Homeschool Review Crew: Let the Little Children Come

     Our family loves to share Jesus with others. We were thrilled to receive and review the Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack from Let the Little Children Come. These wonderful little products make it easier to share the gospel with those in our community and beyond. 

    We believe it is important for our kids to be able to lead their friends to Christ not only by their godly example but by communication. When we find resources that assist them in this undertaking, we are more than happy to take a look at them. When this pack arrived in the mail, we opened it and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of each item.  They are made of durable materials and are fun and colorful.  I was encouraged to see a company wanting to help children become little evangelists. 

     Each set includes:

•  John 3:16 Animated Tract
• Gospel Buttons FlipAbout
• The Most Amazing House Pop-up Tract
• Wordless Bracelet Kit
• The True Story of Christmas Animated Tract
• The Lost Easter Egg Pop-up Tract
• John 3:16 FlipAbout
• Silicone Salvation Bracelet
• Where’s Everybody Going? Animated Tract
• Wordless Book

     We want to share some of our favorites with you today.  My daughter absolutely loved the Wordless Bracelet Kit.  She had a lot of fun putting it together and is looking forward to sharing what it's all about with her friends.  

Here is what each bead represents:

Yellow- 

reminds us of heaven. God loves us and wants us to be with Him for all eternity.

Black-

reminds us of our sins. Our sin keeps us from God.

Red-

reminds us of the blood of Jesus.

White-

reminds us of how clean we become when we believe

 on the Lord Jesus as our Savior.

Green-

reminds us that it's important to grow our relationship with Jesus.

     I love how the beads help our children to remember each step to leading someone to Christ. What a valuable tool for them to have as they share their love of Jesus with others they come in contact with.  

     My son thought the Wordless Bracelet was great but not a good fit for him.  Instead, he loved the Silicone Salvation Bracelet. Just like the Wordless Bracelet, it is a great resource to help him as he tells others about God.  He said it was comfortable to wear and served as a reminder to share his faith with everyone he knows. 

     Our family's favorite tool in the sample pack was the John 3:16 Animated Tract.  We loved it so much we made a video so you could see how great the animated tracts are. Children of all ages (adults too) will enjoy watching these as the images begin moving. It's a unique way to share the gospel.  

     If you would like to learn more about these products and many others please visit the Let the Little Children Come website or check out their Facebook page: 

• https://www.facebook.com/LetTheLittleChildrenCome/   

We also have some more reviews for this product here 👇

Have a blessed day!!!

Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1

     When I see my children studying God's Word, it puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart.  I couldn't wait to receive and review Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1 from Kid Niche Christian Books.  I knew this Bible curriculum would be perfect for our 10-year-old daughter Hope. She goes through devotionals so quickly that we can barely keep up with buying her new ones.  I couldn't wait to see how the Lord would work in her life as she studied each lesson. 

     When we received the Bible workbook in the mail, we were pleased to see it was binder ready. All we had to do is take it out of the plastic wrap and place the 72 colorful pages in our binder.  There is even a cover page to slip into the see-thru binder that we love using.  The vibrant colors and interesting illustration made it very appealing to her.  Hope couldn't wait to get started. 

     Before Hope began her lessons, I wanted to go through the study and see what it was about. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many verses were weaved throughout the curriculum.  I love that she would be studying the Lord's Prayer from a new perspective.  I believe teaching our children to pray should be high on our list of priorities.  This study is a great start to teaching them how to pray.  It also teaches them about who God is and how important our relationship with Him is. 

      For our review, we received part 1 of the 2 part series. It contains 36 lessons.  Each lesson uses different methods to teach such as cartoons, charts, definitions, drama, drawing, fill in the blanks, illustrations, matching, multiple choice, and sequence.  I love that it had Hope searching the scriptures as she completed each lesson. This is the first devotional for her age that we have had that kept her digging deeper into the Word. Kids at this age are so thirsty for knowledge, it's essential that they have a curriculum like this to help them gain the knowledge they seek. With each page she finished, I felt she was learning more and more about her Father in Heaven. My favorite part is at the end of each lesson, your child will be writing his/her own prayer. I just love this Bible study!

