Thrift Schooling

  99 Stories I Could Tell  takes creative writing to a whole new level. If you have a reluctant writer, and are looking for a way to spark a little creativity, this activity book for teens is exactly what you need. Adding this activity daily to my son's ninth grade homeschool routine has helped him tremendously.  Creative writing can be a challenge for literal children. My ninth grader is a hands-on, practical, get-the-job-done type of kid. On several occasions he will write when it is not a school assignment, but writing is not his favorite activity. He will write to his pen pal (through a program available to subscribers of Focus on the Family Clubhouse Magazine), and he enjoys participating in the annual Rainbow Resource Center Summer Writing Contest. Both of these activities have a reward. Writing to his pen pal means he will receive a response in the mail. Creating a story for the summer contest means he will receive a hard copy of his story, and a $5 Dairy Queen gif...

  WriteShop Level 1  is part of the Timberdoodle tenth grade curriculum kit . My son is steadily working through their ninth grade curriculum kit , which is working out well for him and I would not be surprised if we choose to continue his high school years with these kits. From the planner, to the activities, to the high quality math, science, and English materials, this has been his best year so far—and he has been homeschooled from the beginning. What makes Timberdoodle kits worth the investment is the work is done for you. Everything is there. If you have a students that likes checklists, and is eager to get school done so he can have the rest of the day to pursue what he wants, Timberdoodle kits are absolutely for you.  I was excited to see WriteShop as a part of Timberdoodle. I have been a fan of WriteShop for a long time. I have used the lower levels in the past with great success. The level I am reviewing today is for teens, but if you have younger children, check...

  What is Lifemark? Well, for one, it is an incredible film that was released today by The Kendrick Brothers and Kirk Cameron. What does Lifemark mean? Well, if I told you that, I would spoil the entire premise of the movie! You are just going to have to see it for yourself to find out, and let me tell you, it is most likely not what you think. Like many of you, I have followed the Christian movie scene since the nineties. From the Left Behind series to the Kendrick Brothers' first Christian movie release of Flywheel to Fireproof, War Room, and more, Christian movies have come a long way. Lifemark is by far the best Christian film I have ever seen . The passion, heart, and quality of acting pulls the entire film together.  Dawn Long, who played Melissa, the birth mom was the star of the film, in my opinion. Her acting was next level. Her passion and quality acting, along with the storyline, made this a movie that I would watch over and over. Although this cast included many st...

Welcome to a new school year! I know some of you school year-round, but even when I school throughout the summer, this time of year is the time I often implement new curriculum, methods, and routines. Personally, I am prone to purchasing planners for each of my kids each summer. I know it is near impossible to stick to it religiously, but it gives us all a sense of stability. My ninth grader is the one that thrives off checklists the most, which is perfect because included in his 9th Grade Timberdoodle Curriculum Kit was the Timberdoodle High School Planner . The first thing I'd like to point out is that a digital planner is available too. When you purchase your kit, you receive access to the online version of the planner. It is completely different than the paper version and is great for the student that does well with digital reminders. You, the parent, type in the required coursework based on the curriculum kit that you are using. Since these kits are customizable, you are able ...

  What a cast! What a story! So excited that this is coming to the big screen. David’s comfortable world is turned upside down when his birthmother unexpectedly reaches out to him, longing to meet the 18-year-old son she’s only held once. With the encouragement of his adoptive parents, David embarks on a journey of discovery that leads to a staggering truth from his past. From executive producers Kirk Cameron and the Kendrick Brothers—creators of War Room and Fireproof—comes LIFEMARK, inspired by an incredible true story that celebrates the gift of life.  #LifemarkMIN Watch the trailer today!

This past weekend was pretty incredible. I remember taking a step back and looking at what was happening in the dining room. At one point, my teens, school age kids, and preschooler were all intently playing The Game of Life. Literally, the board game. The youngest one was struggling a little bit, but he made it through the entire game and had fun with it! He even was a good sport when it came to clean up time. Later in the day, I saw my teen and school age son playing a game of Monopoly. I had to laugh as I thought back to when my kids were all younger and couldn't even make it through a game of Candyland without throwing the pieces everywhere if they lost.  Teamwork is a life skill and as parents, it is up to us to instill that in our children. It doesn't happen naturally. Some families use sports to teach their kids teamwork. They enroll them in soccer, hockey, baseball, and basketball so they have the opportunity to work with others and work out their differences in a peace...

I was first introduced to Channie's at a homeschool convention. I walked by the booth and saw their materials sitting out and thought to myself, "That is exactly what I need!" Thinking about my younger boys, I knew they needed to work on their writing skills; there was no doubt in my mind. The woman running the booth was talking to someone else, and as soon as she turned to me, I think she was shocked that I was already ready to buy. She did not have to explain the product. It spoke for itself. She didn't even have to give me the price. I was already pulling out my cash. This is not common for me at a homeschool convention! I usually will walk by a booth several times, talk to the representative some of the times, and then still wait until the last possible minute to make any purchases. Not with this. I knew this was a practical resource that I wanted my youngest son to work on right away.  I fell in love with their workbooks so much that I simply had to try them out ...