Thrift Schooling

It was a four mile hike.  At the crux of the fall season we ventured through winding trails, stone steps and wooden bridges with four kids in tow.  They did great. The kids kept pushing on. They knew that once they made it to the two mile mark- they would be greeted with the largest waterfall they've ever seen- 69 feet high! (It's true- I haven't taken them to Niagara Falls yet- I'm so ashamed.) For them- this was a big deal. My oldest son's jaw almost hit the ground when he turned around that last bend and finally witnessed the huge, gushing waterfall- it was bigger than he had ever imagined.  The trail follows a bubbling brook which creates a beautiful, scenic experience. Also, along the one side of the creek we found a wide variety of mushrooms.  The kids kept wanting to jump in. I'll admit, the kids were not the only ones that were tempted! We finally told them that once they made it to the large waterfall, they could take a dip. ...

Are you worried about having guns in your home? Afraid that your cat will become too curious? I mean, curiosity did kill the cat, didn't it? How To Talk To Your Cat About Gun Safety will answer burning questions that cat owners all across the country have been asking themselves.  What is the right age to talk to my cat about firearms? Is it even legal for my cat to own a gun? Is it wise to teach my cat how to use a gun? Aside from the burning issue of gun safety, the author addresses other hot topics including: Evolution Abstinence Online Safety Drugs Puberty Post Apocalyptic Survival Satanism Who is this book for? I have no idea. At first I thought this book was written by an ultra-right-wing conservative trying to push their beliefs in a humerous way. But, once I got into the book and looked at their fake website, fake author bio and fake story about how these books got started I starting thinking this book is completely mocking right wingers. I guess ...

Read and Share: Look, I'm Reading! Bible Storybook  is a perfect book for beginners. Young readers find joy in being able to 'read' with the help of images. I am not opposed to this concept. It builds confidence and gives them the courage to read a book that might otherwise seem intimidating. Some schools of thought frown completely on this style of teaching. They suggest giving the child no colors, no images, no hints and have them memorize phonetics first, before even attempting to read a phrase, sentence or a book. I disagree. I am a strong believer in immersion. I immerse my children in books, usually way above their reading level. By doing this, they are exposed to challenging vocabulary at a young age. With books like this, I encourage them to read as much as they can and then I help with the more difficult words. The pictures placed sporadically throughout the page help immensely because even though they might struggle through a few hard words, they can breathe ...

  40 Days To A Joyful Motherhood:  Devotions and Coloring Book To Nourish Mom Wouldn’t it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges women to find their faith, their true selves, and their family through daily doses of trial and error. It is a brilliant and healing time of life that is full of joy, pain, and beauty with a small side of crisis (and humor). What mothers do not know, they learn. And through this lifelong process of learning, they nurture and care for the most precious gifts on earth: children. In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these 10 minute daily devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood: —Self-acceptance —Self-care —Reconciling with grief, hope and expectations —Generosity —Presence —Forgiveness In addition to the devotions, these beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days ...

Snuggle up in front of a warm, cozy fire this Christmas and teach your tiny tot that though he is small, he too can do big things for God with the sweet board book, One Small Donkey .  This story follows a donkey who feels inadequate as he sees large horses prancing about. He wishes he were quicker and not as slow when his master calls for him. He trudges through and makes his way to Bethlehem. His reward? Witnessing the birth of an ever so special gift, God's son. This book presents the story of Jesus' birth in a way that a young child can understand. The pictures throughout the book are bright and creative and the cover sparkles with gold. Any young child would be thrilled to open this book on Christmas morning! Disclaimer: This book was provided by Book Look Bloggers. All opinions stated here are my own.

Yes, another Christmas review, but bear with me because there is bound to be at least one kid on your Christmas list that will light up over this! The Berenstain Bears Christmas Fun Sticker and Activity Book .  Taking a long trip to Grandma's house and need something to keep the little ones entertained? Planning a dinner out at a restaurant and fear that your kids will become restless? This activity book is written for children ages four through eight, and rightly so. Some activities are certainly geared towards writers such as the crossword puzzles, word searches and fill in the blanks. Some of the other activities would be fun for the older bunch but also doable for four and five year olds, like the dot-to-dot puzzles, coloring pages and patterns. The stickers, of course are perfect for all the ages within this range. I appreciate the variety, the vibrant colors and of course the lovable Bear family that we all know and love. This would make an adorable gift that won...

