Showing posts with label Best Of. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best Of. Show all posts

Monday, January 19, 2015

The Best of 2014: Reviews


Last year I reviewed a total of 52 products!!  I really can't believe I reviewed so many!  Although I liked many of them, I've selected 15 favorites!  Below I've listed them in no particular order.

My Student Logbook - Funny Bunny has been using it to check off work that she has completed, and it is not only helpful for her to see how much she has left for the day, but also a great log of what she has completed for the year. ~ We still use this ~

The Brinkman Adventures I think The Brinkman Adventures are wonderfully exciting stories for families of all ages. The episodes span the globe and give the listener a glimpse of the real life adventures of a missionary family. ~ We still listen to this in the car ~

ARTistic Pursuits Sculpture Technique: ModelWe have all thoroughly enjoyed working in this book!  The supplies were easy to find and the instructions for each project were very clear.  We had never worked with putty before and it was so simple to use.

If He Had Not ComeWe 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.

Snake OilSnake 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. ~ We have played this many times since receiving it ~

Veritas Press Self-Paced History -  I have really been enjoying this course and so has Funny Bunny. I feel that the material is engaging and activities varied enough that the student will not get bored.  And the material is reviewed enough that they will retain it.

Kaia's BlessingI like Kaia’s Blessing because of the excitement and the adventure.  It made me want to know what happens next!  My favorite part was when Charles time traveled.  It is a good book with a Happily Ever After ending! 

Verilux Lamp I still can't believe how much brighter her work area is.  And I was surprised in the difference between the artificial light compared to the Natural Spectrum light. It's really made a huge difference! ~ We use this lamp daily ~

Riley Mae Book SeriesI have always liked the Riley Mae series, so I was super excited about the new Sole Fire Safari book. It was as good as always, with just the right amount of suspense, quirkiness, and of course Godliness and faith to keep me on my toes.

Analytical GrammarAnalytical Grammar is a no-nonsense, mastery approach to teaching grammar. I think it is a strong grammar program and I would recommend it. ~ We still use this ~

Curiosity QuestI really liked these DVDs, because they taught me a lot more about things I thought I already knew about (like turtles) and things that I wasn't quite as familiar with (like mushrooms).

Diary of a Real Payne Book Series - I really liked Diary of a Real Payne Book 3: Oh Baby! because, like the last two, EJ is as silly, imaginative, and unsophisticated as ever, while she still praises and learns about God. 

Maestro ClassicsThese CDs are great for young and old alike!  I love how they mold children's literature with classical music in a way that is enjoyable for kids of all ages.  And the booklets that are included have a wealth of information.

Moving Beyond the Page - The experiments in the Science Kit were really easy to do, and they were fun. You know, sometimes you do an experiment, and it either doesn't work, or you think afterwords, Huh. What did that do? But not only were these easy and fun, they worked in real life and I can use them!  

Lilla RoseWe found the clip to be very well made and the beading and design beautiful! It is simple to use and it comes with a sliding pin attached, so there is no worry about it getting lost. ~ We still use our clip ~



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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The Best of 2013: Reviews


Friday I took a more personal look back at 2013 and today I want to tell you about our

~ FAVORITE REVIEWS OF 2013 ~

We reviewed over 45 products and selected 14 as our favorites {in no particular order}.  Enjoy!

Rosie's Doll Clothes and Patterns: Sewing the doll clothes with the help of the Rosie's Doll Clothes videos was so easy. They came out good, and though some parts were harder than others, like the seams, they came out better then we expected them to. The videos helped a lot. The dolls like their outfits. ~ Funny Bunny

VocabularySpellingCity: And the best part? The games, of course! After you've completed an assignment, you can play a game! ~ Funny Bunny

Diary of a Real Payne: I only read a few chapters aloud with Funny Bunny, but during that time we were in stitches! EJ is a real character with a wild and vivid imagination! ~ Me

Classroom Friendly Supplies This amazing pencil sharpener was invented by a elementary school teacher, who along with his co-workers, was fed up with the loud and inefficient pencil sharpeners that they had in their classrooms. ~ Me

Knock I like Knock because it is a book about spiritual choices and it teaches a lesson with every choice. ~ Funny Bunny

Dig It Games: Mayan MysteriesWhen I first heard that I was getting Mayan Mysteries, I was super-excited because I had previously reviewed another Dig It game called Roman Town, and LOVED it! ~ Funny Bunny

Institute for Excellence in Writing IEW is fun for me because I like to write, but if I didn't like to write, this just might make me love writing! ~ Funny Bunny

The Adventures of Lily Lapp SeriesFunny Bunny and I read Life with Lily together and found ourselves laughing hysterically at some of the silly and fun situations. It was hard for us to put the book down because we were continuously wanting to know what would happen next. ~ Me

Memoria Press: Prima Latina: Teaching songs and prayers is a great way for students to actively use the Latin they have learned. ~ Me

See the Light: God's Special SurpriseSee the Light is fun to watch, but even more fun to draw! My favorite piece of artwork was Moses In The Nile with Jim Pence. ~ Funny Bunny

Salem Ridge Press: Hilda the BritonEvery time a chapter ended I begged to read more. In my opinion, it was a REALLY-REALLY-REALLY great book! It is one of my favorite books this year!! ~ Funny Bunny

A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks:  One of the best things about A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks is that you really do not need any other resources. ~ Me

Apologia: Exploring Creation with Zoology 3The text is really engaging and she was always ready to hear more, sometimes making it hard to stop. It stimulated some wonderful discussions between us, which is what a great curriculum should! ~ Me

What Would the Founding Fathers Think?My motto for this book? "Everyone, including adults, should read this - especially the people running for President." ~ Funny Bunny



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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Best of 2012: Reviews

I reviewed over 70 products in 2012!!!  WOW!  Of the 70+, Funny Bunny and I selected our 15 favorites!!  Here they are in no particular order.  To see a complete list of products I have reviewed, scroll down and you will see all reviews listed by subject on the left. 

