Wordless Wednesday - On the Go

(Don't forget to enter the My Memories giveaway!  It ends Monday, October 3!)

My Memories Review and a Giveaway!

(This Give Away is now CLOSED! Thanks to all who participated!)

Sometimes, I really surprise myself!  I don't consider myself the "creative" or "artistic" type, not by a long shot.  I'm also not especially gifted at technology - blogging is about as technologically creative as I get, and that's because it's pretty easy!  Because of these two things, I have never considered trying my hand at digital scrapbooking.  I've often admired the efforts of friends who do it so well, but that's as far as it went.

Keeping all these things in mind, you can imagine what I thought when I was given the opportunity to review My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbook Software! I figured I'm probably one of the best candidates to review it, considering my qualifications (or lack thereof)!

Well, I've been playing around with the whole digital scrapbook thing for a few weeks now, and let me tell you - I am sold!  I don't know a thing about other scrapbook software, but My Memories Suite has made my introduction into scrapbooking an absolute breeze!

Downloading the software went without a hitch.  When I first open the software, I am given the choice of either using a pre-made template of pages, or designing my own.  In a pre-made template, there are lots of choices included with the software, and more choices available at the My Memories website - many for free, which is good for my budget!  Then, I can choose which order I want the pages laid out in, and whether or not I want the pictures automatically filled in, or if I want to place them myself.  Then, I am prompted to select the photos I want to include, and... Tada!  A beautiful scrapbook!  Really.  It's that easy.  Crazy, huh?

These are two of the FREE! pre-made pages available on MyMemories.com

One of the nice things about the pre-made templates is that they can still be edited to add a more personal touch.  So they can be used as-is, or as a "starting point" to get creative juices flowing!

After giving the pre-made templates a try and seeing how simple it was, I decided to try my hand at creating my own.  That took a little more time, as I am an admitted perfectionist... but, it was still amazingly easy.  There are many so many papers, fonts, embellishments, and even features like video and audio to use and choose from!  Here's my very first attempt (inspired by a recent post):

You can see that at first I was a little afraid to get too creative!

Then, I got a little braver and played around with more embellishments:

 

I get so excited every time I finish a page!  I can't believe I can actually do this, and so easily, too!

It's hard to even go into detail about ALL of the neat features that are a part of My Memories Suite.  Photos can be cropped, shaped, sharpened, the color changed, red eye removed, and other editing, all within the software.  Embellishments are infinite, it seems - there are so many incredible options!  You can even add music, narration, links and other multi-media to a page or an entire book.  Who knew?!

There are also many tutorial videos on YouTube as well as the My Memories Blog... and they have loads of helpful information.  The more I learn, the more amazed and excited I am at what a neat tool My Memories Suite digital scrapbook software is!

I wanted to add a little something about my experience with My Memories Customer Service.  In my first try in downloading a kit I purchased from the website, I was able to download and install it correctly, but then... couldn't find it in my software!  (That's my technological ineptitude for you!)  The FAQs on the website were very helpful, but I still wasn't getting it, so I emailed Customer Service.  They replied in just a few hours, with very helpful and precise instructions, and I was easily able to find and use my downloaded page.  I always love a company with fast and efficient Customer Service!  

Plain and simple, the software is easy to install, easy to use, and brings out the creative inspirations I've had hiding somewhere and never knew! Whether you're a digital scrapbook newbie, like me, or a seasoned pro, I definitely recommend My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software!

Here's the really fun part!  You can WIN your own My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software (a $39.97 value!).   There are several ways to enter - please leave a comment for each way you enter:

• This one is required to enter! Visit MyMemories.com and take a peek at their cute kits, papers, and embellishments.  There are tons, so try not to get overwhelmed! Come back and share with me your favorite, and what you might use it for!
• "Like" My Memories on Facebook for 1 extra entry
• "Like" A Full Heart on Facebook for 1 extra entry
• Share this giveaway on Facebook for 1 extra entry
• Follow my blog (see right sidebar) for 1 extra entry

If you don't want to wait around to see if you might win, I've got an awesome discount for you!  Use coupon code STMMMS71850 to get a $10 discount off MyMemories Suite Scrapbook Software, as well as a $10 credit at the MyMemories.com store!