Pre-readers and young learners tend to be drawn to books where they have to look for hidden objects. I know mine always were at that age. Whenever we read one it seems like they thought they were getting away with something since it wasn't a book that technically was "read." Little did they know, this type of book was preparing them for basic reading skills down the road. The concept of searching is an integral aspect of reading, whether kids realize it or not. Seeking phonetic clues, trying to figure out the meaning of a homophone by reading it in context or looking at punctuation to get the feel of a sentence. Seek and find books are a great way to encourage kids to excited about books, and Ready, Set, Find Christmas is perfect for the holiday season.  The story follows Mary and Joseph as they prepare for the birth of God's Son. There are five sections in this book, each with a cute colorful tab providing easy access for little hands. Each section in...

Be whisked away on a journey that I am certain you have never experienced before. Daria Song brings the concept of adult coloring books to a whole new level in her book, The Night Voyage . Following a young girl who is left alone on her birthday with a pile of gifts to ease her mind, you will be entertained by her sense of adventure,generosity and playfulness. Taking her faithful cat along for the ride, she embarks on a mission of kindness when the conductor of her toy train comes to life. This book will provide you with hours of fun. The index of the book provides you with a picture index of the coloring pages found within the book. Each page is so beautifully created, allowing you to let your own imagination go wild as you color between the lines. I am impressed with the quality of this book from cover to cover and am convinced that you will be too! More Info Author Bio Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Blogging For Books. All thoughts expressed h...

Have you ever found the perfect online printable only to remember you are almost out of ink? Your printer technically still works and you know that the “low ink” warning will give you a few more decent pages. You Read More At Our Homeschool Forum .

Really Woolly 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury  is more than what I was expecting in a bedtime storybook. What I didn't realize was that this book is a bedtime devotional, which is an added bonus. While reading to your child at night is an excellent habit to instill in your young one, establishing a Bible reading routine is even more important. I appreciate how this book includes a a presentation page for those who want to give this book as a gift. It is well laid out with a complete table of contents listing the thirty devotionals. You are then greeted by an introduction for the parents explaining the importance of establishing a bedtime routine. Before you get to the meat of the book you will find two pages where you can write your own prayers for your child.  Each night you will have about five minutes of material to share with your child. Each devotional starts out with a short Bible verse and a simple, down to earth explanation that a child could relate to. The next page ...

A Night of Great Joy by Mary Engelbreit is a sweet rendition of the Christmas story. Presented in the form of a children's play, the message of the birth of Jesus is brought to life through beautiful, colorful illustration. When I was responsible for getting the preschoolers in our church dressed up as sheep, shepherds and the like for the Christmas program I would try not to stress over the details.  "They're kids," I would tell myself, "whatever they do up there on stage, will be cute!" Rather than expecting everything to run smoothly, I would remember that I was working with kids, young kids, and that their parents were going to be watching with pride for their children. Not once, do I remember every, single, child acting perfectly, but the families watching were certainly blessed!  Engelbreit does an amazing job portraying this very concept in her illustrations. In one picture, two children are fighting over a prop. In another, one child is hav...

What does your evening routine consist of? Are you a nighttime shower person? A face washer? Or do you simply go to bed and hope your mascara doesn't create a monstrous mess on your face by morning? Well, if you are anything like me, just going to bed doesn't cut it. My skin certainly isn't what it used to be and absolutely needs some TLC, even if just a little. Valentia has just released their new Night Revive Retinol Serum . This particular formula has been created to help fight wrinkles. It hydrates your skin, encouraging smoother, rejuvenated skin. The best part is, it is super easy to incorporate into your evening routine because it isn't necessary to apply each and every night. Actually, it is only recommended to use this serum every two to three days, at least until your skin adjusts. Once your skin gets used to the product, you can start using this each and every night, but you will be enjoying the benefits anyways so you'...

  Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are preparing for Hurricane Matthew to hit. For students in hurricane-affected states who are facing school closures but still want to participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day, the alternate date is Thursday, October 20. This brings about a good point: Any day can be a day you organize your friends to bring your Bibles to school together! By signing up during the month of October for Bring Your Bible to School Day (even if you missed the official celebration), you can download a free how-to guide for teens, parents, pastors, and elementary students. It's full of helpful information that will help you organize a day to take a stand for religious freedom and bring your Bible to school with your fellow classmates. Plus Bring Your Bible to School Comes to Adventures in Odyssey   Getting used to a new school isn’t easy, especially for someone as paranoid as Buddy Norman. In “A Predicament of Biblical Prop...

