Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Hearts for Home Blog Hop- May 1

Happy May!  :-)

The most-viewed post from last week's hop was:


Are you ready to share your posts this week?  Let's go!  Use the form below to enter your links.  Posts can be anything that shows your heart is for your home: homeschooling, homemaking, parenting, marriage, faith, family, crafts, etc.  Please just kindly link back to this blog or display our Hearts for Home button in your post or on your sidebar.



Hearts for Home Blog Hop
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/hearts-for-home-blog-hop-hosts/" title="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.marriagemotherhoodandmissions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CoHostH4HButton300x300.jpg" alt="Hearts for Home Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
 









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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

TOS Review- Brinkman Adventures

Today I am reviewing The Brinkman Adventures Season 2: Episodes 13-24 from The Brinkman Adventures.


I have to be honest.  I was a bit skeptical when chosen for this review.  An audio?  Would my children, who have been born into and immersed in a video culture be able to/be interested in listening to stories? I had these visions in my head of the families during World War II listening together to FDR, news or their nightly entertainment on the radio.  Seeing Norman Rockwell renditions of scenes like that would make anyone smile.

Wow, wait a minute.  There is something to that, isn't there?  Spending quality time together as a family doing something both fun and educational.  I think I just may like this idea!  :-)   I just had to see if I could sell the kids on it.  My fears were quickly laid to rest.  I thought to myself that we read every day aloud together.  Isn't that very much the same concept?  They are listening to me, as they would to an audio broadcast.  I thought that it might just work.  And boy was I right.

These delightful and engaging stories did keep ALL of us interested and listening.  It was so awesome to see!  :-)  The stories are geared for the entire family, so any age at all would gain something from them.  My children are 10. 12, 14 and almost 16 and all of them enjoyed the stories.

There are 12 episodes of exciting adventures of a missionary family around the world.  Although fictional, all of the shows are based on true events.

This is not like an audiobook at all, with just one person reading a script.  There are separate and distinct voices for every character.  You feel like you are there!

What I also enjoyed is that on the website, there are coloring pages that accompany the audio. When we listened to some episodes at home at the computer (we also listen to some in the car), two of my children colored while listening.  It was a great way to do something relevant to the story and pay attention at the same time.  :-)

Also on the website, is a section entitled "Stories behind the Stories."  It gives more details and provides links of information where you can learn more about the culture and geography of the areas in the episodes.  I love ways to expand learning and have it cross into different subject areas (writing, geography, cooking, etc.)



The suggested donation is $17 for the MP3 album or $25 for the physical CDs.  I love that this family suggests a donation.  If someone truly cannot afford that amount, they can donate what they are able and still receive a wonderful, education and wholesome product for their family.  And, of course, if a family feels led to do so, can donate a bit more to this family's ministry.


Click to read Crew Reviews





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Monday, April 28, 2014

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- April 29



Here we are at the end of April already!  Wow!  I hope everyone is enjoying some beautiful weather, as we are having some here.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the devastating storms in the American midwest.  So tragic and sad to see so much loss of life and property.  :-(
I hope everyone can remember them all in our prayers tonight.


There was a tie for the most viewed posts from last week's hop.  Here they are:



I made a new cookie recipe this past week for my mom's birthday: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.  Really good.  Can't believe I had never combined those ingredients before.  :-)  They are linked up in the first spot.  Come take a look.




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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I wanted to try something new for my mom's birthday celebration, so I found and adapted this recipe.

1 1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda

Cream shortening and peanut butter.  Add brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add in oats, flour, soda to mixture.

Drop onto sheet by teaspoonful.  Press down with a fork each way making a criss-cross and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

We all enjoyed this new treat.  Hope you will, too!  :-)

I did step-by-step photos of baking the cookies, but somehow they disappeared from the camera.  :-(  But, I did manage to get a few of the finished product.



Linking up with the Gathering SpotKids in the Kitchen, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to RecipesHomemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Claire JustineWisdom Wednesday , Favorite ThingsModest MomFull Plate Thursday and Melt in your Mouth Monday and Show Off Friday and Tuesday's Table and Look What We Did and Titus 2sday Mom's Monday MingleMonday MingleCrafty SpicesBetter Mom,Create with JoyThursday's TreasuresTasty Thursdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday and  Tuesday How to Party and the Tried and True Recipe Party and Kids and Mom in the Kitchen and Family Fun Friday and Clever Chicks Blog Hop andAll My Bloggy Friends and Hearts for Home Blog Hop and Foodie Friends Friday and Family Fun Friday and TGIF Linky Party and Food on Friday andHip Homeschool MomsA Wise Woman Builds Her Home andGood Tastes Tuesday and Thriving Thursday and Friday Flash Blog Hop 


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Friday, April 25, 2014

Candace Kate Giveaway

I am so looking forward to sharing my review of "More than a Memory: The Candace Kate Story" with you soon!  It is an amazing story of a family's adoption journey, love and loss.  You will not be the same person after reading it, that is for sure.

