Sufficiency of Scripture

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, [g]the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Colossians 1:3-12

Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs
Pricing: See Below
Ages: about 3-7

So what IS Reading Eggs? "Reading Eggs is a comprehensive, online supplemental literacy program for early learners ages 4 through 8. Grounded in extensive educational research, Reading Eggs builds on and reinforces the five key reading pillars: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The program has been developed by a highly experienced team of educational teachers, writers and developers. The Reading Eggs program focuses on a core reading curriculum of phonics and sight words using skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success. It completely supports what children learn at school and will help to improve your child’s results at school."

Ok, so I can see your eyes start to glaze over...it is an online game that helps teach/reinforce reading skills in children in a very FUN way.

So we have been using Reading Eggs for a while now with DD (he is 5, almost 6). DD is not reading yet and tries to sound out words. but is still struggling with that. I put him at lesson one, even though he knows some things, because he does struggle with it. So he has progressed quickly in the areas he had already mastered. He is on lesson 44 right now.

As you log onto Reading Eggs, you see a map on the screen. DD starts with "My Lessons" and usually does two or three...you have to do the lessons to get the eggs to spend on buying things for your home or your avatar...that really keeps the lesson part in focus. It took him a while to realize that he could spend his eggs. I believe you find it under the My Stuff tab after you've hit the My Lessons section of the map. Even though he had a great time before he knew about that, he LOVES it even more now that he is furnishing his house! Once the eggs are gone...time to do more lessons. There is a playroom where the child can play "for free" too. There are 100 lessons in Reading Eggs. You can also purchase book packs which includes 40 reading books + 200 stickers, 4 mini posters, 4 Activity books and a pack of durable Flashcards with games. Cost is $65.00 each (level one or two) or $114.95 for the Mega Book Set (both sets)

What We Loved: It was so much fun for DD that he KEEPS asking, "Can I get on Reading Eggs?" and he has made progress. Letters and words have new meaning for him now and he loves to go into our Word program and just type...sometimes it's just letters as his fingers fly over the keys, but OFTEN he is making words...and then changing them with word art...he REALLY LOVES that. He tries more often to sound letters to figure out what they say and will now try to sound each letter out when HE wants to write something. While he isn't reading MUCH...it is progress and that is great...I feel like I can see a new world opening up as his comprehension is building.

What was a challenge for us: We did not do phonics or a reading program WITH this...my two youngest have been sick and so their school loads have been very minimal as they are recovering. I think if I had done phonics with him the whole way through his progress/comprehension in reading could have been better. This is a SUPPLEMENTAL program and I know that...I just did not want to overburden him at this point.

While I didn't talk about the Reading Eggspress portion of this site, it is geared towards older children building confidence and comprehension skills in 7-13 year olds.

Pricing:
12 months for $75 (add a second or third child at 50% off)
6 months for $49.95 (add a second or third child at 50% off)
Monthly for $9.95

You can also get a free two week trial here

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Reading Eggs here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Beeyoutiful

Beeyoutiful
Hair Shine: Normally $15.00...on sale for $12.75
Lip B.A.L.M.- $3.00

I have used a few Beeyoutiful products in the past that we really enjoyed and really LOOKED forward to getting to do this review. I received the Orange Lip B.A.L.M. and Hair Shine.

The Orange Lip B.A.L.M. (Beeyoutiful All-Natural Lip Moisturizer) smelled so yummy...like a creamsicle and glided on smoothly, and did not feel greasy or sticky. It felt nice on my lips and seemed to last. My lips were not chapped, but often dry and this helped them to be soft and prevented dry lips from becoming winter's next victim. The lip balm has grapeseed oil, shea butter, beeswax and essential oils. It is also available in Peppermint. "Orange is a refreshing, citrusy blast that helps to brighten your lips. Peppermint’s cool, tingly flavor will bring soothing refreshment to your lips on the driest of days!"

Hair Shine was a product I had not heard of before. The information we received said, "Combing out chlorine or salt-water soaked and tangled hair won’t cause balking and tears anymore if you spray on this organic blend of aloe and essential oils of lavender, rosemary, and citrus. Hair won’t feel greasy, and the fresh, clean smell of sweet orange essential oil will cover the pool or fishy smells if a shower isn’t available. Hair Shine can be used on wet or dry hair of all types—long or short, thick, thin, curly, or straight—to add body and softness while taming frizz."

