Homeschool Convention Time is Rapidly Approaching

I can honestly say that my first year of homeschool has FLOWN by! And while we still have a couple of months left of school I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I can hardly believe it is here already. So where does that leave us for next year? By the grace of God we will still be homeschooling hopefully, but what do I do about curriculum?

This is a question I have been tossing over and over on my hamster wheel for quite some time. There are so many options out there, how does one possibly choose which one is best for their family? What we started with this year, is definitely NOT what we are ending with. 

Some families choose to attend their local home school convention to browse curriculum and educate themselves by attending the workshops. I really wish I would have attended a convention before starting down this path, but it just wasn't meant to be. Although I have already decided on our curriculum for next year I plan on attending our local conference in May.

How do you decide on curriculum when you know it is time for a change? Do you talk with friends? Order a plethora of catalogs to see what is offered? Download free lessons when available? I'd love to hear how you make your curriculum decisions.

For my oldest who will be in 4th grade next year I have decided on Exploring Countries & Cultures from My Father's World. For my younger son who will start 1st grade I have ordered My Father's World 1st grade. I will actually be starting my youngest son on 1st grade material in May because he is finishing up Kindergarten this week and then for all of April I have planned a unit on nature and animals. In addition to My Father's World for both boys, I am also adding in a strong component of classical education. We will be learning latin (the whole family) as well as numerous other components recommended in The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. As the textbooks and workbooks arrive I will write another post detailing more everything I plan to use next year. I have high hopes for our second year of homeschooling, but I am also realistic that we might end the year very differently than we started.

Free ebook: Living Fearlessly by Sheila Walsh

Thank you Jen at Fruitful Vine for alerting me to this wonderful freebie!

Christianbooks.com is giving away a free ebook of Sheila Walsh's book "Living Fearlessly"

Sheila Walsh is a Women of Faith speaker and a wonderful author. I recently reviewed her book Beautiful Things Happen When a Women Trusts God.

To get your free copy of Living Fearlessly, click here and then choose "free sample pages pdf" just under the description of Wonderful Things Happen When a Women Trusts God.

Review: The Revolutionary Paul Revere

Recently I was given the opportunity to review The Revolutionary Paul Revere by Joel L. Miller. To be quite honest, I was a little unsure about reviewing a biography; I have never been much of a biography reader. However, considering that I was running low on reading options I decided to give this book a try. I am so glad I have this book a fair chance. Unlike the biographies I had grown accustomed to, this one is full of intrigue, excitement, and witty writing. This book was by no means a dry biography on one of our country's influential men.  From a busy Mom's perspective I particularly liked that each chapter was short and easy to read in short chunks of time. When I read I prefer to read a chapter or more at a time. Most biographies are presented in long and drawn out chapters that require large chunks of time to read. Fortunately, this one does not. Each chapter is manageable reading; 10-15 pages.


 The writing style of this book brought the story of Paul Revere alive for me. I felt like I was living in the late 1700's with Revere and his family. I felt the pain of his financial struggles and the triumphant of his personal achievements. Miller does an exceptional job in this book of bringing not only the character and his life alive but also the impact of the society that Revere lived in. The 1700's were an every changing time and the events in Revere's life were a direct result of the economical and political world around him. If you or an older student (late middle school to high school age) enjoy reading about American history and the people who influenced our early years, this book is a must read.


From the publisher:

“Quick in the saddle and fast out of town.” Watch one of America’s most remarkable heroes come alive through fast-paced prose and gripping storytelling.

The Revolutionary Paul Revere starts at a gallop and never slows down. Escape into Revere’s adventure-filled life: from childhood through the French and Indian War; from the military occupation of Boston through Revere’s part in the Boston Massacre trial; from his role in the Boston Tea Party through his days as an express rider for patriot leaders; from the tragic death of his first wife through the whimsical pursuit of a new love; from his job as waterfront spy through his famous midnight ride; from his role in the worst American naval disaster before Pearl Harbor through his eventual vindication.

Go inside his life as a Mason, in Boston's secret political clubs, and in business relationships, and see how he transformed himself from poor artisan to wealthy industrialist. Revere’s life story is the quintessential American story.

