Choosing a lesson planner that works

I have been in a planner bind (no pun intended) for a bit now.  Do I create my own or do I purchase one that is already done?

I have been scouring YouTube and several blogs to find some sort of answer to that.  I have watched tons of videos on a variety of teacher planners and came away with really liking the Erin Condren version.  I also have debated the cost of that and others issues it will have.

So I watched even more videos on how to make my own. Lots and lots of those.  It's not for the faint of heart.  It does take some time and planning -again no pun intended here.

I just don't know yet.  I can go either way actually.  It comes down to whether or not I am able to snag a planner during the EC sale or not.

So here are some of the pros and cons I came up with for each option.

Purchased Planner -Erin Condren

PROS:  

*Already created/bound and ready to go 

(say for minor adjustments on some pages)

*Better quality paper

*Nice, bright colors and designs

*Several cover choices and additional accessories

CONS:

*Can be expensive or more expensive than a DYI version-"can be"

*Not designed for our specific needs-esp because it is typical teacher planner that is not tailored to homeschooling

*Will require modifications to make it more usable-which can add to the price investment (stickers, etc.)

*Time will be involved (albiet not too much) to tweak out and modify this to make my own.

DYI Planner:

PROS:

*Should be cheaper to create than a pre-made version

*Set up to reflect my specific needs

*Created by me so you have more of an inclination to use it

*As colorful or scaled down as needed to meet my tastes

CONS:

*Can be very time consuming to pull together

*May not be able to find all pages I want or need

*May have to create pages and that is time consuming and somewhat difficult without the right design programs 

*May not be as colorful or jazzy as a pre-made version

*Figuring in the expense of laminating, binding, printing (ink) and paper could be almost as spendy as a commercial planner

*Requires research and downloading (either free or packages I pay for-so again, can be a bit more expensive than originally thought)

So for now-I have decided to download a bunch of different weekly schedule layouts to try out from Jan to March.  That way, if I do go with my own version, I will know which style I like and which ones best suits our needs.  I will also have that time to hunt down more options.  I can then see if I truly like my own DYI option or if I really just need to go with something already complete.

What I do know is I like color. I want to be drawn into it so, you know, I will actually continue using it.  I am also a bit of a paper snob!  I like good quality paper.  The EC has that. I have purchased a higher # paper to use (which is quite nice), but again-theirs is better.  SO I will definitely be needing to post an update.  

I have made a video talking about this very thing-and you can watch it on my YouTube channel by clicking this link. So for now, this is what I have to offer-hopefully, I can make a decision and stick to it soon.

Tinker Box from Kiwi Krate: Review and savings code

FYI: before reading this post...please know that I was not asked to write a review of the product, or paid for this opinion of it. We simply enjoyed it, and want you to know it exists. We didn't until recently-and it would have been nice to know! We actually procured the kit while they had a free trial offer going. Since that has ended, I wanted to share with you a link at the bottom of the post, which you can click that will get you $10 off your first order!  Plus it helps us-meaning we get a $10 credit for every purchase made using our link.  Then you yourself can sign up and receive the same bonuses!  It's a win-win deal!  

 

I am always on the look out for fun activities to add to our regular school work-especially projects relating to science or STEM activities. So when I noticed that Kiwi Crate [via the Krazy Coupon Lady site) was hosting a freebie trial (well, I paid for shipping) I jumped on it. Glad I did too-because I believe I was one of the last ones to secure a kit before they ran out.

They had really quick shipping, so within a week my son received his surprise package. "Surprise" because his loving mother chose to not tell him about it.  Anyway-back to the Tinker Crate.

                             
I assumed it was going to be one of those listed on the site since no other kits were mentioned, but they actually sent the Fiber Optic Stars project.  After he was over the initial shock of getting something cool in the mail, he dove in. But not before I begged him to wait until I grabbed my camera first. You know, once a scrapbooker/blogger, always one. Of course I had to document this "unboxing reveal" before it was spread all over the place. He even got a kick out of that part.

Anyhoo-the neat thing about this (I chose the 9-16+ Tinker Crate for him) is that it provides all the necessary goodies to complete the listed projects.  They also have an additional booklet called the Tinker Zine, noting some fun experiments too, along with some info about the said subject.

The instructions came on a large fold out sheet with clear steps to follow.  It was not overly difficult and the results were really impressive.  I am going to pick up another sheet of foam board, so my son can make all the constellations highlighted in the kit (it came with two boards); and we may even try to create a few of the others ones not mentioned.

He really enjoyed this activity and I have to admit-it is awesome looking when you light it up in a dark room.  I really think this will help him recognize some of the constellations without much effort too. And that is always a plus. And for extra learning fun, they also have videos relating to the kits on their site.

