Review: George Washington Carver

“When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me.”  ~G W Carver

I love introducing Esmé to positive role models and was thrilled when we “accidentally” received a DVD on the life of George Washington Carver Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. from for review.  His story is an awesome testimony to the power of allowing God to use one’s life through humble service.

Synopsis:

Born into slavery and reared during the Reconstruction years in the South, George Washington Carver struggled through poor health, poverty and prejudice…to become a great benefactor, not only to his people…but to his country as well. Carver is known in history books as the “peanut man” – for his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton. As one of the world’s foremost experts in agriculture and horticulture, Carver, through his research and teaching at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama practically reinvented land management in the South. He is said to have compiled a list of over 300 uses for and by-products of peanuts such as cosmetics, dyes and paints, plastics, gasoline and nitroglycerin.

But his work as a creative scientist stretches far beyond that endeavor. He marveled at the world around him and his ability to inspire those closely associated with him may well have been one of his greatest lifetime achievements. As a living example of the importance of hard work, a positive attitude and a good education, Carver was instrumental in changing the stereotype of the time that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race.

Here then, is the story of Carver’s life…a life that should not be forgotten, for it is full of hope, meaning and inspiration. To commemorate his life and inventions, George Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary of Carver's death.

For anyone looking for an inspirational story, for historians, teachers and students, and for young and old alike this DVD featuring stunning photography and a superb original music score is certain to be watched again and again.

Recommended Age:  Grades 8-12; I think this is perfectly appropriate for middle school.

Price:  $24.95; web sale for $19.95

AND here’s a special coupon code for you!  Enter TOSC1 at checkout, and you’ll get this for $16.95 (plus S&H)

To Purchase: Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc.

For More Reviews: TOS Crew

What Mom Liked:

• Carver himself. I knew the basic story, but never to the depth of what I saw in the video.  A man who had no need for riches because the whole earth was his to enjoy.  Who was committed to educating and uplifting others.  Who sidestepped the volatile arena of racism to win the admiration of all races.  And who saw God’s greatness in the smallest of Creation’s details.
• Nature clips.  Esmé enjoyed the various shots of water snakes and frogs and flowers.
• Clips of Carver. I was fascinated with his humble demeanor on screen.  I hadn’t realized the effect of whooping cough on his voice before.
• Quotes.  The DVD included many quotations of Carvers, which, as much as anything else, revealed his intelligence and strength of character.

What Mom Didn’t Like:

• Professional quality.  While the flow of this DVD went very nicely and the narration was well done, the images weren’t super crisp on our 54-inch TV screen.  And I’m always disappointed when there are no subtitles.
• “This is a movie about statues.”  Granted, this DVD is geared for an older audience than Esmé, but her observation was shared by her dad.  The statues and museum scenes were prominent in the first part of the DVD, and some acting of the early scenes of Carver’s life would have been nice.

Thanks to Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. for providing the book for review and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

Review: Lots & Lots of Fire…

What is the fascination kids have with fire and fire trucks?  I remember having a little fear and awe, always worried the trucks were headed towards my house.  Whatever it is, the fascination hasn’t skipped Esmé.

We’ve been enjoying a DVD/book set put out by Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc.  The DVD is chock full of songs and safety tips, and lots and lots of clips of fire trucks – all kinds – on the job.  The book is a colorful complement to the DVD, once again loaded with a variety of fire photos and facts, including an overview of firefighting equipment, firehouse traditions, a history of fires and firefighting, and words to the songs on the DVD.

Synopsis:

SAVE BIG! GET BOTH THE 128 PAGE FOUR COLOR AWARD-WINNING FIRETRUCKS and FIREFIGHTERS BOOK PLUS THE LOTS and LOTS OF FIRE SONGS and SAFETY TIPS DVD! Big Pictures, fun songs - a great deal for anyone who loves firetrucks and firefighting! Fun learning fire safety in home or school! All Ages!

Recommended Age:  Ages 4-10

For More Info:  www.firesafetysongs.com

Price:  $49.90; web sale for $29.95

AND here’s a special coupon code for you!  Enter TOSF1 at checkout, and you’ll get this for $19.95 (plus S&H)

To Purchase: Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc.