Thomas Nelson publishing kindly provided me with free copy of The Revolutionary Paul Rever in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Easter Egg hunt at CurrClick - 18 Free Products

CurrClick is once again hosting an Easter Egg hunt for freebies. That's right 18 free products just for finding 18 eggs hidden around their website.

I have found all 18 and if you are a homeschooler or a Mom who enjoys enriching your child's education at home, there are some great downloads in these freebies. And honestly, who doesn't love freebies?

You might not have the time to go searching around their site for all 18 eggs so I have compiled a list of places to find all 18 eggs. If you don't have a CurrClick account, it is free and easy to join. In addition to these freebies they have free offers weekly through their newsletter and ongoing on their site, just look under "free stuff".

Here is the list of places on the CurrClick website to find all 18 eggs:
1-12 are found on the left sidebar of the homepage
13-18 are either on the right side or under "my account"

1. Home Page (bottom of page)
2. All new products (underneath the egg on the home page)
3. Free Stuff
4. Follow Your Favorites (click on the section on left with white envelope) also same link of the Change newsletters and 'Follow Your Favorites!' settings (notification) (under my account section)
5. About CurrClick (left sidebar)
6. Environmental statement/mission statement pages (1 page, 1 egg,)
7. Quickstart guide / FAQ
8. Troubleshooting
9. Contact us
10. Our latest newsletter
11. Product reviews 
12. Mailing list
13. Wish list (You need to add something to your wishlist to access this egg)
14. The link under your wish list; personalize your wish list.
15. Top 100 (link on right side of site under Top Sellers section on right side of homepage)
16. View all products updated since my last download (under my account section)
17. View all products awaiting my review (under my account section)
18. Select how you wish to be contacted by publishers (under my account section)

Please let me know if you can't find all 18, I am more than happy to help you!

Happy Easter Egg hunting for freebies my friends!!

There are numerous lists like this one floating around homeschool blogs and homeschool chat room communities. I found all 18 on my own and am simply trying to make the search easier and less time consuming for the rest of you.

Review: Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles

Recently, I was given the opportunity to review Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles through MamaBuzz. I was excited to receive this book in the mail because simplifying my families' diet has been something I have been interested in for quite a while. It wasn't until recently though that I began taking steps to reduce preservatives, processing, and unhealthy cooking methods in our daily diet. A few changes in our diet includes no more goldfish, no more fruit snacks, and no more store bought fruit juice; just to name a few. I have been wanting to cook and eat more "raw" foods for a while but I wasn't quite sure where and how to start. Everything I read on raw eating seemed overwhelming and complicated. So essentially I eliminated most processed foods and stopped there; not quite sure on the next step to take in preparing and cooking simpler for my family. Then came the request to review Raw Energy, yeah!


As soon as that book arrived in the mail I sat down and started reading. Not only is this book filled with tasty and easy to prepare recipes, it is chalked full of helpful and easy to understand advice and education on eating raw. Tourles has simplified a once complicated concept into an easy to use and follow way of eating and living. As I quickly came to understand from reading this book, raw eating is truly easier than the way I was accustomed to preparing and cooking meals. While raw eating is a minimalist approach to cooking, it does not sacrifice taste in the least. In fact, my family and I have come to realize that raw eating is actually more flavorful. Not only does raw eating retain the natural flavors of foods it also keeps all the vitamins and minerals that nature intended in our foods. 


In Raw Energy Stephanie Tourles educates the reader about the fundamentals of raw eating as well as 4 chapters of tasty recipes for raw snacks, smoothies, soups, and energy bars. In addition to the wonderful recipes accompanied with beautiful and tasty looking pictures I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which Tourles outlines essential gadgets in the kitchen for raw cooking. Contrary to my first impressions, raw cooking does not require expensive appliances or items that I would use on a very limited basis. In fact, I have everything in my house already except for a food dehydrator; which I have been considering purchasing for a while. Stephanie makes recommendations for each of the gadgets necessary for raw cooking; she includes recommendations in a variety of price ranges to fit every budget.