As for the cost-the site currently lists them as $19.95 per month [I believe this is the one where you don't have to prepay but you will be charged every time one ships], the others are prepay first: $60 for a 3 month sub, $110 for 6 months, $205 for the year. The shipping is included for the subscriptions, but it looks like individual purchases of a featured crate has a fee to ship. As for us, we decided to suspend the subscription right now, simply because it is not in our budget. Altho, we can re-activate that at any time. I highly recommend you go through their site to see if this is something your family would enjoy and can afford. And don't forget to use the link below to get $10 off your first order.

Use my code to get $10 off your first kit  (any level) 

Erin Condren and Inkwell Life Planner thoughts, Plus coupon code for $10 off your first purchase

I am so excited about my new planner.  I have been watching and watching YouTube videos on different styles, as well as obsessing over the two top sites (Erin Condren and Inkwell Press) for a long time.  I sooooo wanted to order an Inkwell this early fall-but it just wasn't to be.  Literally, the first day they offered the new ones-they were gone in 60 seconds.  Waited for the second run and when that happened, didn't have the funds to get one.  Have to say, I was a bit disappointed they were not going to do anymore prints.  UGH.   So on to plan B-which now seems to be the better plan.  I went with an Erin Condren planner and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival!

So while I wait-I thought I would highlight why I had decided to go with the Inkwell initially but have now switched to Erin Condren.

Pros of Inkwell

(well from what I have gleaned from YouTube and their site)

*Paper thickness.
I so want to be able to use any pen I want, and not have it bleeding through to the next page or shadowing.  Inkwell uses 100# paper that supposedly does not show pen marks/ink.  Plus, I like thick paper. Maybe it is because I am a scrapbooker. I truly appreciate the loveliness of nice paper. They had me sold with their paper.

*Hard cover.
I think I would like a nice, book-like cover.  Since I cannot purchase one for another year-I guess I won't know for sure until then.  But the idea of it not tearing off or being so bendy has a nice appeal to it.

*Dashboard and other unique pages.
Looking through their planner pages was/is exciting.  Not even sure if I would use the dashboard but it's a nice option to have.  Again-until I have one to test drive, I won't know.

*Band included (for keeping the planner closed)
Need I say more?  Since I do not plan of using my planner as a tag-a-long where ever I go, this may not be necessary, but it is nice to know I wouldn't have to be charged extra for one.

*The coil
It looks like this is a whopper of a heavy duty one.  I like that.

Cons:

*Page  Layouts
I am not so sure I like the weekly layout scheme.  After going through Erin Condren's planner site-I came away not liking the busyness of the Inkwell weekly pages.  I like my pages clean so I can mess 'em up with my doodling, stickers and whatnots.  I don't necessarily want them to do it for me. LOL

*Limited runs for printing.
I understand that they are a small company, and want to you know-be with their families too. But sheesh, only two runs limits those of us who may not have the funds waiting when they open their orders.  I learned about these planners way too late to stash cash for em. Bummer big time. So I will be tucking funds away starting this fall (either for an Inkwell or the Condren).

*Limited Covers
I am sure with these being like thicker book covers, they had to tailor it down to just a few options.  I get that.  It's just that I am not so into some of those designs/colors.  I am not all geometrically, like a lot of the choices. The one I was OK with was the one I am pretty sure sold out first.  Oh wellers-there is always next year.

Once I have my hands on an Inkwell, I am sure I will be able to offer a more in-depth review of my likes/dislikes, since these are based on my viewings of others and the site...but wanted to point this out before getting into the Erin Condren.

 ******************************

Erin Condren Planner:

I ordered the Paisley in two colors:

the background is the honeydew 

(which was a total error! I thought it was gray.

SO now I wait to see if they can fix it or I guess

I will have one odd looking cover-drat!)

 and the pattern overlay is the Saffhire

(mid-range blue)

SO after much debate of whether I truly needed a spency planner, I finally took the leap. I have been testing my ability to remain faithful/consistent to planning on a $10 Day Designer planner I bought at Target this past summer. I seemed to be able to do it-so I was confident getting a fancier one would only encourage me more to be a true planner/doer than not. FYI: for those who are on the fence like I was, start cheap and see if you can stay true to planning before buying a more expensive one. 

Frankly, after the Inkwell disappointment, I just thought I would continue to use the Target one and make due until the 2017 ones became available. I sincerely could have too.  I just wasn't liking the Day Designer enough to stay focused and use it like I could.  I also had another reason to use the less expensive version-I was completely unsure whether I wanted the vertical or horizontal layout.  I stood at that store, for like forever, debating which one to get.  I settled on the horizontal one. But I find that with that layout (in the weekly section), I was literally writing billboard size to fill in the area because I felt guilty if I didn't have something on the page. So I knew I needed to change or all hope was lost on my continuing. So I hemmed and hawed and finally got the EC vertical option.

