tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79372358008728509762024-02-19T02:43:53.188-05:00 .Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.comBlogger502125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-51182680650121126932014-05-12T17:01:00.004-04:002014-05-12T17:03:52.235-04:00Hey there...<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkWKxUWFfdfq60HKKGoJEORDHghHsnOquLRI6XHQydqTIgy5Wq" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkWKxUWFfdfq60HKKGoJEORDHghHsnOquLRI6XHQydqTIgy5Wq" /></a>The Giggly Girls and I are still alive and kicking. I've retired from the TOS Review Crew and am taking a much needed blogging break. We're just schooling, enjoying life, and kicking diabetes' booty; and that's enough for now.<br />
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I'm not sure when I'll be blogging regularly again, but I did finally upload all of the posts from my old homeschool blogger blog, where it all began. I'm going through those and cleaning them up a bit and I'll start posting them soon. You'll be able to check out the beginning of our homeschooling journey with little Mackenzie and a bit of our time on Guam. My how time flies...<br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/prncsstefy/StefanieSignature.png" height="72" width="200" />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-8549518695719224082013-11-21T22:30:00.000-05:002013-11-21T22:30:55.104-05:00One Year - Part 2<br />
This past week the Smith Family hit another milestone. It was Kayleigh's One-Year-Diaversary.<br />
What, you ask , is a diaversary? It is what us T1Ps (Type One Parents) and T1Ds (Type One Diabetics) call the anniversary of their diagnosis. We have a whole secret language. lol<br />
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It was just two short months ago that it was <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/09/one-year.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mackenzie's First-Diaversary</a>. Our feelings about this milestone haven't really changed since I wrote that post so I thought I'd share a different aspect of this milestone.<br />
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At our house we've turned these days into a celebration of sorts. We're not celebrating diabetes, still not a fan of it, but it is definitely worth taking the time to celebrating living with it. Especially with the first year being the most overwhelming. So on their diaversary, our girls get to plan their day.<br />
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Kayleigh had very specific plans for her day. It couldn't get here fast enough.<br />
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Phase 1</h4>
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FurReal Friends Cuddles the Monkey. Now named Daisy.<br />
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It's creepy, overpriced, and annoying. 'Nuf said. Did I mention creepy? It eyeballs you.<br />
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Phase 2</h4>
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Dinner at Chuck E. Cheese. Not my favorite place. Plus giving insulin for pizza can be tricky. But I'm not even going to try to explain that. lol<br />
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Phase 3</h4>
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Ice cream chaser from Friendlys. She had to have a monster sundae. That's 51 carbs people. Not to mention that you are what you eat and she's definitely at leas part monster. lol<br />
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Phase 4</h4>
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A bath in mommy and daddy's tub. This was my least favorite activity because cleaning out that huge tub afterward is backbreaking work. I tricked Kevin into giving her the bath so I thought I'd get out of cleaning it. Wrong. He got heavy handed with the bubbles and had an "incident." Bubbles everywhere. He cleaned up the bubbles and I wound up cleaning out the tub afterward. Meh.</div>
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While she enjoyed her special activities, it was somewhat of a rough day diabetes-wise. A lot of lows for her that day. Even after the pizza. The thing with lows is, besides being dangerous and making you feel bad, it requires a bit of sitting still while you wait for your blood sugar to go back up. <br />
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That's the thing with type 1 diabetes. It doesn't give you a break. Day or night. Special day or average day. It's right there, throwing you a curve ball. Or twenty. Every year that someone lives with it is worth a celebration in my book. Even if it involves a creepy monkey eyeballing you. Shudder.<br />
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Related posts you might be interested in:
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<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/01/q-is-for-quicker.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kayleigh's Diagnosis Story</a><br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2012/09/d-is-for-day-that-changed-everything.html" rel="nofollow">Mackenzie's Diagnosis Story</a><br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/01/s-is-for-symptoms.html" rel="nofollow">The Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes</a> (If I had to pick one post for you to read, this one is it.)<br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/02/u-is-for-understand.html" rel="nofollow">Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2</a>Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-38480009126043520192013-10-21T09:27:00.001-04:002013-10-21T09:27:05.896-04:00Review: God's World NewsFor our seventh grade year, we've been putting more of a focus on current events with Mackenzie. She's been digging through the news paper each week trying to find articles that she could understand and give a report about. However, the pickings have been slim. Either they have been over her head or, in my opinion, very one sided. Either way. It wasn't working for us. So we were quite pleased to be giving the opportunity to review <a href="http://gwnews.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gods World News</a>, <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/topstory/about.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top Story</a> Edition for middle schoolers.<br />
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<h2>
About God's World News</h2>
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<a href="http://gwnews.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">God's World News</a> strives to provide news and interesting information to children at their level, and from a biblical standpoint. They use todays current events and cover subjects such as science, social studies, religion, geography, and more. There is something for every area of your curriculum. With magazines for pre-k through adult, there is also something for every student.<br />
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And you get more than just a news magazine. Their online content is extensive and filled with things that would make great supplements to your student's learning. With our <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/topstory/about.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top Story</a> subscription, we had access to biographies, quizzes to test comprehension, fun lessons to compliment the current issue, and a website just for the students that further extends the learning.<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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We received a full year subscription to the <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/topstory/about.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Top Story</a> Middle School edition. The subscription includes 10 full color issues with one issue every month except December and May. Each issue is 32 pages long and is printed in full color. Each issue contains age appropriate articles, editorials, news graphics that explain difficult concepts, puzzles, Map It activities, editorial cartoons, and more. We also received a huge 20" x 30" world map that corresponds with the locator maps inside the magazine. I receive an email every week, with answer keys to the quizzes and puzzles along with easy access to the web content.<br />
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We have been primarily been using the magazine as her source for Mackenzie's current event assignments and it has been working beautifully!!! The articles are short, informative, and age appropriate. The content is varied. She's done reports on everything from government data collection to border patrol to Syria to robots. And she is really enjoying them. The articles have been very straight forward making it easy for her to outline them and write her report. She's actually enjoying her current event assignments now. No more stress! You can read a sample issue <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/media/docs/sample_topstory.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/topstory/biographies.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">list of online biographies</a> is quite extensive and I've been able to utilize those to supplement our science and history studies, as well. She's read about the Egyptian Pharaohs, Gregor Mendel, and Isaac Newton. I'm currently going through the list of biographies and matching them up with our scope and sequence. Many of them will find their way into our future lessons. Check out a sample <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/media/docs/sample_biography.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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I am also finding that the articles and biographies make wonderful source texts for our writing curriculum. This has been very helpful when she needs extra practice on certain writing techniques. And now I don't have to go digging for appropriate material. It's all at my finger tips.<br />
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Each issue also comes with at least two, sometimes more, <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/topstory/lessons.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">additional lessons</a> that you can access online. Again the topics are varied, every thing from mummies to cancer to baseball to life in other countries. The lessons include an informative article, puzzles, quizzes, and fun assignments. You can see a sample <a href="http://www.gwnews.com/media/docs/sample_lesson.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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And guess what else you get with your subscription? Online access to all levels. Including back issues. This is very handy if you have a family member who tends to toss things into the trash, like current GWN issues, without looking at them first. (You know who you are!! lol)<br />
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I hate reading on the computer but I don't mind it on the iPad. (Weird, right? lol) So I was very happy to see that they loaded easily onto my iBooks app to make my life easier. And there's even an <a href="http://www.worldmag.com/ipad.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">app</a> for the adult version of God's World News. And it's free with your subscription.<br />
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I am so pleased with this product. All I was expecting was a news magazine that would help us with our current events studies and we got so much more. We are really enjoying this magazine and all of it's extras. This is something I plan on continuing to subscribe to in the future. In fact, I'm planning on subscribing to the kindergarten issue for my little one. We just love this magazine!!!!<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> http://gwnews.com<br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> preschool through adult<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> $28 for a 10 month subscription<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-73275302242938041562013-10-12T13:17:00.001-04:002013-10-12T13:17:06.949-04:00What are Ketones....and why do us Type 1 Parents (T1Ps) freak out about them?<br />
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If you've ever read my blog or Facebook page, you might have noticed that I am less than happy when I find out that one of my girls is spilling ketones. And chances are, unless you're a T1P yourself, you probably have no clue what I'm talking about.<br />
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Never fear, today I'm going to fill you in. <br />
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What Are Ketones???</h2>
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When a body is unable to burn glucose it burns fat and this produces a chemical called ketones. Ketones are generally produced when too little insulin is produced for the amount of glucose in the body. So your body burns fat to create energy instead, thus producing the acid ketones.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi08xljA_1IEvF_x2h2QYyBb1SSXKApIvIS4sdhHFTH52HbfaqzrHXq3FPXmYz3aZIvgt_r_DYv07ASjVLy9WeePve1MXQeG2zik0QzTr_VLW5k11HigcgKByWt6RniOXSR1VIY9LezU/s1600/DKA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxi08xljA_1IEvF_x2h2QYyBb1SSXKApIvIS4sdhHFTH52HbfaqzrHXq3FPXmYz3aZIvgt_r_DYv07ASjVLy9WeePve1MXQeG2zik0QzTr_VLW5k11HigcgKByWt6RniOXSR1VIY9LezU/s640/DKA.jpg" width="304" /></a>Why is This Bad?</h2>
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Burning fat sounds awesome right??? Well in a diabetic it can lead to Diabetic Ketoacidois (DKA) and that is one of the two big emergencies that type 1 diabetics face. (The other is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.)<br />
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DKA occurs when ketones build up due to a lack of insulin. The ketones will start spilling into the <br />
urine and if the body still doesn't get enough insulin that it needs then it can lead to a diabetic coma or death.<br />
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What are the Symptoms of DKA?</h2>
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<b><u>*Usually high blood sugars. </u></b><br />
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Usually. Kayleigh is more prone to spill ketones than Mackenzie and her blood sugar is usually within a normal (for her) range when this happens.<br />
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That's diabetes for you. It's never predictable. You can certainly make educated and informed decisions regarding D-Care but you have to be prepared to be wrong. Because diabetes does not care about the "rules". It can be something different every single day and for every single person with diabetes.<br />
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<b><u>*Extreme thirst and frequent urination.</u></b><br />
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Caused, of course, by the high blood sugars.<br />
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<b><u>*Higher Levels of Ketones in the Urine.</u></b><br />
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You can check this using a urine test or blood test. The blood test is more accurate because it's up-to-date information. The urine test is a couple of hours behind. Usually if the ketones are 1 mmol/L or less it's pretty easy to treat by pushing water and upping their insulin a bit. But it's a balancing because if they're blood sugars are within range or low you cannot safely give more insulin because you'll drop them low and that's a different kind of diabetes scare.<br />
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All of those symptoms can lead to...<br />
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<b><u>*Stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, irritability, fruity smelling breath. </u></b><br />
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My girls have also complained of blurry vision and headaches. Usually the time you hit this symptoms your ketone levels are moderate, somewhere between 1 & 3 mmol/L. <br />
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Treatment here definitely requires a big insulin push. If they're blood sugar is high enough, that is. If not you can try to give them food or drink to raise their sugar so you can give them the insulin.<br />
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Once you hit the 3 mmol/L mark you spilling high ketones, and this is when you might see...<br />
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<b><u>*Labored breathing</u></b><br />
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<b><u>*Extreme weakness/exhaustion</u></b><br />
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<b><u>*Eventually unconsciousness.</u></b><br />
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Now you've reached DKA territory and it's mostly likely time to get them to the doctor for treatment.<br />
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<h2>
Ketones in our World</h2>
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I've, unfortunately, experienced my fair share of ketones. Both girls tend to develop them when they're not feeling well. It's not uncommon for ketones to develop when there's illness involved.<br />
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Mackenzie's ketones were 2.6 at diagnosis. Her extreme weight loss in the months prior were a big clue to that. She's so fortunate that she wasn't DKA with as long as she went undiagnosed. God was watching over her.<br />
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Kayleigh tends to spill them quite easily and she does it with her blood sugar in range which makes <br />
treating them very difficult. She's had many random and unexplained periods where she vomits for 24 hours and her ketones shoot up. She never has any other symptoms of illness, just the vomiting, and perfect blood sugars. You can imagine that treating the ketones with insulin is next impossible when you can't give her food to raise her glucose because she can't hold anything down. <br />
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So far the trick has been to get her to sleep and get her to drink some juice while she's sleeping or suck on a lollipop. Eventually the blood sugar goes up enough where I can give insulin and that seems to knock the ketones down quite quickly.<br />
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Still, she gave us quite a scare once with 3.3 ketones. Thankfully I was able to give her insulin at the point and they dropped quickly. We were packing up her bag to take her to the hospital so she got lucky.<br />
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<h2>
Type 1 Awareness</h2>
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You might have noticed that a lot of the symptoms of DKA are also the symptoms that you might have type 1 diabetes. That's because a lot of the time people are near, if not in, DKA when they are diagnosed. Why?<br />
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Because there is not remotely enough awareness about type 1 diabetes out there. More people die from complications from diabetes (type 1 and 2) than from breast cancer and aids combined but still nobody is aware of the symptoms.<br />
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I go to my annual physical and get a breast examine every single time. But never once did our pediatrician check my girls for diabetes. Even though Mackenzie had the symptoms for over a year. It didn't even occur to the doctor to check because, even in the medical field, there isn't enough awareness about type 1 diabetes. A simple, in-office, finger prick at every child's physical could go a long way to saving a child's life.<br />
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Next month is American Diabetes Month and, until my girls were diagnosed, I'd never heard anything about it. Even now, I only hear about it from other people affected by diabetes. It is my my prayer that this is the year that I see 1/3 of the amount of diabetes ribbons as I do for cancer. Just 1/3 of the amount would go a long way to saving a lot of lives. Once day I hope to see just as many because the awareness is desperately need.<br />
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Other posts of interest...<br />
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<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/01/s-is-for-symptoms.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">S is for Symptoms</a> - The symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes<br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/02/u-is-for-understand.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">U is for Understand</a> - The differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-1718605349466914762013-10-05T20:56:00.000-04:002013-10-05T20:56:01.644-04:00Review: Fundanoodle<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/Fundanoodle/fundanoodlelogo_zps4636896c.png.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo fundanoodlelogo_zps4636896c.png" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/Fundanoodle/fundanoodlelogo_zps4636896c.png" /></a>We're knee deep in kindergarten around here. And part of kindergarten is learning to write, much to Kayleigh's dismay. She's not doing a bad job with her capital letters, but the lowercase letters have been given her a run for her money.<br />
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When the chance to review <a href="http://www.fundanoodle.com/learning-systems/product-detail.cfm/ID/289AA230-CAA1-72C1-0D83A2F86D2829D2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Can Build Lower Case Letters</a> by <a href="http://www.fundanoodle.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fundanoodle</a> arrived, I was super excited.<br />
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<h2>
About Fundanoodle</h2>