Anxious to try a few of the recipes in this book I made Juicy Apple Muesli and Pecan Raisin Balls. I chose these two recipes because I had the ingredients on hand and they did not require a dehydrator. Both recipes were incredibly easy and quick to make. Oh and the taste, wow! My family and I quickly devoured both goodies. I felt so good having my children eat these wholesome and nutrient packed treats. They had no idea that what they were eating was good for them! Once I get a dehydrator I am looking forward to trying many more of the snack, bar, and soup recipes in this book. One thing I would really love to see in another of Stephanie's book is raw recipes for main dishes.


While I normally give away copies of books I review, such will not be the case for Raw Energy. I do not want to give up my only copy, this wonderful book will be a permanent addition to my recipe books. But I do want to encourage each of you to pick up your own copy if you have ever considered simplifying your families eating while retaining all the vitamins and minerals that nature intended in your foods.

From the publisher:

Raw snacks are nature’s original fast foods—delicious, easy to prepare, and bursting with the ingredients you need to stay healthy and energized on even the busiest days. Stephanie Tourles offers 125 simple recipes for mouthwatering parfaits, trail mixes, smoothies, energy bars, juice blends, soups, vegetable chips, dips, candies, cookies, and more. Made from unprocessed whole foods—such as nuts, seeds, dried and fresh fruits, vegetables, oats, carob, cocoa, and fresh juices—these snacks have fewer than 250 calories and are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and enzymes.

Raw Energy

By: Stephanie Tourles

Retail Value: $16.95

Disclaimer: Mama Buzz and reviewers received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Tough Chicks Reminds Me of Homeschool Kids

Tonight at bedtime I read Little Ms.Tough Chicks by Cece Meng. What a cute story! Not only was my daughter enjoying the story but so was I, which I believe is a mark of a good children's story. The art work is adorable and the story reads very easily. The thing that struck me most was the lesson taught in the book; essentially that it is ok to be different. We all have something to contribute and we are all important. There is nothing wrong with being tough or thinking outside of the box.

Isn't that what homeschooling is all about? Homeschool parents often hear that their kids are different or act strange. Just like the Mother hen in Tough Chicks. But like the Mother Hen we don't mind that our children are different or think and act outside of the box. Isn't that one of our purposes? (at least it is one of mine) I want my kids to think for themselves and find their own original solutions to problems that they encounter in life. The chicks in this story work together to use physics to figure out how to get the cow out of the mud pile. When reading this page I immediately thought of a group of homeschool kids working on a science project. Rather than being given the solution or holding their hands like what often happens in public school, these chicks were allowed to come together and work out a successful solution on their own. Because of their success they saved the farm and were no longer thought of as "bad" different but rather "good" different. Just like homeschool kids. Yep, they might be different but that is a GOOD thing! In my humble opinion!

Free Teaching Resources

I stumbled across Super Teacher Worksheets this evening as I was planning lessons for this upcoming week. All of the worksheet resources are FREE!! Who doesn't love free in this economy?!? There is a wide variety available for Math, Language Arts, Spelling, Holidays, and even fun puzzles. Each worksheet includes an answer key. As I write this I am printing off a bunch of them and will compile them into a binder of "worksheets" for using later.

Also, if you haven't already heard Lesson Pathways is now totally FREE! This is a great site for planning lessons. I am mainly using it with my oldest (3rd grade) for language arts lessons. I love that they have lessons to accompany a multitude of the readers for his age. Right now he is reading Stuart Little and then we will move on to The Trumpet Swan. Lessons Pathways has fun lessons for each of these books including many more.

My House is Beauitful

My house isn't anything fancy or spectacular. But it is the house that my husband and I have been blessed with and we are thankful for that. 

As I worked around the house today cleaning this and picking up that I realized that my house is beautiful because I have kids. Yep, there I said it. Despite the constant clutter and the never ending picking up I do behind my whilrwind children I am blessed. I have a house full of laughter, joy, prayer, and togetherness.

As I gazed out my kitchen window while doing dishes this afternoon I was blessed with the sight of a windsock my 5 year old made in Sunday school 2 weeks ago.  If I didn't have my son that windsock would have never been there. My children provide me with love, heartache, and a lifetimes worth of blessings. 

