Blog News and Granny Square Baby Blanket

I've been tossing around the idea for a little while now and I've finally come to a decision. I really enjoy posting pics and pattens of the crochet I do, but they really don't fit with the theme of this blog since it is primarily our homeschool blog. So I've started a new blog, Hooked on Yarn, where I will be posting my patterns and projects.

I realize not everyone here is going to be interested in that (which is why I'm doing a second blog!) but if you are, I'd love for you to click over and follow me there too. There's not much there now, but there will be. I'll be starting some projects for our state fair soon, plus I'll be teaching a crochet class at our co-op, and organizing a crochet service project to donate items to our local NICU.

Here's a sneak peek at one of my recent projects....

Granny Square Baby Blanket


I have yet another friend who is expecting a baby boy and yet another reason to work up a baby blanket. I loved the novelty of the Noah's Ark Blanket that I posted a couple of weeks ago, but I love the colors and simplicity of this one just as much. . .Click to read more (including pattern). Pin It Now!

Beehive Reader from AAS

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.

All About Spelling has just introduced its newest product... Beehive Reader 1 and I am so excited about it. Am I the only one who gets excited about beautiful books?

I wrote to you last year about the All About Spelling program and how much we enjoyed using it. As soon as the Beehive Reader arrived, I called E6 to the kitchen to check out his new book.

You should know, that E6 has always been our 'stuck in the middle' child. He is so funny and so smart, but is also compliant and sometimes quiet. He can easily get left out or overpowered by the other more demanding personalities in this house. When I showed him the Beehive Reader he was so excited to have a book that was just for him. He has carried it around, asked to read it during school time each day, and brought it out to show and read to his grandparents when they have come over.

E6 has good reason to be exited about this book. First, it is hardcover which makes for good durablity with little hands. And because of my background in art I am always drawn to the illustrations. Truly, the art in this book is the perfect blend of simplicity and beauty. Take a look for yourself.

In addition to being 'stuck in the middle', E6 is also highly distractable and not always easy to teach. However, I have been so pleased to watch his reading ability blossom this past year and the Beehive Reader has been perfect for him. Marie Rippel is the co-author of this book and creator of AAS and has taken the time to invest in creating a reader that can help every reader, even the struggling reader. Her son was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age so she has kept her son's experience in mind. As a matter of fact, every detail of this book has been well thought out....

- The paper used is non-glare so that it is easier on young eyes.

-The font used is a customized font. AAS wanted a simple font and one that would easily distinguish similar letters (like 'b', 'p', and 'q').

-Each line of text is designed to follow 'natural phrasing', breaking where we would naturally break in the sentence.

-There is a subtle underline under the text to help distractable readers to keep their place.

-Since the language of the stories are simple for beginning readers, each illustration helps to further develop the story, but were designed to not make the words of the story predictable. (I love that!!)

-The stories are fun and use everyday language.

I'm not the only one who loves this book. Beehive Reader 1 has already won the silver medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. And Marie Rippel has promised us that there is more to come in this series soon!

Beehive Reader 1 sells for $19.99 at the AAS website where you can also view pages of the book. And you can find more reviews at the TOS Crew Blog.

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Math Mammoth does it again.

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.

This is my second opportunity to review Math Mammoth's products and the second time for me to sing their praises here on my blog. Last year I reviewed their full-year curriculum for both my 2nd grader and 1st grader. You can see that review here. I liked it so much that I purchased their 3rd grade curriculum for this year and we have really enjoyed it.

There are so many things that make Math Mammoth a good fit for us:

-Easy to use. There are not lengthy dialogues involved to explain a concept. My children only need my involvement for a short time at the beginning of the lesson and then only if they are struggling. I am currently teaching 5 students on 5 different math levels, so it is important to me that teaching time and prep time is not long and drawn out.

-Non-consumable. I can order each Math Mammoth book or curriculum as a PDF download and print off exactly what I need for each child. I can then use it again and again as many years as I need it.

-Price. I can order an entire year of math curriculum for less than $35. Plus, Math Mammoth offers downloadable workbooks by subject as well all for around $5 each.

This year, I reviewed a workbook from Math Mammoth's Blue Series - Multiplication 1. It was the perfect time to review this workbook as G9 has been ready to tackle multiplication for some time now, but just hadn't gotten to it yet in his math curriculum. Plus, math was getting a little blah...as all of our subjects do from time to time and it was time to just take a break from routine and mix it up a bit. A workbook devoted to learning times tables was just the trick!

