** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
This is the last week of January, which means that Valentine's Day is coming close. We have some great Valentine's Day activities and books for you all to incorporate into your home or church.
Check out below what we have for you all! Just click on the picture that you like for more information.
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We Are Created For Good Works
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/We-Are-Created-For-Good-Workshttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/We-Are-Created-For-Good-WorksSun, 26 Jan 2020 20:44:11 +0000
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
We were sitting at church a few weeks ago and Ephesians 2:10 flashed on the screen. Here's what it says:
My mind started wandering trying to figure out what good works I was doing. I always think of the people who feed the poor, take care of seniors, and raise foster children. Those are all wonderful things to do and /i give props to anyone doing that.
I had to fix my thinking a little bit. Good things doesn't necessarily mean big. Raising our children while teaching them about God is a good thing. Feeding your family good food is a good thing. Teaching your children the skills they will need when they leave your home is a good thing. Working hard to provide for your family is a good thing.
Don't get down on yourself because you are comparing your good works to what you see other people are doing. Sit down and make a list of all of the good works that you already are doing. Then think of one more good work that you would like to add to the list.
Spelling has never been an exciting subject for my kids. Add to that that our middle son is very hands-on when he learns. He likes to build things, make things, and do things. That's how he learns best.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
That's when "Build a Word" spelling was invented. Have you ever seen the show "WordWorld"? It's a great show on PBS that teaches spelling. What I find interesting is that everything is made by what their word is. For example, the character, Bear, is made up of the letters b-e-a-r. I think that it's kind of ingenious of them. Words are everywhere in these shows. When they need something, they "build a word".
Watch below!
Fun, right? So, that's how I came up with "Build a Word" spelling. Build-A-Word Spelling is just simply using letters on cards to build a word. He has to actually put the cards in order to spell each of his words.
There's no reason why we can't add even more fun by making those letter cards look cute, right? Since, it's winter, I put snowflakes on them. Just click on the picture below to print them out.
Build-A-Word ~ Hearts will be coming out soon for Valentine's Day.
Keep an eye open for that!
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The Battle with Guilt is Real ~ Enough is Enough!
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/The-Battle-with-Guilt-is-Real-Enough-is-Enoughhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/The-Battle-with-Guilt-is-Real-Enough-is-EnoughTue, 14 Jan 2020 01:21:58 +0000
I wrote this post about a month ago, when my son was 5 months old. I have been going back and forth in my mind about whether I should actually publish it or not. I finally conceded that it might help someone else going through the same thing. You're not alone.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
I'm being very transparent here with you all! I'm sitting here feeding a bottle to my 5 month old son, trying not to start crying. I've been kind of on the verge of crying all day. To be honest, I succumbed once, but not for long. I know that it's because I'm physically tired, but I also know that's not all.
Our 5 month old son was sleeping through the night a few weeks ago. It was wonderful and I felt great because I was getting a solid stretch of sleep most nights. Now, starting last week, he decided that he would start waking up at night again. Most nights it's just once, but some nights it's up to three times a night.
Our "night" isn't like most families. Our 5 month old goes to bed around 5 as we go to bed around 6:30. We like to have some down time if we can each night before going to bed. Why so early, you may ask? Well, we get up at 2:30 each morning because I start teaching online at 3am. Our son was waking up between 6 and 8 to eat and then he would sleep until around 3. Great! My husband would feed him before he left for work at 4. Well, this week, our son has wanted to get up around midnight. Not fun, especially when I have to get up in about 2 hours after he's done.
So, yes, I am physically tired since my days seem like non-stop right now because of the nights. That's par for the course with an infant. Granted. I also don't eat right and I don't exercise, so that isn't great for me physically, either.
I am also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually tired. These can be all tied together sometimes. I haven't been in God's Word lately or praying much, either. Most days, I'm just trying to maintain some sort of organization. The guilt is what gets to me. I carry around so much guilt that it's difficult to breathe sometimes.
I feel like I'm not:
~ teaching/pushing/guiding our older boys enough with their homeschool
~ keeping up with the housework
~ doing a good enough job feeding my family healthy meals
~ doing enough
Period.
I feel as though I am failing as a:
~ wife
~ mother
~ daughter
~ sister
~ homeschool teacher
~ online teacher
...you name it.
I'm drowning in the guilt of not holding up to MY expectations of myself. I know if you would ask my husband or the family members that know me well, they would say that I'm doing great. My kids would probably acknowledge that I'm always tired, but then say that I'm doing okay.
I sat down, by myself today, with my bedroom door closed, thinking. Actually, it was more like a battle going on in my head. Here's what it sounds like:
"I'm so tired."
"Why?
You only worked three hours this morning.
Then you get to stay home in your comfy clothes.
Why are you complaining?
Everyone else works harder than you.
You have it easy."
Then I feel guilty because I'm complaining, to myself. Seems kind of silly, doesn't it? I make myself feel guilty for not living up to my own expectations.
Sometimes I get sucked into what the world thinks that my life should look like. I have had too many people, in not so many words or actions, tell me that I have the easy life and that I have nothing to complain about. In their eyes, I'm just a housewife. I even had someone ask me, "Don't you think that you are wasting your Master's degree because you just stay home with your kids? You could be teaching at a university somewhere."
I don't care if you work part-time, full-time, two jobs, or don't have a "for pay" job. We all have guilt. We all want to be more.
Why is it never enough?
We should not be trying to live up to our own expectations or those of the world, but of God's Word.
God's Word should be our guide to how we should be living our lives.
**Update** Since I originally wrote this post, our now 6 month old is still not sleeping in longer stretches. Last night I was up 4 times with him. I took a nap today and felt MUCH better! And, guess what? I didn't feel guilty about napping. I had a very productive day and I feel great, even though I took some time for myself.
Moms ~ Take the time that you need for yourself or you will have nothing to give to your kiddos. Some days it just doesn't work out to take a nap or a little time by yourself. I totally get that. Take the time when you can and don't feel guilty.
I would love to hear your stories and what you all need help with. Let's help each other! Don't hesitate to contact me at .
**I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.**
We have been given and using the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This membership has been, and continues to be, such a blessing to our family. There are many reasons why I cherish this membership, but I think that the main reason is that you can use one membership for your entire family! As a parent with multiple children, in a VERY wide age range at 15, 10, and almost 6 months, it is a relief that there aren't separate memberships that have to be bought. Trust me when I say that the fee for a one year membership is WELL worth everything that you get with it.
We used the high school Biology this past year. I looked around for a basic, but quality, biology course that wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg. He isn't going into a career field that has anything to do with biology, medicine, etc., so my husband and I felt that he didn't need anything too extensive or advanced. In Arizona, where we live, our son has to have 3 years of lab sciences. Biology is named as a required course, so that meant that I had to go searching for something that didn't cost hundreds of dollars and that wasn't going to be too advanced for him. That's when I remembered about our SchoolhouseTeachers.com subscription. I can't tell you how relieved I was to find that the class that is offered is a quality program and it was FREE with our subscription! All we needed to buy was a dissection kit and that wasn't even needed until the end of the class. We were able to save for it, but it wasn't too expensive anyways. We can save the dissection tools for our other sons, which helps with the costs later.
The Biology course gave him a full high school credit and counts as his lab science. Wonderful! We downloaded the book on his computer and printed out the weekly lesson plans, so that he knew exactly what was expected of him each week. The lesson plans really helped me out because all of the work was already done for me. Score! We were able to use these, but then adapt them to what we needed. Since this year had a huge change happen to our family, a.k.a. we had a baby, we needed some flexibility. The lesson plans allowed us to adapt the schedule for our family's needs.
There are a few things that we are going to try to insert into our homeschool this year. These are more videos, video lessons, and the focused learning centers. Did you know that there is a video class for elementary Spanish? My 10 year old would love this! There are printouts and videos for each lesson, so he can see the language as well as hear and speak it. Awesome!
In the focused learning centers, there are resources to help with just about any subject: math, science, English, etc. There are games, activities, videos, and lessons to help you help your child learn what they need to. There are subjects that we need help with and SchoolhouseTeachers.com is coming to the rescue!
When our youngest son is old enough, I am going to dive into the Literacy Center. I love that it gives a checklist for you to figure out where your child is with learning to read. This is similar to something that I had to do when I was student teaching in a kindergarten classroom. It will be a fantastic resource when we are read to use it in a few years.
As you can see, SchoolhouseTeachers.com is an amazing resource to homeschooling families. When you purchase their Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership, you have resources for your entire family! It is well worth the price! If you purchase before February 2020, you pay only $99 for an entire year of resources and classes. That's close to a 45% discount from their usual price of $179. Even at full price, it's a steal. I was looking at Biology classes alone for over $200. So, we saved money just for that one class, let alone everything else that you get along with it. Go check it out!
Go and see what the other reviewers use on SchoolhouseTeachers.com!
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Goals for the New Year
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Goals-for-the-New-Yearhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Goals-for-the-New-YearSun, 05 Jan 2020 20:58:54 +0000
Can you believe that the new year is upon us? It seems surreal to think that it's been a whole other year. This is the time of the year that I like to take time to reflect on the past year and then look to the future.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Here are the questions that I ask myself about schooling in the past year and what the upcoming new year:
* What were the events of this past year?
* How far have the boys come in their schooling?
* Where do the boys need to go in their schooling?
* What went well this year?
* What could have gone better?
* What do I want to keep the same?
* What do we need to change?
* How can we improve on what we are already doing?
These questions really seem to help me focus on what we need to do and where we want to get to this year.
How would you answer these questions? We would love for you to and let us know! I'd love to hear what you need to help in your homeschooling goals?
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2020 Printable Calendar with Seasons & Major Holidays
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/2020-Printable-Calendar-with-Seasons-Major-Holidayshttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/2020-Printable-Calendar-with-Seasons-Major-HolidaysFri, 27 Dec 2019 22:29:30 +0000
I can't believe that the new year is next week. Not only is it the next year, but it's a brand new decade. That's a little daunting to think about. A new decade. Wow! 2019 came with a huge change in our home. With welcoming our newest bundle of joy in July, our lives have changed and we are trying to find a new normal. This makes my mind think of organization, schedules, and calendars.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
At Homeschool 4 Life in 2020 we plan on having more posts about how we are handling homeschooling with a high schooler (15 year old), a 5th / 6th grader (10 year old), and a baby. Along with that, we will be adding more Bible skits and activities, homeschooling worksheets, and frugal living ideas. We would love to hear what you all of you are needing in this new year. Please don't hesitate to email us at and ask us for what you need. We are always wanting to make things that will be helpful to our wonderful readers. Whether you are a homeschooler, a public school teacher, or you are looking for things for your church, email us!
Early this upcoming year, we will be changing our blog from Wix to WordPress. This will be a huge undertaking and we want to thank you all in advance for your patience and understanding.
I put together this 2020 Printable Calendar with Seasons and Major Holidays for our 10 year old to start using when we start school back up again soon. I will be printing it out and putting it in his school binder, so that he can check it out when he needs to and use it to put any important due dates or reminders on. I'm hoping that this will help him to be a little more independent and proactive with his schoolwork. (fingers crossed)
I plan on putting together a list of research/journal topics for him that will coincide with this calendar along the seasons and holidays. I want him to work on his research and writing skills and this will be helpful for him. Look for that in the next few weeks.
For now, go on and click on the picture and print out the . For fun, print it out on fun colors to brighten their month.
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Christmas Words from Grandpa Ed
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Grandpa Ed
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Christmas-Words-from-Grandpa-Edhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Christmas-Words-from-Grandpa-EdSun, 22 Dec 2019 23:15:33 +0000
December 25th is the day we celebrate Jesus' birth. Most theologians will tell us that Jesus was probably not born on that date because the Bible does not tell us the date. Some of us are quick, sometimes, to point that out which only confuses new Christians and non-believers. But, does it really matter?
Long ago, that date was picked as the day to celebrate His birth. Some good reasons why, but the real date is not known. It might have been picked because it was the shortest day of light. Light continues to grow each day after that. Jesus brought light into the world.
Many things we celebrate didn't really happen on that day, but that date was picked as the day of celebration. Even the 4th of July isn't really the date we received our independence, but it was the date the Declaration of Independence was signed. Independence from England was declared on July 2nd when the 2nd Continental Congress approved the resolution of independence.
