Friday, November 28, 2014

Truth in the Tinsel for Advent

https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=118014&c=ib&aff=171445
I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you are still looking for something to use with your kids for Advent, look no further!!  You need to check out Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience For Little Hands.

We've used it the past couple years and would recommend it to anyone with young children.

Each day you are led through a scripture passage, ornament craft, and discussion.

It's a great way to weave together learning scripture, hands-on activities, and family time with your children in the season of Advent.

Even though Truth in the Tinsel is geared for preschool to elementary, it's really great for all ages, especially those children who love crafts. We used it a couple years ago when Funny Bunny was 9 and she was able to complete most of the crafts on her own.  Below are a few.


 

Truth in the Tinsel can be downloaded immediately for only $7.99.  What a great way to learn about Advent together with your children.  And as a special thanks to my readers, use the code OURHOMESCHOOL and get 20% of the ebook!!  Expires 12/24/14.



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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!




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Saturday, November 22, 2014

Just Sayin' by Carol McAdams Moore Review

Just Sayin' by Carol McAdams Moore is a fun book for girls, packed with 90 devotions they can write, draw, or hide in their heart.

It's definitely not the typical 90-day devotional book.  Almost like a personal journal, girls will learn more about themselves and their faith, while also expressing their thoughts and emotions into doodles, pictures, and writings.

Each of the short devotions has relevant topics, quotes, and Scripture, along with journal prompts, puzzles, activities, quizzes, and more.

It's a great way to read something about God, learn something about yourself, then express it on paper.

Thoughts of an 11-Year Old:  Just Sayin' by Carol McAdams Moore is a devotional book just for girls. It's fun and has lots of ways to draw and shine for Jesus!

I like Just Sayin' because it is fun and interactive, and I love love love to draw.It is a fun way to get to know Jesus' word.

My favorite pages so far are 24, 27 and 30. It's fun to draw, but even more fun to draw God's word!

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Zondervan.  Just Sayin' is only $9.99 and great for girls ages 8-12.




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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Fishy





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Monday, November 17, 2014

A Very 1 Girl Nation Christmas CD GIVEAWAY!!!

I am very excited to be able to host this awesome giveaway for my readers!! Back in September our church hosted a preteen girls conference and 1 Girl Nation was the entertainment the first night and guest speakers the next afternoon.


After the concert the band stayed until every single girl was able to talk with them and get autographs.  Below you can see Funny Bunny talking to each one.


I cannot began to tell you what an inspiration each one of the girls was.  For about an hour they spoke with the audience and answered questions.

Thoughts of an 11-Year Old:  First of all, 1 Girl Nation is my favorite band ever, and they are amazing! It also helps to know that there are great singers out there that glorify God with every song.

Secondly, I was even MORE excited when they came to our church's Heart to Heart Conference and Concert! They sang wonderfully and I was able to meet each one. They also told each of their testimonies and it was fun to have them here with us!

We were all anxiously awaiting the release of A Very 1 Girl Nation Christmas CD. And we got it! I was very excited when we received it in the mail. We quickly listened to it the moment we got in the car. I love it! It was better than I expected. It's a great CD!

I think my favorite song is Joy. I like it when they make up their own songs. I also like A Very A Cappella Christmas Mashup, because it shows each girl's favorite style of singing. And after the 1 Girl Nation concert at church, it was fun to hear a verse and think, "I know who's singing that!"  

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at 1 Girl Nation.  A Very 1 Girl Nation Christmas is just $3.99!!  You can also find them on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY

~ A Very 1 Girl Nation Christmas CD ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Friday, November 14, 2014

Snake Oil Game Review

Out of the Box Games Review
I've said it before and I'll say it again....we LOVE playing board games at our house!!  It's the perfect way to spend quality time together while having a fun time and just hanging out!

We have a huge collection of favorites, some we tend to play over and over again.

I've been excited to share with you that we have found another great game to add to our very large collection...Snake Oil by Out of the Box Games.

Out of the Box Publishing feels games should be fun so they set out to create innovative party, card, and board games that are fun and engaging to play with friends and family. 