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<a href="http://www.fundanoodle.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fundanoodle</a> strives to help parents and teachers achieve educational readiness for their children. They offer a variety of fun learning systems to aid your students in motor coordination, eye/hand coordination, problem solving, and more. <br />
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<h2>
<a href="http://www.carolinapad.com//uploads/images/swfs/imageviewer/I_Can_Build_LC_Lifestyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.carolinapad.com//uploads/images/swfs/imageviewer/I_Can_Build_LC_Lifestyle.jpg" width="310" /></a>
Our Experience</h2>
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We received the <a href="http://www.fundanoodle.com/learning-systems/product-detail.cfm/ID/289AA230-CAA1-72C1-0D83A2F86D2829D2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Can Build Lower Case Letters</a> learning system. The system included a magnetic white board with dry erase marker, set of 17 Magnastix magnetic pieces, six gross motor cards, six-sided die, and the I<a href="http://carolinapadstore.com/fundanoodle-k-to-1-writing-tablet.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Can Write Lower Case!</a> writing tablet.<br />
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I cannot speak highly enough about the quality of these products. Every last item was sturdy and extremely well made. They will last for years. These items might just be the sturdiest product for children that I've ever owned. I'm am not the slightest bit concerned that the board will come apart or the magnets will peel off the backing anytime soon. They are phenomenally made.<br />
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The company recommends starting the lessons with a gross motor activity to help prepare the student for writing. Kayleigh has a grand old time playing a game with the gross motor cards. Each card is numbered and has a different animal for the student to act like. Kayleigh rolls the dice and that acts out the card with the corresponding number. With only six cards it can get repetitive. I wouldn't mind seeing the company expand the cards to include more. But you can even make additional cards with your computer if your student doesn't like that much repetition. Lots of fun!<br />
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Next Kayleigh and I would work on forming the letters with the Magnastix on the white board. The top and the bottom of the white board are painted green and red, respectively. The green is a reminder to "Go" for letters that start at the top of the green line. The red means "Stop" since most letters will stop at the red line.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQGlTdX9GD0ZgZJU7Zq20Nq-jFSCNSSOBaH9bi6xNTRAMea8QcH3DErDIDiQz0U0136Z82yPLXzHtCl4W1wzbZLwfVWDtT2xBpHnIVwt6sPK6gn1AcPu8V1zhZGnWu2m4OwWQq27iXsY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQGlTdX9GD0ZgZJU7Zq20Nq-jFSCNSSOBaH9bi6xNTRAMea8QcH3DErDIDiQz0U0136Z82yPLXzHtCl4W1wzbZLwfVWDtT2xBpHnIVwt6sPK6gn1AcPu8V1zhZGnWu2m4OwWQq27iXsY/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a>We followed the order set forth in the writing tablet, which are sequenced according to a child's development of visual and motor skills. I'd first build the letter on the board for her, using the instructions from the writing tablet, then I'd have Kayleigh build it herself. Max the Monkey has specific terminology on how to form each letter. Things like: zip (straight line) down/across/up, zoom (diagonal) up/down/in, buzz (curve) up/around, etc. These instructions were really fun for Kayleigh to learn and they really helped her remember how to form the letters.<br />
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After working on the white board, we'd work in the writing tablet. The writing tablet features the characters Max and Alphie who demonstrate and encourage the student to write the letters correctly. Each page offers the "Go/Stop" visual cues and a spot to put a reward sticker upon completion. My only issue with the writing tablet is that it is a lot of writing on each page, five lines worth, which can intimidate young learners. It did overwhelm Kayleigh.<br />
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I tried to have Kayleigh just work on one line per day but she really wanted that sticker ASAP so she insisted on doing the whole thing at once. I also told her she only needed to complete two lines to earn the sticker but she then insisted on doing them all anyway because she didn't want to "cheat." lol I guess those stickers are doing a great job at motivating her.<br />
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All-in-all Kayleigh really likes it. On days when we didn't do handwriting, she would ask about it. That rarely happens with Kayleigh so that is high praise. It's definitely a quality product and fun way to learn to write letters.<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> http://www.fundanoodle.com<br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> K-1st<br />
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<b>Price:</b> $29.99<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-4190754067738143182013-09-23T21:49:00.000-04:002013-09-23T21:49:00.110-04:00Review: The Presidential Game<br />
What child doesn't love a good game? What parent doesn't love it when they can combine a game with some learnin'? I don't know of any in either category. <br />
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We were recently given the opportunity to enjoy a little fun learning when we were given a chance to review <a href="http://thepresidentialgame.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Presidential Game</a>. Anybody who's tried, and failed, to explain the electoral college to their child will probably appreciate this game.<br />
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<h3>
About The Presidential Game</h3>
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<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/The%20Presidential%20Game/GameImage_zps8848e8d7.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo GameImage_zps8848e8d7.jpg" border="0" height="213" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/The%20Presidential%20Game/presidentialgame2_zps74a9fa34.jpg" width="320" /></a>Do you have what it takes to become president? In this game of strategy, you'll get a chance to find out while learning a bit about the electoral college system at the same time.<br />
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The game is played in two teams, Republicans vs. Democrats. You can play with as little as two people or form teams if you have more people who'd like to play.<br />
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As in real life, you are battling against the other team to gain control of the electoral votes. Campaign or fundraise, you make the call. Discovery which strategy works best for you.<br />
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The game comes with a sturdy board, six dice, politic cards, voting chips, score pad and access to their online, interactive web map. Everything you need to take over the world. ;)<br />
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<h3>
Our Experience</h3>
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After our initial argument about who would be part of which party, we decided to play in teams. Kevin and Mackenzie, Republicans vs. me, Genius Party. (I decided to form my own. lol) Now before you worry about having to play for the political party that you disagree with, there is no political ideology anywhere in the game. You will not be campaigning on the issues so you don't have to stress about defending any platforms or positions on the big issues. You can save the heated debate for coffee later, when the kids are in bed. lol<br />
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The first thing that I did was read the instructions, which I'll admit confused me a bit. I could not wrap my mind around the voting chips for whatever reason. So I made Kevin read them and we came to a consensus. The interactive web map also contains the game instructions and I found a discrepancy or two between the instructions in the box and what was on the web map. We decided to stick with what came in the box.<br />
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We decided to play using the interactive web map because we didn't feel the need to do math while having fun. You can access it on the computer, smart phone, iPad or whatever you had. If you don't have those things then you can use the handy dandy score pad. You'll be doing a lot of math on it so make sure you have a pencil with a good eraser. lol<br />
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First you have to decide how many "weeks" that your campaign will run. The recommend 30 weeks. All this means is that each team gets 30 turns before the game is over. A 30 week team lasts about an hour. We went with 15 weeks because that's what our attention span prefers. At the end of your time period, the party with the 270 electoral votes wins.<br />
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You have two options for your turn, campaign for votes or fundraise.<br />
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When you campaign, you chose three states to campaign in and then roll your 3 colored dice. One you roll you add up your dice total and that's how many votes you get to divide as you wish between the states you chose. Just take your chips and place them on the states. Finding the states is also a great way to study geography. lol<br />
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You can also fundraise. You are limited to the big vote states (NY, CA, FL, TX). You chose the state you fundraise in, roll, add your total. In the case of fundraising, you have to place half of what you rolled in the fundraising state but you can use the rest of the votes as you wish. Also, when you choose this option you get a politics card which will get you more votes to use right then or during another turn. The cards do not touch on any political issues, they just say things like "You own two rescue dogs. Animal rights people love you. Pick up 5 votes to be used any way you like."<br />
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Kevin and Mackenzie went for the big states. My strategy was to go for as many of the small states as I could nab.<br />
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The Genius Party pulled off the win!! I <i><b>should</b></i> rule the world. And yes, I know we don't have 270 votes but we were only playing for 15 turns.<br />
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All in all, it gave Mackenzie a good idea of how the electoral college works. (She thinks it's stupid and confusing. lol) That being said, this was not her favorite game. I think playing on a team and sharing the decision making took some of the fun out of it for her. My husband and I liked the strategy aspect of it. I think Mackenzie will enjoy it a little more when she's a tad older.<br />
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<h3>
F.Y.I.</h3>
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Website: http://thepresidentialgame.com<br />
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Age Range: 11+<br />
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Price: $35 + S/H<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-56777188431121120192013-09-17T08:23:00.001-04:002013-09-17T08:23:45.752-04:00One Year<br />
<h4>
One year ago </h4>
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today, an innocent trip to the park turned out to be so much more. Our sweet Mackenzie braved a finger prick in the name of science and it changed our lives forever. One reading on a blood glucose meter explained so much about what was going on in her life. It's amazing how one moment can change everything.<br />
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That moment landed her in the PICU at the local hospital where she learned about all she needed to do to care for herself for the rest of her life. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. As of today, it is a forever disease. Until there's a cure there is no going back.<br />
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It's been a long year that has stretched our family beyond our imaginations. We had to learn how to give injections, count carbs, figure out how to dose insulin and change infusion sites. We had to learn not to walk out of the house without glucose meters, test strips, syringes, needles, insulin, and much, much more. We had to learn to function without a full night's sleep. We had to learn to not cry whenever we saw somebody just eating without thinking about carb counts and insulin. We had to try not to allow all of the what-ifs of type one diabetes to rule her life.<br />
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I look at the bowl of goldfish in the first picture and remember how easy it used to be to pack a snack for my children. Just dump something into a container and go. Now I have to remember to take the time to figure out the carbs for every, single thing that they put into their mouths. Even the simplest of outings requires a lot of preparation. It's crazy how a single moment can change everything.<br />
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<h4>
Today</h4>
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My girl is adjusting and doing well. I am so proud of her. She does most of the things that she's always done, just with a lot more planning and forethought. She is a still a fabulous pianist. She still rides roller coasters. She still plays soccer. She's started running. She's better at math thanks to all the carb counting and insulin dosing.<br />
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Candy is no longer a treat but often a life saving device. We're slightly more used to people staring while we do blood sugar checks. We wish more people knew the (huge) differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We're still exhausted from the lack of sleep. We're tired of needles and sites. We're sad that, while we've survived the first year, that she has a life time to go. We are upset each time we hear of a new diagnosis or of someone who didn't survive this disease.<br />
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We're thankful for our health insurance that provides the things we need to keep them alive and for all the doctors that created them. We're blessed by the many people who love and support us. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our endocrinology team. We're grateful that there are summer camps just for type 1 diabetics so that Mackenzie doesn't always have to feel different from everyone else, if only for nine days. We're humbled by a God who gets us through each day when we really should have crashed and burned by now.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We're hopeful for a cure.</span></div>
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<h4>
Related posts you might be interested in:</h4>
<br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2012/09/d-is-for-day-that-changed-everything.html" rel="nofollow">Mackenzie's Diagnosis Story</a><br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/01/s-is-for-symptoms.html" rel="nofollow">The Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes</a> (If I had to pick one post for you to read, this one is it.)<br />
<a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/02/u-is-for-understand.html" rel="nofollow">Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-VA/Chapter-HamptonRoads4693?team_id=85986&pg=team&fr_id=2327" rel="nofollow">Our JDRF Walk Page</a> as we are walking for a cure this OctoberStefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-14411953065136335812013-09-12T17:28:00.003-04:002013-09-12T17:28:38.785-04:00Weekly Wrap-Up: I'm, once again, a tad behind my wrap-ups. What's a sleep deprived, stay-at-homeschooling mom, full time pancreas for two gonna do? Whatever I am able to get to. Here's what we've been up to the last couple of weeks.<br />
<h2>
Seventh Grade</h2>
<h3>
Extras</h3>
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Mackenzie has been slowly working her way up to our full load. This week we added in Spanish and art. We got an AWESOME deal on all 5 levels of Rosetta Stone from Sonlight. Score! We've been trying to start for a couple of weeks but it's been slow going. Lots of stuff going on and Spanish kept getting pushed aside. She did <i>finally</i> get one lesson in this week. lol<br />
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Mackenzie has been doing a lot of drawing with her Bible and the Draw Through History series but she hasn't done much else in the form of art. We were super excited to finally start our <a href="http://www.creatingamasterpiece.com/index.php" rel="nofollow">Creating A Masterpiece</a> lessons.<br />
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My friend and I discovered this curriculum at the HEAV convention and we were floored by it! All of our supplies finally arrived and we could start the lessons. I popped in the DVD (don't you just love DVD instruction) and both girls got busy creating their first pastel painting. Yep, Kayleigh gets to do it too. <br />
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One lesson in and I'm totally as impressed as I was at the convention. Simple amazing!! I strongly urge to check out the website. Or check them out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/createamasterpiece" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> and see what their students are creating. Fabulous!!! Can't wait to see what lesson two brings my girls.<br />
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Piano and soccer have also started back up so she's been busy, busy. Wait! Make that busy, busy, busy. I forgot that youth group has started back up too. At least soccer doesn't last all year. Thank goodness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuEZ-iDn6qLDoZ0UP2OAPHYpg2HzBjEgx8dI6uIEu2FZHAEo7N5o-kA2deaV1C8b10trLSZF3CdLxFnHoeY-xKZq-QKfIr9nAvvFDlfCxSx1gTVPTX9lp4foc50eicqRLG3AXd1OsPf4/s1600/970766_10151656012542861_1408759718_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuEZ-iDn6qLDoZ0UP2OAPHYpg2HzBjEgx8dI6uIEu2FZHAEo7N5o-kA2deaV1C8b10trLSZF3CdLxFnHoeY-xKZq-QKfIr9nAvvFDlfCxSx1gTVPTX9lp4foc50eicqRLG3AXd1OsPf4/s320/970766_10151656012542861_1408759718_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>She's also been running with her dad three times a week. The running has really been helping manage her blood sugar somewhat. Especially when we have that evil devil puberty creating havoc with them.<br />
<h3>
Academics</h3>
She's still studying ancient Egypt and that region. She was crushed that there wasn't a sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140319298/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140319298&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Mara, Daughter of the Nile</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140319298" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
, lol, but she is now happily reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937388/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937388&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Hittite Warrior</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937388" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. We've also finished our current read aloud, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140303359/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140303359&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Golden Goblet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140303359" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. A few days early. We just had to know what happened. lol<br />
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Science was a lot of test prep. Study guides, summaries and other things that Mackenzie felt she could live without. Sorry dearie. This isn't first grade science. She understood why once she took the test though. lol Ha! She's super happy to be back to a new module and lots of experimenting.<br />
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<h2>
Kindergarten</h2>
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<h3>
Extras</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHgY0R7g91bKquNVaM0vLBXZsMxEfMUKxr_mqln2ywntE7OhYXuXyc07F0VDxRYbi3y0jTv-gc2wKTtsiIkN17KTPM1HywFn64_DnTnneEEvz2QyYo-wkra_191f1Siu6p2OQfuxD1IQ/s1600/photo+1_YMV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHgY0R7g91bKquNVaM0vLBXZsMxEfMUKxr_mqln2ywntE7OhYXuXyc07F0VDxRYbi3y0jTv-gc2wKTtsiIkN17KTPM1HywFn64_DnTnneEEvz2QyYo-wkra_191f1Siu6p2OQfuxD1IQ/s320/photo+1_YMV.JPG" width="238" /></a>Not much going on there for Kayleigh. At the moment she is only taking music class. She was very excited to be back. The girls have the sweetest most wonderful teacher and the love every second with her. Last year Kayleigh, while she loves Ms. Lewis, she refused to practice all year. lol Typical Kayleigh. This year she practiced every day last week and went to class today so proud to show Ms. Lewis how well she could play her song. So cute!<br />
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She's still begging for gymnastics lessons but I haven't gotten around to that yet. One of these days. lol There is a class she could go to at church at the same time as youth group but I'm just not comfortable leaving her there without me to care for her diabetes. Mackenzie would be in the building if she needed to be checked or treated or dosed for a snack but I'm not sure I'm there yet. Kayleigh would love it though.<br />
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It breaks my heart that this disease makes what would be a simple decision so difficult. But she doesn't always feel her lows. There have also been times when we've picked her up from church and found her to be low and she'd tell us that she felt low but didn't want to stop what she was doing to tell her teacher to come page us. Type 1 diabetes makes you second guess every decision.<br />