So here are some reasons I did go with her planner.  And a few cons I see that may or may not be an issue. I guess I will need to do a 1/2 year mark review.  Anyhoo-here they are.

Pros:

*Cover variety and ability to personalize

After seeing the huge cover choice selection I was sold. I am not totally hip on the cover being so bendy and possibly not staying attached after much use (some have reported that happens) but I haven't used one yet-so maybe it won't be an issue.  So I guess this could go under the cons section too. But also being able to personalize was very nice.  I could change colors (on some, not all) and personalize it-double bonus. Plus, if I get bored with it, I can order a new one and just switch it out.  

*Clean layout pages for weekly schedule

AH, these caught my eye immediately. They were so much less busy. That allows me to go all clutter nuts myself or leave it crisp and cleaner looking.  I like that. A lot.

The rest of the pros are yet to come-I need to use this puppy then I will know more.

Cons:

*Bendy, replaceable cover

As mentioned above, this could cause problems (and some YouTubers have said it is) but only daily use and time will tell.  

*Paper thickness

Erin uses 70# and I know some pens will bleed through or shadow a bit.  I guess I will just see what works and stick with those.  

*Coil

The coil seems a bit less predictable than the Inkwell. I have seen some folks point out that their coil arrived bent or will somewhat misshapened during a lot of use.  Another issue could be paper not gliding over the coils nicely, which will cause the pages to stick a bit.  I see they have updated their coils, so I am unsure how it'll be.  Time will tell.

*No Band included
OK, so I spend that much and don't get a band. ODD.  I won't be lugging this all over so this point may be mute. If I do decide to lug it about, I think I want a nice pouch to keep it in so little papers or what haves don't go all fluttery in my bag.  I can sew one myself or look on Etsy to see what is available.  I can also sew up a band in no time with some stretchy elastic.  But still-no band...ugh.

**********************************

My biggest issue was the layout choice.  I am used to the horizontal view.  I am afraid I will go across when I should be going down in the new planner, but over time I will get it.  Maybe I will use pencil for the first week or so until it becomes a habit to go down.  Anyhoo-I decided I didn't need a football field worth of an area to pen the few things I do write down.  I actually use the monthly calendar layout the most.  Which is a habit from years of jotting important stuff down on our calendar that hangs on the fridge.  I don't need to pen a book about what I should/need to do-I simply need to bullet point those things I have to or want to get done during that week.  So the vertical offered up less area for writing and a cleaner look too.  The EC planner has horizontal geometric shapes at the top of the pages, and well-me no like.  So vertical it is.

And now I wait for the sweet planner to arrive!  I hope to shoot a reveal video if I can contain my excitement enough to hold the camera still!  LOL  I will let ya know when I have that up.....til then...

While we wait....do take a look at the Erin Condren site. If you decide to order, please use my link.  You will get $10 off your first order and I get a $10 credit!  We can help each other out.  :) And that is always a great thing!

When you click the link, you will need to set up your account (takes just a few mins) then EC will email you a welcome ditty and shortly thereafter, another email will arrive with the code that is good for 30 days from the email sent date.  

As for Inkwell, I may try them next year. I have a code but it has some funny wording in it that I am requesting they change (kinda spells a swear word-seriously!) So once that is worked out, I will post that link so you can save on those planners too.  

I am also going to continue with EC regardless of whether I switch to Inkwell next year.  I love their teacher's planners and am waiting to get one of those too.  So I will def. continue to use and support her products.  So again-don't forget to use the link to save $10 [basically that covers your shipping of the planner and that is great!] and be sure to let me know what you chose and how you like it!  

Here's to a better planned year ladies!

December goings on, last post for 2015

With Christmas just around the corner, I am trying to get everything organized and ready for the holiday celebrations.  Thankfully, we all have a much better attitude toward December, even though a year ago we entered the dark days of my brother's decline-which means we are just beginning the "anniversary" of those terrible weeks.


We are determined to make it a lovely holiday season and to enjoy the goings on without too much sadness.  Frankly, it's a big relief to know we are almost done with this year. Sadly, after the new year arrives-we will have to journey through the one year mark of that dark day of my brother's passing.  I don't expect any of us to get through that very well.  But thankfully time does heal a bit, soothing over the rawness of losing a loved one.  The Lord has been holding us up in His love and we have become a lot stronger.

That said, we also have lots to be thankful for this year and we will focus on those things. Thought I would share, especially since I want folks to know that even though you may be walking through a terrible valley you can still have much to be grateful for. I have purposely sought out those 'good things' this year. And boy has it been a year!