I was a little leary...I have SUPER THICK, COARSE hair...it does not usually tangle and I DO NOT NEED BODY!!! I tried it in a variety of situations...wet hair, damp, dry, etc and did not notice either a controlling of frizz or shinier hair...I AM a hair dork though and really just wash and go. One thing that was nice was that it is a LEAVE IN conditioner...my hair really needs this all the time on top of regular conditioning. Some of what I read said that this was WONDERFUL for fine or feathery hair and I think that that hair type would have a TOTALLY different experience than I did and really recommend trying it if you do have that hair type. I did read also that this product was good for sunburns and insect bites and I do look forward to trying that this summer. One last use suggested was one I LOVED...and all over body spray. Hair Shine has aloe, and essential oils of lavender, rosemary, and citrus and smelled very nice and was soothing to me. I love that these products are all natural and that Beeyoutiful offers products that are a healthier option to things we use that may not be so good for us...

I will say though...even though I didn't get to review it...my FAVORITE Beeyoutiful product HAS TO BE Winter's Breeze.

A non-petroleum type of that old favorite cold remedy that my Momma used to slather on my neck, chest and under my nose...Nowadays, I rub it on my feet and put socks on...then I get to sleep like a baby...it's such a wonderful product...($18.00 for a 4 oz. jar)

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Beeyoutiful products here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Apologia- Who Am I?

Apologia: Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?)
By John Hay and David Webb
Apologia Press together with Summit Ministries
What We Believe Series
Ages:6-14
Pricing: Below

Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?) Is a multi-grade curriculum for the whole family. Written to the student, lessons are presented in a conversational style that makes the study of God’s Word exciting and memorable for all. Students will learn what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of a loving God. Through engaging stories and fun activities, they will begin to develop a healthy, biblical self-image and a sense of God-given purpose that will last a lifetime.”

In my opinion, Apologia really provides GREAT Science for homeschooling families. I NEVER knew there was another part of Apologia...when I think Apologia...I think GREAT SCIENCE. Well, my eyes have been opened to the MANY resources Apologia offers and this one is my most favorite yet...a Biblical Worldview course that steps you through what that is in a systematic way. I wish we could have started at the VERY beginning with the first in this series, called "Who is God", but I am more thankful than I can express for having been chosen for this review. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for as I was looking into Worldview classes, seminars, books, etc with everything I already love from Apologia.

So, "Who Am I?(And What Am I Doing Here?)" stair steps on the first book and continues on with What We Believe by addressing the Biblical Worldview of Self-Image. (While this is the second volume, books in the What We Believe Series can stand alone.) I am sure many have wondered, "Why am I here? How did I get here? What is my purpose for being here? What is my value?" and so on as we contemplate our existence. Even many Christians can grapple with this. Then we have all the talk about having a positive self image, which can place our focus on the wrong object...ourselves, instead of on our Creator.
"Who Am I" talks about being made in the Image of God, being fearfully and wonderfully made, there are no accidents or mistakes with how we've been made and it is for a purpose...there is NO ONE like me and continues on to thoughts, feelings, choices and walking in the Christian walk. To get a feel for the curriculum, here is a sample lesson and the Table of Contents
For review purposes, we received the "Who Am I" textbook ($39.00), the Notebooking Journal ($24.00),

the Audio MP-3 CD ($19.00)

and the coloring book ($8.00).

I appreciated getting to try all of the elements of this curriculum and found that all of the parts were very useful. Had I purchased this on my own, I probably would not have purchased the Audio CD or coloring book. The Audio CD is FABULOUS for many reasons...the tracks are SMALL SNIPPETS...so you can listen to a little, turn it off and then talk about it, continuing on when you are ready. You do not need to sit through an entire chapter or 30-60 minutes of the narration at one sitting. I really liked this aspect of it. Also, I know as I read many things aloud to my children, I get tired of reading aloud after a longer stint of it...so getting to listen was nice. We were all able to listen...say at the dinner table and then talk about it...I thought it was nice to be able to do it together as a family, rather than as "school" and look forward to using it in that capacity more in the future...no book at the table to get ruined either. I will point out that the CD is an MP-3 CD and your player needs to be MP-3 compatible. I know many devices that you get today are MP-3 compatible, but definitely something to think about before you purchase. We played ours on the family computer which is close to the table.

