Maestro Classics - Swan Lake - Review

 

Classical music for kids!  Maestro Classics can help you introduce your family to classical music.  Their mission is to cultivate a love of music through education and joyful performances.  Their selection of CD's are geared towards ages 5-12 and their parents.  The three major benefits that Maestro Classics claims to offer are to:

• expand listening horizons
• develop listening skills and accumulate musical memories and
• encourage children and adults to listen to music together

Maestro Classics has 9 CD's in their collection. 

Titles include:  Peter and the Wolf, The Soldier's Tale, The Story of Swan Lake, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, My Name is Handel:  The Story of Water Music, The Tortoise and the Hare, Casey at the Bat, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and  Juanita the Spanish Lobster.  You can purchase each CD separately for $16.98 or an MP3 download for $9.98.  You can also save some money and purchase the complete 9 CD selection for $128.00.  There are other set options to select from.  Click HERE to see everything.

I was given the opportunity to use The Story of Swan Lake in exchange for this honest review.  Let me start by telling you what was on the CD and what came with it.  As you can see in the center of the picture above, the case is beautifully illustrated and colorful.  A 24-page activity book included with the CD contains a biography of Tchaikovsky, information on acoustic and electric guitars, sheet music and words for a sing-along song, explanation of major and minor keys, puzzles and more.  Children can also join the Kids Club for more learning and fun.  Check it out HERE.  The total play time of the CD is almost a full hour.  It includes a narrated version of the classic tale, additional tracks about Tchaikovsky's life, a heavy metal version of the main theme, and the "Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet" sing a long.  I found it to be a comprehensive classical music lesson!

So, what did we think about it?  The clarity of the recording was wonderful and the narration was clear.  The music was beautiful...after all, it is Tchaikovsky!  My son is 12 and was not at all interested in the sing along.  He was also bored with the narration.  I found that it would be best suited for a female, probably one who was interested in ballet or similar story lines to Swan Lake.  If I were to be able to pick a CD on my own, I would not have selected Swan Lake for my 12 year old son.  Maestro Classics does offer other choices more geared towards a boy.  But, I wasn't given the choice, so Swan Lake it is!

I do feel that this product is very fairly priced.  It would make a wonderful gift for a child who loves ballet or classical music or the classic stories.  It would be great to listen to in the car, or as a bed time activity.  Please visit HERE to be able listen to a sample from each CD and decide which would best suit your family!

 Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Z-Guide to the Movies - Review

 

 The Gadow Homeschool loves using educational movies and documentaries to enhance our lessons.  Imagine my excitement to learn about Zeezok Publishing!  They offer a wide assortment of companions to many movies.  They are called Z-Guide to the movies!  When the opportunity came up for the TOS Crew to review these guides there as no question about it....I wanted in!  The only dilemma I was faced with was....hmmmm, which one do I choose?  There were so many!  I finally settled on the Z-Guide to the Movies for the movie, Johnny Tremain.

This 36 page e-book download (or get it on CD) is chuck full of activities and study guides to accompany the movie.  It begins with a synopsis of the movie and a little history and a little history of the events (Boston Tea Party).  Following the introduction, you'll find an assortment of activities from fill in the blank, short answers, crossword puzzles, mazes, etc.  I particularly loved the 25 questions that were to be completed WHILE watching the movie!  This really made sure that my son was paying attention.  I gave him the remote so he could pause the movie as needed.  I was very please to see that he got 23 of the 25 questions correct...and very happy to have the answer key at the end of the e-book...thank you Zeezok!

Z-Guide to the Movies offers a variety of guides for elementary through high school.  I checked many of the titles offered and all of the ones I did check were available either through my public library or Netflix, so that made it even easier!  You can purchase either an e-book or CD and the price is $12.99 and up.  Here are some of the titles offered and from what point or interest in history.  This should tempt your tummy!