     

     This Bible study can be used for more than just a one on one study. It is so versatile that you can use it for a class study or a family devotional.  I wish we would have had this for my other kids when they were tweens.  It would have been a great addition to our family Bible studies.  There are also Activity Pages for you to do with your children on the website.  

     After Hope finishes part 1 we will be ordering part 2 for her. I have seen her grow in many ways and we want that to continue. I appreciate the time and effort put into making this Bible study. I believe we need more courses like this. I thank you Susan Case Bonner for taking time to create this for our children!!!

     I would like to encourage you to check out this wonderful study and others from this company.  You can go to their website Kid Niche Christian Books or visit their social media pages:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/susancasebonner/
Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/susancasebonner
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/susancasebonner

     

     We also have some more reviews for you to read over here

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HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!!!!

Mom, Why Aren't There Any Pictures of You?

     I use to hate having my picture taken. I didn't like the way I looked. I had no self-esteem. My body wasn't like it was in high school.  I wanted to hide it, so why in the world would I allow someone to take a picture of me? I hadn't given it much thought until one of my children was looking through some old photos and said: "Mom, why aren't there any pictures of you?"  

     I didn't know what to say to her. I made some lame excuses at the time, but I knew in my heart why.  I was so uncomfortable in my body.  I didn't want to see reminders of what I thought I looked like. What I didn't realize is no one else saw me the way I did.

     DID YOU READ THAT>>>> NO ONE ELSE SAW ME THE WAY I DID!!!

      My husband saw me as a beautiful woman who he loves with all his heart. My children saw a mama who loves and cares for them every day. My friends saw someone who was there for them. No one saw the imperfections except for me.  

      One evening I went through some old photos of my older 4 kiddos.  Very rarely did you see me in any of those pictures. I was always behind the camera. As I looked at those precious pics, I began to cry.  My older kiddos will not have photos of them with their mama, and I can't change that, but I could begin taking pictures right then and there.  I refused to let how I feel about myself to keep me from making memories with my kids.  I want them to have pictures of their mom. I know I cherish the photos I have of my parents especially now that they have gone to be with Jesus. How could I deprive my children of having photographs of me?

      So Moms out there, don't let your imperfections keep you from taking pictures with your children. I promise no one sees what you think you see in the mirror.  They see YOU!!!!  The mom, wife, sister, daughter, and friend that they love and never want to forget. Get out there and have fun with your kids. Take tons of pictures and don't worry about anything but making memories!!

     I know I am not perfect and I never have been or will be, but I do know that I don't want to be the mom hiding behind the camera.  I have embraced who I am and what I look like after having 7 beautiful babies, dealing with a thyroid disorder and anxiety. I won't allow anything to keep me from enjoying life one more day!  I want my kids to have memories of their mom just as she is.  They love me for me, so I will too 😊 

      Here is a look at some photos we have taken in the last month or so.  I am so happy they will have these memories to look back on. I am so thrilled to just let go and be me!

      

Homeschool Review Crew: The Pencil Grip, Inc.

     A few months ago we had the privilege of reviewing a product from The Pencil Grip, Inc. so when we were picked to receive and review The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors and The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit, from them we were excited.  We knew that they would be fun items to use and we were not disappointed. 

     I sure wish I would have had the Ultra Safe Safety Scissors when my kids were younger. They are so unique and they keep little fingers from getting cut.  I was impressed with how well they were made and how easy they were to use.  

     So what makes them different from other safety scissors? Instead of having very dull blades like other safety scissors, they have a guard over the blades to shield your child from getting cut.  They cut with ease, yet are safe for your younger ones to use.  These also have a blunt end so they can not poke your children as they use them.