For More Reviews: TOS Crew

Esmé’s Synopsis:  My favorite song is 911!  This is because I can learn what to do when our house is on fire.  These are the fire safety rules:

1. Never play with mattresses.
2. When you are on fire, stop playing.  Drop and roll in a wet towel.
3. Call 911.
4. Set all mattresses up high so young kids can’t reach them.
5. If there is a fire, feel the door.  If it is hot, do not open it.

Mom’s note:  YES, we are working on the pronunciation of “matches.”  Obviously, we don’t have them laying around the house for young kids to play with…

What Mom Liked:

• Safety tips. The DVD especially got my daughter thinking about what to do in the event of a fire.  She’s totally a master of the Stop, Drop, and Roll technique now.
• Lots of variety.  The book is loaded with facts and full-color pictures.  I love the “Old Time Firefighter’s Alphabet.”  You could easily use this as the basis of a full unit study, with fire science, history, literature, museum field trip, and even recipes included in the book.
• Website references. Website references are given on both the DVD and to book if you are interested in doing extension activities.
• Humanitarian emphasis.  Beyond the appeal of fires and fire trucks, there was a segment on the video that alluded to serving others – the heroism involved, not just for fire fighting, but in other occupations of service.  I appreciated that.

What Mom Didn’t Like:

• Professional Quality.  Both the DVD and the book seemed just a little sub-quality to me.  The DVD had a great variety of clips, but the images weren’t crisp on our 54-inch screen, and there were no subtitles (always a downside for me).  And the book’s full-color glossy layout was appealing, but the graphic design seemed a little amateurish. Let it be noted that this issue did not affect Esmé’s opinion of the product at all! 

Thanks to Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. for providing the book for review and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

Review: My First Hands-On Bible

I’m always looking for ways to integrate Bible study and discussion into our day, and My First Hands-On Bible has been a sweet addition into our school box. 

It starts out with some “cuddle-time” reading of actual Bible text, interspersed with some play-acting ideas, discussion questions, quick crafts, and more to engage your child.  At the end of the reading is a prayer, discussions questions, and more extension activity ideas – which may take you outside, to the kitchen, or stick with you throughout the week.

Title: My First Hands-On Bible
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Genre: Children’s devotional Bible
ISBN:  978-1-4143-4830-8
Recommended Age:  2-7yo
List Price:  $16.99
To Purchase:  tyndale.com
Synopsis:

My First Hands-On Bible is the preschooler version of the popular Hands-On Bible, which has sold over a half million copies. Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations; My First Hands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. My First Hands-On Bible is a fun and simple yet meaningful way to engage preschool, pre-K, and K children (ages 3-6) with the Bible while helping them build a solid faith foundation. Each lesson focuses on a specific Bible point through a variety of activities in order to reinforce and help young children remember the stories and lessons. Using common household items, you can help your children have a “hands-on” learning experience while engaging them in 85 key stories from the Bible. My First Hands-On Bible doesn’t just retell the Bible stories; it also includes actual Scripture from the easy-to-understand and easy-to-read Holy Bible, New Living Translation. In addition to the stories and activities, there are fun illustrations, prayers, and a special Jesus Connection feature.

What Mom Liked:

• Bible text. I love that the text is straight from the Bible (New Living Translation).  It is simple enough that a preschooler can understand, but not dumbed down – we’ve had some interesting vocabulary discussions.
• Illustrations.  Yes, these are cartoon-like (and no, this isn’t a leather-bound Bible).  However, I LIKE how this makes the Bible appealing and approachable for little ones.
• Variety of activities.  While reading the story of creation, we took a quick break to draw the sun and moon, and to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Some activities get you moving, like a ride around the room on the back of a “camel.”  Others are just a simple question like “what is your favorite color?”  The extension activities can take a bit longer, e.g. an ethnic meal for the Tower of Babel story, or an assignment to look for babies throughout the week as a reminder of Sarah’s miracle.
• Nicely organized chapters.  This would fit well as the Bible component of a structured curriculum, planning for a chapter or two per week.  It could be used as the basis for themed studies – with as much “study” as is appropriate for your little one.  Or it could simply be used for daily devotions with your child..
• Discussion questions.  Some of the proposed questions can lead to very interesting discussions, such as “What makes you mad?” or “If you could change one thing that God made, what would it be?”

