Do This In Remembrance of Me

    

     During my morning devotions, I read through Luke 22. This chapter of the Bible talks about the Last Supper.  During this meal, Jesus tells the disciples what He is going to do. He talks about the sacrifice that He will make. Even though they do not fully understand it, they know He is teaching them something very important.

     I always tear up when I think of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me.  As Easter approaches, I tend to get more emotional. Just imagining what my Savior did for me makes me want to do everything I can to serve and obey Him.  

     In our churches today, we remember what Christ did for us by taking communion.  It helps to remind us of the tremendous things that He endured in order to make a way of salvation for all those who believe on Him. I don't think I have ever taken communion without tears streaming down my face.  I can't help but think about what He went through that day.  The pain, humiliation, and separation he must have felt. I have to stop right now to say;  "Oh Lord, thank you for Your body that was broken for me.  Thank you for Your blood that was spilled out for me."  

     As I sit here writing this, I am crying.  I am also reminded of the song by Steve Green called Broken and Spilled Out.   

      Jesus gave his own life that we might one day live in eternity with Him.  All we have to do is BELIEVE.  

     Do you know He loves us even though we fail Him?  The grace and mercy that He pours out on us every day are so great. How can we show our gratitude for His amazing grace?  We can show it by obeying His Word. We can show our gratefulness by turning from our sins and living lives that are pleasing to Him. We can share Him with others. We can love on others just as He does. He is so good to us.  

Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Carole P. Roman Books & Collections

     In our home, we enjoy learning about different countries and cultures.  We were so thrilled to be able to review some of the Carole P. Roman books and collections.  The Cultural Series from Carole P. Roman are a great addition to your homeschool library if you like to study what life is like in these different countries. 

     The Cultural Series is intended for ages 4 to 9, but they can be used by older children as well if you add some activities that are more geared towards the older ones.  This series is packed full of information about each country they represent. The kids loved the colorful images throughout the books.  They are fun to read and so educational. We were able to count these as geography, history, writing and reading time as we went through each book.  I love books that incorporate so many subjects into one.  

     

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     If You Were Me and Lived in...India was the first book we read.  My kids were most intrigued with this one because a few years ago we did a fundraiser to help the children of India get school supplies. They couldn't wait to learn more about the culture of this country.  From the beginning to the end, you are learning things like what language they speak to the food they eat. Hope and Josh liked learning about the two day celebration of Holi.  This is a time in India when the people dress all in white and celebrate good overcoming evil and the spring harvest.  It is a messy celebration as everyone throws colored water on each other, but they love it.

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     If You Were Me and Lived in...Israel was my favorite of the three we read.  I have always enjoyed learning about the country of Isreal.  It has always been a dream to visit there.  As the book tells you, one of the best spots to visit is the Dead Sea. This is the lowest spot on earth at 1371 feet below sea level.  This sea is full of salt and you will not find one living creature in it.  I would love to soak in it as it has been known to help your body in many ways.  

     

     The kids were surprised to find out that all the children are given special martial art classes called Krav Maga.  It wasn't a fact they had ever heard before.  That is what makes these books such a great tool in learning about different cultures and countries.  

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     If You Were Me and Lived in... Egypt is the final book we read and it was very good! Egypt is one of the oldest nations on earth and we found out it was often called the  cradle of civilization because of the way it developed and how it ruled the area.  My children loved learning about the pyramids and wish they could get their picture taken with the Great Sphinx.  They giggled when they found the Great Sphinx was missing his nose, but soon it sparked some great conversations about the many mysteries of the Egyptians.

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     The author of these amazing books is  Carole P. Roman.  She is a wonderful writer.  Her books are filled with knowledge.  I couldn't believe how much we learned as we reading these little paperback books.  It takes a creative writer to do what she does.  This is our second time reviewing her books and not one has disappointed us.   