The book can be finished in four to nine months depending on how you would like to pace it. We went by Apologia's suggestion in the book of 3 weeks to one lesson. There is an outline in both the Textbook and the Notebooking Journal. The ages suggested were 6-14. My ALMOST 6 year old listened and colored in the coloring book. My 10 year old listened, colored and did SOME of the activities in the Notebooking Journal. My 14 year old did most of the activities in the Notebooking Journal and my older two boys listened and participated in conversation. While I agree that is a multi-aged curriculum, it is my opinion that the WORK is better suited to older students.
As you probably can tell, we really loved "Who Am I?" and look forward to learning more. "Who Am I? is part of the What We Believe Series of curriculum on Biblical Worldview. You can see the other books in the series here

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about "Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?)" here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Sufficiency of Scripture

My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.

Psalm 108:1-5

Things I've Pinned

If you haven't been able to tell, I really LOVE Pinterest. I do not know WHY it took me so long to catch onto what it was, but am so thankful for Cheri for telling me about it...
So a few new things I've tried from Pinterest

and this was what I did...put it on my fridge...I love how is it a great message and a WONDERFUL way to keep an uncluttered fridge!

I LOVE this...I was unable to find the original source, but I think it is a GREAT idea...thank you~

Then I made a version of this:

She said it cost her $4.99...I really wanted to try this, so went to get the things needed. First, I could not find the Meyer's bar soap...if you really want to use that particular brand, I would check on their website for places to find it. I ended up getting South of France Verbena soap. It is a french milled soap and I thought it would be a great substitute in this recipe...plus I LOVED the lemony scent. That bar was $5.99.

(note the color...that becomes VERY important later in this story!)

Then I went to get the glycerin...you know those times when you are REALLY chomping at the bit and you do NOT want to wait ANY LONGER to do something...well that is an important element here as well...

Yes, I know...let's just get beyond that...I can't remember exactly...but I think they were $4.99...it was ALL Fred Meyer had...so I went with it...That one box...was exactly the amount I needed...really making this a MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE project...note to self...have glycerin on hand for future soap projects...
So, on to MAKING the soap...that all went as expected...so it set for several hours...when I went to check on it, this is what I had

I cannot tell you how much I wish you could see this in the picture (well...maybe you can tell)...I don't know though...you are probably REALLY GLAD you cannot...but I have FOUR boys and this kind of thing can really set us off...So techy guy and I were in the kitchen stirring...and SERIOUSLY...this looked literally like a pot of phlegm...the two of us were laughing so hard as I was stirring...and no, I am not very mature at all..
Anyway, once we got over that, I poured into two gallon milk bottles...mine was VERY THICK so we added more water...I think I got a gallon and a half of soap. My soap dispensers have other soap in them, but I did use this...and it felt nice...and aside from it looking like, well...you know...I think it will be a good thing for our family.

We tried this with Ivory Soap...I asked my children what they thought would happen...well, they had no idea it would be this

A breakfast treat we tried was Breakfast Banana Splits and it had mixed reviews because of the Greek Yogurt...which I LOVE, but is a little tangy for some...

I bought these wonderful Princess House dishes because I thought they would make the perfect dish for banana splits...know how many times I've used them...ONCE...so I am glad to have a new use for them with this healthier version of a banana split

We are also making these...so very fun to make

and I printed off a REALLY CUTE Valentine's Day thing...but I am sending a couple to some friends...so I don't want them to see it yet...

I think what I LOVE MOST about Pinterest is that these are very do-able projects with easy to find supplies...many of which you may already have on hand. If you haven't checked it out yet...I highly recommend it!

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you and yours a HAPPY Valentine's Day!!

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

Blessings,
C~

Moonless Trust

An Excellent post by a dear Friend....
I hope you ehjoy it today!

Blessings,
C~

Double Digits

Well, the Principessa entered the world of double digits a couple of weeks ago and we went and had a fun mother-daughter day out...

We went to Red Robin for Lunch...

Then to Guitar Center to see if we could get a little guitar fixed...

But it was $80 to fix it...NOT worth it right now!

Then I made the Principessa close her eyes while I drove to Alderwood Mall

AND I MADE HER WALK WITH HER EYES CLOSED...

HERE is where we went:

Here is what she WANTED:

Here she is shopping...I think she likes to shop!

Then we went to Starbucks and got

While there we looked through everything she bought and opened it all up...it was VERY FUN!
Here is what she got:

Happy Birthday Principessa! You are such a beautiful and amazing young woman!
I love you!