This giveaway will close at 5 pm Eastern on Monday, October 3 - that's 1 week!  I'll pick the winner that evening and post it on Tuesday, October 4!  Have fun!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the  purpose of reviewing here on my blog. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

Timberdoodle Review - Purpllinker

It's a bird!  It's a plane!  No, it's a....

Purpllinker!

Purpl... what?!  Purpllinker!  Don't worry, we just affectionately call it the "purple thing".  What is this long, bendy purple thing, you ask?  It's a great manipulative (and toy!) from Timberdoodle (one of the most fun homeschool supply resources around)!

 

I'll be totally honest here - I was given a few choices of items to review, and the Purplinker was not my first choice.  I didn't think it looked very... interesting.  Boy, was I wrong!  From the minute the package was opened, the "purple thing" quickly became the most fought over item in the home  (Well, Michael and I usually share, but the boys have some trouble!).

Intended for ages 3 and up, and included in Timberdoodle's Preschool Curriculum, every single one of my children love to "fidget" with it.  It gets carried in the car, played with during read-alouds, used for quiet time, and occasionally confiscated as it attempts to be used as a sword or other weaponry. (Hey, this is a houseful of boys, what else is to be expected?!)  Thankfully, because of it's rounded edges and lightweight, flexible deisgn, it's never done any damage!

It's actual purpose it to be used as a manipulative to help children with early phonics - making reading "hands-on" through the child shaping the Purpllinker into various letters.  Of course, this can also carry over into math, being used to make numbers or shapes.  It's not always as easy as it looks, however, so it's also a great thinking skills and coordination tool!  The package comes with instructions demonstrating how to make each letter, number, and shape, but I've found it far more interesting to allow my children to try to figure it out themselves!

Here's Nate (4.5 years old), using the Purpllinker to make a "d", which is the letter he's currently learning in Explode the Code book C:

It has 7 "links", so it's long!

Thinking hard!

No, silly!  That's an "L"!

That's close!  Try a little more...

Yes, it is tricky!

Hooray!  We got it!

I was pleasantly surprised at the versatility, usefulness, and FUN!  that the Purpllinker supplies.  I definitely recommend it!  It is very reasonably priced at only $11.25 and can be found at Timberdoodle!

By the way, if you don't already get Timberdoodle's catalog, you're missing out!  I actually hide mine when it comes so I can read it in peace and quiet without lots of little eyes peering eagerly over my shoulder.  It's FULL of unique and interesting homeschool supplies!  Also, be sure to "like" Timberdoodle on Facebook, too!

As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free Purpllinker in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

Wordless Wednesday - Venerunt, Vindirunt, Vicerunt

They came

They saw

 

 

They conquered!

TOS Crew Review - Before Five in a Row

Five in a Row is a curriculum that is thoroughly literature-based and whose authors have a heart for helping children love books and love learning.

First, a basic explanation of what the "Five in a Row" concept is all about -  good, quality, age-appropriate literature is used as a base for unit studies.  One book is read for five days (hence the "Five in a Row" name!) and used for discussions and teaching about everything from art, to geography, to math, science, social studies, and more! While FIAR's main curriculum is for grade school on up, they also have a curriculum just for preschoolers (ages 2-4), called Before Five-in-a-Row.

The vision statement for Before Five in a Row is this:

"Dedicated to protecting and nurturing the early years of childhood, Before Five in a Row opens up the world of learning through great books and creative play, and builds a solid foundation for more formal education to come."

Before Five in a Row is divided into two parts.  Part One contains 24 "lessons" - each lesson for one story.  Each lesson gives a basic summary of the story, includes Bible verses that can go along with the story, and many different suggestions for light activities or discussion topics for each story.  Part Two is the "Parent's Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness" and is a plethora of suggestions and resources for gentle things to enjoy with your child throughout their everyday living.

