New Year Challenge

I have accepted a challenge to memorize 100 verses in 2013. I will be blogging about this periodically. Will you join me? What a great way to bring in 2013!

New Recipe for the New Year

We are going to try a new version of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.  My family is not generally 'big' on eating peas / beans, so I have to be a little sneaky with them.  This is a recipe I found for black-eyed pea soup.  I am making a couple of little adjustments to suit our tastes.  First of all, I am using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth because one of mine has an allergy to poultry. Next, I will probably use olive oil instead of vegetable oil.  Instead of ham, I am using smoked sausage; and, instead of collard greens, I am using turnip greens.  I think smoked sausage has more flavor in soup than ham and I think turnip greens are more tender than collard greens.  I am going to serve this up with a big pan of cornbread, a baked ham, homemade mashed potatoes, and a green salad.  This should make for some yummy leftovers!
Here is the original recipe from the Crisco website. I'll post pictures of the finished product tomorrow.  Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
• OR 4 tablespoons Crisco® Puritan® Canola Oil with Omega-3 DHA
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1/2 pound cooked ham, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound collard greens, stems and ribs removed, finely chopped
• 1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
• 5 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 (16 oz.) cans black-eyed peas
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, ham, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft.


2. ADD collards, broth, water, bay leaf and crushed red pepper flakes to saucepan; simmer until greens are tender, about 25 minutes. Rinse and drain black-eyed peas.


3. MASH 1 can of peas in a medium bowl; stir mashed and whole peas into soup; simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in vinegar.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Serving Size (6), Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 100), Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 1.5g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 800mg, Total Carbohydrate 31g (Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugars 4g), Protein 16g; Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 190%, Vitamin C 100%, Calcium 10%, Iron 20%.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Our Favorite New Recipe!

We are a salsa loving family!  The only problem is, we like homemade salsa instead of jarred salsa.  My go-to salsa recipe is very time consuming.  It involves chopping lots and lots of tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic cloves, and cilantro.  It is a great recipe, and I can multiply it easily; however, it isn't one of those recipe that I can keep all of the ingredients on hand.  Over the past few weeks, I have developed a recipe for salsa that tastes fresh, but involves some ready-to-use ingredients as well as fresh ingredients.  It only takes about 5 minutes for me to put it together.  As with any salsa, it tastes great immediately, but is even better if it can chill for a while.  So,  here is the recipe -- I hope you enjoy it!!

4 cans diced tomatoes and green chilies (I use mild)
2 onions
2 T pickled jalepeno peppers (more or less to taste)
salt, pepper, garlic powder (all to taste)

In a blender or food processor, puree 3 cans of the diced tomatoes w/green chilies, one of the onions, the jalepeno peppers, and about a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (you can add more later if needed).  Pour into serving dish.  Add the fourth can of tomatoes w/green chilies (don't puree these).  Finely chop the remaining onion and add it to the salsa. Adjust seasoning to suit your taste.  If you like it spicier, add more jalepenos.  If you like it milder, leave them out all together.  Chill for a while (if you can stand it), and serve with tortilla chips.  YUM!!!!!

Vocal Coach Singer

We are a music-loving family!  My oldest son just completed his Bachelor's degree in music and my oldest daughter is pursuing her degree in music.  When we were able to use The Vocal Coach, I knew there would be plenty of kids around who would want to try it out.  As it turns out, my 12 year old daughter has been asking to take voice lessons for several years.  She started taking a combination of voice and guitar lessons in September, but is only doing voice once a month.  She wanted more, but that was not in the finances right now.  Vocal Coach Singer, the product for her age bracket,  has become her supplement and she loves it!

The Vocal Coach, with Chris and Carole Beatty, is a collection of singing products available to be used in a home setting. The Beattys have been teaching singing for over 40 years.  In addition to their wonderful products, they offer private vocal coaching and vocal seminars.  On a fun note, they live really close to us.  I would love to let my daughter meet them sometime. They are passionate about teaching people to sing.  

