Papa's Pearls by Diane Flynn Keith - A Review

Oh, how I love a good book review! This latest selection was the charming book Papa's Pearls by Diane Flynn Keith. This pretty little paperback is a quick read, with just over 100 pages and 17 chapters.
The title of the book is really a summary of what you'll find inside. This is a beautiful memoir of her father, Carol Joseph Flynn, and the wisdom that he passed down to his children and grandchildren.

"Papa", as he was called by his family, grew up in the Depression Era and was rapidly heading down the wrong path in life. He could have stayed on that course and even found himself in prison, but a stint in "continuation school" fortunately turned him around, and he eventually became a successful husband and father.

This book is a blend of personal accounts from the author, her siblings, and their children. A lovely tribute. What really shines through is the love of Papa, and the profound impact that his life and experiences had on his entire family.
He is portrayed as a real man, a common sense kind of guy who has plenty of street smarts, yet is not too macho to express his love and affection for his family. His "pearls" of wisdom are offered in phrases passed down to his children like " Tell yourself you like it", "You gotta do what you gotta do", "What's the worst that could happen?", and "Get it in writing". You know, old school common sense.


This is really an adult or parenting book, but after first skimming through, I decided to use this as a read aloud with my kids (ages 7 and 9 years). It's clean, funny, touching, and there's just a lot to be learned from this man. I found no objectionable material, there were only a few sentences/paragraphs that I skipped over when reading to the kids.

I wasn't sure how they would like it, but they took to it right away, and there was more than one occasion where my older daughter especially, requested at least 4 chapters at one sitting.
We've read a few other books based in the Depression Era, and this was one reason they were interested. The other? They just found it funny! (Their words)

The bottom line- I loved this book, and recommend it to anyone. Parents, educators, families, it's a good read. Read it and see if you agree :)




Papa's Pearls

Price: Get an autographed copy of this book from the author for $21.97 ($14.97 + $7.00 shipping)
            You can also purchase from Amazon for $13.47 + shipping


Ages: Adult/Parent/Personal Growth- However, I used this as a read aloud with my 7 and 10 year old.


Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Crew

Magazines.com - A Review

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

About:

 Magazines.com offers people a fun, easy way to discover new reads and helps them track their magazine subscriptions. 

Shop the great magazine subscription deals at Magazines.com for Mother’s Day 2013! You’ll find incredible savings on Mom’s favorite cooking, celebrity, crafting magazine subscriptions and more. Don’t forget about all the moms in your life—your aunt, sister and your grandmother! Give her a gift that keeps on giving!

I review a variety of products and resources related to children and education, so this particular one has been a treat because it's just for me! One of my very favorite things to do when I have a little free time (which is often a rarity these days with 3 children in the house ;)), is to sit with a hot cuppa and page through a magazine.
I don't know if you've noticed, but those subscriptions can cost a pretty penny. So I have passed up a few that otherwise, I would have enjoyed signing up for.

Then along comes this website, and now I see what I've been missing. A great selection of some of the most popular magazines at amazing prices. I couldn't believe how low they really are.

Here is a sample of titles you'll find:

Cooking with Paula Deen

Martha Stewart Living

Parenting Early Years

Parenting School Years

Prevention

Weight Watchers

Working Mother

Victoria

People

Southern Living

Food Network

Real Simple

Southern Lady

Crochet Today

Tea Time

Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting

Entertain Decorate Celebrate

Taste of South

Creative Machine Embroidery

Just Cross Stitch

Quilt

Quilter's Newsletter

Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly

Creative Knitting

Quilter's World

Sew News

Crochet World

Creating Keepsakes

Crochet

Card Maker

You know, Mother's Day is this weekend, and what a great gift this would be for all of the moms you're buying for! The company, founded in 1999 is dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. They are available 6 days a week for any questions, concerns, comments, whatever.
Shop now through Mother's Day, and use the $5.00 coupon available on their website. What a great idea for those special ladies, right?