So, what is important is that God sent His Son to us to grow up as a child in our world to experience our problems and trials on a daily basis. One of my favorite Bible verses is John 16:33, "In this world you will have great tribulation. But, be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." He experienced the troubles is our world, so He knows what we go through every day and can help us through them.
After 33 years, He died on the cross for us and our salvation. This really only means if we believe in Him and follow Him, we will go to heaven to live with Him forever. Christmas is really only a start of our relationship with Him. Billy Graham said, "If you want to know what God looks like, take a good look at Jesus Christ. He is God in human form."
If you're anything like me, I'm always on the look-out for a bargain. Especially this time of the year when money seems to fly out the window, no matter what good intentions that I have.
Do you know what I love even better than a good deal? FREE! Yep! I have found some FREE Christmas books on Kindle. You don't even need a Kindle to read these. Just download the Kindle app on your laptop, phone, or tablet, and you can read all of the books that are on Kindle without having to buy another device. Win - Win!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
These are all new to me, but I am going to download them and check them out. They will be fun to read to our new little Christmas present (although he's 5 months old now).
There are books for all ages. We already downloaded The Nightmare Before Christmas book for our 15 year old. He loves that movie!
Please make sure that you check the prices of these ebooks before you purchase. They were free when this post was written, but I don't know how long they will stay free.
Click on the pictures below to download and enjoy!
We have almost 40 Christmas books at Grandma's Reading Corner. Grandma reads wonderful Christmas books aloud to your children. She will engage them in the story and help them see details in the pictures. Go and check it out this Christmas! Your kids will love it!
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Christmas Word Cards
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Christmas-Word-Cardshttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Christmas-Word-CardsFri, 06 Dec 2019 23:46:33 +0000
As you all may know, I teach English online to children in China. Some of them celebrate Christmas, while others don't. Most of them are interested and curious about how we celebrate Christmas in America. I thought that it would be a great learning activity to make word cards to show them pictures of decorations and symbols of Christmas along with the written words. That way we can have a conversation in English about it. That's why I made these Christmas word cards. I thought that you all would like them as well!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
I have included some religious word cards that I obviously won't use with my Chinese children. Those are just for you all. Just click on the picture to print them out.
There are so many ways that you can use these cards. Here are just a few ways:
Put them in alphabetical order
Use them as spelling words
Hide them around the house and have your children find them. They have to then read the word and use it in a sentence.
Use 5, 10, or all of the cards in a story
Put each of the cards in envelopes. Have your children pick one each day. That could be the word of the day. Every time someone sees the item or says the word, they get a prize!
Make a Christmas book with them
We would love to hear how you and your family use them.
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50+ Christmas Shows on Netflix
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/50-Christmas-Shows-on-Netflixhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/50-Christmas-Shows-on-NetflixSun, 01 Dec 2019 17:35:00 +0000
* Updated as of 12/1/19
I don't know about you, but I always look forward to Christmas movies. I try to wait until Thanksgiving, at least, but sometimes I cave and start early. It's actually a tradition that my husband and I watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with Jim Carrey. We roped in our oldest when he was born. He still loves that movie and the Grinch is still his favorite. Our 10 year old isn't a fan and we'll have to wait until at least next year to see about our youngest.
Each season, I take time to add Christmas shows to our Holiday profile on Netflix. I search for the words "Christmas" and "holiday". I figured you all might want to know what's on Netflix, so here's the list that I have come up with. I have seen a lot of these and I'm looking to watch the others this year.
This is a pretty great list of Christmas shows and movies. There is the traditional "White Christmas" along side the cartoon "DreamWorks Holiday Classics". Our family favorite of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is on there as well as the "Nailed It! Holiday" that we haven't seen yet.
There are other movies and shows on Netflix that have something to do with Christmas. We have chosen to add only movies or shows that our family would watch.
Just click the picture above to print out your list of Christmas Shows & Movies.
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week? I started my Thanksgiving reward with my online Chinese students. I made 5 cards with Thanksgiving related items: turkey (of course), pumpkin, pie, candy corn, and cornucopia. We talk about them and what we do with them. With my order kids, we play the word game with the words. They pick one, then they have to think of another word that starts with the last letter. For example, use the word "turkey". The next word has to start with "y". For my Chinese students, it can be any word. Then we take the last letter of that word and keep going. I might try this at Thanksgiving with our kids. I might make them think of holiday words, though, just to make it a little harder.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Games are fun and they make us think. That's why I thought it would be fun to make some activity mats for Thanksgiving. Just print them out and use for the kids' placemats. There is one for the older kids and one for the younger ones. You could laminate them and then give your kids some dry erase markers to color on them. Then they can be washable or reusable. You could also just print out multiple copies of them.
We are thankful for our Homeschool 4 Life community!
We pray that you have a blessed time with your family.
Books are amazing. They can take you on adventures, help you think about different situations, or teach you something. I am not an avid reader. It really has to be an interesting and engaging book in order to keep my attention. A few of my favorites are Little Women, Ghost in the Garden, and Abe Lincoln Gets a Chance. My absolute favorite book has to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This is a book that I read to each of my classes when I taught in the public school. I have also read it with our oldest son. We were given the opportunity to review the LitWits Kits by LitWits. There was a kit just for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and so I jumped at the chance to go through it with our middle son.
LitWit Kits are basically activities to do with books. These activities bring the books to life and make them real and understandable to the children. They are no longer just reading a book to read it. They are experiencing the book and learning to love literature.
We were able to choose four LitWit Kits to keep. We chose Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Charlotte's Web, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. I had our 10 year help me pick from all of the wonderful books to choose from. There were too many for me to pick from and, since he'll be the one working through the books, I thought that it would be best for him to choose. I think that he chose wonderful books and I can't wait to go through them all!
During the review, we worked through the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book, and it was a blast! First of all, as I said before, it is my favorite book of all time. I mean, a book about a chocolate? Who doesn't love that? I also remember reading it with my mom when I was in elementary school, 6th grade, I think. She whipped out a candy bar when we got to the chapter of when Charlie finds the golden ticket. We opened up the candy bar at the same time and, guess what? There was a $5 bill wrapped around the chocolate! My mom had put it in there before she gave it to me. My parents also did that when my friends and I watched the movie when I was in high school. They really knew how to bring the book to life.
That's exactly what LitWits has done with their LitWits Kits. They have gone through these fantastic books and given you ideas on how to expand on the books to make them real to your children or students. I say, students, because these activities could very well be used in a classroom. I could see myself doing some of these with my students in public school. Where were LitWits Kits when I needed them back then?
They have taken all of the work out of it for you. You just need to download the activity ideas and choose which ones that you want to do. There are worksheets with questions to answer, projects to make, and even thought provoking activities. One of the activities was to have your children screw on and off the lid to the toothpaste tube, just like Mr. Bucket. Another one was to make a meal just like what Charlie ate.
Listen to what our 10 year old said about the activities that we did with the book:
I really liked the book. I really liked that it was chocolate! My favorite activity was when I had to make a new kind of treat. My treat was a chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips. I put marshmallow cream on top with a hot cocoa kiss on top. Everyone thought that it was really good. I called them the Hot Cocoa Cookie. I also really liked building a house out of chocolate. It was great to make a chocolate house and it was delicious to eat afterwards.
We really love LitWits Kits by LitWits! They make it easy to experience books and make children love them!
When we were first given the chance to review some books about horses, I really didn't think that we would want them. I just didn't think that our 10 year old would like horse books. But, these aren't just any regular horse books. These are books about horses that do important things and experience extraordinary events in the history of the United States. I'm so glad that we gave these books a chance because these are very well written books with plenty of detail. We were given the four books in the Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books.
I showed our 10 year old the four books and he chose "Appaloosy". This was about a horse named Storm who was a beautiful appaloosa horse. It started with him being born, then he was tamed by an Indian in the Nez Perce tribe, taken by the white man when the Indians were controlled, and then into the loving arms of a girl named Faith. The other books in the series are "Dusty's Trail", "Golden Sunrise", and "Day and Night". "Dusty's Trail" is about a horse who rides in the Pony Express. "Golden Sunrise" is about a horse involved with the Alamo and the fight for Texas. "Day and Night" is about a horse who helps in the Civil War.
We were also given an enrichment guide for the "Day and Night" book. It looks really great! She had included history, geography, recipes, biographies, coloring pages, and an area to make your own story. This looks very helpful for when we get to that book.
Like I said before, these aren't just any regular horse books. The part that I especially liked about these books is the fact that they are written from the horse's point of view. Yep! You heard that right. The horse, who is the main character in each book, is the one telling the story. We get to see these exciting events from history from the perspective of the horses who were there. That is very different than other books that we've read. That is what makes these books very special. It really kept my attention. I know about these events and I'm not usually interested in books about animals. Not so with these! There is so much detail in them.
These are more than horse and animal books. They are historical fiction books that teach! Mattie Richardson is actually teaching about these events as she writes the books. My son learned about how the Indians were treated and what that looked like from the horse's perspective. We got to see how the different people treated their horses. I never thought about the horses having feelings as they are shifted from one owner to another. Storm, the main horse in "Appaloosy", just wanted to be free at first. He couldn't understand that he was property of the Indians. We saw his transformation from untrusting to actually wanting to help some of his owners because of their kindness towards him.
Here's what our 10 year old thought:
I thought that the book was really good in general. It had very long chapters, though. I like the story line, like how the horse went through a lot of trouble and then he finally found the home that he liked. I learned that you can't just tell horses what to do. You need to earn their trust and then they will let you ride them.
He had trouble reading this book on his own, even though he is a good reader. There were some typos that we found, but he also thought that the chapters were long for him. I think that these books are great for me to read to him or to wait until he gets a little older, so that the length doesn't bother him. To be honest, he gets overwhelmed by the length of chapters in other books as well. I didn't think that they were especially long. There were page breaks within the chapters to help break them up.
We are excited to be able to read the other 3 books in the Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books. I'm curious about which one he'll pick next!
Turkeys are a main icon of Thanksgiving. They are interesting looking birds that make a funny sound. So how can we incorporate these great animals into a math lesson? Fractions anyone?
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
This is a great way for kids to practice their fractions, while having fun making a turkey. Print out the two pages in the document below to have all of the piece that you need.
Have your kids color each fraction strip a different color, so that they can see the difference in the fraction sizes. Cut the strips out so that you have 8 strips that are the same size. It is up to you if you want your kids to then cut the fractions out or keep them together as long strips.
Now would be the time to play with the fractions. We talked about the size of the different fractions and equivalent fractions. For example, 1/2 = (2) 1/4.
Next, cut the turkey body out (there are 2 on the page).
Gather a glue stick and a piece of construction paper and you can put your turkey together.
We kept the strips together, but you can have your child cut the parts out and make the feathers however they want.
He really likes his turkey and he wanted to give it to Grandma the next day. It is now on her fridge for the season.
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CrossTimber - Name Meaning Gifts Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/CrossTimber---Name-Meaning-Gifts-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/CrossTimber---Name-Meaning-Gifts-ReviewWed, 06 Nov 2019 23:19:28 +0000
I have a name that isn't very popular, so most people don't know how to read it, spell it, or pronounce it. Before I was married, my last name was Benson. That was a name that most people could say. Then I got married and changed my last name to Mollohan. Now no one can say my first or last name. When I graduated with my Masters degree, the announcer butchered my first, middle, and last name. Ugh. You would have expected more from educated people. All that to say, names are important. I'm very aware of people's names and how they are spelled, especially any students that I have had. When we were given the opportunity to review a product that had to do with names, I was in. CrossTimber - Name Meaning Gifts did just that with their
Your Amazing Name - Personalized Adventuresfor EVERY name
gift!
I thought that this would be great for our middle son, Andrew, who is 10. We actually kept it a secret from him while we were gathering pictures to send in, so he was completely surprised when we showed him the final product. The process is quite simple. After you order the Amazing Name cartoon, you receive an email to fill out. They want information about your child, where you tell them your child's favorite colors and such. You also send in a picture of your child, a picture of something that they have colored or drawn, and a letter that you can write to your child. I needed our oldest son's help getting a picture that Andrew has drawn and my husband and I wrote the letter for him. It meant a lot to him that we all helped make it for him.
