This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to 6 fabulous kids. We are in our 17th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Literature based approach.

Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.



Friday, October 28, 2011

Love All The Way ~ CD review & Giveaway

Remember Jump 5, a fun teen dance band from years Brittany-LATWago?  If so, then you might recognize Brittany Hargest.  Well now she has her own debut album release called “Love All The Way” that is an upbeat, get up and go  CD filled with songs in which she shares her heart in Christ. Think Christian Rock only a little more toned down.  Have a listen to a song right here!

“Brittany’s debut release combines club beats with lyrics that communicate the hope, love and acceptance that are found in knowing Christ. Recognized for her high energy and soaring vocals, Brittany delivers the same vocal ability, and influence on a more mature record. Infectious rhythms and irresistibly catchy hooks gravitate toward a grand finally ending! These 10 dance/pop driven tracks, are exuberant examples of fiery rhythms, which collectively serve up a variety of interesting tempos. From tracks like, “Slow Motion” to “Love All The Way” to “Miracle” and “You Met Me”, the music’s drive comes from its pervasive grooves, exquisite arrangements and passionate singing. This release ranks right up at the top with any feel-good, dance- driven album in the industry! It’s one of the best Christian dance albums ever made and it’s just so easy to get caught up in the music that at the end, it’s hard not to rewind the record and start it over again! Hargest’s self-titled, debut album demonstrates, what good music is supposed to do by providing a positive escape.”

Brittany’s CD is available on I Tunes, Buy the CD on Amazon, or download the MP3 album at Amazon.  Want your own copy?  Leave me a comment and let me know you were here.  The giveaway is open to anyone, even if you know me IRL (in real life).  This giveaway will be open until 10 P.M. Thursday, Nov. 3rd.  Leave a comment and win a CD, easy peasy!

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"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services 
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I 
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: 
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

TOS Review ~ Wits & Wagers Family

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If your family enjoys playing games consider adding Wits & Wagers Family to your collection.  Wits & Wagers is made by North Star Games and has been said to be “the most award-winning party game in history.”  I would agree with that description 100% for this fun and exciting family trivia game.

“Wits & Wagers Family simplifies the rules and scoring system of the popular Wits & Wagers. Now families and kids can get into the Wits & Wagers action! First, every player writes down a guess to a fun question. Then players try to score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer without going over. That is it!

The game features 300 new family-friendly questions. And even better than that, Wits & Wagers Family includes Meeples-- fun, cute, human shaped wooden pieces that the players use to select which answers they think are correct. Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years, but this is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game.

So check out Wits & Wagers Family, the game that combines laughter and learning in a way that all ages can enjoy together!” ~ from website

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         Wits and Wagers Family contains:

  • 150 question cards
  • 5 dry erase answer boards
  • 5 dry erase pens
  • 5 large Meeples
  • 5 small Meeples
  • 1 dry erase score board
  • 1 full color rules

It’s always fun to be able to include everyone in on game play and Wits & Wagers Family does just that.  We had a great time playing this game and I see it becoming a family game night favorite! If your family likes playing games then check out this fun game.  See what my crewmates thought of this great game by clicking here.

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Company ~ North Star Games

Product ~ Wits & Wagers Family 

Price ~ $19.99

Ages ~ 8 and up, for 3-10 players

Where to purchase ~ Amazon or  Target 

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I received a copy of Wits & Wagers Family from North Star Games, in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but are not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Monday, October 24, 2011

TOS Review ~ Apologia - Educating the WholeHearted Child

Educating the WholeHearted Child is 372 pages of pure goodness for the heart, mind, and soul.  I love Apologia products and was so pleased when I found out I was on the review crew for the Educating the EducatingtheWholeHeartedChildApologiaWholeHearted Child book.  This awesome reference book is divided into 4 sections; Home, Learning, Methods, and Living and gives you Godly guidance through each part.  I found myself referring to this book over and over again when we had a sticky part of our homeschool year a few weeks ago.  This book and the advice of Godly women helped me so much!

Since 1994, Educating the WholeHearted Child has been a trusted guide for thousands of homeschooling families.  This extensively revised and expanded third edition provides a solid biblical foundation for educating and nurturing your children’s hearts, minds, and souls.

You will discover how to:

  • Make your home and family the heart of your children’s education
  • Train your children to become creative, self-directed learners
  • Enrich life and education with living books
  • Identify and work with each child’s learning style
  • Help your children love to learn as naturally as they love to play
  • Gain confidence to teach with practical, commonsense methods

Whether you are a first-time homeschooler or a long-term veteran, this comprehensive guide will equip and empower you for your journey of faith as a family.  Discover the joy of bringing relationship-based, book-centered learning back into the natural daily life of your home.”

