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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any way.

For us, unschooling is about freedom; the freedom to live and learn as curiosity drives us. This can sometimes make it challenging to keep track of what all four of my children are exploring. For some time we really struggled to find resources that were of good quality but for the last few years we have been so abundantly blessed with SchoolhouseTeachers.com and we are all so very pleased with the many things they offer! As part of the Homeschool Review Crew, we were given the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com. What a treasure trove this is!

Let me share with you, a few of the reasons why I do not think we can live without this! First of all, SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a “Christian, self-paced program providing homeschool courses with customizable curriculum.” There are over 400 courses from PreK-12th grade for you to choose from! (This may or may not be a benefit – for those of us who struggle with decision making, this can be tough!) Another great benefit to this is the variety of tools they offer: meal planning, report card creator, schedule builders, unit studies, devotions for parents, organization tips, and so much more. And I almost forgot to mention the access to Worldbook Online and Right Now Media that is included with this! Whether you are new to homeschooling, unschooling or somewhere in between this will surely bless your socks off. 🙂

Two of my four children tend to rebel against anything that they determine is “school” so it can be a bit of a challenge at times but thankfully we are able to match the things they love, with courses on here, to encourage them. My older daughter (9) loves piano and so we are working through music appreciation and composing courses. She loves learning how to read and write music, finishing her lesson each day with a performance of sorts.

Slow shuffles are the best I think.

My oldest son is also a lover of music (15) and with a very nice drum set out back, we were too happy to access a course for drums. While it is a simple beginners class, my son is definitely enjoying tightening up some of those basic skills. He is very hopeful that there will one day be an advanced course as well.

Worksheets to complete. Fun to be had!

My younger son is a HUGE fan of Drive Thru History and it’s right here. American History and Ancient History. There is nothing better than learning history and geography in a way that brings it all to life. Drive Thru History is perfect for that too!

Such sweet, gentle lessons for our kids to enjoy. Love like Jesus.

The little ones need to have fun too! My youngest girl (5) just loves to read with momma and sing and dance. She has recently fallen in love with Donkey Ollie and is really enjoying learning about Jesus and the Parables. It’s so fun seeing and hearing her share the things she is learning from these sweet stories.

For all the artists out there, there are just SO many wonderful courses to complete on here too. For every age. My girls love to draw and paint – my older daughter (9) was so excited for a watercolor specific class. She received a lovely art set recently and has been looking for every opportunity to use all the materials in it. What amazing pieces of art she is creating too!

This is my other daughter enjoying a lesson she completed

Want to get really creative AND have fun at the same time? Some of our recent favorites are: Internet Entrepreneurship; Podcasting to Change the World and for those gamers? They have one for them too: Web Game Design. This isn’t fluff either. These are just three great courses that my kids are working through and learning so much from!

This is from their Filmmaking course.

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Learning about World Cultures was one of the courses that I got really excited about! What a great way to explore the world.

Sing the anthem with me. Ha-Ha

To go along with that is a fabulous Bible study; Addressing Cultural Issues. I was so thrilled to be able to pair these courses together to do with my children. With so many great study tools, these are wonderful materials to help us better understand the Bible and what it means to those in different parts of the world too!

Since momma loves breads of all kinds, I was excited to jump into something just for me, the Breadmaking Devotional. Thanks to this sweet course, I have sourdough in the works, muffins and what is there to not love about garden breads?

Yet we cannot live by bread alone

If you are not sure what to choose, there is always the Homeschool Curriculum Box that provides everything you need for a fun year of learning with student, whatever grade or age they may be. Choose the grade and start having fun learning! No stress in this. 🙂

A super fun, educational activity for every day.

If you are looking for short term solutions, they have those too. What to do For a Month At Home is available for both elementary and middle/high school. One new activity each day helps keep the pressure down and the fun up high. From audiobooks and legos, to making slime and spelling words with colored rice.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com has so much to offer every family! If you are homeschooling or considering it, looking for something to supplement during vacations or on the side. There are just so many resources for everyone! Moms and dads, littles and not so littles, teens who are planning or unsure of the path they will take, there are family courses to enjoy all together, and so many great bonuses you will enjoy. SchoolhouseTeachers.com is having a sale too, which runs until January 31, 2021–only $139/year with the code START139 or $16/month with the code START16 to get started. What is there to lose?

