Nature Nuts - Griddly Games - A TOS Review

Griddly Games, Inc.

Head Office
633 - 5960 No. 6 Rd
Richmond, BC
CANADA V6V 1Z1Phone
1 (604) 249 5020

www.griddlygames.com

Recommended Ages: 8+

$14.99

As a member of the TOS Product Review Crew I recently received a fun trivia game to check out.  This one is fun and educational at the same time and is even compact enough to play while you travel.  Let me tell you a bit about it.

Nature Nuts Travel Game/ Expansion Set is for ages 8 years and older and is designed to be played by 2 or more players.  This is an educational, multi-generational, travel game and expansion set for the Wise Alec educational trivia board game.

There are 4 sets of cards and a die included.  On each turn players roll the multicolored die and pick a card which matches the color rolled.  Players then read and answer questions about elementary school topics including animals, plants, and the Earth.  The fun part comes when purple (my favorite color by the way) is rolled.  The extra purple cards, also known as the Wise Alec cards, are really a surprise and might include croaking like a frog, doing a yoga pose or many of a variety of other nutty things.  Play for points or play for fun.  Either way both children and adults will learn a thing or two--plus math if you have them keep score.  Yes, that means there were a few this mom missed too.   

The game comes in a very compact box with a magnetic closure.Yeah, no lost pieces!

Unlike the Wise Alec board game, no table is needed since there is no board, just the cards.  Great for a take-along on a trip or sleepover.  The trivia questions included in the game are educational, challenging and fun.

This one gets a "thumbs up" at our house.  My 14 year old enjoyed the game a lot.  She especially enjoyed that some of the tougher questions mom couldn't answer.  We had fun, learned a lot and played a number of times the first couple of days we had the game.  The age range seems about right, and the price is reasonable.  We liked that we could throw it in a bag and take it along to grandma's house.  The game seems to be durable and is colorful.  The questions vary in difficulty allowing different skill levels to play without frustration.  The only downside we found to the game was that we played so much that we started to remember the questions and answers on the cards.  (The okay part about this is that it means my daughter was learning and memorizing the facts.)  Personally I think this would be fun for ages 8-11 ideally--younger than 8 might have a tough time with the questions.  I'm thinking it would be fun to get the Wise Alec game and use this as an add-on expansion too.  If your kids are into learning games, this is a good option.

To visit Griddly Games to find out about Wise Alec, Nature Nuts and 2 other travel game expansion sets click here

To find a local retailer who carries this Griddly game click here

To see other reviews by the TOS Crew about this game click here



Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew I recently received a free Nature Nuts add-on game for the Griddly Wise Alec game in order to present an honest review on my blog. I am not obliged to present a positive review. All comments and opinions regarding the product are my own. I have not and will not receive further compensation for this review.



How To Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids - Apologia - TOS Review

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids
Rachael Carman, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-935495-41-3

205 pages

$13

Geared to parents of all ages

Published by Apologia Press
A division of Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.
1106 Meridian Plaza, Suite 220/340
Anderson, IN 46016
http://www.apologia.com/

It's that time again--TOS Homeschool Crew product reviews for 2011-2012 are in full swing. 

The first review I have the privilege of doing this year is for the Apologia book How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids by Rachael Carman. 

Let me start by saying this is a great book!  Rachael shares a lot of scripture and insight in the pages of this small but encouraging book.  Within the 205 pages this book you'll find an introduction, 5 chapters explaining the meaning of H.E.A.R.T. and an encouraging epilogue.  Some of the great stuff you'll find includes:

Introduction:  The Heart of the Matter  - This brief introduction gives the reader the meaning of the acronym H.E.A.R.T. and explains the author's entrance into the world of homeschooling.  
Chapter 1: H - Have a Heart for the Things of God - This chapter describes how to reach the hearts of your kids by having a heart for the things of God while showing examples of seeking, desiring, worshipping, and obeying God as parents.  This chapter is a great reminder that our kids see everything we do and learn from it.
Chapter 2: E - Enrich Your Marriage - This is a great chapter about how to enrich our marriages so that when our kids watch us they learn trust, sacrifice, loyalty, teamwork, forgiveness and more.  Our children can also learn things like perseverance, joy, diligence, kindness and more from watching how we relate to each other as a couple.  Having fun again, wives honoring their husbands through respect, trust, love and support, prayer and study together, and service to our spouse are a few of the key suggestions noted here.
Chapter 3: A - Accept Your Kids - In this chapter readers are asked to consider whether our children are accidents or blessings.  You'll probably read this and be left wondering if your child was born as an answer to prayer for something more than a normal life.  A cure for a dreaded disease, a missionary to share the gospel, something you don't even imagine yet.  This chapter reminds us that our kids are gifts for us put here for God's use.  Acceptance versus permissiveness is also discussed here.
Chapter 4: R - Release Them to God - This chapter is a reminder that "God has graciously loaned them (our kids) to you and me at this time and for His glory".  The author discusses the liberating aspect of this realization and encourages readers to trust God and train children with a strong emphasis on their relationship with God.  Developing a vision for God's plans for our kids and guarding that vision are also discussed.
Chapter 5: T - Teach Them the Truth - The last chapter of this book tackles the "most important thing to teach your children".  The reader, as a parent, is encouraged to make teaching kids the truth, the knowledge and understanding of God, first priority.  Six facts about the truth of God's Word are presented, and we are encouraged to "live out loud" what we read in this truth. 
Epilogue: Heartfelt Encouragement - Encouraging scripture verses and a discussion of "running with perseverance the race marked out for us" finish out this thoughtful book.

What I Thought:
I really enjoyed this book.  I think this would be a great read for all parents.  Rachael offers so much to think about with regard to our marriages, our lives as parents and what our children learn from us.  I like that she encourages us to think of our children as gifts from God for His purpose.  The ideas shared here would be great to read over and over again just to stay on track as a family.  Starting from an entry into homeschooling, without a heart for her children, and finishing with a challenge to reclaim our God-assigned place in raising our kids, Rachel describes the whole circle of her H.E.A.R.T. change with honesty and a healthy dose of related scripture.  Thumbs up to Rachel and Apologia for this wonderful book!

To see a sample chapter of How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids click here

To visit the order page on the Apologia site to get your own copy of this great book click here
To see more TOS Crew reviews of How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids click here

 


 

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew I recently received a free copy of  How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids to read in order to present an honest review on my blog.  I am not obliged to present a positive review.  All comments and opinions regarding the product are my own.  I have not and will not receive further compensation for this review.

And The Grace Card Goes To ...

Congratulations to the winner of The Grace Card DVD, Annette!  You'll be receiving an e-mail to verify your address.  Thank you to all who entered.  Blessings!

I'm So Thankful ...

I'm so thankful for the sun and the wonderful blue sky.
I'm so thankful that I'm married to a wonderful guy (23 years tomorrow!)
I'm so thankful for my kiddos since they really make me smile.
I'm so thankful for my friends who are willing to go the extra mile.
I'm thankful for so many things, some big, some small.
I'm thankful that my Father has provided them all.


Thinking today how I've been blessed in so many ways.  Praying for you for blessings today!

It's Another Giveaway - The Grace Card DVD Review & Giveaway

The Grace Card DVD - A Review & Giveaway!

Recently I was given an opportunity to receive a DVD of "The Grace Card", which is in
stores as of today, to watch and review.  I am so glad I accepted the invitation.

This is a very moving story about loss, justice, forgiveness, and most of all grace. 

The DVD is just over 1 1/2 hours long, full of wonderful music and good actors and packed full of a lot of conversation starters.  The movie is rated PG13, and I would say that's about right.  I would not want my youngest to watch it, but my 14 year old would gain a lot of perspective on things by watching this one.  The story is about families and friendship, racism and justice, personal forgiveness and redemption and the healing that grace can bring.

When two policemen, Mac and "the Preacher", are put together as partners they learn a lot about themselves and each other.  At the beginning of the story Mac is struggling with a loss in the family and "the Preacher" is the last person he wants to spend time with while on the job.  As the story progresses, "the Preacher", a pastor/policeman, figures out what grace really means to him and those around him.  Mac learns forgiveness and the blessing of undeserved grace.  Both men also bring those lessons home to their families in an unexpected twist of the story.  This inspirational film will be a great way to teach those ideas to my teenager.

There are some intense moments, some predictable moments and some tear-jerker moments in this great story.  If you haven't seen it, you really should watch this family movie.  One way you could do that follows below. (wink, wink)

I received a copy to review and get to give another copy to one lucky winner.  I'm not ready to give up my copy any time soon!   However, if you are interested in winning a copy of the DVD it's really easy to do...

