Review: Apologia Who Am I?

As part of the TOS homeschool Review Crew, I was blessed to receive a set of Apologia Worldview Curriculum, called Who Am I? And What Am I doing here? 

The focus of this curriculum is a Biblical Worldview of Self Image. It is second in a series of three topics. (Other topics are Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him? and Who is My Brother? And Why Do We Need Each Other?) It is recommended for ages 6-14.

There are four different components to this curriculum. I'll start by giving a little info about each of them.

Who Am I? Textbook: This is the backbone of the curriculum, which sells for $39. It is a hardcover textbook with many interesting illustrations throughout. It's 262 pages long, and includes 8 lessons. There is a certain amount of flexibility built into the scheduling of this program, but it is suggested that each lesson might take three weeks. The book relies chiefly on the NIV version of the Bible. (Nonconsumable.)

Who Am I? Audio CD: This is well, what it sounds like, an audio version of the textbook. It sells for $19, and is narrated by a pleasant female voice. Although not an absolute necessity, the audio CD is a neat option to have for auditory learners, and car schooling. (Nonconsumable.)

Who Am I? Coloring Book: This is a 64 page coloring book, to be by used younger students, or kids who need something to do while listening to the text. The drawings are nice, and include a caption relating the picture to the text on each page. ($8, consumable.)

Who Am I Notebooking Journal: This is a 248 page, softcover, spiral bound, (love that,) workbook of sorts. It includes things like crossword puzzles, word searches, typical question and answer sections, spaces to draw, and neat little mini books to make. ($24, consumable.)

Our experience: I spent some time reading through the text and other materials myself before we got started on it, and I thought it was fantastic, very well thought out, and complete. Aside from the stories and lessons, you'll find that it has tons of background information, definitions, and discussion points. 

The messages in the book, about looking to the Bible for our ideas about what we are and who we ought to be are relevant to everyone, but I think they'd be invaluable for a tween/young teen. This curriculum goes much deeper than a devotional or Sunday School type lesson. It's meant to make you think.

L and ran into a few snags when we started using the products. First, and foremost, while he did enjoy the stories, at 6 years old, (and he's admittedly not the most mature 6 year old,) he was only able to relate to the material in a fairly superficial way. The gorgeous notebooking journal requires much more writing than he's capable of right now. 

I love this curriculum, and will be shelving it to revisit in a couple of years, when I feel he's a little more ready for it. I would also be interested in purchasing the other volumes when the time comes, which I believe says a lot.

Disclosure:I was provided with free curriculum in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided.

Review & Giveaway: Sleep Buddy Sleep System

Sleep is pretty elusive here.

Neither of our kids are what you'd call "good sleepers." They still wake up multiple times a night, and L has the horrifying habit of waking up several hours before the sun comes up, and accidentally on purpose waking up everyone else in the house.

We've tried everything we can think of to get him to understand that we don't want start our day that early.

Sleep Buddy Sleep System

I was recently offered the opportunity to review a product called the Sleep Buddy Complete Sleep System. The program is intended for children, ages 18 months to 6 years. It retails for $34.95, and includes a sleep light, an incentive chart, a parent's guide, and book to introduce the system to your child.

The premise of the product is that you program the light to remain on while you want the child to remain in bed, either at night or during nap time. When the light goes off, the child knows that it's ok to get out of bed.

My impressions of the system are as follows:

Pros:
I liked the inclusion of the incentive chart and book, particularly for toddlers and preschoolers. At 6 years old, I find that L isn't particularly motivated by sticker charts anymore, but he definitely was at that age.

The sleep light itself is small and attractive.

The light it provides is dim enough to not actually keep anyone awake, it's just a sort of soothing blue glow.

For a child who needs lots of visual cues, this provides a very clear one.

Cons:
The only real con was that it was fairly hard to program. My husband who is generally the tech support around here even had some  trouble with it. Obviously if the light goes off at the incorrect time, (too early or too late,) due to improper programming, it sort of undermines the program.

So did it work for us?

