Try the free download for a short unit study on "Swamps and Marshes":
Happy Homeschooling! :-)
Friday, January 29, 2016
Free Download from CurrClick
Have you seen all that CurrClick has to offer for homeschoolers? This is a great one-stop shop for downloads from lots of your favorite publishers!
Try the free download for a short unit study on "Swamps and Marshes":
Try the free download for a short unit study on "Swamps and Marshes":
Thursday, January 28, 2016
"Atoms & Molecules" Freebie
You can download the "Atoms & Molecules" Freebie, as well as several other science and history unit study freebies from Susan Kilbride, here:
Happy Homeschooling! :-)
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Homeschool Coffeehouse
This morning we had Coffeehouse for homeschool. We probably do this once a quarter or so, usually on a Friday, but this week Wednesday worked better. We all get hot drinks, sometimes we stay in our pajamas, and we curl up with quilts on the couch or in the recliners. Then each of the kids takes turns presenting all the projects they've been working on over the last few weeks. This may include artwork, book reports, lap books, science or history reports, creative writing assignments, etc. It's generally very casual (as you would guess from the pajamas and the quilts). We have other times when the kids are expected to memorize their material, work on their public speaking, and present their reports in a more professional way. Coffeehouse is just a fun time of sharing. They can read from their papers without being told to make eye contact, and I rarely make any corrections of anything they share, unless it's obvious that they just don't know what they are talking about, or unless they are being so silly that nothing is getting done. This casual day usually does lend itself to quite a bit of silliness, though, and just some all around fun. Learning is supposed to be fun, right?
Here are our Swirling Snowflakes Mini-Lapbooks that we presented today (these are FREE this week on Kindle - check one post down on the blog).
Sometimes instead of doing a full lapbook, we put all of our mini-books on sheets of card-stock and keep them in notebooks. This saves some time and storage space. We are doing this with our "Systems of the Body" lap books so that we can keep all the information from the different systems together in one notebook. We started with the Skeletal System.
And finally, some sketchbook artwork:
What ideas do you use to make homeschool projects and reports fun?
Happy Homeschooling! :-)
Swirling Snowflakes Mini-Lapbook FREEBIE!
New Kindle FREEBIE from Knowledge Box Central! Download and share the link!
Happy Lapbooking! :-)
Monday, January 25, 2016
New FREEBIES from Share the Memories
Check out the new FREEBIES from
Share the Memories!
Click on images to be taken to downloads.
Created by:
Available FREE until:
January 31
Happy Scrapping!
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Flyby Review: Captive DVD and Giveaway
When we got home, my daughter picked up this DVD and said, "Mom, did you get this movie, Captive?"
"Yes," I said. "Flyby Promotions sent me that to review. We need to watch it."
"Do you know what it's about?" she asked excitedly. "It's about the story the minister was talking about this morning!" Sometimes the timing is amazing!
From what I can tell, the movie has stayed fairly true to the real story. There is a disclaimer at the beginning that it deals with adult content, so be aware of that before watching this with young children. Brian Nichols' original trial was for rape, then he killed 4 people, and then he terrorized Ashley in her apartment for seven hours. There are no graphic scenes in the movie, but the content is for a mature audience. That said, we watched it with all four of our children, ranging from ages 10 to 16. They all enjoyed it and were moved by it. It opened a window for us to talk about things like drug abuse and consequences for one's actions.
This is one of my favorite movies I have seen in a while (sorry, I saw the new Star Wars right before Christmas, so I can't really say it's THE favorite!), and I think the reason is its authenticity. I love a lot of the new Christian movies coming out from places like PureFlix Entertainment (you can see reviews elsewhere on my blog), and I think they are wholesome for my kids to watch. Even so, sometimes the answers in the "Christian" stories come too easily. Person A has Problem A. Person B, while admitting they are not perfect and do not have it all together, really does have things pretty "together" in comparison, and is able to offer the help needed. Person B says the exact right words, Person A has some life-changing event, Person A immediately turns life around and possibly accepts Christ that very night, and they all live happily ever after. That's not even the way it always happened in the Bible. After reading the story of "The Rich Young Ruler" in Matthew 19, I've had students ask, "Did he ever come back to Christ? Did he ever decide to give up his riches for God?" The answer is, we don't know. These are big decisions that most people cannot make quickly. Most of the time, our impact on people's lives cannot be measured in a short period of "I say this, you believe that, you accept Christ, and the problems are gone."
In Captive, we have a story of two lost people, who both have different problems, but who are both struggling with drug addiction and missing a child they are not able to raise. At one point, the captor asks the captive, "If I were the one who killed your husband, could you forgive me?" She says, "I really don't know. But maybe God could." It's very real. It's the way things really could and really did happen - not something we get in very many movies from any worldview. Ashley's life was changed permanently for the better. Was Brian's? Only time can tell.
The production and the acting in the movie were excellent, the main character being played by one of our recent favorite actresses, Kate Mara (Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, Summer Jones/Wonder in Zoom). Brian Nichols is played by Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo (Agent Kallus in Star Wars Rebels and Steven Jacobs in Rise of the Planet of the Apes).