There are 3 ways to enter this drawing.

First, leave me a comment about your favorite family movie--leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

Second, for another entry like this post on Facebook and leave a separate comment here.

Third, like The Grace Card page on Facebook and leave me a separate comment here.

Winner will be randomly drawn on Friday, August 19th at 8 a.m.  Ok, let's try that again, extending this one out to Friday, August 26th. 

Click here for The Grace Card website for more information or stop by the movie Facebook page here .

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."

Thankful Thursday - August 11, 2011

Today I'm thankful for good friends.  They can pick you up, lift you in prayer, and just be a sounding board when you need it.  They are hard to do without, even if they do bug you at times.  To all my friends today --

Mostly Trivia Monday - Wow, Swans!

Was tickled to see this on the way home yesterday--what a treat.  Since I don't know a lot about swans I thought I'd share what I found while checking up on these beautiful birds.  Did you know a male is a cob, a female is a pen, and young are called cygnets?

Never having seen cygnets so close before prompted this picture.  They had no interest in leaving and showed no fear.  We just parked next to them to watch them and take the picture. 

• In bygone years swan feathers were prized for the best quill pens. 
• Swans can live over 24 years.
• Trumpeter swans, like the picture above, are assumed to mate for life.
• Swans are the largest of North American waterfowl.
• A clutch (group of swan eggs) size is 1 to 9 eggs. 
• Swans are creamy white colored as adults.
• These beautiful birds live in a lake/pond habitat and dine on aquatic vegetation, grasses and grains.  Their nests are found on the ground.

If you're interested in finding more information about these gorgeous birds visit The Trumpeter Swan Society website at http://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/ or The Cornell Lab of Ornithology--All About Birds website at  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/

At one time these wonders were almost extinct, but they are fairly common now.  Hope to see more of these along our travels.

Blessings!

Congratulations to Christine from Our Homeschool Reviews!  Your CD will be mailed after address confirmation.

Blessings to all who entered!

I'm All In - CD Giveaway - Robert Pierre - A Review

Do you recognize this face?  I recently was given the opportunity to review Robert Pierre's CD "I'm All In", July 26th release date.  Read on for a description and to find out how you can win a free copy of this new CD.

"I'm All In" is the third studio album released by Robert from thinkaboutit records.  Robert wrote and recorded this album of contemporary christian music, has been playing on a summer tour and leads Sunday morning worship at his 800-member Orlando, Florida church.  The amazing part--he has done this all as a high school senior!

Eleven upbeat, worshipful songs share Robert's heart for the Lord.  I think my favorites were Maker of the Stars and Greater is He, but they are all very good.  A wonderful voice, a wonderful message, and definitely great for any age listener.  I look forward to hearing more from this talented new singer. 

Robert says "The Bible talks about how the eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro throughout the earth, searching for someone whose heart is wholly His, someone He can strongly support.  This CD is me saying, 'I'm all in.'"
To find out more about Robert and check on this and his other albums please visit

                            Robert's website here

                            Robert's Facebook Page here

                            To listen to samples or purchase from Amazon click here
  

How To Enter This Giveaway:

1.  Leave me a comment (on this blog) mentioning your interest.

2.  For another entry check out Robert's Facebook page and tell me the name of one of the songs on this new album. 

One winner will be chosen randomly at 8 a.m. Friday, July 29, 2011.  Good luck!  Blessings!

“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.”

Guess Who'll Be Laughing Out Loud

Oh Beverly, the Cow Queen, you have the great honor of being chosen randomly as winner of the Women of Faith book Laugh Out Loud.  Watch for an e-mail to verify your address.

Blessings to all who entered!

Thankful Thursday - July 14, 2011

Ok, so the plan is that each Thursday I'll be focusing on the person/thing I'm most thankful for that week in the following categories:

I'm so thankful for my favorite mountainman, my hubby Steve, this week because he's there for the good and the bad.  He's a godly father.  He's a wonderful provider.  We'll be married 23 years in August.  

The best provision I'm most thankful for this week was someone willing to step in when I couldn't see a way to take care of a stupid mistake.  Thank you--you know who you are.

A Bible verse about thankfulness:  Phillipians 4:6-7  "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto god.  And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your minds through Jesus Christ."