Now then. . .

Ready for your chance to receive a FREE magazine subscription of your choosing? Once again, there's almost nothing to it. Just leave me a comment, and don't forget your email addy!!! Follow me and You'll have an extra  entry. This opportunity will be available now through Friday, May 17 2013. I hope you win! :)



Website:  http://www.magazines.com/special-offers/mothers-day-gifts-sale,default,sc.html?origin=mdbo

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/magazines.com

Twitter: @magazines

Blogging Through The Alphabet - H is for Homeschooling

On to the letter H, and naturally, I thought of Homeschooling :) There are many aspects of this subject that I could talk about, but for today, I'll just talk about why we love to homeschool. And I think I'll do it in a slightly corny fashion.


H is for Healthy. I've noticed that my kids tend to have fewer illnesses because we homeschool. Less
                             exposure to germs, not having to be up at the crack of dawn to catch a bus.
                              Lower stress. It all helps.
O is for Open.     When a curriculum doesn't work, or we just need something fresh, we can try  
                              something new.
M is for Math.     Math is a subject that has given the kids trouble at times. I don't have to worry
                              about them getting lost in the crowd, because I can give them the individual
                              attention they need.
E is for Exercise. Even homeschoolers need some P.E.. But we can tailor it to whatever we want that
                              interests the kids, whether it's dancing, baseball, or a game of Twister.
S is for Science.   Our science lessons are not limited to a textbook. We can experiment in the
                              kitchen, take  a lot of cool field trips, and get hands on in the backyard.
C is for Cook.      Once again, we aren't stuck in a classroom. The world is our classroom! And part
                              of that learning happens in the kitchen. Good life skills, math and science. . .and
                              the results are yummy.
H is for Happy.    I am not one to judge a person's decision to homeschool or to send them to public
                               school. We are all called to what we are called to.I can say for my children, that I 
                               think that they are happier, in part because
                               they can focus on the job of school without worrying about bullies, fatigue, and
                               more. Don't misunderstand. My kids are not sheltered. They have plenty of
                               extracurricular activities and friends. But there is a lot of drama related to public
                               school that we are able to avoid.
O is for Outside.   Homeschooling affords us the opportunity to take advantage of the nice weather.
                               We can even take our lessons outside, and we do. The backyard, the park; we can
                                school almost anywhere.
O is for Opportunity. Our family is not bound by a traditional school schedule. We can make plans
                                 for any time of the day, and adjust our school schedule. That may mean taking a
                                 weekday off and working on a Saturday instead. We can take advantage of a
                                  variety of activities this way.
L is  for Love.          No other way to say it, we love homeschooling! For these and many other
                                  reasons. It has its ups and downs, but we've never regretted making this
                                  decision.

Blogging throught the Alphabet - G is for Grace

Isn't it so wonderful when God allows us to have a part in ministering to others? Honestly, when I get such an opportunity, it completely restores and refreshes my soul. I think of the verse that says "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

We had that opportunity this weekend, nothing extraordinary, and yet it was. I wish I could share, maybe in the future I'll be able to. But it doesn't really matter in the specifics anyway. And you can probably only get what that means if you've experienced it. And that just makes me want to serve more! The grace of God is an amazing wonderful thing. He is faithful and good.

Blogging through the Alphabet - F is for Foster

F is for Foster. Foster Care that is. As I look over the past couple of years, and our journey as foster parents so far, it often seems surreal. What a trip. We've had some high moments, and our share of low moments.

You  get to the point where you know this is what you're being called to, and you find yourself in the training classes. They're great, but are still no substitute for the real deal, the day that that first child is placed into your home.

You find your life turned completely upside down with anticipation, joy, hope, fear. . .
You leave your privacy at the door, because now there are countless people checking on you and the child. DCFS workers, caseworkers, your foster child's GAL, judges, licensing reps. It can get pretty stressful.