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

One Night with the King

ANCIENT EGYPT

The Ten Commandments

ANCIENT GREECE

Jason and the Argonauts

ANCIENT ROME

Ben Hur

MEDIEVAL EUROPE

Knights of the Round Table

Adventures of Robin Hood

Luther

16TH CENTURY EUROPE

A Man for All Seasons

17TH CENTURY EUROPE

Cromwell

18TH CENTURY EUROPE

A Tale of Two Cities 

Amazing Grace

American Revolution

Johnny Tremain

FRENCH REVOLUTION

Scarlet Pimpernel 

The Count of Monte Cristo

19TH CENTURY EUROPE

Les Miserables

WAR BETWEEN THE STATES

Red Badge of Courage 

The Horse Soldiers

U.S. Westward Expansion

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin

Grapes of Wrath

WORLD WAR I

Flyboys 

Sergeant York

THE ROARING TWENTIES

Inherit the Wind

Now, the question is...which will you choose?

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

 

The World's Greatest Stories Review

 

We all have our favorite stories...our favorite authors...our favorite characters.  The Bible is an important book in our house.  It is filled with THE World's Greatest  Stories.  George W. Sarris brings to life some of the most exciting characters and stories in the Bible, word for word!  Yes, that's right.  There is nothing added or taken away.  It's God's Word told straight from the Bible....with George's talented voice and exciting music and special effects to help bring it to life.

My family was given a copy of the NIV translation of Volume 1 - The Prophets from The World's Greatest Stories.  My family sat together one evening after dinner and listened to the CD.  It was a 45 minute story time from the greatest book, The Bible.  There were five stories:  The Blazing Furnace, The Handwriting on the Wall, Daniel in the Lion's Den, Elijah and the Prophets of Baal, and The Prophecy of Jonah.  You can hear audio clips of this CD and the others' offered by clicking here. 

Besides Volume 1 - The Prophets, The World's Greatest Stories offers five more volumes:  Volume 2 - The Life of Christ, Volume 3 - Beginnings, Volume 4 - Joshua and Esther, Volume 5 - Joseph and His Brothers, and Volume 6 - Defeating Giants.  These CD's are only $7.95 each and you can choose either the NIV or KJV.  When you order 6 or more CD's you will receive free shipping!  Click here to place your order. 

I enjoyed listening to the stories very much.  I particularly appreciated that it was coming word for word from the Bible, so there was no way of an error creeping in.  The sound effects were exciting and helped to really bring the stories to life.  My son thought the voices George used were too strange and not related enough to the accents or voices that the real people probably would have had.  I don't know if that is true, but it was his opinion!  There is no age recommendation assigned to this product, which is probably a good thing.  After all, God's Word is for all ages!  In our opinions this CD would be most appealing to listen to for ages 12 and under because of the childlike feel and quality it has.

The World's Greatest Stories would be a wonderful blessing to your family.  Listen to it in the car, before bedtime, during family Bible study time, or just pop it in when the kids are playing!  It would be a unique and inexpensive gift to bless another child or family.  This product is well worth the buy.  You won't be disappointed!

 Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

ARTistic Pursuits Review

ARTistic Pursuits is an award winning homeschool art program for students from pre-school through high school.  These books can also be easily adapted for the classroom setting.  

 ARTistic Pursuits views the study of art as a compilation of the elements shown on the bookshelf to the right.  Each lesson provides a building block to the fuller ability to understand and create art:  conceptual application, expressive application, practical application, art history, technical application, and practiced application.  Click here to read more about each of these concepts. 

The ARTistic Pursuits approach is comprehensive.  The language is engaging and easy to follow. The lessons were not too long and they were interesting.  Click here to see a description of all of the books available from ARTistic Pursuits.  They are $42.95 each and offer a full year curriculum.  The book I was given to review was Grades 4-6 Book One:  The Elements of Art and Composition.

