Wife to a wonderful husband and mom to a beautiful daughter.
Our daughter is 15 years old and in 10th grade. She was homeschooled through 8th grade and is now in high school and doing great!
I currently work from home, teaching English to children in China with VIPKID!
To be in compliance with the recent FTC ruling that bloggers need to disclose if they are being paid or compensated for their posts, the following is my disclosure policy:
Our Homeschool Reviews is a blog written by me, Christine. Its sole purpose is to share homeschooling products and ideas with you.
Our Homeschool Reviews does accept and keep free products from companies and organizations. That being said, I will not be influenced by any form of compensation. I will always write my honest opinions and experiences.
Our Homeschool Reviews has several links to various stores. Some of these links are affiliate links. That means that if you click on them and purchase something using that link I get a *small* percentage of the sale. You do not have to click on them, but you are more than welcome to {and thank you if you do}.
Molly Green/Econobusters is a sister company to TOS and they are in the process of putting together Molly’s Home Team – a great new way to introduce bloggers to brands and vice versa.
I've been selected as one of their team members and I'll soon be reviewing products for the household - such as kitchen gadgets, cleaners, foods, etc.
I'm very excited because Molly is all about saving time and money...and that is right up my alley!
I've written a short article which is currently featured on Econobusters, so if you have time, please go and check it out!
This week will be short on meals since today is Halloween, Thursday is my birthday {so we will be going out to dinner}, and Friday we will be out as well.
A few weeks ago I reviewed E-mealz {you can see my post here} and received their permission to post a few recipes. Today I'll post my last.
Dinner 1: Chicken Wings {in laws are bringing them over tonight}
Dinner 2: Crispy Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli, and Hot Apple Crunch
Dinner 3: Chicken Gumbo and French Bread
Crispy Baked Chicken
2 c corn flakes
Large zip bag ¾ t garlic salt ¾ t seasoned salt
1 egg ¾ c milk 2 split chicken breasts
2 large tart apples, chopped
¼ c brown sugar
2 T melted butter
1 T flour
2 T chopped pecans
¼ c oatmeal
1 pkg mashed potatoes
1 pkg broccoli Butter, salt, pepper
Place cereal in a large zip bag and crush into small pieces. Add garlic and seasoned salt to bag and combine well. Place mixture in a dish. Whisk egg and milk together in another bowl. Dip chicken in egg bath, then into cereal mixture. Coat well on both sides. Place in a greased baking dish. Bake @ 375⁰ for 40 minutes or until chicken is done.
Spread apples in square baking dish. Combine sugar, butter, flour, pecans and oatmeal in a bowl; blend well. Spread this topping over apples. Bake at 350⁰, 30 min, uncovered.
Prepare mashed potatoes according to pkg directions. Steam broccoli according to pkg directions. Season as desired.
What recipes do you have for the week? For more recipes or to link up, click the picture at the top.
The Blog Cruise question this week is: What does lesson planning look like in your homeschool?
Would it be bad to say that I don't really plan out our lessons?? I do plan out the curriculum for the year though, and the curriculum I choose plans the lessons for me. :)
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I use Heart of Dakota. This year we are using Bigger Hearts for His Glory. One of the many things I love about this curriculum is that everything is planned out for me. All I have to do is open the book and read what comes next. Each day is a two page spread.
{Click to enlarge}
Since a few of the subjects we use are different from what Heart of Dakota recommends, I don't follow every box. For those other subjects, I just place a tab where we left off in the book and start there next time.
Below is an example of what I lay out each day. This is the school work for today {and now I can see I forgot to add her Latin...oops}.
As Funny Bunny completes a subject, I log it on her weekly planner sheet and set it aside.
So that is a quick peek into how our lessons are planned. How do you plan your lessons?
Since getting back home from our trip to Colonial Williamsburg, we are still not back into a perfect school routine. So I thought I would show you some pictures of the various occupations we saw. Depending on the occupation, you train as an apprentice for between four and seven years.
Halloween is less than a week away so if you are still trying to find that perfect costume, why not shop online and have it delivered right to your door! Costume Discounters has a huge selection of Halloween costumes and we were able to browse their website so Funny Bunny could pick out a costume for herself. She picked this cute Candy Corn Witch costume.
