Our Homeschool Reviews: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Thrifty Thursday

I'll be adding more freebies and samples throughout the day to Our Homeschool Reviews, so please check back, or better yet, follow along with Google Friend Connect on the right! And don't forget to enter my current giveaway HERE!

And if you see any deals, please leave a comment to tell me about them!

FREE 8x10 Collage Print

Go to Walgreens on Facebook and like them. Use the code FBCOLL today AND tomorrow for a FREE 8×10 collage print. Send to the store to pick up for FREE S&H. One per person, code expires 10/01/10.

Mattel Recall

Mattel has issued a voluntary recall for several of their products. Check HERE to see if what you have is on their list.

90% off Restaurant.com

TODAY ONLY go to Restaurant.com for 90% off. Use the code WOW during check out. This makes a $25 voucher ONLY $1!

FREE Sun Maid Raisins Fruit & Sunshine Recipe Book

Get a FREE Sun Maid Raisins Fruit & Sunshine Recipe Book via mail or download a PDF copy of it.

FREE Cold Stone Ice Cream Social

Join the World’s Largest Ice Cream Social today at Cold Stone. From 5 to 8 PM get a FREE 3 oz “Like It” sized cup of ice cream (Kate’s Creation Flavor). This is part of the Make a Wish promotion they have going on for the month of September.

Quality Health Fall Samples

FREE Sample Aleve

Go HERE to get a FREE sample of Aleve! You do NOT need to be a Sam’s Club member to get this sample. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

FREE Shout Color Catcher Sample

Go HERE to get a FREE Shout Color Catcher sample!

FREE Baby Talk and American Baby Magazine

Go HERE to get a FREE subscription to Babytalk magazine and a FREE 6 month subscription to American Baby magazine.

FREE Beach Nut Starter Kit

Go HERE to get a FREE Beech-Nut Starter kit filled with coupons and more.

Strawberry Shortcake Toys for $2.49 at Toys R Us

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cruiser RC $14.98 (buy 2)
Use this $5 off $25 Toys R’ Us printable couponUse 2 $10/1 coupons from the 9/28 Hasbro Coupon Insert in the paper
=$2.49 each after coupons!!

FREE Sample Roundup

Check out the Free Sample Roundup by Deal Seeking Mom!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: The Moon

...and don't forget to enter my current giveaway HERE!

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Thanks!

Just wanted to send a quick THANKS to everyone who has visited, followed, commented, entered giveaways, and spent the time to read my homeschool ramblings.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Our Nature Studies

When I began to write this article I was going to explain how there are not many places near us to view nature, but as I started to go back through the photos we have, I realized that there is nature all around us, no matter where we are.

I think the best way to tell you about our nature studies is to show you in pictures. Hope you enjoy them!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Amy's Giveaway!

For my next giveaway, I am happy to announce that it will be from Amy's Kitchen! Amy's started out in 1987 by using their own house and barn as headquarters. Since then, Amy’s has created over 88 frozen meals, including pizzas, pocket sandwiches, pot pies, entrees, snacks, and whole meals. In 1999, they introduced a grocery line that now includes canned soups, beans and chili as well as jarred pasta sauces and salsas.

Now here is what I like best about Amy's: Many of their products are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or low-fat, and they have been introducing many of the best-selling products in a Light in Sodium version (which are the ones I like the best)!

Amy’s Kitchen uses certified organic ingredients, including vegetables, grains and fruits grown without pesticides. Dairy products are made with pasteurized rBST hormone-free milk and do not contain animal enzymes or rennet. No dishes contain meat, fish, poultry or eggs. Amy's products are non-GMO and do not contain hydrogenated fats or oils.

Amy's was nice enough to send me a wonderful giveaway package so the winner of this giveaway will receive: An Amy's 100% organic cotton tote, an Amy's Natural and Organic Meal information brochure, a Coupon Booklet, one (1) coupon for a FREE canned item of your choice, and one (1) coupon for a FREE frozen food item of your choice!

My Thoughts: I love that Amy's uses certified organic ingredients and I like that they carry a low sodium line. We purchased the mushroom and olive pizza shown above. My daughter and I had it for lunch this week and enjoyed it. She can be a pretty picky eater, so when she said she liked it and asked for a second slice, I knew it was a winner! It was not greasy at all and the serving size was just right.

Thoughts of a 7-Year Old: The pizza was delicious and I ate three slices. I liked the crust and everything about it.