Thanks to Tyndale for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a frank and unbiased review, and to MamaBuzz for organizing the review.

Wordless Wednesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Esmé (4yo) has been struggling with an age-old issue:

Esmé:  I CAN’T figure out what I want to do with my life!

Mom:  Oh?  Well, what options have you been considering?

Esmé:  I can’t decide if I want to roller skate, or be a ballerina, or play!

Mom:  Oh!  Tough choices, huh?

Esmé:  I think I will roller skate one day, do ballet the next, and play the next.  Then I will roller skate again.  That way I can do everything.

---------------

Subsequently, she’s decided to go with a more spiderhumanitarian occupation.  That would be AFTER she accidently broke a leg off her *pet* Daddy Longlegs.

Esmé:  When I grow up, I’m going to be a spider nurse!

---------------

I love her perspective on things.  A store front window had been painted with balloons, and she noticed they were missing.

Esmé:  Look!   The balloons are gone!

Mom:  Oh.  They must have washed the paint off the windows.

Esmé:  No, Mom!  They sprayed the balloons with invisible spray.  So now the balloons are invisible!

Ahhh.  The invisible spray.  I must get some for my housecleaning tasks…

Review: The Snowman’s Revenge

We had our first frost this morning. Which means our grapes need to be picked immediately.

And that it’s just about time to snuggle up and start reading books about snowmen.  So that’s what we did first thing this morning.

Title: The Snowman’s Revenge
Author: Mark Smythe
Genre: Children’s picture book
ISBN:   978-0982270400
Recommended Age:  3+
List Price:  $9.99
To Purchase:  amazon.com
For More Information:  http://thesnowmansrevenge.com

Synopsis:

The snow's piled up high and school's cancelled, so let's play outside and, of course, build a snowman!

Now, what if you were left out in the cold snow all by yourself, like that poor snowman?

Would you be mad?

Of course you would!

Well, this snowman is out for revenge, especially after he sees those kids in the nice warm house, eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate!

So, let's see what happens in this delightful story, nicely flowing with rhymed verse, very beautifully illustrated and quite humorous indeed.

So lovable, it's sure to be an instant favorite and a timeless classic with "kids" of all ages.

Esmé’s Synopsis: 

The book is about a snowman.  At the end, everything is sitting in a puddle after it melted.

The part I like most is the pretty girl in green and purple with pretty boots.  I also like eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate, and the sliding snowman part.  I don’t like where the shovel is broken.

I think other kids should read this book because it is a fun story.

What Mom Liked:

• Original. Yes, there are other books where snowmen take human-like qualities and end up in a melted puddle.  But I haven’t read about a snowman with attitude like this one before!  A quirky take on a classic concept that kids will love.
• Easy-to-read rhyme.  This book is a pleasure to read aloud – perfect for the poetry lessons we are doing.
• Bright illustrations with fun detail.  Great attention-getters for little ones.  Details like an icicle on the carrot nose, or the investigation of an umbrella holder when the snowman is looking for a place to hide.  My favorite part was how the words graphically fit the illustrations, sliding around while the snowman was sliding, climbing the stairs as the snowman climbed the stairs.
• Learning opportunities.  You could do an extension activity on seasons and winter.  Or on states of water.  You could extrapolate on the moral of the story, e.g. the consequences of revenge.  Or you could read this just for the fun of it, as Esmé suggests.

Thanks to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a frank and unbiased review, and to the Cadence Group for organizing the review.

Magic Marker Monday with Poetry

This is the post that was supposed to go up LAST Monday, but I’ve saved it up so we can at least get the days in sync.  It’s all about maintaining a professional image and all…

So, last week’s art project sounded so cool – a crayon-shaving fall tree!

First we sharpened lots of crayons, including blue since blue is most definitely a color for fall leaves.  It was interesting to observe how some crayon brands shaved in neat rolls, while others came off in tiny slivers.

Then, I suggested clumping colors in spots on our wax paper, but Esmé insisted on mixing the colors into a nice happy hodgepodge.

Then we got out the iron, and this is where Mom made mistakes.  I left it too hot or too long, and the colors smudged together in spots, creating a nice brown.