     If you would like to learn more about her books I would encourage you to check out the website along with the social media links below: 

• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/CarolePRomanAwardWinningAuthorAndBooks
• Twitter:  twitter.com/caroleproman   
• Instagram:  www.instagram.com/caroleproman 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6A9PDx7NdBgYUN1giUOp0A   

     We also have more reviews for you to enjoy over on the Homeschool Review Crew site.  Just grab yourself a snack and a beverage and click on the link below

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Have a blessed week!

Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Super Beads from Zirrly

     Our home is filled with many art projects and supplies.  Our daughter, who is 10, is very creative and when she saw the Super Beads from Zirrly  arrive in the mail, she was super excited.  She couldn't believe we were given this set to review. She couldn't wait to get started on her 3D Animals set. I would guess it took her all of 15 minutes to get it out and began to put it together.  

      Super Beads are similar to the traditional fuse beads that are very popular only these have a few very awesome improvements.  I didn't have to worry about my daughter getting burned with the iron or making a mess with glue.  This set comes with 2 boards that fit the beads as you create the animal. They do not slide around as you work. It also contains all the beads you need and the instructions to complete the projects. The kit also has a water spray bottle, a work tray and a design tool that helps you remove the fused beads from the boards.  

      The instructions were simple and easy to follow.  You begin by placing the pattern card under the board you will be using.  Grab the beads that match the colors you need and begin adding them to the board. Once you have the beads in place, you will spray the beads with your water spray bottle, being careful not to get the beads too wet.  A few spritzes should do the job.  After you allow the beads to dry (usually takes about 45 minutes or so) you can removed them with the design tool that is included and finish putting your creation together.  Just spritz each piece as you place them where they belong according to your instructions.  The finished product is so cute. This one is the deer.  If your beads should ever come apart, it is a simple fix.  Just spray them with water and let dry.  How cool is that? 

     Hope decided to save her second project for a day when she needed something fun to do.  It didn't take long for her to get it out and begin working on it.  This little 3D dog was even cuter than the deer.   I wanted to give you a closer look at the project so these photos are close ups of the beads.  You can see the patterns under the boards then at the end we placed the patterns beside the board that corresponded with them.  

     If you wonder could it be that easy?  I will say YES!  You can let your elementary aged child work on these crafts on their own.  No worries with these beads.  Its just place, water, remove and place the beads together with more water to create these little beaded animals.  No heat or glue needed here.  Just fun, fun, and more fun.  

     Would you like to know more about these beads from Zirrly?  I would suggest visiting their website or their social media pages listed below: 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zirrly-1488221441475359/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zirrly/?eq=zirrly&etslf=NaN           
• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/zirrly_/?hl=en          
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtsk7AY7EYG91LieNgsFy2A/featured?view_as=subscriber   

     We also have more reviews of this product and others over on the Homeschool Review Crew site

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Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Home School in the Woods

     We have always enjoyed the amazing products that you can get from Home School in the Woods. When we were picked to receive and review some Á La Carte products we were so excited.  We chose The Erie Canal Lap Book Project and the Name That State! File Folder Game.  I have always liked to incorporate fun activities into what we are learning and Home School in the Woods helps us to do that.  

     

      Above is our Erie Canal Lap Book Project. Before we started it we went to the library to get out a few books on the subject and even got a video that helped us to learn more about how the Erie Canal was constructed and what went into planning it. While the lap book wasn't difficult to make, we sure had fun making it.  The download that you receive after purchasing this product comes with a couple of choices.  You can use the project with the facts of the Erie Canal already printed on the card, or you can use the template where you write facts about it. 

      We chose to use the one where we could write some great facts about this special canal.  My daughter loved using her new colored pencils to color the templates. She then cut out the pieces and used a glue stick to put it all together.  The instructions that come with the download are simple and easy for a child to understand.  I love that she can work on these projects on her own or with a sibling.  

     

      Our next project was the Name That State! File Folder Game.  This was fun to work on together.  After you download it and print what sections you would like to use, you get to color it and make it your own.  We wanted our map to be full of many colors.  We even picked out a beautiful green file folder to glue our game board to.  