So, here's how to enter to win the Amy's prize package! For each comment, you will get one (1) entry. Only the first comment is mandatory, all others will just increase your chance at winning.

1. Visit Amy's website and tell me what you would like to try if you won. This is a mandatory entry! Leave me a comment and this will give you 1 entry.

Additional Entries:

2. Visit Amy's facebook page and "like" them. Come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did this and that will give you another entry.

3. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect (on the right side of my page) or let me know you are already a follower. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

4. Subscribe to my blog by email though feedburner HERE. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

5. Like my Facebook page HERE. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

6. Share this giveaway on your blog. Leave me a comment sharing your link and this will give you two (2) entries (leave separate comments for both).

7. Share this giveaway on your facebook page. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**

One random winner we be selected using Random.org on Friday, October 1, 2010. (U.S. Entries only.) If I am unable to reach the winner within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected. Your entry is only valid if you include a way for me to contact you (either an email address in your comment or on your profile). This product will ship directly from the company.

Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.

And the What's in the Bible DVD Winner is....

Comment # 57: Jordyn said...I would love to win this DVD for my friend's kids. It is really hard to find quality children's programming.

I used Random.org to pick the winner and I have already notified her via email.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the What's in the Bible Giveaway via Our Homeschool Reviews and thanks again to Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to offer this great DVD!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Thrifty Thursday

A Little Bit of Philly FREE Tote Bag

FREE American Girl Doll Party at Michaels

On Saturday 9/25, visit Michael's for a special The Knack event that will allow girls ages 8 and up to create everything they need to host an American Girl doll-sized party!

O.N.E. Organic Skin Care FREE Sample

Request a FREE sample of O.N.E. Organic All-In-One Skin Care by mail.

Nature Own - Win FREE Bread for a Year

Nature Own just announced a contest on their Facebook page. Enter with your recipe to get your whole grains into your diet and you could win a year’s supply of FREE bread (52 coupons). The contest started 9/16 and ends 9/28.

$50,000 Craftmaid Contest - HURRY to Enter

The designer of kitchens, baths, laundry rooms and more is offering a $50,000 DREAM KITCHEN makeover. Enter to win a $50,000 make over by clicking the link above or going HERE.

Mariani FREE Samples

Request a FREE sample of Mariani Cinnamon Raisin Bread Raisins HERE!

$2/1 Playtex Coupon Walgreens Scenario

Get the $2/1 Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons (18 ct or larger) coupon Red Plum!

Walgreens:
Playtex GentleGlide Tampons 18 pk. $3.99
Use the $2/1 coupon found HERE
Use the $1/1 coupon from the September Coupon Booklet (found in stores)
Final Cost $0.99!

FREE Sutter Home Night of Hope Kit
"Like" Sutter Home on Facebook, then request a "Night of Hope" party-ready kit filled with all sorts of goodies: Sutter Home for Hope pink Chico Bag, pink ribbon bracelets, pink corkscrew, wine tasting skirts, recipes and more.

Coupon Roundup
Visit Deal Seeking Mom for a Coupon Roundup

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: A Kiss

...and don't forget to enter my current giveaway HERE!

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Don't Forget About The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner!

Just a reminder about this awesome planner!

614 Pages
Calendar through 2013
Weekly and Daily Schedules
Assignments and Attendance Charts
Planning Forms
Tracking and Activity Logs
Report Cards
Transcript Forms...and MUCH MORE!!

There are literally hundreds of forms and many are customizable!!

Also included is educational information:

July: Tips for managing your homeschool while managing your home
August: The benefits of joining a homeschool co-op
September: The value of reading the classics
October: Teaching your children good manners: It starts with RESPECT

TOS Magazine's Schoolhouse Store offers The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner for only $39. Not a bad price considering you won't have to ever buy a planner again! You can read more about it HERE and see some sample pages HERE.

Also available are NEW Student Planners. You can choose from Primary, Middle School, and/or High School and you can see those HERE.

You can also read my review HERE.

Disclosure: As a member of the TOS Crew, I wrote this while participating in the The Old Schoolhouse advertising campaign, making me eligible to win a prize. I received a free copy of the planner to facilitate the writing of this blog post.

Friday, September 17, 2010

This Week's Blog Walk

Here are some blogs to check out this week from my fellow Crew members. And if you haven't entered my giveaway yet, check it out HERE!

