chance to get some great items for your home for free!

Here's a little bit of information about Lush Decor.

Lush Décor is all about Inspired Living


Jenny Zhu, our CEO founded the company because she aspired to create affordable fashion that can be enjoyed through all the phases of your life. We offer a wide range of designs and workmanship to help you create your own “look” and lifestyle

Lush Decor offers great bedding sets, curtains and shower curtains for both adults and kids. I had a lot of fun browsing their site and choosing my favorites! Be sure to enter below for your chance to win a $200 gift code to LushDecor.com. 










a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This post includes affiliate links, these do not effect the cost to you, only blesses my family with a small portion.

Story Hour: "Jessica's Box"

This is a new series for you! I will show you a great book along with a variety of activities. These may include Bible verses, art projects and discussion questions or a combination of these. I'm not sure how often I will post these but be on the lookout for more Story Hour posts! 

The other day my son asked me to watch a movie with him while the girls were off playing. So we watched on we've both seen before but we got into a discussion about some of the things we saw happening. One of the girls in the movie had lied to try to impress new "friends." Hunter pointed it out to me and we talked about it.

Throughout the movie the girls mom keeps reminding her that she doesn't need to impress anyone and only needs to be herself.The more I think about it the more it makes me realize how easy it is to think we aren't good enough. Ads, TV shows, movies,friends and family just to name a few, all have an ideal of the person we should be. 

We got a great new book to add to our collection this week and as I read it to the kiddos I really enjoyed it! "Jessica's Box" is about this very thing, being yourself! 

Jessica is getting ready to go to school for the first time and is very nervous. The first day she brings something special to her in the box and is heartbroken when she gets laughed at upon revealing it to her classmates. 

The second day she tries bringing a treat for her classmates. They gobble them up without a single "Thank you!" and again she's sad to not have made any friends. 

Finally after trying to impress the kids with other things she gives up only to be surprised at what happens next and realize she didn't need to bring all of those things to make friends. She just needed to be herself and people would love her just the way she was. 

After reading the book, pull out your Bible and look up a few verses with your kiddos. 

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Luke 16:15 He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight.

Proverbs 21:2 A person may think his own way is right but the Lord weighs the heart. 

Discussion Questions:

1.How do you think Jessica felt when the kids laughed at 

her? How would you feel? 

2. What would you put into the box and why?

3. Have you ever tried to impress someone? What did you 

do and how did things go?

Activity Ideas

1. Have children draw a picture of themselves OR grab bigger paper and trace your kiddo to have them decorate! 

2. On the paper have them write (or help them if younger) part of 1 Samuel 16:7.

3. Write "People look on the outward appearance at the top

4. Draw a heart close to where ours is and near it write "but the Lord looks at the heart." 

Want to find out more about books like "Jessica's Box" and other amazing books? Join me Monday at 9pm for a Facebook party where you can win FREE books!

Photo from Art and Soul Preschool

Strengthening the Heart of a Homemaker Launch and Giveaway!

Today I have a wonderful ebook to share with you from my good friend Kristen over at Smithspirations! Check it out and enter to win one of the amazing prizes! 


As homemakers, we can easily get overwhelmed, discouraged, or a little weary with our never ending to do lists. I know that there have been many days when I've made it till bedtime, but feel so utterly drained that I wonder how I'll survive the next day. It's normal to get tired with a job that you never leave and that never ends. But we don't have to stay discouraged or weary. There is hope in the Lord! I want to share a new resource with you today that's just been released, and it's perfect for every Christian homemaker who could use a little boost of strength from time to time. It's called Strengthening the Heart of a Homemaker: A Devotional Guide for Your Homemaking Journey.  In this 100+ page digital resource, author Kristen Smith of Smithspirations offers insight, hope, and encouragement with beautiful printable Scripture cards and journal pages, as well as devotional sections that cover many areas of homemaking. Homemakers fulfill many roles, and that's why Strengthening the Heart of a Homemaker offers thirteen sections of encouragement, each featuring one major area of homemaking. You'll find sections for

• General Homemaking
• Caring for Yourself
• Health & Wellness
• Food & Cooking
• Pregnancy & Babies
• Motherhood & Parenting
• Marriage
• The Homemaker's Faith
• Faith for Children
• Homeschooling
• Finances
• Working from Home
• Special Events

For thirteen areas of homemaking, you'll find

• 4 decorative printable Scripture cards
• 1 printable journal page
• 1 devotional guide featuring reflections and questions to consider

This practical resource can be used in a number of ways, making it really flexible and useful to the mom who may only have a few moments to herself daily. Numerous ideas are suggested in the introduction, but you may come up with your own way to use Strengthening the Heart of a Homemaker's printable Scripture cards!

Celebrate the Launch of Strengthening the Heart of a Homemaker with a Huge Giveaway!

Because we're so excited about the release of Strengthening the Heart of a Homemaker , we've gathered together an incredible giveaway set that is going to knock someone's socks right off! These products are perfect for busy homemakers and are sure to bless you in your home! Even better, there are two prize packages, so you're odds of winning are even greater! Both packages are worth well over $100, making these really incredible sets.

Prize Package 1:

• Any Lilla Rose product, up to $16, from Independent Lilla Rose Consultant Kristen Smith
• A 15 mL bottle of Citrus Fresh essential oil blend from Young Living distributor Sara Elizabeth
• A 15 mL bottle of lavender essential oil from Simply Aroma distributor Rachel Ramey
• A travel-size Norwex Envirocloth from consultant Rachel Ramey
• A Mialisia Silver Dream necklace from Mialisia designer Pam Maynard
• Write Through the Bible: Psalms 1, 23, and 121 paperback by Luke & Trisha Gilkerson
• A Bath & Beauty Gift Set from Southern Vines Soap Co.
• A digital copy of The Frugal Secrets of Real Foodies, an ebook I cowrote

Prize Package 2:

• Any Lilla Rose product, up to $16, from Independent Lilla Rose Consultant Kristen Smith
• 15 mL bottles of lavender, peppermint, and On Guard essential oils from doTERRA distributor Stephanie Calderone
• A $50 Tupperware surprise pack from Tupperware consultant Olivia Douglass
• An inspirational handmade necklace featuring your choice of background design and wording from That's Sew Taylor.
• Secrets of the Apple Tree and mini flashlight from Usborne Books Consultant Jacqueline Forrer
• A bath & body gift set from Mountain Creek Gifts
• A 3 Pack of Virtuous Lips natural lip balm
• A digital copy of The Frugal Secrets of Real Foodies, an ebook I cowrote

Just enter using the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway lasts until the January 31 at midnight. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This post includes affiliate links. These do not effect prices to you in any way, only blesses my family with a small portion.