Well, it depends on exactly how you define success. L does not stay in bed until the allotted time every single day. He does, however understand the concept, and occasionally decides to stay in bed a bit longer if the light is still on. In our particular house, with our particular set of circumstances, (special needs, etc,) that's still a pretty positive response.

The Sleep Buddy is available through the Sleep Buddy website, and via Amazon. You can also follow Sleep Buddy on Twitter, or check out their FB page for more information.

I have good news for those of you who are also struggling with sleep issues in your home. I have 1 Sleep Buddy System to give away here.

For your first, mandatory entry, please leave a comment telling me who you'd use this program with.

For additional, optional entries, you may do any or all of the following:
Follow my blog.
Tweet/FB/Blog about the giveaway, up to once per day. (Please leave a comment for each entry.)
Follow Sleep Buddy on Twitter.
This giveaway will end on 2/27/12, at 10 pm, Central Time. Don't forget to leave a way to contact you if you are the winner.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free product, in order to facilitate this review, as well as the opportunity to give one away. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

Review: Purex UltraPacks

Purex recently sent me a package of their new Purex Ultrapacks to review, and they're pretty neat, guys. I already use the little premeasured cakes of dishwashing detergent, and these operate along the same premise. Premeasured, self contained little packets of detergent mean less mess, and no measuring. (I'm forever spilling laundry soap in the floor, on my hands, all over the washer.) 

I was sent the Mountain Breeze Scent, and although I was sort of overwhelmed by the smell in the package, my clothes came out of the washer smelling fresh and clean, but not overpowering. They also offer a Free and Clear variety. There are 18 packs per package, with instructions to use one per regular load, and up to two per heavily soiled or large load. (They are HE compatible.) 

The packs didn't leave any residue in the washing machine, or on my clothes.

Purex UltraPacks will be available in stores starting in February, and I wasn't able to find a retail price at this point. Obviously price is a consideration, so I'll be anxious to see how these stack up, cost wise, to liquid detergent.

They're certainly very convenient.

Disclosure: I was provided with a package of this product in order to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

If You Love Books, Check out Book Crawler

I may be in the minority here, but sometimes I buy the same book twice. Or maybe three times. We have books and bookshelves all over the house, and it's hard to keep up with what I already have, especially children's books. (I'm not generally a hoarder of things, but I do sort of hoard books...)

I've found a neat iPhone app that's helping me get organized, and thought I'd share it with you, as most of us are looking for a little organizational help this time of year. It's called Book Crawler, and it sells for a whopping $1.99. (I should mention that I'm pretty cheap, and rarely pay for apps. This one is really worth it.)

There are several ways to import your book collection, but the quickest way is by scanning the ISBN number. (Even then, it's taking me a while to scan hundreds of books, but it will get done eventually.) After importing your books, you can categorize them several different ways, by topic, author, etc. When the kiddos and I are looking for books about a given topic, like space,  I can easily look and see what we have.

When I'm making my weekly book buying Goodwill trip, I can scan the books' barcodes to see if I already own them, which is pretty awesome.

What apps are making your life easier?

(I have no affiliation with the makers of this app, I just wanted to share something that's working for me.)

Review: Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay & Sally Clarkson

Like any other endeavor in life, this homeschooling thing has it's ups and downs. Every once in a while, when things don't seem to be going as planned, it's easy to lose sight of what's really important, namely God and family. Homeschooling is a means to an end, not the end itself.

I was pleased to recently receive a copy of Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay and Sally Clarkson to review for the HSV. (The book is available in a softcover format, and retails for $22. It's available from Apologia.)

It came at a good time for me, a time when I was feeling a little burned out. We've chosen a good curriculum, we're making good educational progress, and yet, something's missing.

Actually, several things seem to be missing lately. Joy, a sense of purpose, and peace, to name a few. These are the things that seem to get lost in the daily shuffle of "getting things done."

That's where this book comes in. Instead of looking at the small picture, (curriculum choices, academic achievements, and the like,) Educating the WholeHearted Child is a reminder to look at the big picture. What is the big picture? Discipleship, family relationships, and the blessing of learning together. Those are the reasons most of us started this journey, and they're what we need to focus on.