Want to win your own FREE copy of Captive? Just leave a comment below or on my Facebook page with the name of your favorite recent movie. I'll hold the drawing one week from today, on Saturday, January 30.
About the movie:Based on a miraculous story about the power of faith, Captive is an "amazing, inspiring" drama about the spiritual collision of two lost souls, Brian Nichols (Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo), on the run from police and desperate to make contact with his newborn son, takes recently widowed mother Ashley Smith (Kata Mara) hostage in her own apartment. Fearing for her life and desperately hoping to see her daughter again, she turns to Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life for guidance. Ashley and her captor face a crossroads where they discover hope and light in the midst of despair in the moving film that Dick Rolfe, CEO, Dove Foundation hailed as "powerful."
DVD Release Date: January 5, 2016Runtime: 96 minutesRating: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements involving violence and substance abuse)
There are over 30 minutes of bonus content on this DVD including Journey Through Darkness: Filming Captive and Faith and The Purpose Driven Life. Also included with this DVD is a Digital HD copy that can be instantly streamed and downloaded.
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For more information about the true story, see Today News.
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Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Flyby Review: The Plans I Have For You Devotional and Journal and Giveaway
We have been very privileged in the last few weeks to have the opportunity to review The Plans I Have For You Devotional and Journal by Amy Parker and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. At first, I was wanting to use this as a devotional with the whole family in the evenings. It was not designed for that, and it didn't work too well for that. The Bible readings are very short, and although we used the discussion questions for our group discussion, it didn't work well without each child having the journal, and my older children lost interest.
The strength of this devotional is the "total package" it offers for one child or preteen to use for personal devotions. With a Bible reading, questions for thought, places to write, and places to color or doodle, it encourages deep thought and the use of different learning mechanisms for the student. I gave the devotional book and the journal to my 12-year-old daughter to use, and she loved it! Her own review is below.
The Plans I Have For You is a brightly colored devotional book with lots of places to draw and create, and is sure to impress younger children. This book is very interactive, and will be a fun learning experience for the whole family. The Plans I Have For You teaches us that God has planned out our future, and He can (and will) use us for His big plan. The Plans I Have For You has two books. The first book has Bible scripture to read, and the second has devotional questions to discuss. I liked the books. The illustrations were pretty, and the questions and reading were pretty well written.
--Madeleine, Review-writing debut
This book is a great devotional to use along with the journal, especially if you have a child who loves to write, draw, and create. It is an original concept and a fresh way of getting your teen or pre-teen to spend time in the Scriptures and to enjoy it. I highly recommend The Plans I Have For You Devotional and Journal, especially for pre-teen or young teen girls.
About The Plans I Have For You Devotional: The devotional is an illustrated 90-day devotional written by bestselling children's book author Amy Parker and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, teaching and inspiring kids to dream about their future, to focus on faith, love, and joy, and recognize that God has a plan and purpose for each and every one of us.
Hardcover; 160 pages
Age Range: 8-12 years
About The Plans I Have For You Journal:The journal prompts creative thinking and exploration of the talents and personalities that make us special, and then helps explore how God may use our unique traits to spread love and joy and make the world a better place.
Stationery; 208 pages
Age Range: 11-14 years
About author Amy Parker:Amy Parker has sold more than thirty books for children, teens, and adults. She has also collaborated with authors ranging from New York Times bestsellers to her very own son. Two of these collaborations are recipients of Christian retailing's Best Awards, and she has also won three Mom's Choice Awards. But Amy's greatest reward is being a wife to Daniel and a mom to their amazing sons, Michael and Ethan.
About illustrator Vanessa Brantley-Newton:Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter. Her passion for children's books began when she came across The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats as a child in the 1960s. Growing up in a musical family who love to sing, Vanessa's illustrations are as fun and whimsical as a beautiful melody. Vanessa currently makes her nest in Charlotte, NC with her husband of 20 years, their daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named Stripes.
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Of course, I'd love to give one of these away! If you would like to enter the drawing to win your own copy of The Plans I Have For You Devotional and Journal, leave a comment here or on my Facebook page with the name of your favorite children's Bible storybook or devotional book. Or you can just say, "I don't have a favorite"; maybe this one will be your new favorite! The drawing will be held one week from today, on Thursday, January 28.
Happy Reading!
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
New FREEBIES from Share the Memories!
Check out the new FREEBIES from
Share the Memories!
Click on images to be taken to download.
Created by:
And
Available FREE until:
January 24
Happy Scrapping!
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Flyby Review: PASSION Salvation's Tide Is Rising Album and Giveaway
Christian Contemporary music albums are always a big hit with my kids, and this one was no exception. We were so excited for the chance to preview Passion: Salvation's Tide Is Rising! Although my review post is a bit late, that is not indicative of our excitement for the album. We were listening to it and enjoying it as soon as we got it! My kids have been eagerly syncing it onto their listening devices.