Their website is catchy and bright and their games are categorized by: Party, Quick, or Engaging.  There is also an interactive Game Finder that let's you find the perfect game based on the number of players, ages, and type of game.


Out of the Box Games Review

The idea for the game Snake Oil came from the Old West.  Back in the day, sneaky snake oil salesmen would be able to get the most skeptical customer to buy their product.  In Snake Oil, that is what the players get to do...convince the customer they should buy their, sometimes crazy and weird product.

Thoughts of an 11-Year Old:  Snake Oil is a very fun game, and it has lots of silly results. It is a Pitch-A-Product game, and it can get very goofy. Here is the main idea of the game.

Players One, Two and Three draw cards to create a hand of six. 

Player Two draws a Customer Card. "I'm a snake! Sell me something I need!"

Players One and Three look at their cards and combine two to make a silly product. 

Player One holds up cards. "I'm here to sell this snake a Spine Cloth. You can use it to..."

Player Three holds up cards. "I'll sell you an even better item called a Tail Hat. You can use it to..."

Player Two hands the Customer Card to Player One. "I'll buy the Spine Cloth."

Player One wins because they received the most Customer Cards after everyone was a customer once. 

I think Snake Oil is a really fun and cool game. Everybody gets an armload of silly, and they can use it to really invent something useful, or something only an Alien would want! And, as they say, laughter really is the best medicine!


My Thoughts:  We have really enjoyed playing this game together.  It has been challenging to think out of the box and make each other laugh.  I think it would make a great Christmas present.  Even though the recommended age is 10, I think if child can read, they will be able to play this game.

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Out of the Box Games.  Snake Oil has a suggested retail of $19.99 and can be found online at various retailers.  It's recommended for ages 10 and up and for 3-10 players.

You can also find Out of the Box Games on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Thrifty Thursday


Here are the THRIFTY deals for today!

ENTER to win Saving Christmas Movie Swag @ Our Homeschool Reviews

FREE Well Planned Holidays Planner @ hedua

FREE Learn the Sentence Printables @ Blessed Beyond a Doubt

FREE Christmas Gift Buying Tracker @ My Joy Filled Life

FREE Let's Give Thanks @ The Old Schoolhouse

FREE My Sermon Notebooking Journal @ Thinking Kids

FREE Family Nativity Scavenger Hunt @ Teachers of Good Things



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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Flowers


Some of the beautiful flowers that Funny Bunny took pictures of at the U.S. Botanical Garden.



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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Saving Christmas Movie Review & GIVEAWAY!!

Are you tired of the fact that Christmas seems to start earlier year after year? Stores are pulling out the decorations in mid October, Christmas music is playing at the beginning of November.

Christmas is becoming commercialized.

Christmas is about buying gifts and spending money.

People are replacing the phrase "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays" and nativity scenes are being replaced by blowup santas and snowmen.

Have people forgotten the real reason we celebrate CHRISTmas?!   Is Christ pushed to the back while Santa Claus, Rudolph, and Frosty the Snowman are center stage?

Official Synopsis:  This Christmas, have your family join with Kirk Cameron’s family and dive headfirst into all the dancing, celebration, feasting, imagination, and traditions that glorify the true “reason for the season.” Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas is an engaging story that will leave the audience with an understanding of a biblical basis for our celebrations, and the inspiration to stand strongly against a culture that wants to trivialize and eliminate the faith elements of this holy season. So take in the splendor; take in the majesty; take in the story. Take it all in … and let’s put Christ back in Christmas! 

Plot:  While at a Christmas party his sister is hosting, Kirk Cameron realizes his brother-in-law is upset about the commercialization of Christmas and feels everything people do to celebrate Christmas is wrong.  Kirk reveals how Christ is in the center of things like the Christmas Tree and Santa Claus and his brother-in-law ends up seeing everything with a fresh set of eyes.

Topics Discussed:
Why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th
Why we put a tree in our home and decorate it with lights
The story of the real Santa Claus
Why the Wise Men brought Frankincense and Myrrh
The importance of swaddling cloth in the Bible

My Thoughts:  Our family enjoyed this movie but not every family will.  It is rated PG but I don't think it will hold the attention of most younger children.  It is slow to start and most of the movie involves adult conversation, mainly between Kirk and his brother-in-law while sitting in a car outside the party.

