17 Ways to Celebrate Jesus This Christmas

Keeping Jesus the focus at Christmas is very important to my family. Over the years, I have created a list of family traditions that we enjoy together every year at Christmas. I'm always looking for new ideas that I can add to our list of Christmas traditions that will help us to celebrate Jesus.

You are going to LOVE this list of 17 ways to celebrate Jesus this Christmas as we keep Him our focus during the most wonderful time of the year! There are a few ideas that I'll be adding to my list of Christmas family traditions this year!

Join me now over at Life of a Homeschool Mom where I'm sharing our family's Christmas traditions along with a round up of posts from other bloggers who are Keeping Jesus the Focus at Christmas!

Which ideas are you excited about sharing with your family this year at Christmas? Be sure to let me know in comments section of my post over at Life of a Homeschool Mom as I join Heather and other bloggers for ABCs of Homeschooling Through the Holidays!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 
 

Brinkman Adventures: Season 3 Review

My son and I love listening to the Brinkman Adventures! Recently, as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I had the opportunity to review Brinkman Adventures: Season 3 with my son. I received the physical CD set for this review. My son was so excited when our package came in the mail! He said, "Alright, I love the Brinkman Adventures! When can we start listening to this one?" We enjoyed listening to the Brinkman Adventures for fun in our homeschool!

The Brinkman Adventures were created by Ian Bultman. He conceived the idea on hot, summer day in July sitting in a hotel room as he was praying and reading his Bible. He was reading in Luke 8:16-18 when the idea came to him.

"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.  For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.  Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have." -Luke 8:16-18

The first season of the Brinkman Adventures was released nationally on Memorial Day weekend, May 26, 2012.


Brinkman Adventures: Season 3 contains four CD's with episodes 25-36. It's 5+ hours of adventures! From the Brinkman Adventures website:

"The family returns for another exciting season of missionary stories and family adventures.  From dangerous terrorists and a Taliban jail to threatening wolves and hypothermia, new challenges push our characters to the limit of endurance and force them to face their deepest fears.  Travel the globe from Ecuador to Kashmir and from Africa to Alaska as you listen to these amazing stories and discover God's wonderful truths!"

Disc 1:

1. God's Mule
2. Mountain Mover
3. The Silent Ambassador

Disc 2:

1. Translating Trouble
2. Man-Up
3. Acorns & Oaks

Disc 3:

1. A Saint's Story, Pt. 1
2. A Saint's Story, Pt. 2
3. Untouched

Disc 4:

1. Busy Bees and a Bullhorn
2. Missionary Tourist, Pt. 1
3. Missionary Tourist, Pt. 2

These four CD's come packaged in a sturdy plastic case with a full color picture of one of the adventures you'll hear in Season 3 in the package sleeve. All of the stories are actual powerful missionary stories brought to life by the Brinkman family adventures. They will strengthen your family's faith as they have our family's faith.

My son and I enjoyed listening to each story and had a fruitful time of discussion on many spiritual topics that were weaved as lessons throughout Season 3 of the Brinkman Adventures.

If you're wanting to fill your child's heart with the importance of the Great Commission Jesus left for us all before leaving this world, then use the stories of real missionaries found in the Brinkman Adventures. They're sure to be a big hit in your home as they are in mine!


You can discover even more at the Brinkman Adventure website. Learn about what happened in each story as you go behind the scenes; meet actual missionaries; and watch behind the scenes videos! 

You can connect with the Brinkman Adventures on Facebook.

Read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below:

November Scripture Prayer Calendar for Your Husband

I believe in the power of praying the Scriptures for my husband! As we head into November - a month that is all about being thankful, I want to encourage you to focus on all the ways you are thankful for your husband.

It's important we are intentional about the thoughts we think about our husbands. I know this to be a true statement because I've seen it too many times in the past where I have dug a deep pit with the negative thoughts I've let enter my mind concerning my husband. If you continue to let this thought pattern prevail in your mind, those thoughts will manifest into feelings that will have a negative impact on your marriage.