After you e-mail the form back, you just sit back and relax while CrossTimber does the rest. You receive your completed cartoon in about 2 weeks. That's it. We received it and showed it to our son without telling him what it was. Here is his reaction to him seeing his name the first time and realizing that the video was for him personally.
The cartoon went FAR above my expectations. It was a little over 28 minutes long and had his name plastered everywhere in the video! I was honestly expecting his name to be written a couple of times at the beginning and then the rest of the video to be generic. They said his name all throughout the cartoon and had it written in hidden spots throughout as well.
The picture that he drew was made into a rocket ship. Fantastic!
They actually read the letter to him as it showed on the screen.
Granted our last name was mispronounced as well as his great-grandfather's last name, but we are kind of used to that.
He is 10 years old and definitely at the top of the age range, but he still loved it. This video would be great for anyone 10 and under, I would say. There were things for preschoolers just learning how to spell their name, but also things for our 10 year old who knows who "Owlexander" the Great and "Owlbert" Einstein are.
You go with Ben the pencil as he goes on an adventure to find out what your child's name means. Andrew learned that his name originated in the Greek language and that it means "brave and courageous - one who endures faithfully".
Look at the name plaque that they showed...
(You can actually buy it if you want a "real" copy).
I actually forgot to send my form in right away. I blame it on having an infant and having too many things to do along with lack of sleep. They personally sent me an e-mail checking to make sure that I remembered to send it in by the due date for the review. They were very sweet and helpful. When they e-mailed me back, they sent information about my name in the e-mail. Such a sweet gesture and fantastic customer service! They were not like talking to a company, but like a friend.
I can see getting name items for a newborn or a birthday. These would make a fantastic gift from a grandparent.CrossTimber is a company I will be looking at to get other name gifts.
Go see what the other reviewers had to say.
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One Man Was Thankful ~ A Biblical Thanksgiving Skit
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/One-Man-Was-Thankful-A-Biblical-Thanksgiving-Skithttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/One-Man-Was-Thankful-A-Biblical-Thanksgiving-SkitSat, 02 Nov 2019 22:22:57 +0000
It's now November and my thinking goes to Thanksgiving. I love the thought of remembering all of the blessings in our lives. We get too stuck in thinking that we don't ever get what we want. That's when I think of one of my favorite Bible stories, the one man that was thankful.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Do you remember that story? It's a very short story, only 8 verses long. However, there is so much meaning that we can pull from this little story.
Jesus was walking to Jerusalem when he was approached by 10 men who were lepers. I'm going to stop there for a second. Lepers were kept out of the city away from people. Leprosy, as is written in the dictionary, was (is) an extremely contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves, causing discoloration and lumps on the skin. It caused body parts to fall of and it eventually killed the person. It scared people and they wanted nothing to do with anyone who had this terrible disease. The people were sent out of the city and they were to live their lives alone, unless there were other lepers in the same area.
That has got to be a very lonely and scary way to live. These men had no hope and then...Jesus arrived in their area. Can you believe it? The Son of God was coming near to them. They have one chance to be saved - literally - today. Of course, they shouted out to Him to save them. Wouldn't you?
Jesus says one thing, "Go and show yourselves to the priest." That's it. Really? Well, that's all He had to do. Actually, he didn't even have to do that, but He did it so they would know what to do. They were not healed at that moment, they were healed "...as they were going".
These men, who have had leprosy for who knows how long, have Jesus tell them to go see the priests? Why? That was the custom of that time. If someone had a disease, they had to go to the priests so that they could be pronounced "clean" and they could go back to their life from before they were sick.
So, picture this. These men with leprosy are following the command of Jesus, because, why not? What could hurt? Did they have faith that Jesus healed them? We don't know that. But they follow and I'm sure that they were glad that they did. Why? As they were on their way to see the priests, they were healed. What! Yep. They were walking, or running, to the priests when, all of a sudden, their body stopped hurting. A miracle has taken place. They knew it and they knew who did it. Jesus, of course!
What did the men do? Well, 9 of them went on their way to the priests, but one man, one-tenth of the men, went back to thank the one who saved him that day. What was Jesus' response? "Where are the others? I'm pretty sure that I healed 10 of you." (I'm paraphrasing, of course).
I don't know about you, but I want to be the one. I want to be that one who goes back and thanks God for what He has done in my life.
I wanted to start putting some Bible skits on our site and I thought that this one would be the best one to start with - One Man Was Thankful. Skits are a great way for our own children as well as the children in our churches and co-ops to learn the stories of the Bible. I have taken this directly from the NASB version of Luke 17:11-19. I just put it into a skit form with characters and a narrator. This can be used with your Sunday school classroom, puppet ministry, or even with your own kiddos at home. Adapt it for your own needs, just don't change the story, as it's from the Bible.
Click on the picture below, to print it out
(it works best on a laptop or desktop computer).
We are looking to add more biblical skits on our site. Please email us at and let us know if there is a story from the Bible that you would like put into a skit form. We love to help you in your ministry in your church or your home.
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One Page A Day 2 Digit Multiplication Practice Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/One-Page-A-Day-2-Digit-Multiplication-Practice-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/One-Page-A-Day-2-Digit-Multiplication-Practice-ReviewTue, 29 Oct 2019 22:27:28 +0000
Have you ever done something that you know is important, but that you also know that takes up time that you could use doing something else probably more important? I'm sure everyone has. When you have kids, this becomes your daily life. I decided that our middle son needed extra practice with multiplication. That meant that I go online to find worksheets and print them out. Seems simple, right? Well, it should have been. The problem? My computer thought that it would be a good time to take like a million years doing something that should have taken seconds. Okay, it wasn't a "million" years, but I'm sure that it was pretty close. I spent the time, though, because it was important for his growth in math. The next week, we got news that we were being given the opportunity to review One Page A Day 2 Digit Multiplication Practice by Channie's Visual Handwriting & Math workbooks. Wow! Just what I needed, when I needed it. Once we received it, I didn't have to search each week for the next week's pages. It was already there, ready and waiting.
Our middle son was less excited than I was to receive it. I'm not sure why? (note the hint of sarcasm there) We really liked reviewing Channie's Easy Peasy Cursive Workbook, so I figured that we would like this one as well. I was right! It is a very systematic way to complete two digit by one digit and two digit by two digit multiplication problems. They have placed all of the digits in boxes so that the place values stay correct. That's what I had to do with our oldest. I started putting his math problems on graph paper, so that he would be able to keep all of the digits in their correct place value positions.
I also like that Channie's has added color to their worksheets. Too many times worksheets are black and white. This is especially true because, when I print online, I'm trying to save money by printing in black and white. The color isn't just there to look pretty. It is there for a purpose. As you can see from the sample, the green color is used to show when the student is multiplying by the ones place digit. Then the student moves to the tens place digit, which is blue. Fantastic!
This shows where they are to put their numbers and what they coordinate with. I also love how they left the space white when moving to the tens place digit. That really stands out to help the student remember that they need to shift their numbers over when multiplying by that digit. I always told my son to put a zero there, just to hold his place because he couldn't remember to shift his numbers over. Channie's does this for him and makes it so visual for him to see.
Here is what our middle son had to say about this product:
I like that they say it is just one page a day. I liked that you can do it quickly and that it's not too hard. I think that it's a really great math program. I've always had a difficult time with different math programs, but I did well with this one. It's great that it's on paper and not online.
I think that the only thing that I would change about this would be to add the "plus" sign. Students forget that they are supposed to add here and this would be a great teaching reminder. Other than that, this product has come in handy and has saved me time. Time is precious.
Our son has been working through a page each day for four days a week. This has brought us a good way through the book, but we have yet to complete it. We will be continuing and completing this One Page A Day 2 Digit Multiplication Practice by Channie's Visual Handwriting & Math workbooks. It is just what we need right now.
Channie's has other products that some of the reviewers looked at.
Go and see what they thought!
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Guess Who? Peek-A-Boo! An Autumn Guessing Book
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Guess-Who-Peek-A-Boo-An-Autumn-Guessing-Bookhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Guess-Who-Peek-A-Boo-An-Autumn-Guessing-BookThu, 24 Oct 2019 00:16:24 +0000
Now that I have another little kiddo growing up in the household, my mind thinks of things that I would like to do with him. We recently started playing Peek-A-Boo with him. He just thinks we're funny and he gives us a big grin from ear to ear. Autumn is here and I wanted to be able to read him an autumn book.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
That's why I thought up "Guess Who? Peek-A-Boo! An Autumn Guessing Book". It is exactly as the title states. Various autumn objects are playing Peek-A-Boo: a pumpkin, leaves, an apple, and a scarecrow.
This is a book that you will want to put together before you read it to/with your child. The reason is because there are clues on one page and then the answer on the next. You don't want to be giving away the answer, would you?
Anyways, the object is "hidden" behind a red leaf along with three clues for your child to guess what it is. I just think that it will be a fun book for you to do along with your child.
We have also included a page with all of the words in the book. This is so you could help your child learn the words in this book, so they could read it to you some day! You could choose just a few "key" words for your child to look for as you are reading to them, or have them make each sentence with the word cards.
Just click on the picture below to print! (These open best on a laptop or desktop computer.)
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Creating a Masterpiece Online Drawing Program Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Creating-a-Masterpiece-Online-Drawing-Program-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Creating-a-Masterpiece-Online-Drawing-Program-ReviewWed, 23 Oct 2019 16:09:12 +0000
I have never considered myself an artist. I can draw simple stick figures, but even those aren't all that great. My husband can look at something and then draw it. He drew me pictures of Beauty and the Beast, my favorite movie, when we were dating. Then our oldest, who's in high school, starting doodling. He had pictures in his mind of characters from the book that he was writing. He wanted to try to get them down on paper. When we heard that we were given the chance to review the online Drawing Program by Creating a Masterpiece, I went to talk with him about it. He was leary at first, but I convinced him that he might just learn some new techniques to help with his drawing. He decided that it was worth a try.
I remember when I taught in the public schools. I would begin each year with a lesson of strengths and weaknesses. It was sort of a pep talk about how we are are different and we need to embrace those differences. I would let them in on a little secret - I CAN'T draw. I would try to draw certain things, but no one could figure out what they were. Or it looked like a 4 year old drew it. I taught my students to applaud when someone tries to do something that they are not very good at. Surprisingly, whenever I would try to draw something to demonstrate a point I was making, my students would congratulate me on trying (it was very sweet). I was willing to make myself vulnerable about my non-existent drawing skills, and that made them be willing to be vulnerable with me with their weaknesses.
My opinion of myself as an artist, has now changed, thanks to Creating a Masterpiece. I mean, look at what I made!
Yep! I drew the Simplicity picture in pencil. I wasn't brave enough to tackle anything other than pencil for my first go-around, so I stuck with pencil. I LOVE how it turned out! Teacher Sharon is so sweet and encouraging. She makes it seem so easy to draw. I can't believe that I did this! I kept showing my family because I was so proud! Sharon talks about how to hold the pencil, what the 6B pencil means (it's a softer pencil), how to use your finger or tortillon to blend your marks, and so many other techniques. Did you hear me say "tortillon"? Yep, I'm an artist now and I say artistic things now (ha ha ha). She taught about perspective and how things look lighter the farther away it is. She doesn't just teach how to draw trees, grass, and hills. She teaches art techniques that you can use in other applications.
Our high schooler failed to see that. Here's what our 15 year old son had to say,
I would say that the classes are definitely for a different type of artist than what I am. It had a lot of good information for that type of artistry. For example, it had a lot of art about different parts of nature. Its style was very simple and classic, as if you were going to make a painting. For artists that prefer that type of painting or drawing, this is definitely the class for them. I'm just not one of those. I prefer to draw things that are in my head and not in the world. I did learn that drawing smaller pictures are easier than bigger projects. I also learned that I need to practice using the pencil lighter so that it's not so dark on my picture.
I like what he drew! He wants to learn how to draw robots, monsters, creatures, etc. I told him that he needs to take the techniques in these drawing lessons, and apply them to his own drawings. We talked about shading and how drawing with different darknesses will bring out his pictures even more. He reluctantly agreed (he didn't want to admit that Mom was right too quickly, right?) I think that I will need to sit with him and point out the techniques that she is teaching, so that he sees that there is so much value to these lessons.