Connect with SchoolhouseTeachers.com on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SchoolhouseTeachers/ and https://www.facebook.com/SchoolhouseTeachers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOSMag/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosmagazine/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tosmag/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i0BRyoTPYT3chTcj52UmA

Be sure to click on the banner below to read all the great reviews other members of the Crew shared about their experience on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This one really is a ton of never-ending goodness for the mind and soul.

http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/schoolhouseteachers-com-every-subject-every-grade-every-student-schoolhouseteachers-com-reviews-2021/

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For the last few years  I have felt led to take part in prayerfully having a Word of the Year.

With the close of 2020 I admit that I felt so very drained.. This past year was one that caused much frustration and  sorrow.

This was also a time have much growth and rest.  I kind it to be so true that it is in those desert places where we grow the most.

For many years I have trained for the Lord to help me learn how to truly be still. Had come much opportunity to practice waiting and listening.

It didn’t seem at all strange that after so much time waiting this past year, this New Year would be all about flourishing.

I love the definition of this word in the 1828 version of Webster’s Dictionary:

To thrive; to grow luxuriantly; to increase and enlarge, as a healthy growing plant. The beech and the maple flourish best in a deep, rich and moist loam.  To grow in grace and in good works; to abound in the consolations of religion.  To spread out; to enlarge.

And so in this new year, I pray for the Lord to bring revival. To enlarge.my territory, that many will come to saving faith!

Its time to start blogging again.
And this year, my word is Flourish.
I shall flourish. For His glory. ❤

The righteous shall flourish like the palmtree. Ps. 92.

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Finding Meaningful Connection in a Disconnected World

I have felt for some time now disconnected Many connections have felt as though they lacked meaning and depth. No one is to blame; it takes two. But for that very reason I was so eager to explore the book The Loneliness Solution by Jack Eason.

I know it – am so socially awkward. I mean I once fell over backwards just standing there talking to someone. How embarrassing right?

How many times I have I said something totally sarcastic or made an awful joke – without thinking – maybe speaking a truth or observation that might have been too much…?

I definitely struggle with socially connecting and so lonely is a bit of an understatement! (Don’t get me wrong I do have a small group of fabulous friends – we just cannot connect often face to face)

Now I admit, I have learned to love text messages. I can think and review what I want to say before I respond to something. It’s so much easier. And yet I always know that this cannot take the place of real face to face conversation and connection. In so many things, if we are honest, we have to admit that the simpler way is not the best.

The pages in this book are so full of humour and also good solid advice for how to connect and find your tribe! There are also many pages that challenge you to reconsider what real friendship looks like.

Definitely an easy read, short chapters that this unschooling momma of four can handle – as always there are questions to consider at the end of each chapter. Search within yourself to see how you do (or can) show compassionate fellowship. Or where you find inspiration.

Relationships have always been challenging but why not be bold and seek out our own place of belonging? After all God tells us it is a cord of three that is not easily broken. If we want to stand, firmly rooted, we really do need those meaningful and authentic relationships.

Where do you begin? Grab a copy of this book and begin your journey!

“Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel.”

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Disclosure: I received this product free through the Homeschool Review Crew

I am always so excited for a new year with the Homeschool Review Crew; every year introduces my family to amazing companies and materials that really help to make learning fun for every age and stage. As we start a new year with them we are super blessed to be using SchoolhouseTeachers.com and their Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership. Personally, I think “ultimate” is an understatement. 🙂

With four children who tend to have very different interests and styles of learning, I am always pleased to have access to something like this that allows for so much flexibility. Not just for them either – so many great things to help momma out!

Look at all these things you can choose from for your whole family!

Whether you prefer to build your own curriculum or put things together independently; they offer a Scope & Sequence and also a Quick Start Guide so you don’t get too lost in all of the good things offered here!

There are meal plans for EVERY month.

Delicious dishes for December!

Bible Studies for all ages.

A great variety of ways to explore the Bible for every age.

Music. Art. Film. Speech. Drama.

My drummer loves this!

Little ones? Be sure to check out the Preschool Playground. A FULL curriculum.

There is so much to enjoy – come back soon to see even more that my family is enjoying!

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My children are sitting in the living room as I write this, excitedly making a list of various gifts they are hoping for. Whether Christmas or Hanukkah, this season isn’t just a time for gift giving; it is also a time for renewal and peace. It is about preparing our homes and our hearts, not just for a season but for the reason for the season. The greatest gift we will ever receive.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face
shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace. ”

—oOo—

To continue reading visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew!

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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

There is nothing quite as wonderful as a gift that is personal, just for you. This is one of so many reasons that I was so happy to be able to review CrossTimber’s Name Bookmarks and their AmazingName Print Activity Sheets. There are also some amazing NameCards and 8×10 Plaque prints that can be customized just for your loved one(s).