Hearthside Homeschool Reviews... And More
Loving Learning at Home
Life on the Roller Coaster
A Life Better Than I Deserve
Joy in the Journey
Homeschooling, Autism & Stuff
There is Hope
Homeschool Reviews for You
Mom Loves Books
The Legacy of Home

Thursday, September 16, 2010

What's in the Bible Review and Giveaway!

Our Homeschool Reviews has hit 100 followers, so to celebrate, I am excited to announce that I will be hosting my very first giveaway!!! I hope you are as excited as I am!!

What’s in the Bible? is a new DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer designed to walk kids and families through the entire Bible. The 13 DVD-series released in March 1, 2010.

So far, only three DVDs are available to purchase:

DVD #1 - In the Beginning
DVD #2 - Let My People Go
DVD #3 - Wanderin' in the Desert

DVD #4, which takes you through the book of Ruth, should start showing up in stores around the beginning of October. Phil is currently writing DVD #5, covering the lives of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon, which will come out in the Spring of 2011. In addition, they are also working on a What's in the Bible? curriculum, coming out in November.

Tyndale House Publishers has been extremely generous in sending me a copy of the first three to review, AND one lucky reader will win a copy of DVD #1 - In the Beginning!!

My Thoughts: I came across this series a couple months ago and without even watching the videos, I was excited about it! All you have to do is take a few minutes to browse around their website and you know what I am talking about! We have watched the DVDs and they are hilariously funny AND educational!! Each character has his or her own unique personality and they just leave you wanting to hear more (and some have left us laughing uncontrollably, with tears rolling down our cheeks)! You can meet some of the characters and watch a few clips from the DVDs HERE. The great thing is, that not only did our daughter learn some new things, my husband and I did too! We definitely plan to purchase the rest of the series as they become available.

Thoughts of a 7-Year Old: It was pretty funny and the characters are puppets. Some of the puppets names are Chuckwagon, Sunday School Lady, Clive and Ian, Buck Denver, the pastor, and Michael (the boy in the car). Oh, and of course, Phil, who's not a puppet. It's about the Bible.

So, here's how to enter to win a copy of DVD #1 - In the Beginning! For each comment, you will get one (1) entry. Only the first comment is mandatory, all others will just increase your chance at winning.

1. Visit the What's in the Bible? website and tell me one reason you would like to win this DVD. This is a mandatory entry! Leave me a comment and this will give you 1 entry.

Additional Entries:

2. Visit the What's in the Bible? facebook page and "like" them. Come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did this and that will give you another entry.

3. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect (on the right side of my page) or let me know you are already a follower. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

4. Subscribe to my blog by email though feedburner HERE. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

5. Share this giveaway on your blog. Leave me a comment sharing your link and this will give you two (2) entries (leave separate comments for both).

6. Share this giveaway on your facebook page. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.

**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**

One random winner we be selected using Random.org on Friday, September 24, 2010. (U.S. Entries only.) If I am unable to reach the winner within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected. Your entry is only valid if you include a way for me to contact you (either an email address in your comment or on your profile). This product will ship directly from the company.

Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.

Thrifty Thursday

I'll be adding more freebies and samples throughout the day to Our Homeschool Reviews, so please check back, or better yet, follow along with Google Friend Connect on the right! I only need ~~three~~ ~~two~~ one more follower until I can host two exciting giveaways!!

Wholly Guacamole: B1G1 FREE Coupon
Go to Homegating Headquarters, register, click on the “Get Coupon” button. If you are one of the first 16,000 people to click on the coupon button, you’ll snag a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Wholly Guacamole coupon!

FREE Sample Soooo Sweet
Head on over HERE and get a sample of Soooo Sweet!

Picaboo: FREE Photo Book plus Shipping
Picaboo is offering a FREE 8.5 x 11 Hardcover Photo Book ($39.95 value) to new customers!! All you have to pay is $8.99 for shipping. At checkout use coupon code 1FBLGB-7W which will deduct the cost of the photo book and leave you to just pay shipping.

New $10 off Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Coupon
Get $10/1 Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Blu-ray Combo Pack! The movie will be available starting next Tuesday (9/21), but the coupon is good through 10/3.

FREE Admission for Kids on Pirate Day to the GA Aquarium
Kids 12 and under can dress like a pirate September 24-25, 2010 and receive free admission to the Georgia Aquarium. See more information HERE.

New P&G Coupons and Samples by Mail
Go HERE and register or sign in, then click on Samples & Coupons.

Coupon Roundup
Visit the Deal Seeking Mom for a coupon roundup!