These lessons are great! Each drawing gives you a supply list that is needed for the project. There are videos to watch to teach you how to complete that project. It seems as though it would take forever to complete a picture. Nope. For the project that I did, there were 6 videos. The first video was just over 6 minutes, while each of the other videos were under 3 minutes each. The checklist person that I am loved this! I could check off in my brain, done with that part! It helped to see the drawing split up into parts as well. If you didn't have time to complete the whole project in one sitting, there is an easy way to go back to where you ended.
Here is a picture of the view that you see in the video. I like that we had an up-close view of what her hands were doing. I caught myself watching her hands so that I would know how to hold the pencil correctly.
I would stop and start the videos if I needed more time or if I got interrupted (which NEVER happens with a 15, 10, and 3 month old around the house...he he he). I felt comfortable to make mistakes and try new things with it being online and not in an actual real-life classroom.
Teacher Sharon makes you want to try because she is so calm and sweet about how she teaches. She explains what she is doing and why she is doing it. I can't wait to do another drawing from the online Drawing Program by Creating a Masterpiece. I might just try charcoal next!
Go and see what the other reviewers thought!
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WorthyKids Books ~ Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Books 5 & 6 Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Worthy-Kids-Secret-of-the-Hidden-Scrolls-Books-5-6-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Worthy-Kids-Secret-of-the-Hidden-Scrolls-Books-5-6-ReviewThu, 17 Oct 2019 11:30:00 +0000
My son actually jumped up and down when he heard that we were able to review books Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Shepherd's Stone (Book 5) and Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Lion's Roar (Book 6) by WorthyKids Books. You see, he's already read books 1 and 2 as well as 3 and 4. Click on the links and you can see our reviews on the previous books.
We just really love this series! It is a wonderful mix of adventure and Bible story mixed together. They really bring the Bible stories to life! You actually feel like you are living the adventure with the main characters of Peter, Mary, and their dog Hank.
I will bring you up to speed, if you have never read these books before. Peter and Mary, along with their dog, Hank, are visiting their Great-Uncle Solomon because their parents are traveling. They found a secret room in Great-Uncle Solomon's home. There are ancient objects in this room that peeked their interest. The best relic was a bunch of sealed scrolls. These transport the kids and their dog to places in the Bible to experience the Bible stories for themselves. They have traveled to see the creation of the world in "The Beginning", met Moses and his sons in "Race to the Ark", seen the 10 plagues in "The Great Escape", as well as met Joshua and traveled to Jericho in "Journey to Jericho". While they are in each "new" place, they have to figure out a message from God. They have help from their good friend, the angel Michael.
In book five, "The Shepherd's Stone", they meet David and watch him win the battle against Goliath. Once I saw this book, I knew that it would be our 10 year old's favorite of the series. He has liked the Bible story of David and Goliath since he was like 3 or something. There is just something about a little boy beating a big giant, but only with the help of God. I love that our son talks to me about the story as he is reading it. For example, he kept trying to figure out the message before Peter and Mary did in the story. He also asks questions. For example, he came to the part of the story where David goes and sees his brothers at the battlefield. The book mentioned three of his brothers. Our son questioned that thinking that there were more brothers than that. That sparked a conversation about the story in the Bible I love when books do that!
In book six, "The Lion's Roar", Peter and Mary meet Daniel before he his thrown in to the lion's den. They also meet a new friend, Hannah, who help them in their journey. They all watch as the pharaoh's men conspire against Daniel and then end up throwing him into the lion's den. It brings a new feeling into the story when you "know" Daniel, than if you just read about him.
That's what I mean about these books bringing the stories to life. You actually meet these people and they are no longer just characters in your Bible.
Here is what our 10 year old had to say about these books:
First, I just want to say that I love the series. I like how they put the different Bible characters into the stories. My favorite was the Shepherd's Stone because it has David and Goliath. That has always been my favorite Bible story. It's also cool how they travel back in time and they can see all of that amazing stuff that happened back then. I'm glad that the author decided to make the series because I really like the books, since they first came out. It was really interesting how, even though I already know the Bible stories, other kids don't. I can use these books to teach other kids about the Bible without them having to read the actual Bible.
These books will be kept in our family for quite a while. I can see our (now) 10 year old reading these to his little brother when he gets older. We can't wait to see if WorthyKids Books comes out with any more Secret of the Hidden Scrolls books.
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Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Brain-Blox-Wooden-Building-Planks-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Brain-Blox-Wooden-Building-Planks-ReviewWed, 16 Oct 2019 22:11:13 +0000
Our 10 year old loves to build and he has since he was old enough to hold blocks in his hands. We started him with big blocks and then he quickly moved to smaller and smaller bricks. He will spend hours in his room building. He really is quite amazing at building. He will see something on a television show and then he will build something to replicate it. That's why I knew that he would love Brain Blox Wooden Building Planks. Guess what? I was right!
When I was growing up, my mom taught us that all of our toys needed a home. Whether it be a shelf, a bucket, or a bag, everything needed a place to go to when we were done playing with it. The problem with most toys is that once you open the package the first time, you then have to figure out how you are going to store it. Not so with these. They came with their very own red bag that doubles as a drawstring backpack. Very cool! The funny thing is that when our son opened the box, he noticed the bag too! I guess he has learned, as well, that it's much easier to put them away when there is a container for them. I was thoroughly impressed that Brain Blox thought of that little detail that means so much!
Our 10 year old opened the box, as I said, and started taking them out one by one. He was surprised that they are all the same size and shape. He was a little disappointed because he's used to blocks being all different sizes. He was wondering what all he could build with these very simple blocks. Then, he found the booklet that came with the blocks. He was surprised that all of those could be made with these little wooden blocks. He just had to try. So, he did. Frustration quickly occurred. It wasn't as easy as he thought. This was going to take some patience and perseverance in order to achieve the design that he wanted. I loved it! He needed a little challenge to enhance his building abilities.
That's when I told him that there were videos. Hope was restored! He watched the video and then was frustrated again. It didn't show him step-by-step, like he wanted. I tried to tell him that this was not like his Legos. They were not going to tell him, piece by piece, what to do. This was more open-ended and he was supposed to use his imagination and think about how to make the items. I thought that the video was great because it did show the creations being built. I just told our son to watch part of the video, stop it, build that part, and then continue on from there. That was okay, though. Building comes easily to him and I was glad that these little wooden blocks gave him a challenge.
He made many different things with these open-ended blocks. Look below!
He even made a game.
These Wooden Building Planks by Brain Blox are very well made. My husband has a small workshop in our garage where he builds things with wood. I was very impressed with the quality of the blocks and the bag. We will be using these for many years to come. I can't wait until our youngest is old enough to use these! We were also fortunate to review Fun Family Chess, which is also made by Brain Blox. Thank you, Brain Blox, for such a wonderfully well-made educational toys.
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Brain Blox Fun Family Chess Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Brain-Blox-Fun-Family-Chess-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Brain-Blox-Fun-Family-Chess-ReviewTue, 15 Oct 2019 22:52:25 +0000
I have always wanted to learn how to play chess. To be honest, though, it has always intimidated me because of all of the pieces doing different things. I knew that the horses were called "knights". I also knew the pawns, queen, and king. I didn't, however, know what they could or couldn't do. I wasn't sure what the goal of chess was even. There is a lot of strategy in it as well and I just never thought that I could do it. That was until we started playing Fun Family Chess by Brain Blox.
Brain Blox has made learning chess easy and fun. My 10 year old and I have enjoyed learning how to play chess together. He learned it a lot faster than me, partially because he played a lot more. He even figured out a way to play by himself!
What makes Fun Family Chess so different from "normal" chess is mainly this die that you get. With each person's turn, the die gets rolled. This tells you which piece that you can move in that turn. If you cannot move that piece because it is blocked or you don't have that piece anymore, you roll the die again. If you get the star, you can choose your own piece or you can move the king.
They even teach you what each piece can do with this easy to use card. Each player gets one in order to be able to check it throughout each game. The card is made with thicker than card stock paper. It seems like it will hold up under multiple uses. I might end up laminating it depending on how much we use it. We ended up not using it as much after we played a few games because we already knew what the pieces did. That's kind of the whole point with it, though.
The board is even marked with where each piece goes. Thank you, Brain Blox, for that. Those pictures made setting up each game a cinch!
With each set, you receive the board, two sets of pieces (a white and a red), the die, card to tell you what each piece does, as well as an instruction booklet. The board, die, and pieces are all made from wood. My husband makes things with wood and so we loved this! The pieces came in really nice velvet bags with drawstrings. Everything fits inside the board, which folds up and locks everything inside. Genius! I loved that I didn't have to find something to keep everything in so nothing gets lost.
Here's what our 10 year old thought:
I think that it’s really cool how they made chess way easier for kids so that it’s not all strategy and stuff. It’s also nice that how it can teach kids things like patience. I think that it was really cool to play chess. It was a really good idea to put the chess board as the case, too.
When we first received our board, we got two sets of red pieces. Um, it's kind of difficult to play chess with both players having the same color. As soon as Brain Blox found out the mistake, they quickly sent us an entire new set. Within a few days, we were able to play with the new set. Their customer service is fantastic! They are very customer friendly. This company is actually a homeschooling family who started their own business. You can tell that they are all about learning by just looking at their products. The Fun Family Chess Set is meant to teach the entire family how to play chess. The Brain Blocks Wooden Building Planks are another item that they have. There is an endless amount of learning with those. We were able to review the Brain Blocks Wooden Building Planks, which you will see later this week.
We really love the Fun Family Chess set by Brain Blox. My 10 year old and I have learned how to play chess and it didn't take us long. We didn't transition into "normal" chess because we were having so much fun with the Fun Family version. The booklet that comes with the set teaches you how to transition into playing the actual chess game. This is something that we will work ourselves into later as he is ready. I can tell that this set is going to get a lot of usage in this family!
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Homeschool Basics E-Book is HERE!
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Homeschool-Basics-EBook-is-Coming-Soonhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Homeschool-Basics-EBook-is-Coming-SoonMon, 14 Oct 2019 11:07:00 +0000
Are you just starting out in your homeschooling journey? Are you wondering if homeschooling is the best choice for your family? Do you have questions about how it all works and what it is all about?
Then, our new book "Homeschool Basics" is just for you!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
It is HERE and it is full of information for those thinking about or are currently homeschooling.
We have tried to answer some of those questions that people have about homeschooling. Look at some of the topics that we cover below:
* What's the difference between public school and homeschool?
* How do I find curriculum?
* How do I get curriculum on a budget?
* What are the different teaching and learning styles?
* How do I get my shopping done?
* What about household chores?
* Year 'round schooling
...And so much more!
This book is over 80 pages of information for those seeking to homeschool or are currently homeschooling. We know that you are busy! We have written it so that it is an easy read with short chapters that can be read in short spans of time.
Go get it NOW!
Why don't you check out all of the resources that we have at Homeschool 4 Life? While you're there, don't forget to subscribe!
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I Can See Pumpkins Printable Book
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/I-Can-See-Pumpkins-Printable-Bookhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/I-Can-See-Pumpkins-Printable-BookSun, 13 Oct 2019 00:53:33 +0000
Fall is here! The weather is cooler and my mind goes to pumpkins. I love pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, and looking at pumpkins. We actually just bought a medium-sized pumpkin that we have as a centerpiece on our table in the kitchen. That's what made me think about this pumpkin book.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
This is a FREE Printable book that will be great for children as young as 1 through kindergarten or first grade. Obviously, the younger the child, the more parents will need to help. Click on the picture below to print!
Here are some ideas for how you can use this book:
* Find a crayon and/or toy that matches the color in the book.
* Point to each word as you read to your child.
* Have your child draw a line over the word using that color. This way they can use it as a key for coloring in the book.
* Your child can count on their fingers or with toys to the number on the page.
* There is a page at the end of the book with the sight and vocabulary words printed on pumpkins. Have your child color these and practice reading and writing them.
* If your child can read, or is learning to read, they can read the book to you.
* This book is great for cutting practice.
* You can have your child glue the cut pages onto construction paper to make a sturdier book.