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<h3>
Academics</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvVpguYVnUArBgZTuKmjsLnSVkxkCApeqdfL_mkYUKHsz34eXUT5zPSYzikZVsM2Z2Gj4t4QwGlUYoxAYd3FPsXZLfoo0YsJHztks9w2SeX2r778mz71nHG2k8OlxjATqQZK914JNywo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvVpguYVnUArBgZTuKmjsLnSVkxkCApeqdfL_mkYUKHsz34eXUT5zPSYzikZVsM2Z2Gj4t4QwGlUYoxAYd3FPsXZLfoo0YsJHztks9w2SeX2r778mz71nHG2k8OlxjATqQZK914JNywo/s200/photo+1.JPG" width="149" /></a><br />
We've learned a bit about ancient Egypt, Greece, and we're currently learning about ancient Rome. We attempted to make this Greek dip who's name escapes me. Something with yogurt, garlic, cucumber, and olive oil. It was disgusting. lol But Kayleigh had fun making it.<br />
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She also made a Roman coin out of Crayola Model Magic. She loved that. Her Roman coin had a Roman unicorn engraved on it. You don't see too many of those. lol<br />
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She's still doing a great with All About Reading. We've also starting doing <a href="http://www.mimio.com/headsprout/index.html" rel="nofollow">Headsprout</a> lessons online. Mackenzie LOVED this at the same age. I believe they've changed the name to Mimio but I'm still calling it Headsprout. They're both weird so I'm sticking with what I'm used to. lol I don't think she likes it as much as Mackenzie did but she hasn't complained. She doesn't get on the computer much so I thought this would be fun for her to do when I work with her sister.<br />
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She's been working a lot with pattern blocks lately. We've been doing one a week and she loves them. After she creates the image we use a printable to re-enforce her learning. </div>
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She finished another Nursery Rhyme pocket. Little Miss Muffet this time. Her favorite craft was the spider puppet. lol<br />
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Her read aloud has been Dolphin Adventure, which she loves. We've been working on a dolphin lap book. Her first lap book ever! No pictures yet. Well I have pictures but they're still on my camera. lol Maybe I'll do a separate post about it if I ever find time.<br />
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She's been studying a bit about frogs and we decided to conduct a poll to see who likes frogs and who doesn't. The like frogs have it. Seven to three. Kayleigh approved. lol<br />
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<h2>
The Bad News</h2>
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We had our quarterly appointment with the girls endocrinologist a week or so ago. We normally love to go because our doctor and our CDE (certified diabetes educator) are fabulous!! We just love them.<br />
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Sadly, this was our last visit with Dr. Jensen. One of the big pitfalls of military healthcare is the reality that most of your providers are in the military, which means new duty stations. Dr. Jensen is transferring to a new duty station so we're getting a new doctor. Total bummer. We're trying to be happy for him because he's going to be stationed by his wife and kids now (he's been a geo-bachelor for 3 years) but we're all sad. Okay Kayleigh is not trying to be happy for his family reunion. lol I believe she told him "You made me cry last night," and "It's not hard for <i>me</i> to not be happy for you. I'm just going to be sad." She's nothing if not honest. lol<br />
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And that's a bit of what we've been up too. Now I'm going to go take a nap or check somebody's blood sugar. What have you been up too lately?<br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="72" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/prncsstefy/StefanieSignature.png" width="200" />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-48328919107801114292013-09-02T20:57:00.003-04:002013-09-02T20:57:24.228-04:00Review: Greene Bark Press Inc.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.greenebarkpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Greene Bark Press</a> recently sent us their board book <a href="http://www.greenebarkpress.com/books/board_books.shtml" rel="nofollow">Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again</a> by Ginger Pate. As you might imagine, this book is about crossing the street safely. Heaven knows that Kayleigh was in need of it. lol God's perfect timing!<br />
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<h2>
About Greene Bark Press Inc.</h2>
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<a href="http://www.greenebarkpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Greene Bark Press</a> is a family owned company based in Connecticut. They strive to publish original and imaginative materials to add to help young readers develop language and reading. They also carry a variety of other products that they feel will help stretch your child's mind. You'll find everything from books to manipulatives to puzzles and more.<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience </h2>
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Kayleigh, age 5, was thrilled with the book right from the get-go. The charming and brightly colored pictures captured her interest and she demanded a reading right then. Never mind the dinner preparations I was in the midst of. So read it we did. Several times. Then that was the last that I saw of it for a few days as she had scampered off with it. lol<br />
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I finally found it. In her bed. She had been sleeping with it. Which should give you an idea of just how sturdy this book is. She is a nightmare in the bed. Rolls and thrashes like a wild beast. After a few days of those beatings the book still looked brand new.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ4wPGH5xzD3CpQ2MifxTUmsy89xA6SPi7OlTpaB0cOoBsmMEgX5PKPZHzlrmsI006zdwfB2T_PB7Y8vUxSVVn0-4nIYHYL1EqzoiWxcFXaVeyqb4HpeIe3FXchxzcLRDBioX9aDJNiY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ4wPGH5xzD3CpQ2MifxTUmsy89xA6SPi7OlTpaB0cOoBsmMEgX5PKPZHzlrmsI006zdwfB2T_PB7Y8vUxSVVn0-4nIYHYL1EqzoiWxcFXaVeyqb4HpeIe3FXchxzcLRDBioX9aDJNiY/s320/photo.JPG" width="238" /></a>The story is about a little duck named Wally Waddlewater (say that three times fast lol) who wants to mail a birthday card for his grandma. But first he has to make it to the post office across town. A town full of busy, traffic filled streets. Unfortunately for Wally, he isn't "street savvy" quite yet. Mother Duck takes him by the wing and teaches him about how to safely navigate through town.<br />
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Kayleigh loves the book. The pictures are so bright and colorful that she loves to look at it over and over. (This is what I found her doing with it in bed when she was supposed to be sleeping. lol) The illustrations are adorable, lots of of cute little animals. Kayleigh would crack up at the lion driving a red convertible or the snake in the fire truck.<br />
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The lesson within it's pages is a great one for young children. After reading the book many times we practiced walking across the street by looking left, then right, make sure the cars are out of sight. Then look left again. She caught on quick. And now if I don't look exactly like that when I cross the street (don't you dare look right first!) then I'll catch it from the ankle biter. I guess that means the lesson was learned. lol<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> http://www.greenebarkpress.com<br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> 3-8<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> $8. 50<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-65466295537868821392013-08-27T08:27:00.000-04:002013-08-31T20:51:24.674-04:00Weekly Wrap-Up: It's Been a WhileWell summer break is officially over. Kayleigh started kindergarten (sob!) three weeks ago and Mackenzie has 2 weeks of seventh grade (double sob!) under her belt. I blogged about Kayleigh's first week but didn't had time to blog about Mackenzie's. I've been busy homeschooling and being a full-time pancreas for two defective ones. So I guess I'll play a bit of catch up.<br />
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<h2>
Seventh Grade</h2>
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<h3>
Bible</h3>
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Mackenzie is still drawing her way through the book of Proverbs and loving it. You can read all about the Notgrass Draw to Learn in my <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-draw-to-learn-by-notgrass.html" rel="nofollow">REVIEW</a> of it.<br />
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She's also doing the Bible included with her Sonlight Core G. She's happily reading through the book of Mark. The last few years have had us reading a lot in the Old Testament and she was ready to move on to the New. She's also using the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400308100/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400308100&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20" rel="nofollow">International Children's Bible Field Guide</a> which she is finding very interesting. Lots of fascinating Bible facts.<br />
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<h3>
Math</h3>
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She's finishing up Math-U-See Zeta from last year and plowing through it rather quickly. Decimals are so each for a type 1 diabetic. We use them 3-6 times a day to figure out carbs and insulin doses. Easy peasy!<br />
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<h3>
Language Arts</h3>
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We are working on report writing in our IEW lessons. A little mini report on elephants. Report writing is easier on my because I only get the required amount of writing instead of the 300 squillion pages she turns in for a creative writing assignment. Yay me!!!<br />
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She's also enjoying IEW's Fix-It Grammar, Tom Sawyer. The first couple of weeks have been pretty easy for her but it'll be stepping up soon. Enjoy it while it lasts girlie. Ha!<br />
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<h3>
History</h3>
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We've started off of our year with ancient Egypt. We're reading lots of different books on the subject. She is LOVE, LOVE, LOVING her current reader, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140319298/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140319298&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20" rel="nofollow">Mara Daughter of the Nile</a>. She was hoping that there would be a sequel to it but no luck. Such disappointment. lol<br />
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To add in some fun, besides reading fabulous books, she's been using the Draw and Write Through History Books that pertain to what we're studying. I'm just having her do the drawing part. She doesn't need the copy work. Her first week had her drawing some things from the creation story. The bush and the tree were her favorite drawings. She said her Adam and Eve looked weird. I thought they were cute. I know the phot is side ways. I'm too lazy to go back and fix it. lol You'll just have to tilt your head to the right for a better view.<br />
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<h3>
Science</h3>
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She is using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932012869/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932012869&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20" rel="nofollow">Exploring Creation for General Science</a> this year and it is the first year that she's doing science independently. I wasn't sure how she would take to that but she is having a blast!! I was a little nervous about her doing experiments on her own but she's been doing awesome. And buying the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935495704/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1935495704&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20" rel="nofollow">student notebook</a> to go along with was a great decision. It helps her get an idea of what to focus on and it is going to be a nice record of her experiments.<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/" rel="nofollow"> Sonlight</a> really should include that in their package. (Cuz mama would've liked to have gotten free shipping from ordering through Sonlight. lol)<br />
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I have to say... She rocks the "protective eye gear!"</div>
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She did do more than one experiment over the last two weeks but it would seem that the other photos are on my camera. You might recall, from the section entitled "History", that I'm feeling lazy. That's also the reason that I'm not going to take the time to explain the experiment to you like I normally would. Being a full time pancreas for two is exhausting because it involves lots of math and very little sleep. All of which suck the short term memory right out of your head because you can only remember things like blood glucose readings, carb ratios, correction factors, and carb counts. There's only so much room in there.<br />
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<h3>
Extras</h3>
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We didn't do any. We started slow. Soccer should be starting soon. And I'm planning on starting Spanish and art next week. I hope. Maybe. It could happen. Possibly. We'll see. Piano starts next week. Definitely.<br />
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<h2>
Kindergarten</h2>
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<h3>
Bible</h3>
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We finished studying Joseph with our <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/ages-3-k.php" rel="nofollow">Bible Study Guide for All Ages</a> and have moved on to Daniel. With that change came learning the song "Daniel in the Lions Den." You know the one... "Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Daniel in the la la lions..." Huge hit!! She sings that one all of the time.<br />
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We were also reading through the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593173350/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593173350&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20" rel="nofollow">Ergermeir's Bible Story Book</a>, as part of Sonlight's Bible for Core A. It's a bit to much for her and she's not feeling it at all. So we're dropping it. Reading from the actual Bible with the Study Guide is apparently how she rules.<br />
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Don't you love being able to ditch what isn't working for your student? Homeschooling is so awesome!!!<br />
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<h3>
Math</h3>
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We started it back up with lesson 9 of MUS Primer, place value. Hooray for Mr. Demme and Decimal Street!!!<br />
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<h3>
Language Arts</h3>
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Her <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/All-About-Reading/All-About-Reading-Level-1/" rel="nofollow">All About Reading</a> lessons continue to go well. The constant review and the game like nature of the lessons really click for her. She's got a lot of cards in her mastered pile. Go Kayleigh!!<br />
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She is still loving <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807508500/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0807508500&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20" rel="nofollow">The Boxcar Children</a>. I am just thrilled that she is enjoying her first chapter book. One day she asked to make scrambled eggs for lunch like the Boxcar Children ate. So she was given the job of scrambling their eggs. Imagine her surprise when it turned out to be a tiny bit of work mixing them all up. LOL Heaven forbid!!<br />
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I should note that these eggs were NOT authentic Boxcar eggs. I added cheese to them. It had to be done and I won't apologize for it. We also ate toast. So there!<br />
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We started a new Nursery Rhyme Pocket for Little Miss Muffet. We haven't gotten very far with it yet. Just created the pocket and colored the rhyme sheet. She's excited to make a spider next week.</div>
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Curious George has entered our reading list and she is super excited about that. We've been doing some printable activities to go along with that. She loves George!<br />
<h3>
History</h3>
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Conveniently, Kayleigh was studying ancient Egypt just like her big sister. She did quite a few "Egyptian" projects. She made "Egyptian" paper beads and made a necklace along with an "Egyptian" cuff bracelet. She also made us all Mummy Dogs for lunch.<br />
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<h3>
Science</h3>
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We're supposed to be reading about weather but for the life of me I cannot find the book and it's driving me nuts. So we've been reading a bit from some of the books that were in the core when Mackenzie used it. Funny how the older ones didn't seem to go missing from the shelf.<br />
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We also are learning about frogs and we did a fun sequencing activity.<br />
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<h3>
Extras</h3>
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She refused to play soccer this year. It's just as well because she'd mostly sit on the sidelines and waited for snack. She's hinted at gymnastics so maybe. And her music class starts next week.<br />
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And that was our week(s). How was yours?<br />
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Linking to: <a href="http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/weekly-wrap-up-the-one-with-the-crazy-week/" rel="nofollow">The Weekly Wrap-Up</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2013/08/zoo-resources-preschool-assessment-and-simple-games/" rel="nofollow">Pre-School Corner</a>, <a href="http://www.soyoucallyourselfahomeschooler.com/2013/08/31/the-homeschool-mothers-journal-august-31-2013/" rel="nofollow">Homeschool Mother's Journal</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post contains affiliate links. See my full <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-policy.html" rel="nofollow">disclosure policy</a> here. </span></div>
Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-90243759837973276752013-08-23T20:03:00.000-04:002013-08-23T20:10:38.551-04:00Review: Beauty in the Heart<br />
I was recently given an opportunity from <a href="http://www.Doorposts.com/" rel="nofollow">Doorposts</a> to review their new Bible study <a href="http://www.doorposts.com/details.aspx?id=130" rel="nofollow">Beauty in the Heart: A Study of Godly Beauty for Young Women</a>.<br />
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A study on Godly beauty is a very timely one for us as our Mackenzie is on the verge of becoming a teenager. In a world where young girls are encouraged to wear less and less, knowing God's standards for beauty is a very important topic for any parent of young girls to discuss.<br />
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About Doorposts</h2>
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<a href="http://www.doorposts.com/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">Doorposts</a> seeks to provide parents with Biblically-based parenting and character training materials. Started by a busy mom of five, <a href="http://www.doorposts.com/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">Doorposts</a> offers a variety of products designed to help you raise a Godly child. They offer products for character training, Bible studies for mom, dad, boys, girls, and the entire family, scripture memorization, and more.<br />
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Our Experience</h2>
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<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/BeautyCover_zpsd1ccc789.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo BeautyCover_zpsd1ccc789.jpg" border="0" height="320" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/BeautyCover_zpsd1ccc789.jpg" width="246" /></a>We received the <a href="http://www.doorposts.com/details.aspx?id=130" rel="nofollow">Beauty in the Heart</a> Bible Study in print format. Mackenzie, my 12 year old daughter, was away at various summer camps for half of the review period so I decided to do the study myself and see what it's all about.<br />
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The study teaches will teach your daughter what the Bible says about modesty, serving, and humility by focusing on Ruth, Sarah, and Esther. These are things that God considers to be true beauty. Who wouldn't love this for their daughter? All I have to do is turn on the tv or log onto facebook to see that these are areas that our society isn't too concerned about these days. I want my daughters to know that God is interested in their inward appearance, not on what they wearing. That alone is enough to sell me on this study.<br />
But there's more. And it's really neat.<br />
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This study is also designed to help your daughter learn how to study the Bible. That's not even the cool part. The cool part is how they do it.<br />