Costume Discounters also has the lowest prices guaranteed, and if you find an identical costume somewhere else online, they will match the price. Not only that, but if you find the identical costume elsewhere within 10 days of your purchase at a lower price, they will match the costume price and take off an additional 20%. Not a bad guarantee.
And since Halloween is not far off, they offer same day shipping and have a 3-day delivery special running right now, which you can find out more about on their homepage.
My Thoughts: Browsing the Costume Discounters website was easy. Costumes are divided up into departments on the left hand side, so it was easy to search for "Girls Costumes." They also divide costumes into: Popular Characters, Themes, and Holidays.
Ordering was simple and we received our package quickly and in excellent condition. The sizing scale was accurate and the costume fit Funny Bunny perfectly! We could not have asked for anything better! I was very pleased!
I just wanted to make a note that there are some "adult" costumes which are a little risque but I just ignored those and searched for exactly what I was interested in.
Find Out More: You can search for your favorite costume at their website. Maybe you are looking for the perfect witch Halloween costume also. And before buying it, be sure to check out the Halloween Safety Alert. It has some great tips on costume designs and pedestrian safety.
Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the products to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.
After being gone for a week we are trying to get back into the swing of things. Here are some dinners that we have planned for the week.
Oh, and I reviewed E-mealz a couple weeks ago {you can see my post here} and received their permission to post a couple recipes. So you will find one below.
Dinner 1: EZ Slow Bake Burritos
Dinner 2: Dressed Up Chicken Soup
Dinner 3: Oriental Ribs, Steamed Rice, and Green Beans
I don't like cleaning. I know, shocking, right? So I like when I can find products that make my job of cleaning just a little bit easier. I also like products that are all natural and non-toxic.
So when I was contacted by Natural House, I was interested to hear more.
The creators of Natural House are the Powers family, a mom and dad of twins (and a Miniature Schnauzer...so cute). They found that as their babes began to grow up and play in the toilet and tub, they needed to change all of their cleaning products, so their sensitive skin wasn’t absorbing any harsh, or unfriendly chemicals. As they researched they realized they needed to create a line of products utilizing the power of probiotics.
All of their products are phosphate/APE-free, eco-friendly, non-toxic and biodegradable. They do not believe in using any genetically modified (GM) bacteria. Natural House products are strong enough for commercial clean-up, yet safe and gentile for all of the members of your Natural House.
I received a month supply of three different natural household cleaning products: Trashy, Sinky, and Flushy. Love the names, don't you?!
Trashy is a trash can deodorizer and scrubber. It removes odors at the source and can be used for inside, as well as outside cans.
It was simple to use. I just sprayed it into my trash can before adding the bag. It has a nice fresh wintergreen scent that was not too overpowering.
Sinky is a disposal scrubber and drain maintenance. The 30-day supply comes with 4 water soluble packets in a fresh citrus scent. Sinky has a natural probiotic action that digests odors and scours pipe build-up.
To use you place a Sinky packet into your drain, turn on hot water for 5-10 seconds, turn on your disposal (if you have one) for 1-3 seconds, and then watch Sinky's foaming action go to work.
Flushy is a toilet bowl cleaner and drain and septic treatment. This 30-day supply also comes with 4 water soluble packets but in a fresh mint scent. Flushy cuts through stains, hard water, and calcium deposits in the bowl. The probiotics continue to consume toilet paper and waste build up in the p-trap, drain and pipes, and maintains the health of the septic system.
To use you place a Flushy probiotic packet into your toilet bowl, watch it's foaming action work for 5-10 seconds, scrub the bowl with a brush, and flush.
To see how they work, check out this video:
My Thoughts: I like the concept of all three products. It was fun to watch both Flushy and Sinky foam up and work. All three of us were literally hunched over the toilet watching the foaming action take place {maybe I can now get Funny Bunny to clean toilets}! All three were easy to use and I like the fact that they are phosphate/APE-free, eco-friendly, non-toxic and biodegradable!
Find Out More: You can find out more about Natural House and all three products at their website. Each 30-day supply package sells for $4.99. You can purchase any of these products on the Natural House website or on Amazon. You can also find Natural House on Facebook and Twitter.
