6.30.2016

NotebookingPages.com ~ REVIEW


http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/06-28%20NotebookingPages%20com/npc-lifemember-square1-800x800_zpsjp7ecxbi.png  I have always Loved creating LapBooks, my Sister actually got me hooked on them and I did them more with my Older Kiddos when they were younger.  Kaden is a different story, he prefers putting things in an organized notebook.  Awhile back my Sister told me about NotebookingPages.com.  We were doing a few studies together with our boys.  Recently I was able to have a Notebooking Pages Lifetime Membership from NotebookingPages.com.  The past 10 days we have been RV camping and you better believe I had plenty to give the Kiddos to encourage learning while we were enjoying nature.

6.29.2016

Veritas Press ~ REVIEW





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I've had a few road bumps in the road to get this next Review out to you all, but it was one of our Family's all time Favorites so I had to do everything possible to get it to you.  I'll explain that Adventure in a later post, but now let me tell you about this next Review.  A few years ago I was introduced to a lovely company, Veritas Press, I fell in love with the way they taught Classic Education.  To this day Kaden still remembers that year's History.  Later that same year we were able to try a small sampling of their New VeritasBible.com for a brief few weeks as a trial.  You can go HERE and do the same exact thing.  We were anxiously awaiting for the day to be able to try it full time.  And that day has come, we were able to get a full one year Family subscription to VeritasBible.com.

6.23.2016

MySchoolYear.com ~ REVIEW

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Have you ever felt like you could just remember everything you have to do for the week off the top of your head.  Or maybe your counter is littered with tiny strips of papers and envelops with lists and ideas scribbled out on them.  Do you have 1, 2, 3, 4 datebooks, notebooks and calendars to try and keep your Family on the right track?  Does any of this sound familiar...it does to me!  This is my life of chaos, I'm just trying to make some sense of it all.  I have always been one to write out my daily and weekly plans.  A written account is Golden in my World...I need it to stay semi-sane.  I have tried online calendars and tracking sheets in the past....I know you have probably read the Reviews in the past.  They just don't work for me, they are usually to restrictive and dry.  I need to doodle, underline, highlight and have open space to be creative on a moments notice. 

6.22.2016

LearnBop ~ REVIEW

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I have a Love Hate relationship with Math...just saying the word gives me PTSD flashbacks of my childhood.  I struggled, ignored and gave up early in High School.  Being in Foster Care gave me the perfect cover to just float by unnoticed.  That being said, even though I thought I had outsmarted the "system"....I know that not taking Math throughout my whole High School years didn't do me a lick of good.  Since then I have passed down my story of struggle to each of the kids to encourage them to find a solution when they struggle with Math.  Mahala has the hardest time and right now she is stuck in the same exact place I was.  I always say if somethings not working for you, change it!  So, with her we do many different Math supplements to get her through this difficult time.  Which is why I was Super stoked to get the chance to Review LearnBop for Families from LearnBop for the past several weeks.  I decided to have both Mahala and Kaden try it out, because I can Never give Kaden Enough Math to satisfy him.  I have no idea how he is mine....but I'll keep him! :)

6.16.2016

Don't Worry About My Ugly...You have Your Own

We have been swamped around here....whoever said having older Kiddos will make for an easier life was crazy.  When they were little we hung out and did crafts all day and made funny Sandwich faces and geometric shapes with our fruit.  There was nothing a good swab of glitter, an oreo cookie or and afternoon of blowing bubbles couldn't fix....not so anymore.  Our lives are filled with transcripts, afternoon employment, practices, tournaments, therapy and appointments.  Honestly I could go on and on, but that's not what I want to focus on right now.  