My house is beautiful! And so is yours if you have kids.

You Are My Sunshine!

Tonight as I was putting my sweet daughter to bed I sang her "You Are My Sunshine". This is one of her favorites so she requested it a few more times. The last couple of times I had tears in my eyes because she was singing along in her sweet little voice. She truly is my sunshine!

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy, when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

Bible Lessons For Your Kids; Sermons4Kids

Recently I was introduced to Sermons4Kids by a friend on The Homeschool Lounge. I have been teaching my boys (and daughter when she feels like listening) the Bible since school started in August. I was never really happy with anything I found though, so before I found Sermons4Kids I had resorted to reading bible stories from books I found at the library. Sure they had pretty pictures and were easy, they didn't provide the "meaty" lessons with real life applications that I wanted for my quickly growing children. Not only do the weekly lessons from Sermon4Kids provide worthwhile lessons with real life applications they also supplement with a coloring page and word search for each lesson. My boys love coloring and searching for the words while I read. More often than not they stop what they are doing to listen intently to the beautiful story I am reading. You can sign-up to have each lesson e-mailed to you every Monday morning for your convenience. I am enjoying printing off previous lessons from their archives.

Please let me know what you think of these lessons or if you know of other well written bible lessons that are free.

FREE: Math Fact Worksheets

I have created addition and subtraction math fact worksheets to help reinforce these important facts with my children. Included are worksheets for each number from 0-10 as well as cumulative review sheets. If you child needs some extra practice with these important math facts, please enjoy this file for FREE. It is my pleasure to share this with you.

Click here for Traveling Math Facts

I appreciate your feedback. Please let me know what you like/ do not like about this document.

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God Giveaway Winner

The winner of Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh is Steph. Congratulations Steph, you have 48 hours to contact me with your mailing address.

Be sure and enter my latest giveaway Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont.

Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont; Review & Giveaway

 In Kaleidoscope: Seeing God's Wit and Wisdom in a Whole New Light  Patsy Clairmont takes her reader on an enlightening journey through the book of Proverbs. 33 carefully chosen verses from Proverbs begin each chapter and provide the topical framework for the entire chapter. Along with practical advice Clairmont also adds in her own mix of life experiences and writing humor. Each of the 33 chapters are short year insightful. This book is a very easy read full of advice, humor, and scripture.

I was very excited to receive this book in the mail. I immediately opened the envelope and began reading as my children played outside around me. Within 2 short days I devoured this book and enjoyed every minute of it. The chapters are short but full of advice, real life experiences from the author, and lots of witty humor. Countless times while reading I found myself chuckling as I imagined petite and eccentric Patsy struggling in the airport or mothering her growing boys. Clairmont chose 33 powerful verses from Proverbs which relate to not only her own life but also the lives of women across the country. We all struggle from time to time and this book is a wonderful reminder of how to keep it all in perspective. Patsy's struggles are real and cut to the very core of the history that is buried deep within many of us. She has triumphed through the struggles God put in her life and has used these experiences to write a powerful, witty, and humorous book based on scripture and life. If you ever get a chance to read this book, I highly recommend it.

From the publisher

Acclaimed author and Women of Faith speaker Patsy Clairmont causes womens' hearts to leap and their hopes to lift in this quirky, straight-to-the point look at the Proverbs.

Understanding the Christian life and the Bible can be a daunting task. But maybe God didn't mean it to be so hard. In Kaleidoscope of Proverbs, Patsy Clairmont pieces together some powerful messages from God and reveals new facets of beauty, inspiration, and instruction. Written for busy women, Patsy offers brief, powerful chapters that address the key aspects of their lives, hearts, and relationships.

In the Proverbs, God gives us small gems of hope and truth, and in Kaleidoscope of Proverbs, Patsy Clairmont unveils them for readers with her trademark humor and insightful teaching.

Thomas Nelson publishing kindly provided me with free copy of Kaleidoscope in exchange for my honest review of this book.

If you would like an opportunity to read Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont I am giving away a free copy to one of my readers. To enter this giveaway leave a comment on why you want to read this book.