The activities are very light, easy to do, and natural - occasionally there were suggestions that needed materials to prepare for, but usually the activities had to do with the book itself, or having the child think creatively about the story.

There is a small amount of prep work I felt necessary for each lesson - first and foremost, locating the book!  Many are classic stories that we already had in our personal library (13 to be exact), and most others were found easily at the public library (our library had 7 that I didn't own).  There were a few titles listed (4) that are actually out of print, so I was not able to find them - most were available on amazon, but prices varied.  After gathering the books together, I did a brief run-through of the suggested activities and made note of which ones I wanted to do, and what supplies might be needed.  That took all of 5-10 minutes, so prep time was really very low!

My reviewers for Before Five in a Row were Judah (age 2), Nathan (age 4), and even Joel (age 6).  They all loved Before Five in a Row!  I don't know any child that doesn't want their favorite book read again and again and again, so each day when I pulled out the book of the week, they were very happy!  (Admittedly, Joel, being the "big kid", tended to object on the second day, but by the third or fourth day, he would ask for the book, too!)

I'll go ahead and be very blunt about my impression of Before Five in a Row (and if you've read my blog very long, this won't surprise you!) - I LOVE it.  Love, love, love it.  From their philosophy of childhood learning, to the beautiful books they've chosen, to the gentle, age-appropriate lessons they've pieced together, I feel that Before Five in a Row is a wonderful way to introduce a young child to the love of literature!  As well as a beautiful way to make memories together - snuggling up, reading stories and having delightful conversation.

Here's a quote from the introduction of the Before Five in a Row guide (which sums up my opinion of early childhood learning to a "T"!):

"Above all, the time between ages two and four should be a time of sharing, hugging, reading, singing, dancing, puzzles, blocks, outdoor excursions, swinging high, playing in the sand box and enjoying fascinating introductions to the wonderful world of life.

The ideas presented in Before Five in a Row are not meant to teach in depth, but only to enhance your child's awareness of the world around him and create memorable times of interaction between you. ..."

There are, however, two things I wish were a little bit different - one, I wish the parent's guide was spiral bound - I tend to feel that most teacher's guides are easier to handle when spiral-bound and this one is no different.  Second, I wish that the book guide and activities were updated so that the books that are out of print were replaced with easier to find books.  Both of these "complaints" are very small in my mind and would not deter me from using Before Five in a Row!

Also, I wanted to add - the book is very age-appropriate for the recommended 2-4 year old range.  I consider that a good thing, but could present a difficulty in trying to combine an older student K or 1st grade child (such as my Joel, for example).  Thankfully, it is very easy to find additional resources around the web designed to use with Before Five in a Row to help it cover an even broader age-range.  The stories themselves are timeless so that any age can enjoy them - so, with the help of a few supplemental activities, Before Five in a Row can easily be used for early elementary years, as well.

The parent's guide is priced at $35, and the books are sold separately or available at your local library.  Many you probably own already! 

As you can see, I would recommend Before Five in a Row in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a nice, gentle way to spend some structured "learning" time with their preschooler.

See what other TOS Crew members thought of Before Five in a Row at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the  purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool  Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Big IQ Kids

Big IQ Kids is an online drill program which covers math, spelling, vocabulary and U.S. geography, for grades K and up. Winner of the 2011 TOS Homeschool Crew Blue Ribbon Award for "Best Online Resource", Big IQ Kids offers both free and priced (premium) programs.

For this review, we were given access to their Premium Math and Premium US Geography programs, which have many additional features compared to the Free versions.  Some of these features include the ability to create a custom Big IQ "Buddy", automatic advancement to new levels based on performance, saved scores, and emailed progress reports... plus more!  (To see a full comparison, see their Free vs. Premium Math and Free vs. Premium U.S. Geography charts on the Big IQ Kids website).  We also used the free spelling and vocabulary program.