     'Vocal Coach Singer' is available in either CD or mp3 format.  The CD format contains 12 CD's and an instructional guidebook.  The mp3 version is $99.99 and the CD version is $199.99.   One of the CD's contains printable lead sheets for all of the vocal exercise as well as a personal, printable singer's journal. We received the mp3 version. This version contains all of the materials included in the CD version, but in a downloadable format.  It can easily be downloaded and transferred to a portable device like an IPod to be used on the go.  I downloaded the entire program to my computer, transferred the files to my ITunes folder, and then loaded them to my IPad and my daughter's IPod.  It was really simple!  'Vocal Coach Singer' is intended to be used with older students and adults. 
     "Vocal Coach Singer is the most complete instructional singing system available with the equivalent of over $2,000 worth of personal coaching time. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, Vocal Coach Singer teaches and builds upon the fundamentals essential to an accomplished singing voice. From posture to performance our tested and proven techniques will help you deliver your songs with consistency and confidence!"
     I have absolutely been loving listening and watching my daughter as she is using this program.  One of the files you receive in your product is a .pdf with a guidebook, helpful hints about how to use the program, a singer's journal, and lead sheets for every drill.  Since my daughter likes to have everything prepared in advance, I printed every page for her and she organized her materials in a 3-ring binder with plastic page protectors.  It is such a simple program for her to use.  She simply opens her binder to the corresponding lead sheet(s) and turns on her IPod.  All of the files are grouped in order, so she knows exactly what she needs to do.  I must say, hearing her singing "Mah-meh-moh" and other syllables up and down the scale is a lot of fun.  She practices whenever she has free time, and even takes her materials with her to practice in the car.  She uses head phones most of the time (so others don't listen to her lesson), so it is a little comical to hear her practicing when you only hear her.  She has learned how to warm up her voice, how to control her breathing (still practicing on this), and how to control / improve her tone.  She will be implementing this program for a long time.  Her voice teacher loves what Caitlyn is doing and has encouraged her to continue using Vocal Coach Singer. It is really timeless.  Improving one's singing is something that never ends.  Even professional singers warm up before singing and work on exercises to keep their voices in shape.
      My oldest son and daughter have given their 'expert' stamp of approval to Vocal Coach Singer.  They are actually a bit jealous that they didn't get to use something like this years ago.  It would have made their transition into their college voice lessons so much easier.  I have found that many (most) of the exercises in the program are the same as or are variations of the very exercises they have done.  I feel if my younger daughter wants to pursue a degree in music she will have a huge advantage over other students in the future because of Vocal Coach Singer.
     Our crew members have been using both of these products for the past several weeks.  To read their reviews, visit the main crew blog page.
 **Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a copy of Vocal Coach Singer, at no cost to me, in exchange for this honest review.  No compensation was received.**

Living a Life of Missions

Growing up Wild is a 15 episode DVD series about the 4 Wild brothers and their experiences on the mission field in Papua, Indonesia.  We received volumes 1 and 4 of this DVD series for purpose of review and have been thoroughly impressed. 

     The Wild family has made these videos themselves, with the purpose in mind of encouraging and spurring on Christians to think more outwardly and become more mission minded Christ-followers.  Each DVD contains three episodes and a companion c.d. with extension activities.  The episodes are approximately fifteen minutes in length.  The suggested age range for these videos and activities is ages 8-12, but, they are interesting enough and engaging enough to be enjoyed by older children and adults.  I wouldn’t recommend them for younger children without parents viewing first because some of the episodes depict things (such as a nose-piercing with a stick) that might be disturbing to a younger child.  My boys are all older than the age range but they were completely intrigued by Growing up Wild.  The episodes are exciting at times, gross at times, active at times --- they depict true boys!  All along through the videos, the narrator (mom) reminds viewers of God’s purpose for His followers to share His love with others.  We got to see first hand the adventure and difficulty of being missionaries in a third world country.  Struggles such as finding and gathering food, gathering supplies, home construction, and learning about tribal customs are just some of the topics covered.  The accompanying c.d.’s for each DVD contain suggestions for extension activities.  Some of these activities include visiting a nursing home, building a Wano home model, and reading and sharing various scripture verses. 

     We have enjoyed each of these videos.  I think volume 4 was my boys favorite because in episode 2 on this volume they got to see the Wild boys get their noses pierced with a stick.  You know how boys are with gross stuff – they love it!  For me and my daughter, volume 1 was the most interesting because it showed more activities surrounding the settling in and everyday living of the missionaries.  We will be having an emphasis on international missions at our church in the coming weeks and I am going to donate the videos to our children’s minister to use with the children.  Growing up Wild is an encouragement to each of us to get out of our comfort zones and carry out the Great Commission.

     Growing up Wild DVD’s retail for $18.99 each plus shipping/tax.  A complete 5-DVD set is available for $80.99 (a 15% savings).  These videos are incredibly high quality and would be a huge asset to any homeschool setting, co-op setting, or church group setting.  They would be a great complement to a mission study. 

     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have also been able to view the Growing up Wild DVD’s. To read their reviews, visit the main crew blog page.

**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received Volumes 1 and 4 of Growing up Wild at no cost to me.  The honest opinions expressed are my own.  No compensation was received.**

Homeschooling Through the Holidays

      Homeschooling during the holidays generally takes on a very relaxed aire around our house.  Once we hit the week of Thanksgiving, we do many cooking and cleaning projects.  I guess you could say that it is our 'home ec' week.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we still keep up on math and science -- because those classes we always seem to be behind on.  Beyond that, I love for us to focus on ministry projects like helping out in our homeless ministry, visiting at nursing homes, and making homemade gifts for others.  Of course, there are the occasional shopping days and baking days thrown into the mix; but, those days give great opportunity to practice math skills.  My kids are old enough to help multiply recipes and calculate the amount of ingredients needed for purchase.  I love letting them do that!  It is so fun for me to just turn them loose in the kitchen to bake cookies.  After New Years we get back in the full swing of school.  It is always a little difficult because we seem to get out of our normal sleep / wake routine during the holidays.
     When we first started homeschooling, I tried to formally school all the way up to each holiday, just taking each actual holiday off.  That was an epic fail for us.  Don't let others make you feel obligated to do that.  Kids in public / private schools get 2-3 weeks off and no one says a thing about it.  You are in charge of your schedule as homeschoolers and you don't have to explain to anyone how many days you decide to take off of school during the holidays.  Enjoy your time together, take advantage of learning opportunities as they come along, and do as much school as you decide too do. 

