Till Next Time,
Monique
Sunday, December 27, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ December 27, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ December 20, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ December 13, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Sunday, December 6, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ December 6, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ November 29, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ November 22, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Review~ Personalized Name Plaque from Cross Timber
Disclaimer~ 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.
It is the season of gift giving and receiving a personalized gift always feels so special. For me, a personalized gift seems much more special than a sweater you picked up at the local store. Are you looking for a personalized gift that will make someone feel special this holiday season? If you are check out CrossTimber's personalized NameCards or Name Bookmarks, 8 x 10 Plaque Print, and AmazingName Print Activity Sheets. They have gifts for everyone in your family.
CrossTimber offers a variety of personalized gifts for every occasion.
Framed Plaques
Mugs
Music Boxes
Bookmarks
Pocket Cards
Greeting Cards
These gifts can be personalized by adding your loved one's name and choosing a background that they would be cherished forever. All the gifts offered from CrossTimber include the meaning of the name and a special bible verse.
For this review, I received the 8 x 10 Plague Print and the AmazingName Print Activity Sheets.
For the 8 x 10 Plaque Print, I chose to go with a butterfly and daisy theme.
The 8 x 10 Plaque Prints come in a wide variety of styles: Faith, Lighthouses, Meaningful Pictures, Castles, Fantasy, Animals, Birds, Butterflies, Fairies, Nature, Celtic, Flowers, Musical Instruments, Boy Scouts, Couples, Babies, Sunrises & Sunsets, and so much more.
I'll be honest, I had a hard time deciding on a print for Therese. Even though the CrossTimber offers a variety of themes, I felt none of them really appealed to Therese, a teenage girl, or the style/theme she has going on in her room. If she were younger, I would have found tons of options to choose from. The fairy themed prints would have been a huge hit. Kittens, horses... the list was endless. Being a teenage girl, I felt the available themes just did not fit. I would love to see a few prints that might appeal more to the teenage girl.
The butterfly themed print I picked for her was not a hit for her. It was a little too bright and did not look to be the same quality of the theme I had picked for my son a few years ago. Michael's print looked amazing. This print seemed to be something I could print off my own computer. I feel like I just ordered the wrong thing for her.
I am currently looking over the themes again to see if I could find something that might grow with her.
I have my eye on a Celtic design. I didn't want to do the same theme as Michael, but I just may have to. I even have one picked out for our last name to hang in our living room. Shh...It is a Christmas gift for the hubby!
The AmazingName Activity Sheets include your child's name personalized over 80 times. Your child can practice writing their name in print or cursive.
The activity pack includes over 25 pages of mazes, word searches, coloring pages, and handwriting pages. Children will see the fun, colorful characters from the Amazing Name Cartoon.
The pages are easy to follow and come with clear, precise instructions. The AmazingName Activity Pages are geared for children ages three to twelve.
These pages are cute! Both my kiddos are too old for them, but I know they would have enjoyed them when they were younger.
A few years ago, the Review Crew did a review for CrossTimber. I choose a plaque for Michael back then. For him, I choose a Celtic design and loved it. It hangs in his room to this day.
What Did We Think About CrossTimber?
This is such an amazing company. They are wonderful to work with, friendly, and genuinely care about their customers. They seem like a wonderful family. The have beautiful products and really take their time with their customers. They are quick to answer any questions you may have and respond to all emails.
Order your special, personalized gift today! It will make the perfect Christmas gift for that special, loved one.
Learn More about CrossTimber
Be sure to visit with the rest of the Review Crew! You can read about some of the other amazing products offered from CrossTimber.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Review~ Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans Bundle
Disclaimer~ 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.
For the past few weeks, I have been using two new Bible studies for women: Faith Journey Bible Series: Romans bundle and Faith Journey Bible Series: Philippians bundle. Both of these bundles were created by Julie Polanco from Julie Naturally.
Julie Naturally is a website created by Julie Polanco. The website offers a variety of resources for women and their families. Need help with homeschooling, holy living, your faith, wholistic health, and homesteading; this site has plenty of suggestions and offers some amazing guidance in all those areas. She has a shop where you can find her books for purchase. She even offers a member only area where can find the various bundles she has to offer.
For this review, we received the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle and the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians bundle. Both of these bundles are currently available in digital download only. The Romans bundle is covered over eight weeks, while the Philippians bundle is covered over four weeks.