Multiplication 1 covers the following:

-Multiplication Concept

-Multiplication on a number line

-Order of Operations

-Word Problems

-Guide for effective oral drilling (and memorization)

-Structured Study of the Multiplication Tables

G9 has gotten through about half the workbook and is on his way to multiplication mastery! As soon as we finish that one, I think we'll probably order Division 1 from Math Mammoth as well.

You can order all of Math Mammoth's products on their website at http://www.mathmammoth.com/ .

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Heart

Well, I'm linking up a little late on this week's Foto Friday challenge, but for good reason. This week Rebecca at Renaissance encouraged us to post pictures with this theme in mind: Hearts.

Below is my submission.

The reason I couldn't post yesterday is because I spent the day with my dad. We were told four years ago that his heart wasn't working properly and that he needed a heart transplant. Prior health conditions have not made him a good candidate. Nevertheless, God has sustained the health of his heart four years longer than we thought He might. Now, doctors are pushing to replace a leaking valve...but we just have to convince a surgeon to do it. Prayers are needed and are much appreciated.

I took the above picture of Dad with my oldest daughter about five years ago. It represents him exactly and when I look at it, I can't help but think about his heart. His physical heart may not always beat properly, but for as long as I can remember he has loved my stepmom, my children, and me freely and without restraint. And it reminds me... His true heart is working just fine.

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Music through Literature

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.


Zeezok Publishing is a company offering a wonderful series of books called the Great Musician Series. Books can be purchased individually or in a set that will explore the lives of two great musicians.

There are many sets available but we received The Young Brahms/Franz Schubert and His Merry Friends set. Along with those two titles, the set includes two study guides and a companion CD with music from both artists.

The beautiful music on the CDs are not the only "sweet music to my ears" that these books have brought us...the other is the sound of my little ones asking for "just one more chapter, please" when we are reading these delightful stories about the young lives of the composers. And I have to tell you that there is no other way that I would rather teach my children then to teach them through wonderful stories and literature. And for that reason, the Great Musician Series by Zeezok is the perfect fit for our family.

At first glance, you might feel like these stories are only for a younger crowd but I would argue that I have enjoyed reading the stories as much as my children. We review a lot of homeschool products in this house and because of that we often shelve products as soon as we are finished reviewing them - even the ones we like - to make time for other reviews and our core curriculum. Perhaps the best compliment I can give this product is that we will not be shelving these books, but will continue to use them until we are finished.

The sets in the Great Musician Series from Zeezok are priced at $35.80. They also offer other homeschooling resources such as a Handwriting Series that some of the other moms on the TOS Crew reviewed. Check out all of the reviews here. Pin It Now!

Two to Three

E3 celebrated his 3rd birthday with my younger sister who turned 19 in January. They were almost born on the same day as I was scheduled to be induced on her birthday. My pregnancy with E3 was my hardest as pre-term contractions (which were nothing more than Braxton-Hicks) put me in the hospital twice. The doctors swore that I would go early, but in the end I still had to be induced. I ended my pregnancy with a yucky stomach virus that put me in the ER. My doctor took pity on me and surprised me a week before I was due to be induced by saying, "You want to have this baby tomorrow?" I squealed with delight and literally called her a "bles-sed woman!"


E3 is a ridiculous charmer and serious trouble maker. I'm convinced that God gives all the trouble makers an extra dose of "cute" as a defense mechanism against the wrath of their mothers.


Just this past weekend he has finally graduated into "big boy undy-wears" making us a family of only two in diapers once again. Yeah, this Mama is not ashamed to praise God for that one!


And here he is with his great-grandma and his favorite birthday present...his "truck blanket". All of our kids (and their Mama) are Linuses, dragging our blankets with us throughout the house. As a matter of fact, I'm wrapped up in one right now as I type.

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The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.

About two years ago, we experienced a major change in our homeschool...instead of homeschooling with the help of a cottage school -where my kids went to school two days a week and where teachers chose all of the curriculum for me and did all of the lesson planning and grading - I would be bringing my children home full-time and homeschooling them all on my own.

It was at that time that I began reading every. material. available. on homeschooling. I simply couldn't get enough of it so I researched and researched. It wasn't that I was scared or not confident in my ability to teach my kids - though I was. It was that every time I read another book or article about homeschooling, I was inspired all over again.