The thing I'm most thankful for learning this week would be that grandma wants drama queen (my darling daughter) for a week in August.  This is such a blessing and a break for her and a fun time for grandma and grandpa.  The mom in me said "Give her jobs to do too, she's very capable."  Grandma already had a few in mind--hehehe.


I'm thankful that I don't have to clean up after a flood like so many this year.  We went through a flood in 1997 and were out of our house for a little over 3 months.  My prayers go out to everyone in this situation right now.

Blessings!

By the way, have you entered my Laugh Out Loud book giveaway for tomorrow at 8 a.m.? 

Wishing Wednesday - It's under control

Today I'm wishing . . . 

• that our economy was under control
• that everyone had a secure job and all of their needs met
• that what the little guy has to say would be heard
• that leaders really did what they promise

But, while I'm wishing, I'm remembering that God is in control and has a plan.  I guess that is good enough for today.

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."



Titus 2sday - Mentoring, What It's About

Mentoring - What It's About

So many things come to mind when I look at the second chapter of Titus.  Perhaps the strongest idea that jumps off the page for me is the whole idea of mentoring of those younger than yourself.  Mentoring is so helpful and usually a growing time for both the mentor and the person  mentored.  With that said, let's look at mentoring for today.

Titus 2:3-5 "The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things--That they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

Holy Bible - New King James Version

I remember a few mentors from when I was younger, both at high school and at college.  These ladies encouraged me to dig deeper, develop skills, share my skills and abilities, and most important, they showed me how they do these things.  They mentored me by allowing me to watch and help them with home and work tasks and by sharing worship, music and the genuine love of God. 

So what exactly does mentoring involve?  Well, according to Webster's Dictionary

mentoring is being a tutor.  That means to teach or give guidance to someone who is less experienced.

Taking that definition into account, I think that what these verses encourage us to do is to be real, genuine, loving and teaching at all times with those who are younger, whether chronologically or spiritually.  We can show them how to do homemaking tasks by allowing them to watch or help us.  We can show them how to worship by inviting them to worship with us, sing songs with us, and study Biblical and other topics with us.  We can show them in our everyday life how we love and serve our children and spouse--even when than means pointing out something we do wrong.  Anyone do that for you?

Thank them and pass it on to the next generation.  I think I'll be praying about who to mentor next, besides my daughter of course.  By the way, thanks Kathy and Linda.

Next time, what does it mean to be reverent in behavior?

Blessings!

I thought perhaps it would be helpful to share some references and links which could be helpful while examining these ideas.

If you're interested in further information regarding this book and chapter check out some of the following:

Blue Letter Bible
Goshen
Bible Gateway

For free online Bible Commentaries click here to go to BibleStudyTools.com. On this site you'll find the following helpful sections:

Classics
Commentaries (Scofield, Wesleys
Concordances
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
History
Lexicons
Other Resources
Sermons

Monday Trivia - Just Who's In Charge Anyway?

While thinking about trivia ideas for today I was reminded of the many current events going on around us.  I was also thinking about how in 9th grade we had to memorize a list of US and world leaders and know what they did--and yes, there was a test.  With the many comings and goings in our government in the last few years I thought it might be interesting to review the list and see how many I know now--unfortunately not as many as I should.  If you're interested in brushing up on who's in charge of the various parts and positions of our government go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ for more information.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Most people in the US know that Barack Obama is President, but did you know more than 2 or 3 of the following?  If it was important back then, with the craziness of everything around us now, I'm thinking that brushing up on the list of our current leaders and their positions and job functions is going to be on the list for school this year.  How about you?

White House Staff

Chief of Staff                          Bill Daley

Deputy Chiefs of Staff             Nancy-Ann DeParle
                                              Alyssa Mastromonaco

Counselor to the President       Pete Rouse

Senior Advisors                      Valerie Jarrett
                                              David Plouffe

***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Did you also know that all of the following entities exist within the Executive Office of the President?