This book gives students their first in-depth look at the elements of art in a simply written text with illustrations in pencil, marker, and scratch art, the media they will be using. The elements of art and composition are explored through American art.  I chose this book because my son has a strong interest in learning how to draw, but has little to no skill.  He is in 6th grade.  It was a good fit for him.  The lessons were easy to follow and the practice "assignments" interested him because he could choose his own subjects to draw.  The supplies needed were easy to get at our local art/craft store and were not an expensive addition.  If you prefer, you can order Art Supply packs from ARTistic Pursuits.  Click here to see them.  For us, art is an extra curricular activity.  We do it (in a formal way such as this) only when we have extra time in the week.  ARTistic Pursuits suggests doing 2 lessons per week, but the student can do more or less when time and interest allows.  I found that once a week was and will be the probable amount we will turn to this curriculum.  ONLY because our lesson and activity schedule is currently so full.

No Risk Satisfaction Guarantee For Individual Orders....That's always one of my favorite features that a company could offer!  ARTistic Pursuits offers a 30 day money back guarantee (excluding shipping) if you are not completely satisfied with your product.  Their guarantee states that you can return it if you are not completely satisfied, but that it has to be unused and in the original packaging.  Wouldn't a person have to use it in order to determine if they were not satisfied?  So, the guarantee is a little confusing to me.  If this is something that is important to you in determining your purchase I would suggest contacting them for clarification on this.  You can find their contact information here. 

 Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

College Prep Genius VocabCafe REVIEW

OK, so my son is only in 6th grade.  That doesn't mean that I'm not already thinking about high school, SAT's, and college preparation.  Is that weird?

I don't care.  I'm going to do it anyway.

When I saw that I had the opportunity to sign up to review VocabCafe from CollegePrepGenius I did my cyber-wave and jump with the hopes of being picked!  Voila!  Here I am!  Let's see if my acrobatic efforts to get noticed were worth the sore muscles.

VocabCafe is a series of books (currently four) that are modern novellas containing 300 SAT-level words.  Each chapter contains a selection of vocabulary words interjected into the storyline.  These words are in bold and their definitions are at the bottom of the page they are on.  At the end of each chapter there is a review list of the words used.  The four titles and descriptions in the series are as follows:

 


IM for Murder
Operation High school
Planet Exile
Summer of St Nick






All four books are written with the modern teen in mind.  Although the target age group is middle school to high school, I think the themes would be most appealing to an 8-10th grade student.  With that being said, the vocabulary words were very challenging.  So, it seemed that the theme and the task of the words were not well matched.  I received the following information along with the books....


“***A WORD ABOUT CONTENT – These books were written with an intended audience of high school teenagers, although many parents find them appropriate for their middle school or younger students.  As a family-based company, our goal is to make a quality product that can be enjoyed by everyone.  Thus, these stories contain no magic, sorcery, swear words, illicit situations, nor do they encourage negative behaviors.  However, we recommend that parents should read every book that they give their children (not just ours) to make sure the messages coincide with their beliefs and standards.  The VocabCafe Book Series does contain boy-girl relationships (non-sexual), mild violence, and mature thematic elements.”

I read this before reading the books and was very encouraged.  Although I'm not the literature police when it comes to what my son reads, I do try to weed out books that offer themes I feel he could be sensitive to, would dive into areas that are inappropriate for his age, or that may negatively influence him.  After reading this disclosure, I was put at ease.  Still, I thought I would read them on my own before handing them over to my 11 year old son.  I'm glad I did.

Matthew is an avid reader and he does read at a high school level.  However, the storylines were too frequently off of the moral compass that I like to have as part of his reading.  Things like teenage dating, lying, disobedience and rebellion without consequence, and some phrases or words that I would deem as inappropriate in our house (ie:  freaking instead of the other popular cuss word).  I would not label these books as wholesome literature if that's what you're looking for in your reading.  For us, some good conversation while reading them was in order.  It certainly allowed us to dive into the Bible to find the scriptures that conflicted with the storylines.  Wonderful lessons learned :) 

With that being said....I thought the concept of these books was GREAT!  Boosting your vocabulary can be a boring and fruitless effort if all your doing is making flash cards and trying memorize words you'll probably never use in real life.  Interjecting them into a story will definitely increase the retention level.  Sure, sometimes the word seemed oddly placed.  I mean, if you were going to hold a "vote" among a group to make a decision wouldn't you just say that?  Well, in Planet Exile they will hold a "plebiscite".  OK....sure!  The reality is that most of the words on the SAT are words that no typical human being uses.  But, alas, our student must know them in order to score well and they will find them in the VocabCafe series of books.