You will receive additional entries for the following:

* grab my button from the side of my blog

* follow me through networked blogs or a reader; or both :)

* facebook about my giveaway.

* tweet my giveaway, one entry for each daily tweet

* blog about my giveaway

Please include relevant links in your comment when appropriate. This giveaway will end April 1st, 2010, midnight PST.

Can you wink?

There is a running joke in our house that Mom can't wink. And it is true. Honestly, I can't wink. So whenever my family wants a good laugh they ask me to try and wink. I will save you the pain of watching my face contort as I try to make only one eye close. But be rest assured that it is so funny it brings everyone to tears with laughing. Like tongue rolling, ear lobe shapes, and eye color, I suspect my inability to wink is genetic (or at the very least a muscle deficiency). So far my oldest can wink but my daughter is unable. There is still time for her to learn, but I know my boys were winking by her age so I have hope that she will be my partner in non-winking-dom. When asked to wink she will either close both of her eyes or do this:

Isn't she cute!!!

I don't mind being the comic relief for my family, it is fun to see them laugh so hard at my expense. My inability to wink will be one of those things my kids will tell their kids. Even into my old age I will be able to make those around me laugh without even saying a word. Perhaps Little Ms. will join me in the comic sessions and we can bring our family to tears with our contorted "trying" to wink faces.

Low Carb Eating and Type 1 Diabetes

Have you ever stopped to think about how many carbohydrates (in grams) you consume everyday? I didn't think so. Other than the low carb fad diets that pop up from time to time I hadn't given carbs a second thought in my own diet until a fateful day in November 2006. My husband had just turned 31 and I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter. In one week he lost his job and got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. To say the least, our world was turned upside down. After the carb withdrawal dust settled we adapted nicely to our new low-carb diabetes diet.

I whole-heartedly believe that if more people watched their carb loads the obesity epidemic would not exist. My own experience is a testament to that fact. No I have never been obese but I have seen a dramatic difference in my weight since counting carbs. My husband too has seen a dramatic difference in his weight but some of that can be attributed to his diabetes so I will leave his weight loss out of this story.

As I mentioned above I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter when my husband was diagnosed and our eating habits were turned upside down. Rather than changing only my husband's diet our entire family started eating according to his requirements. In the final 4 months of my pregnancy I gained 10 pounds, for a total my entire pregnancy of 18 pounds. Compare that to 35 pounds gained in my first pregnancy. Carbohydrates are notorious diet killers and cause us all to quickly pack on the pounds.  The average American's daily carb intake is in the high hundreds of grams, for some people it nears 800 grams. This is just insane! No wonder everywhere you look people are struggling with their weight.

My husband's daily carbohydrate intake is less than two hundred grams. Please keep in mind this is a little higher than recommended for most type 1 diabetics because he is tall, 6'3". On average he eats 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Like my husband I too eat around 200 grams of carbohydrates per day. Of course I have had to alter my meal planning, but after over 3 years it has become second nature. It can become habit for you too, if you so desire.

How do you count total carbs? Simple. For packaged foods subtract the fiber (in grams) from the carbohydrates (in grams) to calculate the total carbs per food. For fruits, vegetables, and other common foods consult Carbohydrate Counting for Common Foods (a pdf).

total carbohydrates (g) - fiber  (g) = net carbohydrate amount per serving/food 

In addition to carb counting, here are some simple ways to drastically reduce your carb load for the day:

1. You do not need bread, rice, potatoes, or other starches with every meal.
2. Eliminate desserts. But rather make it a special treat once a week or so.
3. But whole wheat. The fiber count in whole wheat is higher, therefore the total carb for the food will be lower.
4. Substitute an extra portion of veggies for a serving of starch.

Low carb eating is not a diet for my family, it is our way of life.

Are you struggling with your waistline? Count your daily carbs for one week, you just might be sabotaging your diet and exercise efforts.

Stay tuned for low carb meal ideas.

Family Friendly Friday #4

When is the last time you disinfected your child's bath toys?

