The Happy Homeschool Mom On Facebook

It's kind of a funny story.  Awhile back, I tried to make a Facebook Fan Page for my blog.  It was late at night when I was up nursing and I know better than to try to do these things when I am tired.  I got it set up, but for some reason I could not get my blog posts to feed into the Facebook Page.  I was getting so frustrated that it kept telling me that yes, my blog was a real website but no, it could not locate the feed.  So I gave up and started feeding my blog posts to my personal page.  I didn't delete the Fan page, but I also didn't do anything with it.  Then I got a notification that I had 3 new likes and I was trying to figure out why people were liking a page with nothing on it. I checked out my page and all the blog posts were there!  Strange but I am not complaining.  Now that I know the page is there, I have actually been posting on it.  You can find The Happy Homeschool Mom on Facebook here.  I would love for you to drop by, "like" my page and say hello!  If you have a Facebook Page for you blog, let me know and I will drop by and say hello!

For those of you who are on Twitter, you can find me @lthomeschoolmom.

I have also just received an invite to Pinterest and I am lthomeschoolmom there too.  I have not done much with it yet but am hoping to when we finish our school year and I have more time.

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Splurging (a little) On Books Of Course!

The other day I received a check in the mail that was completely unexpected.  It was money that was owed to us but I really never expected to see.  We decided to use some of it for "educational supplies."  There wasn't really anything that I had to have right now, so I decided to use it for some books that have been on my wish list for awhile.  I headed over to www.christianbook.com to decide what I was going to buy.  Books are just one of those things that you can never have too many of and there are so many that I would love to buy.  Alex (8) has been interested in "reading" the Narnia Books (which we have) but his reading ability is not advanced enough to read them yet and he did not want me to read them to him.  I decided to get them as an audio book and found the Chronicles of Narnia  Focus on the Family Radio Theater Audio Drama on CD for $25.99.  All of the boys were  really excited to get it and I have loaded it to their mp3 player so they can listen at night before bed.  It will be great for when we go on vacation too.  I also bought books 1-6 of the Sugar Creek Gang hoping that it will be something my boys will really like.  Other than Narnia, Imagination Station, and some Star Wars, we really don't have a lot of chapter books geared towards boys.  Chelsea asked me to buy one of the Left Behind the Kids books that our library does not have.  I picked out one of the My First Little House books for Lily.  I didn't buy just fun books though.  Since I was placing an order anyway, I did pick up The Mystery of History Volume 2 to use next year for history.

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Menu Plan Monday 4/16/12

Friday I had a sick baby which meant that instead of going grocery shopping, we stayed home.  On Saturday, I went to our small local grocery store instead of driving all the way to Walmart, which changed my menu plans for the week slightly since I could only afford what items were on sale and I couldn't buy a few things that I had planned to get at Walmart.  But, honestly it worked out just fine and I spent less that I would have if I would have been able to go to Walmart.

Friday 4/13-pizza
Saturday 4/14- dinner at a friends
Sunday 4/15- grilled cheese and chips (we were going to have burgers n the grill but it was storming)
Monday 4/16-lasagna
Tuesday 4/17- scalloped potatoes and ham
Wednesday 4/18- burgers, potato salad, fruit
Thursday 4/19- chicken puffs, oven roasted potatoes, broccoli

Looking for menu planning inspiration?  Visit www.orgjunkie.com.

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TOS Review: Bright Ideas Press Christian Kids Explore

Bright Ideas Press publishes Christian based curriculum that moms love!  Their curriculum is affordable, fits into the busy lives of homeschoolers, and is able to be used with a variety of ages.  Members of the TOS Crew were able to review the four different books from The Christian Kids Explore Science series: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth and Space.   My family has a wonderful time reviewing Christian Kids Explore Biology.

Table of Contents

Sample Lesson

Material List by Unit

Book and Resource List


Christian Kids Explore Biology is a one year science course for elementary aged children.  The course was written with 3rd-6th graders in mind but can easily be scaled down for younger aged siblings.  The course was designed to be completed in 35 weeks by teaching twice weekly.  There are 8 units: Biology Basics, Plants in God's World, Birds of the Earth, Mammals in the Wild, The Human Factor, Insects High and Low, and Water Creatures.  The book is a 291 page paperback and in addition to the eight units also includes 8 appendices: Reproducible Forms and Maps, Memorization Lists, Scripture Memory, ABC Animal Book, Additional Coloring Pages, Recipes and Supplemental Activities, Answer Key, and Book and Resource List.  In addition to the text you will need various supplies to complete hands on activities (see supply list) and a 3 ring binder to turn into a science notebook.

You can purchase Christian Kids Explore Biology for $34.95.

Purchase CKEB student activity pages for $7.95 by clicking here.  This download contains all the reproducible pages from the book.  Perfect for families without a scanner or to make printing copies easier.

Christian Kids Explore Biology makes learning biology fun and interesting for the students, and easy for the teacher!  Everything the teacher needs is included in the textbook!  I cannot express how much easier it makes things for me when everything I need is in one place.  All I had to do to prepare for the lesson was look through the chapter, decide on the hands on activities and make sure I had the necessary supplies.  The text is written in a very conversational tone and is in easily digestible chunks.  The activities reinforce the concepts being taught in a fun and engaging way using common or easily obtainable supplies.  I love that it can be used with a variety of ages!  I mainly used it with my 2nd and 4th graders, but my 6,4, and 3 year olds participated in the hands on learning time.  Even my 15 year old participated in the dissection of flowers, fruits, and vegetables.  We loved the discovery zone tidbits and Bible verses that are throughout the book.  The coloring pages are gorgeous!  The drawings included for the animal kingdom ABC book are great and that is a wonderful project to involve your little ones.