If you would like to order these books, you can get them for $12.95 each or the complete set for $38.85.  That's a buy 3 get one free kind of price!  Just visit the website by clicking here.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

"The Person I Marry" from Bower Books - Review

When I was growing up I would dream about getting married and having a family of my own.  My parents were divorced and almost all of my friends' parents were divorced.  I didn't have a relationship with God and I didn't have any adult in my life to show or teach me about the kind of person I should marry.

I really didn't know what a good husband would look like for me.

  

As my life changed and I invited God into my life, I began to learn by His example what kind of man I should marry.  It was then, as a grown adult in my 20's that I began to dream of my future husband.  That was so much different than dreaming of getting married.

As a mother, I pray that my son will begin to dream now of his future wife.  He's only 11 years old, but I'm hoping he puts in many years of practice praying for her and figuring out the kind of wife that God has for him.  The Person I Marry by Gary Bower is the perfect tool to help him do that.  This beautifully illustrated book is a tender approach to highlighting the invaluable traits we should all be looking for in our spouse.  The story is presented in a rhyme that captivates the listener, both young and older.  It is part of their Bright Futures Series.    Enjoy this video sample...

What a precious gift for your child of any age, as an engagement or wedding gift, or as a tool in a character building curriculum.  Discover the traits you want to look for in the person you will marry, and more importantly, discover the traits that God wants for you to have for your spouse.  It's no surprise that The Person I Marry was awarded the "2010 Book of the Year" by the Christian Small Publisher Association.  This 32 page hard cover book is only $11.99 at the Bower Family Books website.  They also offer free shipping on orders of $30 or more.  It will be a treasured addition to your family and a blessing of a gift for someone else you love. 

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

First Form Latin - Memoria Press - Review

First Form Latin from Memoria Press is a curriculum for grades 5-12.  It is a Christian based curriculum founded by Cheryl Lowe in 1994.  It is a classical approach to the mastery of the subject being taught.  Completion of one year of First Form Latin is equivalent to one year of high school credit.  Considering there is Second Form Latin and Third Form Latin, this curriculum option makes for an excellent comprehensive choice for meeting prerequisites in foreign language for college entrance.

I started teaching my son Latin last year when he was in 5th grade.  Although we enjoyed the curriculum we were using, we are always open to trying new things.  We were excited to find we were selected to review First Form Latin.  It was a very different approach than what we were used to.  Here is a pic of what we received...

 

Wow, this was much more than I expected.  Opening that box was like Christmas morning!  It included:

• Student Text
• Workbook
• 2 Teacher Manuals
• Quizzes and Tests Book
• CD
• DVD
• Flashcards

This is the complete First Form Latin Set for $115.00  The basic First Form Latin Set is $55.00 which does not include the DVD's or Flashcards.  When I first visited the website before receiving the curriculum I thought (hmmm) that's a big difference in price.  Are the DVD's and Flashcards really that important?  Well, let's look at each item you'll receive in the Set a little closer and then you can decide for yourself.

In the Student Text you'll get 34 two-page lessons, broken down into 5 Units of study.  Great!  Each lesson is only two pages long.  I can handle that and so can my 6th grader.  Each lesson teaches a conjugation, vocabulary list, and then grammatical application.  This soft cover book is smaller than the others (8x8) so it is not intimidating.  You can see sample pages for the Student Text by clicking here. 