The story of how it all began is beautiful so I have to share: John Dehnart created this company simply to bless others. He experienced bullying himself and one day was encouraged to use his skills and his printing ability to inspire and encourage others. Thus began the name cards which are available today. And not just cards but coffee mugs, AmazingName Cartoons, music boxes. Choose your gift and if you need it, they will happily assist you in making  it just right.

There are SO many designs available for you to choose from (this is a big problem for someone like me who struggles with decision making ha) It is quite exciting to see the variety they offer. I think that makes is all the more exciting. Find a passion, a love and then create something beautiful that is just for the receiver of the gift. One of a kind is so precious. 🙂

The bookmarks were a huge hit with my younger son and my older daughter. They both love books. My son and I read together every day – war stories, animals in history, science and mysteries – he is so studious and quite the thinker.

My daughter  immediately ran off to put her bookmark in one of her unicorn books. She isn’t quite a lover of reading yet but having something beautiful to hold her place as she reads, I think that is quite encouraging for this girly.

The activity sheets we received were thrilling for my youngest daughter (five) who loves doing mazes and coloring. There were worksheets for letters and numbers; her name is all over every one of them. She loves seeing her name on things! Many even had a simple scripture on them – she certainly loves to learn and sing (especially) God’s word.

She loved writing and tracing simple words and sentences; she is so eager to read and write on her own just like her brothers and her sister. Such encouragement. She is positively in love with these activity sheets. That said it was SO great to receive a pdf copy of these as well so she can enjoy them again and again!

We really love this company! They have so many amazing, beautiful, creative and personal gifts that you can enjoy creating and then giving for every one of your loved ones. We have quite a few of them ourselves.

Explore CrossTimber on Social Media:

Facebook: www.fb.com/meaning.name
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/crosstimber

Click on the banner below and see all the good stuff that other Crew Members created and gifted to their loved ones thanks to this God inspired and blessed company!

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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I love to Bible study (ask anyone who knows me) I always seem to have a variety of studies going. After our church shut down I decided to start a podcast specifically to share the things that I am learning as I study at the feet of my Jesus. Of course I was more than pleased to participate in a review of Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle and Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians from Julie Naturally. Hallelujah! Always Jesus provides what we need – time in Philippians is always so good for us too!

Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans Bundle is approximately eight weeks in length; there are videos to go along with with this too. The videos are about 12 to 15 minutes and length.

This includes memory cards, coloring pages (my girls love coloring and so this is a great way to get my younger girls involved).

Each day there is a portion of scripture to read and then there are some great questions to really get you thinking about what you read and what it means. It is amazing how much the scriptures reveal when you slow down and certainly the questions that are included in this study really help with that.

“As Paul starts the Book of Romans, he describes himself. What phrases and words
does he use? How does he describe what he represents?

The Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians (Digital) is a four week study; this one also includes daily readings, questions to consider, Bible coloring pages and memory verse cards. Personally, I find this particular book to be a real healing balm. Especially in times like this where there is so much distraction, lots of things pulling our eyes and minds to other things.

What could you do right now, within your limitations, to be a light to
others? (Can be as simple as making a phone call or a visit to someone
who needs the love of Christ).

While I have to admit that I do prefer a physical book in my hands, I did very much enjoy both of these studies (especially when my girls would join me). As I worked through these I was pleased how they encouraged (almost demanded) that I slow down and really meditate upon the words that I was reading.

We need materials like that. Ones that challenge us to go deeper, to really take the time to taste and see that the Lord IS good. In this season especially, it is so good for us to soak let the Word of God overflow within us. We need His truth in our hearts and minds now more than ever before. ❤

Julie Naturally is on Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/julienaturally
Instagram: instagram.com/successful.unschooler
Pinterest: pinterest.com/julienaturally
YouTube: youtube.com/c/julienaturally

Make sure that you click on the banner below to read reviews other Crew Members wrote about their experience using these lovely Bible Studies.

What are the only four ways to get the things you want and how would you describe the nature of the first two?

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

The government is limited and its actions are as much bound by the moral law of God as are the activities of anyone else. Moreover, failure to act morally inevitably invites one’s own destruction since such behavior ignores the laws of God. The name Boundary Stone is a reminder of God’s command to respect the property of others. Our purpose is to create tools to help you teach the foundational truths of economics as demonstrated through history in an easy to understand fashion so that anyone can recognize the real solutions to today’s economic problems.