What is the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans Bundle?
So far, I have only worked through the Romans bundle. The Romans bundle takes moms through the book of Romans over an eight-week period.
The series starts each week off with a short video. Over the eight weeks, you will work through about two chapters of Romans a week. The chapters of Romans are broken up into short readings covering six days.
This is perfect for us busy moms.
We all know how precious our time is. After each reading, you will answer three to five questions. Short, sweet, and simple. Even busy moms on the go can handle this. Each week ends with a coloring page that goes along with what was covered that week.
The study also includes eight memory cards to help memorize scripture verses, so they stay close to your heart.
What is the Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians Bundle?
The Philippians bundle is set up just like the Romans bundle, except there are no videos to watch. This study guide will take you through Philippians over a four-week period. One chapter of Philippians will be covered each week. You will read a short reading and then answer three to five questions to help guide you through the journey. The guide does have coloring pages and four memory cards to use.
Why is it Important to Study the Bible?
Reading the Bible and working through a study series helps us grow in our faith. It makes us stronger in our faith and brings us closer to God and His teachings. They help us walk the path that God has planned for us.
Sure, we all know this and think we are doing what we must do, but too often we fall and stumble. We lapse a little bit. We stray off that path. When we read the Bible and work through a study guide, it helps us keep our focus. Let's be real, life is crazy. Often do you feel like a dog, who just spotted a squirrel? I know I am constantly losing my focus and need some friendly reminders.
What I Thought About the Faith Journey Bible Study Series?
I felt the study was exceptionally, well-done. The readings were broken up into small, manageable segments. I loved that I could work through the study at my own pace. I know in the past when I've done bible study groups where you meet in person, I always felt rushed, especially if things had come up and I did not quite have the time I needed to devote to the readings and questions. This felt much more relaxing. Since the videos, were included I felt like I was working along with someone else and not just on my own. I genuinely believe Julie understands how hectic mom's loves can be and worked on creating a bible study group that would be the perfect fit us!
Find out more about Julie Naturally on social media
Stop in and visit with a few of the other review crew members to see what they had to share.
Click the link below and away you go.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ November 15, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Review~ Economics Online Course Bundle from Boundary Stone
Disclaimer~ 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.
I never took an economics course in high school or college, so I never had a firm grasp on the subjects. I knew I wanted my kids to have a much better understanding than I did. I was thrilled when we were chosen to be part of the review crew for the Economics Online Course Bundle from Boundary Stone.
Boundary Stone is a company whose goal is to teach life principles through history. They provide resources for high schools, colleges, homeschoolers, and anyone else with a quest to learn about our government and the importance of economics. They offer courses in economics, government, and history.
The Economics course bundle includes:
Basic Economics 4th Edition Textbook
Student Access to Online Course
Student Access to Online Budget Mini-course
*Two other resources are required: The Law of Frederic Bastiat and Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury
Access to the online portions is for 12 months. This access is for only one student. If multiple students would need access, a second account would need to be purchased.
The Basic Economics course will cover the basic principles of economics. It will cover different types of politico-economic systems that have existed in the past and exist today. The course strives to provide students with the knowledge on how to apply economic principles to their daily life. The authors offer students an economic and historical view to get these principles across. This course is a thinking course and is heavy in history. This is not a water-downed economics course.
So, What is the Economics Online Course Bundle?
The Economics Online Course is completely self-paced. It is a complete curriculum that students can work though on their own. The course is designed to take students through the textbook in a semester. I did read that they recommend the student taking the American Government course first. It will help with understanding certain information provided in this course. Students will work through daily online lessons. The lessons will include YouTube videos to teach important points, readings from the textbooks, study guide assignments included with the textbook, online review lessons, chapter quizzes completed online, and 4 online tests. The course does include a teacher's manual with print versions of the quizzes and tests, and an answer key.
The Basic Economics course in broken up into four units. Each unit is broken up into multiple modules. The modules are then broken up into various lessons.
What Did We Think of the Economics Online Course Bundle?
First off, it is a lot of information. When we first logged in, it can seem a little confusing. There are a multiple tabs and the layout seemed a little crowded. You definitely have to allow time for getting use to the set-up. Once you figure everything out, you are good to go. Boundary Stone has everything planned out for you. All the readings, assignments, and activities are scheduled out for you. This is a HUGE time saver for us busy moms!
