Little Passports ON SALE!

    I am so excited!!!!  I have wanted to try Little Passports with my girls so badly!  You can try it for 3 months for 52% off  here.  The first month they will visit and learn about Japan and Brazil!


**Check out this giveaway of The Shunning movie!**

Day 2-St. Elmo, CO!

Colorado- Day 2

We are on our way to Colorado Springs!

We had lunch at a darling little restaurant called The Twisted Corkscrew.

This was our view:

                       We ate outside on the patio and it was a bit chilly!
                                        

                      The girls really got along well on the trip.
          They spent *a lot* of time in the back seat together so this
                     was a good thing!

                                  I could not get over all the Aspen trees.
                                  Love them.

Everywhere you look in Colorado, a picture is just waiting to be taken.

Stunning.

             We drove to St. Elmo, CO, which is an old Ghost Town.

                If only the buildings could talk.  Just think of the stories 
              they could share.

                                  A few wild raspberries peeking out...

                              We felt like the town was deserted...

                             But look what we found!
                    There were dozens of very tame chipmunks-

 
                     and oodles of friendly hummingbirds!

                         The one gift shop was closed.:(
                  I would have loved to have purchased this shirt!

                           On the way back we stopped to test the water.

                                Yep, it was cold.:)

                                 Gorgeous.

                              Next stop.... Royal Gorge!

Deeper Roots Discovering Our Amazing God- TOS Review

                My latest review is from Deeper Roots Publications- Discovering Our Amazing God.  It is a Bible curriculum geared toward 7th, 8th and 9th graders.  The book includes 9 lessons which cover learning about:
- God's Wisdom 
- God's Power
- God's Creativity
- God's Love
- God's Holiness
- God's Faithfulness
- God's Justice
- God's Mercy
    
     Within the chapters, less well known Bible stories are covered which help students (and teachers!) to better understand and learn more about God.  There are comprehension questions, journaling suggestions, writing assignments, Bible verse memorization, video suggestions, reviews and tests as well as other supplementation ideas.  The Bible text you are studying is also included in the teacher's guide which is very convenient.  In addition, each chapter highlights a different "Unreached People".  These are people who, more than likely, have never heard the gospel.  


      I used this with my older daughter who is in 8th grade.  We enjoyed discussing the Bible stories and how they tied in with the chapter themes.  The first chapter was Discovering God's Wisdom and the Bible story was about Esther.  One of the exercises my daughter completed was to write a story illustrating Proverbs 18:13- He who answers before listening- that it is his folly and shame.   She had no problem remembering this verse when it was test time!:)  

        Parts of the curriculum were geared toward more of a group/classroom setting such as guest speaker recommendations and group drama suggestions.  Perhaps if you have a large family or a co-op situation this would be perfect for you!  Overall, I would recommend this curriculum for junior high through high schooler students.  My daughter and I really enjoyed Discovering Our Amazing God.  It is well written with engaging activities and we look forward to completing the rest of the book together.


         Discovering Our Amazing God Teacher's Guide is $28.95 and Discovering Our Amazing God Student Workbook is $19.95.


        *Download a PDF Teacher's Guide Sample here.*


         Feel free to read other reviews from the TOS Crew here.


*I received Discovering Our Amazing God from Deeper Roots Publication free in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.*
  

Betty Crocker Prize Package Giveaway!

My girls were smiling like this last night.

Want to know why?

                                              We were making brownies!

         A wonderful Brownie package was sent to me free from 
      Betty Crocker through the MyBlogSpark program.  It 
      included a fun apron (modeled by my little one), a spatula,
      an 8x8 pan and the NEW Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate 
      traditional brownie mix!  


         That would make anyone smile!:)

The brownies were delicious!  Just 3 easy steps and you are on your way to a wonderful chocolate hug.:)  It's amazing how the whole family comes together when chocolate is involved!  

              Would you like to win a fun Betty Crocker Brownie prize
        package like this?  Just leave a comment to enter!  Please 
        leave your e-mail address so I can contact you. 

        For additional entries: 
        #1- Follow my blog  
        #2- Tell me who you plan on sharing your brownies with!:)
         (Leave a separate comment for each entry.)


        Giveaway ends this Friday, the 16th.