     

     Do you have little ones learning to write?  The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit may be perfect for you.  These grips help little hands learn to hold pencils.  My children had fun using each one and said it would have been beneficial to have these when they were learning to grip their pencil/pens. These grips are soft and made of silicone and come in different colors. They make learning to write fun for children. I appreciated that you can use them on many different pencils, pens or even crayons because they slide on and off easily.  

     At first, you start with the crossover grip. The wings keep little fingers from crossing over. My daughter said it was a bit awkward using at first, but once she got used to it, it was comfortable for her fingers.

   

     After your child has mastered the crossover grip, you will transition them to the pinch grip. This grip loses the "cape", but still gives them a thick part to pinch with their fingers to ensure the proper grip.

     The final one is the original pencil grip. This one is my favorite. It was very comfortable to use and it actually improved our 12-year old's handwriting skills.  

     

     The only issue we had with the pencil grips was that as you placed them on different writing utensils, they would stretch and rip just a bit around the openings.  This didn't keep us from using them, but I could see how after prolonged use, they may not stay positioned properly on the pencil or pen.  Even though we had this little problem,  it wouldn't keep me from recommending them to my friends and family. 

     We enjoyed trying these extraordinary products and hope that you will check them out for yourself. I encourage you to check out their website and social media pages to learn more about these products and more.  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepencilgrip/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepencilgrip @thepencilgrip
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thepencilgrip/

     We also have some more reviews of these products for you to read over here

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Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Reading Eggs

     Do you have a little one who wants to learn to read? Do you have a struggling reader? Would you like your child to brush up on their reading skills? I have an online reading program that may be a good fit for your family.  We were given a free 6-month  subscription to Reading Eggs to review and we are having fun with it. We love it and hope you take advantage of the free 4 Week Trial offer that we have for you so can try out this amazing program. 

     My daughter Hope, is enjoying using it as a supplement to her reading program we already use.  Since she is in the 5th grade, she is using the Reading Eggspress program on the site that is geared towards ages 7-13. When we signed her into the site, it gave her a reading assessment and that helped us place her right where she needed to be in the program. I know most parents will like this feature as it's hard to know exactly where they should begin. 

     Reading Eggspress focuses on teaching reading, comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.  This part of the program is for grades 1-6. Each section will teach a different skill.  Hope is completing her lessons quickly and with ease. I feel it will give her more confidence in her reading and spelling skills. 

     Reading Eggspress is only one part of the program. The Reading Eggs site provides 4 different sections. Along with Reading Eggspress, they have Reading Eggs Junior, Reading Eggs, and Math Seeds. 

      I was able to look through each program and I was impressed with each one.  The beautiful colors and interactive characters make the site fun for children of all ages.  They will not even realize they are learning. The program teaches reading and math skills through games, songs, and activities that keep the attention of the students. They will be motivated to keep going so they can collect the golden eggs throughout the games.  They also receive trophies as they complete sections of the program. My kids love little motivators like these. 

     As I was searching the site, I also found the bonus materials.  The bonuses include activity sheets, a parent's user guide, and just recently they added a homeschool program of work for grades 1 and 2.  Another fun bonus is the videos that come with your reading eggs subscription called The Eggsperts.  These fun little videos help teach phonemic awareness.  Little kiddos will enjoy getting to know all the fun characters in the videos as they learn reading skills that will help them in their quest to become eggcellent readers 😉
     
     I was happy to see that the site offers a few ways to purchase your subscriptions.  The 6-month subscription is $49.95, but if you like to save money like me, the 12-month subscription is the best buy for only $59.  I also like that you can add a second or third child for 50% off the subscription price. 
     
     I wish we would have had this program for my older children. It would have made teaching reading skills much easier on me and more fun for them. I am so happy that I can share this with you all. I hope you get a chance to check it out for yourself. 