Each subject is designed to be done once a day, with each lesson taking no more than about 5 minutes.  I had my testers (Isaac (10) and Ezra (9)) go through Geography, Math, and Spelling and it always took them less than 15 minutes to complete the entire cycle.  For each lesson the student completes, they are rewarded with a coin that can be used in the game room, or used to enhance their Big IQ Buddy.  Most of the games in the game room cost one coin, and there is a large variety of games available, so the boys enjoyed that aspect quite a bit.

Math is set up just like a page of drills.  I was easily able to adjust which math facts I wanted each boy to review, and how many they were required to do in each lesson.  I appreciated that it went beyond just the 0-12 facts and the kids were able to practice multiple digit facts, with borrowing and carrying! Once they showed mastery at a certain table, they were moved onto the next one, automatically, and I was sent an email report letting me know.  This made it very easy for me to keep track of their progress!  One trouble they did have was when it came to typing in multiple-digit answers - it had to be typed in order of units, tens, hundreds (right to left, as when figuring out a math problem)  The boys were using scratch paper to figure out the actual problems and would get frustrated when they would try to type it in as a regular number (left to right).  Once they got the hang of it, however, it wasn't a huge issue.

U.S. Geography was probably their favorite portion.  For geography, they would select a state to learn about, and the program would tell them a few facts about that state.  Then they would be quizzed on a fact to see if they were paying attention.  There was a rapid "place the state" game in each lesson, in which they had to drag a state to it's proper location within the time limit.  It would only do a few states at a time, not all 50, so it was quick and fun.  Also included was a state capital review as well as a state abbreviation review - these were both similar to the "place the state" game.  If they did poorly on recalling the state facts, I was sent a progress report letting me know.

The spelling program is great, as well!  I could either enter my own spelling lists, or choose from a generic grade-level list.  I decided to go with a grade-level list and felt the words were grade-level appropriate.  The spelling incorporated games with pop quizzes, and tests. I received progress reports emailed to me to let me know how each pop quiz and test went, as well as words that were missed and how the attempted spelling the missed words.  I enjoyed that part, because it was helpful to see their weaknesses, as well as rather funny to see what spelling the boys would come up with!

The one complaint from the kids about the overall program was that the computerized voices were annoying.  Other than that, they really enjoyed Big IQ Kids!  The game coins were a huge incentive.  They quickly figured out that some games lasted a rather long time, and learned to budget their coins wisely on games that were worth their while.

You can read more about how it works, see the various pricing options, and read the FAQs and more on the Big IQ Kids Website!  Also see what other TOS Crew members thought by checking out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the  purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool  Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

All You Ever Wanted to Know (and Probably More) About Disc Golf

I've mentioned a few times that Disc Golf is one of the family activities we participate in.  Let me clarify - it's an activity that Michael and the boys do. I don't.  It's a bit hard to play while wearing a baby, nursing, or pregnant, so that leaves me out most of the time.  However, it really is a great family sport!  All ages can participate, and it's really inexpensive.

Our two oldest boys have participated in several leagues and one tournament, and are quickly making a name for themselves among the local disc golf crowd.  The littler kids are up-and-coming - even Judah can toss a disc pretty well!  We have a practice basket in the back yard, and the kids spend many afternoons out there "putting" around!  It's a slight obsession among a few of us... to say the least!  I won't name names, though.

What is Disc Golf, you ask?  Let me share this video!  It's pretty informative, but I like it best because there are some good scenes of Michael, Isaac and Ezra playing.  :-D 

See if you can spot them - Michael wears a red hat, has a beard, and his typical "disc golf" outfit is a blue shirt with tan shorts.  Isaac and Ezra are the only non-adults shown playing, so they're easy to spot.  Sometimes Joel, Nathan, and Judah make appearances, too, but you've got to be on the look out for them!

Here's my guys... and a lot of information about the wonderful world of Disc Golf!