All in all, a fun, educational process that we will hang up for a while.  And probably not attempt wax paper crayon shaving art again for awhile.

So, let’s talk about poetry!  Week Four of Poetry for Kids was about the SOUNDS of good poetry.  So we discussed rhyme, alliteration, rhythm, and repetition.  

And then we embarked on an alliteration/rhyme project that was WAY harder than I thought it would be.  Esmé kept making up words instead of using her vast vocabulary to come up with suitable ones.  So her lines sounded great but made no sense.

After dozens of rejections by Mom, here is the final verse.  The jury’s out on whether it makes sense, but it DOES use real words…

Lovely lambs lick lollipops;
Doggies dance.
Mamma monkeys chase mice
And penguins prance.

All that effort left Esmé a little weary, so her illustrations are limited to just two characters.  Here are Dancing Doggy and Chased Mouse.

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

~Pablo Picasso

Hosted at 5 Minutes for Special Needs

And now joining the Virtual Refrigerator!

Review: Educating the WholeHearted Child

Ahhhh… 

I had to go in to the office to work a few hours today – a Sunday – the joy of having an IT hat.  I set up Miss Esmé in the conference room, and she did fabulously. 

So we celebrated by heading to the McDonalds with the indoor playground, where she ran the show with other kids for a couple of hours while I indulged in my favorite pastime of reading a homeschool book.  I think I’ve mentioned being a homeschool book junkie before?

When we came home, I got out the schoolbooks, but Esmé just wasn’t into it, and as long as she wasn’t bored and begging for a DVD, I figured I’d let it go.  So I got some housework done while she:

• invented a new move on her swing,
• captured a dragonfly,
• released the ladybug she caught on Friday,
• discussed the differences between dragonflies and flies and butterflies,
• looked for ants to feed to her dragonfly,
• set up a store and sold me a dragonfly and a bucket of yellow straws for the price of two metal washers,
• drew a pumpkin-shaped spider web (amongst other designs) on her chalkboard,
• had a baby boy (doll) and mothered it,
• scrambled the states on her US magnet board,
• took apart a skeleton puzzle and put it halfway back together,
• unpacked her “moving away from home” box that she had taped up, ready for her forthcoming adoption by a family who would let her do what SHE wants to do
• sang Monkey See Monkey Do over and over, and
• sorted letter tiles from her SpellTime game, unmaking words. 

All without any initiation on my part.

A perfectly lovely homeschool day…

Which sort of brings me back to the point of this post.  That homeschool book I got to read.  Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson.

Synopsis:

God did not forget to include "school" in his biblical design for raising children – home education is a natural expression of all that God intended for parents and their children. Clay and Sally Clarkson's Educating the WholeHearted Child is about rediscovering God's original design for the family. What you'll find in this book is a homeschooling model that makes sense. It's an approach that is based on sound biblical principles of nurture, discipleship, instruction, and learning. Newly revised and significantly expanded, Educating the WholeHearted Child is about much more than homeschooling; it is about life. Effective Christian homeschooling must begin with the sure foundation of a Christian home, and the Clarksons' uncomplicated, common-sense approach to life and learning will provide you with the tools you need to experience God's abundant blessings for your family.

ISBN:  978-1-932012-95-8

Recommended Age:  Parents of children ages 4-14

For More Info:  Sample Chapter, Table of Contents

Price:  $22.00

To Purchase: Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.

For More Reviews: TOS Crew

What Mom Liked:

• Christian approach.  I’m of the school of thought that “home education” is not the same as “home discipleship” – I homeschool for academic reasons rather than Christian/moral reasons, so veer a little away from the authors’ premises at times.  However, the Christian WholeHearted approach inspires me in many ways and helps me prioritize better.
• WholeHearted Learning Educational Model.  This is my favorite part of the book.  I love how the model interrelates the Discipleship, Disciplines, Discussion, Discovery, and Discretionary Studies.  Discipleship is rightly at the bottom, and Disciplined (the 3Rs, mainly) is correctly separate but also connected to the other areas.  It all just makes sense.
• Comprehensive coverage.  This book reads like a college textbook, albeit an interesting one.  (I find it mildly ironic that proponents of the whole-book method authored it, but since they are passionate and wrote the entire book themselves, I suppose it does qualify as a “living book.”)  It is well-organized and covers EVERYTHING on the subject,though you may need additional resources to get further depth.  Homeschooling methods, personality types, advice on subject matter, homeschool supplies, field trip ideas, and even book lists are all included.
• Easy to relate.  The Clarksons include an “In Our Home” section and give lots of examples that make the text come alive.  For instance, one of their 12 pillars is “Children learn from real life,” and they give an example of a child seeing and holding a garden snake versus being told what it is and shown pictures.  That’s my girl, all right!  Once she’d held it, she was eager to peruse lots of snake books.
• 
• Focus on books.  I love literature-based study.  My ideal school life would be to curl up with good books for hours on end, breaking away for practical stuff like ballet lessons and math discussions with Dad.
• The overview of different homeschool methodologies.  I’ve read up on most of these myself, but it was interesting to read a new perspective and see how the Clarksons categorized some of them.  I think this would be extremely helpful for a new homeschooler.
• Advice on a learning room.  They strongly encourage a room dedicated to learning, and setting up a learning environment throughout your house.  Sounds so much like what I wrote!
• Personality section.  I’m not a big believer in putting kids into boxes, so I almost skipped this, but the “Shaper” Child characteristics caught my eye.  That is SO Esmé.  It gave me some ideas on how to motivate and work with her, since I personally am at the opposite end of the spectrum.

What Mom Didn’t Like:

There is a reason I am wholeheartedly eclectic.  I love gleaning everything I can from different homeschool books, compiling my own methodology and adapting as we go.  Here are a few things that don’t work for our family.

• Charlotte Mason methodology.  I started listing the specific things that I don’t like, and realized most of them can be traced to the influence of Charlotte Mason.  While she has some great contributions to education, there are certain principles of hers that just don’t click for us, like delayed formal academics (we’re into acceleration!), emphasis on narration (why make a big deal of something as natural as breathing?), copywork (not creative Esmé’s cup of tea), and criteria for living books and art (I’ll take pop fiction “twaddle” with good values over certain fairy tales any day of the week, and I’m really not into archaic English).  I could probably write a whole post on this subject, so I’ll stop here.  Thankfully the Clarksons don’t seem to espouse a sparse selection of well-loved books, because that would REALLY bore Miss Esmé.
• Various specifics.  Certain specific suggestions are given that don’t work for us.  We like the beginning reading “gimmicks,” for example.  And for handwriting, I think we’ll skip on italics (the style I use when I’m sloppy) and cursive altogether. Not a significant negative in terms of the larger picture.
• Family roles.  We’re a little unconventional in our homeschooling roles, splitting things between mom, dad, and day care with a friend.  Some of the life section just doesn’t fit us.

Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be using it as a reference for years to come.  It makes a great roadmap for new and veteran homeschoolers alike.

Thanks to Apologia for providing the book for review and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

Total Randomness

I was looking online for a Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt to go with our pumpkin patch trip to the today (pics coming soon), but didn’t find any, so quickly made up a preschool edition.

And I thought I’d be nice and share with you, but I have never shared documents before, so I’m not sure exactly what I’m doing.  I’d love any feedback on how the Google Documents sharing works for you all.  (I’ve got a little global series of printables I’m putting together, so hoping this actually works…)

Without further ado, here is the Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt printable.  Double-click the picture, and the pdf should open right up.


And, a little shameless self-promotion!

You can find my nominations under The Harried Homeschooler Award and The Meme Forgotten Award – I think I’m a prime candidate for both!

Speaking of awards, Nikki at Joy in the Journey generously passed on the Versatile Blogger award to us – thank you, Nikki!  She is a fellow TOS Crew Member and shares a lot of home education ideas.  Check this Weekly Wrap-up post for some very cool pumpkin art!