Math Rider:  Math Rider is super duper fun!!!  It's a great program and I love it.  It's so cool; every time you do a new quest you get to watch a 'Quest Story'.  There are 30 questions in each round.  The better you do, the more you progress to wherever you're going.  You can even practice your skills with up to 100 questions!  I absolutely LUV it! ~ Funny Bunny 

Pearson Homeschool enVisionMath:   I really love the Teacher CD!  It assisted me in leading the lessons and I could use it as much or as little as I needed.  It's also great for larger families because you can use the worksheets over and over again. ~ Me 

Aleks I think ALEKS is a very comprehensive math program.  Each time Funny Bunny logs in, she is taken directly to her Pie and completes the next piece of her choice. ~ Me 

Apologia: Who Am I?This hard cover book is put together so well with beautiful pictures and stories that really touch the heart of the reader. ~ Me

Apologia: Who Is My Neighbor?This book has good thinking points for kids my age. I like it! ~ Funny Bunny

Child Training Bible:  Now when Funny Bunny has a problem with, let's say, disobedience, I can easily flip to several verses in the Bible that specifically address it, and I have ideas for discussion. ~ Me

A Cry From EgyptI liked A Cry from Egypt because it’s exciting, fun, and I couldn't wait to read what’s next (once I was assigned to read one chapter and I read three)!  It has friendship, love, and adventure and you don’t even notice you’re reading history.  It’s a great book for all ages (especially nine year olds!) ~ Funny Bunny

The Worldwide Dessert Contest:   I like The Worldwide Dessert Contest because it has silly songs, hilarious characters and funny little lines. This is a "read another chapter, Mommy!" kind of book. We couldn't wait to see what came next! I really like it. ~ Funny Bunny 

Hearts for Hearts Girls:   I think they're great because they help out others by using their own skills and talents.  I like that because it encourages others that they can do just that. ~ Funny Bunny

Knowledge Quest: TimeMaps The great thing about this program, is not that you get just a map, it's that it is entirely interactive!! ~ Me

Reading EggsReading Eggs is one of my favorite online programs because it is super fun and I can play games.  The tests are fun, the Playroom is silly and the Puzzle Park is cool.  But what I like the most is the Story Factory because you can make your own stories and enter a contest.  It's a fun, fun game! ~ Funny Bunny

Creation IllustratedThis magazine has not only wonderful stories, but beautiful pictures as well.  An enchanting magazine! ~ Funny Bunny

Christian Kids Explore BiologyI liked this book so much that I may use it for our science next year!!  I like the layout and that there are a variety of assignments for the student to choose from.  I think the book is perfect for the 3-6 grade level.  It's also great for large families with children in multiple grades. ~ Me 

Vocabulary Spelling CityWe are loving Vocabulary Spelling City!  I like that I can use it how I want.  I can use their lists, make my own, make short lists, long lists, and add as few or as many activities to each assignment.  It is really up to me. ~ Me

Wordsmith ApprenticeShe is enjoying this writing curriculum so much that we plan to continue it throughout the year. ~ Me

 

Thursday, May 24, 2012

2011-2012 TOS Homeschool Crew: Blue Ribbon Awards

As the 2011-2012 Crew year comes to a close, we are once again presenting awards to our vendors. 

The awards are known as the TOS Homeschool Crew Blue Ribbon Awards

The following vendors are the recipients of the award this year. I did not review every one of the products below, so click on their name to either check out the Crew reviews, or for the ones I did receive, my reviews! 
  
Favorite Reading Instruction Product: Reading Eggs 
Favorite Writing Product: WriteShop 
Favorite Language Arts Product: Progeny Press 
Favorite Social Studies Product: TruthQuest History
Favorite Science Product: Amazing Science 
Favorite Math Product: Math Mammoth
Favorite Online Math Product: Math Rider 
Favorite Foreign Language Product: Visual Latin 
Favorite Fine Arts Product: Artistic Pursuits 
Favorite Christian Education Product: Apologia: Who Am I?
~~~ 
Favorite Preschool Product: Before Five in a Row 
Favorite Elementary Product: All About Reading 
Favorite Middle School Product: Write with WORLD 
Favorite High School Product: Excellence in Literature 
Favorite College/College-Prep Product: Excellence in Literature 
~~~ 
Best Online Resource: Reading Eggs 
Best e-Product: Heritage History 
Best Children's Book: Amazing Animals by Design 
Best Game/Toy: Northstar Games: Wits and Wagers/Say Anything 
Best Hands-On Resource: Pitsco Education 
~~~ 
Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed: eMeals 
Best Customer Service: K5 Learning 
Most Adaptable Resource: Creek Edge Press 
Most Family-Oriented Resource: Northstar Games: Wits and Wagers and Say Anything 
~~~ 
Kids' Choice (favorite of CHILDREN ages 0-12): Reading Eggs 
Teens' Choice (favorite per the TEENAGERS): Pitsco Education 
All Around Crew Favorite: Visual Latin    

Congratulations to the winning vendors!  

Many Crew Members are blogging about these awards as well. Click here to see what they have to say!