***The Homeschool Freebie for today on "homeschoolfreebie.com" is an e-book entitles "Homeschool for the Holidays."  It is free today for download.  It is a compilation of ideas from over 800 homeschooling families!  Check it out!!

      To read other blogs about homeschooling for the holidays, click on the links at the end of this post. If you would like to be entered in the giveaways for this 5 Days of Preparing for the Holidays series, visit my giveaway page.  Knowledge Box Central has graciously donated 5 fabulous products for me to give to my readers this week!

Holidays and Arts and Crafts

   Arts and Crafts used to be an integral part of our holiday season.  My kids have gotten older, and don't enjoy the cut and paste type craft projects anymore.  We have graduated to more sewing, crocheting, needle-work, painting, and woodwork type projects. Many times our arts and crafts projects are done with gift-giving in mind.  We are in the process of deciding on projects right now, and, I must admit, Pinterest has been my best friend for the past few weeks.  We are going to be very low on funds this year, so I have been looking for projects that can be done with minimal supply purchases.  One of my favorites is a project involving making coasters out of ceramic tiles and pictures.  I will need to spend around $20 to make these, but will end up with a huge number of gifts.  My daughter is into crocheting and is working on washcloths.  Last year she made pillow cases for everyone in our family.  She is very resourceful! 
     Because arts and craft projects can get really expensive, I love to watch for craft store coupons.  Almost every week I find a 50% off coupon for one or more of the craft stores that I visit.  Once I have my projects decided on, I take advantage of those coupons and buy a few supplies at a time.  I have an old table set up in our garage and that is where we all work on the messy projects (things involving paint, varnish, etc..).  One other fun idea I have seen lately is for making candle holders out of old jars that have been covered with glue and then rolled in epsom salts.  They look so 'wintry' and sparkly.  I have tons of old jars, and I always have glue, so we are going to make a bunch of these just for the cost of a carton of epsom salts and some inexpensive votive candles.  It may be hard for me to give those away!
    Whatever type arts and crafts you like, take time to do some during the holidays.  It is a family tradition that will always be remembered.  I have some friends who decorate gingerbread men every year.  Another friend has all of her grandkids come over and they make a special Christmas ornament together every year.  Traditions are so special!  What can you do to add some ars and crafts traditions to your family holiday celebrations?


  To read other blogs about arts and crafts for the holidays, click on the links at the end of this post. If you would like to be entered in the giveaways for this 5 Days of Preparing for the Holidays series, visit my giveaway page.  Knowledge Box Central has graciously donated 5 fabulous products for me to give to my readers this week!

Gift-Giving for the Holidays

Gift-giving is my favorite part of the holidays!  I am a listener.  What I mean by that is, I listen to people during the year and make notes of things they mention that they would really love to have.  Then, if I am able, I love to give them something they had mentioned during the year.  It is almost always a surprise to the recipient.  Generally, the mentioned item has been forgotten about, so the recipient thinks I am a 'brilliant' gift-giver.  Well, I can assure you I am not brilliant; but, I like to give the unexpected.  It really goes against my grain for folks to dictate a list of what they want (expect) for any gifting occasion.  I think gifts should be from the heart and should be special.  Just going and purchasing expected items from a list takes the 'specialness' out of gift-giving. 
     With our family, several years ago, we began a tradition of giving three gifts to each child at Christmas, representing the 3 gifts the Magi brought to Jesus.  We generally give something educational, something practical, and something fun.  We also work together to make huge quantities of homemade gifts to give to friends and neighbors.  Last year I got on a sewing kick and made coaster sets and baked potato bags to all of my female relatives and to any hostess we visited.  It was a lot of sewing, but it was so worth the effort.  We have made all sorts of gifts over the years.  Some of our favorite gifts to make are homemade mixes (hot chocolate and potato soup are the most popular); other food gifts (like cookies, cinnamon rolls, caramel corn); and bookmarks.  I think homemade gifts are wonderful because they show the recipient that they are special enough for us to take time to make them a gift.
     My Pinterest page is full of gift, cooking, and craft ideas that I have been 'squirrelling away' for Christmas ideas.  Feel free to have a look and follow me -- I am listed as Sarah Dugger.

     To read other blogs about gift-giving for the holidays, click on the links at the end of this post. If you would like to be entered in the giveaways for this 5 Days of Preparing for the Holidays series, visit my giveaway page.  Knowledge Box Central has graciously donated 5 fabulous products for me to give to my readers this week!

Raising Maidens of Virtue

Grace & Truth Books is one of my new favorite online finds!

This online Christian book store is built on a different approach: what will glorify God, strengthen His people in their walk, and call all peoples to find joy in knowing His gospel and following Him.

It is refreshing to be able to browse through a book store without wondering if the books I am perusing will be appropriate for me and my family.  With a selection of available books ranging from children to adults, Grace & Truth Books is certainly a treasure.  One of their featured books currently is Raising Maidens of Virtue, by Stacy McDonald. Normally retailing for $22, this book is available for $18.50 through Grace & Truth Books.  My youngest daughter and I have been reading through Raising Maidens of Virtue together and, I can honestly say it is destined to become a classic for us.