Now, there are a bunch of rules for this award, but I think I’m going to be breaking a lot of them.  I thought I’d at least copy Nikki’s “seven things about me” rule, so here goes:

1. I’ve done my time in college, but love learning and wouldn’t mind earning lots more degrees.  Though I have taken enough statistics and calculus to last a lifetime. 
2. I REALLY want to run a marathon.  I am trying to figure out how to fit the running in during daylight hours, and with my current schedule, it is an impossibility.  I know - I need to shelve my excuses.
3. We are a six-vehicle family (counting the motorbike), but we live way out away from civilization and my husband needs a fleet to keep up with his construction business.  In fact, he’s been having all kinds of adventure with his latest acquisition – if this counts as a vehicle, that would be seven…
4. We don’t have TV.  I mean, we have a nice 54-inch TV and plenty of DVDs, but no TV reception, and internet speeds are so pathetic out here that we don’t get much in the way of internet TV, either.
5. Esmé wants a tattoo.  She doesn’t care what it says or looks like.  Alas, her dad won’t even let her try the temporary ones.  I don’t have a tattoo.  There are some cool ones out there, though.
6. I really want a big vegetable garden next year, but I am dreading dealing with the multitude of grapes dropping off our vines right now.  Any suggestions for grape products you can freeze instead of can?
7. I like playing the piano, though I've lost what talent I had through lack of practice.  I really wish I had a piano.  A keyboard is just not the same, and we have no space for even a keyboard to be permanently set up in our house, so I don’t get it out very often.  Esmé enjoys singing along with her guitar; alas, no one in our house knows how to tune a guitar, let alone play chords.  My dream house includes a library and a sound-proof music room.

I have been debating whether to post our Magic Marker Monday/Poetry post today (Friday), or wait until Monday, when I will be behind a week.  I think convention (and lack of time) will win.  We have a zillion and one posts in mind, but not the time to get them up.  I am rather behind in reviews, also, so you may see a deluge of them, but we’ll try to stagger them with the more personal ones as well.

Wishing you all a restful, peaceful weekend!

Giveaway: Winnie the Pooh

Hey, Pooh fans! Or Kanga and Roo fans like Miss Esmé!

How would you like a chance to win Disney's Winnie the Pooh on Blu-Ray Combo Pack & DVD - to be released October 25, 2011?

And while you’re waiting, hop or bounce on over the cool Hundred Acre activities and downloads!

To enter:

• Comment on this post.  Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you should you win.
• If you are a follower or subscriber of this blog, leave a second comment for a second entry.
• For a third entry, take the personality quiz and share which Pooh character you most resemble.

Limited to US residents; no PO boxes.  Giveaway ends October 28; winner will be randomly chosen.

Thanks to DBA West/Partners Hub for coordinating this giveaway.  We are receiving no compensation for our post.

Review: E-mealz

I’ve been back in my “hate” relationship with cooking rut.   I’ve really been looking for a menu plan with nutritious meals that take 10 minutes or less to prepare, $5 or less for three, no grocery shopping time, considered scrumptious by my 4yo, and while we’re at it, why not just drop the ready-to-serve food at my doorstep and wash the dishes and set the table while you’re here?  Mom?  Can you come visit?

Anyways…

We recently had the opportunity to try out E-mealz.com, and it was a nice little kick-in-the-pants to step out of the rut on occasion, try some new recipes, and just feel a little more inspired to get the meal on the table already.

Synopsis:

E-Mealz is a simple system to solve your dinner dilemma with easy meals based on delicious recipes and a consistent grocery budget.

e-mealz meal plans...

• are written and created by REAL moms with REAL families
• are balanced and family friendly
• are as easy as possible, but delicious and kid tested!
• consist of favorite recipes collected from hundred of moms
• come with an organized, aisle by aisle grocery list
• are for 4 to 6 people
• are based on the current week sales at your grocery
• are priced at approximately $75 per week
• Two person plans average $35 total per week

E-Mealz has been created to provide a kid-friendly and family-uniting meal planning resource for busy Moms and frugal family cooks. Each meal plan is based on the current sales at the grocery stores, with plan options categorized according to store and/or weight management strategy. The recipes are delicious, simple and easy to follow. Each plan is new every week and has a corresponding aisle-by-aisle grocery list. Almost every week includes a crock-pot recipe and easy dinner ideas. There are meal plans for two people, for a low fat diet, a low carb diet, and for those who are following a portion control system, as well!

Price:  You will be billed $15 every 3 months to your credit or debit card. You may cancel your renewal in your member's account.

