Thrift Schooling

$39.00 Apologia Educational Ministries  is well known for it's powerful apologetic style, creation-based science materials for home education use. But did you know they also provide materials for your child to help develop a Biblical worldview by studying world history from a Christian perspective?  What On Earth Can I Do Hardback Book , is the fourth book in the What We Believe Series that helps children in grades first through sixth to become good stewards of the life and giftings that God has given unto them! To go along with this study you can purchase the  What On Earth Can I Do Notebooking Journal ,  What On Earth Can I Do Junior Notebooking Journal  (for the younger ones) and the  What On Earth Can I Do Coloring Book . $24.00 In our homeschool, I chose to use this study with my second grader.  I knew that I would be introducing new topics such as WWII, Hitler and the Holocaust and didn't think that my younger two were ready ...

5- The Potty Putter A bad idea simple because your dad might actually consider using this, and then hog the bathroom. 4- The Uro Club Just use a tree, people!    3- Sauna Pants Join a pool club, you'll look cooler. 2- Snazzy Napper For the dad who travels and doesn't want everyone seeing him drool on the plane. 1- Happy Hot Dog Man But wait... there's more!

K5 Learning has an  online reading and math program  for kindergarten to grade 5 students. I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program. If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an  online learning review  of their program.

If you're looking for a fun romantic   comedy series wrapped in a drama, then this show is for you! The Executive Producer of Touched By An Angel,   Martha Williamson , has brought you this new, original series entitled Signed, Sealed, Delivered . The setting? A Post Office The characters? Postal Detectives Does this sound humorous? It is, and heartwarming too, as Hallmark shows usually are. This show reminds me of the humor of The Office mixed with Psych 's humor, with more of a serious and heart tugging message. As for The Office and Psych , even though I find those shows funny, I don't watch them anymore because of the foul language and often inappropriate themes not conducive to Christianity. It's always encouraging to find a show or movie that doesn't compromise my beliefs. After watching a sneak peek of Signed, Sealed and Delivered's upcoming episode (airing Sunday 8/7c on Hallmark), my husband and I felt like this was a show that w...

Dinner. Again? It doesn't have to be as stressful as it sounds. If you're anything like me though, when you think of dinner, you think of a nice well thought-out prepared meal. Well, let's get real. We aren't going to bust out the china every single night and every meal does not have to be crazy extravagant! We all know that you can cook up that special dish your friends and family rave about but honestly, you don't need to prove your Betty Crockerness at every meal. Trust me, I fell into this trap thinking that I needed to do this, why? No clue, but I'm over it now and will definitely take a short cut now and then! 5 Easy Dinners Leftover Chicken Casserole Grilled Ham and Cheese  Chili and Rice Spaghetti and Angel Hair Pasta   Hot Dogs and Sauerkraut There is no shame in simplicity. Take a break once in a while, it's okay!

Golden Prairie Press  is a comprehensive complete American History program for grades 1-6. Our family has been working through the Digital Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Curriculum over the past few weeks and we have been pleasantly surprised! (Updated Link to Store *8/13/24) $98.99 Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Part 1 ebook  Sample Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Part 2 ebook Additional Materials Downloads This CD has supplemental materials.  Historical Skits ebook  Nineteen skits from the time of Columbus to World War II. Sample  Sing Some History CD 20 Songs!  Sample Listen to Some U.S. History MP3 CD An audio collection of 20 original speeches, poems, sermons, and documents that are mentioned in the book. Sample Optional Book Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Coloring Book Sample Studying history through the eyes of...

I love the city. It's just I've become so out of practice. It's certainly not foreign to me, I grew up only 20 minutes outside of Rochester, NY. As a teen I would frequent the local coffee shops and enjoy spending time with my friends out in the city on a cool summer evening. Even on random weekends in college we would drive to Philly and  big sometimes even head out to the Big Apple on a long weekend. Then, I discovered the Blue Ridge Mountains. I've been converted. Farm living is the life for me! So, needless to say, that farm life is all my kids have known. Sure, we've visited some small cities, and even DC but we have never stayed in the heart of one for several days! Well, there's a first time for everything! Here are some fun new things the kids have seen... Ice Cream Trucks Emergency Vehicles Zooming By Up close Alley Cats (they want to take them all home!) Grocery Cart Blockers (so you can't take! them into the parking lot) Interesting...

We are so pleased to have been able to use  Logic of English  in our homeschool recently. Last year I tried a version meant for older aged children and even though my oldest was able to grasp it, his brother who is only a year younger just was not ready! I was thrilled to have been able to use  Foundations Level A  with him this year and pleasantly surprised with the quick and tangible results! Level A is written for children ages 4-7 so I chose to use it primarily with my six year old.  At first glance, I thought that the material might be too basic and easy for him. In the beginning the program works on how sounds are formed in the mouth and how to form the letters in writing. He already "knew" his sounds and letters but the problem was, when I would tell him that the number "three" was spelled with a " th " he would argue and say "no, it should start with an "f." I then realized that I really needed to go back to the basics ...

If you are anything like me in your homeschool, then when you first began you were ready to go with your first child. You pulled out all the stops. Basically, you taught them everything you know. In like, one month. Then you hit the library and Internet and searched for more and then you realize, "hey I know more than what I thought," and keep on going. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I seriously sang every song I could remember from my childhood, at least to my first kid I did. One of which was "Where is Thumbkin." A classic. Hey, it's important that our kids know what their fingers are called, right? Well, I taught this to my first two and didn't really focus so much on my youngest with the song. I mean, it's just a silly song. Bad idea. Because now when she "points" she uses her middle finger. Seriously. I say, "use your POINTER finger please," and realize I need to go over the song with her. Of course it's natura...

Step out of the confines of your classroom and take a walk into history when you visit the Frontier Culture Museum  in Staunton, Virginia! This living history museum brings you back in time to the period of history when the settling of colonial America began to take root in this part of the nation. Beginning in the Old World, visitors are able to see replicas of traditional West African homes similar to those of the slaves who were brought to the New World to work on tobacco plantations.  When we entered the West African site I was excited to share with my children a replica of the homes during these times! We are currently studying colonization and had just recently read about how slaves were brought over from Africa to work on the plantations. To be able to see, up close what the homes may have been like at those times will now be etched in their little minds! This museum is self guided and very hands-on. Basically, you go at your own pace and when you arrive a...

ARTistic Pursuits  is an art program designed for students preschool through high school. In our homeschool, we have been working through the book,  Early Elementary K-3: Introduction to The Visual Arts . This level has been a perfect fit for us since it tends to be more advanced than the preschool material yet simple enough to explain the basics in a way that kindergarteners through third graders can understand. Our family is drawn to the arts and has a strong appreciation for the arts on many levels. The only problem is, I have no clue how to actually teach art. I have a passion for art and a small amount of knowledge but art history and technique are not my strengths. So having a course available to use in our homeschool that ties all of these aspects together has been exactly what we have needed! $47.95 When you purchase this book, you will receive a full school year's worth of lessons, all of which include fun and exciting projects geared towards younger el...