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The book is made up of nine separate studies. Each study will teach your daughter a new way to study the Bible. They will learn how to do the following types of studies:<br />
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Inductive Study<br />
Verse Study<br />
Character Study<br />
Book Study<br />
Word and Topical Study<br />
Chapter Study<br />
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I did not know that there were so many different ways to study the Bible. This excited me so much because I learned new and different ways to study God's word. And what a great gift to give you daughter that will benefit them for their entire lives. I <i>LOVE</i> it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYflBpHst0eUKnMltL-3lF4Rv_UCFOaY3Pq1VfeKS0DyT6mdNwnCdHSI6XpDGDj5md5W4kS3hyND2hUy8KUv0L8aeUPTY_Iu3b0vKLDCEjlGkM5_Ig3PyBQt-vSEocRLvLrhyBtjlO3w/s1600/beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYflBpHst0eUKnMltL-3lF4Rv_UCFOaY3Pq1VfeKS0DyT6mdNwnCdHSI6XpDGDj5md5W4kS3hyND2hUy8KUv0L8aeUPTY_Iu3b0vKLDCEjlGkM5_Ig3PyBQt-vSEocRLvLrhyBtjlO3w/s320/beauty.jpg" width="320" /></a>I love how this study gets you digging into the Word. It teaches you how to outline the content of the passage, to study the original Greek and Hebrew, gather all of Scripture's words about a particular topic, use other resources to help you study your Bible and so much more.<br />
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The creator recommend that you get a topical Bible, concordance, and colored pencils to aid you in your study. I told you that you'd be learning to dig deeper. They also recommend digital resources for your iPad if the print versions are out of your budget.<br />
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This study is definitely a step-up from the types of studies that Mackenzie has done in the past. This is no "little girl" devotional. It is going to help her grow into a young lady and lead her to a deeper relationship with the Lord.<br />
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Teaching your daughter what true beauty is and how to study the Bible in a variety of ways is a double win in my book!!!<br />
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F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> http://www.doorposts.com<br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> 10-12<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> Pre-order for $14. Print books will ship by August 29.<br />
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And check out this special...<br />
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Use the coupon "<b>beautystudy</b>" during check-out and get a <b>FREE</b> instant download PDF when you pre-order.<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-61727191494315696522013-08-20T21:52:00.001-04:002013-08-20T21:52:51.383-04:00Meet the Students<h2>
The 2013-2014 Sonlight Academy for Girls<br />student roster </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRuo4LgQJgGKctMsDhefRyTyu8E0sEQKwwMS89X5JIvLZQEsCaNOpIq9dyU9OvunHOGJ3-Vss6D4MjUy1mMmQjl3D4pvO7UQ7PvsD7Dj2jUjwoSUA4GEW3y2dv96MK3vuXHktLaBnZbo/s1600/DSC_0284a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRuo4LgQJgGKctMsDhefRyTyu8E0sEQKwwMS89X5JIvLZQEsCaNOpIq9dyU9OvunHOGJ3-Vss6D4MjUy1mMmQjl3D4pvO7UQ7PvsD7Dj2jUjwoSUA4GEW3y2dv96MK3vuXHktLaBnZbo/s400/DSC_0284a.jpg" width="265" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Subject: Snack</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Least Favorite Subject: Anything involving a pencil or crayon</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Color: Rainbow</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Book: Tickle Tuts Toes</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Song: He's Got the Whole World in His Hands</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Aspirations: To drive her parents crazy!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Loves: Rocks, My Little Pony, Food</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One Word Description: Exhausting!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VaK4-vtha4yWEkuwdgesmBxsZcmxogGwxpl28BbpheGkWGd7ofZx4nm3vrDFuM8pFzPxc01tIi1mRr8m3U0wd8CmvRqVklq77mP2JDlpFU5L206hJwsKJCVx4SkszOFRpNCZURQ7qGM/s1600/DSC_0316a_Mack7th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VaK4-vtha4yWEkuwdgesmBxsZcmxogGwxpl28BbpheGkWGd7ofZx4nm3vrDFuM8pFzPxc01tIi1mRr8m3U0wd8CmvRqVklq77mP2JDlpFU5L206hJwsKJCVx4SkszOFRpNCZURQ7qGM/s400/DSC_0316a_Mack7th.jpg" width="265" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Subject: Sonlight</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Least Favorite Subject: Math (Although she LOVES Mr. Demme)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Color: Teal</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Book: Septimus Heap series</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Favorite Music: Disney Songs</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Aspirations: To be Alice at Disney World (I'm not making this up.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Loves: Reading, Instagram, Disney</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One Word Description: DRAMA!!!</span><br />
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Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-16586156883387308962013-08-14T22:30:00.000-04:002013-08-16T08:36:32.836-04:00Welcome to Our School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNOWKxjvr9gw449Vdd3wRlSnEJ7pHbqZo0pckHTB8D6i4bC2P06XqHP4F9O6GpRXD3thHkmS7fsV2AEvXHvWFCh9KRL-Z4ZIgA7ORJ-W59xdK_Ndxpp_Denqr1oAbZMwaTbwwVd51qdw/s1600/Sonlight+Academy+for+Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNOWKxjvr9gw449Vdd3wRlSnEJ7pHbqZo0pckHTB8D6i4bC2P06XqHP4F9O6GpRXD3thHkmS7fsV2AEvXHvWFCh9KRL-Z4ZIgA7ORJ-W59xdK_Ndxpp_Denqr1oAbZMwaTbwwVd51qdw/s320/Sonlight+Academy+for+Girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's time for the annual Not-Back-To-School Blog Hop, School Room Edition. We moved this past year so we have a brand, new school room. It's radically different from our <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-story-of-school-room-back-to.html" rel="nofollow">Old Room</a>.<br />
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We just LOVE it!!! So without further ado, here's the grand tour, working counter clock-wise from the door.<br />
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To your right next to the door, you have a strange little niche. It houses a small book shelf with some of our older Sonlight Cores, my laminator (woot!), and our All About Reading board. We have a lot of book shelves and they suck up most of our wall space. So there the board sits. It works out fine for us to sit on the floor and work on reading. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP_imGv05xQbSmlPccz4S1pJ6_lEc3oYhwEMs3Y8918lWduBU5Bg0oxPyZ-aW6jRRlRIvkxYCCSnVqzfBuuDQc0AbwzMl3rE2AD6VpORXDf9_gBuCXPFIT3zzjjMu3oZeJZtKVM5f2Sw/s1600/DSC_0016a_AAR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP_imGv05xQbSmlPccz4S1pJ6_lEc3oYhwEMs3Y8918lWduBU5Bg0oxPyZ-aW6jRRlRIvkxYCCSnVqzfBuuDQc0AbwzMl3rE2AD6VpORXDf9_gBuCXPFIT3zzjjMu3oZeJZtKVM5f2Sw/s640/DSC_0016a_AAR.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Next up, our circle time area. Those windows are my absolute favorite part of the room. So much natural light!!! Kayleigh spends a lot of time here doing calendar, Bible, and read alouds. Some storage bins from Ikea hang out there too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC3pSYhGBQLxaguuf0zNxowGZmB3y0j_FtQqRmO_yQefZgJ5qVb-MV3a0rRyeK0sOTXSCNtHk74qyU5x5uE4dpQSkhsHm3cIXF069VV2VKjGJM6l42MuYF9Vn7sxjH8XoMn6NeB9h26U/s1600/DSC_0014a_circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCC3pSYhGBQLxaguuf0zNxowGZmB3y0j_FtQqRmO_yQefZgJ5qVb-MV3a0rRyeK0sOTXSCNtHk74qyU5x5uE4dpQSkhsHm3cIXF069VV2VKjGJM6l42MuYF9Vn7sxjH8XoMn6NeB9h26U/s640/DSC_0014a_circle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We use the wall space here for Kayleigh's Bible time line cards and to show off her hard work. She loves to show her daddy what she did at school.<br />
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Next up is my desk area that I rarely use. The kid's computer is there as well as the printer. I love the photo hanger on the wall, which I use for art. You can get them at Target. So cute and many styles. </div>
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On the other side of the piggies, Cherry and Luna, is Mackenzie's domain. I'm afraid to open her desk draw and see what lives in there. She also has a spot for her art. Kayleigh's work boxes provide a nice table for those messy piggies. Kayleigh doesn't have a desk, just a little table to work at. Next time I'm near Ikea I'm getting something bigger. I'm old and my back cannot take those little chairs for much longer.<br />
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Our book cases and storage bins. We use Sonlight and we need lots of book cases. We could actually use a few more because I've got 3 or 4 more Sonlight cores packed away for lack of room. This upsets Mackenzie because she LOVES to reread those Sonlight books. The poor dear is clearly deprived of reading material.<br />
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Last stop on the tour, the back of the room. A door to get out and a closet filled with stuff. I'd show you the inside but the pictures came out blurry and I'm too lazy to retake them. Nothing falls out when you open the doors, unless Kayleigh has been digging in there, so it's managed to stay semi-orderly.<br />
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The desks, storage units, book cases, and filing cabinet all came from Ikea. I forget what style the desks were but the storage units, with bins, are all part of the Trofast System. And the shelves are the Billy book cases. I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">HEART</span> Ikea!!!!<br />
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And there you have it, The Sonlight Academy of Girls. Thanks for visiting!!! Don't forget to tour other school rooms by clicking the blog hop graphic below!<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-87316555370743753482013-08-13T19:00:00.000-04:002013-08-13T19:15:24.785-04:00Review: Draw to Learn by Notgrass<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/Notgrass/notgrass_logo_zps18b23376.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo notgrass_logo_zps18b23376.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/Notgrass/notgrass_logo_zps18b23376.jpg" /></a><br />
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Isn't it nice when you can combine two subjects with one resource? That's exactly what you're able to do with the <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-K-8/?search=draw%20to%20learn" rel="nofollow">Draw to Learn series</a> from the <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/">Notgrass Company</a>. Art and Bible study all-in-one. Awesome!!!<br />
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</h2>
<h2>
About Draw to Learn</h2>
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The <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-K-8/?search=draw%20to%20learn" rel="nofollow">Draw to Learn series </a>is designed to provide your student with an art curriculum and a Bible study in one easy-to-use product. Your child learns about God's truth while completing a variety of drawings.<br />
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The series contains 5 volumes, Draw to Learn <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-Acts.html" rel="nofollow">Acts</a>, <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-Proverbs.html" rel="nofollow">Proverbs</a>, <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-Psalms.html" rel="nofollow">Psalms</a>, <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-the-Letters-of-Paul.html" rel="nofollow">Letters of Paul</a>, and <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-the-Life-of-Jesus.html" rel="nofollow">Learn the Life of Jesus</a>. Each volume contains 150 lessons and are available in print or digital format.<br />
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It's so simple to use that your child can complete the lessons on their own. All they have to is:<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Read</span></b> the Bible passage.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Think</span></b> about the meaning.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Draw</span></b> a picture related to the passage.<br />
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Easy, right?<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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Mackenzie LOVES to draw so she was beyond thrilled when we received the print version of <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Draw-to-Learn-Proverbs.html" rel="nofollow">Draw to Learn Proverbs</a>. The supplies that you need are minimal: a drawing pencil, a nice set of colored pencils, and, of course, the curriculum.<br />
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We started off by reading and discussing the passage together, then Mackenzie would draw a picture pertaining to the passage. Each lesson offered suggestions for what to draw. There will also suggestions at the front of the book on how to draw the pictures in general. Things like draw people first, use a model, and fill the entire page, for example.<br />
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Mackenzie was in love from the get go. Eventually, she stopped waiting for me to do the lesson with her and just did them. lol Then she'd show them to me and discuss what she learned. That method works well too. <br />
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What did Mackenzie think?<br />
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"I want to keep doing it for my Bible lessons. Forever."<br />
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Good thing they sent us the complete set in digital format. Her wish has been granted. But I would've gladly bought them all for her if they hadn't.<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/<br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> All Ages<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> $14.95 for print copies, $9.95 for digital format<br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="72" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/prncsstefy/StefanieSignature.png" width="200" /><br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-29660632580951532852013-08-12T08:28:00.000-04:002013-08-16T08:44:47.806-04:00Weekly Wrap-Up: Our Last First Week of Kindergarten<br />
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Well she went and did it. My baby started kindergarten last week. It's a bit bitter sweet as it's my last time through it. My last baby officially school age. But Mackenzie was at music camp at church so it was a good time to get Kayleigh started with out any distractions.<br />
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If you're wondering what Kayleigh is using for kindergarten click <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/07/like-it-or-not.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.<br />
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<h2>
Bible</h2>
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We're working our way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593173350/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593173350&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Egermeier's Bible Story Book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1593173350" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
courtesy of <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/core-a.html" rel="nofollow">Sonlight Core A</a> and the <a href="http://biblestudyguide.com/ages-3-k.php" rel="nofollow">Bible Study Guide for All Ages</a> courtesy of The Review Crew. (Read my review <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/2013/08/review-bible-study-guide-for-all-ages.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.) Kayleigh also memorized her first Bible verse from <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/AB02.html" rel="nofollow">Sing the Word: From A-Z</a>, also from our Sonlight Core.<br />
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Check out how well she did. Don't mind her crazy hair. She was going for some curls like sissy. lol<br />
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Doesn't she look cute with her curls?</div>
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<h2>
Math</h2>
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We didn't do math this week. We're starting slow. But we'll pick up where we left off in Math-U-See Primer soon. We'll be starting lesson 9, place value.<br />
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<h2>
Language Arts</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwIqWEsz43RPJoI1kh4-rsMhD-fl65e4wNfm1022ObEtjoE9AbeZnU5T4pr5pkcKOE8dqueYOA1cUAjByufSostoJd2OXy9HMG0I1KKJPktDCQT15qbAAaXeqhusqTEirXBEJz9oBgjk/s1600/photo+4e.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwIqWEsz43RPJoI1kh4-rsMhD-fl65e4wNfm1022ObEtjoE9AbeZnU5T4pr5pkcKOE8dqueYOA1cUAjByufSostoJd2OXy9HMG0I1KKJPktDCQT15qbAAaXeqhusqTEirXBEJz9oBgjk/s200/photo+4e.JPG" width="149" /></a>Well naturally we did a lot of reading, we are Sonlighter's after all. We started her very first chapter book this week, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807508527/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0807508527&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Boxcar Children</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0807508527" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I've been a little nervous about how well she would do with chapter books, she likes to be read to, but she is very different than Mackenzie at this age. This one <br />
can't sit still and be quiet for very long. So I was very surprised with how well she did listening to this book. She was very interested in the characters and was angry on Friday when the book wasn't on the schedule. So we read ahead. Shew!! I hope this trend continues.<br />
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We finished our week with a <i>Boxcar Children</i> snack of blueberries and cream. Yummy!!! She was so excited. Last year, after her dx of type 1 diabetes, extra snacks were a little more difficult. She was on multiple daily injections and that took away a lot of our eating freedom as we're expected to keep a more regimented schedule for meals. This year, however, both girls are now using insulin pumps and, while it has it's own set of challenges, it makes fun snacks a lot easier.<br />
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She started <a href="http://allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=465&url=1167" rel="nofollow">All About Reading Level 1</a>. She did so awesome!! I'm so proud of her.<br />
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She started off last year really eager to read and then it fizzled out a bit so I didn't push it. The last thing I want is to make her dread school and reading. It was a challenge for me because Mackenzie was a very early reader. She taught her self and was reading fluently before she started kindergarten. Kayleigh however is a very different creature so I didn't push her. We'd work on it when she wanted to and drop it when she wasn't interested. <br />
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Plus it breaks my mommy heart when I see kids pushed beyond their ability because big brother did this at this age or because mom has some ridiculous notion that every child should be doing the same thing thing at a certain age. The best party of homeschooling is being able to go at the child's pace and not be dictated by curriculum or age so it irks me when I see that. Okay, it also makes me want to throat punch people some times, if I'm really being honest. lol So I try really hard not to be like that so I don't have to throat punch myself or turn my kid off of learning.<br />
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I think this level is even more fun than <a href="http://allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=465&url=566" rel="nofollow">All About Reading pre-1</a> and she loved that one. Level 1 has tons and tons of games and using the letter tiles just thrills Kayleigh. She had so much fun with it!!!<br />
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We also read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0448421658/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0448421658&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Story about Ping </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0448421658" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and did some activities from this cute printable pack from <a href="http://royalbaloo.com/a-story-about-pinglearning-with-literature/" rel="nofollow">Royal Baloo</a>. There was mapping, phonics, math, sequencing, and lots of other fun stuff.<br />
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Naturally, one of our year round read alouds is a Mother Goose book so I got <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1557998191/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1557998191&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Literature Pockets: Nursery Rhymes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1557998191" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> to add some fun crafts to our year. This week we worked on the Little Bird pocket.<br />
She memorized the poem, made a little book, "rewrote" the poem, and made a puppet. She worked so hard to color neatly which was a pleasant surprise since she usually just makes a quick scribble and calls it good.<br />
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She's still doing things like handwriting and Explode the Code but that's not that interesting so I didn't take any pictures. lol</div>
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Science</h2>