Whether you're a new homeschooler looking to build a solid foundation, or a more experienced one looking to refocus on God's plan for your family, this book is a great place to start. It's full of thought provoking questions, Bible verses that are applicable to home education, and practical ideas.

I'm devouring it as fast as I can, after which I'm going to be sharing it with my husband. I'll check back in with my final thoughts on it after I'm done.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own. 

Brownie Crunch Cocoa Puffs Review & Giveaway

It had been years since I'd had any Cocoa Puffs, but My Blog Spark recently gave me the opportunity to try new Brownie Crunch Cocoa Puffs before they were even available to buy.

The kids and I tore into them as soon as we got them, and had nearly finished the box in a couple of days. They got a unanimous thumbs up from all of us. I liked them both with and without milk. They're very chocolate-y, which is always a good thing, as far as I'm concerned.

According to the information I was sent, "Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch has at least 8 grams of whole grain (48 grams recommended daily) and a good source of calcium and Vitamin D in every serving."
To find out more info about this cereal, please visit the Big G Grow Up Strong Website and the Whole Grain Nation Website.

We'll be buying them again. 

My Blog Spark has offered to giveaway a prize pack to one randomly selected commenter. It will include a box of cereal for you to try, two fun cereal on-the-go containers, and a frisbee.

For your first, mandatory entry, please leave a comment telling me who you think would love Brownie Crunch Cocoa Puffs, (yourself, your partner, or the kiddos?)

For additional, optional entries, you may do any or all of the following:
Follow my blog.
Tweet/Blog/FB about the giveaway, up to once per day.

Please leave a comment for each entry, along with a way to contact you if you are the winner. This giveaway will end on 6/21/11, at 10:00 pm Central time.

Disclosure: The Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch product, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Review & Giveaway: He is We My Forever

Sneak Attack Media recently sent me a copy of the new album by He Is We, entitled My Forever to review.

I'd never heard of the group before being contacted, but after checking out the video for Happily Ever After, I was interested. It's cute, kind of quirky, and upbeat.

As it turns out, that basically sums up the album. It's young, not in a teenybopper sort of way, but in that it's full of  love songs that are both hopeful and wistful. The female vocalist, Rachel Taylor, reminds me vocally and stylistically a little bit of Michelle Branch.

I thought this album full of light, fun, acoustic pop songs was perfect for a summer road trip.

For me, Happily ever After is the hands down best song on the album. Other high points included the first track, Forever & Ever, and Blame It On The Rain. (No, it's not a Milli Vanilli cover, in case you were wondering. LOL)


For some instant gratification, you can pick up My Forever on iTunes.

Sneak Attack Media has offered to host a giveaway here. One commenter will receive a copy of He Is We's new album, My Forever. To enter, leave a comment saying you want to win.

For additional entries, you may do any or all of the following:
 become a follower of my blog
Follow me on Twitter.
Tweet/FB/Blog about the giveaway.(You may do these up to once per day.)
Follow He Is We on Twitter
"Like" the He Is We FB page.
(Please leave a separate comment for each, with a way to contact you.)


This giveaway will end at midnight central time on 5/30/2001.

Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of this album. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions are my own. 

Review: Hands-On Science by Elizabeth Brough

Up until fairly recently, we've been sort of touching on science as it comes up in our unit studies, or L shows an interest. In general our homeschooling style is pretty laid back, but I've been thinking something a little more systematic might be better for us.

Experimenting with volume.

I was given the opportunity to review Hands-On Science, vol. 1: Particles in Motion, by Castle Heights Press, Inc. It's intended for grades K-6, and sells for $29.95

I 'll admit I was initially curious how a science curriculum could effectively cover such a broad age range. I was pleasantly surprised.

The book consists of four sections:
Thermodynamics
Weather, Climate, &Water
Aerodynamics
Astronomy

Each of the four sections includes a number of experiments related to the topic. For each assignment, the basic experiment is explained, and there are instructions for further exploration to elaborate on the topic, as well as more challenging assignments for older students.