The textbook was a durable, hardback. It contains a thorough table of contents. At the back of the book, students will find a glossary of terms and an index for quick lookups. The books pages are sturdy, glossy, and black and white. There is no color in the book. It is a little drab and boring to the eye. The book contains over 400 pages of plain old text.
When Michael first opened the textbook, he immediately stated that this was going to be a boring book to read. I think he felt the constant black and white type was a little daunting. Therese, who is an avid reader, was not overly concerned with all the text.
I would have to agree with Michael. It reminded me of those boring, college textbooks that would make me fall asleep when I was reading them. The textbook has no colored pictures or graphs. Honestly, I only found 3 black and white graphs while flipping through the book. I think some color and few more graphs would be helpful, especially to a more visual learner.
Both kids liked the gray highlight boxes of important notes. The chapters also had the vocabulary noted on the side along with their definitions. This is extremely helpful.
So, the textbook was not a hit, but the actual online lessons were. The video lessons were engaging and provided students with fantastic explanations on the topic. The study guide was extremely thorough and offered students will some amazing discussion questions for follow-up.
This would be a great course for high schoolers. The American Government course and the Economics course would make for a fantastic year of learning.
Learn more about Boundary Stone
Learn more about the Economics Online Course Bundle
Click the link below
Till Next Time,
Monique
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Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Review~ Python for Beginners: Learn Coding at Home from Homeschool Code Academy
Disclaimer~ 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.
Do you have student interested in learning how to code? Are they fascinated with everything to do with computers? Then I highly suggest you check out Python for Beginners: Learn to Code at Home from Homeschool Code Academy. We were recently given the opportunity to review this easy to learn programming course.
Homeschool Code Academy was created by Matt Bohn in the hopes of sharing with his own children his love of computers. He wants children to have knowledge about computers, learn the skills needed to become confident in their computer skills, and to be successful in their learning. The company wants to unleash your child's creativity and equip them with the valuable skills they need to succeed in life and their future careers.
For this review, we received a 10-month access to the online classes.
There are 2 payment options for the 10-month plan.
* Pay 9 monthly payments of $15
or
* Pay $119.00 at sign-up for a 10% discount
Python for Beginners: Learn to Code at Home is geared for students in middle school and high school. The program was designed for homeschoolers by a dad that was homeschooled himself. The course is geared for students in 5th grade and up. They need the basic math skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, place value, fractions, simple geometric formulas (area of a square, rectangle, triangles, and circles), and be able to understand the degrees of a circle, diameter, and radius.
Other skills that would be helpful are typing skills, the ability to open and save documents on a computer, and exposure to cartesian coordinates.
What's Topics are Covered in the Course?
The course has 13 units that are broken up into 158 individual lessons.
Unit 1~ Introduction- 7 lesson
Unit 2~ Hardware and Software- 3 lessons
Unit 3~ Working with Output- 15 lessons
Unit 4~ Working with Variables and Keyboard Input- 8 lesson
Unit 5~ Doing Math with Python- 11 lessons
Unit 6~ Lists and Tuples- 17 lessons
Unit 7~ Turtle Graphics- 23 lessons
Unit 8~ Writing Programs that Make Decisions- 14 lesson
Unit 9~ Loops: Writing Code that Repeats and Counts- 25 lessons
Unit 10~ Re-using Code with Functions- 11 lessons
Unit 11~ Getting Unpredictable with Random Numbers- 9 lessons
Unit 12~ Space Game Code Along Project- 13 lessons
Unit 13~ Conclusion
The course contains pre-recorded video lessons, text pages, and help is provided by email. The videos are intended to be used at a pace comfortable for the student. This is a self-paced course. If a student does not understand a concept, they are encouraged to re-watch the video until they do. The lessons on hand-ons which make for great learning. The students will work along with the teacher and are encouraged to complete the video challenges that are provided with every lesson.
Students will need a MAC or a Windows 10 PC to complete the course. No additional software is needed. The course was designed for the beginner. No previous experience is needed to complete the course. Students are encouraged to have fun while learning!
What We Thought about Python for Beginners: Learn to Code?