Seven Quick Takes Friday - Volume 11

I didn't do any Quick Takes in August, so I have to start out with a little celebration!  Ezra turned 9 last month!  It was a very fun day, as Michael surprised him by taking the day off so they could spend some one-on-one Daddy/Son time.  He tries to fit in a special day with each of the boys on their birthdays, but usually it has to wait for the weekend.  It's a fun tradition that they all look forward to and makes their birthdays even more wonderful for them.  Here's the happy birthday boy!

His presents consisted of a new Disc Golf disc, and legos galore. He said it was the "best birthday EVER!" but I think he says that every year! 

And of course, in the last month, Rachel passed her 7 month marker!  She's starting to think about crawling - she can get to hands and knees pretty quickly, but is still figuring out what to do other than rock back and forth.  She'll be getting it soon, I can tell!  She wants to be on the go!  It also seems like she's getting a tooth in... there's been a lot of swelling, bubble blowing, and more nighttime wakings, so it seems like it is on the verge of popping out!  She's also started solids - she isn't all that interested, however, so I'm just taking it slow and letting her have fun with it.  She likes the spoon more than the food on the spoon!

Rachel's first time on the swing!

I wanted to share some beautiful handiwork made by my friend, Amy.  She hand makes custom picture frames, and they are goregous!  Here's the one she made for Rachel - I gave her free reign to do what she wanted, and it was absolutely perfect.  I'm still having trouble deciding what picture I want to use in it!

And here's one she did for Judah when he was born!

You can see more of her handiwork at her blog!  These make wonderful gifts, for all sorts of occasions!

Check out this super cool video!  It's really awesome, and convinces me ever more so that life was truly created with such intricacy and detail by an incredible creative and amazing God!

This week, we finally finished up the last of Sonlight's Core D!  We had finished it a little unevenly, as we got ahead of schedule in some areas and behind in others... but now everything is complete!  It was a great year, and I love Sonlight as much as I did when we first started, a little over a year ago.  We're going to take a week to get organized and then we move onto Core E!

I have to confess, my "getting up early and exercising" progress has fallen totally to the wayside.  A number of circumstances (including a loss of air conditioning for 2 weeks, followed by house guests for another week) really threw me off. So I'm a little nervous about getting back into my running plan and seeing how far behind I've fallen.  Will I have to start from scratch again?  I guess there's only one way to find out... and that's to just give it a go!  I'm mentally preparing myself to get on the ball starting next week.  I'll also admit that I'm not totally excited about it!  But I know that I always feel better when I'm making that time.

This weekend, our marriage will be hitting it's teenage years!  Sunday we will celebrate 13 years!  God has certainly brought us through many ups and downs, and we've (literally) grown up together as we've grown closer to Him.  I am thankful beyond what I can express for Michael and his love and leadership!

Here we are on that day!

And here we are at wedding, just last week:

(Michael was the best man in a cowboy-themed wedding, hence the hat!)

Boy, do the years fly by!

TOS Crew Review - Time 4 Learning

Time 4 Learning is a online curriculum, for grades Pre-K - Middle School.  It includes Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies and can be used as a complete curriculum or for needed extra learning, such as during the summer or after school hours.

The program is deigned to be used independently by the student, with parental progress and attendance reports available to see how your child is doing, through the Parent Administration page.  It is easy for a child to figure out what lessons to do, as they are arranged in order and have visual prompts to guide the child along.  The main work the parent or teacher has to do to get a child started is to decide how many lessons of each subject they would like the child to complete in a day.

Here's a video demonstration of how a student would log into their account and access their lessons:

(You can see more Time 4Learning Videos on their YouTube page)

From each grade, the child or parent can also access one grade up and one grade down. This is an asset, because while a child might be on a certain grade level for Math and Science, they may need a higher or lower grade for Language Arts, or other variations.  So having a range of grade levels available is a real plus!