I've heard it said about foster care that nothing is final until it's final. The future is uncertain. Will the child go home? Will they be okay? Can their birth parents get it together and keep it together for the child? Can you handle the grief when that child leaves?

So much to consider and deal with. Foster care, foster parenting, is a beautiful, terrible, unsettling, and all around bumpy ride. I've spent my fair share of time thinking I was done. It's too much. It's hard.

But as a famous movie once said, "It's the hard that makes it good." The days when there is a breakthrough in a tough situation with the child. The times when a connection is made with a birth parent. The times when your spirit just whispers that this is what you should be doing.

I don't know where all this will lead, but I feel confident that we're where we're supposed to be for this moment. And it's all I need to know right now.

Home School In The Woods - The 20th Century In America - Review

I'm not sure that I really appreciated the subject of history until my adult years. I couldn't tell you why that is, but I sure find it fascinating now. As a homeschooling family, we read a lot of what many people refer to as "living books". These include a wide variety of historical selections, both fiction and nonfiction. When I found out that I would be reviewing this product by Home School In The Woods , specifically The 20th Century In America history lap pack, I was so excited!

There are two versions of this lapbook, the download version, which is what I received, and a CD version.Even before I had this downloaded, I was taken in by its visual appeal. You can see from the photo above, that it's colorful and inviting, with many of the booklets in fun shapes and designs. Some even have moving parts. Cool!

These are just a few of the topics you'll learn about here:

*Global Conflicts
*Presidents of the 20th Century
*The Space Race
*Modern Missionaries
*Social Movements
*Disasters
*Science and Technology
*Medical Advancements
* Art Movements
*Architecture

That's only a sample of what's in here.

There is a LOT of printing involved here, as there are 22 different activities to be completed. Make sure you have plenty of time and ink as you get started with your printing. Everyone has their preference in approaching this, so you can decide if you'd rather print everything at once, or one at a time. As for me, I first thought that I would do all at once, but quickly decided to print as we go.
They could not have made it any simpler for you, with plenty of detailed instructions for printing and eventually putting it all together. There are also color photos so you can make sure you're doing it correctly. Being a visual person, that is very helpful for me.

This really is a history curriculum, and a complete study of the topic. As such, and because we are so close to the end of the school year, we have not completed all 22 activities. There is so much great information in here, and I prefer not to cram everything in a month or so and rush through. Also, my daughters wouldn't get as much out of it that way, and I know that it would quickly turn this into a tedious task. This is just too great of a resource to do it that way. So we're working diligently at a steady pace, and enjoying the hands on part of it.


                                             A small sample of just a few of our favorites.

 

 

 As a little side note, I found it interesting that this lapbook is put together a bit differently than most that I'm aware of. With the completion of each project, instead of immediately securing it to the lapbook base, you put all of the pieces in a ziplock bag and put it all together at once  when every individual activity has been done. I actually like that aspect, because I think it will be fun to review what we completed once all activities are finished. And, because there is so much to do, and the fact that this will take some time to complete, it's easier to store without the pieces or the base itself getting bent or even ruined.

I meant it when I said that there are plenty of detailed instructions included. Before we got started, I printed off the welcome and introductory part first. There is a lot of helpful information there, including the how to's and such. I was really impressed with the extensive list of suggested resources that can be used with this. You could choose to do this study as is, or extend it as much as you want. There are pages of individual books, book series' and music that you might purchase or borrow from your library to enhance your study. You'll also find a list of the materials you'll need to complete the lapbook. So, much of the work is already done for you.

The suggested age range is grades 3-8 and I would say that the middle to older end of that spectrum is the ideal. I'm using this mainly with my 3rd grader, but my 2nd grader has been sitting in too. Fortunately, the inviting designs of this appeal to both, and of course, the hands on work - cutting, coloring, etc. . .are right up my kids' respective alleys.