Council of Economic Advisers
Council on Environmental Quality
National Security Council and Homeland Security Council
Office of Administration
Office of Management and Budget
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of the United States Trade Representative
Office of the Vice President
Executive Residence

***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Or how about that the following exist within The White House?

Office of Cabinet Affairs
Office of the Chief of Staff
Office of Communications
Communications
Media Affairs
New Media
Research
Speechwriting
Office of the First Lady
Office of the Social Secretary
National Security Advisor
Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of Management and Administration
White House Personnel
White House Operations
Telephone Office
Visitors Office
Oval Office Operations
Office of Political Affairs
Office of Presidential Personnel
Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Public Engagement
Council on Women and Girls
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Urban Affairs
Office of the Press Secretary
Office of Scheduling and Advance
Office of the Staff Secretary
Presidential Correspondence
Executive Clerk
Records Management
Office of the White House Counsel
Office of White House Policy
Domestic Policy Council
Office of National AIDS Policy
Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
National Economic Council
White House Military Office

I'm pretty sure this will take a while to accomplish around here, but we're going to give it a shot.  How did you do?  Good luck staying on top of it all.  Ever feel like asking "Who are all these people, and where did they come from?"

Blessings!


*****Don't forget to enter the Laugh Out Loud book give away that will be drawn Friday, July 15th at 8 a.m.

Laugh Out Loud - A Giveaway - Let's Try This Again!

It's Another Book Giveaway!!


OK, so I've been under the radar for a couple of weeks while we've been vacationing.  Got a good sunburn that contributed to a nice dark tan, mowed, and mowed, and mowed, fished and swam and just plain relaxed.  Looking forward to getting back into the blogging mode.  About those daily posts I was going to do - uh yeah, bad plan right before vacation.  I'll be trying to get my act together and get these going this week.  In the meantime . . .

It's a Giveaway!  How often do you see LOL when you're on the computer?  Well, this Laugh Out Loud is a little different.  Laugh Out Loud is a  221 page book from Women of Faith.  These stories have been shared to "touch your heart and tickle your funny bone" by authors including:

• Martha Bolton
• Luci Swindoll
• Sheila Walsh
• Patsy Clairmont
• Karen Scalf Linamen
• Mark Lowrey
• and several others.

Take a look at what you'll find:

• Part 1 - I've Never Seen Those Kids Before In My Life!  Laughing Out Loud At Our Children
• Part 2 - Say Goodnight Gracie!  Laughing Out Loud At Our Spouses
• Part 3 - Dogs, Cats, and Caribou!  Laughing Out Loud At Our Animal Friends
• Part 4 - Giggling In The Pews - Laughing  Out Loud In Our Churches
• Part 5 - On The Road And In The Air - Laughing Out Loud At Our Traveling Adventures
• Part 6 - A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste!  Laughing Out Loud At Ourselves 

Whether you're a Women of Faith fan or just looking for a pick-me-up and a good laugh you'll enjoy this fun and entertaining book.

Random drawing will be at Friday, July 15th at 8 a.m.  Winner will be posted here and notified to verify mailing address.

*To enter this drawing all you need to do is a leave a comment indicating your interest and telling me who is your favorite comedian or inspirational speaker.

*For another entry visit me on Facebook - and friend me and/or follow me if you like - then leave a separate comment here.

*For an additional entry share this post and leave a separate comment here how/where you shared.

*Finally, for an additional 5 entries, blog about this post and let me know with a separate comment here.

Blessings to all who enter!

Rain, Rain, Go Away - Monday Trivia

Refreshing, messy, life-giving, sometimes destructive . . . We're seeing a lot of rain and flooding around these parts lately.  While often refreshing, at times it's been a frustration.  I was thinking this morning, while watching more rain out my window, that perhaps it is a good day for a little trivia about rain, that gift we've been blessed with lately.

What exactly is rain anyway?  Of course we all know that it must be that liquid precipitation that falls from the sky, randomly, at the most inopportune time and drenches our new outfit, the library books we just checked out, the daily mail and  our perfectly styled hair.  But rain/RAIN can be soo much more . . . 

To find out more about the wet stuff click here to go to Weather Wiz Kids where you'll find weather information for kids.   This is a really fun site where you can go to learn about rain, floods, tornadoes, other weather terms and weather forecasting.  You'll find weather experiments, games (including memory, word search, maze, word jumble, crossword and more), flashcards, folklore, weather instruments, optical illusions, links and more.  Hey moms, there are even Lesson Plans and Science Fair ideas!  By the way Q - "What did one raindrop say to the other?"  A - "My plop is bigger than your plop."