Thankful for:

(these are but a few of the good things)

*My mother-in-law recovering nicely from her fall last November [2014].  It's been a long road for her but she is doing much, much better. (This happened just before we went to Portugal, and the care/healing process was also during the time we were dealing with my brother)

*My husband's early diagnosis of skin caner and subsequent removal of it.  Since it was caught in the very early stage, it was removed completely.  He was given the all clear.  All of his other biopsies hence have come back benign as well-so a mega PRAISE GOD moment there. (Again-this too was during that same time.  Actually got the diagnosis during the holidays. Yes, talk about a triple whammy)

*The end of the season. Our youngest was on a cruddy baseball team this year, and the weather did not cooperate all season long! It made it hard to want to go to the games. But he played well and improved his skills and I guess we'll consider that a big win.  Actually, we were all relieved when it ended.  That was a very happy day.

*Our oldest son purchasing his first home.  It was a big step into adulthood for sure.  He also switched to a different company/job and is now up for a nice promotion.  So obviously, we are very proud of him.  And to think-he was homeschooled from K-12th.  Huh. Guess we didn't mess him up too badly. He certainly seems to be able to function in the 'real world',  far better than the dire predictions we heard over the years.  Yes, I am being a bit snarky there.  If I had a dime every time I heard that one.....

*Both of our older kiddos entering serious relationships with two very wonderful people. My mom intuition thinks these relationships may actually lead to marriage somewhere down the road here.  We'll see how things work out but that is definitely a great thing to ponder.

*A 'Tag-a-long' work trip with my hubby that resulted in us being able to stay a beautiful cabin on a lovely lake in Wisconsin. That also resulted in our seeing a very handsome bald eagle whose residence was literally across the lake from us on a wee little island.  I mean that beauty actually put on a show for us. It was truly amazing!

*Getting the classroom ready, and curriculum mostly purchased prior to the beginning of school.  That has been a big challenge for me these past couple years. I was quite pleased with myself on that one.

*Getting a daily/weekly planner to try to organize our life and goings on.  I have been OKish with being consistent but need to be more diligent. That is why I started with a $10 one, but I really, really want an Inkwell Press planner.  Maybe next year after I have tested my ability to stick with it first.

*Finally getting the nerve to do some YouTube videos of our classroom, and various other things that I have long pondered filming.  I need to do more but it's just been kinda hectic, so that is my 2016 goal for sure. Baby steps here.

 My YouTube channel: 

 Homeschooling on a Wing and a Prayer

*Positive results that at first were a bit sketchy.  After my initial lady check-up in September, I began a three month odyssey that was rather nerve racking and down right scary at times.  I ended up having some not so good results that lead to ultrasounds, tests and more tests, and even a biopsy. The "Let's rule out cancer." was mentioned here and there too.  Damn scary! Trying to ignore those "what if" thoughts while trying to keep the home running and educating the boy was a real challenge while we waited for the results.  I also had some bleeding issues (after the biopsy) which left me very exhausted, weak and probably anemic. Yah, it was that bad. Anyway-the thankful moment came when the uterine biopsy/mammogram results all came back negative for cancer or problems. Hallelujah! I may have to consider another procedure to alleviate some issues I still have but for now-I am not messing with it.

*Feeling strong enough now to plan and organize some Christmas activities. Such as:

House decor-check. Village set up-check. 

 Big cookie bake and frosting day-check.  

Xmas shopping-mega fail...working on it. 

Christmas cards written out and mailed-double fail, soon though.  

*Finding time to research/begin the Trim Healthy Mama plan. Talk about confusing at first.  But I have been trying to follow it.  I am what they call "a turtle" but I am determined to give it time.  It's hard. But I have had some good results and hope to see many more. And now I have a YouTube video up with two more coming relating to the THM plan!

Check them out! 

 First Video

*Finally, finally getting a real Xmas tree.  For many years past there has been so much going on,  including but not limited to:  traveling out of the country too close to the holidays to warrant one, traveling in early to mid-December to arrive home only days prior to Christmas, illnesses, family issues, not being able to budget a spency real tree, not wanting to deal with the 'needle gate' that occurs with real trees, or just being grumps. Which if you ever have a year from hell, you can relate- it's very hard to be in the 'spirit' of it some times.  BUT this year-we have a gorgeous Douglas Fir that is like 9 feet tall (probably 10' in the stand) that makes the house smell wonderful and looks so pretty.

*Being blessed with a wonderful daughter who likes to decorate and do some of that for me esp. since I have been ill.  She also was the one who decorated the home for us while we were at the hospital with my family last year.  Her loving heart and willingness to create something beautiful has been such a huge blessing.  In fact, our boy has also really jumped in and helped too. His 6'1" frame makes decorating much easier! He has been a real trooper picking up slack while his dad is traveling.