Since going through over 2 years of Therapy and Recovery work with my Husband I have recognized many of my flaws, insecurities and personal obstacles that I tend to blow out of proportion because of fear when I should be leaning in on God.  That's a mouthful and one that you don't want everyone to always know.  But, over these last few years that fake plaster wall I so carefully built around myself has come down and the real raw more damaged me is exposed.  And I'm not sorry for that, you take it or leave it.  And you know what....many people leave it, because my Ugly reminds them that they have Ugly too.  And that can be scary and who wants to deal with that?  Who wakes up in the morning excited to take on their garbage they have been dragging around with them for 30 years?

Great Expectations E-Guide ~ REVIEW

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Reading is a past time around here...you can always be sure each of us has a book close at hand no matter if we are camping or out doing errands.  I like to supplement our Science and History with Good books and Strong Literature.  My Kiddos retain by working with their hands, reading and talking about different periods of time or Subjects.  That can sometimes mean a lot of extra work for me to do.  A year or so ago I found a company that did a lot of that extra work for me.....Progeny Press.  Recently I was given the opportunity again to Review a Study Guide for them.  Progeny Press is a company that provides Study Guides for Literature, from a Christian Perspective and the Study Guide they gave me to Review was Great Expectations E-Guide. (Recommended for grades 9-12)  Oh my goodness just saying the Title brings back boat loads of High school memories for me. :)  We have spent a lot of time reading over the years, but these last few years of school I have been concentrating on having Mahala read more of the Classics, which is why I decided to have her do this Review with me.  I want her to have to same Reading Adventures I had as a teenager....I Love having chats with her about what she's reading.

6.14.2016

Forbrain ~ REVIEW

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We have three Kiddos with some sort or Learning Disability or Disorder.  So, I was super excited to give the Forbrain (recommended for ages 5+) System a try from Forbrain - Sound For Life Ltd. I decided to use it with both Mahala and Kaden.  I was intrigued when I learned that I could use my own voice to Boost my brain.  Hmmmm, I need all the help I cam get.  I read that basically it trains your brain to be more attentive and to improve sensory integration and auditory processing.   It works by creating an Auditory Feedback Loop that basically with Bone Conduction, which is another way that your body processes sound and delivers the voice directly through to the brain.  Forbrain is a wireless headset with microphone that will correct the way you hear your own voice, this alone will give you better speech production as you hear yourself and able to correct what you hear.  This amazing Bone Conduction delivers the sound of your voice 10 X faster than regular old Air Conduction that occurs when you talk without the Forbrain.

6.09.2016

Sway in the Wind

We are packed up, organized and ready to go on our first RV trip.  It's real close by and only for 4 days....which is a good thing because the whole way home yesterday from getting our New BEAST I was laid out on the couch a moment away from hurling all over our new leather sofa.  This is what I looked up at for 2 hours swaying back in forth.  Poor Kaden was in his bunk asking me if I needed him to rub my tummy.  Such a sweet boy!!!


So, I'm hoping that with time I will adjust...if not poor Mahala is going to have to be Dad's Navigator all Summer long.  I think she wouldn't mind that so much anyway.  So, here is a quick video of our New place....our Home on wheels.  Once we get situated I will do a more proper showing.  I can't wait to share our whole journey.  A Mom, Dad, Teenage Daughter, Boy on the Spectrum, a Service Dog and finally 1 really old Dog that we just hope will make it through the whole trip without kicking the bucket!  Yeah, it should be fun...all 15,000 miles of it!

The Glass Castle ~ REVIEW

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Look at that Book cover...it's just filled with mystery and trust me once you put your little fingers on it you will be hard pressed to hand it over to your Kiddos to read until you have read it all.  Yes, I know this because of experience.  Shiloh Run Press has given me the chance to Review their New book, The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe & Jerry B. Jenkins.  Of course we LOVE reading and I struggle to keep books in Kaden's hands because he reads them so quickly.  I was thrilled to get to offer Kaden a New Series that he had heard nothing about before.
This is a Book Review and I promise to only share a little with you.  I will say that by far this is one of the Best Kiddo Book I have read in a long time.  I could see this Series being a series we crack back open year after year.  And that says a lot, because Kaden reads and leaves....that's what we say all the time.  He hardly ever rereads a book besides the Bible.  But, this book he didn't just leave he read, finished it and placed it on a shelf.  I could tell that it was a book he wanted to have for future reads.
 