8. Post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook
9. Tweet about this giveaway up to once a day: I entered to #win #NaturalHousePro from @OurHSReviews http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/natural-house-cleaners-review-and.html #Giveaway ends 11/6
**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**
Contest ends on Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 11:59 EST. The winner will be chosen by Random.org.This contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 or older. If I am unable to reach the winner by email 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). The winner's name will be obtained and publicly announced. The number of eligible entries determines the odds of winning. No purchase is necessary to win and this contest is void where prohibited by law.
Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the products to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.
after being out of town for a week i have a lot to catch up on so today we will be doing a full day of school and running errands.
~two~
tonight is my thirty-one launch party and i am so excited!!! i am hosting it at my house with some close friends and family so i can get a little practice doing a party. so i'll be adding cleaning the house and baking some yummy chocolate chip banana bread to my list of things to do today. :)
~three~
we have so many pictures from our trip, i wish i could show them all. here is one of a beautiful tree and it's changing leaves.
~four~
since daddy and funny bunny can't be home tonight, they get to have a night out together. i know funny bunny really enjoys these times out with her dad!
~five~
just wanted to send a quick shout out to hubby for driving the majority of the trip. 7 hours there and the whole 10 hours back. and also apologize for all the pit stops i had to make along the way...too much coffee and water. ;)
Cooper and Me is an adorable book which was illustrated by 11-year-old Alexa Peters and co-written with her mother, Monique Peters. The idea for the book was inspired by Alexa's own experiences on her first day of school. A talented young artist and writer, Alexa wanted to give back to others in a meaningful way through her art. Starting at a very young age, Alexa created illustrated stories about her daily experiences, and from the pages of her sketchbooks came the idea for her first book, Cooper and Me.
Funny Bunny's Review:
Cooper and Me is a book about a girl who is nervous about her first day of school and wishes she could bring her dog Cooper with her. Her mommy and daddy tried to tell her how much fun school would be. She talks to Cooper about it and they decide she has nothing to fear, but she is still sad to leave Cooper behind. In the end, her mommy finds a solution to make her happy!
I like Cooper and Me and think it would be a good book for children, like the girl in the book, who are scared about their first day of school. It will show them that they have nothing to fear!
While on their journey of writing and publishing, Alexa and Monique Peters felt it was important to apply their passion for helping children to a charity that truly made a difference in kids’ lives. Their search for an organization to which they could donate a portion of the proceeds from the original Cooper and Me book led to an alliance with the Happy Hearts Fund.
Find out More: Here you can find out more about the book Cooper and Me. Each Cooper and Me story is accompanied by three original, infectiously upbeat songs and narration. Cooper and Me sells for $12.99.
7. Post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook
8. Tweet about this giveaway up to once a day: I entered to #win the #cooper_and_me book from @OurHSReviews http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/cooper-and-me-review-and-giveaway.html #Giveaway ends 10/29
**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**
Contest ends on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 11:59 EST. The winner will be chosen by Random.org.This contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 or older. If I am unable to reach the winner by email 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). The winner's name will be obtained and publicly announced. The number of eligible entries determines the odds of winning. No purchase is necessary to win and this contest is void where prohibited by law.
Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the products to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.
I received a wonderful package from Burt's Bees to try out and tell you about. Included in my package were a full size Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser and Daily Moisturizer. The Facial Cleanser is a soap-free cream cleanser clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin while gently cleansing away dirt, oil and make-up without over drying or causing redness.
The Daily Moisturizer is clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin all day without causing redness or irritation.
If you have never heard of Burt's Bees, their goal is to create and educate people on truly natural products that have a positive effect on both you and the world you live in for the good of your well-being, for the good of the environment and for The Greater Good.
My Thoughts: I tried both the Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser and Daily Moisturizer for about a week. Both made my skin feel soft and smooth. I have to be honest though, after about three days of using the products, I started to break out on my forehead. I wasn't sure if it was from the Burt's Bees products though, so I continued to use them for the remainder of the week. My breakout continued until about two days after I stopped using the products. I am not sure why my skin reacted the way it did and I was disappointed since my skin was so smooth at first. I'm sure every person is different though, so if you are looking for a natural skin care solution, it may be worth a try.
Find Out More: You can find out more at Burt's Bees products at http://www.burtsbees.com/. The Daily Moisturizer sells for $15 and the Facial Cleanser is $10. Both are 99% natural.
Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews by BzzAgent for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the products to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.
I've been selected as one of their team members and I'll soon be reviewing products for the household - such as kitchen gadgets, cleaners, foods, etc.