*For a husband that is a great provider who works very hard, long days/weeks and still takes time to dedicate time to the kids/me/fam and the home.  I am also thankful he has made the effort to show our boy how to fix a few things things. Esp. since I have had to call on him (the boy) to repair broken stuff lately.  Like the garbage disposer.

*For our cookie decorating tradition that we have done since the kids were born.  Plus that fact that we had two extra 'kids' join us for this fun event.  This is one tradition I absolutely love-even though it requires many hours of baking a bunch of cookie varieties, including the dozens of sugar cookies that are rolled, cut, baked, then decorated. The results are hilarious, and the memories too precious to even describe.

*For my wonderful blog readers.  Thank you for visiting and your kind/encouraging words.

*For the Hope and Grace and Shelter only the Lord can provide.  So very glad I have Him as my Rock and my Provider.  No one else could have walked me through this year, lifting me up when I could barely stand, answering prayers and filling my broken heart with his Mercy and Love. So very thankful for that!

and lastly-

*Let's not forget Kitty leaving me a lovely little puke gift on my shoes one morn!  Yes, my cat truly loves me.  I think....

"Leave me 'lone!"  

 She loves the heat from the cable box.

Silly Cleo.

Well that is about all for 2015.  Have a Blessed Christmas, 

may the Lord be ever present in your lives 

and may the coming year be a good one!  

Where we're at, a long Fall update for you

Since we started the new school year, we have been trying to get into some sort of routine.  It hasn't worked too well.  There have been doctor/dentist appts. to go to, which are necessary but they are time suckers. I am sure you understand that conundrum. Then of course, just dealing with every day life has been a challenge at times.  I still struggle with grief.  It sneaks up in unexpected places/times and will knock me back a bit.  I also have brain fog from it, so deep concentration or planning is almost unattainable. I am keeping a schedule book-but that really isn't enough. Some days are better than others.  So being consistent and thorough hasn't been our strong suit. None the less, I am determined to meet our basic goals and to do my best.  I have to be kind to myself (all things considered) and pray for the Good Lord to walk me through this valley.

What we have accomplished: 

*We finished the Asian continent for our Geo studies.  Wow! That had a ton of countries to cover and yes, we covered them all.

*We started Africa. I have set up a basic layout to follow to get it completed by the end of February. Well that's the plan anyway.

*We only have a few weeks left of the SL 5 program. I actually mentioned it in another post, but the basic 411 is that I have been saving the final weeks for when we started the African continent, because they cover it.  I also have a few extra books I found (via the library) to add to it over the 14 weeks it's going to take to complete Africa. Finishing the SL 5 series equates to us reading just about every book in that program!  And there are a lot of em!  The only ones we didn't read were the ones we have already covered, or are ones I want to read later.  So that alone is huge.

*We finally started the Route 66 Bible program. We had to wait until my hubby was able to resurrect my old 'puter that has a CD drive, which we need for the teacher's guide.  I will update you on that after we have used it for a bit.

I have a little snapper turtle from one of our Safari Toobs-

so we pulled it out and moved her along the map as we went.

*We completed our final book/map of Minn of the Mississippi, from Beautiful Feet Books Geography-A Literature Approach.

All four maps are now complete and on display in our classroom!

Some changes and improvements to our curriculum:

*The notebooking pages for geography were proving to be too time consuming and too ink "needy". So I went on the hunt and found a new notebook page that has the main info we need without being so intense.  I only had to add the capital of the country to list on the blank lines at the bottom. 

You can find it here at The Notebooking Fairy.

*After the rebirth of our old computer-I found the All-About-Homophones worksheets I have wanted my son to go through but couldn't for the past few years due to the demise of the ole thing. Yeah! So I printed off 3rd grade to about 5th so far. It goes to eighth grade, but frankly-any age is OK to work on it.  I have seen many adults make homophone errors.  So it doesn't hurt to have him go through them as a quick review [like 5-10 minutes a day] as well as introduce some I simply haven't covered. Whoops. I love All About Learning Press' products (they make the All About Spelling and Reading programs) and this beauty of a supplement is a great refresher to cover these words.

*I love reading other homeschooler's blogs and watching a variety of YouTube channels.  I was on Erica Arndt's channel watching her 7th grade curriculum video where she mentioned this nifty program-Spelling You See.  I explored the site, but currently don't have the funding to make a purchase. What I have done is downloaded the free level samplers I thought best met my son's skills and tried it out.  I like it. He doesn't seem too terribly annoyed by it either-which is a great bonus. Currently,  I'm having him color highlight the different parts on the copy work paragraphs in his Learning Language Arts through Literature workbook.  I make a couple extra copies of it beforehand and have him work through the week on it. If I see him improving his spelling by this method, I will find a way to get a workbook, but for now I am "testing" the waters here to see if it suits his learning style.