     Through Raising Maidens of Virtue, McDonald gives mothers and daughters the tools they need to strengthen their relationship with each other, with friends, with God, and (for daughters) with a future spouse.  This revised and expanded edition includes stories, devotional type teachings, beautiful illustrations, and memory-making projects, all intended to be read, studied, and applied by mothers and daughters.  Appropriate for girls ages 8-15, Raising Maidens of Virtue is more than just a Bible study.  My youngest daughter is 12, and she is loving our study together.  Each chapter is fairly short (6-12 pages), is easy to read together or separately, and includes questions and scripture passages at the end to discuss and read together.  At 12, C would be able to easily read this on her own, but, I think it is much more meaningful to read and study it together.  I think Raising Maidens of Virtue would even be appropriate for young women older than 15.  I plan on giving a copy of it to my oldest daughter (a college student) to help her continue her quest to be a godly woman. 

     The twenty chapters of Raising Maidens of Virtue cover topics such as chastity, purity, honoring your parents, being homemakers, modesty, and love.  One chapter that has really prompted a lot of discussion is chapter 6, “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On.”  I am not ‘anti-jeans,’ but, I did appreciate the thoughts in this chapter about both femininity.  C and I were able to have some great discussions about what boys think when girls are wearing tight jeans that show everything.  She hasn’t stopped wearing jeans, but she has started looking at how she wears jeans and is learning to be more feminine and more modest in them.  She even asked me to buy her some tops for winter that  were longer (to cover her backside in her jeans).  I think decisions about what clothing to wear and how to wear it are very personal and are between us and God.  I am so thankful that McDonald presented this subject in a godly way without the legalistic tone that sometimes surfaces when discussions of what clothing is modest arise. 

     Our very favorite part of Raising Maidens of Virtue, beyond the study itself, has been the activity suggestions in the appendix.  There are great ideas for memory-making projects such as scrapbooks, journals, and even a ‘Literary Tea.’  Right now we are working on a Pages of Time scrapbook.  I have very little information about godly women in my family tree, so we are focusing on my precious mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.  We are working on an interview-type questionnaire to give each of them at Thanksgiving and are working to collect pictures to put in our scrapbook.   I can already tell that this will be an ongoing project for a long time.  (Don’t tell my girls, but I am giving each of them mother-daughter journals for Christmas – another suggested activity.  I can’t wait for us to get started sharing with each other in this way!)

     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been reading Raising Maidens of Virtue, as well as other selections from Grace &Truth Books.  To read their reviews, visit our main crew blog page.

**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a copy of Raising Maidens of Virtue, at no cost to me, in exchange for this honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own.  No compensation was received.**

    

My Favorite Holiday Recipe

Every family has cooking traditions at the holidays.  Our hands-down favorite food tradition is my homemade monkey bread on Christmas morning.  I put the bread together on Christmas eve, leave it in the frige overnight, and bake it on Christmas morning. It is so simple!

4-6 ten count cans of biscuits
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter

Cut biscuits into fourths and place in a large (gallon size) ziplock bag.  Dump in the sugar and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake to coat the biscuit pieces.  In a well greased bundt pan, layer the coated biscuit pieces with chunks of butter.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.  Turn out of pan onto a plate after cooling for 10 minutes.  Yum!!!

     I hope you enjoy this recipe.  To read other blogs about cooking for the holidays, click on the links at the end of this post. If you would like to be entered in the giveaways for this 5 Days of Preparing for the Holidays series, visit my giveaway page.  Knowledge Box Central has graciously donated 5 fabulous products for me to give to my readers this week!

Journeys of Faithfulness

Sarah Clarkson, author of Read for the Heart:  Whole Books for Wholehearted Families, has released a new book that is absolutely captivating.  Journeys of Faithfulness:  Stories of Life and Faith for Young Christian Women is this most recent release.  Published by Apologia, Journeys of Faithfulness is a combination of biblically based stories, devotionals, Bible studies, and journaling opportunities for women ages 12 and up.

     My daughter and I have been reading through Journeys of Faithfulness together.  Through our reading we have studied the lives of Ruth, Esther, Mary and Martha, and Mary the mother of Jesus.  Clarkson devotes 3 chapters to each character (Mary and Martha are grouped together) for a total of 12 chapters.  We have really enjoyed the way the chapters are put together.  Each chapter begins with a short story about the  character, based on the biblical account of the character, but flavored with Clarkson’s own literary expertise.  Following the short story, readers are provided a brief devotional based on the overall theme of the story.  Next, Clarkson includes a short Bible study lesson to complete; and, finally, readers are given ‘journey journal’ pages that they can fill in with their thoughts and reflections from the reading, devotional, and Bible study.

     My daughter is 12, and loves to study the Bible, so this book has been perfect for her.  We read the short story part of a chapter together on Monday. We read and discuss the devotional on Tuesday.  This has been such a blessing.  On Wednesday, we both complete the Bible Study exercise for the chapter.  Finally, on Thursday, we discuss what God has been telling us through our study for the week and we journal about it.  I am actually sad that we are done with this book.  It has been a meaningful study for us.  Both my daughter and I have been challenged in our faith and encouraged to go deeper in our relationship with God.  For us, the study of Ruth has been our absolute favorite.  This study challenged us to stay faithful in our walk with God each and every day. 