Get your own FREE Linky Tools

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Puppet Show

Thanks for stopping by! I only need ~~six~~ four more followers until I can host two exciting giveaways!! Please follow along using GFC!

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PyraMath Review

$Photobucket$ I can honestly say with 100% certainty that math is not the most favorite subject in our home. It is really a shame though, because our daughter understands it, and when she concentrates, can complete her assignments with no problem. She just doesn't want to do it. So I was happy when I found out that I was going to be reviewing PyraMath! At the time, I had never heard of PyraMath, so let me tell you a little bit about it.

PyraMath is a one or two player card game. The objective of the game is to complete a pyramid with your cards by using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division. Whoever is the first to finish their pyramid wins! For an added bonus, each card is also marked with English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Roman, and French numerical translation and symbols. We just happen to be learning about Roman Numerals, so it was nice to be able to see them and talk about them.

$Photobucket$

We have played this game many times since we have had it and we enjoy it. For now though, we are only using addition and subtraction to play. There are different variations of the game though. You start with the basic two player game. You can find an online video of the instructions for the basic game HERE. I found the video much more helpful than the instructions included with the deck. Once you get the hang of that, you can move to the faster moving "speed" game. You can get addicted and play the online version of speed HERE (you'll thank me later for that). For our second grader, the basic game will do just fine for a while. :o) There are also instructions to play War, and a few other games.

$Photobucket$

My Thoughts: I think PyraMath is a great game to help reinforce math skills. Your children will learn by playing instead of by completing boring worksheets or monotonous flashcards. It's also a great family game.

Thoughts of a 7-Year Old: It's fun and it helps me learn and I really like it.

Find Out More: PyraMath is sold by I See Cards, along with several other math card games, and it sells for only $6.95 per deck. You can also visit their facebook page to get a chance to win a deck of cards. Remember that online speed game I told you about? You have to be really good at it!!

My Crewmates are also reviewing PyraMath, so you can check out what they think HERE.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Free Time - Where Is It and How Do I Get It?

As homeschooling parents, free time may be hard to come by. We are with our children 24/7. They are there when we wake up, get dressed, eat meals, go to the bathroom, and go to bed. Days start running into one another and it all starts all over again.

So do we deserve free time? YES! Should we feel guilty if we get it? I don't think so. We need that time to re-energize and to stay focused. We all love our children, but I'm sure everyone has had those days where you just want to pull your hair out! Don't deny it, you know you have. ;o) We all need to have balance in our lives and spend some time with other adults. So how do we find that free time to take?

First, I think it is important that you spend time with your spouse without your children. Take that time to reconnect with each other without someone calling your name a 100 times in 30 seconds. If you have family in town, ask if they would watch the children while you and your spouse go on a date. Maybe once a month they could spend the night at grandma and grandpa's house. Wouldn't that be nice!!

If you have no family in town, maybe you have a friend in the same situation, and you could swap children for a few hours. You watch theirs one night and they can watch yours another night.

Of course, getting a babysitter is another option, but I would only do this if I totally trusted and knew the person for many years (and installed video cameras all over the house and camped in the backyard watching their every move for at least a year) That does qualify as free time you know! ;o)

Ok, so what about free time with your friends? I think this is great too, but only in moderation. A couple times a month is great. You and your spouse can take turns watching the kids. Whenever I go out for a mom's night, they get to have a daddy/daughter night. There are not many times when they get time alone with each other (since I am always there), so it is a special time for them!

What about other times? I think it is great to have a quiet time in the house each day so you can relax and have time to yourself. Kind of like a lunch break, but usually later in the afternoon. If the children are past the napping age, have them play quietly with each other in their rooms for a set period of time. You can even try setting a timer so they know when the timer rings, quiet time is over.

I know free time for yourself can be hard to come by and sometimes nowhere to be found, but if you make an effort to schedule it, it can really be a great thing!

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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Thrifty Thursday

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: The Moon

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Thanks!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Our Nature Studies

Friday, September 24, 2010

Amy's Giveaway!

And the What's in the Bible DVD Winner is....

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Thrifty Thursday

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: A Kiss

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Don't Forget About The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner!

Friday, September 17, 2010

This Week's Blog Walk

Thursday, September 16, 2010

What's in the Bible Review and Giveaway!

Thrifty Thursday

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Puppet Show

PyraMath Review

Monday, September 13, 2010

Free Time - Where Is It and How Do I Get It?

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