Essentially the student(s) would do the experiment, and if they were an early elementary student, you'd discuss the findings with them. An older student would take the assignment further by perhaps charting or calculating their answers, etc. In this way a family with several students could use the curriculum together, while tailoring the assignments to the students' abilities.

Experimenting with density.

L and I enjoyed this curriculum. As the book explains, at his age, (6,) science is mostly about the joy of discovery, not about memorizing steps and formulas. We did some of the experiments several times, on different days in order to reinforce the lessons. Even 3 year old V was excited to participate in the weighing and measuring. 

The materials called for were generally things you'd probably have lying around, or could easily acquire. This is a huge plus for me, as anything that requires tons of prep work by me in advance is less likely to actually happen around here. 

I really like the idea that we can use this curriculum now, and then we could actually revisit it in a couple of years, expanding on the explorations as L's abilities increase. I'm planning on using it next year, as an enrichment to the Heart of Dakota curriculum that we've selected.

I think this is a good, solid intro into science that kids will enjoy, and parents will find totally do-able.

Castle Heights Press offers a variety of neat products on their website for all ages, as well as a blog covering topics of interest to homeschoolers. You can also connect with them on FB or Twitter.

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of this book in order to facilitate the review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

Yoplait Vlogs and Coupon

You may remember the Yoplait Kids review and giveaway I posted a while back. One of the issues I touched on was V's extremely picky eating habits.
Christine Coppa, of the Mama's Boy blog at Parent.com has partnered with Yoplait to create a series of short vlogs about good snacking habits for your preschooler.
The first installment is about picking wholesome snacks with your preschooler at the grocery store.





I confess I'm, a little jealous that her kiddo eats tomatoes of his own accord...

If you're interested in checking out the rest of the series, here are the links:
Snack Chat #2: Smart snacks for lunchboxes
Snack Chat #3 Overcoming pickiness
Snack Chat #4 Snacking on the go
Snack Chat #5 Snacking 101
Snack Chat #6 Realistic Expectations
Snack Chat #7 Making snack time fun
Snack Chat #8 Teaching good habits

Click here for a $0.50 coupon off the purchase of (1) four-pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt.

Disclosure: I was provided with free product coupons in exchange for this post. The information was provided to me by Yoplait, through My Blog Spark.

Book Review: The Case of the Missing Mountain

  I recently joined the review team at The Homeschool Village, and am looking forward to sharing our experiences with you all. As such, here's our first HSV review:



We were recently sent a copy of The Case of the Missing Mountain, by Kim Jones. It retails for $14.99, and is an 80 page, paperback activity book, which teaches about Mount St. Helens, from a Young Earth, Creation based perspective. (This book is published by Master Books, which is a part of the New Leaf Publishing Group. They are a great source for Christian books.)

The book is full of puzzles, codes, and mazes, which teach about this particular volcano, volcanoes in general,  and various other natural phenomena in the surrounding area. There are before and after pictures of Mount St. Helens, (and the surrounding areas,)  and related experiments to do at home.

The goal in the book is to solve 7 "mysteries." At the conclusion of the book, you can print a certificate and badge to celebrate your status as a "Mystery Ranger."

At the end of the book, there is a section which connects the eruption at Mount St. Helens with the biblical flood and Noah's Ark. The premise is that the devastation, and subsequent regeneration around Mount St. Helens could be used to illustrate the the feasibility of the flood, as a real, historical event.

L, who is 6 as of last week, enjoyed working in the book. It was challenging to him as a beginning reader, and required some help from mommy. A child of 7 or 8 might be able to do much of the book independently. (Although for what it's worth, I enjoyed doing it with him. That's part of the fun of homeschooling, right?)

The pictures in the book were really interesting, especially the before and afters. The puzzles and codes captivated L, who has recently really gotten into things like word searches. The experiments are interesting and fun, but they're actually doable, meaning they don't require mom to acquire lots of exotic supplies, and they don't take hours.

