Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Menu Plan Monday - October 1
Today is the start of WEEK 5 of eating a plant-based diet!! I'm feeling great and have lost about 4-5 pounds too! Waa-Hoo!!
This is going to be short and sweet. Here are our dinners for this week:
Sunday: Pancakes. I made them with soy milk and just left out the egg. Not as fluffy but still yummy!
Monday: Garden Vegetable and Bean Soup
Tuesday: Quick and Easy Potato Soup
Thursday: Bok Choy and Baked Tofu Stir-Fry in Ginger Citrus Sauce
Friday: Either Vegetable Pizza or Spaghetti
Snack: Going to try to make these Vegan Energy Bars
If you have any easy plant-based recipes I would love to hear them!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Soft Scrub Sweepstakes & Giveaway!
All three products in the Soft Scrub Total family have a patented trigger that allows you to clean with either a fine mist or thick foam. The trigger even sprays upside down so you can get into those hard to reach places. With all that power and versatility, now you only need one products to clean your entire home.
- Works Upside Down
- Foam or Spray
- Tough on Stains, Gentle on Surfaces
- Cleans & Deodorizes
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GIVEAWAY!! TWO WINNERS!!
So, here's how to enter to win one (1) coupon for any Soft Scrub Total, Soft Scrub Bleach Clean, or Soft Scrub abrasive product up to $4.69!! For each comment, you will get one (1) entry.
1. Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win
2. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect
3. Like Our Homeschool Reviews on Facebook
**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**
Contest ends on Thursday, October 4, 2012 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.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wordsmith Apprentice Review
I had never heard of Wordsmith, but after researching it, it looked promising and I was hoping Funny Bunny would like it!
And to top it off, it's one of Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Curriculum, so I couldn't go wrong!
About Wordsmith Apprentice:
It's an easy to use writing course encouraging students to develop their writing skills as they participate in every role on a newspaper staff: editor, reporter, writer, etc. Children develop a love for writing as they express themselves through sentence and paragraph writing, persuasive writing, and much more.
I knew right away after receiving this book that Funny Bunny would LOVE it...and she does!!
It starts with a note to the student explaining that they will be working for a small town newspaper. They'll start with little jobs like classified ads, picture captions, and "fillers." They will then move on to advertising, book reviews, and recipes and finally they will become a "staff reporter" and be ready to write news stories and editorials.
They start with a Application For Employment
Then they write their own. Funny Bunny decided to write an Application For Cleaning Toilets {I was cracking up}
Here is a sample of her poetry {gotta love it}
She is enjoying this writing curriculum so much that we plan to continue it throughout the year.
Find Out More: You can find out more online by visiting Wordsmith Apprentice at Timberdoodle. Wordsmith Apprentice is only $14.50 and is recommended for ages 9-12 or grades 4-6. The Wordsmith Series also has books available for grades 7-12. You can also visit Timberdoodle on Facebook.
Timberdoodle also has Language Arts for Homeschoolers and you can request a Free Homeschool Catalog!
Disclaimer: 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.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Homeschooling Just One
So what is it like homeschooling just one child? Is it easy? Do I encounter the same challenges as other families, small and large? Grab a cup of coffee (I know I am), sit back, relax, and take a trip into the life of Homeschooling an Only Child.
I am going to break this article up into two categories: Benefits and Challenges. I want to start with our Challenges because I think that it is important to point out that families with only one child have similar struggles as larger families.
The first challenge that I face is motivating our daughter to get school started and then completed. She does not have siblings that she can work with and she cannot compete with brothers and sisters to get assignments done or even challenge others in games. Each day is a new challenge and can become a struggle at times.
Another challenge that we face is boredom. I try to rotate subjects and make things as fun as they can be, but to be honest, I'm sometimes not really good at that. We may be in the house for a couple days in a row, and even the breaks in between subjects can get boring.
The next challenge we face is giving constant attention. With no other children in the house, I am next in line. ;o) She is pretty good about playing on her own and keeping herself occupied from time to time, but when that wears off, she comes to me.
The last challenge is not one we really face at home, but something I have noticed more and more, especially this year. Since we are a family with just one child, I've noticed that it has been increasingly harder to find other families who want to get together (with only us). Where I may be looking for one playmate who is close to our daughter's age, they are looking for playmates who are close in age to several of their children. I'd like to add though, that I can totally understand this, and I don't mind getting together with several families, it's just something I've noticed.
So what can be good about just having one child? Although we do get off track from time to time, I can get us back quickly and finish what we need to do each week. It is not hard to meet the goals that I have made for the year. We also have a lot of flexibility in our schedule and can attend most field trips and activities that come up each month.
I love that I can give all the one-on-one attention that is needed. Our curriculum is pretty parent intensive. I have to sit with her for almost every subject still, so it is a lot of work from me, but I enjoy spending that time with her.
To conclude, I think all families, large and small, face unique but also similar challenges. Some days are good and some are hard. Some days I feel like the odd homeschooling family with just one child, but regardless, I know I enjoy homeschooling and wouldn't do anything differently. :o)
Menu Plan Monday - September 24
Today is the start of WEEK 4 of eating a plant-based diet! This past weekend we went to Disney and I was determined to make it through without failing terribly! This was also the first time we bought their dining plan, so I had already made dinner reservations at some yummy buffet restaurants! So here's what I ate:
Friday Lunch - Side salad and fruit cup from CFA on the way.
Friday Snack - Micky Pretzel {these are huge}!