      *The product and prize pack have been provided by Betty 
       Crocker through MyBlogSpark.*
          

Colorado- Day 1

I had some concerns about Colorado,

being an "indoor girl" and all.

I am here to report that I have fallen in love with the big

CO.

Day 1 (planned entirely by my wonderful husband) was spent in Denver.

We had dinner at La Casa Bonita.

Cliff Divers.

Gorillas.

Fire Dancers.

All you can eat Sopapillas!

           The line to order was unreal.  Kind of like going to Disney!

                  We were seated right by the cliffs.  Yes, indoor cliffs!

                               Then the shows began.  Good, cheesy, fun!
        You never knew when someone was going to fall/dive into 
                     the pool below!

                                 
             There were gun fights, tribal masks and a mariachi band!
                       They even had breaks for pinata breaking!

                   If you are ever in Denver, you need to take your kids.
                      It was seriously fun for the whole family.:)

Then, we were off to the American Girl Place.

It was conveniently located next to the Cheesecake Factory.:)

We got a peek at the two newest historical dolls.

                                           Cecile and Marie-Grace.  Lovely.

                                        I am in love with the little kitty cat costume!

                                               How cute are the little glasses??

We can't wait to read the new book series.

                My girls were given darling little boxes of bon-bons to 
                            celebrate the new dolls.

Stay tuned for Day 2 as we head to the mountains!

**Check out this fun Christian video giveaway!**

Time4Learning- TOS review

I had the opportunity to review the on-line educational program Time4Learning.  This is a portion of what they have to say about their program:

Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today's technology. It's a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games.

The online language arts and math comprise a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Science and social studies programs are provided as a free bonus for most grades.

Kids like using the computer to learn and to develop their skills. The Time4Learning educational teaching program gives students independence to progress at their own pace.

Parents like that Time4Learning tracks progress and helps students advance along individualized learning paths. Students master the skills and concepts needed for academic success.

   Time4Learning offers courses for PreK- 8th grade students.  It can be used for home school, after school or summer. My girls enjoyed trying Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies in their individual grade levels (3rd and 7th).  Time4Learning also offers Art but we did not review this.    My girls found that the Language Arts classes were their favorite and especially enjoyed ""Word Herd" and "The Old Time Word Show" which are animated sequences that teach as well as entertain.  The music and animation was engaging and made learning fun!  My youngest and I both felt that occasionally the Math was lacking a bit (in the 3rd grade program) in providing directions.  The particular lesson I am referring to was providing change in a transaction.  

   

   Overall I was very pleased with Time4Learning.  We used it as a supplement to our home school classes and it was a nice change from school books.  I loved that it was entertaining and educational.  Let me highlight some other nice features.  Time4Learning offers detailed lesson plans and a Learn to Read program which includes phonemic awareness, phonics and reading comprehension.  If my children were still learning how to read this certainly would be a tool I would use!  They also have printable worksheets to reinforce what your child has learned.  My older daughter completed a crossword puzzle on plant and animals cells during the Science portion.  Once again, it was fun and educational!  One of the nicest features is the assessment section.  This is a wonderful way to keep track of your children's progress.  (see below)

    Time4Learning is $19.95 a month for your first child and $14.95 a month for each additional child.  They also offer a 14 day money back guarantee and there are no contracts.

To check out more Time4Learning reviews from TOS crew click here.


Time4Learning gave me the opportunity to review their program in exchange for my honest opinion.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions on this blog are my own.

What do you have on your kindle?

I love books.

My kindle lets me travel with a portion of my library.

It enables me.  

(No more books at my feet as we all pile into the van.)

                               This is what I have on my kindle right now.
                     Matched.  In the future your perfect mate is 
                     chosen for you.
                      What if it's the wrong person? 
                      They are making this into a movie.

                          House Rules.  I am going to read this with my 
                 bloggy sister, Heather.
                 I believe it is about an autistic young man who is 
                 accused of a crime.
         

                     Sarah's Key.  A mystery going back to the Nazi 
             invasion.  Highly recommended and also being made 
             into a movie.

                        Darkness, My Old Friend.  I saw this on a 
         book list in a magazine and the first chapter hooked me!  
         Not sure what is going on yet, but lots of interesting 
         characters should make for  a satisfying read.

             I would love to know what you have on your kindle, 
         iphone, in a stack by your bed...