L enjoyed doing the old standby, vinegar and baking soda volcano.

A a result of starting in this book, I think we're going to do a little mini unit on volcanoes. L wants to learn more. :)

We enjoyed this book, and would recommend it. It sounds as if there will be other books in the series. We'll be on the lookout for them.

As an aside, I thought the the bio I received about the author was pretty interesting, so I'm posting it as well.

About Kim Jones:  National Park Ranger Kim Jones lived adventure as a ranger at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in Washington! Interpreting mysteries of science and history to park visitors, Kim’s love of nature and adventure met a perfect match! However, in her job as a park ranger, Kim’s faith in God and belief in creation was challenged! The answer to that challenge came from an unexpected place…a mountain that had been blown to bits!

Exploring Washington, during her time off, Kim discovered the Seven Wonders Creation Museum near Mt. St. Helens. The jaw-dropping evidences of creation she learned there helped reinforce Kim’s faith and spurred her on to work at the museum and assist in guided tours of the volcanic area the next summer. That summer was when the “Mystery Rangers Series” was born.

Kim’s trail adventures along life’s path also include being a fourth grade teacher, curriculum designer and teacher for outdoor school programs, Arkansas State Park Naturalist, assistant backcountry guide and counselor and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Outdoor Education from Northern Illinois University.

Kim’s passion for teaching children about God’s Creation in nature through hands-on experiential fun-filled activities can be seen in her first book in the Mystery Rangers Series, Mystery Rangers: The Case of the Missing Mountain, published by Masterbooks.

Kim is married to her knight in shining armor and has two cute dogs. She continues enjoying teaching about God’s Creation through writing, hands-on natural interpretation, games, and team building at outdoor camps. Kim is available for public speaking and presenting Creation Camps. See thenaturetour.com for details. 

         

Disclosure: We were provided with a review copy of this book as a part of the HSV review group. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

Review: Yael Naim She Was a Boy

Have you ever heard of Yael Naim? I hadn't, until I was recently contacted about reviewing her newest album, She was a boy. I was sent links to her videos for 'Come Home' and 'Go to the River,' and I was intrigued.

As soon as I turned on the album, my daughter started dancing. 'Come Home' is the opening track, and it's sort of oddly retro. Other stand out songs were 'Go to the River', and 'She was a boy'. Nearly every song  has a distinctly different sound, which is pretty rare. It's pleasantly eclectic.

 Her voice reminded me a little of K.T. Tunstall, and her unique style sort of brought Tori Amos to mind.

My husband's reaction to the album was that it was "weird, but really good." I thought it was fantastic. After I listened to it straight through the first time, I immediately listened to it again. It's in my regular rotation now.

I loved this one.

You can check out Yael Naim's FB page, or follow her on Twitter.

Disclosure: Thanks to the folks at Sneak Attack Media for providing me with a review copy of the album. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own. The above link is an Amazon affiliate link.

What's in the Bible Volume 5 Review & Giveaway

Every since we discovered the What's in the Bible series last year, my family has been hooked. From the opening theme song to the closing credits, the shows are laugh out loud funny, full of silly songs, pop culture references, and wacky, muppet-like characters.

What else are they full of? Solid biblical teachings, which go above and beyond just retelling familiar Bible stories. This series goes deeper, touching on the complexities of biblical characters, connections between the Old and New Testaments, and recurring biblical themes.

In short, What's in the Bible is the perfect combination of silly and serious, and in spite of the fact that it's aimed at children, I confess that my husband and I have learned a lot from the series.

Phil Vischer, the guy behind the equally fabulous Veggie Tales series is also the creator of What's in the Bible.

I've recommended the series far and wide, online and off. It's that great.


I was recently send a copy of the newest DVD in the series, Volume 5, Israel Gets a King: 1 and 2 Samuel to review. L was elated. (So was I.)

This DVD picks up where volume 4 left off, starting with a brief review of everything covered in the series up to this point. It then dives into the story of Saul, Israel's first king, and  runs through the lives of King David, and King Solomon. Along the way, other topics are touched on, for example a discussion about the Holy Trinity.

