Happy Father's Day!

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it Dad.

Anonymous

A Review of the Review Process

Over the past year, I have had the privilege of being a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I have reviewed all kinds of products, from an extensive collection of historical maps, to soap, to online preschool piano lessons. (You can see the complete list of what I reviewed over to the right in the sidebar.) I have experienced some great things. I've also had some difficult times. Unapologetically, I'd like to share some of my thoughts with you.


At the beginning of the year, each crew member (reviewer) was given a "first mate," as a mentor. I'm not 100 % certain, but I believe that person was there to answer questions, and encourage new reviewers throughout the year. The reason I'm not certain, is because I only conversed with my fm through emails a few times. I didn't ask that person a lot of questions, as I know she was very busy, just as I am. I know each of us has our own personal lives happening. I do wish, however, I'd been able to get to know her better, so that I might learn from her previous experience as a reviewer.

As a former-computer-problem-person, I think reviewers need to be told that there will be lots of e-products and online programs. I wish I'd been given the choice of receiving curriculum in ebook format OR printed version. I know the economy's tough on the vendors, just as it is on my family, but I am reviewing a product for them. I think they'd want my best review. And they would have, had I had a physical product in my hands. I did, by the way, work extra hard on those particular ones, even though a couple of them cut off my access to their site before my review was due. (I wish I'd had this new, faster computer in the beginning too!)


I was so glad there was a forum where the reviewers could meet others, ask questions and get answers. Being able to discuss things with other reviewers was the best part about my review period. It was nice to know what other reviewers thought about a product.

I had a little difficulty in posting my reviews. In order to post the link to my review, I needed to remember in which month I received the product. They were organized according to shipping date. I think maybe for future years, the products could be organized by due date, instead. That would have made posting much simpler.

Although it's nice to be able to see lots of different programs before you purchase one, I felt overwhelmed by math! Over the review period, I reviewed 8 math programs, 5 of them due in one month alone! It might be nice if products within one subject area were spread out over the 9 months. In fact, there may be a better way to spread out products in general. The reviewer would be able to concentrate on one item and give a more thorough review.

Overall, I am glad I was given this opportunity. Thank you to all the vendors who traded their goodies for my review. Thank you to TOS for bringing together this team of homeschoolers. I met some super ladies (and one gentleman) whom I might never have known. I am learning lots of new things about homeschooling. I have gained plenty of experience in multi-tasking (mommy, wife, teacher, business owner, cub scout leader, singer and the list goes on!). I hope I have been appreciated. Maybe I have inspired. I know I'm one exhausted lady on today, the last Friday of May. This is the conclusion of one stepping stone in my life's journey. Now I'll have to think of some things to blog about!

Thanks for reading.

Cerebellum

It's been an exciting year being able to review some great products. For this final one, I'll tell you a bit about a DVD I reviewed.

From cerebellum corporation, I received Light Speed chemistry AP Exam Prep. Other than the fact that I abhorred chemistry, probably largely due to the icky teacher I had, I think this DVD would have helped me 17 years ago.

"This exam prep provides students with a comprehensive review of critical chemistry topics. Stoichiometry, Kinetics, Thermodynamics...the essentials are made easy and fun! "
It "...provides tips and strategies on passing the test, and gives insightful advance on writing the short-response answers. "

The two disc set also comes with a digital workbook on CD-ROM that includes handouts, quizzes and activities that reinforce the topics discussed on the video.

If you need this DVD, it'll help you to know that the topics are:

Atomic Theory and Structure
Chemical Bonding
Nuclear Chemistry
Gases
Stoichiometry
Equilibrium & Kinetics
Thermodynamics
and much more!

even though I haven't the faintest memory what those things are!

Should my children decide to learn chemistry, despite Mommy's distaste for the subject, I can see this video coming in handy. Energetic students (or actors that look about high school age!) present the components in the DVD, making it highly appealing. Here's an example.




If you're interested in Light Speed chemistry AP Exam Prep, you can purchase it for $14.98 right here. Oh, looks like it's on sale right now for $11.24! If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought, you can do that here.

Lobster Network

Lobster Network is a one of a kind application that allows users to share, trade, sell and organize products of their choice. By setting up communities in Lobster Network with their friends and neighbors, users can expand their accessibility to almost any type of item. After joining the network users can search for any number of items to trade, borrow or buy. Users also have the ability to place items for sale to any other users (member or non-member).

What I have understood so far, is that you sign up for the free site, enter some of your personal belongings that you want to share, trade or sell. Then wait for someone to bite. While waiting, you can check out what others have to loan.

Although I think the idea of Lobster Network is a good one, so far, my access to the site for review purposes really hasn't done me much good.
I have heard that some users are sharing Lobster Network with their homeschool support groups, but I am not a part of a group. I do not have a huge network of connections. So for me, I'll be happy to pass the word along should I encounter someone, but Lobster Network just isn't for me at this time.