     If you want to know more about this exciting reading program, I encourage you to check out their social media pages here: 
•   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingeggsUSCA/ 
•   Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/readingeggs/
•   Twitter: https://twitter.com/readingeggs @readingeggs
•   Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/readingeggs/ 
•   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ABCReadingEggs

     We also have more reviews from real families for you to read over here 

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Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of the Brinkman Adventures

     Our family has always enjoyed listening to audiobooks and audio dramas.  When we were chosen to receive and review the Brinkman Adventures Season 4 we were thrilled. We love listening to audios while we do our chores or during reading time.  I have found they actually help keep my kids focused. 

      Have you and your family heard of the Brinkman Adventures?  It is a radio show about a family that shares their adventures that inspire you to share your faith with others.  Once we started listening, we didn't want to stop.  

       Season 4 of the Brinkman Adventures has 12 episodes that include: 

• A Paradise Lost
• Remember Nhu
• Aisha's Fear
• Heart Song
• The Crashed Kitchen
• Crisis In The Congo
• The Mysterious Palm Feller
• War Of The Raccoons
• The Five Guys
• Toughest Man
• Cambodian Quest
• What Brings Us Together

     Each episode is unique and exciting.  The Brinkman family will bring adventure right to your home as you listen to their stories. The wonderful ways they share about their faith and how other Christians have endured many hardships in order to share Christ with the world will inspire you to get out and share the Lord with others you know.   My children were on the edge of their seat with some of these episodes. We were given opportunities to discuss how we would react in similar situations that these faithful Christians faced. 

     I was impressed with how well the stories were acted out and the heart and soul that went into each one.  You can tell this company wants to reach out to young people and give them food for thought.  In the world we are living in today, I feel these stories could encourage our young people to be obedient to Christ and not to follow the world. I know they lit a fire in my youngest daughter.  She knows she can make a difference even though she is just a little girl.  

     When I asked my daughter what their favorite episode was she said Heart Song. In this episode, the Brinkman family is invited to Russia to hear about a family who was willing to do whatever it took to hear and teach God's Word.  She said it touched her heart to hear how someone was willing to go to jail in order to teach others about Christ.  It made her realize how blessed she is to be able to worship God without fear of being thrown in jail or even killed.  She said she is thankful that she didn't have to face trials like this. I have also noticed that she is praying more for others who do not have our freedom to worship God. This episode opened her eyes to what others may suffer in order to love and serve God.  

      I encourage you to check out these wonderful audios.  God can do a good work in our lives as we listen to wonderful stories like these.  They give us courage and inspire us to do more for Him. 

      To learn more about the Brinkman Adventures, you can visit their website or their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Brinkman-Adventures-152895116079/

     Would you like to read more review of this resource?  Come over here ⇓⇓⇓

Family Bucket List for Fall 2017

     I love Fall! The crisp air. The falling leaves. The beautiful colors all around. I enjoy this season and want to have fun with my family so we have come up with a list of fun activities to accomplish this Fall.

     The Daley Family Bucket List for Fall 2017

•  Rake the leaves, then jump into them.
•  Build a fire in the fire pit, roast hot dogs, and marshmallows. 
•  Take a long walk paying close attention to the beauty all around us.
•  Find our way out of a corn maze.
•  Visit a pumpkin patch.
•  Host a football party.  We are Buckeye fans 😊
•  Decorate our home with fun Fall colors.
•  Make our Thanksgiving Tree project.
•  Carve pumpkins and roast the seeds.
•  Make homemade pies and goodies.
•  Try new soups in our crockpot.
•  Bake homemade bread.
•  Pick apples at an apple orchard.
•  Curl up on the couch, eat popcorn, and watch an old scary movie {We love Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein or Arsenic and Old Lace}
•  Go on a hayride.
•  Diffuse lots of fun fall blends in our diffusers.
•  Make a craft using the Fall leaves and infuse the scents of Fall.
•  Take some fun family photos that show off the beauty of this season. 

     

     I can't wait to begin our Fall adventures. Do you have a favorite Fall activity?  I would love to hear all about it! 

We already have started our decorating for Fall!

     

Saying Goodbye Is Not Easy

     During the past few weeks, I have had to face many goodbyes. My heart broke with each one. I had one more to face, but how could I? My heart knew it was right, but my mind wasn't ready.