Our whole family crawled into bed and watched the DVD together. It was just as good as I expected. L said his favorite part was the part about David and Goliath, which has long been one of his favorite parts of the Bible. As usual, my favorite parts were the songs.

L is already asking when the next DVD will be available.

There are lots of free resources to go along with the DVDs. Here are a few:
Check out the What's in the Bible Youtube channel.
Coloring pages of your favorite What's in the Bible characters
Bible flash cards

Tyndale is allowing me to give away  a certificate good for a copy of What's in the Bible Volume 5. (It's redeemable at Christian book stores, or via the mail.) I also have a neat What's in the Bible pin to go along with it.

For your first entry, leave a comment saying who you'll give the DVD to if you win.

For additional entries, you may Tweet/FB/Blog about the giveaway up to once per day. (Please leave a separate comment for each entry.) Help me get the word out about this great Christian resource!

Giveaway will end at 10:00 pm central time, on 5/6/2011.

Disclosure: As a part of the What's in the Bible Street Team, I was provided with a review copy of the DVD, a voucher to give away, and promotional materials like pins and posters. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

The Curiosity Files: Dung Beetle (Curriculum Review)

I recently had the opportunity to review an e-book from The Old Schoolhouse Store. It is part of a series of e-book unit studies, called Curiosity Files: Dung Beetles.

The retail price of this e-book is $6.95, although at the time of this writing, it's on sale for an unbelievable $1. The study is intended for use with students in the 8-13 year old range. The e-book is a whopping 80 pages long, and covers many subjects areas, with a surprising amount of depth.

So what's included?
Background information about Dung Beetles
Assessments to track comprehension of the background information
Biblical tie ins to the topic, memory verses, and copywork
Several math activities
Reading selections, and related activities
Spelling & vocabulary lists
Crosswords, word searches, etc
Lots of science activities, and great forms for recording activities and observations
Craft activities and links
Coloring pages
Links to videos and other information elsewhere online.

Our experience:
I knew L would be interested in the topic. He's a little boy after all, and there are few things funnier to most little boys than poop or bugs. I wasn't disappointed. I found that although many of the activities, were, as expected, somewhat out of his range, we were able to use some of them.  (He'll be 6 next week.) We did the reading portions of the unit via the computer, rather than printing them out, in order to save printer ink, as ours  is expensive. I printed out coloring sheets, copywork, and several worksheets, which he happily completed. We watched several of the videos linked to in the e-book as well. Afterward he was able to verbalize many of the facts we'd covered, and even dictated  a letter to his grandpa telling him what he'd learned.

My impression:
I thought the unit was fantastic. The activities were interesting, and there were a lot of activities, so you could either pick and choose for a short little study like we did, or complete them all over a longer time, perhaps a couple of weeks. I loved the that even in a unit about insects, the authors made many (logical) Bible references. I thought the retail price was actually a good deal, and wouldn't hesitate to plop down my cash for another of these units, if L was a wee bit older.
I can't think of any real "cons." L was a little too young to utilize the whole e-book, and I suppose if you were determined to print the entire e-book, you'd run through a good bit of ink.

I'd totally recommend this product. It's available at www.theoldschoolhousestore.com. There are other titles in the series, including several other insects, (Fire ants, Cicada-Killing Wasp,) and other animals and topics, like Puffer Fish, and MSRA.

Disclosure: Thanks to the Old Schoolhouse Magazine for providing me with this title for review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions in this post are my own.

Heart of Dakota Progress Report

I just thought I'd check back in with a bit of a progress report on the Heart of Dakota curriculum we're using. We're still loving it. It's totally taken the stress out of homeschooling for me. No more worrying about working out balanced lesson plans, about "covering everything," about "doing things in the right order." I plop open the book, and we go.

L likes the lessons, and the book selection. He's whizzed through the Frog and Toad books. He seems to enjoy the relatively short length of each subject each day. He doesn't seem to fizzle out before we're finished like he sometimes did when I was making up our lesson plans.