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First up this week was dinosaurs. We were reading a bit from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794530273/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794530273&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Usborne Internet-Linked Children's Encyclopedia </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794530273" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and Kayleigh brought in dinosaurs and matched them up with the ones from the book. So cute!<br />
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She also made a dinosaur with hand print spines. Thank you pinterest.</div>
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We also talked a bit about the season and made this ADORABLE paper bag book on the seasons. I found this awesome project over at <a href="http://delightfullearning.blogspot.com/2013/08/daniels-duck-fiar.html" rel="nofollow">Delightful Learning</a>. Michelle is so clever.<br />
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Lastly she got to do her very first science experiment. She was so excited! She learned that even though something looks empty it's not. It's filled with air. All she had to do is push an empty water bottle and watch the water force the air out making bubbles. Which she did. Over and over and over and over and over. You get the idea. lol</div>
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Other Stuff</h2>
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Not much other stuff going on at the moment. lol We did our art study for the week. We're working our way through the Come Look With Me series for art appreciation. First up is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0934738955/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0934738955&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Come Look With Me: Exploring Landscape Art With Children</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0934738955" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. She loves to look at art so I knew she'd enjoy that.</div>
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She also did her first lesson in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963930710/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0963930710&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw Write Now, Book 1</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0963930710" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Check out her chicken. Sooo cute!!! I tried to get her to color the background but she was having none of that. Now that's the Kayleigh that I know. lol</div>
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Kayleigh had the idea to hang up her work, at least the stuff that wasn't in a book. So we now have her "Wall of Work." She likes to show it to her daddy each day so that he can see what she did. So I think that we'll keep it up for a week and then take it down over the weekend so we can start all over again the next week. And then I can just snap a picture and not have to store all of that paper. WTG Kayleigh for a great idea.</div>
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And that pretty much sums up my last first week of kindergarten. How was your week?</div>
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Linking to <a href="http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2013/08/boats-for-lunch-milk-paint-and-cloud-dough/">Homeschool Creations</a>, Weekly Wrap-Up.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-policy.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.</span></div>
Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-32955399056928321072013-08-08T23:01:00.000-04:002013-08-08T23:01:58.196-04:00Review: Bible Study Guide for All Ages<br />
<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/BibleStudyGuideAllAges/logo_zpsd228aed3.png.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo logo_zpsd228aed3.png" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/BibleStudyGuideAllAges/logo_zpsd228aed3.png" /></a><a href="http://biblestudyguide.com/" rel="nofollow">Bible Study Guide for All Ages</a> is a product that I am very familiar with as I've used it with Mackenzie in the past. So I was very excited to see it pop up on our upcoming vendor list. I was even more excited when I was chosen to use the <a href="http://biblestudyguide.com/ages-3-k.php" rel="nofollow">Beginner Level</a> with Kayleigh. Up until now, I've mainly just been reading Bible stories to her with memory verses and the occasional craft. Unfortunately that hasn't really been holding her interest. Not good. So I was beyond thrilled to try it with her.<br />
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<h2>
About Bible Study Guide for All Ages</h2>
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This product was created by a mom and Sunday school teacher, Mary Baker, who couldn't find a product suitable for her needs. So what does an enterprising mom do? She creates it herself and the <a href="http://biblestudyguide.com/" rel="nofollow">Bible Study Guide for All Ages</a> was born.<br />
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<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/BibleStudyGuideAllAges/beginner-time-line_zpsaf2ab713.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo beginner-time-line_zpsaf2ab713.jpg" border="0" height="208" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/BibleStudyGuideAllAges/beginner-time-line_zpsaf2ab713.jpg" width="320" /></a>This program is set-up to cover the entire Bible over a four-year period giving the students "the big picture" as well as in-depth knowledge and how to apply the knowledge to their own lives. There are six levels available for pre-school through adults.<br />
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Each year of study is made up on one unit and each unit contains between 100-104 lessons. There are 4 lesson packs per unit. All levels cover the same topics with age appropriate lessons. You can see the order of study <a href="http://biblestudyguide.com/order-of-study.php" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>. What is fantastic about this set up is that if your student does Unit 1 using the beginner level but is ready for the next level upon completion, you can go ahead and get Unit 2 in the primary level. No need to redo Unit 1 in the next level because the same topics are studied in each level. Another perk of every level using the same text is that you can get the appropriate student pages for each student and the entire family will be studying the same lesson at their own level. How awesome is that?<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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We received the <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/beginner-student-pages.php" rel="nofollow">Beginner Student Pages</a> (Lessons 1-26), <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/beginner-time-line.php" rel="nofollow">Beginner Time Line</a>, and the <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/childrens-songs-cd.php" rel="nofollow">Children's Songs CD set</a>.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/beginner-student-pages.php" rel="nofollow">student pages</a> are printed on legal size paper in black and white. All of the teacher's instructions are right there on the page. You use one page per lesson. The lesson includes:<br />
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<b>*Learn the Basics:</b> Suggestions to use the <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/beginner-time-line.php" rel="nofollow">Beginner Time Line</a> and give the student the "big <br />
picture."<br />
<b>*Sing and Remember:</b> Song suggestions to complement the lesson, teaches the books of the Bible <br />
in small increments, and review questions.<br />
<b>*Get Active:</b> Activities to get your student moving and prep them for the coming lesson.<br />
<b>*Discover the Bible:</b> The meat of the lesson. The teacher reads the lesson while the student <br />
interacts <br />
and responds by tracing, coloring, or crossing out pictures.<br />
<b>*Apply It:</b> Helps the student make connections from the story and apply them to their own lives.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/beginner-time-line.php" rel="nofollow">Beginner Time Line</a> includes 34-full color cards printed on sturdy card stock. The cards cover key Bible stories and include a question to check learning. They are bright, colorful, and fun to look at. We've been posting the cards we're using on the wall near our circle time area so we can easily refer to them.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/childrens-songs-cd.php" rel="nofollow">Children's Song CD</a> set includes 90 songs on 2 CDs. The CD includes many old favorites as well as some new ones that help the learning stick. </div>
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This program is super easy to use, basically just open and go. All you need is some crayons and a Bible and you are good to go. We pretty much just went through the lesson as scripted. We began each lesson by reviewing the Time Line cards, then working our way through the books of the Bible and the review questions, and did the Get Active activity. Occasionally we had to skip the Get Active activity as it was better suited to group situations. </div>
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When we get to the Discover the Bible section, which included the Scripture references as well as the scripted lesson, I'd read directly from the Bible first then we'd go through the scripted section and she'd follow along completing the work sheet activities. She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES completing these activities. I found this surprising because she's generally very resistant to taking direction for any reason. lol</div>
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The best part is that Kayleigh has really been learning from this program. I can't believe that I didn't think of using this with her on my own. Better late than never though, right? </div>
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My final thoughts...well I bought the rest of the lessons for Unit 1 so I guess that about sums up my feelings on this product. Two thumbs up!!!</div>
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F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://biblestudyguide.com/">http://biblestudyguide.com</a></div>
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<b>Age Range:</b> pre-k through adult</div>
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<b>Pricing:</b> $5.95 per lesson pack, $19.95 for the CD set, $24.95 for the Beginner's Time Line</div>
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Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-6721260405230806202013-07-30T21:33:00.000-04:002013-08-07T20:57:41.319-04:00Lucky SevenMy other baby, Mackenzie, is going to be in seventh grade this year. Gah!! Why do they insist on growing up? It's getting annoying.<br />
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Once again, I was forced to plan for it against my will. Darn these kids.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(This post contains affiliate links. See my <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-policy.html">disclosure policy</a> for more details.)</span></div>
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The spine for Mackenzie's seventh grade year is <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/GC5.html?varid=1" rel="nofollow">Sonlight's Core G: World History, Part 1</a>. This year she will revisit the time of creation through the Middle Ages with lots and lots of books. I think she's excited because I keep catching her trying to read the books.<br />
<h3>
Bible</h3>
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Sonlight Bible G featuring...<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400308100/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400308100&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">International Children's Bible Field Guide</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1400308100" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/GB02.html" rel="nofollow">Sing the Word: Credo...I Believe CD</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5IAQ1O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B5IAQ1O&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw to Learn Proverbs </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00B5IAQ1O" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> - Notgrass<br />
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<h3>
Math</h3>
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<a href="http://store.mathusee.com/catalog/secondary-math/prealgebra/" rel="nofollow">Math-U-See Pre-Algerbra</a><br />
Mr. Demme all the way!!!<br />
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<h3>
Language Arts</h3>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GU1LZE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008GU1LZE&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008GU1LZE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> - IEW<br />
Canadian Andy is back in the house!! Woot!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GU1GAY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008GU1GAY&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Fix It! Book 1: Tom Sawyer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008GU1GAY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> - IEW<br />
Canadian Andy revolutionized our writing lessons, so why not grammar too?<br />
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Sonlight Core G Read Alouds and Readers featuring...<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140303359/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140303359&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Golden Goblet </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140303359" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088UG9WM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0088UG9WM&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Westing Game</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0088UG9WM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618154280/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0618154280&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Trojan War</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618154280" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887840001/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1887840001&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Master Cornhill</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1887840001" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385076967/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385076967&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Favorite Poems Old and New</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385076967" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312380054/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312380054&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">I, Juan de Pareja</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312380054" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416903429/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416903429&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Second Mrs. Gioconda</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416903429" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003K16PKK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003K16PKK&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">A Single Shard</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003K16PKK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BYPV5M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007BYPV5M&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Beyond the Desert Gate</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007BYPV5M" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937736/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937736&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937736" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887840559/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1887840559&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Flame Over Tara</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1887840559" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141305959/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141305959&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Shakespeare Stealer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141305959" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937485/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937485&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Hidden Treasure of Glaston</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937485" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486421805/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0486421805&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">King Arthur: Tales from the Round Table</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0486421805" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618615121/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0618615121&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Samurai's Tale</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618615121" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395137195/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0395137195&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Bronze Bow</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0395137195" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142406597/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142406597&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Adam of the Road </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142406597" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416933956/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416933956&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Shadow of a Bull</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416933956" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394820371/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394820371&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Phantom Tollbooth</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0394820371" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887840826/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1887840826&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Great and Terrible Quest</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1887840826" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140319298/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140319298&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Mara, Daughter of the Nile </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140319298" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064406695/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064406695&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Beduins' Gazelle</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064406695" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152162682/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152162682&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Mystery of the Roman Ransom</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152162682" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887840311/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1887840311&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Leonardo Da Vinci</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1887840311" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937388/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937388&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Hittite Warrior</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937388" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937124/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937124&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Archimedes and the Door of Science</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937124" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937434/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937434&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Ides of April </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937434" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152164561/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152164561&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Mary, Bloody Mary</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152164561" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068984624X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=068984624X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=068984624X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152063781/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152063781&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Black Horses for the King </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152063781" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547722184/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0547722184&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0547722184" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096670679X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=096670679X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Theras and His Town</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=096670679X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883937302/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883937302&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Son of Charlemagne</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1883937302" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0718821831/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0718821831&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Monk Who Shook the World</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0718821831" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618154264/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0618154264&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Greek Myths</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618154264" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<h3>