After lessons, the parent has the option of allowing the child access to the "playground" area, which is a compilation of various (age appropriate) games.  The parent can control both how long the lesson time should be before the child is allowed to access the playground, as well as how much time they are allowed to spend on the playground.  There is an option to restrict playground access completely, as well.

For this review, we used this program for several levels - Pre-K, 1st grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade.  Pre-K through 3rd grade are considered "Lower Level", while 4th -8th grade are considered "Upper Level".  You can see lesson plans and scope and sequence for each grade here. It appears to me that the levels are divided so that the games available on the playground are age-appropriate and easy to play.

At the Pre-K level, there aren't "subjects" as there are in the other grades, instead there are themes that a child can choose to learn about - rhyming, colors, numbers, shapes, feelings, and so on.  There is a Pre-K 1 and a Pre-K 2, with Pre-K 2 going a little deeper into the topics touched on in Pre-K 1.  If you'd like a little more in-depth review of the Pre-K levels, be sure to check out my review of Time4Learning from last year!

In 1st grade and beyond, they have the subjects that I mentioned earlier - Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies.  In the lower level grades, all of the subjects are taught through fun animations and activities, which really capture the student's attention.

At the upper levels, there are still fun animations and activities, but the lessons start transitioning to a more "mature" layout - more of a textbook-type reading, with one or two small activities. They also start requiring a few at-home supplies for science lessons, as well as written work.  For this written work, there is a composition and editing program included on the student's main lesson page, on which they can type their assignments and then "hand them in" electronically.  I did not have either one of my upper level students do this, so I can't go into how this process works.

The parental page was a little tricky for me to get - figuring out the icons and understanding the layout, but once I spent a little more time in it, I understood it more.  So while not necessarily intuitive, it was insightful and helpful to be able to monitor the children's progress.  Here is an example:

See more Time 4Learning screenshots here

Overall, my kiddos really enjoyed Time 4 Learning.  My oldest, Isaac, who did the 5th grade level, expressed some disappointment in how much less "fun" many of his lessons were, compared to his brothers' (even the 4th grade level) and did not like the text book style writing. However, the opportunity to play on the playground was incentive enough for all!

I believe that Time 4 Learning is a very good tool!  While our current homeschool style isn't one that requires a full-fledged online, independent curriculum, I can see that Time 4 Learning would well suit this need if it ever arose.  Using it for supplement use is also an option, and could certainly be helpful during times that more independent learning is needed, such as when a new baby is born or other family transition. I felt that the assignments for the grade levels were appropriate - not too hard, but not too easy, either, and I appreciated how easy it was for me to control/limit the playground time, so that the kids weren't wrapped up in computer games all day.

Time 4 Learning is priced at $19.95/month for the first student, and $14.95/month for each additional student.  It comes with a 14-day Money Back Guarantee, so don't be afraid to give it a try!  You can also sign up for a free demo!

As always, be sure to see what other TOS Crew Members thought of Time 4 Learning by checking out the links at the TOS Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the  purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool  Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Nature Nuts

Nature Nuts is a trivia card game for 2-6 players, ages 8 and older, from the company Griddly Games.  It can be used as a stand-alone trivia game, as well in conjunction with their Wise Alec Family Game.

The game is very compact - 4 sets of different colored cards, plus a die with several colors on it come in the box, which conveniently has the directions printed right on it.  There's no extra packaging to mess with, so the box it comes in is also the box it is stored in, which makes it good for traveling and clean-up.

The rules of play are very easy - a player rolls the die, and either picks the colored card that the die indicates, or follows the specific instructions outlined for that color (for example, rolling a blue means the player can pick whatever color card they want).  The cards have two questions on them - one is worth 3 points, the other is worth 7, and difficulty is proportionate to point value.  The player picks which point value of question they would like to be asked, and if they get it correct, they get those points.  Pretty simple!  Players can agree to try to reach a certain amount of points, or play for a certain amount of time, to determine who wins.