 Pictures of some of our hands on time activities:

Jell-o model of a cell

Alex drawing a picture of a desert for his notebook 

Dissecting a flower

Studying the parts of a flower up close

Dissecting fruits and vegetables

 There are a few things you may be interested in knowing.  The very first chapter is titled Creation vs. Evolution and the Big Bang theory is discussed.  The author also mentions that not all creationists believe that the world was formed exactly as the Bible says.  She closes the chapter by saying that by studying biology you will be able to see many reasons to believe that God created our world.  I mention this because this was the first time my boys have been exposed to the idea of the Big Bang theory and the Theory of Evolution and you may want to make extra time for discussing this.  There also is an optional section on human reproduction that is listed as "Parental Discretion is Advised."  It is a brief section (1 page) that in my opinion was very well done and age appropriate but parents need to decide on their own whether or not their family will cover that section.  If you choose not to, your child will  not miss out or even notice.

The reproducible download was a very nice addition to go along with the course.  Although it only contains the same reproducibles that are in the book, our printer does not have a scanner so I would have to go somewhere to copy off the pages I need.  Also, making repeated copies could in time damage the binding of the book so it is much nicer to make the copies from a file on the computer.

Christian Kids Explore Biology is a wonderful elementary age biology curriculum!

See what other crew mates had to say about the Christian Kids Explore Science series from Bright Ideas Press  by clicking here.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew I received a complimentary copy of Christian Kids Explore Biology and a download of the reproducible materials for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.

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1 Week Old Baby Chicks

Our chicks are doing very well!  We did loose one on day 2, but the other 25 seem to be healthy and thriving.  Photos were taken by Nick.

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Review: Farm Fresh Southern Coking

Book Description: Is there anything better than a kitchen countertop spread with the spoils of a Saturday morning at the farmers’ market? Every trip yields some new assortment of old favorites and newfound treasures. One week, you’re tempted by the sun-warmed heirloom tomatoes and the Mason jars brimming with orange blossom honey. Another week, it’s the slabs of milky Havarti cheese and the Red Haven peaches heavy with juice, enticing you to spend just a little more than you planned. Kentucky pole beans, silky ears of sweet corn, and sacks of stone-ground buckwheat flour may find their way into your basket on another visit.
Whether you shop with a list or purely on impulse, you’ll always find the truest taste of home at the local farms, roadside stands, and produce markets in your community. These are the places that offer up the native flavors of the South and all its seasons. They are your portal to the fields, the waters, and the vines where your food is cultivated. Get to know the origins of what you eat and the people who produce it. Tammy Algood’s Farm Fresh Southern Cooking celebrates this experience with delicious recipes that will enhance the natural flavors of your latest market haul and stories of the South’s most dedicated growers and culinary producers.

Farm Fresh Southern Cooking is full of delicious, mouth watering recipes.  Whether you are looking for appetizers, soups, salads, sides, breads, entrees, desserts,or  breakfast and brunch, you are sure to find recipes that will inspire you.  Full of easy to follow recipes and beautiful photos you will be able to turn your fresh produce into something delicious!  For sea food lovers there are quite a few recipes containing seafood.  My favorite recipes were in the salad, sides, breads, and desserts.  Farm Fresh Southern Cooking will be a great addition to any kitchen.

I received a complimentary copy of Farm Fresh Southern Cooking from Thomas Nelson for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.

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Being A Stay At Home Mom.....A Luxury?

I am sure most of you read or heard about recent comments of a stay at home mom "never working a day in their life."  I am not going into the political points of who said what and why or what I really think of all that.  What really struck me though was all of the comments after the fact from both men and women that stated that they didn't have the" luxury " of either being a stay at home mom or allowing their wife to be a stay at home mom.  Wow!  I have never once thought of being a stay at home mom as a luxury.

I mean no disrespect to working moms.  I was once a working mom.  But, being a stay at home mom is not a luxury.  The definition of luxury is: 1. Something inessential but conducive to pleasure or comfort.  2. Something expensive or hard to obtain. 3. Sumptuous living or surroundings.  As a stay at home mom, I am working every day in many different ways.  I am the mother, chef, housekeeper, nurse, teacher, laundress, seamstress, manager, accountant, nanny and whatever else that particular day demands.  What part of that is inessential but conducive to pleasure or comfort?  The stereotype of the SAHM watching TV, eating bonbons, and taking bubble baths just is not reality.  The only TV watching during the day at our house is Nick Jr before nap time.  I have never eaten a bonbon in my life (though I have been known to stash some chocolate in the cupboard for emergencies.)  I have taken one bubble bath in a year.  Stay at home moms do not have these luxuries.  Not only is there work to be done, we have to do it with all of our children underfoot!  So that kitchen that just got cleaned and mopped will have muddy footprints in 5 minutes. The second the dishes are done it is time to prepare another meal.   Those 4 loads of laundry that just got folded will get knocked over before it gets put away.  I don't get to "clock out" at 5 pm.  My job continues 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

We did sacrifice a second income and with the sacrifice of that income did have to learn to be much more careful with our money and our budget.  The amount of money that the 9 of us live on successfully would be shocking for some people.  I know families of 3 or 4 that cannot manage with double the income that we make.  But we do survive and successfully.  Our children have clothes to wear and food to eat.  We have a nice house and a few vehicles.  There are more toys here than any child could ever need.  We get to eat out on occasion and even take a small vacation every year.  We manage to buy all the children's school supplies and participate in fun and educational activities.  The truth is when I was working we had a whole lot of expensive things we didn't need and a lot more debt.

I am grateful that my husband recognized the importance of me being at home with our children and did not view it as a luxury but a necessity.  I am also grateful that he is such a good provider for this family and willing to sacrifice some luxuries.  The children are thankful too.  

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