I am beyond elated with my new Bible. That's right, MY new Bible. So many of the books and Bibles that I have been reviewing have been for my kids but I finally went ahead and picked one out for me, and I couldn't be happier. When my NKJV Study Bible arrived in the mail, it felt like Christmas morning. I opened the package and was impressed with the quality packaging of this Bible. This would make a perfect gift for you, a friend, spiritual leader, or anyone who wants to delve deeper into God's Word.  The cover is a rich, turquoise, leathersoft, material. This Bible is thick and heavy. As it should be since it includes many, many study helps. Which I love. It includes the following: * Over 15,000 clear, readable, verse-by-verse study notes * Bible times and culture notes * Word studies with Strong's numbers * In-text maps and charts This is only a portion of what is included. This Bible is extremely reminsciant to my old, falling apart study Bible. It ha...

Homeschooling children of different ages is challenging. I've tried sticking to grade level appropriate textbooks with history and science. It doesn't work. I'm spending all. day. long. teaching a wide variety of topics, making my head spin.  I sit down to teach my oldest about explorers, a younger one about the good old U S of A and the kindergartner about community helpers. Before you know it, it's going on three in the afternoon. I haven't even started science yet. Combining history and science has been a game changer. The kids have become more engaged and feed off one another. I teach each one in an age appropriate manner, but they are all learning about the same subject, at the same time. Not only has this unified our homeschool but saved my sanity.  This fall, I plan to finish up our core textbooks that we have been trudging faithfully through the past few months and embark on some unit studies, to "take a break" of sorts. Listed below are...

Homeschooling went longer than usual. I sleepily open the fridge to make dinner only to notice that I never thawed any meat out that morning. Do I panic? I grew up walking to the grocery store in the suburbs. Picking up a meal or missing ingredient was never a big ordeal. Now that I'm a country girl, I am forced to designate one day a week to drive half and hour to town. "Running to the store," is not a part of my daily routine. Surprisingly, I don't panic. Yes, a few years ago I would have. I would have stressed out until my husband walked through the door and mumbled something about going out for pizza. Yet this time, I calmly take a step back and figure something out.         HOW DO WE BREAK THE CYCLE OF DEPENDENCE? Photo Credit: Morguefile How am I able to stay calm? How am I able to not be dependent on the grocery store and pre-packaged foods or meals when in a bind? Well, it certainly didn't come easy. When tim...

How much do you know about the Bible and its influence on our culture, history–and the whole world? Focus on the Family and Bring Your Bible have teamed up to create a quiz to test how much you and your kids know about the Bible. Take the quiz to find out!   Don't forget to mark your calendars to celebrate religious freedom with other students across the U.S. on October 6.  Bring Your Bible to School Day Students from kindergarten to college will be bringing their Bibles to school and sharing God with their friends in just a few short weeks.  Sign Up   And be a part of the movement to protect religious freedom for future generations. By signing up, you’ll receive a free guide with tips, downloadable posters, sticker and T-shirt designs, information on your legal rights, and other fun, interactive activities.  Plus Bring Your Bible to School Comes to Adventures in Odyssey! Getting used to a new school isn’t easy, especi...

We told our children, when they were young, there was one reason why we were teaching them to read. Obviously reading is important, if not necessary, to survive in our culture but that is not the reason.  We want them to be successful individuals. Ones that will not simply survive but thrive in their communities. But that is not why we were teaching them to read.  Reading encourages the imagination and stimulates the brain in a way that mindless entertainment never can, this is just a bonus.  We flat out told our children, that they were to learn to read, so they could read the Bible. Plain and simple. The Word of God is what will stand when the world is on fire. When trials and troubles come, the Word of God will bring comfort, healing and hope.  Even in pre-reading days, we memorize Scripture, as a family to get the word of God in their little hearts. And, once they begin to read, we give them their very own Bible.  My two oldest have already reac...

About The Journal Mindfulness: A Journal provides the user with a series of simple journaling prompts designed to nurture a positive, calming framework to approach the day. Each of the writing prompts provides the user with space to examine one's self and ponder some of the basic tenets of mindfulness. The journal can be completed at whatever pace the user prefers to work at (daily, weekly, etc) and features inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout, as well as introductory material on the practice of mindfulness and a list of resources for further reading. Disappointed: This book claims to have a totable, giftable package. I thought that literally meant that it was wrapped in a creative box or package that would be enticing as a gift. I guess all it means is that the journal is in a book form making it easy to give as a gift- not really sure. I wanted to like this book. Really, I did. Journaling was a happy past time of my youth and I was hoping this book would i...