These are just a few ways that you can use this book with your children. We would love to hear how you use it with your family. Email us at and let us know!
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100 Family Time Activities - FREE GIFTS!
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/100-Family-Time-Activities---FREE-GIFTShttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/100-Family-Time-Activities---FREE-GIFTSThu, 03 Oct 2019 12:33:00 +0000
In celebration of reaching 100 subscribers, we wanted to give you all some gifts!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
What better way to celebrate, than to do things together with your family? After all, here at Homeschool 4 Life, we are all about family. We believe that it is so important to spend time with your family: learning, talking, playing, and growing.
That's why we've come up with this 100 Family Time Activities that includes a FREE Printable Checklist. These activities are either free or low cost. There are playing, talking, and learning activities. Pick and choose which activities that you want to do with your family and just get started!
Do your children like getting mail? My kids love it! They love seeing their name on an envelope! We thought that it would be fun to send your children a present for being a part of the Homeschool 4 Life family.
We want to celebrate having our first 100 subscribers by sending crayons to the children of the first 100 subscribers that fill out this form. Just click on the picture below to fill out the information so that we can get your children's 4pk crayons in the mail! We will not sell or give away your children's names or address. We only want to send them their crayons.
We have a printable coloring book that we will also email you, so that your children will have something to color with their new crayons. Just for filling out this simple survey, we will also send you an email with a printable coloring book to go with your children's new crayons.
If you know other families that you think would benefit from our resources, please let them know by posting this to Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook!
We would love to hear from you! We are always looking for new ideas for resources. If you have anything that you are looking for, don't hesitate to !
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Pumpkin Spelling ~ A Free Fall Printout
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Pumpkin-Spelling-A-Free-Fall-Printouthttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Pumpkin-Spelling-A-Free-Fall-PrintoutTue, 01 Oct 2019 22:06:00 +0000
Fall is coming and the first thing that comes to mind is pumpkins. I love pumpkin muffins, cake, and donuts. I like to get real pumpkins and put them in our home.
So why not bring that love of pumpkins into our schooling to make it a little more fun?
That's just what I've done with...
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Our 10 year old is going to love this! He has been working hard on spelling and this will help make it a little more enjoyable.
I am going to print 2 copies of each page, maybe even three so that I make sure that he has enough of the main letters in order to spell his words.
Then I will laminate each page and cut out the letter boxes. I think that I will put a magnet strip on the back of each letter so that he can spell his words out on his magnetic white board.
Click on the picture below to print yours out today!
We'd love to see pictures of your kiddos using Pumpkin Spelling this fall! Send us an email at info@www.homeschool4life.org!
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HiGASFY Art History Video Series Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/HiGASFY-Art-History-Video-Series-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/HiGASFY-Art-History-Video-Series-ReviewWed, 25 Sep 2019 16:30:34 +0000
What do you think of when you hear "Art History"? I think of the class that I took in college that wanted us to memorize dates and artists. Boring. I wasn't so sure about the opportunity to review HiGASFY Art History Video Series. I talked with our 10 year old about what he thought. He said that it seemed interesting and that he wanted to give it a try. I am SO glad that we did. These videos are FAR from boring!
The only part of my college Art History class that I thought was interesting was the part of the "cubists" because their art seemed so different than anything that I had ever seen before. I have a difficult time remembering random names and dates, so I struggled to do well in that class. In fact, it was in that class that I received my very first "See Me" on a paper. Can you imagine? Here I am, in college, and my professor writes a big "See Me" in red ink on one of my papers. I was so embarrassed! He didn't even talk with me about the context of the paper. He said that I had used too many commas. Really? This was an Art History course, right? Not an English course. Whatever. All that to say, I didn't learn a whole lot from that class.
HiGASFY is so very different! HiGASFY stands for "Have I Got A Story For You". I was thrilled when I found that out! Mrs. Beth says that in each video and that is truly what it is. Stories! Mrs. Beth is absolutely wonderful! I wish she was my teacher! She really makes it fun and interesting to learn about art. She brings out the history in Art History. That was great for me because I love history. Once I found out, in high school, that history is not just a bunch of people's names and dates, but stories of lives, I was interested. That's what Mrs. Beth brings to Art History. She tells you about these artists, their lives, what was going on at that time, and why they painted what they painted.
I feel silly saying this, but I never thought about why someone painted or created a piece of art. These were things that they saw, people that they knew, or just to make a living. There is a story behind each and every piece of art. That is interesting to me! Mrs. Beth has brought art alive to us.
(Who says Batman can't like Art History?)
Our 10 year old never had a complaint about watching a video and/or doing an activity for HiGASFY. He would watch them, without headphones, so that I could know what it was all about. I was surprised how it kept bringing me back to watch because it was so interesting. He would watch the videos at the table or sometimes at Grandma and Grandpa's home when we visited. By the way, you say it "Hi-Gasfy". Gasfy is an animated drop of green paint that talks with Mrs. Beth during the videos.
Here's what our 10 year old son had to say about it:
Most of art history from how other people say it, is boring. How she put it actually showed us the art instead of just telling us about it. She made it more interesting. I liked how she talked about more than one artist. I also liked how they put in the animated character, Gasfy. He was funny. It was also kind of cool how, while they were showing pictures, they would put him in there.
We started with the "Impressionists". We learned about Monet and Pissarro so far. We can't wait to keep going and learn about more impressionists. There are other types of artists as well: Renaissance, Baroque, and Post-Impressionist. After the video we would then look up the lesson in the curriculum. Each video has a lesson that gives you vocabulary that was learned in the video, suggested activities to do with your child, and critical thinking questions just to get your child thinking. Just look at some of the activities that our son completed during his learning:
We just love HiGASFY Art History Video Series! Mrs. Beth takes Art History to an entirely new level of learning and we can't wait to continue learning about the lives of these artists. You might want to look into the HiGASFY Art History Video Series for your own family and schooling. I don't think you'd regret it.
Don't just take our word about it. Go see what the other reviewers though about it!
Fried chicken has always been one of my favorite meals. Even as a child, it was between fried chicken or pancakes for my birthday dinner. Now that I have my own children, it is still a favorite among them as well. Sometimes, fried chicken can become cumbersome and messy to make. I have come up with an easier method to make fried chicken with one bowl and one pan.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
I decided to start making nuggets because they are easier to work with and they take less time to cook. Sometimes, I still make strips or thighs, but the process is the same.
Here's my process for making Easy Gluten Free Fried Chicken Nuggets:
#1 - Start heating the pan with Olive Oil on medium heat
#2 - Cut up your chicken breasts into nugget sizes
#3 - Put chicken in a large bowl
#4 - Get out 2 eggs and rice flour
#5 - Put the eggs in the bowl with the chicken
#6 - Mix eggs in with the chicken making sure that all of the nuggets have been covered
#7 - Pour some rice flour over the chicken. I usually start with 1 cup and then add more as needed.
#8 - Mix the chicken with the flour making sure that all of the chicken is coated nicely
#9 - Put chicken nuggets into the pan with the hot oil
#10 - Salt and pepper to taste
#11 - Cook nuggets while turning them every 5-8 minutes. They are fully cooked when they are brown on all sides. We like them extra crispy, so I always cook mine a little longer.
#12 - Get out your favorite sauce to go with the nuggets. Enjoy!
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Online Times Alive Review - A Fun Way to Learn the Times Tables
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Online-Times-Alive---A-Fun-Way-to-Learn-the-Times-Tableshttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Online-Times-Alive---A-Fun-Way-to-Learn-the-Times-TablesTue, 17 Sep 2019 22:58:35 +0000
Math can be a difficult subject. It's one of those subjects that comes easy to some, but it difficult for most. A lot of math needs to be memorized, so that it will make doing it much easier at a later date. Memorizing math facts is difficult for those students who need more than just numbers to remember. Our middle son is that way. He has a difficult time memorizing random things. That is why he has thoroughly enjoyed the Online Times Alive subscription from City Creek Press, Inc.We were able to download theTimes Alive Appwhich made this even better!
Times Alive gives children a "hook" to hold on to in order to remember these, "sometimes", abstract facts. What do I mean by a "hook". In the teaching world, it is when you talk to the students about some piece of information that they already know, in order to add in new information. For example, when I taught our boys how to write in cursive, I reminded them of how to write in print and then went from there. That gives them something to hold on to in order to grasp the new information better.
Times Alive gives the children multiple ways to learn each times table. There is a story, a song, guessing game, review of other problems that they've done, and fill in the answers. Some are with pictures and some are without. I really like this. They teach the children by using pictures at first, but then slowly and systematically reduce the pictures, so the child has to solve the problem without the picture hook. Great teaching technique! Give a hook, teach with the hook, and then when the hook isn't needed, have the children do the new skill without it. Fantastic!
There is some pretty imaginative thinking going on in this book as well. They play with words to make the story. I took some screenshots of 6x6 so that you can get an idea of what I'm talking about.
The multiplication fact is introduced first in a story. This one happens to be 6x6=36. It is about twin 6s (6x6) which are thirsty (36). Then, a song is sung while telling the story.
Next, comes where the child solves that math problem only.
Then, they add in some of the other facts with pictures that have already been learned as a refresher.
Lastly, the child is to solve the math problems without the pictures.
We really liked that there is a Times Alive App on the iPad. That made it so convenient and easy to use. We didn't have to start up the computer in order to play. He would just set his timer and away he went.
Here is what our 10 year old thought:
I think it is a great program because it wasn't like I was doing math, but like I was playing a game. I liked the stories that they had. I think that the people who made this know that kids could have a lot more fun with math. My favorite story is the 6x6 story because it was the first one that I heard. I feel like I've memorized the times tables now. It's easier to remember because they put a story behind it instead of just the math problem.
I have to be honest. I usually get complaints and whines when he has to do math. Not so with Online Times Alive by City Creek Press, Inc. He was always willing to work on it when he was supposed to. He liked going through it and he would come tell me when he learned a new fact. That's what makes this so great! It gives children the confidence they need in order to memorize these facts.
Go and see what the other reviewers thought about it!
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Walking a Number Line
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Walking-a-Number-Linehttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Walking-a-Number-LineMon, 16 Sep 2019 10:24:00 +0000
Helping a child to understand how numbers work can be an abstract thing sometimes, especially when you have a kinesthetic (hands-on) learner. That's when I came up with "walking a number line".
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
The number line is a great tool to use with children to help them use numbers. I decided to make our number line really big and put it on the floor.
1st
Click on the picture below to print yours out, too! Don't forget to laminate it because, after all, it will be on the floor and they will be using their feet to move the numbers.
2nd
Watch this video to see some of the ways that we used the floor number line.
3rd
Play! Put this on the floor and have your children have fun with math! Add, subtract, multiply, divide, factors, etc.!
I would find it hard to believe that any woman would actually say, "I want to be a horrible wife. In fact, I want to be the worse wife ever." Nobody goes into marriage thinking of how they are going to be a bad wife. We all go into this adventure with good intentions of being the best wife that we can be. But, what if we need help?
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
The Bible is a great resource to know how to be a better wife and what it means to be a wife. Click below if you would like to print these out for yourself or for a friend. Put them in your car, on your mirror, or in your Bible. Memorize them so that God's Word is in your heart.
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FREE Kindle Books for Your School!
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/FREE-Kindle-Books-for-Your-Schoolhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/FREE-Kindle-Books-for-Your-SchoolTue, 03 Sep 2019 11:25:00 +0000
Does your family read a lot of books? Do you use, or want to use, books in your schooling? Does your family have a Kindle or the Kindle app? I recently remembered about this wonderful resource that we already have access to.
Our family doesn't have any Kindles, but we have iPads which we can get the Free Kindle app on. There are millions of books available on Kindle ~ many of which are FREE! Yep! You heard that right ~ FREE!
When my kids need a specific book for a class that they are taking, I look here first to see how much it is on the Kindle. A lot of them are free or very low cost. I love having books on the Kindle because they don't take up space in our bookcase and we can keep them for everyone to read. No due dates - No late fees - No paper cuts!
I wanted to show to what Kindle is offering by giving you some examples of some of the FREE books that are available to you, today!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
** Please remember that these books were FREE when this post was written. Make sure that you are double checking the prices before you "buy". **
Young Elementary Grades
Animal Books
Books About the Solar System
Public Domain Books - Classics, G.A. Henty, etc...
