Blog Archives

#fmfparty - celebrate

9/18/2015

Miss Kate has given us a hard challenge this week.   The word prompt is Celebrate.

Celebrate.   It's a word that goes with looking with joy at an event that has happened. This is SO much a part of the word celebrate.

But sometimes celebrate means relief.

Like when my dad died this spring.   We didn't jump up and down with joy at his passing, we didn't have a big 'ole party, but we did celebrate the fact that no longer was he in pain. Oh, such pain he suffered over his last years. Mental, emotional, physical.. he hit it all.    We did celebrate (with tears) that at last he was home where he belonged, with God in heaven, being fully mindful of the things of God, and perhaps, just perhaps minding the miscarried babies that have gone on before.   Just maybe doing that.   (would be a neat thing eh?).

Soon some homeschooling people we know will be doing the same.
Celebrating that their daughter is no longer struggling and suffering BADLY because of brain cancer. The joy will be there that she knew the Lord, and sorrow will be there full well, but the celebration that her struggles are over, the she is now with the Lord at AT REST at long last.    That will be mixed in as well.

Celebrations can be light and fun and ever so cheery.. like at my 50th birthday this year. Boy, that was just fun having a few friends up.   But that fun, doesn't negate the relief celebrations that also happened this year.

Let us celebrate shall we not? The things that need celebrating??   T'is good and right to do so, yes? :)

Review: Super Teacher Worksheets

9/16/2015

Imagine if you would with me, a schooling site that has more than 10,000 worksheets covering a wide range of subjects, that also as a worksheet generator included so you are not limited by the sheets already provided. Imagine then that you can use this site as much as you want and so I want to tell you about the Individual Membership provided by Super Teacher Worksheets.

I have to admit, I had fun with this review. There were no expectations that we needed to cover any particular subject or area. We could use this site however we wished. With that in mind, I gave my boy his head. He could study whatever he wanted.

Geography? Social Studies? Science? Math? No, none of those suited him. He asked for things he could read. Non-fiction to be precise. So we focused on grade five reading materials. He loved it. Reading comprehension tailor made for a lad. :) Printables that are easily generated for the grade you need them for. Easy to use worksheets for the whole family.

What areas are available?

Math
Reading & Writing
Phonics & Early Literacy
Handwriting
Grammar
Spellings Lists & Worksheets (Gr. 1-5)
Science
Social Studies
Holiday
Puzzles & Brain Teasers
Teacher Helpers
Pre-K and Kindergarten
Make Your Own Worksheets

I would read off the options to him, and then print out the sheets that he was interested in, as you can see the stories came with full colour graphics. They are on-line printable PDF's. Easy to read online, easy to print off for direct use.

The format for each reading selection was story, questions, and then answer key. You don't have to print off the answer key if you don't want to, but since I was using it in a low-key manner and if the lad wanted to know if he was write I said "check the answer page and see". Me not seeing his answers frequently took the pressure off him and often he'd come in saying "Mom! I got it right!!!" When we read the poem on the Flibbertigibbet, my lad queried why he had a poem instead of an article...and then proceeded to laugh his way through the poem, and used the word several times throughout the day. It was funny. :) In case you are wondering, a flibbertigibbet is a gossip who isn't always truthful about what he hears.

sample of an answer sheet. Answers are clearly marked in red, making it easy to check.

I also wanted to see what the math pages would be like for grade five and was pleased to see that they were a basic worksheet with no graphics. :) I did not check out all the math sheets so I can't verify that they are all graphics free. But the ones I did check where boy approved. :)

I did want to check out a bit of the rest of the site so one day I used the worksheet generator to make up a fun sheet with missing letters with all his toy names. I have to admit that he wrinkled his nose at me, and then promptly asked why I didn't get Mr. O!!! (all I could say was OOPS)

The worksheet generator is easy to use. Fill in worksheet title, input your details and questions. Save the sheet. They have a whole variety of worksheets that you can generate. The three main ones are listed on the front page: Word Search, Multiple choice and Fill-in-the-blanks. You can make math sheets, Puzzles, Quizzes, Flashcards and more.