As part of the Launch Team for this touching book, I am sharing a giveaway that I know you will love.  Look below to see all that you can win!  :-)

    candace kate giveaway 

 To help Nancy celebrate the upcoming release of her book, I'm joining with other bloggers from the Candace Kate Launch Team to bring you this amazing giveaway! There will be 2 winners and one winner will win an iPad Mini! Here's the list of all the incredible prizes offered in this giveaway:

Giveaway # 1 ($560+ value)

iPad Mini 16 GB WiFi More Than a Memory: The Candace Kate Story paperback $75 A Journey Through Learning Gift Certificate American History Through Music bundle by Diana Waring (releasing May, 2014) NotebookingPages.com Lifetime Membership  Ultimate Well-Planned Day Expo from Media Angels Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine  

Giveaway #2 ($160+ value)

More Than a Memory: The Candace Kate Story paperback $25 A Journey Through Learning Gift Certificate NotebookingPages.com Lifetime Membership Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine   To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. U.S. residents, age 18 and older please.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

TOS Review- Homeschool Adventure Co.

Today I am reviewing The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions from Homeschool Adventure Co.



Included was a complete copy of the Wise Woman by George MacDonald, as well as questions and vocabulary.  Recommended as a read-aloud for children 9-11 and independent reading for those 12+ (high school). We enjoyed reading it together and then discussing the questions, rather than writing them out.



Even if you have read this classic story in the past, there is so much to learn from it-- how two young ladies, from two very different backgrounds are shown the errors of their ways and learn some important lessons about greed, selfishness, self-control and laziness.

For those of you who haven't already read this timeless tale, the story describes how a woman of mysterious powers- "The Wise Woman," pays visits to two very different young girls: one a princess, the other a shepherd's daughter.  Neither girl is left unchanged by the startling events that are unleashed as a result; and the reader is confronted by astonishing fairy-worlds in which the girls are forced to choose between good and evil.  Much, much to think about and discuss, that's for sure.

The questions encourage much thought about oneself and one's sinfulness and how we all can learn to be better people.  As parents, we all realize how important character training of our children is, especially in the society in which we live.  The main point of each chapter is underlined for further emphasis.  I have always believed in the importance of character education.  Children need to read and be exposed to stories where characters model the right behavior and make good choices.  And, in this case, if they do not make those good choices, they learn from their mistakes and see how they can better themselves in the future.

It is evident from the responses I received from my children, as well as the wheels I saw turning, that they were learning and thinking quite a bit about the lessons and morals presented in the story.  There are no right and wrong answers to the questions, but they are certainly thought provoking and open their eyes in a way that they can understand what the author was trying to present in the tale.

When presented with material like this, they didn't even feel like they were doing "school."  Learning truly can be fun, stretch their imaginations and challenge them to be better people all at the same time.  Aren't they truly some of the important reasons why we have chosen to home educate our children-- to teach in a fun and engaging way, to foster creative imaginations and to encourage them to be good and productive people, while helping to make the world a better place.

Stacy Farrell is offering a discount on all of her downloads for a limited time.  Use the code below to take advantage of this wonderful offer.  As you can see below, and in my colleagues' reviews, Stacy has other products in addition to "Wise Woman."  I am sure that they are equally as wonderful.

The print edition is available for $28.95 and the download is $14.95. (less 10%!)



Click to read Crew Reviews

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- April 22

I hope everyone had a beautiful and blessed Easter!  We certainly did.  And that is another reason why this post is late going up this week, as I was off of the computer and spending time with my family and in church.  :-)

There was a 2-way tie for the most viewed posts from last week's linkup They are:



Looks like a potato theme, lol!  :-)

This week, we weren't trying out any new recipes due to the Easter holiday, so I am sharing an old favorite in the first spot-- my Italian Pizzelles, which we did enjoy this Easter.  :-)







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Saturday, April 19, 2014

A Blessed Easter to all!

I have been absent from the blogging world for the last few days because it has been a special time of prayer with my family, commemorating what happened this week over 2000 years ago.  We were honored that my oldest was asked by our pastor to have his feet washed on Thursday evening. (will post pics next week) We attended the service of the Lord's Passion on Friday afternoon and a concert by our choir on the life of Christ (which I was asked to narrate) on Friday evening.  Tonight (Saturday), we will attend the Easter Vigil, a beautiful way to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection-- it starts in complete darkness and is overcome by the light of everyone's candles.  I look forward to it every year.

I wish all of my readers a joyous and blessed Easter!!!  He is Risen!  Alleluia!







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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

TOS Review- Curiousity Quest

Today I am reviewing 2 DVD combo packs entitled Produce and Swimmers of the Sea from Curiousity Quest.  I was excited to do this review, as I have animal lovers in my house!



We watched one of the videos at a time and discussed the animal/plant that was covered.  The videos had their undivided attention!  They are informative, educational and fun.  We are learned a lot that we didn't know before.  :-)

The first pack we watched was the Swimmers, which included episodes on Sea Turtle Rescue, Penguins and Salmon.