You can break the bad habit of negative thoughts toward your husband today! God tells us how in His Word.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. ~Philippians 4:8

This Scripture verse transformed my thought patterns concerning my husband! Whenever thoughts try to enter my mind that do not line up with the truth of this verse, I have learned to quickly cast aside that thought and replace it with one of these traits above: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. I hope you will be encouraged to do the same.

Another habit that will help you to transform your thoughts concerning your husband is to pray for him. As I've said here before, even more than carrying the title of "husband", my husband is more importantly my brother in Christ and he needs my prayers.

When you begin to pray for your husband, you will see a change in your thoughts toward him.

When you see areas where he is struggling, instead of complaining or letting it create a division in your marriage, you will see specific areas to concentrate your prayers for him.

Here's the November Scripture Prayer Calendar for Your Husband. It is my prayer that you will print a copy of this marriage prayer calendar and place it within your home so that you will see it every day and pray the verse for your husband.

Simply click on this image to download your Scripture Prayer Calendar for Your Husband

I promise you, you will begin to see a difference in your thoughts toward your husband. Your marriage will become stronger, and peace will come into your home. I've experienced it in my own marriage and home, and know God can do it for you and your marriage too.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

Standard Deviants Accelerate Review

I love using online learning options in our homeschool as a way to put something exciting and different into our daily homeschool routine. Recently as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was selected to participate in a review of Standard Deviants Accelerate which offers online learning in these Homeschool Courses for your kids in grades 3-12:

• Arithmetic (grades 3+)
• Fundamental Math (grades 4+)
• Earth Science (grades 6+)
• Nutrition (grades 6+)
• Biology (grades 7+)
• Algebra (grades 7+)
• Chemistry (grades 9+)
• English Comp (grades 9+)
• U.S. History (grades 9+)
• AP Biology (grades 11+)
• AP Chemistry (grades 11+)
• AP U.S. History & Politics (grades 11+)
• AP English Comp (grades 11+)

Standard Deviants has been offering top notch educational videos for over 20 years in core subjects. They have taken their newest online educational videos and coupled them with lots of activities to create Standard Deviants Accelerate, the perfect curriculum supplement for your homeschool!

How We Used Standard Deviants Accelerate

I used a couple of the Homeschool Courses offered in Standard Deviants Accelerate in our homeschool with my son. Since he is delayed in math, I chose to focus on the Arithmetic and Fundamental Mathematics modules.

The Arithmetic module contains lessons on the following math concepts:

• Whole Numbers and the Number Line
• Addition and Subtraction
• Multiplying Whole Numbers and Word Problems
• Dividing Whole Numbers
• Understanding Decimals
• Understanding Fractions
• Lines, Shapes, and Sizes
• Measurement
• Patterns and Graphs
• Subject Review

There are 2-3 lessons for your student to complete under each concepts. Instructions are clearly noted at the top of the screen for each lesson.

You'll notice in the picture above that there are tabs listed at the top of the page.

The Video tab contains the teaching video and written transcript of the lesson. The entire lesson can be watched on the video which is great for a mom who doesn't feel strong teaching math to her kids.

The Vocab tab contains the vocabulary words from the lesson. The math vocabulary word definition is listed as well as a sound icon where the student can hear the word and definition.

Next is the Diagram tab where a math puzzle, etc. is given for your student to work.

The Quiz tab has the lesson's quiz for your student to complete. I love that these quizes are automatically graded for me! If your student misses a question, the correct answer is given in a video. There is a "see video" button that your student will press in order to see the correct answer and how to arrive at the correct answer.

The final tab is the Written Answer tab. Here a question is given relating to the theme of the lesson. Also listed under that main question is a couple of other writing prompt questions that you can have your student answer in written form. You can get a notebook for your student to keep these questions and answers in. 

The lessons are presented in both written and video format. You are given the option to print out the full transcript of the lesson too.