     I applaud Sarah Clarkson for this quality publication.  I recommend it for any woman – and, I especially recommend it for mothers and daughters to read and study together.  It will not only enrich and deepen your walk with God, but also will enrich and deepen your relationship with each other.

     Journeys of Faithfulness is available in paperback through Apologia for $13.  Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been reading and reviewing this book.  To read their reviews, visit the main crew blog page.

**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a copy of Journeys of Faithfulness, at no cost to me, for purpose of review.  No compensation was received.  The honest opinions expressed are my own or my family’s.**

Decorating for the Holidays

Decorating for the holidays has never been my forte’.  It’s not that I don’t like decorating; on the contrary, I love decorating.  I just don’t have a lot of spare time or spare money to decorate like all of the pictures I see.  I think my main problem is that I would like to decorate like Park Place on a Baltic Avenue budget (yes, we love Monopoly).  I have discovered some fun things we can do in our home to decorate for Thanksgiving and Christmas, however, that look nice and don’t break the bank.
     For Thanksgiving, we like to do a thankfulness tree.  This is so simple!  I simply take a small tree branch and pot it or place it in a vase.  I generally use marbles or glass beads to stabilize it.  I try to make sure the branch has plenty of small pieces branching off of it.  Once the branch is secured, I cut leaf shapes in different fall colors and place them in a small basket beside the tree branch. I place a pen and a roll of tape in the basket, too.  When someone in the family thinks of something for which they are thankful, they write it on a leaf and tape the leaf on the tree.  I use this as a centerpiece.  It is so encouraging to read all of the things for which we are thankful!
     For Christmas, we do something similar.  We do a Jesse Tree (Advent Tree).  I worked with a friend many years ago to create different ornaments for each of the symbols for the tree and we use these with companion scripture verses for the month of December. It has become so popular that we have even done it on a large scale with our church congregation.  We are not Catholic, but we love the symbolism of the ornaments and scripture that lead up to Jesus’ birth.  Here is a link to one set of instructions for constructing your own Jesse Tree:  Jesse Tree Instructions.
     Beyond these two special decorating things, our decorating is fairly traditional and repetitive.  I use things that the kids have made over the years, I use various figurines and containers I have accumulated, and I use holiday fabrics.  I tend more towards the simple.  I just looked in my kitchen and noticed that I still have my “Santa’s Cookies” cookie jar up from last year.  I guess it can stay out until Christmas now!  I am always finding things that didn’t get put away.  I love to watch for after Christmas sales and purchase garland and ornaments for next to nothing.  I use them on the tree and in/on baskets, etc… for simple and quick decoration. 
     Don’t feel stressed about decorating.  Let it be fun and let it take on the personality of your family.  To read other blogs about decorating for the holidays, click on the links at the end of this post. If you would like to be entered in the giveaways for this 5 Days of Preparing for the Holidays series, visit my giveaway page.  Knowledge Box Central has graciously donated 5 fabulous products for me to give to my readers this week!
Decorating for the Holidays

Science Experiments in a Bag

     I am a bona-fide science geek!  Yes, I admit it, the thought of three books full of fun science experiments made me absolutely giddy.  I not only homeschool my 3 kids who have not yet graduated, but also teach science classes 2 1/2 days a week at different co-ops.  In my experience, the experiments included with our curriculum are not always conducive to a co-op type setting - either they are too long to do in the allotted time, they don’t work like they are supposed to, or the materials needed are too expensive.  Activity Bags have solved my experiment dilemma.  Activity Bags are just what they sound like, activities for different subject areas that you prepare in advance in gallon size ziplock bags, instructions and all. 

     I have been using Science Experiments in a Bag 1, 2, and 3 for the past several weeks.  My kids think I am a nut when I am going through and assembling bags because I get so excited!  I have been using activities from all 3 e-books.  Book 1 contains activities geared towards kids in grades k-8 covering topics in Biology, Nature, and General Science.  Book 2 contains activities geared towards kids in grades k-8 covering topics in Chemistry, The Human Body, and General Science.  Book 3 contains activities geared towards kids in grades k-8 covering Chemistry.  With 25 experiments in each of the Science Experiments in a Bag e-books, there are plenty of activities to keep even the most enthusiastic budding scientists in your home occupied! 

     When I received my e-books, I downloaded them to my computer and printed out all 3 books.  I am a binder queen, so- of course – each book has its own binder.  I read through all of the experiments and selected experiments that would coordinate with the curriculum we are using this year.  I teach General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Biology 2, so I have a lot of options for which experiments I need.  Even though the experiments are geared towards kids in grades k-8, I have been able to adapt some of them for use with older students, which has been really nice.