This is just touching the surface of what's available on the Kindle for Free. I will be letting you all know about other books that I find that are free or cheap throughout the year. This is a great resource for any homechooling family!
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Britfield & The Lost Crown Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Britfield-The-Lost-Crownhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Britfield-The-Lost-CrownWed, 28 Aug 2019 17:06:53 +0000
I'm sort of a mystery wrapped in an enigma. I am a mom, homeschool parent, and an ESL teacher. I love books. I love to look at books. I love the feel and the look of books. I love to buy books. I love to go to the library with our boys. The problem? I'm not a big reader. Strange, right? I love books, but I just can't get into them most of the time and I lose interest quickly. Not so with this book. "Britfield & The Lost Crown", by C. R. Stewart, kept my interest the entire time.
I was really surprised that I enjoyed it that much. Not to say that I thought that it was a bad book at all! It just really isn't meant to be an adult book. It's meant for elementary age children. They even have an 83 page study guide to go along with the book. But, more about that later.
When we were offered the chance to review this book, I just wasn't sure whether our boys would enjoy it or not. They both have other books that they are reading for school, so this one would be an extra. I thought that it looked interesting enough, so I decided to get it and read it myself. That way, I could decide if it would work for either of our older boys, 10 and 15. I am so glad that I read this book. As I said earlier, I never lost interest while reading this book. I was actually irritated when I had to stop reading in order to tend to the baby, cook dinner, or even worse, clean! All joking aside, I did just want to sit there and keep reading. Unfortunately, life with a newborn doesn't allow that kind of life. I did however, use the time that I needed to feed him as the perfect time to read.
This book is about a boy named Tom. He lives in an orphanage in England. He, along with his fellow orphans, plan an elaborate rescue attempt to save Tom's friend, Sarah, from solitary confinement in the orphanage. They escape from the orphanage, but their adventures don't stop there. They find a hot air balloon and fly across England, stopping at Oxford, Windsor Castle, and other places in England. This book kept me guessing about what was going to come next in their adventures and if these poor kids were ever going to get a break.
There is so much historical and geographical detail in this book. I was impressed by how much information is in this book! It gives great detail of what things look, smell, sound, taste, and feel like. I felt like I was watching a movie, except the movie was in my mind. The way that the author uses words really made be feel like I was there. I have a funny story to tell about this. It's kind of embarrassing, but it will prove my point about how real this book seems. One night, when my husband and I were chatting after he got home, I almost started talking to him about the people in the book as though they were real and that those things really happened. Have you ever done that? I have with a tv show, where I'm thinking about it even after I've watched it as though it was real. That was how it was with this book. I rooted Tom and Sarah on along their entire adventure. I was sad when something bad happened to them and cheered for them when someone was kind and helped them.
As I stated before, there is an 83 page study guide that goes with this book! After reading it myself, I think that my 10 year old will really enjoy this book. The study guide will really help him get more out of the book and understand some of the words used. For each chapter, there are vocabulary word activities, comprehension questions, a personal application section called "Going Deeper", and finally a way to find out more information using technology called "Learn More with Technology". They really have thought of everything in order to get themes out of this information packed adventure book. They even placed maps at the beginning of the actual book for reference was you're reading. Very cool!
If you're wondering what level this book would be for, look at the page sample below. I can usually get an idea if it would work for my boys by looking at how big the font is.
It is a 383 page book with pretty good sized font. Like I said, I think this would be good for my 10 year old. He is a really good reader and would enjoy the story line. The size of the book would be overwhelming for him. I would definitely assign certain chapters at a time, so that it is more manageable for him to handle.
I really enjoyed reading "Britfield & The Lost Crown"! It will be fun to share this story with our middle son. I can't wait until their next book comes out so that I can find out what happens to Tom and Sarah!
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12 Months of Reading Logs, Journals, and Bookmarks
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/12-Months-of-Reading-Logs-Journals-and-Bookmarkshttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/12-Months-of-Reading-Logs-Journals-and-BookmarksMon, 26 Aug 2019 11:17:00 +0000
We have created an entire year's worth that is FREE and PRINTABLE reading logs, journals, and bookmarks. As you are preparing for the school year, we thought that it would be easier for you to have access to all of them in one place. You can print all of them now, or just save this post so that you can print them throughout the year.
Check them out below!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
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7 Reasons Why I'll Buy Cards at the Dollar Tree
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/7-Reasons-Why-Ill-Buy-Cards-at-the-Dollar-Treehttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/7-Reasons-Why-Ill-Buy-Cards-at-the-Dollar-TreeSun, 25 Aug 2019 20:55:58 +0000
Can you believe how expensive cards have gotten? Before Father's Day, my boys and I were at the store and we decided to get their dad and grandpa cards. I guess I'm just a cheapskate because spending $7 or more on a card seems a little ridiculous.
** I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.**
I was reminded that the Dollar Tree has cards. Over 6,800 Dollar Tree stores nationwide are celebrating 1 year of carrying Expressions from Hallmark, which are $1 each, and Heartline a Hallmark Company, 2 for $1 greeting cards. These aren't just any cheap cards. These are directly from Hallmark! So you know that these are quality cards that you would be proud to give to those that you care about.
Here are 7 reasons why I really like these cards:
1) They are from Hallmark. Enough said.
2) They have different colored envelopes.
3) Some of the cards are textured.
4) The cards are a great size that will only cost you 1 stamp to send.
5) Some of the cards have Bible verses on them.
6) There are such a wide variety of cards for all occasions: sympathy, birthday, thanks, thinking of you, etc.
7) They cost $1 or less. This gives anyone the opportunity to show those that they care about how they feel by giving a card.
These cards are exclusively at Dollar Tree. Since the Dollar Tree is celebrating, they want to give 20 people a wonderful prize! Click HERE for a chance to win a box FULL of greeting cards and note cards + a $100 Dollar Tree Gift Card!
For more information about these great cards from Hallmark at the Dollar Tree, Click HERE.
We have always had Bible study as a part of our schooling. We feel that it is important to be teaching our children about the Bible as well as math and science.
We have created a lot of those materials here for you all to use in your home or church. So we decided to gather all of our Bible Resources in one place to make it easier for you to find what we have. Just glance on down and click on the ones that you like!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
In Arizona, we don't have to keep track of the days that we homeschool, but I still like to. That's why I made this 2019/2020 calendar.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
I thought that you all might be able to use it as well. Sometimes I just need a year at a glance and this always comes in handy. I keep it right inside of my homeschooling binder for the year so that it's easily accessible.
Here are ways that this simple printout can come in handy:
* A year-at-a-glance calendar
* Attendance Tracker - Print one out for each of your children. Write one line through the date for a half day and an "x" if a full day of schooling.
* Keep track of breaks - This allows me to schedule out our breaks throughout the year. We usually school for 6-7 weeks at a time and then we take a week off.
* Keep track of holidays and special days - Just circle the date when there is a holiday to remind you of a holiday that you want to remember is coming up.
I'm sure that you all can think of many other uses for this simple calendar. I would love to hear how you use it. Email us at info@www.homeschool4life.org and let us know!
Click on the picture below to print it out!
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Everything for the Homeschool Family
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Everything-for-the-Homeschool-Familyhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Everything-for-the-Homeschool-FamilyMon, 12 Aug 2019 10:30:00 +0000
Homeschooling is a family affair. Whether Mom teaches all of the subjects or not, everyone in the family is involved in some way or another. Homeschooling is a lifestyle that needs its own help and encouragement.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Through the past few years, we have made some pretty great resources for the homeschooling family. We have tried to gather them here below so that you can see them all in one place!
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Memoria Press 5th Grade Literature Guide Set Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Memoria-Press-5th-Grade-Literature-Guides-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Memoria-Press-5th-Grade-Literature-Guides-ReviewWed, 07 Aug 2019 11:53:00 +0000
We have had the pleasure of using other materials from Memoria Press. We like their materials as they are high quality and they have a high educational level. Their curriculum is not "fluff". It is curriculum that will make your children work and think hard. That's why we were excited to review their 5th Grade Literature Guide Set. This set includes the Student Study Guide and Teacher Guide for "Lassie Come-Home", "Heidi", and "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".
I saw these and I just knew that they would be perfect for our up and coming 5th grader to use for Reading next year! He will be reading actual books, not portions of books like a reading book in the public school uses. I love that! Even when I was teaching in the public school system, we rarely used our reading books. I felt that it was a waste of time. I went over to the library, checked out a class set of books, and that's what we used to practice our reading skills.
Memoria Press obviously feels the same way as that's what they have done here with these literature guides. The 5th grade literature guides are on the books of "Lassie Come-Home" by Eric Knight, "Heidi" the Puffin Classics Edition, and "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. I was especially excited for him to read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" because his brother read them at this age and he really liked them, too! These books are classics! I would never have thought to have our son read Lassie or Heidi, but I am excited for him to read these beloved stories.
We started with "Lassie Come-Home". I wasn't sure how he would feel about this book. He wondered what it was about and I told him that it was a dog that helped people. I actually have never read the book or even seen the TV show. We started reading it together. I always like to start new curriculum and books together, so that we get a good feeling for how it all goes together. He read some of the chapters by himself and others we read together. He had a difficult time reading it as it has dialogue with people that have various English accents.
Since we are not doing "full school" right now, we worked longer each day on this. We went through all of the workbook and a full chapter each day. Once school starts again, after the baby comes and we take about a month off, we will slow down the pace. I plan on going through the Reading Notes and completing the Vocabulary on one day. Then, depending on the length of the chapter, taking 1-2 days reading the chapter. After that, we will take a day to complete the Comprehension Questions and the rest of the workbook parts for that chapter. So, it will take approximately a week to complete a chapter. This will be a much better pace for him, so that he can do more of it independently.
I really like the Student Study Guides. I was impressed with the work needed to complete these. They are close to what I would have put in them. I love when someone else does the work for me and I don't have to change or adapt it to fit our needs. Each chapter has 2 side by side pages for the student to complete.
Reading Notes - It started with words that they have given the definition for. We just read through these together and discussed together. We did this before the chapter was read.
Vocabulary - Bolded words are written in phrases or sentences in which they appear in the story. We talked about these together. If he knew the word and could come up with his own definition, then I let him write that down. If he didn't know it, then he had to look it up in the dictionary and then write the definition. This was great for him to practice his dictionary skills. We did this before the chapter was read.
Comprehension Questions - We read through these before the chapter was read so that he knew what to look for as he was reading or listening. After the reading was done, then we went back and discussed these. I ended up writing these answers down so that his thinking was not halted by his writing skills.
Quotations - They have a quotation from that chapter of the book.
Discussion Questions - We worked through these together. These are a little more in-depth questions about the chapter.
Enrichment - There are a few enrichment activities to do with each chapter. Some are: copy a paragraph from the chapter, look at a map of the area talked about in the chapter, look deeper into the accents spoken, make a handkerchief, or look up something in the encyclopedia. We did not do all of these. We just completed the ones that I thought he would get the most out of.
At the end of the Student Study book, in the Appendix, there are more resources that compliment the study of the book. These include: a biographical sketch of the author, Eric Knight, information on the industrial revolution, various maps, literary tools that discuss plot, characterization, setting, and theme, poems, information about Greyfriars Bobby and Tea Time, as well as a couple of coloring pages of flowers.
In the Teacher's Guide, it has the same information as the Student Study guide. They have added the answers to the Discussion Questions and Quizzes and Tests with their answers.
I like that all of the books have the same set up for their Student Study Guides. This means that once he's comfortable with how to work through each chapter, he can just continue on with Heidi and The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. That will take less time when he has to switch to a new book. These books are so wonderful and we can't wait to get to them this year.
I am so excited for him to be able to read these wonderful books and work through the 5th Grade Literature Guide Set from Memoria Press. They have done all of the work for me! This will make it so easy for him for this next school year. He will be working on his fluency, but as well as his comprehension through these great Student Study Guides.
This is the time of year that I am scouring in the internet for helpful resouces for our schooling. I look for educational, but cheap, resources that will just add to making the boys' schooling just that much better or easier. Sometimes it's a printable that they will be able to use. Other times it's a new idea for a game or activity that sparks excitement.