Total "shoulda, woulda, coulda" moments:

*Should have already done an artist (Monet).  Epic fail.  Goal:  week of Nov 16, start it.

*Would have loved to have ordered the download for Saxon Math Algebra 1/2.  Hasn't happened yet. We have been slammed with many unexpected misc. and medical bills.  So I have temporarily switched to Life of Fred Pre-Algebra in conjunction with doing the last few chapter of our previous Saxon book for review.  

*Could have been more diligent with daily schedules, which would have meant accomplishing more.  I tend to beat myself up over this.  But then again-seeing how much our family has been through this year and what we are still going through, I guess I am shocked at all we have accomplished. Seriously.  

I know there are more things I can add to this category-like winterizing, deep cleaning and various other things that simply have been chucked aside for now.  It is what it is.  I'm OK with that.  

And there you have it.  A very long post with snippets of our life of late.  I wanted to catch you up and let you know-we're here, we're chugging along and we're making due.  Sometimes, that is all one can do.                                    

A little "keeping it real" pic here.  This is our coffee table in the family room,  There are books/teacher's guides and more piled up next to the chair by the couch too. Oh, and I couldn't bare to take a pic of the classroom tables.  Those puppies are a disaster.  So know that this is the normal look for us during the week.  As long as the cat doesn't decide to chew on any of it-it's all good. :)

**FYI:  I borrowed product pics from the listed sites so you could get a visual on the product I described.

Continent Box: Africa

Our African Continent box is a bit lighter than the others.  I decided to not purchase/print any more of the food cards (for Africa, Europe and S.A/N.A) I was purchasing from the Montessori Shop.  I will do that once I have younger kids to teach. My son's age makes it so he doesn't really look them over, and although they are about $3 to download, there is also the ink/print fee and the laminating cost to consider-so it adds up.  For now I will just bank that into my memory "must dos" until I have more littles who will be much more enamored with said cards. Anyway-here is what we have in ours:

Contents for the African Box

*Animals from Scheich (found at various local stores).  

*3 Pyramid figure from the Around the World Safari Toob

*Sphinx from the World Landmarks Safari Toob

*Egyptian Sarcophagus Dig kit from the Dollar Tree  (you have to just keep your eye open for these little chip away the plaster kits-finding them is very random, they are not always available)

*Elephant and Lion pins found locally at garage sale

*African wood box via Ebay

*Coins via Ebay

*Stamps via Ebay and various collections

*African Animals cards: Target (dollar section) Flash Cards Animals of the World by Bendon

*Landmark cards:  Target (dollar section) flash cards by Creative Edge

*Postcards-given to us by friends

**I still need to build this box up-I want to add the African Village Safari Toob, and more trinkets from the various countries.  This is a work in progress.  I will def. add any updates once I have them.

We also have a nice place mat set and a gorgeous, hand-woven art piece (made by some local tribal women) my father-in-law brought back from S. Africa (just months before he passed away, so it is very treasured here) in 1998.  We spent a bit more money to have it framed in lovely African wood as well.  I will have those out on display for him to enjoy during our study.

Homeschool: STEM/Engineering activity-Building an F.M. Radio

I wanted to share my son's newest project [building an F.M. radio] that was completed after just a few hours, with very minimal help from his dad. He earned an "A" for this project. Not only did he show great dedication to completing it start to finish (he barely stopped to eat lunch), he also did a great job soldering and checking for errors. Very proud of him. He is very anxious to start the A.M. radio....but I told he needs to pace himself. Esp. since that is our last kit, and I won't be able to order any other sets for some time. Here is our Show and Tell video. Hope you enjoy it!

 

Tech/Electronics Activity (STEM): Soldering Practice-European Siren

Since our son is technically in ninth grade this year, I wanted to get him going on some fun activities to start his Technology [auto/etc.] and Electronics course.  One thing my husband wanted him to be able to do well, was to solder [pronounced like sawder].  I was watching a bunch of YouTubers who mentioned the STEM activities they do, and one brand kept being shown/mentioned.  So I checked Amazon, and sure enough-there they were.  I ordered three kits to start.  I first chose one that included the soldering gun (very important), the necessary parts/tools, and had a fairly simple task to complete (in this case, the European siren) but there are other to choose from.  My son also wanted to build both the AM and the FM radios-so I bought those as well.  I will order a few more kits for him, if he wants to continue doing projects like this. I also have my eye on a few other similar type activities, so we will see.  I want to keep his attention, while he learns valuable skills, and not brake the bank. These three kits were very modestly priced, so that is why I chose them to start.
   .  Soldering kits are by Elenco Images from Amazon.com
We will be stretching the course out for at least two to three years, so we can lean this out for as long as we deem fit. All of these kits prep our boy for being able to fix electrical things about the home and/or vehicles, etc. Plus, he has to follow schematics, troubleshoot (and they did alright-a few times) and push through when it gets difficult.  All great skills to have under one's belt.