History</h3>
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Sonlight Core G featuring...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1887840885/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1887840885&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Kingdom Strikes Back</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1887840885" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHY03Z4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CHY03Z4&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Story of the World, Ancient Times</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00CHY03Z4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933339098/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933339098&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Story of the World, The Middle Ages</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1933339098" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933339098/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933339098&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20%22%3EThe%20Story%20of%20the%20World,%20The%20Middle%20Ages%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1933339098%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow"> Usborne Encyclopedia: 12,000 Years of World History</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0753468751/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0753468751&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0753468751" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977859703/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0977859703&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw and Write Through History: Creation through Jonah</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0977859703" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977859711/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0977859711&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw and Write Through History: Greece and Rome </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0977859711" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097785972X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=097785972X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw and Write Through History: The Vikings, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=097785972X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<h3>
Science</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932012869/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932012869&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Exploring Creation with General Science</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1932012869" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935495704/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1935495704&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Exploring Creation with General Science Student Notebook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1935495704" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<h3>
Electives</h3>
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<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/GC5.html?varid=1" rel="nofollow">Beginning Web Design</a>, Homeschool Programming Inc. (Semester 1)<br />
<a href="http://classicalacademicpress.com/the-art-of-argument/" rel="nofollow">The Art of Argument</a> (Semester 2)<br />
<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/spanish.html" rel="nofollow">Rosetta Stone Spanish</a>, Level 1<br />
<a href="http://www.creatingamasterpiece.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1" rel="nofollow">Creating a Masterpiece,</a> Level 1<br />
<a href="http://www.visuallatin.com/" rel="nofollow">Visual Latin</a><br />
Private Piano Lessons at <a href="http://www.ymv.org/" rel="nofollow">Young Musicians of Virginia</a><br />
Soccer through <a href="http://www.beachja.com/" rel="nofollow">Beach Junior Athletics</a><br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="72" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/prncsstefy/StefanieSignature.png" width="200" /><br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-1311399588926862172013-07-22T23:08:00.002-04:002013-07-22T23:13:07.141-04:00Review: Homeschool Programming Inc.<br />
Mackenzie has been bugging me for.ev.er. to let her build a webpage. What do I know about building a webpage? Not much. I can edit the HTML on my blog a teeny bit but that's the extent of my knowledge. I looked at some of the different programs out there but everything that I found was for PCs only. A bit of a let down for this MAC only family.<br />
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Imagine our surprise when we learned that <a href="http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/" rel="nofollow">Homeschool Programming Inc.</a> had created a web-based design curriculum? Imagine our glee when were we chosen to review their <a href="http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/kidcoder/kidcoder_beginning_web.php">Kidcoder: Beginning Web Design</a>.<br />
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<h2>
About Homeschool Programming Inc</h2>
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<a href="http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/" rel="nofollow">Homeschool Programming Inc.</a> was created by an incredibly smart homeschooling couple. Like all homeschooling parents, they were out perusing for some curriculum for their children. A computer programing curriculum to be specific. Guess what they found? Nothing.<br />
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So being super smart about such things, they created one. One that a non-techie parent like me can understand and teach. And so the KidCoder and TeenCoder curriculum was born.<br />
<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/Homeschool%20Programming/KC_BWD_Cover_MED_zps2e139921.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo KC_BWD_Cover_MED_zps2e139921.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/Homeschool%20Programming/KC_BWD_Cover_MED_zps2e139921.jpg" /></a><br />
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We reviewed the <a href="http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/kidcoder/kidcoder_beginning_web.php" rel="nofollow">KidCoder: Beginning Web Design</a> course. This one semester course was designed to teach students to create their on web site from scratch. We're talking hand coding HTML. Sounds daunting right? Not with this easy to use course.<br />
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The course covers:<br />
*Mark up concepts<br />
*Website layouts and files<br />
*Backing up projects<br />
*Essential HTML symbols<br />
*Styling of text<br />
*Using symbols and lists<br />
*Internal and external hyperlinks<br />
*Navigation bars and footers<br />
*Simple CSS effects<br />
*Spacing and positioning<br />
*Graphics and image editing<br />
*Tables<br />
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We received the product in e-book form and the download was seamless. I was also able to load it onto our iPad without a problem. My original plan was to have her read it from the iPad. Early on I changed my mind and printed it out chapter by chapter. She needed to to a lot of flipping back and forth to work through some of the assignments and it was easier to do this with printed pages. It's a lot of printing. I'd love to see a physical book.<br />
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For the purpose of this review we read through the lessons together and then she worked on the assignments. This isn't necessary though. She could easily read, understand, and work through it on her own but I wanted some knowledge for review purposes. I planned for us to work on one chapter a week. If you get stuck on something, help is only an email away. The customer service is quick and top notch. They'll work with you until your problem is solved.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ffua2bogWWcTOdHdJiN870teHgV7FJsIP2V_Gy2bQsNnqOgWV0S0Q1GugxkKNe6v3mnnJqvz4bnsih9unSldwYm-887KRdWpxCmAzheTs-AvZ3zi10I-opRK3Htkd2cfRpsIFoBIjuE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ffua2bogWWcTOdHdJiN870teHgV7FJsIP2V_Gy2bQsNnqOgWV0S0Q1GugxkKNe6v3mnnJqvz4bnsih9unSldwYm-887KRdWpxCmAzheTs-AvZ3zi10I-opRK3Htkd2cfRpsIFoBIjuE/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
To say that Mackenzie is excited about this course is the understatement of the year. She loves it and is always chomping at the bit to do "just one more lesson." One chapter a week was torture. lol She went to camp for a week and a half during the review period and she was on the computer "hand coding" not too long after her return. Isn't she super cool?<br />
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And it simply thrills her when she completes an assignment and her coding does exactly what the book says it will do, even if it's just a blank web page with a simple sentence on it. She was hooked from the first assignment. It's very rewarding to see your very own web page coming together bit by bit. And it's been a helpful for me and my blog too. I'm learning how to tweak things that are bothering me.<br />
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This course is a definite keeper. Mackenzie is looking forward to finishing it and moving on to the Advanced Web Design course. It's an easy and fun way for your student to learn a valuable skill and maybe a middle school or high school credit while they're at it. Love, love, love it!!!<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tDuH0rQ1qo5nBMtwwxdeNh4Z31J406S1Yu6k2clFAQPvvSWjvKTNh64TKjfR-xl-AaF0wp7q0iMk4IMQzB7brP-gAuwxY9Bhjtio2Niq0TzxEEknutocu-XGF0zs82Jtoi5_CEVvK4k/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tDuH0rQ1qo5nBMtwwxdeNh4Z31J406S1Yu6k2clFAQPvvSWjvKTNh64TKjfR-xl-AaF0wp7q0iMk4IMQzB7brP-gAuwxY9Bhjtio2Niq0TzxEEknutocu-XGF0zs82Jtoi5_CEVvK4k/s200/photo+1.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/">http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/</a><br />
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<b>Facebook:</b> https://www.facebook.com/HomeschoolProgramming<br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> 4th-12th grade<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b><br />
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$70 for Beginning Web Design<br />
$85 for Beginning Web Design w/DVDs<br />
$20 for DVDs only<br />
The Advanced Course will be out in August and priced the same as the beginner course<br />
$145 for the Web Year Pack (Beginning and Advanced) with DVD,<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-39616292325752971442013-07-21T17:36:00.000-04:002013-07-21T17:39:29.779-04:00Review: Christi the Coupon Coach<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/Christi%20the%20Coupon%20Coach/christithecouponcoachlogo_zpsbe2a70cc.png.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo christithecouponcoachlogo_zpsbe2a70cc.png" border="0" height="113" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/Christi%20the%20Coupon%20Coach/christithecouponcoachlogo_zpsbe2a70cc.png" width="200" /></a>I don't know what it's like at your house but, these days, money is tight at our house. Between two children with a chronic illness, increased healthcare premiums on top of that, and a generous pay cut courtesy of our government, we need to start stretching the dollars that we have left.<br />
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And in his perfect timing, God provided a way for us to do just that. Enter <a href="http://christithecouponcoach.com/" rel="nofollow">Couponing Made Simple</a> from <a href="http://christithecouponcoach.com/" rel="nofollow">Christi the Coupon Coach</a>.<br />
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<h2>
About Couponing Made Simple</h2>
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In this book Coach Christi gives you a step-by-step plan to saving money with coupons. We're not talking extreme couponing that will take over your life. We're talking a simple system to help you organize and utilize coupons to their greatest potential, helping you stretch those hard earned dollars.<br />
<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/Christi%20the%20Coupon%20Coach/christithecouponcoachbook_zpsfd7911d1.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo christithecouponcoachbook_zpsfd7911d1.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/Christi%20the%20Coupon%20Coach/christithecouponcoachbook_zpsfd7911d1.jpg" width="137" /></a>The book includes 10 chapters of easy reading. I read the whole thing in one night. Once I started I couldn't put it down. <br />
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*Chapter 1 Success Stories<br />
*Chapter 2 A New Way to Shop<br />
*Chapter 3 The Language of Couponing<br />
*Chapter 4 Organization System<br />
*Chapter 5 Step-by-Step Process<br />
*Chapter 6 Tips and Tools<br />
*Chapter 7 Couponing Ethics<br />
*Chapter 8 Networking & Communicating<br />
*Chapter 9 Bonus Section<br />
*Chapter 10 Beyond Couponing<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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Like I previously mentioned, this book was easy to read. Next I gathered what I'd need to be successful. Organizing bin, shopping coupon box, accordion folder, computer, and a printer. So I grabbed my book, gathered up my newspapers (1 per family member), and got to saving using her 8-step plan. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEod4owPVjhf54dbzOcg5m_gggnSI0JmT6Ir0lmemIhvxxHaqsBj1ApxMIJnCr1GPgzN8aZrtgE73NYDQftlNVAqxglhHnl1E-2RR73e4D0QCh4mot1VHhJ50mNLaIlTNTgf2h7q6zXA/s1600/photo+1a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEod4owPVjhf54dbzOcg5m_gggnSI0JmT6Ir0lmemIhvxxHaqsBj1ApxMIJnCr1GPgzN8aZrtgE73NYDQftlNVAqxglhHnl1E-2RR73e4D0QCh4mot1VHhJ50mNLaIlTNTgf2h7q6zXA/s320/photo+1a.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
First up, buying and organizing your newspaper coupons. I realize that buying multiple Sunday papers sounds expensive but there are ways to get them cheaply. I checked my local dollar store and I get them for a $1 a piece. Still not in your budget? There are tons of printable coupons that you can use too.<br />
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I pulled out all of the coupons, and store flyers, and separate them into piles. Scan the flyers for coupons, keep the ones that have them. Then you sort the coupon inserts. Some people cut them all art then and there. That doesn't sound like a good time to me so I was very thrilled with Coach Christi's alternative method. She prefers to stack each page of the inserts together to form one "super coupon insert" and store them that way, in a dated hanging file folder. Then you cut them as you need them. Genius!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-uiGN31fYFXlICbIVSpgtgKZKVh6Ot_tKiHeuP7g2EjtJtouOuZeC-8bca13OmY3D7Bc_8jtZpkLuYP49ZkKcuPaMi44r0x5nxrstvAG7650Br86yHZMFgOZ6ZpsYhLzuxIOoflrnOU/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-uiGN31fYFXlICbIVSpgtgKZKVh6Ot_tKiHeuP7g2EjtJtouOuZeC-8bca13OmY3D7Bc_8jtZpkLuYP49ZkKcuPaMi44r0x5nxrstvAG7650Br86yHZMFgOZ6ZpsYhLzuxIOoflrnOU/s200/photo+2.JPG" width="149" /></a>The next few steps involve finding deals and matching up coupons with the deals. Doing this is how you follow the two main rules of couponing, buying on sale and stacking coupons. I'm not going to go into the details of these steps, you'll need to read the book for that, but this can be the most time consuming portion. Coach Christi recommends finding websites that will help you find the deals and make the matches. There are websites dedicated to couponing that do this portion for you, Coach Christi will teach you how to find them. I found quite a few sites that I have been using frequently. They will list the items on sale, coupons (whether from a newspaper or a printable on line ) that can be used with the sale, and what the final cost should be.<br />
I like to go through these sites and just copy and paste them into a word document to form my list. Then I go through my coupons and cut, or print, the ones that I need and head out to the store.<br />
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So does it work? I'd say so. With my best run I saved $129 in coupons with another $93 in savings using my store VIP card. That was more than 50% of my total cost this particular trip. My husband and I were practically giddy since we were buying for a Fourth of July party.<br />
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I've saved at least 30%, usually more, each time I shopped using the methods in <a href="http://christithecouponcoach.com/">Couponing Made Simple</a>. And I'm getting a lot of stuff for free. I haven't had to pay for a bottle of BBQ sauce all summer. I'm sold.<br />
<br />
If you are looking for an easy way to save money on your grocery bill, this book is worth a read.<br />
<br />
<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
<br />
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://christithecouponcoach.com/">http://christithecouponcoach.com/</a><br />
<br />
<b>Facebook:</b> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christi-The-Coupon-Coach/221126247948027<br />
<br />
<b>Age Range:</b> all ages, my daughter even helped me out with this<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> $18.00 for the physical book, $4.99 for the ebook<br />
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Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-25840793878822104732013-07-18T15:46:00.000-04:002013-07-18T15:46:09.013-04:00Review: Picaboo Yearbook<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/Picaboo%20Yearbooks/67706_520522131306078_514079593_n_zps2983de7c.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 67706_520522131306078_514079593_n_zps2983de7c.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/Picaboo%20Yearbooks/67706_520522131306078_514079593_n_zps2983de7c.jpg" /></a>As a homeschooler, we are constantly bombarded with the "Aren't your worried about your kids missing out on...blah, blah, blah?" statements. We hear this about everything from socialization, to standing in line, to prom, to yearbooks. (In case you are wondering the answer to all of the above is a resounding NO! lol)<br />
<br />
We recently were blessed to receive a review opportunity to take this pressure off of one of these "traditional school worries" that people are so concerned about. <a href="http://yearbooks.picaboo.com/" rel="nofollow">Picaboo Yearbooks</a> gave us a chance to use their online yearbook creating program to create a<a href="http://yearbooks.picaboo.com/product.php" rel="nofollow"> 20-page softcover yearbook</a>.<br />
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<h2>
About Picaboo Yearbooks</h2>
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<a href="http://yearbooks.picaboo.com/" rel="nofollow">Picaboo Yearbook</a> strives to offer simple and collaborative software to create reasonably priced yearbooks. <br />
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Some of the software features I really liked:<br />
<br />
*Easy-to-use web app<br />
<br />
*Third party photo contribution<br />
-Anyone can submit photos! Does grandma have some photos all the way across the country?<br />
Tell her to log in and load them up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEzh0blu26TQE2htEdnjRkrwr98lhlk5SrqhPaTyBVLXZAs0OzmNVadA4RWhV_EOY1KFVh81RVV0xggc7oqdRbaQx3kYj4WTP7PIXVcJN906TzTjvIXPkCviRI0FgM4chK1VnyK4lKnM/s1600/photo-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEzh0blu26TQE2htEdnjRkrwr98lhlk5SrqhPaTyBVLXZAs0OzmNVadA4RWhV_EOY1KFVh81RVV0xggc7oqdRbaQx3kYj4WTP7PIXVcJN906TzTjvIXPkCviRI0FgM4chK1VnyK4lKnM/s320/photo-5.jpg" width="246" /></a> *Organize and collaborate with a yearbook team.<br />
-Since this is an online program, you can work with your homeschool friends and create a<br />
yearbook together. You can assign different sections to people to create one yearbook.<br />
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*QR Codes to add video to your yearbook.<br />
-I didn't try this feature but I might next time.<br />
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*Portrait Manager<br />
-Autoflow portrait images quickly. Very useful for co-op situations.<br />
<br />
*Very Reasonably Priced<br />
-We had the opportunity to buy a yearbook through our homeschool co-op for big $$$. Picaboo <br />
Yearbooks is well less than half of the price of what our co-op was charging.<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
<br />
I have been digital scrap booking for quite a while now. I prefer to make my pages from scratch so I thought that this would be a breeze from the get-go. However, it was not as intuitive for me as the program claimed. I had to relearn to let the program do the work instead of doing it myself. lol Once I was able to do that it was smooth sailing. For the average person, I think that you would find this very easy to use from the start. If you're used to doing things one way then it might take a little time to get the hang of. Watching the tutorial videos helps immensely!!<br />
<br />
The first thing I did was organize my book into the sections that I wanted to include. Then I decided how many pages that I wanted in each section. If I were doing this over the course of a school year I would've broken down the sections even more specifically but for the shortened review period I did more general sections. This screen is also how you access each section to create and edit it.<br />