For More Info/To Purchase:  http://e-mealz.com/

For More Reviews: TOS Crew

What Mom Liked:

• The shopping list. This printed on one page and was nicely organized by store section, though I had to remember to check out the “staples” section at the bottom of the page, since my pantry isn’t always fully stocked!  I also liked the cross-referencing by meal number, so if we decided not to try a specific menu, I could easily eliminate the foods for that menu off my shopping list.
• New recipes. I enjoy finding new recipes to add variety to my recipe rotation.  (Never would’ve thought of adding cashews to a bean salad, for instance – yummy!)  As picky as Esmé is, there were a few recipes that qualified as success for her! 
• Convenience food for real people.  This could be a pro or con for you, but I appreciated the use of convenience items on the menu rather than whole foods all made from scratch.  Of course, you could always make your own pizza crust or cook your own beans, but I honestly don’t have the time for that.  I loved that easy sandwiches and salads made a regular appearance on the menu.
• Plan sizes.  I debated putting this under the “Not Like” heading, but decided I do kind of like it.  The vegetarian menu options were all for 4-6 people.  This meant that many of the meal sizes were sufficient to cover two meals at our house of 3 (including our pint-sized conscientious objector to many foods).  Combine that with a couple of nights out, and and a week’s menu lasts us about 2 weeks.

What Mom Didn’t Like:

• No vegan options.  We’re not strict vegans, but tend in that direction, and the vegetarian recipes use a lot of cheese and eggs.  We skipped on a couple of menus because of this.  Replacing with vegan substitutes could cost a lot of time or money.
• Cost.  Of the groceries, that is.  There were two vegetarian menu options:  one for WalMart, and one for any store.  Since we don’t have a grocery store in our WalMart, we went with the any-store option, which means it didn’t take advantage of local sales, etc.  I found our grocery bill ran about $100 for 7 dinners.  Not terrible, but more than I’d usually spend.  Granted – those are dinners for 4-6 people.
• Time.  This is another feature I wasn’t sure fell under the “Like” or “Not Like” heading.  Some meals were quick and easy: toasted sandwiches, etc.  Others were a bit daunting to face when you get home at 6:30pm and want to spend quality time with your kid as well as have her in bed by 8pm.  From start to finish, most meals took about 45 minutes to an hour to cook.
• Nutrition information.  Not necessarily a “Not Like” – but it would certainly be a nice feature if nutrition information were added to the menus.

Overall, E-mealz is something I’m likely to purchase again when I need help getting out of a cooking rut.  I probably would only get 3 months at a time, since 3 months of recipes will last our family about 6 months.  And I need to come up with some easy, low-cost vegan substitutes the next time around.

Thanks to E-mealz.com for providing a 3-month subscription for review and to TOS Crew for coordinating the review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own…

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By the way, we are headed to the pumpkin patch today!  I just got an email with three pumpkin recipes I’ll be able to put to use.  If you’ve got your own pumpkins hanging around, be sure to check E-mealz.com (left column) to get those pumpkin recipes emailed to you for free!

Living Generously…

My alter-ego is a CFO for a 200-employee nonprofit organization, so you think I’d get the importance of budgeting.  And I do – for work.  It creates accountability, permits efficient delegation, allows for reasonable oversight.  We’ve got budgets within budgets, way up in the middle of the air.

Here at home?  Nah.  (And most definitely not a specific budget for homeschool supplies and books, aka a wheel within a wheel.)

Why not?

The Moral Sanctimonious Answer.  Our family motto is to “live generously.”  Following a budget seems to dampen the impulses to give.  I don’t want to “plan” my giving – and then feel like I’ve done my duty once I’ve given – like I’m entitled to everything that’s left.  It’s ALL God’s, and He is faithful to provide.  If He tells us to give, we give.  (Ahem…  Love the words.  Back to our reality.)

Seriously, I far more admire the couple who mortgages their home to sponsor a mission than the couple who has their retirement planned to the T and then some.

The Easy Answer.  I’m lazy.  Budgeting and tracking expenses accordingly takes work.  When I get home from reconciling accounts, the last thing I want to do is reconcile more accounts or try to figure out why Mint.com isn’t working right.  I’d rather play with my little girl. 

The Real Answer.  A bit of both.  Plus, budgeting brings out the OCD in me, makes me overanalyze things, visualize the pain and poverty of the world every time I contemplate adding a non-necessity to my shopping cart.  I start thinking about what is really a necessity in the global context and have a hard time justifying a haircut, curtains, or a trip to Subway.  It’s just easier not to think?