Friday Dinner was at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Oh goodness, last time we ate here we all rolled out!! We LOVE Boma! Did you know that if you tell them when you get there that you have dietary needs, a chef will come out to talk to you? The chef at Boma was wonderful! He took me around the whole buffet line and told me what was in everything. It was awesome! Their buffet is sooo big, there was a ton I could eat that was meat and dairy free! I filled two or three plates with veggie dishes and fruits. They also have dairy free desserts in the back so I was able to eat a yummy raspberry sorbet with fruit and dairy free cookies. I was STUFFED!!
Saturday Breakfast - Banana and coffee
Saturday Lunch - Every lunch place we checked had some sort of vegetarian/vegan dish. I had a veggie/bean burger with grapes and apples on the side.
Saturday Snack - Wheat Thins
Saturday Dinner was at the Liberty Tree Tavern. NOT the place you want to go for meat/dairy free eating...lol! We had made these reservations a while back though, so I was stuck with it. The chef came and I didn't have many options. He gave me a heaping plate of plain veggies and I had a couple small rolls and a few bites of stuffing {bad idea}. By the time he brought my raspberry sorbet with fruit out, my tummy was rumbling! OH GOODNESS! I'll spare you the details, but let's just say that I didn't come back to finish my dessert and hubby and Funny Bunny had eaten theirs and were outside watching fireworks when I came back. I'm thinkin' there was dairy in there...lol!
Sunday Breakfast - Banana and coffee
Sunday Lunch - Hummus, Tomato, and Cole Slaw sandwich. I'm sure the cole slaw had mayo but I didn't feel like a salad.
Sunday Snack - Popcorn
I DID IT!!! Eating healthy at Disney! Plus, with all that walking and...ahem...tummy trouble Sat night, I lost 1 lb...and was full pretty much the whole time! I didn't feel like I missed out on anything.
This week we are repeating meals we have eaten before, so if you haven't checked them out yet, go to my previous Menu Plan Monday posts.
If you have any easy plant-based recipes I would love to hear them!
Marcy's Big Birthday Giveaway!!!
Marcy, a fellow homeschooler, blogger, and TOS Crew member is having a BIG Birthday Giveaway this week! She is giving away a Kindle!! You heard me right, a KINDLE!
To add to the fun, she invited some of her friends to join in the celebration as well! So, not only can you win the Kindle, you can also win all of the fabulous gifts below!
To add to the fun, she invited some of her friends to join in the celebration as well! So, not only can you win the Kindle, you can also win all of the fabulous gifts below!
$10 Gift Certificate to Thirty-One Gifts
From me!! I blog here at Our Homeschool Reviews and you can visit my business website at Thirty-One Gifts.
$25 Gift Card -- Olive Garden
From Jenn at Treasuring Life's Blessings.
The Grass Withers Scripture Summer Flower Print
From Lizzie at A Dusty Frame.
$20 Gift Card -- Amazon.com
From Penny at Knee Deep in Grace.
Pampered Chef Gift Set
From Kellyann at Walking Home.
Lilla Rose Flexi-Clip
From Jennifer at A Glimpse of Our Life.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Family Time Fitness Review
Are you homeschooling your children and wish you had a local and affordable P.E. option for them?
We have had a couple options in the past. A Community Center about 30 minutes away use to offer free P.E. classes a couple times a week and I had heard they were pretty good but many times disorganized and chaotic.
Then our local YMCA started offering homeschool P.E. but they soon increased the prices and it wasn't close to being affordable, especially for those families with multiple children.
We now even have a Certified Personal Trainer and Child Fitness Specialist in our local homeschool group who just recently started classes. Again, this is great, and her group rates are by far the cheapest, but for families who already have their schedules full, it's another day out of the house driving back and forth.
What about an AFFORDABLE Physical Education program that you can do at HOME with ALL of your children...even their friends?
The Fitness 4 Homeschool Curriculum allows homeschool parents to teach physical education without previous knowledge of physical education and athletic development. Their program, designed by experts in fitness training, nutrition and body movement, is designed to suit every age and ability level while affordably fitting into your budget.
How does the Fitness 4 Homeschool Program by Family Time Fitness work?
There are 260 planned lessons that teach you everything you need to know with minimal preparation time. It is easy to follow and can be done inside or outside, with small pieces of equipment likes a jump rope and ball.
It can be done 3-5 days a week for 30-45 minutes each day, but really it is up to the family and totally customizable. Here you can see the Core Curriculum Scope and Sequence.
The curriculum includes:
* A Startup/Training Guide
* 260 PDF Lesson Plans
* Over 200 Video Demonstrations
* Assessment Tools to help track progress
* Encouragement Emails
* Access to online webinars and more
My Thoughts: Are you wondering how this family with just one child likes the program? We love it! And you know that Funny Bunny isn't the only one using it...I have to get involved too! It's not only a great way for this out of shape momma to get moving, it's also been a fun activity for us to do together! I just can't wait until the weather cools down so we can do it outside!
{Note how it is simple to substitute Maisy's toys for jump ropes!}
Find Out More: You can find out more online at Family Time Fitness. The Fitness 4 Homeschool program is only $57! You pay the one-time cost for your whole family and you get the entire program and guaranteed lifetime access to these videos as they update them. They never charge subscription fees or annual renewal fees.
My Crewmates are also talking about Family Time Fitness, so you can check out what they think about it HERE.
Disclaimer: 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.
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