Product Details:

Vendor: Super Teacher Worksheets
Product:Individual Membership
Length of membership: Full Year
Price: $19.95
Grades: Grades 1-6. Though the worksheet generator will allow for any age level.
What do you get? Worksheets, colouring pages, puzzles and more.

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/superteacherworksheets
https://twitter.com/superteacherwks
https://instagram.com/superteacherworksheets/
https://www.pinterest.com/superteacherwks/

"They finished the book too soon"

9/15/2015

I don't know about you, but normally when I finish a book with my boy, I don't normally hear a cry of "They finished the book too soon", continued with "MOM! Are you sure there isn't more to read????" That was my son's reaction to our finished "A Whole New Ballgame" by Phil BIldner.

Take best friends Rip and Red.   Add grade five basketball, a new teacher, a new way of doing things and you have the makings of a good book.

Add a gal in a wheelchair, folks disliking change, a battle against a monster team, a boy (Red) with autism, and an unconventional teacher and you get a fast moving book that keeps the reader (of all ages) intrigued.

Short chapters so that struggling youth don't have to read a long time to get to the point of the chapter.

Lingo of basketball...which I have to admit I struggled with (as did my lad) filled the book.    We crowed with joy with the happy events of the book, and groaned when folks disliking change made unwelcome changes.   We smiled when relationships between people changed and new friends were made.

AND WE WANT MORE!!!!

So my recommendation...grab your 9-11 year old and sit down and read a book together. Read two or three chapters if you want to, but just enjoy a good book.

Product Details:

Received: Softcover fiction
Title: A Whole New Ballgame
Author: Phil Bildner
Illustrator: Tim Probert
Pages: 239
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Type: youth
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.
Price through Raincoast: $7.99 pb

Raincoast books can be found at the following links:
www.raincoast.com
https://twitter.com/raincoastbooks
https://www.facebook.com/raincoastbooks
https://instagram.com/raincoastbooks/
https://www.pinterest.com/raincoastbooks/
http://raincoastbooks.tumblr.com/
https://plus.google.com/+raincoastbooks/

Want to get healthy? Check out this healthy living bundle. :)

9/15/2015

Don’t you wish you had affordable short-cuts to make healthy living easier? Are you tired of trying to make a Whole Foods lifestyle work on a Trader Joe’s budget?

I get it. You want the best for your family. You want to raise healthy kids, have strong immune systems, be more fit and energetic, and be intentional about creating a natural home, but sometimes it just feels so hard.

There’s a lot to learn and the internet can be more than a little overwhelming at times.

I know what it’s like to feel that healthy living shouldn’t be this difficult, and it shouldn’t have to cost so much, either! Don’t you ever wish someone would just tell you exactly what you need to know and how to make these changes for less?

When you have the right info and tools at your fingertips, it all comes together so much more easily. You know what to cook for your family. You’re more confident in choosing natural alternatives. You can easily replace store-bought products with DIY options that really work. You feel better (and even look better, too). Healthy living becomes less stressful and more enjoyable.

That’s why Stephanie and her team have put together the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle for the fourth year in a row. Each year, they’re amazed at how many families are saying “yes!” to their health and taking them up on this super short opportunity to get a complete collection of natural-living resources for a crazy low price.

You sort of need to see it to believe it, but the package includes over 90 digital products on topics like natural remedies, essential oils, real food recipes, paleo & allergy-friendly eating, fitness & weight loss and much more. All together, it’s worth over $1900!