Why not check out some of these other interesting resources about RAIN/rain :

*In Indiana RAIN (Ride Across INdiana) is an annual ride across the state of Indiana, sponsored by Bloomington Bicycle Club.  The 160 mile ride runs along the Historical National Route 40.  For more information click here or write to the club at Bloomington Bicycle Club, P.O. Box 463, Bloomington, IN, 47402

*In North Carolina RAIN is the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network.  This network provides resources and links for testing, specialized infectious disease clinics, food and shelter assistance, and medical and mental health support as well as clergy resources and minority programs.  For more information click here  or you can contact RAIN at :
RAIN, Inc., PO Box 37190, Charlotte, NC 28237 or (704)372-RAIN (7246)

*In South Korea Rain is a pop and R&B singer, dancer, model, actor, businessman, and designer.  To see more click here .

*While I like to listen to the pitter patter of gently rain, there's a completely different sort of sound at the RAIN you'll find here .  Visit this site where Kurt Hanson provides the daily Radio And Internet News to see what's happening today.

Here's hoping the rain is refreshing and not too annoying today!  Blessings!

"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it." (NIV)

And the Winner Is ...

Today's lucky winner of the Swallows an Amazons book by Arthur Ransome is Debbie.  Congratulations!  Watch for an e-mail for further information.  Thank you and Blessings to all who entered!  Watch here for more upcoming giveaways.

Thankful Thursday

Things I'm Thankful for Today - because a little reflection on the week is a good thing:

• My family, my friends and my great big God
• The sunshine after so many blah days 
• The opportunities we get to help someone else (physical assistance, emotional support, material needs, prayer, just being there) because it is a win/win opportunity and also often very encouraging for ourselves and humbling.
• The ability to be a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to two great kids--who thankfully are less than perfect, just like their mom
• My husband, my best friend, confidant, and provider for our family
• The many friends I've met over the last year through the TOS Review Crew

Each Thursday I'll be focusing on the person/thing I'm most thankful for that week in the following categories:

1. I'm so thankful for __insert name__ this week because__________________
2. The best provision I'm most thankful for this week was_________________
3. A Bible verse about thankfulness
4. The thing I'm most thankful for learning this week would be______________
5. I'm thankful that I don't have _______________________________

Don't forget to stop by, read the post, and leave a comment as to what you're thankful for. 

**Ok, so I missed Titus 2sday and Wishing Wednesday this week.  I guess I was overly optimistic in trying to get 7 days of new posts this week.  Hoping to actually have my act together next week.  Check back here and hold me accountable next week if you're able.

****Don't forget about the Swallows and Amazons book giveaway I posted for this week.  The winner will be randomly drawn at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

Blessings to you and yours!

Hey, It's a Giveaway - Swallows & Amazons Book

It's a Giveaway!!

Looking for some great summer reading?  How about this one? 


Swallows and Amazons
Arthur Ransome
(Juvenile Fiction)
$14.95 - Paperback - 351 pages
ISBN: 0-87923-573-X
A Godine Storyteller
David R. Godine, Publisher
Box 450
Jaffrey, NH 03452


This is a fun book, originally published in 1930, for children and adults.  A story about the Walker family, the camp on Wild Cat Island, the catboat Swallow and Nancy and Peggy Blackett.  Think boats, islands, fishing and camping.  This is the first in a series of 12.  Excellent Summer reading for family read-aloud or for youth and adults who enjoy adventure and imagination.   This book is used in Ambleside Online (year 3) curriculum, the Catholic Robinson Homeschool Curriculum and others.

Other books by this author include:

• Swallowdale
• Peter Duck
• Winter Holiday
• Coot Club
• Pigeon Post
• We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea
• Secret Water
• The Big Six
• Missee Lee
• The Picts and the Martyrs
• Great Northern?
• Bacundra's First Cruise
• Rod and Line (Fishing Essays)
• Old Peter's Russian Tales
• Autobiography

To enter this giveaway tell me what topic my Thursday posts are about - leave a comment.  For a second entry tell me what you're reading this Summer - leave a separate comment.  For a third entry add a smile to your comment. 

If you want to see more on this blog and keep up with the homeschool product reviews I will be doing this year by all means follow me through Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs on Facebook or "like" my Pondering on the Prairie page on Facebook.

The random drawing for this giveaway will be June 17th at 8 a.m.  Winner will be announced here and sent an email for address confirmation.  Good Luck!

Mostly Trivia -- A Bit of This, A Bit of That and Modest Swimwear

What to do?  What to do?  For this first post of Mostly Trivia my overloaded brain is trying to decide which might be more fun to share--useful trivia or fun trivia.  I think a bit of both for today.  Take a break for a few and join me.