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Next I uploaded any photos that I thought I might include. I just uploaded them all to a general pool. When you want to actually include them in a specific section you have to move them to an area just for that section.<br />
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From there you can add your backgrounds, choose your photo templates, and add your photos, text, and embellishments. There are a variety of different backgrounds, fonts, and embellishments to choose from. You can also use your photos as the background or upload your own backgrounds. For the most part, I stayed with the backgrounds they offered or my own photos. In the future I plan to upload some of my favorite digital scrapbook paper as backgrounds. I did upload one and it was pretty simple to do.<br />
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Another feature that I liked was the way that they alerted you to the areas that might be cut off during printing so that you don't put text or people in those areas. If something important is in the highlighted area, you might need to go back and adjust it.<br />
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Once you get the hang of it, you just keep going until all of your sections are complete. Feel the need to rearrange your pages? It's as easy as drop and dragging them on the sections screen. Easy-Peasy!!! Then you go to the main screen and lock each section, which prevents anyone from messing with them, and then order away. You even get to pick your finish, matte or glossy. I'm a matte girl myself.<br />
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I was really surprised and pleased with how quickly our yearbook arrived. And it was beautiful. The pages were bright, clear, and beautifully printed on nice paper. Our entire family loved it!!!! And you even get a free e-year book. It loads up real nice on the iPad. Very handy for when the kids make off with the yearbook and you want to admire it. It's also a great option for those on a really tight budget.<br />
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Another neat thing that you can do is start a "store front" that will allow family and friends to purchase them if they'd like. They'd also make great gifts for grand parents.</div>
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<br />
I can't wait to do another one next year, maybe with our friends. (Do you hear that friends? I'm talking to you!) It's going to be bigger and better than ever.<br />
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I love, love, love <a href="http://yearbooks.picaboo.com/">Picaboo Yearbooks</a>!!!!!<br />
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Here are some of my favorite pages...<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> http://yearbooks.picaboo.com/<br />
<br />
<b>Age Range:</b> All ages!!<br />
<br />
<b>Pricing:</b> Starts at $8.49 for a 20-page soft cover. I told you it was a deal!!!<br />
<br />
Additional pages are $.22 each.<br />
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Plus the cost of shipping which is currently $8.99. This shipping might seem high but the total cost is still under $20. Which is less than half of what we would've paid through our co-op. A deal in my book.<br />
<br />
Check them out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PicabooYearbooks">Facebook</a> too!! <br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="72" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/prncsstefy/StefanieSignature.png" width="200" /><br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-47252373062486919772013-07-17T10:08:00.002-04:002013-08-07T20:58:14.362-04:00Like It or Not...<br />
My baby is going to be starting Kindergarten this year. And in case you're not sure where I stand on the issue...<br />
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<b>I do not like it one little bit!!!!</b><br />
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Just sayin'...<br />
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But like it or not, it's happening so I'm required to plan for it. So I did. Against my will.<br />
<br />
So here it is... Our<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(This post contains affiliate links. See my <a href="http://prncsstefy.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-policy.html">disclosure policy</a> for more details.)</span></div>
<h3>
Bible</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/ABP.html" rel="nofollow">Sonlight Bible A</a> featuring<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593173350/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593173350&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Egermeier's Bible Story Book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1593173350" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N85LIE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001N85LIE&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20%22%3ESing%20the%20Word%20From%20A%20to%20Z%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001N85LIE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow">Sing the Word from A-Z</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.com/ages-3-k.php">Bible Study Guide for All Ages, Beginner Level</a><br />
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<h3>
Math</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://store.mathusee.com/catalog/general-math/primer/" rel="nofollow">Math-U-See Primer</a><br />
Oh how I love you Mr. Demme. Can't wait to hang with you again next year at HEAV.<br />
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<h3>
Language Arts</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=465&url=1054">All About Reading, Level 1</a><br />
Cuz Level pre-1 was so much fun!!! Yay!!<br />
<br />
Handwriting Without Tears<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891627570/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1891627570&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Letters and Numbers for Me</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1891627570" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/ACKR5.html">Sonlight Core A</a> Read Alouds<br />
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Featuring...<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525478566/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0525478566&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The House At Pooh Corner </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0525478566" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(We're skipping this because I don't like reading it aloud.)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064402509/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064402509&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Family Under the Bridge</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064402509" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Adding this back in because it was a favorite last time.)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440483077/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0440483077&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Story of Doctor Dolittle</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440483077" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0448421658/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0448421658&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Story about Ping</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0448421658" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679887369/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679887369&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0679887369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152055711/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152055711&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152055711" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394826817/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394826817&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Richard Scarry's Please and Thank You Book (Pictureback(R))</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0394826817" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380732521/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0380732521&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Dolphin Adventure</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0380732521" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038073253X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=038073253X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Dolphin Treasure</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=038073253X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044041301X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=044041301X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">A Grain of Rice</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=044041301X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140310762/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140310762&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Twenty and Ten </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140310762" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807508500/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0807508500&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Boxcar Children</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0807508500" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781403790/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0781403790&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">In Grandma's Attic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0781403790" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590424017/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0590424017&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Five True Dog Stories</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0590424017" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MC6YVS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002MC6YVS&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">James Herriot's Treasury For Children </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002MC6YVS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014130815X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014130815X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Mary On Horseback</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=014130815X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399231536/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399231536&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399231536" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689716818/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0689716818&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Least of All</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689716818" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547391005/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0547391005&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Complete Adventures of Curious George</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0547391005" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152052259/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152052259&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Here's a Penny</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152052259" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/AA28.html" rel="nofollow">No Children, No Pets</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060581808/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060581808&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Little House in the Big Woods</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060581808" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038070918X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=038070918X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Beezus and Ramona</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=038070918X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689306474/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0689306474&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689306474" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1453782052/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1453782052&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">My Father's Dragon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1453782052" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152052607/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0152052607&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Hundred Dresses</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152052607" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140368574/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140368574&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Light at Tern Rock</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140368574" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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I'm super excited about doing this core again because it was one of my favorite Sonlight cores. Mackenzie's excited too. She's dying to hear the books again. Hopefully seventh grade won't keep her too busy. lol I'm also interested to see how Kayleigh does with chapter books. It could go either way with this girl<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1557998191/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1557998191&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Literature Pockets: Nursery Rhymes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1557998191" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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For fun<br />
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<h2>
Social Studies</h2>
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<h3>
History and Geography</h3>
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<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/ACKR5.html" rel="nofollow">Sonlight Core A</a> featuring...<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0746007981/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0746007981&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Wild Places</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0746007981" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0746011091/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0746011091&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Living Long Ago </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0746011091" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794530273/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794530273&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Usborne Internet-Linked Children's Encyclopedia </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794530273" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873030737/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0873030737&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">I Heard Good News Today</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0873030737" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<h3>
Culture and Art Supplement </h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Courtesy of <a href="http://butterfliesandbarefootlasses.blogspot.com/2013/04/culture-supplement-schedule.html" rel="nofollow">Butterflies and Barefoot Lassies</a>) </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789402017/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0789402017&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0789402017" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824968182/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0824968182&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Kids' Multicultural Cookbook </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0824968182" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824968077/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0824968077&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">The Kids Multicultural Art Book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0824968077" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963930710/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0963930710&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw Write Now, Book 1: On the Farm-Kids and Critters-Storybook Characters </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0963930710" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963930745/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0963930745&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Draw Write Now, Book 4: The Polar Regions, Arctic, Antarctic </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0963930745" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0934738769/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0934738769&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Come Look with Me: Enjoying Art with Children</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0934738769" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0934738955/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0934738955&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Come Look With Me: Exploring Landscape Art With Children </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0934738955" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1565660137/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1565660137&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Come Look With Me: Animals in Art</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1565660137" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885593457/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1885593457&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Around the World Art and; Activities: Visiting the 7 Continents Through Craft Fun </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1885593457" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<h2>
Science</h2>
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<a href="http://www.sonlight.com/science-a.html" rel="nofollow">Sonlight Science A, Biology, Botany and Physics</a> featuring...<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736878998/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0736878998&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0736878998" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794512534/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794512534&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Weather </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794512534" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794513409/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794513409&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">How Flowers Grow </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794513409" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794524214/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794524214&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Usborne Science Activities, Vol. 2</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794524214" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794513360/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794513360&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Under the Sea</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794513360" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794513379/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794513379&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Caterpillars and Butterflies </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794513379" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794513425/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0794513425&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Eggs and Chicks </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0794513425" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/079451345X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=079451345X&linkCode=as2&tag=gigggirl-20">Tadpoles and Frogs </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gigggirl-20&l=as2&o=1&a=079451345X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Extras</h2>
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<a href="http://www.creatingamasterpiece.com/index.php">Creating a Masterpiece</a> Art Lessons (Amazing lessons! I highly recommend checking them out!!)<br />
Music Lessons at <a href="http://www.ymv.org/" rel="nofollow">Young Musicians of Virginia</a><br />
And maybe gymnastics if we get around to it.<br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-13909707103778492802013-07-16T22:08:00.000-04:002013-07-16T22:08:50.188-04:00Review: Lilla Rose Flexi ClipI have two daughters. Including myself, that's a lot of hair. Both of my lovelies are girly-girls and like to have "their hair did." Both are picky. Each child has their own different set of hair issues. Mackenzie has thick, curly, hard-to-control hair. She's 12 so I've had more practice with her hair. Kayleigh has thin, baby fine hair. I tend to struggle more with her hair. My hair is in-between, long, wavy, and fine. No matter how you slice it, I'm drowning in hair.<br />
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So it was a wonderful surprise when my bloggy-friend Jennifer, from <a href="http://www.glimpseofourlife.com/">A Glimpse of Our Life</a>, contacted me about reviewing a flexi clip from <a href="http://www.lillarose.biz/prettyhair">Lilla Rose</a>.<br />
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<h2>
About Lilla Rose</h2>