So for those wondering how to or where to put this (for transcript purposes), you can file it under a few different areas. Be creative.  Maybe it will only be a snippet activity you can put under a science course.  Maybe your student will be doing lots of activities like this, so you can create a whole class around them. Just have a main goal in mind-whatever you decide that will be.  For those following the STEM plan/idea, this would fit under the technology and engineering part of it. Or this could be filed under your student's overall VoTech or Auto or Electrical Engineering 101 class. I haven't named our course yet, but it will definitely be listed as something auto/motor/engine related. The general idea is that there be some fun activities (the kits) mixed with book lessons, along with the majority of it being totally hands-on experience.

By the way-this is all my hubby's territory so I may not be speaking proper technical terms here. That's OK tho, that is why he is teaching it and I just smile, order the goodies and mark down the progress/grades. I won't even pretend to know most of what this is all about.  My time and brain is so stuffed with all other sorts of things, that I am not in the least bit ashamed to hand this off to my husband to teach. It's his passion and hobby anyway. Plus, this is one area my husband and son can be all manly manish together. Not to mention the great memories they will have to share-and the extra fix-it man I have readily available when his dad is out of town!  LOL  Hey, don't blame me for seeing all the possibilities here.

Completed project!  

Curriculum Tour 2015-16. Part 1 and 2 video tour!

OK, here are the video tours of the curriculum we will use this year. 

It's not all of it but the main stuff. I plan on making one for the 

artist study with more details.  Anyhoo-enjoy!

And please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. That way

you will get notifications on any new videos! Thanks!

Orange Pop Jell-O recipe

So here is a once in a while treat I will make for the fam. Before I go much further-I want to put a disclaimer out there. This is not a 'healthy' treat. OK. I said it. That is why I will only make it 2-3 times PER YEAR.  Usually, just around the holidays. But it has been scorching hot here lately, and well-it just sounded good. I am also trying to use up our current food stash.

ALSO:  If you are skiddish about Jell-O don't go any further.  If you won't let a dribble of soda pop enter your home-stop reading now.  Yes-this uses processed ingredients.  I get that.  I get that and I am totally trying to do more 'real' food and less processed-BUT once in a while-one can endure a wee treat...and this recipe counts as just that.

Now that I have that out of the way-here are some very helpful tips.  I have been making this for over 20+ years-so I have found this out the hard way and now know how to avoid plastering my kitchen and myself with sticky orange spray.

**Use a high-sided bowl for mixing this up-otherwise people, you will be wearing it and cleaning it up for a long time. You can transfer to a prettier bowl when done.

**Use a piece of plastic wrap or a towel to half cover the bowl-see reason why above.

**Use a hand mixer if you can-that way you can control it better

**Set cream cheese out for a bit to soften or if you are like me-just pop it into the microwave for about 15-18 seconds on defrost.  Remove it from the wrapper and place on a piece of wax paper first.

**You need to stir it at least 2-3 times to distribute the goodies. It's OK if you forget but do your best not to.  I let it sit about 20 mins after placing it in the fridge. Then give it a stir.  Then again in another 15-20 mins and poss. third time after that.  It just tastes better when it is mixed more thoroughly.

**Leave a spoon in it to remind you to stir it-cover lightly with wax or parchment paper to keep it from getting contaminated.  No one wants that.

**MAKE THE DAY PRIOR to when you want it.  It takes time to set nicely.  I usually make it late in the evening, the day before I want it.  Then it is all done and ready to go for the next day's dinner/event.

There ya go-my tips to help you make a nicer Jell-O. I got this from my mother-in-law way back when.  I do not know where she found it.  So I haven't a clue who gets credit for creating this.

Orange Pop Jell-O

1 large package of Orange Jell-O   +   1 cup of boiling water

Mix this together and let sit about a min.

add in:

8oz package of cream cheese-softened

Using hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in until 

incorporated but not too lumpy.  Don't over beat it tho.

You want some mini-chunks of the cheese.

add in:

1 can of Mandarin Oranges-drained

 (15 oz can)

2 1/2 cups of Orange Pop

(20 oz bottle)**

**you can also try a natural orange pop

found in your organic/natural section

of your supermarket

Cover, place in fridge.

(keep spoon in until done stirring) stir at least 2-3 times. 

ENJOY!!!!