First, lose that Monday stress - according to research, Monday is the most common day for heart attacks.  Go here for more about the research.

To lose that Monday morning stress:

Can you name 5 characters from 5 different Disney Movies?  We had fun with this as we tried to name as many characters, A-Z, that we could think of from all of our Disney animated movies.  It turns out there's an A-Z list of these characters, with the name of their movie and the name of the person who did their voice,  on Wikipedia here or go to Listology here for an alphabetical list of every animated movie ever created (according to them).  Yes, there are plenty of other lists of this information on the Internet, these are just two we used for reference.

Hey, here's some interesting stuff--on this day, June 13th, in 

• 1926 Paul Lynde, comedian (Uncle Arthur-Bewitched) was born
• 1962 Ally Sheedy, actress (St Elmo's, Short Circuit, Maid to Order) was born
• 1979 Darla Hood, actress (Little Rascals) died
• 1986 Benny Goodman the "King of Swing" died 
• 1898 Yukon Territory of Canada organized and Dawson was chosen as the capital
• 1927 Ticker-tape parade welcomed Charles A Lindbergh to NYC
• 1940 Paris was evacuated before the German advance
• 1967 Thurgood Marshall was nominated as 1st black Supreme Court justice
• 1983 Pioneer 10 became the 1st man-made object to leave the Solar System
• Go to the Today-in-History page here to see what else happened today over the years.

And finally, a piece of useful trivia--

Like many girls and women, this time of year is frustrating for me because it's so difficult to find modest swimwear.  Check out these websites I found for some new options:

Modest Clothing has information about swimwear from

• Girls4Sport
• Lime Ricki
• Hapari
• Becoming Swimdress
• HydroChic

FashionBelle Modest Clothing also lists quite a few options including

• http://www.modestswimwear4u.com/ (Princess Modest Swimwear)
• http://www.speedousa.com/ (Speedo Conservative Fit Swimwear)
• http://www.liliesapparel.com/ (Lilies of the Field Water Lilies for Ladies)
• http://www.dressingforhisglory.com/
• http://www.simplymodest.com/
• http://www.modestlyyoursswimwear.com/
• http://www.biblicalgarden.com/
• http://www.wholesomewear.com/
• http://www.recollections.biz/ (Victorian Bathing Costume)
• http://www.aquamodesta.net/
• http://www.swimmodest.com/
• http://www.meanttobemodest.com/ (Homeschool Mom sews swimsuit dresses with matching leggings)

Come back tomorrow for Titus 2sday!  Blessings to you and yours!

Just a thought . . .
Why doesn't spell-check kick out 2sday as a misspelled word?

Pondering Some Changes on the Prairie

Well, it’s been about a year now since starting this blog, so time for some Spring changes. Watch for these daily topics as they grab your interest – looking forward to hearing from my readers with their thoughts and ideas. Starting next week here’s what will be posting each week.

Monday - Mostly Trivia (Exactly what it says)

 Tuesday – Titus 2sdays (Titus 2 topics)


Wednesday – Wishing Wednesdays (If fishes were wishes . . .)

Thursday – Thankful Thursdays (Contemplating all to be thankful for)


Friday – F.R.O.G. Fridays (Fully Rely On God)


Saturday – Simple Saturdays (Just keeping it simple)


Sunday – Slow Down Sundays (Reflecting on what's been, what's coming and relaxing before Monday)

You’ll still be seeing The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew Product Reviews, some other reviews (DVD, books, etc.), some great giveaways and helpful links. I’m hoping to put together a list of Monthly Projects to do with your kids too. Come check out what’s happening while I’m out here Pondering on the Prairie.  See you Monday for Mostly Trivia! 



Blue Ribbon Award Winners - Top Products as Chosen by TOS Review Crew

Well, the 2010-11 Review Crew year has officially ended.  That means the Review Crew was recently asked to vote for our favorite products/curriculum from the many things we reviewed this year.  (See my archived posts to check out my reviews for the year.)  Vendors whose products received the most votes from the Crew were announced today. 

Congratulations to the 2011 TOS Homeschool Crew Blue Ribbon Award winners!  To see all of the winners listed on TOS Homeschool Crew website click here.  

It was a great year with lots of variety. Wow, what a blessing!  Although challenging at times, it was fun, educational and a growing process.  Later in June I'll begin reviewing for the 2011-12 Review Crew.   Watch for new reviews coming up   Blessings!