The setup I've described above is the same setup for Fundamental Mathematics. Lessons included in this math module were:

• Beyond Multiplication and Division
• Working with Fractions and Decimals
• Measurements and Ratios
• Angles, Polygons, and Circles
• Coordinate Geometry
• Gathering and Understanding Data
• Problem Solving Skills
• Subject Review

The young adults that are used in the video lessons do a great job at presenting the lesson in a fun and engaging way. I love that we can go at our own pace too.

If you're looking for an online learning option for your homeschool to help out with teaching subjects that you don't feel comfortable teaching, then you need to check out Standard Deviants Accelerate.


You can follow Standard Deviants Accelerate on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Pinterest

You can read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia

Apologia Educational Ministries is the number one publisher of creation-based science and Bible curriculum. In addition to Science and Bible, Apologia has learning resources for Language Arts, Geography, History, Civics and Preschool. Apologia also has planners, devotionals, and more to use in your homeschool.


As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I recently had the opportunity to do a review of The Ultimate Homeschool Planner - Blue Cover. It is a lovely planner created by Debra Bell, a best selling author of homeschooling books. This homeschool planner comes in three different color options: orange, yellow, and blue. This 52-week homeschool planner can be used for up to 6 children.

I received The Ultimate Homeschool Planner in the color of blue. I love it!

Here's all that you will enjoy in this homeschool planner as specified on the Apologia website:

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner for Moms includes:

• Sturdy construction with convenient pockets and coated covers.
• Six years of calendars for long-term planning
• One-Year Planning Grid for the year ahead
• Student Goal Setter pages to identify academic and character goals for each child
• Family Priorities page to help you keep life in perspective
• Resource List pages to track resources for up to six children
• Two-page planning grid for each month
• Special Notes for scheduling exceptions that break your routine
• Wide margins to record prayers and answers to prayers
• Scriptures for meditating on God’s faithfulness
• Exclusive Lord’s Day feature for making God’s Word a central part of your plan
• Maximum flexibility to organize for up to six children by day or subject
• Memorable Moments and Evidences of Grace pages for recounting God’s activity in your life and home school
• Pages to record grades for up to six children and six subjects
• Reading List pages for up to six children
• Field Trip and Outside Activities logHigh School Planning Grid with a sample plan
• Year-End Review pages for reflection and next year’s planning

- See more at: http://www.apologia.com/planners/433-the-ultimate-homeschool-planner-blue-cover.html#sthash.N8EqQW46.dpuf

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner for Moms includes:

• Sturdy construction with convenient pockets and coated covers.
• Six years of calendars for long-term planning
• One-Year Planning Grid for the year ahead
• Student Goal Setter pages to identify academic and character goals for each child
• Family Priorities page to help you keep life in perspective
• Resource List pages to track resources for up to six children
• Two-page planning grid for each month
• Special Notes for scheduling exceptions that break your routine
• Wide margins to record prayers and answers to prayers
• Scriptures for meditating on God’s faithfulness
• Exclusive Lord’s Day feature for making God’s Word a central part of your plan
• Maximum flexibility to organize for up to six children by day or subject
• Memorable Moments and Evidences of Grace pages for recounting God’s activity in your life and home school
• Pages to record grades for up to six children and six subjects
• Reading List pages for up to six children
• Field Trip and Outside Activities logHigh School Planning Grid with a sample plan
• Year-End Review pages for reflection and next year’s planning

- See more at: http://www.apologia.com/planners/433-the-ultimate-homeschool-planner-blue-cover.html#sthash.N8EqQW46.dpuf

"The Ultimate Homeschool Planner for Moms includes:

• Sturdy construction with convenient pockets and coated covers.
• Six years of calendars for long-term planning
• One-Year Planning Grid for the year ahead
• Student Goal Setter pages to identify academic and character goals for each child
• Family Priorities page to help you keep life in perspective
• Resource List pages to track resources for up to six children
• Two-page planning grid for each month
• Special Notes for scheduling exceptions that break your routine
• Wide margins to record prayers and answers to prayers
• Scriptures for meditating on God’s faithfulness
• Exclusive Lord’s Day feature for making God’s Word a central part of your plan
• Maximum flexibility to organize for up to six children by day or subject
• Memorable Moments and Evidences of Grace pages for recounting God’s activity in your life and home school
• Pages to record grades for up to six children and six subjects
• Reading List pages for up to six children
• Field Trip and Outside Activities log
• High School Planning Grid with a sample plan 
• Year-End Review pages for reflection and next year’s planning"

I enjoyed using the exclusive Lord's Day feature to start my day off right as my son's homeschool teacher. Setting my thoughts and heart in God's Word first thing each morning enables me to be the teacher my son needs for me to be and that God wants me to be. The Scriptures on God's faithfulness are encouraging to me as a homeschool mom on days that are tough.

I love planning our homeschool one month at a time in my Ultimate Homeschool Planner. I feel so organized and our homeschool is running smoothly since I've been using it. The pockets are nice to hold the worksheets that my son will use each day.

The name Ultimate Homeschool Planner fits perfectly as this is the ONLY planner you will need! It will be your go-to homeschool planner year after year.


You can connect with Apologia Educational Ministries on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+

You can read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

Institute for Excellence in Writing Review

Institute for Excellence in Writing offers excellent resources for homeschooling parents to use with their kids in the four areas of language arts: listening, speaking, writing and reading.



I'm excited to bring to you today this review for the Institute for Excellence in Writing Resource Set which includes the Timeline of Classics, Teaching with Games Set, and A Word Write Now.

IEW Resource Set Products

The Timeline of Classics: Historical Context for the Good and Great Books is a chronological index of the classics in world literature. I received the spiral bound version for this review, but it is also available for purchase as a PDF file. This resource will be a wonderful addition to your homeschool as it fits perfectly with many curriculum choices and teaching styles. It is suitable for all ages.

You will find inside a chronological listing of writings, biographies, plays, recordings and films that reveal a panoramic view of our world's history. All of this information is formatted as a spreadsheet with the following column listings: description/time period, title of resource, author and approximate age/ability level.

I love the fact that you can actually use this resource as a world history/literature study guide throughout your homeschooling years beginning at Elementary and ending at High School! Hours of research and planning have already been completed for you!


The timeline is divided into the following time periods of world history:

• Ancients (5000 BC - AD 400)
• Preflood and Postflood Civilizations
• Egypt (3000 - 2000 BC)
• Greece (3000 - 431 BC)
• Rome (509 BC - AD 476)
• Dark Ages (Europe, c. 300-900)
• Middle Ages (AD 400 - 1450)
• Vikings (Scandinavia, Europe, 793-1066)
• European Military Expansion (1000-1450)
• Crusades (1095 - c. 1250)
• Renaissance Period in Italy (1300-1500)
• Renaissance and Reformation (1450-1850)
• European Exploration and Colonization (1400-1600)
• Protestant Reformation (15th century, Europe)
• Elizabethan Period (United Kingdom, 1558-1603)
• The New World (1607-1860s)
• Age of Enlightenment (18th century, Europe)
• Industrial Revolution (18th-19th centuries)
• Westward Expansion (America, c. 1841)
• The Modern World (1850-present)
• American Civil War (1861-1865)
• Progressive Era (United States, 1880s-1920s)
• Machine Age (1900-1945)
• The Post-Modern Era (1939 WWII-present)
• Cold War Period (1945-1991)
• Atomic Age (after 1945)
• Space Age (after 1957)
• Information Age (1970+)

My son loves history, so we had a great time going through the different time periods and making our selections.

Teaching with Games Set is a fantastic way to get some fun in your child's daily learning! There are 25 game ideas for you to choose from. The recorded workshop gives you ideas on how to adapt the games to any subject in your homeschool. You can use these for any grade level too. There are two DVDS and one CD-ROM. DVD One has a running time of 70 minutes and DVD Two has a running time of 60 minutes.