For that reason, we have gathered all of our educational resources in one place to make it easier for you, dear homeschool parent or teacher. We know how your precious your time is. Just peruse the items below and click on any that seem interesting or helpful for you!
We are always looking for ideas that would help you, our beloved readers. So if you have any ideas on resources for your schooling, please email us at .
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Be on the look out for a post with all of our
Bible resources!
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Library and Educational Services LLC Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Library-and-Education-Resources-LLC-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Library-and-Education-Resources-LLC-ReviewMon, 05 Aug 2019 12:54:00 +0000
We love books! In fact, an entire section of Homeschool 4 Life is dedicated to reading books on video for younger children. When I heard about Library and Educational Services LLC, I was really excited to go on their website to check out what they have.
We were able to choose a book from the "Who Was...?" series, one CD from the Lifehouse Theater CDs series, and then $60 in other books from their Reinforced Hardcover Library Binding Nonfiction books. Wow! Was I excited!
Our 10 year old chose "Who Was Dr. Seuss?" and "Trapped In Aesop's Fables" Lifehouse Theater CD. I wasn't too surprised when he chose Dr. Seuss. He has always loved Dr. Seuss books and now he can actually learn about one of his favorite authors. We read this one as a read aloud. I read some of it to him and his grandparents read some more of it to him. I just wanted him to enjoy the book and having some together time. It starts out by telling about what Theodore Seuss Geisel was like as a child. I didn't know that he was a German American whose father made beer. Their family was effected by prohibition and the war. It goes on to tell about how he was inspired to write the books that made him so famous. Great book! We really want to get our hands on some of the other "Who Was...?" books!
He wasn't too sure about "Trapped in Aesop's Fables", but I thought that he would like it. He likes the stories of the "Ant and the Grasshopper" and "The Tortoise and the Hare", so he decided to pick this one. Our 10 year old really liked listening to this. It lasted about 1 hour and he wanted to listen to it in one sitting. I gave him the option of splitting it up into smaller sections, but he just wanted to keep going. That tells me that he really liked it. I enjoyed listening to it as well. I liked how the boy, Henry, actually was a part of the stories. I thought that he would just watch the story. He was the grasshopper in "The Ant and the Grasshopper", the hare in "The Tortoise and the Hare", the boy in "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", the gander in "The Goose and the Golden Eggs", and the father in "The Milkmaid and Her Pail". He has to find out the life lesson in each story before he could go back home. Our son kept saying, "I really like these stories!" When we finished listening to it, he asked if there were more CDs of Aesop's fables. I had to tell him that there were not, but there were other CDs that he could get. I can see him listening to this again and again in the future. There are great sound effects! We really felt like we were there.
I really like their website. They have it well organized that it was easy to find books in the grades of our boys. The books are also categorized by homeschool resources, CDs, Bibles, for kids, teens, etc. We were able to get books for both of our boys for less than $60. Unbelievable? Just check out what we got and the money that we saved.
For our high schooler, I chose The Rosen Comprehensive Dictionary - Set of 4. It's list price is $150.80. Library and Educational Services sells it for $37.70. That's a savings of $113.10! Crazy! These are a set of 4 dictionaries the he will be able use throughout his high school classes of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Math. When he comes to a word that he doesn't understand in one of his classes, he will be able to look it up in one of these dictionaries. He was a little nervous when he saw them at first, because he thought that he had to read through all of them. I told him that they were dictionaries for him to go with his other classes and it calmed down his fears a little. These will be great resources for him!
I let our 10 year old look through the website to find books that he would like to have. We just clicked on the 5th grade section of the website and he was able to look through all that they had available for his level. He wanted animal books and so he focused on those books. He chose the "Animals of the Night" - Set of 3. This came with "Big Cats After Dark", "Owls After Dark", and Raccoons After Dark". This set's list price is $56.85. Library and Educational Services sells it for $17.05, for a savings of $39.80! When he saw these books, his first reaction was "Wow! These are hard back books! I love hard back books!" These really are great quality books!
I wanted to see what they have available in the Homeschool Resources section of the website. Their Chemistry: Master's Class Science looks interesting. It is lab-based as well as Christian based. It's list price is $39.90, but LES sells it for $27.99 for the student book. Our high schooler needs to take Chemistry and this could be a great textbook for him to go through. That's another thing that I like about these books. Library and Educational Services LLC go through each book that they sell to make sure that it doesn't contradict the Bible. Wonderful! Family friendly books at great prices. This is such a wonderful resource for families!
I will definitely be using Library and Educational Services LLC the next time we need books for classes or just for fun! There are so many books to choose from and you can't beat the savings! Perfect for any family!
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Home School in the Woods Timeline Figures Review
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Home-School-in-the-Woods-Timeline-Figures-Reviewhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Home-School-in-the-Woods-Timeline-Figures-ReviewFri, 02 Aug 2019 15:01:23 +0000
I love charts, pictures, graphs, number lines, bullet points, and anything that shows information in a precise and easy to read fashion. This especially includes timelines. I love how a timeline can show you so much information in such a simple way. I like looking at how events and people coincided in history. It makes everything come to life reminding me that history isn't just stories that we read about in books. It actually happened. This was someone's life! That's why I was so excited to be able to review the Timeline Collection: A Collection of Historical Timeline Figures from Home School in the Woods.
These figures are wonderful! There are so many to choose from. There are figures from American history, Bible history, and world history. I think that it is so interesting to know what was happening in the world when America was going through something. It really puts life in perspective.
The figures are organized in many different ways. You can choose from the multiple lists that have be put together. Here are just a few of the lists: America, Bonus (which ranges from Hans Christian Anderson to the Ku Klux Klux to the Samurai Warriors), Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now, Ancient China, Composers, Early Church, Scientists, Religious Figures, Wars, and so many more!
Since we are in our summer break right now, I just wanted our 10 year old to get a feel for these figures and to learn about some of these historical people. I printed out the main lists and simply had him pick a few each day. I printed them out and he got to coloring. He chose a great assortment of character that he wanted to learn more about. He started with some Bible characters (Saul and David), went to learn about some of the wars (WWI & WW2), as well as some American figures (Roger Williams and Ethan Allen). He colored these and then put them in a folder to hold on to until later.
When we were finished going through multiple pictures, he put them in chronological order. We were able to discuss B.C. and A.D. He realized that King David had a date of c. 1055 B.C. while Saul had a date of c. 1100 B.C. This was puzzling to him because he knew that King Saul came before King David. This gave us the opportunity to talk about how the bigger the number in B.C. the earlier in history it was. I love when a product opens the lines of communication to questions and other learning!
This project was great for our 10 year old kinesthetic learner. He didn't just have to read about these historical figures. He was able to choose them, color them, and then put them into a book. Home School in the Woods talks about how to teach different learning styles in their blog. Click HERE to find out more!
He finished putting the pictures in order, added some construction paper, stapled it, and added a title to the front. Then Grandma wanted him to read all of the information to her. He wasn't too happy about this, but this was a wonderful opportunity for more conversation and learning.
Here's what our 10 year old had to say about it:
It is a really good product that I think a lot of his will like. I really liked it because I could color on them and it taught me about stuff that happened in the past.
I like the flexibility of this product. You can use it for whatever purpose that you have. You can print them in different sizes as well as with or without words. We will be using the smaller size without the words with the Mystery of History Book 1 this upcoming school year. These figures go right along with this curriculum. As I was skimming through the list of lessons from the Mystery of History Book 1, Home School in the Woods Timeline Figures has the people that we need to make our own timeline of the book! I think there were only about a few lessons that I didn't see the picture for. That saves me a TON of time! Time is precious right now, with a newborn, and I can use all the help that I can get!
We will be using the Timeline Collection: A Collection of Historical Timeline Figures from Home School in the Woods this entire school year as we work to make a timeline for history. These figures are great!
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Back to School Resources
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Back-to-School-Resourceshttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Back-to-School-ResourcesMon, 29 Jul 2019 08:02:00 +0000
Have you been thinking about starting school again soon? Here in Arizona, the public school kids go back in early August. I love seeing all of the school supplies in the stores, but that gets me thinking about what to do for school this upcoming school year. It's not like I haven't been thinking about it for a while now, but this really gets me to put lists together and make my decisions concrete.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
If you need some inspiration for going back to school, we have tried to gather all of our Back to School Resources into one place to make it easier for you! Check it all out below!
Yep! You heard it right. We have FREE CURRICULUM on our site.
We have Bible curriculum and History curriculum.
Go check it all out below!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
This 12 Month Basic Bible curriculum would be great to use for your Bible curriculum next year at home or at church. It spans multiple ages and grades and is a hands-on curriculum!
This series is also great for home or church. It would be a season of learning about the wonderful parables of Jesus.
These history viewing guides go right along with the 40 Liberty's Kids videos. There are viewing guides for younger and older elementary children.
While I was still pregnant, I started searching apps on my phone that have to do with babies. I found Baby Tracker, for FREE, and I am so glad that I did!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, they will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
First of all, I get nothing out of advertising this wonderful iPhone App. I just thought that it would be useful for our community of readers and wanted to let you all know about it.
We just had our third baby and I have to tell you, it's difficult to keep track of all of his feedings and diaper changing. I took him to his first doctor appointment and they wanted to know how he is eating and how many wet & dirty diapers that he had. I was so happy that I had been tracking everything on this App. I only needed to pull out my phone and check the log. So easy!
Here are some of the features of Baby Tracker:
This is the first screen showing the options: feeding/diapering/sleep/pumping/other.
There's a log of all of the activity that you've entered so far.
You can change the colors, font, unit of measurement, etc. to fit your needs!
Another thing that I like about this App is that it has timers on it. For our little one, because he is a preemie, we have to make sure to feed him at least every 3 hours. I just set me timer on the App and it sends me a notification on my iPhone and iWatch to let me know when the 3 hours is up.
I just love this App. It makes it so easy to keep track of how much he's eating, when he's eating, and how many diapers he's had. With lack of sleep, my body changing back, and the rush of hormones, this App helps me to track all of the essentials for our new baby.
The best part? It's FREE! Go to the App Store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 10.0 or later. This is definitely an essential!
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Preparing Your Hospital Bag...Keeping It Simple
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Preparing-Your-Hospital-BagKeeping-It-Simplehttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/Preparing-Your-Hospital-BagKeeping-It-SimpleMon, 15 Jul 2019 11:12:00 +0000
It's been 10 years since the last time I have had a baby, so I kind of forgot what to bring to the hospital with us when it's time to deliver our precious bundle. I went on Pinterest to find a list that I could go off of. That was a mistake.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
I love Pinterest, don't get me wrong. You can find just about anything that you want on there. The problem is...there is just too much stuff on there sometimes. It's very overwhelming sometimes, you know? I just wanted to find a simple list to help me think about what to bring to the hospital when our son is born.
There is no simple list, that I have found. There were a few that were close, but I still thought that there were too many items on their lists. I mean, someone actually said to limit your bags to 3 or less bags. 3 bags? How long do they plan on staying in the hospital, 2 weeks? That's fine for them, but I plan on staying as little time in the hospital as possible. One reason is that we are self-pay and the longer that we stay, the bigger the price tag. The other reason, and probably the most important, is I would just rather be at home. I can't sleep in the hospital, my husband can't sleep, they keep coming in every 30 minutes to check on something, and it's just not as comfortable as our own home. I always just feel much better when we get our new baby home and we can just relax there.
Of course, if we NEED to stay longer, we obviously will. We always make sure that the baby is fine to go home and that I am good to go as well. We are planning on 2 days at the most, if everything goes well and I don't need a C-section. We also live about 10 minutes away, so my husband can always go home to shower and change, if necessary.
I was able to pack everything that we will need for myself, my husband, and our bundle of joy into 1 bag, with room to spare. I put everything in Ziploc bags with labels to make it easier to find and for my sanity to make sure that we got everything.
Here is my list of items that are in our 1 hospital bag. .
tissues, face wipes, contact case, and contact solution)
I wasn't going to bring a dress to wear home, but then I figured, in case my water broke on the way, I would want a clean outfit to wear. I chose a dress because it was long and loose so that I could just throw it on and go home.
I made a separate bag for things that we need to grab right before we go to the hospital.