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The <a href="http://www.lillarose.biz/prettyhair">Lilla Rose</a> company offers unique and beautiful jewelry for your hair. Started in a garage by founder John Dorsey, Lilla Rose offers a beautiful and well made product line. With Flexi Clips, Hair Sticks, Orings, Hair Bands, You Pins, Bobby Pins and even Badge Holders, there is something for everyone. <br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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The most difficult part of the experience was choosing which item we wanted to review. Everything is absolutely adorable! I had decided to use Kayleigh's baby fine hair for the review and she picked something pink and girly, The Crown of Hearts.<br />
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The next step is to pick the correct size. VERY IMPORTANT!! The best way to do this is to watch the <a href="http://www.lillarose.biz/prettyhair/flexi-sizing-and-styling.html?id=JnrUMNtf">sizing video</a>. For Kayleigh I went with an extra-small flexi clip since I knew I wanted to be able to do pony tails and up-dos with it.<br />
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Now comes the fun part...using it. It takes a minute to get used to working with it but watching the styling videos on the website really helps. We did quite a few styles on Kayleigh's hair and she looked adorable in all of them. And it kept her baby fine hair right where I wanted it. She said she felt like a princess with jewels in her hair.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14HjhnjJjA-4mz3ylmE2hs0M4kOtZE1iVJqy1c84OuHiMk12VTeQO38QCW9ieB7BR6NBpYPbRagAthu5bvTsG1fu7ZlfAs1xAgdwpuHq7KUsse6Z9DTsNhl2rMo9PQdOPFRhPIF0fHS0/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14HjhnjJjA-4mz3ylmE2hs0M4kOtZE1iVJqy1c84OuHiMk12VTeQO38QCW9ieB7BR6NBpYPbRagAthu5bvTsG1fu7ZlfAs1xAgdwpuHq7KUsse6Z9DTsNhl2rMo9PQdOPFRhPIF0fHS0/s400/photo+3.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Princess" Ponytail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziCRrW1AgND0iH9BQonal_zys_eHNewQ3dSlHrOKF04vtnos1iz9-S4I0RoX742HJ-XhrPcyGA622G6zFGIhVHSvSAOPXy_ZxH9r3ZfEBcwE8whOVv8zrE56uRdE5qlH7gCXb3i118xs/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziCRrW1AgND0iH9BQonal_zys_eHNewQ3dSlHrOKF04vtnos1iz9-S4I0RoX742HJ-XhrPcyGA622G6zFGIhVHSvSAOPXy_ZxH9r3ZfEBcwE8whOVv8zrE56uRdE5qlH7gCXb3i118xs/s400/photo+1.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half-tails Up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGBUDWlvMtr3HZIDOg_TyOLNLY5-VF5HZFy0sPR5O0zoMb6COEsIP25HONvuc6q0P6K_gVuPJ4dD__d68kKaeRQZ5E8Dgxq0M8iNoV8uWVZ2Qe9DW3rh2zQ8BKfe7geBILG0kIeaVSXc/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGBUDWlvMtr3HZIDOg_TyOLNLY5-VF5HZFy0sPR5O0zoMb6COEsIP25HONvuc6q0P6K_gVuPJ4dD__d68kKaeRQZ5E8Dgxq0M8iNoV8uWVZ2Qe9DW3rh2zQ8BKfe7geBILG0kIeaVSXc/s400/photo+2.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tails-Up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half-Up With a Twist</td></tr>
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We really love this clip and a few people are going to see some of these, and a few other products, when Christmas rolls around. I will definitely be doing some Christmas shopping at <a href="http://www.lillarose.biz/prettyhair">Lilla Rose</a>. <br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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Website: <a href="http://www.lillarose.biz/prettyhair">http://www.lillarose.biz/prettyhair</a><br />
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Pricing: $13-$20 depending on style (larger sizes will have different pricing as well)<br />
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Other Links of Interest:<br />
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*Facebook: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b5998;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="cursor: pointer;"><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LillaRosePrettyHair">https://www.facebook.com/LillaRosePrettyHair</a></u></span></span></span><br />
*Jennifer's Pinterest Board with lots of great ideas for using these clips: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><a class="_553k" href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpinterest.com%2Fmommiejennm%2Fpretty-hair%2F&h=cAQGMh183" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://pinterest.com/mommiejennm/pretty-hair/</a></span><br />
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Interested in becoming a consultant? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><a class="_553k" href="https://www.facebook.com/LillaRosePrettyHair" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/LillaRosePrettyHair</a></span><br />
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<br />Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-85963585027335096992013-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:002013-07-13T09:00:20.392-04:00Review: Mayan Mysteries by Dig-It Games!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/"><img alt="Dig-it Games Logo photo dig-it-games-logo_zps61887cb9.png" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/Dig%20it%20Games/dig-it-games-logo_zps61887cb9.png" /></a>
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It's always a wonderful thing to be able to incorporate learning with fun so it was such a blessing when <a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/">Dig-It Games </a>offered up their <a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/mayan_mysteries">Mayan Mysteries</a> game for review. It was also quite timely for our family, as we will begin studying ancient history again this year.</div>
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<h2>
About Mayan Mysteries</h2>
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Created by professional archaeologists, Suzi Wilczynski and Robert J. Sharer, your student will be transported back in time to learn about the mysterious world of the ancient Mayans. </div>
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Your student will explore this world as friends of Professor Alex Quinn and his niece and nephew. They will help Team Q stop looters from stealing important artifacts through solving puzzles, gathering clues, decoding glyphs, analyzing artifacts, visiting Mayan cities, and learning the Mayan math system and calendar. Along their journey they will learn TONS of great information about the Mayan civilization and culture, including geography, vocabulary, and history. All while having fun.</div>
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<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/Dig%20it%20Games/dig-itgames-mayanmysteries_zps7a4409ab.jpeg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Dig-it Games On-line App photo dig-itgames-mayanmysteries_zps7a4409ab.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/Dig%20it%20Games/dig-itgames-mayanmysteries_zps7a4409ab.jpeg" /></a></div>
<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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We received the online subscription and it was super easy to get started on our Mac. Mackenzie was able to set it up herself. Here's what she thought about the game...<br />
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<i><b><a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/mayan_mysteries" rel="nofollow">Mayan Mysteries</a> was a fairly interesting game with a cool plot line. You set off on an adventure to find a looter who's been digging up artifacts and leaving them at the excavation sites. When you play <a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/mayan_mysteries" rel="nofollow">Mayan Mysteries</a> you learn about Mayan culture and history by playing games and taking simple quizzes.</b></i><br />
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<i>You get to dig up artifacts and decipher hieroglyphics, all while visiting different excavation sites of important Mayan cities to discover the looter. Overall, <a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/mayan_mysteries" rel="nofollow">Mayan Mysteries</a> is a fun game combining interesting facts and games to create an exciting adventure. </i></b><br />
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For the most part, Mackenzie did like the game. She would play it without complaint when I asked her to and often would tell me something interesting that she learned. She did not, however, play it on her own for fun. It did involve a lot of reading and answering questions which isn't exactly what today's kids look for when they link of playing a computer game.<br />
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You should also know that when you beat the game, which takes approximately 12 hours, that you don't actually solve the mystery. Kind of disappointing. Stay tuned for part 2. Mackenzie felt a little duped. lol<br />
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Does this mean that I don't think this is worth the time or money? Absolutely not. I think that <a href="http://www.dig-itgames.com/mayan_mysteries" rel="nofollow">Mayan Mysteries</a> is an excellent learning tool. There is a lot of great, detailed information in this game. Your student will definitely be learning A LOT about the Mayan culture while playing this game. Would I give it as a birthday gift? No. Would I use it to supplement our studies? Absolutely! It's way more fun than just reading a book.<br />
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If you are going to be studying the Mayan culture then this is definitely worth a look. It is a great way to supplement a study on the Mayan culture. And guess who's going to be studying the Mayan culture soon? We are. And we <i>will</i> revisit this game again to add in a fun element to our studies. They also have an ancient Rome version that I am considering for when we study Rome again.<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DigItGames">https://www.facebook.com/DigItGames</a><br />
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<b>Facebook:</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DigItGames">https://www.facebook.com/DigItGames</a><br />
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<b>Age Range:</b> 11 - 14<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> $21.99 for single user online account, $9.99 for iPad app<br />
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Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-17571749676023020882013-07-08T09:11:00.000-04:002013-07-08T09:11:17.110-04:00Field Trip Friday: The Mariner's Museum<center>
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<a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/default/files/fragilewatersside.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/default/files/fragilewatersside.png" width="162" /></a><a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/" rel="nofollow">The Mariner's Museum</a> is one of our favorite places to visit. It's one of the largest maritime history museums around and it's totally awesome. We go there a lot.</center>
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There are many fabulous collections to see: <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/collections/art-sea">The Art of the Sea</a>, <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/collections/navigating-scientific-instruments">Navigating and Scientific Instruments</a>, <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/collections/ship-models">Ship Models</a>, and more. <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/exhibitions">Fabulous exhibitions</a>: Age of Exploration, Miniature of August F. Crabtree, Defending the Seas, Great Hall of Steam, and our favorite, the <a href="http://marinersmuseum.org/uss-monitor-center/uss-monitor-center">USS Monitor Center</a>. And there is always a few exhibits that get changed every so often like <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/abandonship">Abandon Ship: Stories of Survival</a> or <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/fragilewaters">Fragile Waters</a>.</center>
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This time around we went to see the <a href="http://www.marinersmuseum.org/fragilewaters">Fragile Waters</a> exhibit, which is a collection of black and white photography focusing on the beauty and vitality of water. Featuring photography by Ansel Adams, Earnest H. Brooks 2, and Dorothy K. Monnelly, I can assure you it was simply amazing. Just look to your right. Wow. </center>
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Mackenzie was surprisingly very into it. Kayleigh not so much. Until she found a photo or rocks. Then she was ready to take it home and hang it in her room. She didn't care about the photos of adorable sea lions or dolphins, or no, just the ones of rocks. Typical Kayleigh.</center>
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Once we finished up with the photography we took a quick jaunt through the rest of the museum to see some of our favorite things. </center>
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We can't come here and not play dead. Unfortunately only Mackenzie was willing to participate because Kevin and Kayleigh were trying to destroy clipper ships or something on one of the interactive exhibits. Haters. </center>
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Defending the seas by lying around in sub racks. It's just like the two of them to be lying down on the job. </center>
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Surviving the Titanic. Shew!!!<br />
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Lost at Sea<br />
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Aboard the USS Monitor<br />
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Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07286011831882699289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7937235800872850976.post-68701718768792075162013-07-01T10:18:00.000-04:002013-07-06T20:00:39.138-04:00Review: Institute for Excellence in Writing<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/"><img alt=" photo homepage_logo_zps79f1e89a.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/EIW/homepage_logo_zps79f1e89a.jpg" /></a>
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Teaching writing. You either love it or hate it. I wasn't in the love it category. Neither was my daughter Mackenzie. Then the <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/">Institute for Excellence in Writing</a> sent us <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/TWSS-D">Teaching Writing with Structure and Style</a> (TWSS) along with the <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/sid-b">Student Writing Intensive B</a> (SWI). We've changed our minds.<br />
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<h2>
About IEW</h2>
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These DVD writing courses cover note-taking and summarizing, story writing, creative writing, and report writing. The student will learn many stylistic techniques that will make their writing clearing and more interesting.<br />
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<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/EIW/Structurestyleset_zps12b6d638.jpg.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Structurestyleset_zps12b6d638.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/EIW/Structurestyleset_zps12b6d638.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/TWSS-D">TWSS</a> includes:<br />
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* 10 DVDS<br />
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* Seminar Workbook<br />
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This set is a video seminar for parents and teachers. It gives you the whys and hows behind the program. It gives you an overview of the program as well as the nitty gritty behind teaching each of the stylistic techniques. It will take you from the basics of paragraph writing all the way through research reports and essays.<br />
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<a href="http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/TOSCrew2011/media/2013TOSCrew/EIW/levelb_zps2964469a.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo levelb_zps2964469a.jpg" border="0" height="180" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2013TOSCrew/EIW/levelb_zps2964469a.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/sid-b">SWI B</a> includes:<br />
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* 5 DVDS<br />
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* Student Binder with all hand outs (level B): Source texts, check lists<br />
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* Detailed Lesson Suggestions for parent/teacher: Scope and Sequence, detailed lesson suggestions, teacher notes.<br />
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The course can be covered in 15-30 weeks and will expose the student to a variety of structural models and techniques using a variety of interesting source texts. As an added bonus, not only will your student be learning about writing but a bit of history and science as well.<br />
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<h2>
Our Experience</h2>
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What can I say, other than we LOVED it!! Writing went from a dreaded subject to a much anticipated subject. We are sold!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fCebtyGTjQGfT_lNDHDW5dsgno9JBg72No1JWTM1_sZbbkArBnOKs7KmVAT8bGpHVcBb7_8-ZfpwGO2bHkKQVCB9v7PlGOwYgldxUOAqTYRnLYieaXkUEaMRRWUs6KdHYydogpfGKEQ/s1600/DSC_0086a_IEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fCebtyGTjQGfT_lNDHDW5dsgno9JBg72No1JWTM1_sZbbkArBnOKs7KmVAT8bGpHVcBb7_8-ZfpwGO2bHkKQVCB9v7PlGOwYgldxUOAqTYRnLYieaXkUEaMRRWUs6KdHYydogpfGKEQ/s200/DSC_0086a_IEW.jpg" width="200" /></a>I watched the the <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/TWSS-D">TWSS</a> on my own as it is a seminar geared to the teaching of writing. One would think that watching TEN DVDS would be overwhelming and maybe a tad dull. Not so. I loved and learned during every minute of it.<br />
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Mackenzie and I watched the student DVDs from the <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/sid-b">SWI B</a> together. Then we go over the assignment together and I help her as needed. Like the <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/TWSS-D">TWSS</a> DVDs, we enjoyed every minute of these. Mr. Pudewa is an amazing teacher. He has just the right amount of humor to keep us from noticing that a particular lesson might be 45 minutes long. We were too busy learning and having fun.<br />
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From the first lesson, note taking, I saw dramatic improvements in Mackenzie's writing. And it immediately carried over to other subjects, like science and history. Genius!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44bxk7YNhmtq5hfQGMHopfEpD9k945OJcl4v_5gAZ-W6r_gs9iWCkkELcHcAuZaAn7GwO2ga6tSElgkn2_Ik_qfoXC449R8om7GZ4FEYnEXhdv5bUzDyHsPAI3DE0CaiKexRkYvDxS-0/s612/IEW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44bxk7YNhmtq5hfQGMHopfEpD9k945OJcl4v_5gAZ-W6r_gs9iWCkkELcHcAuZaAn7GwO2ga6tSElgkn2_Ik_qfoXC449R8om7GZ4FEYnEXhdv5bUzDyHsPAI3DE0CaiKexRkYvDxS-0/s200/IEW2.jpg" width="200" /></a>When I say that this program revolutionized writing in our house, I am not exaggerating. Mackenzie went from hating writing to loving it.<br />
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Once she was given the tools and rules in IEWs program it was like a great weight was lifted. She was suddenly inspired to write. She went from writing the bare minimum to endless pages. She can now turn a 3 paragraph assignment into 6 pages in the blink of an eye. I guess that makes her what Mr. Pudewa calls "an 18-pager." lol As least as far as creative writing assignments are concerned.<br />
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At the moment, that is our biggest problem. My child is so inspired to write that she doesn't want to stop. How awesome is that?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGQyuAWMQ6fGmZ_tV0srPfoFyMUML-slnyabnYjvE65lHRQR-w3RB8p0xxIFJqgP0GCD9r6jCHyG2db2RsoyL6CqRWJpWDvLJjR5idWPyeL7luut8Wthyphenhyphen-wAej3Ekmwwqrv8yVThJq0s/s1440/AndyQuote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGQyuAWMQ6fGmZ_tV0srPfoFyMUML-slnyabnYjvE65lHRQR-w3RB8p0xxIFJqgP0GCD9r6jCHyG2db2RsoyL6CqRWJpWDvLJjR5idWPyeL7luut8Wthyphenhyphen-wAej3Ekmwwqrv8yVThJq0s/s200/AndyQuote.jpg" width="200" /></a>I can not speak highly enough of this program. It has made writing, and the teaching of writing, a joy in our house. Mr. Pudewa's personality and sense of humor in the lessons makes him feel like family to us. Mackenzie looks forward to the lessons, she enjoys them, she is able to easily apply what she's learned to her writing. (Well everything except the length of creative assignments. lol) She even quotes his funny sayings to put into her scrapbook. <br />
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During the review period I was blessed to be able to hear Mr. Pudewa speak in person. His session just reinforced my love for this program. It takes common sense and applies it to create this wonderful writing program for teachers and students a like. Dare I say, genius again??? Yes, I dare. Genius!!!<br />
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If you are looking for a way to lift the writing burden in your home, then definitely take a look at the <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/">Institute for Excellence in Writing</a>. It's easy to use, it's fun, and it gets results.<br />
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<h2>
F.Y.I.</h2>
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<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/">http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/</a><br />
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<b>Age Range (for level B):</b> Sixth through eighth grade<br />
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<b>Pricing:</b> TWSS/$169.900, SWI B/$109.00<br />
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Samples are available on the product pages. And check them out of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting?fref=ts">Facebook</a>.<br />
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