You'll find Lobster Network if you click right here. I suggest you read what the owner has to say too. She explains it quite well! If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought, just click the Crew graphic below.

I reviewed this product with no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

Ideal Curriculum

"Preschool Curriculum" is a niche market. Having a preschool/daycare in my home, I receive little pamphlets and brochures almost every other week with the newest resources available. As my review year is coming to a close with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I reviewed month one of Ideal Curriculum's Transportation theme kit.

Ideal Curriculum says on their website that each of their monthly curriculum kits include
"•Daily lessons and activities for literacy, math, calendar, oral language, and science/social studies

•Teaching guides
•Workbook
•Music CD
•Science, sight words, and concepts about print books
•Supplemental activities"

And the Skills Taught are

"•Letters and Sounds -Letter Names
•Phonological Awareness -Listening Skills
•Concepts About Print -Print is all Around
•Sight Words -Name Recognition
•Math -Rote Counting"

Ideal Curriculum would be great for a facility preschool teacher just starting out, that wants to provide the children a little something more than just daycare. She could pick and choose so that the children wouldn't have too much deskwork at their fragile age. A homeschooler might use this curriculum to supplement what she already uses, or just as a change for the little guy who wants to "do schoolwork" with his older brother.

The songs provided with the transportation kit were cute and Babyman (2) loved them. There are some printable pages for those who teach using worksheets. I really liked the real-photo books provided. However, I have so much stuff on my shelf like this already from my preschool teaching days, that I would not have purchased Ideal Curriculum.

You can order your Ideal Curriculum Kit here. My readers can get a 10% discount by using the code welovekids before May 31st. To read what other reviewers thought, go here.

I wrote this review in exchange for the product above. I did not receive compensation and the opinions are expressly my own.

Beeyoutiful

In exchange for my review of their product, I received from Beeyoutiful a free eight ounce bottle of Berry Well.
From their website...
"Never fear the flu when you keep Berry Well on hand. Each ingredient in this pleasantly fruity syrup holds its own against flu, colds, and a swarm of bacterial and viral infections."
Those ingredients are elderberries, raw honey, bee propolis, organic echinacea and raw apple cider vinegar.

Now, there were several things that made me nervous about Berry Well right away.
1. I don't do liquids.

2. I have tried bee pollen capsules in the past and it seemed that they made my allergies worse.

3. Hero is allergic to bee stings.

4. I've never heard of this company.

5. I typically do lots of research before I try anything new.


My solution was to call my big sis. She's my natural remedy go-to-gal. She reassured me about many of my concerns. So I decided that Middleman and I would try Berry Well.


Although I have a very strong gag reflex (which is one reason I don't take cough syrups or any other medicinal liquid), my tablespoonful of Berry Well actually wasn't that bad. The elderberry flavor is quite tasty. However, the vinegar did turn my stomach a bit. Middleman (5) excitedly drank his teaspoonful and promptly asked for more. I hadn't planned for Babyman (2) to review the syrup, but he asked where his was, so I relented. He loved it.


We didn't take Berry Well "regularly" as I didn't really know how often that was supposed to be (although that info is not printed on the packaging, I did eventually find it on the website). We did try it several times, and the boys plenty more than me!

I received the suggestion to put Berry Well in a water bottle and I did that on one occasion for Middleman. He and his baby brother drank it together and enjoyed every minute of their "Berry Bottle."


For the most part, I felt like we were reviewing the taste of Berry Well. No one has been sick since we've been taking it, so I don't know if it's kept us healthy, or if we wouldn't have been sick anyway. It has not made my allergies worse, so that's good news. It really hasn't made the three of us feel any different.


I'm pretty novice when it comes to natural medicines, so it's hard for me to recommend something that didn't make me go "wow, we felt so great!" If you'd like to try Berry Well ($18 for an 8 ounce bottle-whew!), or any other product made by Beeyoutiful, check out their website. They have lots of products to choose from. If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought about Beeyoutiful, you can do that here.

Sue Gregg Cookbooks

Unlike many homeschoolers, before I received one of her books, I had never heard of Sue Gregg and her healthy cookbooks. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to review Introducing Whole Foods Cooking. First of all, I wouldn't really consider Whole Foods Cooking to be a cookbook. To me, it's a teaching manual on how to change your eating lifestyle, and change your recipes to keep your family healthy.

Here's what's in the book.

Nutrition Basics including extensive info on on the nutritional value of of whole grains, nuts & seeds, fruits & veggies, oils, animal products, beverages and seasonings. Ms. Gregg also includes allergy information and coordinating Scripture.

Recipes and Menus which includes 26 whole foods recipes, suggested menus and nutritional charts.

Serving and Connecting

I've never seen a section like this in a cookbook. The ideas of how to pray at your table, how to bring Jesus to your meals and include songs, beauty and books are relatively new to me. I found the info in this section fascinating.