In the Workbook, the student will find ample opportunities to practice and apply what he has learned in each lesson.  Each Lesson has 4-6 worksheet pages.  We found that doing one per day was a great way to add Latin to our daily routine.  For each lesson,  you'll find a worksheet in the following areas:  word study and grammar,  declensions and conjugations, form drills, translation skills, and enrichment/honors review.  You can see sample pages for the Workbook by clicking here. 

In the Teachers Manuals, the teacher (Me) will find....well, everything you need to guide your child through each lesson.  I'm a big fan of teacher manuals for subjects that I am not confident in and Latin is definitely one of those subjects.  Please, tell me what to do and when to do it!  Thank you, First Form Latin.  One of the manuals is to accompany the Student Text.  It gives sample/suggested lesson plans and schedules.  It walks you through each lesson, tells you what to say, examples to give, games to play, etc.  *sigh* This is possible now.  The other manual is to accompany the workbook and quizzes/test.  This precious spiral bound friend of mine provides all of the answers.  You can see sample pages for the Teachers Manual by clicking here. 

In the Quizzes and Tests book, you will find frequent opportunities to asses your child's mastery and understanding of the material learned.  I like to quiz/test.  I realize that some homeschool families run from this concept, but I encourage you to consider it here.  Even if a grade is not assigned to the quiz/test, it will help you, the teacher, better evaluate if your child has understood the complexities of this language.  Learning a foreign language is like learning math.  It requires building blocks of understanding in order to move successfully to the next concept.  This book provides a quiz for each lesson, unit reviews and a test for each unit. 

On the CD, you will find pronunciations for every thing in every lesson.  Pop that into your CD player, laptop or desk top and you can practice Latin anywhere.  So, unless you already know how to speak Latin, this is a super valuable item.

On the DVD, you will find your life saver.  OK, so here is where the big price difference comes into play between the basic set and the complete set.  I say....there is no greater investment if you are going to use First Form Latin.  After all, we are talking about a subject that I know nothing about and have no ability to teach.  Let Memoria Press teach it for you.  Every lesson is featured on the DVD and can be watched over and over again.  Watch this sample video lesson and if you feel you can do a better job, then skip the DVD option in your package.  If not, then get it....don't think about it....you need it!

On the Flashcards you will find all the work done for you.  That's the best way to put it.  I have my son do flashcards whenever he has vocabulary in any subject.  By purchasing the flashcards they are already done for him (vocabulary, conjugations/declensions) and they are neat and concise. 

You can get more details about First Form Latin and the breakdown of the prices by clicking here. I always love a company that provides a great return policy and Memoria Press is not different.  They offer a 60 day guarantee.  You can read more about it by clicking here.  If you are impressed with Memoria Press and are interested in learning more about the other products they offer, just visit their website by clicking here. 

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Excellence in Literature - Review

Excellence in Literature:  Reading and Writing Through the Classics

The name says it all.  I could stop right there, but I'm too excited to tell you the details.  When I saw this come on deck as a review opportunity I did a back flip.  OK, maybe not actually (or I would be laid up in bed for days just for trying), but I imagined a back flip!  You can imagine my excitement when I was picked to receive and review this product......yup, cue another back flip!

I'm a planner!  My son is in 6th grade and this product is designed for 8-12 grade.  But, I'm already planning for next year and 8th grade.  I'm also already thinking about his high school years.  I want to line up a fabulous selection of courses so that he will be well prepared for SAT's, CLEP, ACT, and whatever other acronym endowed test that will come his way.  

Excellence in Literature by Janice Campbell is a 5 Leveled Curriculum that will take you from 8th grade through 12th grade.  I was provided with English I:  Introduction to Literature which is designed for 8th grade.  It has an Honors Option which provides additional literature and lessons for a student that is desiring to be prepared for and AP or CLEP test at the end of the year.