The Penguins program, for example, not only talked about penguins, but showed them up close and personal.  The host got to visit them for a day at the Aquarium and prepare their food.  After the food preparation, he went out onto the exhibit and got to feed them.  Much of the program seemed unscripted, which makes it more natural and enjoyable.  And, of course, with animals, nothing is ever predictable, so there were definitely some funny moments in there, as well.  :-)



The Turtle Rescue episode takes its viewers to a turtle rescue hospital in Florida.  I did not know that many species are in danger of being extinct.  This was a sweet and funny episode introducing the kids to a serious subject.  My son and daughter were happy to know that once healed, the turtles are released from the hospital back into the wild.



The episode on Salmon, takes you to a hatchery in Alaska where we learned all kinds of fun facts about this fish.  Did you know that salmon have a more keen sense of smell than a dog or bear?  We sure didn't.

The next combo-pack was entitled Produce.  It includes Mushrooms, Cranberries, and Orange Packing.


In Mushrooms, viewers are taken into a facility that grows them.  It was interesting to see how they are harvested and sent all over the world.  We just learned that our state, Pennsylvania, is the leading mushroom producing state in the US!  Did you know that mushrooms are a fungus and unlike plants, do not require sunlight to make energy for themselves?

In Orange Packing, we learned how oranges are grown, sorted and packaged.  It was hilarious to see Joel picking the oranges with a 50 pound sack strapped to him.  It gave us great respect for those who do that work so we can enjoy our orange juice each morning.  We didn't know that orange trees can grow to 18-22 feet tall.  Each orange goes through a rigorous inspection for blemishes and other defects before being sent off to be packed, so we are assured the best and sweetest fruit.  :-)

Cranberries takes the viewer to a flooded bog in Wisconsin.  The harvest season runs from only early September through October.  Wisconsin is the top cranberry producing state in the nation.  We didn't know that it may take 3-5 years for a new cranberry bed to produce a large enough crop for harvest, but the vines will continue to produce a crop for several decades!


This informative combo-packs are available for $24.95 and are geared for children 7-14, but really are informative and enjoyable for all ages (including me!)  :-)





Click to read Crew Reviews

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Monday, April 14, 2014

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- April 15

it's time for another wonderful week of recipe sharing!  :-)

I made Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes yesterday and they turned out really tasty.  They are linked in the first spot below.

The most viewed post from last week was




I hope you have a beautiful and blessed Easter!  :-)









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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Made these tonight for the first time and they were a hit.  :-)

4 pounds of potatoes, peeled and sliced (about 5 large potatoes)



3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt (more if you prefer)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 cups mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced American cheese broken into small pieces (the original recipe called for Swiss.)
About 2 tablespoons minced onion
1 1/2 cups milk

Place a third of the potatoes in a 3qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper.



Sprinkle half over potatoes.



Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of each cheese and half of the onions.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining potatoes.  Pour milk over all.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until potatoes are nearly tender.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered for an additional 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender.



Enjoy!  :-)

Linking up with the Gathering SpotKids in the Kitchen, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to RecipesHomemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Claire JustineWisdom Wednesday , Favorite ThingsModest MomFull Plate Thursday and Melt in your Mouth Monday and Show Off Friday and Tuesday's Table and Look What We Did and Titus 2sday Mom's Monday MingleMonday MingleCrafty SpicesBetter Mom,Create with JoyThursday's TreasuresTasty Thursdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday and  Tuesday How to Party and the Tried and True Recipe Party and Kids and Mom in the Kitchen and Family Fun Friday and Clever Chicks Blog Hop andAll My Bloggy Friends and Hearts for Home Blog Hop and Foodie Friends Friday and Family Fun Friday and TGIF Linky Party and Food on Friday andHip Homeschool MomsA Wise Woman Builds Her Home andGood Tastes Tuesday and Thriving Thursday and Friday Flash Blog Hop 

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Thursday, April 10, 2014

5 Days of Observing Lent- Day 4

If you haven't already visited my Lenten Linkup, please feel free to come on over.  It will be open for linkups until next Thursday, Holy Thursday.  There have been dozens of beautiful, thoughtful, inspiring and spiritual posts.  I will feature some here today and tomorrow.  But, even with me sharing some of them, it is not even touching the surface.  Come on over and see for yourself.

Here are some of the most viewed posts in the linkup so far (I will share even more tomorrow, so be sure to come back!)  :-)






















Here are the previous days in the series:


Here are 8 of my friends who are also participating in this 5-day series and what they are blogging about.  To see more of the wonderful participants and what they shared, click on the graphic below!  :-) There are 63 of us in all!  :-)

Brittney @ Mom's Heart ~ Relaxed Homeschooling
Lisa @ A Rup Life ~ Our Favorite Books
Melissa @ Life Off the Paved Road ~ Fit From Home
Michelle @ Faith, Family, and Fridays ~ Clearing Out the Clutter
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Educational Apps
Jenni @ Conversaving ~ Homeschool Cooperatives
Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling ~ Spring Schooling
Crystal @ Crystal Starr Blog ~ Christ Centered Character Training
















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