     We chose to print the map and state cards on card stock, so it would be a bit more hearty as we will be using it often.  Card stock is thicker than normal paper and lasts a bit longer under use.  We also decided to laminate our state cards, that are used in the game, so they would last longer as well. They look great! 

      The instructions of the game and how to put it together were easy to follow.  We added a few parts of our own like our game pieces.  We didn't want to waste paper to use as markers for the game, so we improvised and used game pieces from another favorite.  

     The kids had a lot of fun playing this game. It helped us review where the states are located and what their capitals are.  We also discussed a few facts about each state like the year they became a state and the region they are located in.  I feel that if we make learning fun, our children will be more receptive and able to retain more information.  

     If you would like to learn more about these resources and many others, I encourage you to visit the Home School in the Woods web page or their social media pages listed below: 

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods      
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/         
• Google+:  https://plus.google.com/b/109711152019235885312/109711152019235885312/posts   
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKq6iLty2fpB6R6ZpcUb8A   

      There are other reviews of these products and others over on the Homeschool Review Crew site. Just click on the image below 

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Have a blessed week!!!

Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle

     I am always looking for fun ways to approach teaching my children subjects such as math and science.  When I saw these classes, I couldn't wait to receive and review them.  I knew that the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle from NatureGlo's eScience would be a good fit for our daughter Hope, who is in the 5th grade.  She loves to try new and innovative classes. 

     Once you purchase your class or bundle, you will have access to the live and recorded classes. The bundle is the best deal, but you can buy one class at a time. Some facts about these lessons are that they are taught from a neutral worldview.  They are geared for ages 10 and up and you get one year to access what you have purchased.  Gloria Brooks, the founder of NatureGlo's eScience, is a creative teacher and wants to get students excited about learning.  

     There are four courses in the bundle that we were give to review, but we focused on just one.  We worked through the MathArt in Ancient Cultures course. This is a six week class and can be viewed live or you can watch it through a recorded session.  We have a very busy schedule so we chose to use the recorded sessions.  I like that they give you a choice in this area so we didn't have to work around a certain schedule.  They also allow more than one student to work through the courses.  That is a huge plus for families who have more than one student wanting to attend the classes. 

         Navigating the site is easy. After logging in, just click on the class you are taking and head on over to the lessons. They log your progress each time you complete a section of the lesson, so you don't have to worry about keeping track.  You are given one lesson per week with each course. 

The lessons in the MathArt Ancient Culture's course are:

• Week #1 – Ancient Babylonians & Plimpton 322
• Week #2 - Ancient Greek Math and the Platonic Solids
• Week #3 - Pythagoras and the Music of the Spheres
• Week #4 – Ancient India’s MathArt: Rangoli, Mandalas & The Story of 1-9 and 0
• Week #5 – Zellige Moroccan Tiles & Other Tessellations
• Week #6 – Maya MathArt

     

     

      Each lesson is unique and fun for your child.  From slideshows to activities, they will keep busy as they learn how math is a great tool and not just another subject they have to learn.  Math is important to so many areas of life. 

     My daughter loved the fun activities that reinforced the lessons.  She was mesmerized with the concepts that were used in these cultures and couldn't wait to sit down and learn how they used math in everyday situations.  

     All these pictures above are showing the hard work that Hope put into each class. She loved watching the videos and was able to learn more than I could have ever taught her through a textbook. 

     When you finish your course, you are given a certificate of completion. Hope loved this!  She was proud to show her dad how well she did.  

     We can't wait to start another course from the bundle. The only issue we are having is picking it 😊 So much fun to choose from!

     I encourage you to check out these courses over on the NatureGlo's eScience website.  You can also learn more about them on their social media pages: 

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/natureglo1      
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/pins/         
• Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/2/110614921959731305213   
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1hasc   

     The Homeschool Review Crew have some more reviews for these courses over here 

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Come on over, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and relax as you read through these reviews.