Homeschool Room Tour 2015: Part 4 ALL VIDEOS now uploaded

Here are the last and final sections of our classroom tour!  Hope you enjoy them and be sure to subscribe!

PLUS!  I have uploaded a new video of the "whatever" and art cabinet, which is now reorganized.

School Supply Haul 2015-16 Part 1 and 2

HI!  I now have both videos uploaded on my YouTube channel. I also have it posted here for you as well.  Be sure to watch part 1 and 2!  Nothing earth shattering as far as supplies go-but maybe you can glean a few helpful hints on how to save money by using coupons stacked with sales, and by being alert to current sale prices! It's always good to save money!

Also-if you don't already, be sure to subscribe.  I would love to see my channel grow.  I have lots of ideas for videos and want to share them, so keep checking for those!

2015 Not Back to School Blog Hop: Classroom

This is always my favorite part of the blog hop.  I love seeing how others set up, and use their space to educate their kids.  I have lots of pics/posts on ours all over my blog.  I am excited to share that I have a YouTube channel where I am (albeit slowly) adding videos of our room for you to actually take a tour.  I have the main wall to finish.  I have a part of it done but YouTube was being annoying so I will re-shoot that and get the others done soon.  It's been a very busy summer. We just returned from a week long trip and have been running ever since.  Please head over to my channel and take a look at what is there and be sure to subscribe so you will get the updates.  I now have ALL VIDEOS (this is the post with the videos shown) of the classroom uploaded!  Yeah!!!!  SO be sure to check those out!

My classroom has not changed at all from last year.  I will only pull out books/stuff that we finished and reload it with new goodies.  I may rearrange how I have the desks but that is yet to be determined.  Head here to last year's post to see the pics.  Otherwise-click here to see the YouTube tour.  

Thanks!

2105 Not Back to School Blog Hop : Curriculum

OK, so they started the Not Back to School Blog Hop early this year!  Of course, I didn't think to look when it actually started-but because we were gone for vacation for most of it-it wouldn't have mattered.  So, here I am a bit behind and so I do not have all of our curriculum ordered yet.  I usually wait til mid-August.  I try to find stuff used first, so I wait until folks are selling before I go the new route.  I have a few items pictured BUT it is by no means all of it. Look for a YouTube video (hopefully soon) where I will show what I have.  I may wait tho until I get the rest of my ordering done. Anyhoo-

I have one student.  He is 7/8/9 th -ish.  I hate to put a grade on it because each subject is different for him. This is my "hope to get to this coming year" plan but as with this past one-nothing is in stone. We have learned to go with the flow (last year was a hurricane)-this is what I hope to cover:

Art:  

Continue studying great artists-Monet, Seurat, Chagall and Tiffany.  Using a variety of materials to do this.  Including See the Light Art Projects DVDs, calendars, stickers, various books from library and my collection. Notebooking is a part of this as well.

Bible:

Confirmation class.  Finishing God's Great Covenant.  After that-??? I haven't decided yet. Also, memory verses.

Elective:

Car/Motorcycle and small engine repair:  various books from library, notebooking and a ton of hands on training from his teacher, Mr. Dad.  

Geography:

Continue with the study Around the World from last year. We have completed Australia, Antarctica and most of Asia.  There about 15 countries left to do, then we will move on to the others. Variety of materials.  Includes: Mapping the World by Heart, maps/atlases, Continent Boxes (see all my posts on those), notebooking, various books from the library on each country/continent, Around the World in 180 days curriculum and Uncle Josh's maps.  

History:

Basically, not planned this year. He will finish the couple of books from the SL 5 series we haven't finished-then we will take a break from the regular history.  Actually, the Beautiful Feet Books History of Science is history but I am categorizing that under the science section.

Literature Arts: 

(writing, reading, spelling, handwriting, etc.)

LLATL: green and tan levels.  He is finishing up the green then we will move on when done.  

HW:  Getty-Dubay Italic (whatever he hasn't completed in book g) and Italic Character HW

Grammar:  Winston supplemental (finishing) and Advanced

Writing:  IEW level B

Reading: various books

Spelling:  IDK  yet (I have a few guides to use, like the one posted but nothing official)

Vocab:  Marie's Vocab flashcards, reading

Math:

Saxon Algebra 1/2 after he wraps up a bit from last year's text

Music:

One or two composers.  Still debating which ones.  Using various materials I already have and The Young Person's Guide to Composers.  

Science:

Beautiful Feet Books:  History of Science guide/books

includes experiments

Archaeology with some fun hands-on activities

I want to do a foreign language (I have some things about) but not sure we'll get to it.  I may wait until next year as this one is a heavy load.

That is what I hope to use/cover this coming year. Looking forward to seeing what you all are going to us too!