Still, somehow I never got my hands on a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell. I don't consider that much of a shame, though because I really think this book is a great resource for the new or seasoned homeschooler.

Along with sections for the new homeschool - like "Homeschooling: is it for You?" and "Choosing a Curriculum"...you'll also find "Organization and Planning", "Preventing Burn-Out", "What to teach- When and How", "Homeschooling Teens", and so much more.

Debra Bell writes like she's talking to her best friend, which makes this thick manual an easy and delightful read. In my opinion, she includes the perfect mix of inspiration and practical tips and information.

If you've been homeschooling any amount of years it's likely that you've come across The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling before. But you'll be interested to know that the copy that I received came straight from Apologia Press and is a New and Revised edition!

This new edition includes up to date contact information on additional homeschool resources such as "Academic/Athletic Contests and Competitions", a guide to using computers and Internet in homeschool, and more. Plus, like other resources that Apologia offers this book has a link on the Apologia site with book extras.

You can order The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling from Apologia Press for $20 and you'll find more reviews of this product at the TOS Crew Blog. Pin It Now!

Turn your home into a game board!

At a recent homeschool parent meeting, a friend of mine shared a great idea to add a little fun to your homeschool. The idea is to create a LIFE-Size review game where your home becomes the gameboard and your kids become the game pieces. We had to try it out!

First we made a large die by covering an empty tissue box in construction paper. I also wrapped it in packing tape for durability.

I created our gameboard by placing squares of paper ALL throughout the house. I just ripped pieces of an old newspaper at the fold because I'm too cheap to waste construction paper.


Our gameboard started in our foyer, went through the living room, kitchen, down the hall, into the boys' room, and back to the kitchen. We ended at the kitchen table where I had placed a plate of brownies for all!


Here are our kids standing on their spots. For this game I asked each child a review question (either spelling or math related) when it was his/her turn. If the child answered correctly, they could row the die and move that number of spaces. I just made up the questions on the spot so that it was unique to each child's level.

This was fun, but admittedly a little chaotic for my large brood. Next time we will definitely reduce the length of the game by not covering such a large space.

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Classic Math on CD-ROM

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.

When we first began our homeschool journey we were drawn into the idea of classically educating our children. And while we have certainly traveled a little ways from our roots, I will always lean towards that method. And for that reason I find the humble educational books from one-room schoolhouses like McGuffey Readers and Ray's Arithmetic quite endearing and worthy of close examination.

Dollar Homeschool is making both of these series available on CD-Rom and at an affordable price.



We received a download of the Ray's Math Series which is a complete K-12 Math Curriculum from counting to Calculus. If that doesn't impress you, then you should know that this includes 38 books - 12 textbooks, plus answer keys, Teacher's editions and more. You can get all of this for just $59.

When you open the texts, you'll find exactly what you expect for school books used in the late 19th century...black and white text and a few simple, but beautiful sketch drawings. There is an abundance of word problems and many example problems for oral recitation and copywork.

When asked if Ray's Arithmetic is hard to teach the Dollar Homeschool website replies:

"The Ray's Arithmetic was originally created to be used by frontier Americans, Americans that often lived in areas where available teachers were few, often far away, or even completely unavailable. For this reason the books are designed to allow children, once they can read, to educate themselves to a very great extent."

The only problem that I find with this reply is that the pages on these books are full of text. For example the first lesson of the Primary Arithmetic includes the following problems:

4. Ward has 9 marbles; if he gives his brother 4 marbles, how many will he have left?
5. How many marbles are 5 marbles and 4 marbles? 5 marbles and 5 marbles? 5 marbles and 3 marbles?

There are a total of six similar word problems on the first page. While I may begin teaching these concepts to my K/1st grader, I can assure you that he/she will be overwhelmed by attempting to read even one of these problems...especially with so many of them on one page. The benefit of using a modern text is that the breakdown of a small amount of information on one page is especially helpful in the early years.

So, would I recommend Dollar Homeschool? Absolutely! Especially to someone who is wanting to expand their homeschool resource library by adding classic textbooks. Would I use Ray's Arithmetic as a core curriculum in our homeschool? Probably not, but definitely as a resource.

Find out more about Ray's Arithmetic and the entire Eclectic Education Series at Dollar Homeschool and from homeschool moms at the TOS Crew Blog. Pin It Now!

Our Science Fair!

Our local homeschool group recently held a Science Fair and our kids participated in it. Their experiment?

