Such a Time As This

Faith, Hope, & Love

Make Memories with your Family while doing a Fun Christmas Unit Study

Christmas Comes to America

{Christmas Unit Study Review}

 

The Holidays are a great time to change up the pace of your homeschool and study what is going on around you and your family.  Year after year, I long to make memories with the kids and to teach them more about this season.  Right now is a great time to start thinking about doing a Christmas study and Homeschool Legacy has one!  Check out Once-a-Week Unit Study Christmas Comes to America or maybe you are looking to study Thanksgiving?  How about a Once-a-Week Micro-Studies Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims!

 

Every year we love to mix up what we are doing around the Christmas holiday.  Sometimes we take a long Christmas break and just enjoy each other and relax.  So, when I found out about this Christmas Comes to America Unit Study, I was ecstatic to get started and to incorporate it into our routine.

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This unit study is divided up into four weeks.  Each week the focus is on one country and how the people of that country celebrate Christmas: The Dutch, The English, The Germans and the Americans.  It seems that you could potentially do this study in any order but we decided to start with first one: The Dutch.  I love this study for a few reasons.

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Reasons we LOVE this Christmas Unit Study

Each week these things are included:

1.) The Book List

  • This Christmas Unit Study includes a list of read-alouds to choose from for non-readers and for each unit they include a list of books specific to that country/area of the world.
  • The book list and video choices include the library numbers, title and author so that it is easy to search for – even at the library!
  • There is a lot of variety on the list in case you can’t find some – you should be able to find the others
  • I personally really enjoyed several from this selection!  These are books that I hadn’t read before and were very enlightening.

2.) An Extensive List of Fun Christmas Ideas

  • This is amazing!  What a huge collection of ideas to make wonderful Christmas memories with your children.  Some of the ideas are just to add to the Christmas fun and others are for showing your kids the true meaning of Christmas.

3.) It is written as a Once a Week Study (with occasional add-ons like family read alouds)

  • This leaves you the opportunity to focus on other studies if you choose to.  You could also just keep your math lessons going and then stretch this out to be used for all subjects each week.
  • This can be used as your main source of history and science for the month, if you choose.
  • History of Christmas in that country is written out in each unit.
  • We learn how to say Merry Christmas in their language and who their “gift giver” is and what he is called (for instance Kris Kringle).
  • Vocabulary and Language Arts is also included!

4.) It fulfills the merit badge requirements for several organizations!

  • Boy Scouts of America
  • American Heritage Girls
  • 4H Project Record

5.) Family Devotional

  • Each week there is a family devotional which include both the prophecies surrounding Jesus’ birth and the accounts from the four gospels.

6.) An Awesome Hands-On Activity

  • My kids have enjoyed this part tremendously!  There are some fun activities including making homemade cocoa and homemade Christmas Cards.  There are also directions on how to make garland out of food, how to decorate an After Christmas Tree for the Birds … and so much more!

7.) Field Trip Ideas 

  • This Christmas Unit Study includes some great ideas like concerts to attend, caroling, and picking out a Christmas Tree!

8.) Books, Music, and Video Selections

  • Each week includes books for independent reading or read-alouds for non readers as I stated above.
  • It also includes family read alouds like A Christmas Carol and Hansel and Gretel!
  • There are movies listed that can be watched at any time and some that go with that particular culture/country.

 

 

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My kids absolutely LOVED making homemade hot cocoa!  They learned what ingredients are in it, how to mix it and we even served it to the friends who came to Family Bible study the first week of our study.  My kids loved that this is an easy gift you can give to friends and family at Christmas.

 

Christmas Unit Study

We love this Christmas Unit Study.  This is such a fun way to do school during the Holidays whiles also learning more about the real reason for the season.  For this reason, I recommend it!  At only $14 for the downloadable version and $18.95 for the printed version, this is also a great deal!  I think it is great that all the work is done for you.  There really is no planning– they even include a list of supplies needed for the week (mainly for the craft or cooking) and a list of books you can get at the local library.

 

The kids were mesmerized by the Christmas traditions of others countries from around the world, they enjoyed the fun crafts and cooking activities, and we all loved reading the scripture verses from the Old and New Testament surrounding the birth of Jesus.  This is a complete study that will only enrich your month as you lead up to Christmas Day!

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoollegacy/

 

 

Once-a-Week Studies {Homeschool Legacy}
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How to do a Composer Study {Charlotte Mason}

How to Do a Composer Study

One facet of a Charlotte Mason education is the composer study. Depending on your knowledge and love of music you may be excited about this or quite nervous. For anyone worried, don’t be. Anyone can engage a child in a full and rich composer study regardless of your background in music. In fact, you may find you enjoy it as much as the children.

 

If you are familiar with the Charlotte Mason method then think of a composer study with the same ease as art appreciation or nature study. The intent is to share the beauty and evoke a curiosity about music through famous composers. It is a time of exploration and low stress learning which again makes it easy for anyone to implement into her homeschool.

How do I Choose a Composer to Study?