6.07.2016

MaxScholar Reading Intervention Programs~ REVIEW

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We are a reading Family, there isn't a book we couldn't curl up with and read on any given lazy weekend.  I have been blessed to have Kiddos that enjoy reading and I've never had to struggle teaching them or getting them to do it.  Kaden read at the early age of 3 all by himself....I still don't understand how he did it. :)  So, when I first heard about MaxScholar and Reviewing their MaxScholar Reading Intervention Programs...I figured it was not for us.  My Kiddos don't need an "intervention" when it comes to reading....Math, is a different story...we need all the help we can get. :)  But, since we are a reading Family I looked into this company a little bit more and I realized this was not just for Kiddos who can't read or who struggle.  This offered away for Kiddos with all learning styles to better their reading skills, comprehension and knowledge.  I was floored at the teaching style, what all was covered and how it would be a chance to strengthen what Kaden already knows how to do, so I decided this is a product I have to Review.  I'll try to explain a little better down below.

6.02.2016

Hey Mama! Print Schoolhouse Planner 2016-1017 ~ REVIEW

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I know you know I can not use technology to organize my time, week, school work or anything for that matter.  I am just a simple notebook and pencil kind of girl, always have been.  I have used many different kinds of planners and calendars over the years and have found the more simple the better.  I was asked to Review the Hey Mama! Print Schoolhouse Planner 2016-1017($29) from The Old Schoolhouse and was eager to get it in my little hands.   

RV There Yet?????

Planning for our RV trip has pretty much consumed all my free time and even stolen away a few precious sleepy time hours.  But, we have a route to and from Key West and we are excited!!!  We actually go and pick up the RV next Wednesday.  YAY!!!  We plan to do a quick weekend trip and then a week long trip before we actually do the BIG ONE!  That way we hope to work out all the kinks and find our little camping groove before we are hundreds of miles away from home.

I've already started a few organizational lists to sort out what we need to bring on the trip, along with a few wants.  Kaden's CD collection is a want, my Costco sized Ibuprofen bottle is a Must!  HAHAHAHA  I'm kind of just planning it a little like tent camping this first weekend trip.  I figured I'll tweak it for the next time and so forth until I have a system down.  We are just going local so if we don't have something we can just do without it and just make sure we bring it next time.  


I remember 16 years ago when we first started camping I took everything I thought we would need and a giant notebook.  While we were camping any time I wished I had something or came up with an idea I wrote it down for future camp trips.  Now it's a breeze and all in my head what to take.  I can get our whole Family, gear, food and all out the door in 3 hours.  But, now with the RV it's going to be a little different....a whole new system.  Tomorrow I'll share a little bit of our route........

6.01.2016

Essential Skills Advantage ~ REVIEW

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My Kiddos are on the computer far more then I would like on most days.  I prefer them to be playing outside, reading or spending quality time with Friends and Family.  But, my idea of a perfect day doesn't always match up with what they have in mind.  So, when it comes to school I do tend to let them pick curriculum or programs online to use throughout the week.  That way at least they are learning and not just staring at a screen building, capturing or fighting for hours.  That being said I was so thrilled to learn about Essential Skills Advantage.  We were given a year subscription from them to Review their Complete Home Learning Suite.  I was really excited because the program consists of multiple subjects like Science, History, Math, Reading Comprehension and more.  ESA offers complete programs for Reading and Math for grades K-3.  Even though there is not a complete program for grades 4-6 in reading and math, there is plenty of work to do.  They offer work for grades 1-6 in Spelling, Language/Grammar work for grades 3-6.  History/Geography for grades 3-5, and Science for just grades K-3.  It may sound a little confusing at first, but it is very easy to navigate and to see what is available.