The Laundry Experiment!
OBJECTIVE: To make and test three different homemade laundry detergents to see which one worked the best.

THE DETERGENTS:

Detergent #1 - Powder

Ingredients:
2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
Container large enough to hold 2 cups of laundry detergent

Directions:
Grate the Fels Naptha laundry soap with a grater or use a food processor. Approximately 2/3 of a bar of soap will make 1 cup of grated soap.
Add the ½ cup of Borax and ½ cup of washing soda to the grated soap.
Shake and/or mix well

Use:
One tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per load of wash.

Yield:
The recipe yields 2 cups of laundry detergent. If you use 1 tablespoon per load, you will be able to wash 32 loads of clothes.

Total cost to make: $1.15 Yields 2 cups which translates to 3.5 cents per load.

Detergent #2 - Liquid

Ingredients:
3.1 oz bar Ivory soap (Ivory is chosen because it's all natural. You may use a soap of your choice) 1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
Water

Tools:
5 Gallon container
Knife
Pot large enough to hold 5 cups of water
Long stirring stick/spoon (for 5 gallon container)

Instructions:
Shave the soap into small strips and place in the pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the water just shy of a boil and stir until the soap is completely melted. When the soap is just about melted, pour 3 gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon container and let it sit until the soap in the pot is totally melted. Once all of the soap shavings are melted, pour the mixture into the 5-gallon container and stir.

Once the soap and water are thoroughly stirred, add the ½ cup pf washing soda and stir until dissolved. Once the washing soda is dissolved, pour in the cup of borax and stir again until dissolved.

Now you've got a huge container of hot soapy looking water. Cover the container, place it somewhere out of the way and let it sit overnight. Once it's cooled it will gel. It will not gel uniformly so it will be lumpy and watery. It may not be very attractive, but it works. It's best find smaller storage containers for convenience.

Usage: ½ cup per laundry load is adequate to clean your clothes.

Yield:
This recipe yields 442 oz of laundry detergent, of which 4 oz are required per laundry load. With this recipe you should be able to wash 110 ½ loads of laundry.

Cost to make: .79

Detergent #3 - Liquid

Ingredients:
2/3 bar Fels Naptha soap
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
Water

Tools:
5 Gallon container
Knife
Pot large enough to hold 5 cups of water
Long stirring stick/spoon (for 5 gallon container)

Instructions:
Shave the soap into small strips and place in the pot with 5 cups of water. Bring the water just shy of a boil and stir until the soap is completely melted. When the soap is just about melted, pour 3 gallons of hot water into the 5-gallon container and let it sit until the soap in the pot is totally melted. Once all of the soap shavings are melted, pour the mixture into the 5-gallon container and stir.

Once the soap and water are thoroughly stirred, add the ½ cup pf washing soda and stir until dissolved. Once the washing soda is dissolved, pour in the cup of borax and stir again until dissolved.

Now you've got a huge container of hot soapy looking water. Cover the container, place it somewhere out of the way and let it sit overnight. Once it's cooled it will gel. It will not gel uniformly so it will be lumpy and watery. It may not be very attractive, but it works. It's best find smaller storage containers for convenience.

Usage: ½ cup per laundry load is adequate to clean your clothes.

Yield:
This recipe yields 442 oz of laundry detergent, of which 4 oz are required per laundry load. With this recipe you should be able to wash 110 ½ loads of laundry.
Cost to make: 1.29

Detergent #4 - Liquid
Same as Detergent #3, but we applied a store bought stain stick to the stains before washing.

THE EXPERIMENT:

First, we made the above detergents.

Next, we stained four identical white handkerchiefs with 4 stains:

mud
ketchup
chocolate icing
purple crayon

We also soaked 4 towels in water and let them soil over night for a "yucky" smell.

We washed one stained hanky and one soiled towel in each detergent on a "hot" setting in the washing machine.

THE RESULTS:

#1: Towel smelled cleaned. Medium mud stain still visible. Light ketchup stain still visible.

#2: Towel smelled clean. Medium mud stain still visible. Light ketchup stain still visible.

#3: Towel smelled clean. Light mud stain still visible.

#4: Towel Smelled clean. Light mud stain barely visible.

CONCLUSION:

Detergent 4 worked best.

THE DISPLAY:

INTERVIEWED BY JUDGES:
1ST PLACE RIBBON!!!

Well, they were the only team entered in their category...but hey, 1st place is 1st place. Pin It Now!