You can begin by choosing a composer you are familiar with or your child shows an interest in learning about. You can also choose a composer based on the time period you are studying. Choosing a composer to integrate with your history will enhance your child’s feel for the time period.

 

How do I Implement a Composer Study in My Homeschool?

Choose one composer per 9 to 12-week term. The bulk of your study will be listening to the composer’s music to get a feel for style. You can purchase CDs or download music onto a device. You and your children can listen while riding in the car, during art, or just in the background of your home. However, it is important to take ten to fifteen minutes to focus on sitting and listening. Focusing solely on music will aid in teaching the habit of attentiveness and observation. If your child is fidgety during this time, it is ok to allow the child to play with blocks or another quiet activity after a few minutes. The goal is to engage your child in the music and develop an appreciation for it.

 

To aid in your study you can add in documentaries, biographies, notebooking pages, and books. If your child becomes interested in a particular instrument, then take the time to study it. If a musical style strikes an interest, you can continue to study along those lines as opposed to following a historical time line. Enjoy your composer study and watch your children develop a love and appreciation for classical music.

 

Click here for our FREE Composer Study PRINTABLE!

Internet Accountability for Homeschooling Families

Internet Accountability

for Homeschooling Families

{Accountable2You Review}

 

 

It seems that kids at younger and younger ages are using technology and really that’s no surprise with how much technology basically governs our lives. I mean where would we be without our phones? And thankfully it’s now a lot cheaper getting broadband so that we can use the internet thanks to companies like Usave, which help you find the cheapest broadband deals. But how times have changed now, kids depend on technology.  It’s as if they come out of the womb knowing how to use an iPad.  When did this happen?  Nevertheless, this is the reality that we live in.  In this technology driven world, Internet accountability is almost a necessity.  Accountable2You offered us the choice of one of of four plans: Family Plan, Group Plan, Individual Plan and Small Business Plan.  We chose the Family Plan.

 

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Although we use a lot of technology in our homeschool, we don’t seem to use as much as most people.  For instance, my nine year old daughter told me she is the only kid without a smart phone in her extracurricular class she takes.  These are kids from ages 8-10.  Although we haven’t invested in phones for our kids we do have two computers in our home and a few tablets.  We use them mostly for school and sometimes for fun.  I’ve known for years that we need a good internet filtering program but I hadn’t thought much about internet accountability until now.

 

At first I was curious about how this would work.  I quickly realized what a gem this program is.  We are using the family plan which means it covers up to 20 devices!  This is plenty even for our size family.   It allows for unlimited accountability partners.  You can even set time limits for each account.  There is so much flexiblity with this program.

 

Installation is extremely simple (even for me – I have so much trouble with technology, it seems).  There are different directions for installing on iOS and android.  Accountable2You couldn’t have made this step any easier.

 

I love the reports they generate.  So, basically you can choose from daily e-mails and instant text messages.  You can also see the reports generated on your account through their website.  It shows which computer is being used, how many questionable or highly questionable items were being accessed or searched for and you can even see the exact websites that were being used under the details button.

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One of the features that Accountable2You provides is the ability to create questionable and highly questionable words.  For instance, I read recently to protect your kids from giving out too much information on the internet to include their names (including last name) and/or their address on the questionable word list.  This way parents are notified if this ever happens.  Also, because we use our home computer and our Chromebooks for homeschool, we can set it up to notify me by text if a child types in something that would be more for “fun” rather than for school.  For instance, my 11 year old loves to watch magic tricks on YouTube.  This is so simple to add these keywords to their questionable word list.  I would know immediately, even if I’m not in the room with him, that he isn’t doing his math!

 

We have a teenage son, and two tweens in our family and internet usage can be quite scary at times.  There are times I’ve been panic stricken wondering if my kids are going to stumble across a “bad” website or if they will search for something they shouldn’t be thinking about.

 

I feel so much better after installing Accountable2You.  Internet accountability has given me more freedom and my kids more as well.  I know that I will be alerted if danger is present and it also shows the kids that we are giving them some responsibility.   I want them to learn to make good choices but I also want them to know that we are only trying to protect them in this crazy world we live in.

 

Accountable2You offers several different plans to meet your internet accountability needs.  The individual plan covers 6 devices and is only $6.99/month.  I think the individual plan would be great for a husband and wife or for two adult accountability partners.  It offers slightly less features than the Family plan.   The Family Plan is $9.99/month and truly seems like a great fit for most families.  It can be used for monitoring the internet for all the members of a family and setting up time limits and boundaries for kids.  There is even a GPS tracking feature available for iOS and Android devices!

 

The Group Plan is geared toward churches or small groups that wish to have accountability partners and it costs $9.99/month plus $2.99/member.  The Small Business plan is $14.99/month plus $.99 per device.  This plan would be for a business that wants to monitor the devices used within their business or organization.

 

Whatever your need, I believe Accountable2You has an internet accountability plan that is right for you!