We had a great time using the Wheel of Fortune game idea for my son's spelling words each week. It was a fun way for him to practice his spelling words.  We used the Pictionary game idea for things we were learning about in History.

Everything you need such as game instructions and a few printables are included.




A Word Write Now is a thematic thesaurus divided into organized word lists for character qualities and behavior traits. IEW has also divided the word lists even more by parts of speech. Each category of words are color coded by nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs. There's even a section for students to add their own words. It's 100 pages in full color and is spiral bound.

There are four sections of A Word Write Now:

1. Section A: Character Traits
2. Section B: Descriptive Words
3. Section C: Words for Movement and the Senses
4. Section D: Appendix

This is a great tool that's easy for my son to use. He has had trouble in the past with coming up with a variety of words for his writing assignments. A Word Write Now has been a welcome addition to our homeschool!  





We have thoroughly enjoyed using these learning resources from IEW! They'll make a great addition to your homeschool too!

You can connect with the Institute for Excellence in Writing on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Vimeo
• Twitter
• YouTube
• IEW Blog
• Google+
• Instagram

You can read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

Koru Naturals Review

Koru Naturals has been bringing the beauty of New Zealand to the United States since 2002 through their line of products that highlight natural substances. Their symbol is the koru, a Maori name given to the newborn, unfurling fern which symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. Koru Naturals has a no animal testing policy and requires that all of their suppliers certify that their products are not tested on animals. 


I've reviewed Koru Natural products in the past with the Schoolhouse Review Crew, so when the opportunity came again to participate in another review of selected products, I eagerly signed up to be a part of this review. I received the following products for my review of Koru Naturals: Skin Clear Cream, Manuka Honey Propolis Soap, Emu Oil Shampoo and Emu Oil Leave-in Conditioner. I'm excited to share with you today my experience of using these all natural products!

My Experience with Products from Koru Naturals

So when my package arrived from Koru Naturals I quickly opened it and began perusing each product container and opening up everything so I could smell each one. Here is a picture of each product. I love the product packaging and appreciate the careful attention given to even this small, but important aspect of the products of Koru Naturals.

Skin Clear Creme is ideal for acne-prone skinned, which I don't have, but it was a nice moisturizer for my face and neck area. I applied Skin Clear Creme to my face and neck in the morning and again at night. The results have been nice, moisturized skin that is soft to the touch.

Manuka Honey Propolis Soap comes in packaging so cute that I didn't want to open it! But you know I did and let me tell you, I love this all natural soap! It lathered up so beautifully and very quickly too I should add. It smells so good! Made with Manuka honey from the bee hive and Propolis, both of which are known for their natural intense moisturizing and skin protective qualities, I highly recommend this nourishing soap! My skin feels so smooth and soft after using Manuka Honey Propolis Soap.

Emu Oil Shampoo and Emu Oil Leave-in Conditioner are both designed specifically for damaged hair. The Emu Oil Shampoo comes in an 8 fl. oz. bottle, and the Emu Oil Leave-in Conditioner comes in a 4 fl. oz. bottle. I have a love/hate relationship with my hair and was excited to try these two all natural hair products. The leave-in conditioner was very nice. The first time I used way too much though and my hair looked greasy. So the next day, I just sprayed small amounts in the palm of my hands and rubbed it through portions of my hair and was able to easily brush through my hair. My hair is long and thick, so I was happy with how the leave-in conditioner worked. You won't get a lot of suds with the shampoo because there are no artificial ingredients in this all natural shampoo. It took some getting used to, but knowing that my hair was getting cleaned and properly cared for was well worth it. Overall, my hair looked and felt healthy after using the Emu Oil Shampoo and Emu Oil Leave-in Conditioner.

You can follow Koru Naturals to keep up with all the natural products they continue to add to their selections on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Pinterest

Read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.