In  short, this is the most fun we've had at school in ages. Also, I sort of hate to actually say it, since things can change at any time, but for the first time in a while, I sort of feel like I have things under control here.

In typical fashion though, I'm going to tinker with the plans just a bit.

Instead of doing the HOD plans on Fridays, I have plans to start making Friday sort of a themed day some weeks, just to keep things fresh. We'll be picking a topic, and running with it on those days, reading relevant books, watching related videos, doing projects. This essentially amounts to what I was doing before, just on a much smaller scale. I figure some weeks I'll pick our Friday topic, some weeks I'll ask L what he wants to learn about.

This will in turn cause the Heart of Dakota curriculum (which is based on a 5 day week,) to last a little longer than a year, which should be fine, since we started it at an odd time anyway.

I Will Praise You Review & Giveaway

Our family loves music. Up until several years ago, my husband and I were pretty much rock devotees, to the exclusion of just about everything else.
My husband joined the praise band at church a couple of years ago, and we suddenly realized we knew nothing about contemporary Christian music. Since then, we've been dipping our toes in here and there, expanding our musical tastes.

When I was presented with the opportunity to review Rebecca St. James' new album, I Will Praise You, I was excited. Here apparently, was a big name in Christian music, that I was previously ignorant of.

The overall feeling of the CD was soothing and modern. I enjoyed it, particularly the first track, "I will Praise You," and track number 5, "In a Moment." It's good listening for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You can find Rebecca St. James on FB, or check her out on YouTube.

You can also win a copy of her new album, I Will Praise You here.

For your first entry, leave me a comment saying you want to win.

For additional, optional entries, you may do any or all of the following:
Follow my blog.
Follow me on Twitter.
Tweet/Blog/FB about the giveaway, up to once per day. (Please leave a separate comment for each.)

This giveaway will end at 10 pm, central time on 4/15/2011.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free, in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Super Wikki Stix Review & Giveaway

My kids and I were happy to receive a set of Super Wikki Stix in the mail this week for review.

Like all Wikki Stix, they're made in the United States, and have been for over 20 years. What makes them different from regular Wikki Stix is that they're extra long. Each strand is 3 foot long, and can be cut to any size, or left as is. The set comes with 48 pieces, plenty for several kids (or adults,) to share.

In typical fashion, we ended up making Wikki Stix habitats and clothing for Pokemon.

The kids had a blast, playing for at least an hour. A whole hour of unplugged, cooperative, mostly quiet play... That's pretty much priceless around here. I can think of lots of fun uses for these.

The Super Wikki Stix set can be purchased for $19.95. Also available from the company are many, many different Wikki Stix kits, from party favors, to bulk packages, to various educational themes. They also have lots of fun ideas of things to make and do with your Wikki Stix.

The company has kindly offered  to sponsor another giveaway here. One commenter will receive a set of Super Wikki Stix.

For your first, mandatory entry, go to the Wikki Stix website, and check out all of the products they have to offer. Come back and leave a comment with something you'd like to have.


For additional entries, you may do any or all of the following. (Please leave a separate comment for each.)

Follow my blog.
Follow me on Twitter.
Follow Wikki Stix on Twitter.
Tweet/FB/Blog about the giveaway, up to once per day.

This giveaway will end on 4/15/2011, at 10:00 pm, central time.

Disclosure: I was provided with a set of Wikki Stix for the purposes of this review, as well as provided with the opportunity to giveaway the same product. No other compensation was provided. 

Bean Bag Chair Review from CSN

A while back, I had the pleasure of choosing an item to review from one of CSN's many online stores. We were right in the middle of redoing L's bedroom, so I chose something for him, a red bean bag chair.

Believe it or not, they actually had several red bean bag chairs to choose from. I ended up selecting the X Rocker Large Red Shiny Bean Bag Chair. The price was fantastic, about half the price of the one I'd seen locally. It even shipped for free!

When it arrived, we were totally impressed. The color was pretty, the chair was a nice size, and it was nice and full.

We've had it about a month now, and we're still loving it. It looks and feels like it did the day we got it.