My husband is a deal hunter; he spends hours researching prices without spending anything, and when a great deal is available, he wants to be able to act on it if he has the money.  Me?  I hate feeling ripped off.  I have chronic buyer’s remorse.  So, budget or no budget, I tend not to shop much to avoid that feeling.

We always have enough.  The secret is letting God define “enough,” I think.

The Homeschool Materials Answer.  We have two library cards.  We get to review a lot of products.  We download all the freebies.  We shop 75%-off thrift store sales.  When we happen upon something that is just perfect for Esmé, we check around for the very best deal we can find, or we wait for the sale, and we buy it. 

We are surrounded by educational materials.  Esmé has everything she needs for scholastic excellence. 

More important is the development of character. 

Esmé doesn’t fully comprehend the value of money yet.  We’ve worked on the idea that she needs to save up in order to get some of the things she really wants.  Saving is good.  Budgeting is good.

More than the gratification of getting something she has been long saving for, however, I want her to experience the joy of giving her entire piggy bank’s contents to someone in need.  Not mandated or even encouraged by me, but simply sprouting from a generous spirit.

Esmé definitely does not realize it yet, but she will always have enough.

For other posts on homeschooling budgets, check out the TOS Blog Cruise next week!

Review: A Dog’s Way Home

Title: A Dog's Way Home
Author: Bobbie Pyron
Genre: Children's book age 9-12

Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins

Physical Description: 336-page hardcover
List Price: $16.99
ISBN: 978-0061986741
For More Info: http://www.bobbiepyron.com/

Synopsis:

One late fall afternoon, a tragic highway accident leaves eleven-year-old Abby and her beloved Shetland sheepdog, Tam, stranded at opposite ends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though each is determined to be reunited with the other, the days separating them turn to weeks, then months, and dangers and changes fill up Abby's and Tam's lives. Will they ever find their way back home to one another?

Classic in its themes and contemporary in its telling, Bobbie Pyron's A Dog's Way Home is the unforgettable tale of the many miles, months, and mountains that separate two loyal friends—but that can't possibly keep them apart.

About the Author:

Bobbie Pyron calls A Dog's Way Home "my own personal love letter to all the great, classic dog books I've read and loved—and to all the dogs I've loved too." As a part-time librarian, Bobbie enjoys sharing dog stories and books of all kinds with readers. Bobbie is also the author of The Ring, a teen novel about the world of competitive boxing.

When she's not writing, working as a librarian, or volunteering with animal rescue organizations, Bobbie and her dogs Boo, Teddy, and Sherlock can often be found walking in the woods of Park City, Utah, with her husband,  Todd.

What I Liked: 

 

• The awesome dog.  Even if you're not a huge dog fan, little Tam will tug at your heartstrings.  His intelligence, perseverance, and loyalty had me rooting for him from the get-go.
• Family values.  I appreciated Abby's relationship with her parents and her Meemaw.  Very real, complete with misunderstandings and conflict, but also full of love.  I could so relate to the mom's comment about Abby being her northern star.
• Abby's rock-her-world character.  Abby didn't allow herself to be classified as a misfit, but rather changed the world of those around her for the better.  She stayed upbeat and action-oriented in spite of personal disappointments.  A great role-model of a character for middle-schoolers.
• The dog's perspective.  I've never thought much about all the challenges, human and wild, a dog might face on his own.  The author did a great job entwining a range of characters into the dog's story.
• Easy readability.  This was an easy page-turner, with enough action to keep the reader engaged throughout as Tam's rescue seemed just within reach, only to be thwarted again and again.

Overall, this is a terrific kid-friendly book that I look forward to introducing to my animal-loving daughter when she is just a bit older.  The book included references to "the Sight" that, as a Christian reader, I initially questioned, but it left plenty of room for interpretation depending on the reader's paradigm.  Thanks to the author for an uplifting, positive children's book to add to my library!

Thanks to the author for the review copy of this book and to Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for coordinating this tour.

Comment on our giveaway post of The Ring, also authored by Bobbie Pyron, by 10/25 for a chance to win!