     As tears streamed down my face, I wrote a post in my Bible Study group that I hadn't wanted to write and kept putting off even though I knew God had been impressing upon my heart that it was time to say goodbye.

     For years, I have run an online Bible Study. I love the ladies there. We have become close friends and I didn't want to let them down, but I knew it was time for me to focus on other things. I didn't have the time I use to have. My agenda is so full. I felt torn in many directions. I didn't feel like I was giving this group 100%, so I knew I had to let them know that it was time for me to step back and take time off. 

     In life, we go through seasons. God will call us to do things that fit into His plans, then He may ask us to lay them down when that season is over. It's never easy to say goodbye to things we have enjoyed, but sometimes it is necessary in order to walk in obedience to Christ. I know I am a person who doesn't like to quit anything. I will push myself to the point of exhaustion instead of making a choice to quit. I know I need to find balance in this area, and I am working on it. With God's help, I am learning to let go. 

     We must be willing to step out in faith and walk away from a closed door in order to say yes to an open door that God has placed before us. He has a good plan for us. He knows what is best even if it may hurt for us to say goodbye. I know that God has been tugging at my heart for a while, but I was ignoring Him. Now that I have obeyed, I feel so much better and even closer to Him.  

     If you have been putting off letting go of something that is hindering you from walking in obedience, I encourage you to stop right now and pray. Let God know that you want to be obedient to Him no matter what the cost. He will never lead you astray. He loves you, and even though we may not always understand His ways, we know that they are best. As we step out in faith, we will see His plans unfold one step at a time.  Don't be afraid. Joy comes when we say YES to the Lord.

Homeschool Review Crew: Super Teacher Worksheets

     Recently we were given the opportunity to review an Individual Membership from Super Teacher Worksheets.  I was excited to see all the wonderful resources when I was browsing through the site. I decided to use a few of their worksheets for our 5th-grade daughter.    

     We were given a one-year subscription, so I am going to be using it to supplement our curriculum throughout the year. The yearly subscription only costs $19.95. Such a great value for all the worksheets they have available on their site.

     They have subjects such as math, reading, spelling, phonics, science, handwriting, grammar, and social studies.  They also have some special worksheets that include: holidays, chapter books, puzzles, brain teasers, and teacher helper pages.  I was a bit overwhelmed at first but once I decided on a gameplan, they fit right into our agenda.  

     The one subject that really caught my eye was the spelling worksheets.  I was having trouble finding a good spelling program for our daughter so we decided to try these worksheets. Each list has 20 words to memorize, 3 review words, and 2 challenge words.  This makes 25 in total.   I think that is a perfect amount of words for a weekly test. 

     Not only does this site give you a list of words to use weekly, it also gives you worksheets that will help your child to remember their words.  They have questions about their spelling words for your child to answer, word scrambles, and even word search worksheets.  I was also excited to see flashcards that you can print.  Our daughter loved that each week, there is a printable spelling test for her to use. 

     My daughter loves math.  She is intrigued with her multiplication facts.  When she saw all the wonderful worksheets she asked me to print some out for her to supplement her math curriculum.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how many different worksheets there were to help children learn their multiplication facts.  I liked that they used practical ways to teach them how they will use math in everyday life.  

     Hope is new to writing as she struggled for years to learn to read, but she is catching on very quickly.  I decided to use some of the wonderful writing worksheets we found on the site.  They had so many do to pick from, but we managed to pick a few that caught her eye.  The writing prompts were great.  They had some creative journal pages that she enjoyed doing. This was her favorite.  She loves to think of ways to help others so this was a perfect fit for her.   

     We were very impressed with all the wonderful worksheets found on the Super Teacher Worksheets website.  If you would like to learn more about them I would encourage you to check out their site and their social media pages: 

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/superteacherworksheets 
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SuperTeacherWks   
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/superteacherwks/   
• Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/superteacherworksheets/ 

      We also have more reviews for this resource here

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