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/accountable2you
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/accountable2youllc

 

 

 

 

Accountability across all your devices {Accountable2You}
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Shopping Made Easy with Groupon Goods

Shopping Made Easy with Groupon Goods

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

 

Everybody who knows me well, knows that I love online shopping.  I have six little kids and I’m eight-months pregnant.  That is a whole lot to carry around.  Let’s just say that I don’t get out to the mall a whole lot.  I recently found out about Groupon Goods and I think I’m in love.

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I had no idea that Groupon Goods offers so much variety!  In the first few minutes after clicking on the website I realized just how many goods you can find.  I found something that everyone in my family would be interested in: clothing, jewelry, technology, toys, kids books and puzzles.

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Just use the search field to find the item you are looking for or you can use the side bar to search by category!  They make it so easy to find what you are looking for.

In addition to the easy searching – purchasing is incredibly simple.

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 Groupon Goods seems like a dream come true as it offers so much.

1.) First – each item’s price is listed very clearly along with the original price and how much you are saving.

2.) There is a time limit to make your purchase.  It shows the amount of time left to purchase – sometimes over a day left and other times we see that the item will be done very quickly.

3.) I also love that in addition to a photo and written description, most items offer a variety of reviews from the people who have purchased this item before you.  This helps me so much, in knowing which item to order.  I love to see what people think of the material and sizing, for instance, when purchasing clothes for myself.

4.) The products are name brands.  I know I’m getting quality when I order.  Enough said.

5.) There is an amazing amount of variety.  Some really awesome deals. Check it out for yourself.

6.) Quick shipping.  Everything I looked at says it ships in 2 days.  That’s awesome.

7.) Finally, each item features a fine print section which gives info on shipping, returns, and places that it can and can’t be shipped.

 

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Since I only have 7 weeks until my due date, I’m thoroughly enjoying relaxing with my feet up and being able to “window shop” at Groupon Goods.  I’m thinking I might just find some Christmas gifts for my so hard to shop for husband and maybe even my extended family while I’m at it. 😉

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Thank you Groupon Goods for making it so incredibly easy to shop!

To connect with Groupon Goods on social media:

 

 

 

 

Find the Meaning of your Name with CrossTimber & Name Meaning Gifts

Name Meaning Gifts with CrossTimber {Review}

 

Are you looking for a special gift for someone?  I have the perfect gift idea: Personalized Framed Plaque with Name Meaning and Bible Verse from CrossTimber.

 

 

I was so thrilled to be able to review this product and share it with you all.  My family knows that I love choosing a name for each child that is born.  It is such an honor and we take it very seriously in our family.  So much goes into a name, that is why when I heard about a company that puts an emphasis the meaning of each name, I took notice.

 

I realized right away that this would make an incredibly beautiful and special gift.  I chose to have our newest baby’s name printed and framed.  I love that it comes with the meaning, the language of origin and a special Bible verse which is chosen to go with the name.  I literally cried when I saw the final result for our baby son.

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Shhh…don’t tell!  We decided to surprise our 9 year old daughter with her very own music box from CrossTimber, as well.  This is a beautiful piece of art that I hope will be something special for her for sometime.  This one plays, “How Great Thou Art” inside and is lined with velvet.

 

name meaning

 

The process for purchasing these items is extremely simple.

 

1.) First pick a theme.  (For my daughter we knew it had to be flowers, and then we even found one that featured lilies…for my son, we are doing a horse theme for his nursery and so we chose one of many horse backgrounds.  There are so many choices, you are sure to find something you love.

 

2.) Then type the name of the person in the name field.  The pieces that I ordered only allow for one name, but I noticed on the website there are some larger pieces you can order that have room for double names – or first and middle names to be shown.

 

3.) Choose your frame.  If ordering a name plaque, there are several styele of frames to choose from.

 

4.) If ordering a music box, choose your song (there were three hymns to choose from).

 

That’s it!

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I noticed on their website that in addition to name plaques, coffee mugs and music boxes,  they also offer plaques with the names of God printed on them.  These would make a lovely gift for someone special and I’m actually thinking of ordering some for some family members.  I imagine these would be a cherished gift.screenshot-2016-10-21-at-3-25-02-pm

 

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I think these are a very special personalized gift.  I could see them being given on Pastor Appreciation Sunday to the Pastor of your church, to your friends and family for Christmas or birthday celebrations, or in honor of a new baby!

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In my experience, CrossTimber offers amazing quality gifts at good prices, awesome customer service, and quick reply to emails if you need any assistance (including finding a meaning of a name!).  I definitely recommend this company and their name meaning products.

They even offer a discount if you buy 3 or more you will receive 10% off, 5 or more 15% off and 10 or more 20% off!  See below:

 

Right now, you can enter the giveaway for a chance to win another free Name Gift or $10 gift certificate!

Grand Prize: The winner may choose between a: Personalized Mug OR a Name Plaque or 8×10 Plaque! –> Plus 9 more prizes: $10 Gift Certificates

Giveaway ends on Dec 4th, at this url: www.Meaning.Name/giveaway.html

CrossTimber 2016 giveaway

 

 

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/meaning.name/
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/crosstimber

 

 

Personalized Framed Plaque with Name Meaning and Bible Verse {CrossTimber} Reviews
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