Plus, it comes with $225 worth of bonus products including:

ePantry – FREE hand soap + $8 credit on one shipment, FREE dish soap + $8 credit on the next shipment, AND 60-day VIP access with FREE shipping ($30 value)
Plant Therapy – Lemon, lavender and peppermint essential oil set ($22.92 value)
NaturOli – FREE travel essentials facial set: deep conditioning facial wash (1 oz.), new radiance facial creme (1 oz.), exfoliating walnut scrub (1 oz.) ($16.95 value)
Bloom Naturals – FREE SPOT treatment for acne & eczema OR a $15 gift certificate toward Bloom Naturals products ($15 value)
Lexie Naturals – FREE natural care gift set: lip balm (.15 oz.), lotion tube (1 oz.) and trial-size deodorant (.35 oz.) ($15 value)
Perfect Supplements – $15 gift certificate toward any Perfect Brand product ($15 value)
Strawesome – $15 gift certificate toward the straws and accessories of your choice ($15 value)
TriLight Health – FREE 2-oz liquid herbal formula or $15 off larger bottles ($15 value)
Craftsy – 1 FREE online class ($44.99 value)
Once a Month Meals – $32 toward OAMM membership + a free mini menu ($35 value)

Besides being so incredibly helpful and inspiring, one of the things I like best about the bundle is the price. By offering the bundle for a short time only, they’re able to give you access to over $2000 worth of amazing products for a whopping 97% off!

Here’s how it works:

Visit their website, take a quick look at all the goodness that comes in this package, then click “Get my copy now!” to go through their simple 3-step checkout process.
You’ll receive an email with a login to their online access portal, where you’ll begin downloading your eBooks, signing up for your eCourses, and redeeming your free bonus products.
Use their Getting Started Interactive Guides to pick the area you want to tackle first and start making healthy changes!

The most important detail, though, is that this bundle is available for just 6 days! After Monday night, September 14th, the sale ends and you’d have to buy all of these products individually.

I’d hate for you to miss out, so click HERE to learn more or buy the bundle.

It’s even backed by a full 30-day guarantee, so you can know for sure that it’s right for you.

No one should have to put off a healthier lifestyle because it costs too much or they can’t get the help they need. Our family has felt so much better by making changes to the way we eat, the products we use, and how we take care of ourselves. It’s made all the difference in the world and I want the same for you and your family.

Missionary Monday: Hedley Bunton

9/14/2015

Hedley Bunton, son of a mission minded pastor, married Peggy Paton in November 1932. Peggy came from a family of mission minded folks, so going into mission work was a natural thing for this young couple.

After their honeymoon, they headed to China to found their first mission house in Canton.   They had five children over the course of their marriage.     Part of his job was to train native people to be able to go out into villages to spread the gospel. First he had to learn the language, something that took him three years to learn.

In 1937, Peggy was on a trip out of China, when the Japanese invaded China. She was not allowed to return but needed to stay in Hong Kong with the two children she had taken along with her. Living under Japanese occupation was a very difficult time for Bunton, he had to learn to rely on God to supply his every need since the Japanese simply wouldn't. Chinese Christians helped to supply him with food. Overtime he took a furlough, retrieved his wife and children and went back to Australia.   When the furlough was over his wife remained in Australia while he went back to Canton.

Pearl Harbour happened.   He ended up in a refugee camp.   He ended up being traded for a Japanese prisoner.     He ended up working in a Melbourne Church until the end of the war and his ability to safety return to his work in China. He served there from 1947-1950 when increasing tensions forced him to leave China again.   He worked in for a good while in Australia until he was invited back by the Chinese church to assist in their work in Hong Kong.

The Bunton's lived by the motto "Where God guides, he provides".

Sources

wiki
google news
google book.
harmonic life.
snipView,

This past week reviewed

9/14/2015

One of the questions I am hearing from my homeschooling friends is... so...how'd your first week back go?

I just shake my head.   This first week is NEVER what I hope it will be.

I feel so much pressure this time of year.   And I SHOULD NOT.   We school year round. Granted, our summers are much lighter, but still, we are not a high pressure family and pressure just makes us all shut down. (hence removing pressure by schooling year round).

BUT even for those who kick things into gear for the start of the year I find them shaking their heads too.

1. Their children don't want to be back in school

2. Parents aren't really ready to start

3. Distractions of Back to School Picnics

4. The.. uh.. it didn't go so well, I was so disorganized.. :)

So then I don't feel so bad that our first week was really first two days. :)

So just what did we accomplish last week?   We did another composer from Gena's music lessons :) (Click banner to learn more)

21 Lessons in 20th Century American Music Appreciation

We accomplished three lessons in Veritas Press. Two on the Middle Ages, one on The Explorers.