Make It, Wear It

Check out this fun carnival! Pin It Now!

I was a cool mom...

...until I made Daddy shave it off two days later per our agreement.

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Math Tutor for little ones

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.



I was so happy to discover Math Tutor videos last year when I reviewed two of their DVDs. So I had no complaints when Math Tutor sent me another DVD for my little ones: Young Minds-Numbers and Counting. However, I was surprised at how different this video was from the previous two I had seen.

Don't worry...different can be good.

This colorful DVD is for your young learners who are ready to learn the basics...the real basics: counting from 1 -10. Beautiful real life pictures, accompanied by classical music, and a child's voice teaches young children their first numbers.

I was amazed that not only my kids, but even I was captivated by this simple math video. Take a look for yourself...





A few things that the Young Minds video teaches...
- Learn to recognize the numbers 1-10.
- Associate the number with physical objects.
- Count from 1-10.
- Animal names and sounds.
- Fruits and Vegetables.
- Names of colors.
- Names of machines such as cars, airplanes, etc.

You can purchase Young Minds-Numbers and Counting for $19.99 as well as a slew of other math dvds from Math Tutor on their website. Don't forget to check out more reviews on tht TOS Crew Blog. Pin It Now!

Noah's Ark Baby Blanket

I fell in love with this blanket the first time I saw the pattern. And since a good friend of mine is expecting her first baby, I had the perfect reason to make it!

The 3-D elements worked up fast and were fun to crochet.


E3 was my biggest encourager. I usually crochet after the kids go to bed, so each morning E3 excitedly looked at and touched the blanket. His favorite was the turtle.

This isn't a free pattern, but you can buy the pattern at Annie's Attic. Pin It Now!

Valentine's Day Crafts

We made Valentine's Day cards for you...

Here's a close-up of our heart collages...

G9, A7


E3, H4


N5, E6


And the tree in our foyer has officially been dubbed our "holiday tree" as it is where all our crafty decorations go.

We recently discussed what the definition of 'Love" is. We then read 1 Corinthians 13 and the kids made these heart ornaments. Each ornament has a word or phrase that is the kids' definitions of love based on their own thoughts and the scripture.

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Worship Guitar for Kids

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product....in this case, access to free online streaming video lessons. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.

All of my kids have shown an interest in learning to play the guitar, but my oldest has especially been interested. So we were thrilled to get the opportunity to review Jean Welle's Worship Guitar Class for Kids.

Here are a few stats about the program from their site:

With Kid's Worship Guitar LessonsYour Child Will Learn:
♦ How to hold down a note to get a clear tone on the guitar.

♦ couple worship songs with the melody plucked to strengthen their hands.

♦ Half a dozen worship songs they can sing & play.

♦ 11 guitar chords .

♦ How to read guitar tab and chords charts.

♦ How to make up their own verses.

♦ Christian Values in each song

What comes with the 'Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class™for Kids' Program?...
♦ A DVD with 9 Lessons, 2 1/2 hours long.

♦ A downloadable eBook - over 30 pages!

♦ A Practice Session for every lesson, that starts with prayer.

♦ A Practice Chart you can photocopy.

♦ Options for including a Kid's Guitar.

♦ NEW - Option for online Streaming Videos

And you get all that for just $29.97! Far less expensive than private lessons!!

I really loved everything about this program. I loved that Ms. Welles is teaching not just guitar music, but worship music. I loved that the program moves slowly and isn't intimidating. I loved that the video lessons include a young student learning the lessons as well so that G9 could see someone his age playing the guitar. And I love that G9 is finally learning something that he has always wanted to learn!

We viewed our lessons by streaming online video. This worked just fine and the quality of the videos were excellent. However, I'm putting the actual dvds on my wish list because we only have one computer and our kids have limited amounts of time on the computer each day. Plus it would be easier for all of our kids to view the lessons at once around the tv.

Check out Jean Welles' website to see video excerpts of the lessons and other products that she offers...including dvd guitar lessons for adults. You can also read more reviews of this and more at the TOS Crew Blog.

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Girl's Fingerless Gloves

A7 has been asking me to make her a pair of fingerless gloves since I made mine back before Christmas. I finished hers up right after Christmas and they really turned out cute. Each glove worked up in about an hour.


You'll need two skeins of yarn, a size H crochet hook, and a yarn needle.