First, let me give you a little background info on the Passion Movement:
About The Passion Movement:The Passion Movement and the messages of founder Louis Giglio have marked the lives of millions of people around the globe, calling people everywhere to live for the glory of God. From its inception, the movement of Passion has birthed new anthems of worship, influencing countless churches and helping to define the current worship climate and establish artists Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill and others. Louie Giglio is the pastor and founder of Passion City Church in Atlanta, GA.Some of the songs on this album were written specifically for Passion 2016, while others are songs we've been singing in our church for a while now. I really enjoyed the album for several reasons. One was the big names that are always favorites in our house that were featured, including Crowder, Chris Tomlin, and Matt Redman. Another reason is that while this is an album of praise songs, they also really have their own distinct sound.
I look for musical variety, meaningful lyrics, and excellence in performance to put on my personal playlist. With all the different artists featured, this album definitely fit the bill for musical variety and excellence in performance. All the songs seemed full of heartfelt worship. I think my favorite song on the album, and the one with the most meaningful lyrics, was "My Victory" by Crowder.
We are still looking for more contemporary music with really meaningful lyrics. We are very eclectic in our musical tastes, and I can sing hymns all day or praise along with the modern praise songs. I do miss the "meat" in the lyrics of a lot of the modern songs, which seem to be full of a lot of emotion and "milk" for believers. Some worship leaders I've read lately advocate going back to hymns to find this meaning that is missing from a lot of our modern worship. I don't know that going back to hymns, though I love them, will really help us reach a modern generation. In the last few decades, some of my husband's and my favorite artists have been Michael W. Smith, Rich Mullins, and Michael Card, all of whom had rich lyrics along with excellent music. Even Petra and some rap groups like DC Talk and later TobyMac have excelled in this area. I think this is a challenge the rising generation of songwriters needs to meet, but that is a topic for another post!
Meanwhile, if you enjoy modern worship music, I'm sure you will enjoy this album. Comment here or on my Facebook page with your favorite worship artist - modern or not - to enter the drawing to win a FREE copy of this album! The drawing will be held one week from today, on Tuesday, January 26.
Thanks for reading my reviews!
About Salvation's Tide Is Rising:This brand new Passion album contains new studio recordings from best-selling artists Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Matt Redman, and Kristian Stanfill. It features new songs written specifically for Passion 2016. Release Date is January 29, 2016.
Track List:1. Salvation's Tide is Rising - Passion featuring Kristian Stanfill
2. My Victory - Passion featuring Crowder
3. Remember - Passion featuring Brett Younker & Melodie Malone
4. God & God Alone - Passion featuring Chris Tomlin
5. Simple Pursuit - Passion featuring Melodie Malone
6. I Turn to Christ - Passion featuring Matt Redman
7. Your Grace Amazes Me - Passion featuring Christy Nockels
8. All We Sinners - Passion featuring Crowder
9. Surrender - Passion featuring Jimi Cravity
10. Good Good Father - Passion featuring Kristian Stanfill
About Passion albums:Since the first release in 1998, Passion albums have sold over 1.3 million units while introducing the church to worship songs like "Our God", "Holy Is The Lord", "How Great Is Our God", and "God Of This City". Passion is coming off its best charting radio success in 5 years with the single "Even So Come", which went Top 5.
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One more really helpful resource: if you would like to perform these songs in your own church or worship group, you can find the lyrics and chords for most of them, along with hundreds of others, with a free membership in Worship Together at http://www.worshiptogether.com.
"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
Thursday, January 7, 2016
New Share the Memories Freebies!
Check out the new Freebies from Share the Memories!
Scrap your New Year's Eve Pictures with this sample from
Make a fun hybrid project with this box template from
Available FREE until:
January 10
Happy Scrapping! :-)
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Complete Christmas Nativity Mini-Lapbook Free TODAY ONLY!
In case you missed any of the 12 Days of Christmas Freebies on Kindle from Knowledge Box Central, you may download the whole Christmas Nativity mini-lapbook for free TODAY ONLY!
Happy Lapbooking!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
12 Days of Christmas Kindle Freebies - Day 12!
Day 12 available of the 12 Days of Christmas Freebies on Kindle
from Knowledge Box Central!
Today is the last day of our daily download!
If you've missed any days, check back tomorrow,
Wednesday, January 6, to get them all for
one day only!
This month is the one-year anniversary of the publication of my second children's book, Amazing Plants by Design!
Grab it for $4.99 on Kindle!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Monday, January 4, 2016
12 Days of Christmas Kindle Freebies - Days 9, 10, and 11!
Days 9, 10, and 11 available of the 12 Days of Christmas Freebies on Kindle from Knowledge Box Central!
Looking for a new, fun unit study for the second half of the school year?
$4.99
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Friday, January 1, 2016
12 Days of Christmas Kindle Freebies - Day 8!
Day 8 available of the 12 Days of Christmas Freebies on Kindle from Knowledge Box Central!
Also, try our New Year's Resolutions Mini-Lapbook for $4.99!
Happy New Year!!
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