      For example, experiment 6 in book 3 is called ‘Green Copper.’ It is a great example of red-ox reactions in chemistry.  My chemistry students meet 2 days per week and were able to set this experiment up easily.  I extended the experiment by having them test several different metals instead of just pennies.  In this way, they were able to see how different types of metals react or don’t react. I have 21 Chemistry students, so, in advance, I prepared a Science Experiment in a Bag for each student.  This was so simple to do.  I just looked at the assembly instructions for the experiment, multiplied the materials needed by 21, and followed the instructions for assembly.  It is suggested to color code bags, and yellow is the suggested color for Chemistry, so I printed the experiment logs for each bag on yellow cardstock.  The cardstock was a tiny bit too big for the ziplock bags, so I just trimmed it down about 1/4 inch.  I placed the experiment log in each bag, then added the materials needed for the experiment to each bag (pennies, paper towels, other chunks of metals).  Vinegar is required for this experiment, so I made sure to have it on hand.  Students also need a glass bowl for the experiment.  With so many students doing this experiment at once, that was not feasible, so we substituted disposable bowls.  I had those on hand and did not put them in the bags because they were too large. I taped the labels for the bags onto the front of each bag.  4 labels on one page are included at the end of each experiment, so I just made 6 copies of that page and cut the labels apart.  When it came time to do the experiment, all I had to do was distribute the bags to the students and set out the other supplies needed. I was using this with older students, so I was able to allow them to follow directions, with my modifications, and I then could float around the room and monitor their progress.

     Using the Science Experiments in a Bag has been a dream for me.  I love to have things organized and ready for students.  They love being able to work fairly independently. I have assembled bags for experiments that kids can use during our lab times, and, I have assembled bags that they can take home and do for extra credit.  They love extra credit!!! There are several other science teachers (grades k-6) at the co-op where I teach.  We are going to do a bag swap this summer so we can all have all 75 experiments assembled and ready to go for the next school year.  I am continuing to use the experiments for my own classes this year.  I am so excited to get to the Human Body experiments.  That is always an area in which I have a hard time finding appropriate activities for my seventh graders. Now I have 9 activities / experiments that are about the Human Body.

     Science Experiments in a Bag retail in e-book form for $15.  There is a bundle of books 1 and 2 available for $27.  Also, if you are one who likes to ‘try before you buy,’ there is a Activity Bag e-book sampler available through the Activity Bag website just for filling out a simple survey. 

     Many of my friends have been using Science Experiments in a Bag as well as other available Activity Bag products.  To read their reviews, visit the main crew blog page.

**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received the Science Experiments in a Bag 1,2,and 3 at no cost to me for purpose of review.  No compensation was received.  The opinions expressed are my own.**

Preparing for Battle

We have been searching for a quality curriculum to use with our college age Sunday School class and our own children in that age range.  I was intrigued when I found out that we were going to receive RECON for purpose of review. RECON, a comprehensive Christian worldview curriculum designed for students in grades 11-12 mainly, has been met with great excitement in our home.  I am using it currently with our advanced 10th grader and our 12th grader.  I am going to be implementing the curriculum into my Sunday School class as soon as my leave of absence is over.  I can't wait! This is a deep curriculum that is theologically solid. RECON is designed to be used with students completing daily lessons and meeting with an adult mentor and a few other students at least twice a week. Then, students will carry what they have learned with them as they go to college.  Once on their college campus, students can connect with other Recon students to form cell groups with the purpose of growing, dividing, and multiplying on their campus and other campuses. 

     In the weeks we have been using RECON, we have discovered that it is:
R - rooted in God's Word - each of the 72 lessons are rich in scripture
E - evangelistic - students are equipped with all of the scripture, strategy, and motivation they need to share what they have learned with others
C - Christ-centered - students begin by focusing on their identity in Christ and the freedom they have through Christ
O - offensive - once students have worked through the defensive strategies of solidifying their identity and relationship with Christ, they learn strategies to put them on the offensive side of the spiritual battles they will face as they go to college and into adult life
N - networked - students are encouraged to form small groups and allow new small cell groups to form from these.  Cell groups across the country can be networked together through the RECON website.

     There are 72 lesson assignments included in the curriculum.  It can be completed in either a semester, by doing 4 lessons per week, or in a school year, by doing 2 lessons per week.  It is not recommended to complete less than 2 lessons per week because that disrupts the continuity of the lessons and lessens the effectiveness of the curriculum. 

      We have been following the 2 lesson per week schedule, although there have been a couple of times where we have done more than 2 lessons in a week.  One of my boys favorite lessons so far has been Day 13:  The Enemy Within.  This lesson was a study of Galatians 5:13-15 (one of our favorite passages).  I think this lesson prompted more 'after class' discussions than any lesson as of yet.  They love the quotes that the author includes in each lesson as well as the scripture.  Mr. Perry includes applicable quotes from famous figures in history, philosophers, educators, and sports personalities to name a few.  My boys always want to look up the person responsible for the quote to see if they profess to be Christians; so, needless to say, they chase a few rabbits when they are studying.
      One thing the boys have appreciated about RECON is that the lessons are deep, spiritually, but they are not so lengthy that they get bogged down in the written aspect of the lessons. They also love the fact that the curriculum is written from a 'preparing for battle' standpoint.  Most illustrations are military in nature and really reinforce the concept of spiritual warfare.  RECON, just as a word, comes from the word reconnaissance which means:  "the process of obtaining information about the position, activities, resources, etc, of an enemy or potential enemy."  This is so true about this curriculum!  My boys and I have been able to obtain information through scripture and personal reflection about our enemy and are learning how to combat him.  We are loving RECON!
      I have been able to use the teacher manual as I facilitate the discussion sessions with the boys.  The teacher manual is laid out in a user-friendly format.  The curriculum itself requires no materials other than the workbook, a Bible, and something to write with.  As the teacher, I am more of a discussion facilitator -- although I have been going through the lessons myself to be familiar with what the boys are doing.  The teacher manual contains all of the resources I need to be effective as a facilitator.