V has let it be known that she wants a pink one for herself...

Disclosure: I was provided with this item to review by CSN Stores. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Review: Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory (One Week In)

I recently asked you all for some curriculum recommendations for first grade. (Thanks for the feedback, by the way.) I did some follow up research with all of the suggestions, as well as a few other companies that were on my radar.

In the end, I decided on the Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory curriculum, by Heart of Dakota. (I had actually considered their material for kindergarten, but had been too afraid to commit.) I took the plunge, and went ahead and ordered it, so we could start using it right away.

We're finishing our first week with it, and I have to say, I love it, and so far, so does L.

It requires maybe 5 minutes of prep time, which is a huge plus for me right now. The lesson plans are very complete, covering basically every subject area, (except a foreign language.) It's a Christian curriculum, with both specific Bible lessons, and also biblical tie ins to other subject areas. It takes between 1 and two hours a day to complete, which I'm really happy with. Finally, I thought the price was reasonable. The package I ordered was just under $200.

I have no complaints or negative observations about this curriculum, thus far. I'll check back in later on, and let you know how we're doing with it.

Disclosure: This review was not compensated in any way. 

Yoplait Kids Review & Giveaway

Mealtimes around here can be awful difficult. V is nearly three years old, and there's just no way of knowing from one day to the next what she'll be willing to eat. There are a few exceptions, foods that are always welcome, and they basically boil down to two options: cheese or yogurt.

Even the yogurt must pass her rigorous standards, having no visible globs of fruit.

Thanks to My Blog Spark, we recently were the happy recipients of a fun prize pack, and a coupon for a package of free Yoplait Kids yogurt.

We chose the Vanilla flavor, which came in fun little Lightening McQueen cups. Did she like it?

Oh yes she did. In fact, she ate all four cups in about 24 hours. 

Here's an excerpt from the information I received about the product:

Yoplait Kids has an excellent source of both calcium and vitamin D, a good source of protein and the delicious taste kids demand. It also contains 25% less sugar than the leading kids´ yogurt, and has no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Yoplait Kids yogurt is a snack you can feel confident about serving to your kids!

With tasty flavor options, as well as calcium, vitamin D and protein to help build strong bones, Yoplait Kids yogurt is sure to be popular with parents and kids alike. A great value at just $2.00 for a pack of four, this yogurt comes in three delicious flavors, including Strawberry, Strawberry Banana and Vanilla. Kids will love finding their favorite friends, like Dora the Explorer, Lightning McQueen from the hit movie "Cars" and the Disney Princesses, on every cup.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a great snack. It's wholesome and nutritious,  and perhaps most importantly, it passed my picky toddler taste test.

We give Yoplait Kids a thumbs up.

Thanks to My Blog Spark, I have a Prize Pack to giveaway to one reader. 

For your first, mandatory entry, please leave a comment telling me what your biggest food related struggle is in your house, or share a healthy snack your kids actually eat.

For optional, additional entries, you may do any of the following. (Please leave a separate comment for each.)

Follow my blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Tweet/FB/or blog about the giveaway, up to once per day. (Please leave a link.)

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only, and will end on 3/21/11 at 11:59 central time.


*The coupon offer for a free four pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Disclosure: Yoplait provided me with the free product, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. No other compensations was provided, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Everything Christmas (Book Review)

As part of the Water Brook book reviewing program, I received a copy of "Everything Christmas," by David Borden and Tom Winters to review a while back.

It's set up a little like an Advent calendar for adults, with a short section (several pages,) for each day.

The contents are pretty varied, from traditional Christmas Dinner menus and recipes from around the world, to short works of fiction, to lyrics and background info about favorite Christmas carols, (among other things.) The prose and poetry were a mix of religious and secular material.

I thought it was a fun, light hearted way to spend a few minutes a day during the month of December.

If you're a "Christmas person," you should have a copy of this on the nightstand (or the coffee table,) next year. I really liked it.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher. No other compensation was provided, and the opinions expressed are my own. The Amazon link above is an affiliate link.