The lessons were easy to understand and explained in simple terms. I found the explanations perfect for someone who has no prior knowledge of coding. The video lessons are 10 minutes or less in length. Perfect to not overload students with information or lose their interest.
Neither Michael nor Therese have an interest in coding, but they both found the lessons easy to follow. The projects were explained well, and they seemed like students would have fun completing them.
After completing this course, I do feel students would have a better understanding of what coding is and how to use Python.
Discover more about Homeschool Code Academy
Stop in and read the other reviews the Review Crew members shared.
Click the link below
Sunday, November 8, 2020
Sunday Inspiration~ November 8, 2020
Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.
Till Next Time,
Monique
Friday, November 6, 2020
Review~ Bible Unearthed from Drive Thru History Adventures
Disclaimer~ 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.
Hello, hello, hello!
I have another review for you. After months of no reviews, I have them coming out of my ears. This is my third one this week and I have a few more next week to share with you too. Exciting times. Today I get to share with another fun review. We were recently given the opportunity to review Bible Unearthed from Drive Thru History® Adventures. This is a new series from this energetic company.
Drive Thru History® Adventures is fantastic company that allows families and students to travel all around the world learning about history and the Bible. Dave Stotts is your adventure leader during all of these amazing series from Drive Thru History® Adventure. He strongly believes that learning about history should be culturally engaging, filled with fun facts, and extremely fun. No one wants to learn history the old, boring away.
What is Bible Unearthed?
Bible Unearthed is a 12-part series that explores the history, importance, and impact of archaeology. The series focusing on how uncovering these important artifacts and places helps us learn more about history and the people that lived during those times.
The course is designed to be completed over a 12-week time period. Each week will focus on a new adventure. Each adventure will include the video episode, a written exposition/breakout, worksheets with answer guides, and articles to dig deeper.
The course is followed at your own pace since students/families learn at different paces. Families are encouraged to go at a pace that works best for them.
They do offer a a sample schedule for the week for a family's convenience
~ Sample Weekly Schedule~
Monday~ Watch the video and read the written materials
Tuesday~ Complete the optional activity if there is one
Wednesday~ Read the dig deeper articles and do some research
Thursday~ Re-watch the episode while reviewing the written materials
Friday~ Complete the worksheet (5 discussion questions) with short answers and compare to guide (grading is optional)
Over the 12-week course, students will learn about various topics that pertain to archeology and history.
Episode 1~What is Archaeology?
Episode 2~ The Impact of Archaeology
Episode 3~ Locating Archaeological Sites
Episode 4~ The Life of an Archaeologist
Episode 5~ What's Being Discovered Today?
Episode 6~ Archaeological Mysteries
Episode 7~ Top Discoveries in Bible Archaeology
Episode 8~ Getting Involved in Archaeology
Episode 9~ Trends in Archaeology
Episode 10~ Weird Archaeology
Episode 11~ Accidental Discoveries in Archaeology
Episode 12~ What's Left to Be Discovered
~How to Use the Curriculum with Bible Unearthed~
Bible Unearthed offers families a great way to include this 12-week course into their students homeschooling. Students can watch the videos and then work on completing the worksheets. I printed out the worksheets and placed them in a binder for Michael and Therese. This way they had them all in one location. The worksheets include some brief notes. I recommended my kids to highlight important facts. A scripture verse included for the students to read. Some worksheets include an optional activity to complete. Examples are maps, decode an ancient text, activities that use a microscope, and head out with a metal detector and discover some treasures.
Each worksheet contains 5 discussion questions for students to answer. These are a great way to get a grade if you are using this course as an elective for your high schoolers transcripts.
In addition to the worksheets, each lesson contains the video episode, notes and pictures to bring the story to life, and articles for the students to dig deeper into the topics. These can make for some fantastic research projects for high school students.
I would recommend this series for all families, especially if you have a student interested in archaeology. Michael enjoyed this series immensely. He has always had a fascination with archaeology. He loved it when we headed out west a few years ago and visited a woolly mammoth dig sit.
An added that Drive Thru History® Adventures offers its families is the Adventure community. Families can join the online Facebook group to learn more and discuss with other fans.
Find out more about Drive Thru History® Adventures on social media.
Want to find out what the rest of the crew had to say about Bible Unearthed?
Click the link below and go on an adventure!
Till Next Time,
Monique
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