The website describes this curriculum so perfectly:

Introduction to Literature is a college-preparatory literature and composition course. Focus works, including novels, short stories, poems, and drama, have been selected for literary quality, and for their place in the historical development of literature. Context readings provide background information about the author, the historical period, and the literary and artistic context of the focus work.
Students will gain an understanding of the development of literature and will practice the skills of close literary analysis through essays, approach papers, and other evaluative writing.

So, now you know why I did a *ahem* back flip when I read this description at the time I applied to be able to review this curriculum.  This was exactly what I imagined for a Literature curriculum as my son moved towards high school.  Then, I continued reading on the website and found the Objectives and Course Description....

By the end of the course, students will:

• Understand the process of writing, including the use of tools such as a writer’s handbook, dictionary, and thesaurus.
• Have specific understanding of selected representative texts by major authors of the periods studied.
• Have a general understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the works.
• Be able to analyze literary texts and present thoughtfully developed ideas in writing.
• Demonstrate competence in essay organization, style, and mechanics.

  Unit 1: Short Stories by-
  • Sarah Orne Jewett: A White Heron
  • Edgar Allen Poe: The Purloined Letter (This one is not scary, if you're concerned about that.)
  • Guy de Maupassant: The Diamond Necklace
  • O. Henry: The Ransom of Red Chief
  • Eudora Welty: A Worn Path
  • James Thurber: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
  

  
  

  Unit 2: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
  Honors: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
  

  
  

  Unit 3: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
  Honors: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
  

  
  

  Unit 4: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
  Honors: Shirley or Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  

  
  

  Unit 5: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
  Honors: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
  

  
  

  Unit 6: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  Honors: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
  

  
  

  Unit 7: Animal Farm by George Orwell
  Honors: 1984 by George Orwell
  

  
  

  Unit 8: The Tempest by William Shakespeare
  Honors: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
  

  
  

  Unit 9: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
  Honors: The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

Yowza!  Stop right there!  What a great lineup of classic literature.  I'll admit that when I took literature in school it was one of my greatest nightmares.  I LOVE to write, but not much of classic literature and poetry made sense to me and the teachers I had were not all that interested in taking the extra time to help me grasp it.  So, I'm excited to take this course and the four more that follow along with my son.

You can click here and select any of the levels of Excellence in Literature to see their course objective and description.  You'll find that English I and II provide foundational skills; English III and IV offer a chronological survey of American and British literature, and English V focuses on European Literature.  You can purchase each level separately for $29.00 + $4.95 Priority Mail shipping, or download an e-book right away for only $27.00

Yes, you read that right.

I thought I read that wrong the first time I saw it because I couldn't believe I could get my son's entire literature curriculum for one year for less than $30.  Fabulous!  You also have the option to purchase the complete curriculum, I-V, for $139 + shipping or download the e-book version for $135.

I received the e-book version and I was very grateful for it!  I know that when I order the additional courses that I will get the print book.  I just personally prefer having an actual book in my hand and I don't mind paying the few dollars extra for it.  This curriculum is everything I look for....step by step "what to do", comprehensive, challenging, college prep standards, Christian themed, and inexpensive.

As you visit the website to order your own curriculum take the time to check out all the other goodies and nuggets there:

• Beat the Clock Essay Workshop
• Homeschool High School
• College at Home
• Evaluate Writing

There is so much more, but these were my favorite links to spend time at there.  Have fun on your visit!


Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

George Washington Carver - His Life & His Work DVD Review

Marshall Publishing is known for its' educational DVD's and books.  We love to keep learning interesting and that includes using DVD's and video documentaries to enhance our lessons.  So, when I was selected to review the George Washington Carver:  His Life and His Work DVD I was very excited.

The DVD tells the story of Carver's life from childhood on up.  His life of overcoming obstacles, tireless dedication, education, work, discoveries and contributions is inspiring!  Honestly, I had no idea how much Carver impacted our world and contributed to the growth of agriculture and horticulture.

My family sat together to watch this almost 30 minute film.  The narration was interesting and the pictures and video were nostalgic.  I did feel like I was taken back in time to middle school as the music and videography seemed dated.  But, the content of the DVD came across and was a wonderful addition to our days' history lesson.  I found that it would be best suited for upper elementary and older.