It's quirky.  There are awkward pauses.  There are also some pretty controversial topics discussed and I have no doubt many people will not agree with Kirk.  At times it made us laugh and other times we were just staring at each other.  I've read it described as a comedic narrative, and I'd have to say that sounds about right.  If you like quirky and awkward humor, you may like this movie.  We did.

The reason I liked this movie is because it helps us to appreciate what we have and reminds us that Christ can be to center of all of our "things"...we just have to look for Him.


Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Saving Christmas.  Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas will be in theaters November 14th.  You can also find him on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY

A signed Saving Christmas movie poster, the soundtrack to the film, and a car air freshener.



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Thursday, November 6, 2014

If He Had Not Come Book Review

Christmas Book Review

Every year in December we pull out all of our books about Christmas and place them in the family room so we can snuggle on the couch and read them each night.  I've found a wonderful book that I'll be adding to our Christmas book stack.  It's called If He Had Not Come, by David Nicholson.

If He Had Not Come is a classic Christmas story originally written by Nan F. Weeks, and now reintroduced to a new generation by David Nicholson, and illustrated by Charles Jaskiewicz.

David Nicholson is a retired teacher and short term missionary.  He discovered Nan Weeks’ story when his children were young and later decided to reintroduce the story to today’s generation of families with classic style illustrations.

Christmas Book Review

If He Had Not Come is a story of a young boy named Bobby, who finds out on Christmas Eve what the world would be like if Jesus had never come to Earth. Before going up to bed, he and his dad sat together for their daily Bible reading.  His dad read from John 15:22 - If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

He couldn't get those five words out of his mind - "If I had not come."

The author takes us on a journey through a world without Jesus.  There is no Christmas, no churches, no places to help people who are sick, homeless, or in need, and no Bible!

In the end, Bobby realizes that the gifts under the tree aren't the most important thing about Christmas.

Included in the back of the book are interactive topics for families and Sunday School teachers. There are some great open-ended questions that are intended to encourage interaction and discussion.

There is also a page that goes a little deeper by exploring what the Bible says about the birth of Jesus by asking children several thought-provoking questions.

Lastly, there is The Gospel Message.  For those who have never heard it, receiving God's gift of salvation is as easy as A-B-C.  So simple and I love that the author included it in his book for all to read.

My Thoughts:  I read this book aloud to Funny Bunny, my 11-year old daughter. We both really enjoyed the story as well as the beautifully illustrated pictures.  I would highly recommend that all families add this title to their Christmas book collection.

Thoughts of an 11-Year Old:  If He Had Not Come is a good book, with beautifully illustrated pictures. It shows what it would be like with no Jesus in the world. It was a good book to understand what the meaning of Christmas is all about. I liked it and would recommend it to all young readers.

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at David Nicholson.  If He Had Not Come is $18.95 for the 40 page, 8.5x11, Casebound Hardcover or $3.99 for the E-Book.  This story is recommended for ages 6 and up.

You can also find more on Facebook.

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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Metro


A Metro picture hubby took in D.C.  The one above is unedited and the two below have some effects. It is pretty good! :)




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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Homeschooling with Heart of Dakota - Week 6


I'm a little behind with my Heart of Dakota postings as we are actually on Unit 12, so hopefully I can catch up a little in the next few weeks. 

Heart of Dakota: Resurrection to Reformation - Unit 6: The Byzantine Empire and Muslim Invaders

Reading About History: Still reading selections from The Story of the Middle Ages and Famous Men of the Middle Ages, but they've added back in some from Peril and Peace and Monks and Mystics.  She is enjoying those.

History Storytime: Continuing to read Mystery of the Silver Coins. 


History Project:  This week they had to copy key passages of Scripture that reveal Jesus' identity and bake them into 5 loaves of bread.  The bread was pretty good and very easy to make.


History Written Narration and Timeline: Charlemagne



Science Exploration:  Phases of the moon


Poetry:  She was asked to draw a picture to go along with an Emily Dickinson poem about the moon.   




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