What we're liking:
Well, it's just a really fun way to learn about this time period in history. We are a family that loves to read, but even so, it does brighten up a lesson to do some hands on activities that blow the dust off of what could be a dry subject. My daughters enjoy the cutting and coloring that go along with the included text. And the writing that is involved can be tailored to their age. I also like that we can choose age appropriate books from the suggested list as well as add our own, and expand on a particular lesson, or aid in its understanding. And we can have some lovely background music that relate to that theme as well. I wouldn't have necessarily thought of including that in a lesson.

With most products, curriculum, etc. . ., you might have lists of what you like and don't like. I've been thinking about what I don't like, and really, there's nothing I can say that I dislike. It has so many things we like, and the instructions are so detailed and clear, and the age range allows you to work with potentially all of your children at once.
The only thing I found tricky was getting the text printed properly when using both sides. There was a little learning curve for me.
And to repeat myself from earlier, there is a substantial amount of printing with this product. So have lots of paper and ink available.

Our overall thoughts about Home School In The Woods ? We like it a lot. It's a great study alone, or in conjunction with other resources. The age range fits well, and the directions could not get any better. At the end of it all, it's great to have a really nice project to show for it all. Best of all, it points to God's hand in it all. I'll recommend this one.

Home School In The Woods

Hands on history lap pack - The 20th Century In America

Ages: Grades 3-8

Price: Download version - $21.95  CD version - $22.95




This company has other interesting subjects available, and you can check out what the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of them.

Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah In My Stomach And I think I'm Going To Throw Up! - Book Review

About the Book: Oh sure, we've all heard the story of Jonah and the Whale a hundred 
times. But have we heard it from the perspective of the whale who experienced that history-making event?
Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up
! imagines how that great sea creature from the incident might tell his side of the story, helping kids ages 4 to 8 discover a creative way of learning about that guy who was supposed to go to Ninevah.
The "Parent Connection" feature (inside the book) will help moms and dads take the story further with scripture references and tips on how to talk with their children about what really happened. 

About the Author: 
Troy Schmidt has writing and video production credits ranging from assignments with Disney (The Mickey Mouse Club) and Nickelodeon to Max Lucado's Hermie franchise. He is currently the lead writer for The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on the Game Show Network. Troy and his wife have three sons.

The series:  This is just the first in a series!  Other books available include Hey God, Can You Stop the Rain so I Can Get off Noah's Smelly Ark? and Hey God, I'm Having an Awful Vacation in Egypt Thanks to Moses!

Here's a peek at the trailer:

I have kids varying in ages, and they all enjoyed different aspects of this book. When I first learned of this review opportunity, I knew that it would tickle my middle child's funny bone. She has a wacky and fun loving sense of humor, and sure enough, when she read the title, she was cackling!
My oldest, who is a little more reserved, but still loves a laugh saw it, she was also eager to read it.

The story, based on the book of Jonah, as you probably already figured out, is told from the perspective of the whale. The illustrations remind me of a cartoon comic strip in the way they are laid out. Very colorful and inviting. My oldest really likes the character Dr. Crab. I think this is a great book to use with kids who are already familiar with the bible story. It would be a good way to reinforce the lesson.

The back inside cover features a "Parent Connection" page. It gives a bible verse, a short paragraph that reviews the lesson, discussion questions, and the part that I like best of all, a sort of activity section. This one involves getting a sleeping bag and pretending to be in the belly of a whale, and then going through some questions to think about what it was like to be Jonah.
The final part of this page is a  note of encouragement and a final bible verse.

My kids had no sooner finished the book when they looked on the back of it and requested the other titles. I guess that says it all right there.
The only part that I could have done without, is the part where the whale, as the title suggests, throws up. But I'm just not a fan of bathroom humor. However, my girls thought it was funny, so I'm not hung up on it. The kids have spoken, and we approve :)

Now then. . .

How would you like a FREE copy of this cute little book? All you need to do is drop me a comment here with your email address and one person will be picked on Friday, May 10, 2013. Follow me here if you're not already, and you'll get a second entry. Get to it! :)


Website: http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/troyeschmidt


"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."