To top it off, Marshall Publishing provides a Study Guide and Discussion Questions to accompany the video.  You can find that at the website also when you order your copy of the DVD.  These added features would be best for middle schoolers and older.

You can purchase the  George Washington Carver:  His Life and His Work by visiting the Marshall Publishing website.   Normally the price is $19.95 plus shipping and handling, but I'm happy to extend to you a special discount for my readers that will give you 15% off!  That makes your special price only $16.95 plus S&H.  Just enter coupon code TOSC1 at checkout.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Say Anything Family Game Review

 It's time for family game night, so break out North Star Games' newest game, Say Anything Family!  For ages 8 and up and for 3-6 people, this game is a great fit for any family's entertainment closet.  It is a fun way to bring the family together and hear what they have to say about some really silly questions. 

"Which superhero outfit looks the most uncomfortable?"

"What would be the coolest make-believe animal?"

If you're the Judge, all of the other players need to write on their dry erase board what they think your answer to the question would be - or, at least, what answer you think would be the best!  Once everyone's answers are written down the Judge will lock in their favorite on the uber cool Select-o-Matic 6000 which is a dial selector to indicate the player's answer you have chosen.  All other players place their "bets" on who they think the Judge has chosen and then the answer is revealed!  Points are given and recorded on the dry erase score board.

My family liked this game just as much as Wits & Wagers Family, another North Star game I did a review for just a few days ago.  Check out the review HERE.  You can visit the North Star Games website HERE to find a store near you to buy Say Anything Family, or get it for the great sale price of $13.85 right now on Amazon.

This game gave my family some great laughs.  We got a little silly with some of our answers to try to throw each other off.  I think I would find the game a little more challenging if we played it with friends.  What a fun way to get to know each other better!  I wasn't to keen on the dry erase concept simply because I imagine the boards will become stained pretty quickly and I'll also have to buy more dry erase markers....or, what if they get lost (which is a probability in my house).  Still, the concept is simple, fun, and interesting.  It's a keeper!

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Wits & Wagers Family Game Review

Get ready to place your bets!  Wits & Wagers Family from North Star Games is a "how good can you guess" kind of game that brings friends and family together.   The rules are simple....one person reads a question from the stack of cards provided (ie:  How many times does a honey bee flap its wings in one second?), then all the players make their best guess and write it on their dry erase board, then everyone reveals their answer, then everyone places their "bet" on which they think is closest to the correct answer.  Voila!  Once the correct answer is revealed then points are rewarded for whoever bet on the closest to correct answer.

The game includes 300 family friendly questions, fun human-shaped meeples, one dry erase score board, 5 dry erase markers, and 5 dry erase answer boards.  It is designed for ages 8 and up.  I thought that age was appropriate since it does require writing, spelling, and the ability to make a "relatively" educated guess to the questions.

Here's my personal take and experience with Wits & Wagers Family:

• It was fun for my family!  We had some good laughs and learned a few trivia tidbits along the way!
• The game doesn't take long.  You can play a whole game in 20 minutes if you want.
• We added some strategy to the mix by pretending we were sure we knew the answer (when we didn't) OR we were clueless about the answer (when we knew for sure) in order to throw off our competition.
• We agreed that it would be a great addition to a friend's game night too.
• We liked the variety of the questions!  There are many topics included so you won't get bored.
• The scoring system was a bit confusing and we had to keep the instruction book handy for the first several games.
• I thought the price was reasonable for a fun, family friendly game.
• I'm not sure how I feel about the dry erase option.  How long will these boards last until they are too stained?  How long will these dry erase markers last until I have to spend money to replace them?  I suppose when either of these happens we'll just resort to small pieces of paper and pencils.
• The game needs at least 3 players, so my son and I couldn't play on our own.  We play games together, just the two of us, every day, so this sadly won't be able to be one of them.  