 

       Developed by Bill Perry, a homeschooling dad of 7, RECON is a solid Christian worldview Bible curriculum which will equip older students for the challenges they will face on the college campus.  He has done a masterful job of creating this curriculum.

     The print version of RECON is available through Lulu and retails for $12.99 for the student workbook, and $21.95 for the teacher manual.   Many of the members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using RECON for the past several weeks.  To read their reviews, click on the linky below.

**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a copy of the RECON student workbook and teacher manual at no cost to me for purpose of review.  No compensation was received.**

Audio Books at Their Finest!

      What do you get when you cross hours of riding in a car that has a broken radio with a bunch of kids? “I’m bored!”  It amazes me that even with all of the portable music and gaming technology around, I still hear that phrase.  When we received Volume 1 of the Sugar Creek Gang audio series c.d.’s, I knew right away how we were going to use them. Available for purchase through Beloved Books, a company which was created “to share our favorite books and audio resources with other Christian families,” this audio series is over-the-top in quality.

      Now, with a broken car radio / c.d. player, I got to experience a little bit of a learning curve.  One of my teenagers taught me how to put the audio c.d.’s on my computer and transfer them to my IPad so we would be able to listen wherever we go.  This has been fabulous!

     The Sugar Creek Gang audio series is a dramatic reading of the original Sugar Creek Gang books (written by Paul Hutchens and published in 1939 by Moody Press).  Paul Ramseyer is the narrator and producer of these recordings.  They have been done in a style that is reminiscent of old-fashioned radio.  We have all been enthralled with the productions.  When the kids were younger, we listened to audio versions of stories all the time both at home and on the road and the kids loved it.  I had totally forgotten how enjoyable and imaginative it could be to listen to audio books.

     Included in Volume 1 are six stories with well over 30 hours of engaging listening.  The stories included are:  The Swamp Robber, The Killer Bear, The Winter Rescue, The Lost Campers, Chicago Adventure, and The Secret Hideout.  One of our favorites, The Killer Bear, is about a time when "Circus" Brown's father makes a life-changing decision at a revival meeting. He then has to try to stay on the narrow path. Back in the woods, the mean Till boys and the Sugar Creek Gang wrestle over a patch of wild strawberries. This leads to an encounter with an angry black bear. The overall theme of this story is forgiveness. 

     Another favorite has been The Secret Hideout. In this story,  "Poetry" brings his muddy lamb into Miss Lilly's classroom, and chaos breaks out. The gang later discovers a mysterious cave with a hidden passage near the cemetery. When they spend the night in the cave, they are frightened by two very different visitors dressed in white that they are afraid could be ghosts'!  Poetry's pet lamb provides a helpful explanation through Jesus' parable of the lost sheep.

    These stories are classics which can be enjoyed by both boys and girls of all ages.  The books are intended for children in the 8-12 year old range, but the stories are engaging and interesting enough to entertain children outside of that range.  For younger children, who are able to read but are not quite fluent enough to enjoy a short novel on their own, it would be fun and effective to allow them to read a hard copy of each story as the audio is listened to.  I think that helps children understand inflection and how to pause for dramatic effect when reading aloud.  It also demonstrates how reading aloud should flow.  For our children, one of whom is in the suggested age range and the other who are older, we have allowed the recordings to stand alone.  We will be listening to them over and over. 

     The Sugar Creek Gang audio c.d. collection, volume 1, is currently available through Beloved Books for $54.95 including free media mail shipping.  The first story is available for only $4.95 if you would prefer a sample before diving into the entire set. 

     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been listening to this fabulous series.  To read what they have to say about it, check out the main crew blog page.

**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was given the Volume 1 Sugar Creek Gang audio c.d. set for purposes of review.  All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.  No compensation was received.”