Here's a brief video demonstration:

Three different trivia topics are covered - Plants, Animals, and Earth.  There's a set of "Wise Alec" cards, as well, which bring a spin of silliness and energy to the game.  The Wise Alec cards don't have trivia questions - instead, they have ways to earn bonus points, or even lose points!  Some examples of the activity suggestions on the Wise Alec cards include doing a penguin impression, having a jumping competition, or doing various yoga positions.  Environmental correctness is promoted through encouragement to recycle and have a compost pile, as well as other suggestions.

For the most part, we enjoyed Nature Nuts.  The questions were challenging (it is definitely accurate when it suggests ages 8 and over, as some questions I didn't even know the answer to!), but part of the fun was learning new and interesting things when we got questions wrong.  The kids especially enjoyed the Wise Alec cards, finding them funny and fun to do.  The amount of time the game takes is really up to the players, so can fit into any time slot, making it easy for some quick, fun family time even on busy nights.

However, there were a few small drawbacks that I found.  On a practical level, the cards are thin and rather flimsy, so they are easy bent or torn by overly rambunctious players or too much use.  Also, while we believe in being good stewards of the earth God has given us, we are not very into the modern "green" movement, so sometimes the environmental emphasis seemed a little overboard.  In the same way, we don't practice yoga, so those cards were not something we made use of.

Of course, as with any product, what are potential negatives for my family might be potential positives for another's, so please take into consideration your own viewpoints and convictions on those topics!

Nature Nuts, as well as other Griddly Games, can be found at various retailers, priced right around $15.

To see what other TOS Crew Members thought of Nature Nuts, be sure to head over to the TOS Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the  purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool  Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

Treasures of August

August was a treasure trove of excellent blog posts! There's a lot listed here, I hope you can make the time to check out them all - you will be blessed!

Motherhood is Application at Desiring God - if you only read one of these links, read this one!

Three Under Three with a Newborn at Large Family Logistics

Are Moms Adequate for the Task of Raising Sons? at thatmom.com

25 Ways to Provoke Our Children to Anger at Counseling One Another - Ouch!  I have failed this test many, many times! :(

Impacting Eternity at Making Home - beautiful!

As a Mom at Graceful Abandon

A + B ≠ C {a parenting equation} at Brooke McGlothlin

Trust Your Body? or Control Your Birth? at Birth Sense

Consolation at Thoughts from an Overthinker - SO good.  Read it!

Gossip at The Gospel Coalition

From At the Well:

• We're All Bad Moms (and What the Gospel Can Do
• Be an At-Home Momma 

Don't Forget Your Purpose at Large Family Mothering

Guest Post:  7 Keys to a Successful Homeschool at Charlotte Mason Home Education

The Mission Field in My Yard at Lambs in His Arms

The Not Really Kindergarten Post at In the Heart of My Home - Yes, yes!  Love this!

Do You Have Time to Home School? at Heavenly Homemakers 

Is It Worth It? at The Better Mom 

Dangerous at Books and Bairns 

From Raising Arrows:

• Tips for Homeschooling a Large Family 
• Weekends in the Word - Over and Over and Over Again

Fitting it In at A Family Revised

What My Pre-K Student Needs to Know at Christian Homeschoolers Taking a Stand

If Feeling Inadequate Was an Olympic Event... at True Woman

You Can Never Afford Them at The National Catholic Register

From Passionate Homemaking:

•  Good Things Come in Squirmy Packages
• What Man Can Relate to a Stay-at-Home Mom? 

A "Jump Start" to a Joyful School Year at Crosswalk.com

God Will Never Give You More... at Femina

What Kids Really Need at God Made... Home Grown

Not a Kid Person? at Get Along Home

From Like Mother, Like Daughter:

•  Self-Control and Where to Get It
• What Can Children Do?  A Guide 

Uncertainly Certain at (in)Courage

Preparing our Daughters for Real Life (Hazaq V'Amatz!) at Raising Homemakers

5 Highly Effective Habits Homemakers Have to Keep a Clean House at Joyful Mothering

a harvest in my lap at For Kith and Kingdom