We did some math.

We started reading Stone Fox and learning how to do book studies. This was a definite challenge for the lad. It was a challenge to help him try to think through the questions because then it was MY thoughts and not his own. And he wanted it to be his own thoughts...

Phys Ed was accomplished two ways
1. moving some big stones out of our once rock garden to a pile under the hedge.
2. Karate class.

We also did lots of reading. So far our Dragonets book is proving to be quite interesting. One more chapter mom.. one more chapter!!! and the lad continues to read his own way through Deltora Quest.

Linked up withweird, unsocialized homeschooler.

Change in Banner and Button

9/14/2015

A young lady in our congregation went through for Computer Design (and what not). I don't understand it all but I can encourage her in her endeavors.

To that end I asked if she could design a new button and banner for my blog.

Although I liked the simplicity of my previous banner and button, I wanted to aim for something a bit more professional looking, and that tied together better.

I am hopeful that she will soon get a website together with some information so I can share it all with you. :) But I think she'll be able to work as a designer if she wants to eh? :) Cheers!

Review: Hope Harbour

9/14/2015

Hope Harbour, a quiet little town, visited by tourists. Home to cranberry farmers and quiet living folk. Based off the author's visits to coastal Oregon, this fictional town encompasses much of what she experienced there.

I have to admit, I don't recall reading an Irene Hannon book before.   She develops great characters where you could almost say you know the people she is writing about.   I personally felt the most connection to Anna, who was a behind the scenes character. She reminds me SO much of a friend I know, and I felt like I could just walk into her house and feel at home.

The main characters Tracey and Michael are both hard-working folk working through mistakes made, losses mourned and struggling to live in the present, learning from their errors.    Tracy struggling to help her uncle manage the cranberry farm.   Michael needing to forgive himself for errors of the past.   Discovering fish tacos...which I have to admit, sound intriguing.    Making connections that lead to other connections which draw people into the world of the living.

Evidences of faith are throughout the book. Learning to listen to those quiet promptings of God.

I have to admit, it's not that i didn't like the book. I did.   But the story didn't really grab hold of me.   I knew from the start that all the characters would come together and it would all work out well in the end.   So it was all....so perfectly set.   Which is great if you just want a quick escape into someone else's world for a while.   It just, I suppose, didn't strike me as enough. :)

Should you read it?
I can't say no. :)   It is a well written, character rich book.   A quick read of light Christian romance.   A good escape for an afternoon.

Product Details:
Received: Softcover Fiction
Title: Hope Harbour
Author: Irene Hannon
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 346

Review: The Potter's Lady

9/14/2015

A girl hurt by fellow students, a family in turmoil, a business in need of help, change is on the wind, which way will it blow the McKay Family?

And thus I was drawn into the world of Rose McKay.

I have to admit, I enjoyed this story in the end. I have to admit, I did have trouble finishing it. I have a difficult time reading about conniving family members.   I don't understand the mindset and I personally find it disturbing to read about.   So when I get books like that I just want to put them away from me. BUT I promised to read it through, so I did, and in the end I am glad that I did.

The conniving family members didn't get away with it.
The wayward son was brought to "heel".
And "the good guys" came out alright in the end, despite suffering hardship.

And of course, love found a way through.

This is a light historical romance, back in the day of the handmade pottery business, when reform was just starting to occur.

Should you read it?
Of course. :)   If you like light romance, like having a Christian theme run through it, and enjoy learning a few things as you read.   I know much more about the pottery business now than I did before starting the book and it's good to learn new things whilst enjoying a good read. :)

Product Details:

Received: Softcover Fiction
Title: The Potter's Lady
Author: Judith Miller
Series: Refined by Love
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 326
Reviewed For: NutsAboutBooks.

SAHM - I'll be featured!

9/14/2015

You'll be able to find the link live on Wednesday. GO HERE. MIss Kemi has been writing a series on Stay at Home Moms and asked me to take part. :)

So don't go until Wednesday. :)