This will include:
my glasses w/ case
laptop w/ charger
phones w/ chargers
We are having the baby in the summer, in Arizona, so we don't need to think about any sort of warm clothing or blankets. Depending on where you live, you will need to think about the weather and what you and your family will need for that.
Let us know what you needed in your hospital bag!
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What We're Doing About...Gestational Diabetes and Hypertension
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/What-Were-Doing-AboutGestational-Diabetes-and-Hypertensionhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/What-Were-Doing-AboutGestational-Diabetes-and-HypertensionMon, 08 Jul 2019 11:55:00 +0000
Gestational diabetes and hypertension can be serious problems during a pregnancy, if not taken care of or treated properly. I wanted to just let you all know what we are doing about these in this pregnancy so maybe it will help one of you going through the same thing!
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
**Please remember that I am not a doctor.
I am just sharing what we have worked out with our doctor.
Please consult your doctor for the best treatment for your situation.**
Gestational diabetes is basically having diabetes, but only because you are pregnant. When you are pregnant, the placenta gives off a hormone that can block your body from getting the insulin that it needs in order to deal with the sugar in your body. Usually, after you have the baby, the diabetes goes away as well. They will check you at your 6 week visit just to make sure, though.
I took the one hour glucose test that our doctor had ordered. It actually was better than our other two pregnancies, 10 and 15 years ago. They have improved the drink. Be thankful! My doctor said that I didn't have to fast for that one and the lab confirmed that as well. I get very sick when I fast, so I was thankful for that! Well, guess what? I didn't pass the test, so my doctor wanted me to take the 3 hour test where I would have to fast. I physically can't do that, so my husband and I decided to just act like I have it.
We bought a blood glucose reader and started testing my blood regularly throughout the day. I tested it when I woke up and then an hour after each meal. I cut out all candy, chocolate, and soda right away from my diet. I make sure that I each more protein and veggies in my meals. I cut the carbs and reduced the fruit. We made a spreadsheet to log all of the readings as well as what I was eating. At first, it was trial on error. For me, I can't have any carbs or fruit at dinner because my morning readings were too high. Our doctor was fine with what we were doing and she can tell, from my readings, that I do have gestational diabetes. Our doctor says that my morning (fasting) number should be below 95 and the hour after each meal needs to be below 130. I am able to control it with what I eat, so I shouldn't need any medication.
The supplies that I needed to buy is the blood sugar glucose meter, ultra-thin lancets, blood testing strips, and the lancing device. These are also available for a pretty reasonable price at Walmart.
Hypertension is having high blood pressure. I get nervous going to the doctor, so my blood pressure was raised for 3 times in a row. Any time the first number is above 140, they say that is high. They diagnosed me with hypertension. The funny thing (not really funny, but you know), when they would take my blood pressure again before I left, it always dropped dramatically.
My husband and I didn't think that I had high blood pressure because the only time that it seemed high was when I was nervous about the doctor. We decided to buy our own blood pressure cuff (around $30 at Target) and I started testing my blood pressure when I was testing my blood sugar. I started to log my time so that I would have a record of when I tested and what the numbers were. They were never even close to the 140 that I would have in the doctor's office. I brought in the log for the doctor to see. Again, my blood pressure was high when the nurse took it. I logged another two weeks of blood pressure readings after that. Again, they were never close to 140. My doctor took our records and decided that I didn't have hypertension because I never had it high unless it was the first reading that the nurse took at the beginning of the appointment.
So, gestational diabetes and hypertension don't have to be the end of the world. Do I miss chocolate and soda. Yep! But the health of my baby is more important than a few indulgences. Having our own testing supplies at home gives me the peace of mind knowing that I am doing the best that I can to make sure that our baby has the best chance.
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A Budget Friendly Way to Prepare For a Newborn
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Felicia Mollohan
http://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/A-Budget-Friendly-Way-to-Prepare-For-a-Newbornhttp://www.homeschool4life.org/single-post/A-Budget-Friendly-Way-to-Prepare-For-a-NewbornMon, 01 Jul 2019 17:59:30 +0000
As you may already know, I am pregnant with our third child. I am currently in my last trimester and we are all excited to meet our little bundle of joy! It has been 10 years since our last baby (Surprise!) and so we have nothing left from the other boys. We have been trying to think through everything that we will need in order to be ready for him to arrive.
** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. There are also links on this page that if you simply click on them, that will benefit our family with no purchase necessary. Thank you for supporting our blog. **
Here are the areas of items that we will need:
Clothing
Diapering
Bathing
Feeding
Sleeping/Sitting/Laying Down
Safety
We are on a tight budget (isn't everyone?) and so we are trying to do this as inexpensively as we can. I will share what we will be getting, or have already gotten, so maybe this will give you some ideas.
Clothing
2nd Hand Store
We went to a 2nd hand store, called Other Mothers, for clothing. Think about it, how much do babies wear clothing? Not for very long. We got so many onesies, pants, hats, blankets, sleepers, bibs, and washcloths there! They were between $.50 - $3 each! Not bad! I just took them home and washed them and they are good as new. Actually, they looked brand new at the store even.
Diapering
Sams Club Auctions
Have you heard about the auctions at Sams Club? If you're a member, you can bid on certain items that they put on there. My mom got a huge box of diapers from there at a discount!
Sams Club/Walmart - diapers & wipes
We will be getting our wipes and diapers from Sams Club (we don't have a Costco membership). Getting the big boxes of diapers and wipes will save money because you are buying in bulk! Those little packages of diapers and wipes are really expensive and add up over time. We like the generic brands, so that saves us even more $$$!
Bathing
Walmart - "bathtub"
This one is a little different, but I really want to try it. You know those infant bath tubs that EVERYONE gets? Yeah, I REALLY don't like them. They really didn't make it easy to bathe our other boys, so we are going a different route this time. We got a NEW plastic dishpan. Yes, you heard me right, a dishpan. It's small and won't hold a lot of water...Perfect! It was less than $2 and we can use it for other things after the baby is done with it. I love multi-purpose items! I also like that it's a lot smaller in size so it won't get too much in the way in the bathroom. We have two other boys using that bathroom and they need to be able to get in there also.
For our 2nd baby, we received beautifully handmade hooded towels for him and his older brother, who was 5 at the time. They were made out of real towels and were so wonderful to use. They are bigger and more absorbant than the "baby towels" that are on the market. So, for this baby, I enlisted the help of my personal seamstress, a.k.a. my mom. We went to Walmart and got regular towels. It took one bath towel and one hand towel. I found some posts on Pinterest and she found some videos on YouTube and went to work. I think that it turned out beautifully and I can't wait to use it! There was some left-over from the hand towels and so she made those into a couple of washcloths. Genius!
Walmart - soap
We like to use the Equate brand of shampoo/soap for babies. We get a huge bottle for less than $3. That bottle seems to last forever! Awesome!
Feeding
Sams Club / Walmart - formula
We will be breast feeding and formula feeding, so we will be needing some formula. We like to get the big containers from Sams Club as they save money. Walmart also has great prices.
Walmart - bottles
10 years ago, there weren't many fancy bottles out on the market. Now it seems that is all that is out there. We just need regular bottles. I found a 12 pack of bottles on Walmart.com for $11.99. That's $1 a bottle. Not bad! Now, I know some babies have trouble with the regular bottles and need something else. We will use whatever is best for our baby. We will start with these regular bottles and then go from there. I always get the full 8oz bottles because I can put 4oz in it at the beginning and more as the baby grows. I don't see the need in getting two sizes of bottles.
Walmart / 2nd Hand Stores - bibs
I really like the all cloth bibs as they seem to be more absorbant. The ones with the "somewhat" cloth on the front and plastic on the back let the liquid roll on down and wet the baby's pants. We found a couple at the 2nd hand store and my mom found some others at Walmart.
Walmart - burp cloths
Here's another thing that we do that's different. I really don't use normal burp clothes. They just don't seem wide enough or thick enough. We use cloth diapers, instead. You can get a 6pk for about $10. Not too bad!
Walmart - high chair
We like to use the high chairs that you attach to a chair at the table. This comes in handy with eating at the table without having another piece of furniture to maneuver around. It will be great when we are homeschooling and the baby can sit with us at the table having a snack or playing with toys. These run around $50, but we can use it for years!
Sleeping, Sitting, and Laying Down
Walmart - crib
Our babies always go to bed in their own crib, starting with the first night we come home from the hospital. We love this crib from Walmart because it has a drawer underneath! I love the added storage space for blankets and sheets. It's great to use the usually unused space underneath the crib. It's one of the most expensive item on our list, but for $168, I think that it's still a great buy! We also are getting the crib mattress from Walmart as well.
Walmart - crib sheets
Walmart has cute crib sheets and they won't break the bank. They start at less than $9 for a 2pk.
Walmart - bouncy chair
I am not a fan of the rocking bassinett that seem to be so popular nowadays. We love the bouncy chair for having a place for our boys to lay down/sit up during those first few months. They are only around $20 and for how much use we get out of it, it's well worth it.
Safety / Transportation
Dollar Tree outlet plugs
I found a set of 12 outlet plugs for $1 at the Dollar Tree! Love it!
Walmart - car seat/stroller
We chose a car seat/stroller combo so that we can cart our little one around easily and safely. Then the stroller can be used for the next few years. This is most expensive item on our list, but we are getting two things together, so it makes me feel a little better. Just remember! Never buy a used car seat. Your baby's life is worth the little extra money that you will put into a new car seat.
So most of our items are from a second hand store (Other Mothers) and Walmart. You don't have to break the bank to prepare for your new little bundle of joy.
If I've forgotten anything, please let me know. Just email us at info@www.homeschool4life.org and we'd love to help if we can!
Our younger loves to play games on his iPad. I mean, what kid doesn't? He also needs help with math. Math just doesn't make sense to him and he has struggled recently with it. I was so excited that we were given the chance to review Matific Galaxy for these reasons! It's a fun online math game that he plays on his iPad. Win - Win! Do you want to know a secret? It's not like pulling teeth to get him to do it, either. Win - Win - Win!
There are 7 levels for Matific Galaxy, Kindergarten through 6th grade. I highly suggest getting the Full K-6 package so that way your child can move around in the levels to meet their ability. Our son started with the 5th grade and soon realized that he was not quite there yet. We moved him to the 4th grade level and that was more his speed, but he was still having trouble understanding some of the concepts. We decided that he can work through the 3rd grade level and that has been just great for him. I am trying to build his confidence in math and having him constantly struggle is not the way to do it.
It may seem like he's behind a lot in math, but we have always believed in teaching our children where they are, not where they should be. He's improved in his math skills and understanding just by using Matific Galaxy. I am so thankful for that. I'm sure that he will make great strides in his math skills this year, but working with me in school and continuing to practice his skills with the game.
Here's what he had to say about:
I think that it's a great idea to have multiple grades, instead of just one grade. It helps me because it can be like I'm reviewing it, which helps me even more. I really liked they also put little characters in the game, which makes it more exciting. There are a lot of challenges in each section so that it's not all the same.
I have already talked about the multiple grades and how important those are. Every curriculum is different and just because you're doing a certain grade level in one curriculum, doesn't mean that it will match up with another curriculum. He also mentioned about the different challenges. This I really like. In each section, the skills are mixed up. You don't spend three weeks on addition or fractions. The skills are interspersed umongst the levels and this helps to keep the interest level up high. This especially helps when a child has trouble with a topic and they don't have to dread doing the math game because they can't do it.
The Parent's Zone is great as well! It gives you information about what your child has been working on. It tells you what they have been and not been working on. You also will know what your child is doing well at and what they need to improve on. I love this "bird's eye view" of how he's doing with the program.
As with any new program, especially online programs and games, there is a "learning curve" to be able to work it. For some of the problems, he needed help to figure out how to use the game to solve it. Look at the example below. We had to figure out how to get the bubbles to go inside of each other.
With this activity, we had to figure out how to cut the square, turn the pieces, and then make a triangle.
We really like Matific Galaxy. I'm so glad that we received the one year Full K-6 gradepackage. There are a multitude of math activities which kept our son's attention. He was fine doing it for an hour or more a day. I am thankful that this is something that he can continue to work on and move up through the levels.
Go and see what the other reviewers thought about Matific Galaxy!