Because bath toys typically do not have a chance to fully dry out between bath time use they can grow nasty germs very quickly. If your kids are like mine, their bath toys are in their mouth at least once every bath time. I cringe to think about the germs they ingest from their toys. The solution is simple though; regularly clean those toys. I like to clean our toys twice a month. I clean our bathrooms every week so every other time I clean I pop the toys in a disinfecting wash. Also, I have done away with the squirting bath toys, you know the ones that hold water inside a fun animal shape. There is no good way to get those clean and they grow bacteria quickly.

Here is the recipe I use to wash our toys:

1/2 cup white vinegar per gallon of warm water
Submerge the toys, let them soak for 10 minutes or more.
Finish cleaning by scrubbing them with a sponge or soft bristle brush.
Let dry and they can be enjoyed again, nice and clean.

Promoting Healthy Eating in Children

As I sit here eating a late night treat I thought I would write about promoting healthy eating in your children. Oxymoron? Most definitely, but my kids don't know where I stash the girl scout cookies! :)

All too often friends of mine complain about what their kids eat, how picky they are, and a wide variety of other complaints centered around their children eating. One question always pops in my head. . .and exactly where did your kids get the horrible things they are eating? You see where I am going with this post.

Friends, family, and even strangers in restaurants comment on how well my children eat. Everyday my children get varying servings of lean proteins, vegetables, fruit, low fat dairy, and low carb snacks. Why do my kids eat the stuff that other kids their age turn their nose up at? One answer, it is the only option they have. I do not buy processed snacks, frozen dinners, fried quick meals, or anything else that congeals when cold. My children truly know nothing else other than healthy eating. It is normal to them, they know nothing else. But guess what? They don't complain about it either. My kids have all eaten salad starting at age 2, fresh fruit from the time they could chew, and dinner is always made fresh. Of course there is a special night here and there when we order pizza or go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. These are special occasions though and my kids know not to expect them. No, I am not a treat or sweets warden. I am a sucker for chocolate and my dear husband almost always has some stash in the house for me. I share with my kids but they do not expect it everyday. Desert is not a staple in our house. When planning a meal I do not include desert simply because of a personal decision my husband and I have made to raise a healthy family.

So how do you promote healthy eating habits in your own family?
1. First and foremost, you are the example your kids will follow. Make healthy food choices. No more processed junk or fried yuck in the house. My daughter always wants to eat what is in my hand, no matter what it is. So naturally she has grown up eating healthy because she sees and eats what I eat. This has also proved to be an added incentive for my own healthy eating. I know she is going to want what I have, so I have to eat healthy if I want her to eat healthy.

2. Make healthy snacks available to your children. Keep the healthy stuff at their eye level with easy access. Veggies should be placed in a low drawer in the refrigerator. Keep a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. My kids are always climbing on the kitchen counter to get a piece of fruit. Keep healthy snacks in the pantry at their eye level.

3. Think about your grocery purchases. Do you really need that bag of potato chips? Is there a better alternative to chicken strips and cheez-its? Of course there is. Save money and just don't buy them. You may hear a complaint or two for a couple of weeks. After that though, they will get used to the healthier alternatives.

4. Plan your meals. Stopping rushing around at night trying to scrounge something decent to eat. This leads to foods of convenience and they are generally not the healthiest choice for your family. Plan 1 or 2 weeks at a time, maybe even a month at a time. Use your crock pot as much as possible, they are convenient and will save you a ton of time.

5. Set limits. When your children ask for a snack give them 2 healthy choices and do not waver in your decision. Also, when you are out to eat look over the childrens menu and let your child decide from the 2 most healthy options.

As a parent it is your responsibility to your children to teach them healthy eating habits. No your kid isn't just big boned. No she isn't going to hit a growth spurt big enough to allow her to grow into the pudge around her belly. "He has always been big" can no longer be an excuse for overweight children. Get them moving, exercising, and eating right all day everyday. Don't send your children out into this world with self-confidence issues centered around their weight, do not ill equip them to deal with the fat and sugar laden food that will bombard their senses when they begin to live on their own. Just as you educate them about the 3 R's also teach them about food choices, portion control, and self control. You owe it to them.