You can visit North Star Games to find a store nearest you to purchase Wits & Wagers Family (prices will vary).  Or, go straight to Amazon and get it for the current sale price of $15.23.  I don't know how long that price will last, so hop to it!  This will make a fun and inexpensive Christmas gift!

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

E-mealz Review

What's for dinner?  That's the question that swims through my head on most days right about mid afternoon.  Then, I realize that I have no clue, I haven't taken anything out of the freezer to thaw, and I'm bored with the same 'ole things I always make.  *sigh*

When I had the opportunity to try e-mealz I leaped at the chance!  I head heard of it before from a couple of friends that have been using it and love it.  I had also heard of it from Dave Ramsey!  He recommends e-mealz as a great budget conscious meal planning program.  The thought of having someone else plan my meals, make my grocery list and lay out the recipes was an answer to prayer.  So, I signed up as fast as I could to do this review and anxiously awaited my 3 month subscription to get started.

Step 1:  Choose a Plan

• Family plan or Plan for two?
• A plan for a specific grocery store or a plan for a specific diet need?

Step 2:  Print & Go Shopping

•  Print out your weekly meal plan (dinners only) that includes easy to follow recipes, ingredient list, and shopping list
• Go get your groceries!

Step 3:  Cook & Enjoy

• Cook your easy to follow recipes
• Enjoy your yummy homecooked dinner!

Each week provides you with 7 delicious recipes, typically for dinner.  You can tailor your meals to meet your needs.  There is no rule that you can't have the Tuesday meal on Thursday if you want to!  What is this worth to you?  If you were to really answer that question I'm guessing you would come up with an amount much greater than what e-mealz is charging.  How about $5 per month?  What????  Yes, you can subscribe to e-mealz for 3 months for only $15.  That's about $1.25 per week for someone else to plan your meals, give you the recipes and provide your grocery shopping list.  Seriously?  Yes, seriously.  Subscribe HERE.  You can enroll with automatic renewal and you can cancel at any time.

Before you get started, click HERE to see samples of all the Meal Plan Options.  Once you decide which option will be best for you then get started.  If you decide you made the wrong choice, don't worry!  You can change to a different meal plan.  You can make that change once in each 3 month period.  So, feel free to try them all over the course of time.

E-mealz makes a great gift!  You can get a gift certificate by clicking HERE.  You can get them in 6 month ($30) or one year ($60) amounts.  This is a thoughtful and unique gift for many occasions:

Christmas ~ Birthday ~ House Warming ~ Wedding ~ Baby Shower ~ Bridal Shower ~ Mother's Day - Just Because!

OK, let's start chatting about my personal experience with e-mealz.  First, I'll say that I think this product is genius.  I had such high hopes for it and was secretly desiring for it to cure all of my meal planning woes.  No pressure, right?  Here is what I liked:

• some really unique recipes using a variety of different proteins, veggies and fruit
• easy to follow recipes with reasonably priced ingredients
• a meal option that coordinates with the sale prices of my "fave" grocery store, Publix
• easy to follow shopping list
• easy to navigate website
• I initially selected the Publix Low-Fat meal option, but found it to be not a good fit for my family.  I quickly switched to Low-Carb Any Store and it was much better.  I was very happy with the option to change.

Here a just a couple of things that caused me to think "bummer":

• I found that only about 3-4 of the 7 recipes per week were a good fit for my family.  My son is a picky eater and I have my extreme limits with what types of fish and veggies I will eat.  There were some that I could easily "tweak" to fit us better though.  I still found it to be a great value even at 3-4 recipes a week.
• I wished there was an option to do just a one month subscription just in case someone really didn't like it.  But, really, at only $15 for a 3 month subscription it's not really a deal breaker for me.

So, there ya have it.  What are you waiting for?  Stop asking yourself  "What's for dinner?" and just pull up your e-mealz menu.  Take some work off your plate and put some yummy food there instead!

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family.  I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.