This year has brought about many changes within our family within and without. One of the big ones was my husband deciding to go forth and start his own business. Always an entrepreneur at heart, it is a time and experience that can be a great opportunity for our boys too. Seemed to me like the perfect time to explore the Economics Online Course Bundle from Boundary Stone. This review included included the hardcover textbook, Basic Economics, A Natural Law Approach to Economics, access to their course online as well as well as a PDF of the Teachers Guide.. There was even a mini course regarding budgets. Important stuff to know! We were given twelve months of access to this course – Perfect for slowly easing my boys through it all.

We started with the Orientation Module where we learned what to expect and found that two additional resources we would be reading were: Maybury, Richard: Whatever Happened to Penny Candy and Bastiat, Frederic: The Law. The links were provided to online sites where we could read these online; they definitely should be in a home library though they are so good. We also read the Constitution of the United States and what we learned from exploring some famous quotes of the founding fathers. Here we learn why we ought to study economics in the first place. I know my boys always appreciate knowing why something needs to be learned. As we went through this, I was impressed with all that was listed as being included in the course. Biographical sketches, chapter study guides, activities and quizzes. Scripture is woven into every aspect of this course which is a unique and refreshing thing I think.

A fun addition to this course was the budget project. My son was advised that he has job which pays minimum wage. He then need to determine how much he made, and then needed to determine how to cover the following expenses (cant forget about taxes) charitable giving, savings, investments, housing, transportation, insurance, loans, college, personal expenses, care of pets, groceries, and entertainment. This definitely got my boy thinking! It made me consider more as well, where our money goes too.

Unit 1 covers the first couple chapters of The Law by Frederic Bastiat and so we were off to do some reading. I have to admit that this is one I had never read myself so I was eager to do so (maybe more than my boys – this became a read aloud for the family); I appreciate that we are also advised at the very beginning of this unit that this should take about four weeks (we tend to need that sort of thing). There are four units in all in this course. Something I thought was pretty cool was that at the beginning of the unit we had to take a diagnostic test, a fun way to see how much you already know, and then later to compare with future tests to get an idea of how much you are really learning. (Aren’t I such a geek?)

Working through the videos and the readings it is always nice to come to these and catch up and discuss what we are learning and how we are interpreting it all.

Today’s Big Question

As we moved along in the course I was so impressed with how the Word of God was used to further teach topics such as the need to cultivate nature or “the mutual benefits of trade” and “the zero sum game”. I fear my knowledge of economics thus far has been terribly lacking and so I am extremely grateful for this course! With two boys who have a deep desire to create and to work I feel like this course (although it is a bit advanced for them both) is a wonderful way to lay a foundation. Besides, I tend to encourage my kids to follow their interests and finance and economics is definitely at the top of their list. So this course has been a treat placed before them and I cannot wait to see how much they get out of this!

With so much flexibility, we are slowly and very gently, working to complete this amazing course. I cannot say enough about the high quality of the videos, the history and the scripture that is steeped within this whole course. The passion with which Dr Paul Cleveland teaches, it is contagious. My kids just love him! I admit that I too greatly enjoy listening to his wisdom. So much more to learn and understand still but this is definitely something that can help our kids to be have the knowledge they need. Especially as our family grows our small business through the years to come I think it is so important for us to make sense of what is and is not good government.

It is so important for us to be wise in how we manage our time; what things we determine matter most. As we explore this course, I find that this is definitely that. It is so inviting and exciting and Why Aren’t Movie Tickets a Nickel? So much to offer and so full of a truth that needs to be taught! As this world changes, as we hear the need for this nation to be more progressive, courses like this are so precious so that we know how to think and what things really are. They even have some amazing freebies such as discussion starters for teaching economics, government and history. I am certain these are materials you will very much enjoy!

Boundary Stone is on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrPaulCleveland
Twitter:https://twitter.com/DrPaulCleveland
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4qWz28QJO80oB-aanH9Sw

Make sure you click on the banner below and read reviews written by other members of the Review Crew who have been working through this very involved, very Biblically sound, course.

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Be thank FULL in ALL things – Even in 2020 🙂

“ I hate 2020. This is the worst year of my life.” 

These works came out of my nine year old daughter’s mouth recently. 

I feel for her. I really do because, although I am such an introvert, truth be told, there are things that I am missing right now too. As she cried and complained, I realized that these hard times needed to be met with some serious thanksgiving. Some searching of hearts. Some renewing of minds so that we could go forward praising for the victory. 

I am blogging at A Child Shall Lead Them; sharing how my family is working to be more gracious and truly see the blessings of the Lord in our daily life. You can read more and
download a Gratitude ABC printable at the link below to help your family practice gratitude!

https://achildshallleadthemblog.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/gratitude-abcs/