Color A = purple
Color B = pink

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
fpdc = front post double crochet
bpdc = back post double crochet

Special Stitches:
picot = *sc, ch 1, sc* in same stitch

Starting with Color A ch 22.

(I would stop here and measure accordingly. Everyone's hands are going to be slightly different. Basically, what you have chained should wrap around the width of your child's 4 fingers. This glove will be worked from the top down to the wrist, leaving a hole open for the thumb.)

Join with sl st into 1st ch.

Row 1: ch 1. sc in each ch around. Join.

Row 2-11: ch 1. sc in each sc around. Join.

Row 12-19: ch 1. TURN. sc in each sc around. DO NOT join.

Row 20: ch 1. TURN. sc in each sc around. JOIN.

Row 21: ch 2. dc in each sc around. Join.

Row 22: Switch to color B. ch 2. *fpdc, bpdc* around. Join.

Row 23-25: Alternating between Color A and B each row, repeat Row 22. Tie off on last round.

Top Edging:
Join with Color B. Ch 1. "sc, picot* around. Join. Tie off.

Finishing:
Embroider hearts around the gloves using Color B as shown in picture. Pin It Now!

FactsFirst

As a 2nd year member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out more products and giving you my honest opinion.

If you have been homeschooling for any amount of time, then surely Saxon is a familiar name to you. But you may surprised to know that they now offer an online math program called FactsFirst. This is a supplemental math program designed to drill students in the basics: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

I feel like our kids can never get enough of this type of drill. Throughout my middle school and highschool years, I dreaded math class. This was largely due to the fact that I did not have a firm foundation in the basics. I knew how to do math...I was just terribly slow at it.

Not many children want to sit around practicing math facts. But FactsFirst makes math drills fun.

First, students get to design their own character. Since the invention of the Mii, this seems to be a requirement for all new games online. I'm not complaining though, our kids love it.


Along with their character, the student now completes lessons. They will learn new facts and take quizzes until they have mastered a unit.


As a reward, students are periodically given the chance to play in the arcade for a few minutes at a time. The arcade games are also designed to review math facts, but feel more like fun than a lesson.


Parents can view the Math Fact Matrix to see how their student is doing with FactsFirst. This allows you a quick overview of the areas of accomplishment and struggle for your student.

Our kids enjoyed playing FactsFirst, but they weren't necessarily asking to play it everyday. I think that just boils down to the fact that math is math is math. Nevertheless, the kids enjoy their computer time and they would rather play math games on the computer than not play the computer at all. And I would prefer that they play educational games than just surfing around nickjr.com. So FactsFirst is a great fit for that reason.

A one-year subscription to FactsFirst can be purchased for $49.99 and can be used for 1-4 users. You can try a free demo at their website as well.

Remember, you'll find more reviews at the TOS Crew Blog.

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Homeschool Library Builder

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the next several months. I feel truly blessed to be participating in this review group and I'm looking forward to trying out the products and giving you my honest opinion.

Please note: This is not an actual review as I have not received any products from this company. As a member of The Homeschool Crew, I was informed of this sale and asked to pass along the information to all my friends...that's you!

Big news over at Homeschool Library Builder...they are having 20% off all this month! Plus you can earn an additional 15% off on Super Bowl Sunday (that's a total of 35% off) when you make a donation of any amount to Heartline Ministries. This is a ministry currently serving Haiti.

Homeschool Library Builder sells used books for everyone. Their website is easy to navigate as you can search by age, topic, or title. While browsing through their site I found classics such as Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, and Pilgrims Progress. Their were readers, fiction, and non fiction. I saw Janette Oke books, even Saxon 65! Looking through this site is like visiting a local owned used bookstore - without the dusty smell!

The site owners are two homeschool moms and if that's not reason enough to support them, they are giving you a whole lot more. In addition to wonderful books at great prices here's what else they offer:

*They will do a book search for titles they don't carry...even out of print books!

*Easy fundraising program.

*They will advertise your "homegrown product" for FREE by providing a link to your website at the HSLB Marketplace.

*Their Spotlight of the Season offers Scripture, teaching ideas, and links to enjoy each special season with your family. (Think 'Unit Study'!!!)

*A Helping Hand program to help those in need.

*And sign up for free membership and you'll be enrolled in the Frequent Buyer Program where you can earn book points by buying, referring, or linking to your blog.

Check out their site and take advantage of the Big Bin Blow Out. And don't be shy about letting them know who referred you...I'd like some book points myself! *grin*


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