The Next Steps section discusses actually enjoying your food, and teaching your family unique ways to help you improve your recipes. She explains many ways to nutritionally improve current favorite recipes.

Menus for Weight Management offers Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menus using the recipes from the book.

Food to Faith is a short Bible study.

The book also comes with a PowerPoint CD with great step-by-step photographed instructions.

Introducing Whole Foods Cooking has certainly taught me many things about food I did not know. I decided not to go all out and radically change our whole eating lifestyle, but to make small food changes a little bit at a time. In my city, there are specialty stores that sell some of the ingredients listed in the recipes. However, they are not all affordable. Also, my family must have small, unnoticeable changes when it comes to their food.

When we made the Blender Pancakes, we used the same old blender we've had for years, and our trusty skillet. My family did not enjoy my choice of brown rice as an ingredient. I hope to try the recipe several more times with different grains. I'm not advocating lying to my family, but they'll do much better when I don't tell them exactly what I'm making. Is it so bad if they don't know it's good for them? The Parmesan Chicken Nuggets were simple, and were a huge hit. We love tacos, so the Taco Chip O'le was yummy. Unfortunately, I have a very choosy eater. So I simply could not serve most of the recipes that contained an obvious fruit or vegetable.

Overall, I really enjoyed Introducing Whole Foods Cooking. But I wish that I'd had it before I had children, so that I might have started off on the right foot!

To order your Introducing Whole Foods Cooking for $17, go here.

If you'd like to read what others thought about Sue Gregg's cookbooks, you can click on the picture below.

This product was given to me free of charge in exchange for my review. The opinions are expressly my own, and I did not receive compensation.

Lesson Planet

Lesson Planet, a "search engine for teachers," allows educators to search "over 225,000+ ... online lesson plans and worksheets." Your searches can be narrowed down by keyword, grade level, overall rating, subject, theme and state standards.

I have used Lesson Planet over the last few weeks to search for various plans and printables, with topics including Easter, the water cycle, endangered species and natural resources. Although Lesson Planet brought up many different websites for me to choose from, I still found myself searching for appropriate plans and worksheets for us. I found that I had to pick a little from this one, a bit from that one, to make it fit exactly what I needed. I think it's nice to be able to search by grade level, but I quickly learned that wouldn't work for me. What your typical public school educator thinks is on point for a third grader doesn't always work for my "third grader." By leaving all the search filters open, I had much better success.

If you're a public school teacher, this site might be very helpful. If you're a homeschooler, it's great to be able to pull up lessons that fit your state's "standards" so you can steer clear!

You can try Lesson Planet for free for 10 days. If you'd like to subscribe, the cost is $39.95 a year. For me, I'd rather search the net and put together exactly what I want for free! If you'd care to read what other reviewers had to say, click the pic below.

Super Star Speech

"The Super Star Speech materials have been designed by a speech-language-pathologist to assist parents in helping their children achieve developmentally appropriate speech and to provide some of the necessary resources to do speech therapy at home. The focus of these books is the correction of articulation (speech sound) errors." That said, feel free to click the link and check out Ms. Lott's website. She has lots of info on her Speech program.

Ms. Deborah Lott also offers Super Star Games for homeschooling enrichment and those are what I reviewed. These well thought out games are perfect additions to Science, Geography and History unit studies.

The Inventors Game was probably our favorite, as it gave us a jumping off point for a small unit study about inventors. We were able to use the famous people and their inventions to come up with a list of library books we needed to read. After printing and mounting on card stock, we cut out all the inventor, invention, and date cards (24 of each). We played a memory game, cards were placed face down on the table and turned over to find a match. We were somewhat successful (at least with the ones we already knew), but learned that we need to study inventors a bit more!



Silly Snail is a parts of speech game, that has been perfect for my third grader in his grammar studies. Road to Revolution is an American Revolution board/dice game that we mounted on a file folder to play. It's the perfect time of year for the Insects and Climb the Vine games, where you'll learn all about insect parts and plants.

We also reviewed Colony Quest (a fun game about the 13 original American colonies), Covering the Continents (a fact-filled geography game), Explorers of the World (a matching and timeline game, and fantastic supplement to a study of explorers), Exploring Egypt, Planets, Moon and Stars (a quiz game with great graphics) and All About Animals (we learned even more new things!).


Although I have primarily played these games with Butterbean (8), Middleman (5) loves games and most of them can be adapted for his age.

The enrichment games contain everything you need to print out and play. You may need to add a die, or a file folder. You'll need to cut out your cards once you've printed them on card stock. And for us, some of them, we've chosen to color in, as we printed them in black and white (cheaper!).


Super Star Games are available to download at Currclick for $3.50 each. I think they're a steal! Thank you so much Ms. Lott for allowing me this opportunity! We have loved your games, and I'm thankful all I had to do was cut and paste!


If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought about Super Star Speech or Super Star Games, click the banner below.

I wrote this review in exchange for free copies of Super Star Games. The opinions are my own, and I was not compensated.