Eye Level Reading Rulers

Crossbow Education, an innovator in teaching aids for children with dyslexia and visual stress issues, is at the top of my favorites list right now.  We were sent a package of ten assorted Eye Level Reading Rulers to use in our household.  A couple of my kids have dyslexia / dysgraphia issues and one has severe vision issues.  These overlays can be used with children of any age, but are especially effective with beginning or struggling readers.  I anticipated being able to try the Reading Rulers with my children and I was anxious to see if they provided any relief for them. I never anticipated my husband having an accident which resulted in damage to 2 nerves that control his eyes.  With this injury, he has had multiple vision issues. Among these issues are double vision, blurry vision, trouble focusing, tracking issues, and comprehension issues.  Part of the problem is that page glare interferes with the signals that his eyes are sending to his brain.  Enter Eye Level Reading Rulers. 
     Eye Level Reading Rulers are colored overlay hard acrylic ruler-like devices.  They are about the size of a 6-inch ruler.  The come in the following colors:   yellow, celery, grass, jade, aqua, sky, purple, magenta, pink, and orange.They are made of a combination of transparent and opaque areas to allow users to isolate a line or lines of text.  Interestingly, they are shiny on one side and matte finish on the other.  Some users find the shiny side easier to read through, while others prefer the matte.  These are not magnifying rulers, they are simply colored overlays.  These overlays: “reduce page glare, "dancing" and blurring text and other symptoms, while also providing valuable tracking support for reading.” The 10-pack sells for $16.95 for 10 different color reading rulers.
     As I was letting the kids try the different rulers to see which color was the most effective for each of them, my husband decided he wanted to try them out.  He tried every color in the set, multiple times, and discovered that the orange and yellow are the most effective for him.  He said that when he uses one of these, either on a print page or overlaying on his IPad, the words don’t blur and jump around, the glare (which gives him more of a headache) is eliminated, and he is able to track the text he is reading more effectively.  These have been a literal God-send for him.  He has gone from being able to only read a word or two in a few minute time period to being able to read entire paragraphs.  His comprehension is still not where it needs to be, but that is due to cognitive deficits from his accident.  He has been begging me to purchase the A4 size overlays so that he can cover an entire page at once.  When he isn’t using his ruler, he simply places it in his book or IPad as a marker so it is always ready for him.
     For my children, Josh (21) found that the darker green color (jade)was the most helpful for him.  He has a severe astigmatism due to a muscle imbalance.  This often gives him issues with words jumping around on a page.  The green color reduced glare and helped him focus on whatever he was reading.  Caitlyn (12) ‘likes’ the cherry (pink) colored ruler (because she likes the color), but the blue (sky) is the ruler that has helped her.  Her issue is more dyslexia and because of that, she frequently loses her place on a page when reading.  Most commonly, she will begin reading on one line and pick up on another line in the middle of a sentence.  The Eye Level Reading Rulers give her a way to keep focused one line at a time so she can read in the correct sequence.  With this correction, I have seen her comprehension and reading speed increasing.  I have also seen her develop more confidence in reading aloud.  Like my husband, my kids keep their reading rulers as bookmarks so they are always handy. 
     I said at the beginning of this post that these are at the top of my favorites list right now.  Any product that I can’t get back from my family after they have tried it is definitely a keeper.  I am going to be purchasing some of the larger overlays for my husband.  He has a few coordination issues to deal with, so the larger overlays will allow him to not have to move the overlay as much.  He is excited to try the larger overlay out, but is very attached to his reading rulers.  As a matter of fact, we have an ophthalmologist visit in a few weeks, and the reading rulers are going with us.  I want him to see the difference that they make in Andre’s eye movement.  It is amazing.
     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using the reading rulers, too.  They have their reviews posted through the main crew blog page.  Click here to access and read their reviews.
**Disclaimer:  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a 10-pack of Eye Level Reading Rulers at no cost to me for purpose of review.  No compensation was received.  The honest opinion expressed are my own or those of my family.**

Miracle Noodle Thai Peanut Pasta

One of my new found favorite low-carb wonders is Miracle Noodles.  Granted, there was a slight learning curve for me to figure out how to cook them in a way that I enjoyed, but that learning curve lasted about 5 minutes.  Simple to use, carb-free, calorie-free, and high in fiber, these have given a new twist to my low-carb efforts.  One of my favorites is the angel hair variety.  This is my current favorite way to prepare:

1 package (2 servings) Miracle Noodles Angel Hair (http://www.miraclenoodle.com/c-1-our-pasta.aspx)
**Drain and rinse pasta in a mesh strainer according to package directions**

4 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce

Bring water and soy sauce to a boil, cook pasta for 1 minute.  Drain and dump onto paper towels to dry a bit while you make the sauce.

Sauce:
1 lb chicken breast meat, cut into bite sized pieces.
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
minced garlic (to taste -- I use a lot)
rice wine vinegar - 1/2 c
soy sauce - 1/2 c
your favorite peanut butter - 1/4 c
either a bit of red pepper flakes or a squirt of Sriracha for some heat
**if you like yours a bit sweeter, add stevia or agave for a bit of sweetness**

Stir fry the chicken until no longer pink.  Add the green onions, peanuts, and garlic and cook for 30 sec.  Whisk together remaining ingredients for sauce, add to meat / veggie mixture.  Simmer briefly to heat through.  Toss in Miracle noodles and mix.

If you would like more veggies, toss them in with the onions and peanuts and garlic. I have used shredded carrot, bell pepper, and snow peas. 

This recipe makes one humongous serving, like for a man, or several smaller servings.  It is super filling.  I try to use the low sodium soy sauce so I am not getting too much sodium.  I also usually use a natural peanut butter.  Yummy!!!

Happy Mole Day!

For those who know me well, this is no surprise.  I am a bonafide science geek.  So, in light of that fact, let me take a moment to wish you all a very happy mole day.  Celebrated between 6:02 a.m. and 6:02 p.m. on 10-23 each year, this special day gives recognition to the little known conversion factor used in Chemistry to equate the number of atoms or molecules of a substance with a tangible quantity.  The mole is a unit, just like the dozen, the gaggle, the class, and the team are units.  Did you celebrate?  My chemistry co-op class celebrated by doing a "S'more Stoichiometry" activity, complete with making S'mores for a treat afterwards.  Have fun with it! It's Moletacular!!  Here is a great link for some Mole Day activities:  http://www.squidoo.com/MoleDay
Check it out!