                                                     ~from the back cover

The book is large, 8.5 x 11, and is filled with quotes, bible verses and little encouraging stories in the margins of each page.  One of my favorite parts of the book included a section called “In Our Home”.  In this section Clay and Sally shared stories of their personal experiences in their own home.  One of my favorite passages from the book is this:

“Home education, then, is the natural outgrowth of home nurture and home discipleship. our goal is not just an educated child, good SAT score, and college or even a career with a good salary.  Those may be fruits of your efforts, but your overriding goal should be to raise spiritually mature children who have both the will and the skill to learn and the desire and ability to keep learning.  That is the goal of WholeHearted Learning. Your goal in home education should be to raise well-rounded, spiritually grounded, truth-founded Christian children whose goal in life is to make a difference for the kingdom of  God, whatever life path they choose.  You’re actually raising future Christian adults.” ~ pg. 21

This book would bless anyone, whether you are just thinking about homeschooling or you are one of those veterans who could use some encouragement. Read a sample chapter here.  I strongly encourage you to get your hands on a copy and be blessed by the wisdom the Clark’s offer.  I enjoyed this book and I know I will be referring to it for years to come.  Check out what my Crewmates thought of this wonderful book by clicking here.

 ApologiaCompany ~Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.

Product ~ Educating the WholeHearted Child

Price ~  $22.00

Where to buy ~ Apologia Press, Amazon

My other Apologia reviews ~ Good Morning, God., Who is God?, How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for your Kids

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I received a copy of Educating the WholeHearted Child from Apologia , in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but are not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Friday, October 21, 2011

TOS Review ~ E-mealz

Have you heard the E-mealz buzz?  If not, then let me tell you what a wonderful 14Oct Misc 008company this is!  I mean really, I decreased my weekly grocery bill down from $225.00  to $130.00.  That’s a $95.00 savings a week for my family of 7 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!  And how can you go wrong when your company has the endorsement from a trusted name in debt relief and money management?  Dave Ramsey has his photo on E-mealz website and his endorsement so I knew I wanted to try this company out.  Let me tell you how it works.

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With our busy sports schedule during the week it has always been complicated for me to figure out a way to feed the girls a healthy meal before practice.  A fellow sports mom introduced me to the idea of having Supper for the lunch time meal.  That way I know they have a filling dinner and are not eating a full meal at 830 PM and the Lt. has a warm plate of dinner when he arrives home from work.  E-mealz makes this possible for me!

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I struggle in the area of food planning and grocery shopping.  I always have, but now with E-mealz I have help.  E-mealz is an internet service that was created by two moms who understand that sometimes there is just enough hours in the day to plan healthy, balanced meals for our families.  With E-mealz you get weekly menu plans for 7 days, complete with recipes and a shopping list tailored to your supermarket choice and based on the number of people in your family.  There is a plan for family's of 4-6 or an option for a 5 day two person plan. E-mealz also caters to those with special dietary concerns, such as gluten free, vegetarian, portion control, low fat or low-carb.  There are several stores to choose from including:  Kroger, Publix, WalMart, Aldi, Ralphs, or the Any Store option.  They have it all covered!  I choose the regular family plan for WalMart.

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Each week,Thursdays for WalMart plan,  a new menu is posted.  You open it up, download and print out. The menu is laid out in a grid form making it easy to read and to plan which day you will eat what meal.  The ingredients and the recipe are listed  right next to the meal plan making it easy to read and follow.

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On the second page is your customized shopping list with prices planned around the sales at the grocery store.  It lists ALL the items needed for the weeks meal including staple items like salt, flour, and oil.  My weekly menus for dinner ran on average about $85.00 per week. I did find that not every item on the shopping list was the listed price, but I was told by other Crewmates that it was because food prices range from region to region.  But you know what?  I am OK with that for the amount I am saving!

I know your probably thinking that the meals could not be that delicious for that price, right? WRONG!  We had some really yummy meals and even my picky eater enjoyed them with some clever disguise.   Over the last 8 weeks we have enjoyed meals like:

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Chicken Dijonnaise with wild rice, and homemade bread          

* a family favorite!

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Incredible Baked Ziti

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Calico Corn & Turkey Bacon Pie

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Mango Tilapia with white rice and green beans

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Pasta e Fagioli

What I liked about E-mealz

  • ALL the planning work is done for you.
  • You are automatically billed for 3 months.  You can go into the website and cancel at any time.
  • The recipes are nutritious with good variety and are simple to follow. You do not have to spend all day in the kitchen to make a delicious meal.
  • There are Crockpot meals, slow bake, and do ahead meals scheduled.
  • The E-Mealz program is budget friendly and inexpensive - it works out to $5 per month or $1.25 a week.

I will recommend and sing the praises of E-mealz to anyone who will listen!  This company's service is a great tool that takes the chore out of meal planning and grocery shopping, making it as easy as 1-2-3!  For that I am especially appreciative.  I will be continuing my subscription to E-mealz when my trial runs out.  Head on over and check out a sample full meal plan and shopping plan by clicking here.  Interested in hearing more reviews of E-meals, click on over to see what my fellow Crewmates had to say.

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Product ~ E-mealz

Price ~ $15.00 for a 3 month subscription

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I received a 3 month subscription to E-mealz , in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but are not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

2011 – 2012 School pictures

My talented friend Debbie shot these fabulous photos of the girls last week.  I love the way they turned out!

Saige RSAFaith RSA   Raven RSA Cadie RSATrinity RSA  girls-school-pic-1