Weekly Wrap-Up...10/30/2010

I was going to just skip this weekly wrap up but think I'd better not (I need to feel accomplished lol)

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

So this week:
Monday we had Co-Op (where I made bean soup and savory rice loaf but no dessert). We also stopped by Runza for a quick free ice cream for one of the kiddos (the other forgot the coupon and I wasn't prepared to pay for anything- oopsie). Thought it was really awesome that Fox was able to separate H₂O. He explained it to me and it was pretty amazing. Can't say I've ever had that opportunity! I never took Chemistry in school...And wouldn't you know, we forgot the laptop for Lee's computer security class...
Tuesday was the first night we went to a new 4H Club meeting. The kids are members of Goshen Drifters but now Fox wants to do archery and has to be in Bent Barrels Crooked Arrows (oooh, that doesn't sound good! lol). It starts later than the other club does and seems to run about the same length of time. We got done about 8:30 pm. It sure felt late.The people were really nice and welcoming- which was very good!
Wednesday and Thursday were 'just another day'. Got the call on Tuesday or Wednesday that Lee's new glasses were in at the eye doctor but I didn't really want to make a special trip there to get them (were still waiting on my new glasses). Well, on Thursday they called about mine so we went :)
Friday the kids and I went down a few blocks to a friend's church to have a not Halloween party. The kids dressed up (Lee was an Egyptian type person; Fox was an army guy) and I rented How to Train Your Dragon from Redbox. My friend invited another girl that goes to her church to come join us because she doesn't celebrate Halloween either. There were 5 kids ages 8, 10, 11 and two 14 years-old (1 almost 15!). It was a blast! The kids just had a great time. We started with them just letting off some energy. After that they assembled personal pizzas: English muffins, Pizza sauce (super easy to make yourself!), mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Then we had trivia game (okay so it wasn't really- we asked random questions, they answered, everyone got candy!). After that we put movie on. They all had a blast.
Saturday (why, that's today lol) we did some outside stuff. Hubby and I put a bra on my car because the traveling is really taking a toll on the front end of the car. Hopefully this will help it last a bit longer -look nice longer anyway. Then all of us finally finish staining the entire fence! Kids and I were going to work on their school stuff some today but ...well, that didn't happen. Right now dinner is cooking, dessert is cooking as well, Lee is watching How to Train Your Dragon...again, and Fox is off at a friends to spend the night.

I realize that I very rarely actually give updates on school things. I suppose I might want to focus on that a bit more- next week. I really should get back in the habit of doing our What We've Accomplished Today... It keeps me on track :) Well that was some of our week...the rest has passed by and refuses to come back so that I can recap it lol. There was something that I was thinking was awesome and I wanted to write but well, eh guess it wasn't that awesome.

Check out what others were up to this past week at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers :)

Design Your Own Teddy Bear! Contest

Hi, All. Just stopping in really quick here to share something that I thought your kiddos might enjoy.

Did you know that the Teddy Bear is 108 years old? Yep, it's true!

You might know that I am an Independent Party Leader for Noah's Ark Animal Workshop (but you might not!). From October 15th through November 30th, 2010, Noah's Ark is having a Design Your Own Teddy Bear contest!

Check out at my webpage, or you can send me an email for more information:)

DesignForm10b.pdf 1

TOS REVIEW: Buckets-O-Fun

Buckets-O-Fun Yuck!

Last month we were sent 3 samples of Buckets-O-Fun Yuck products through the TOS Homeschool Crew. We were given Chunky, Saucy, Sticky and Snowy Yuck. The prices of these are as follows:

Chunky: 

1 lb- $16; 5 lbs- $70; 50 lbs- $400

Saucy: 

1 lb- $18; 5 lbs- $80; 50 lbs-$475

Sticky: 

1 lb- $20; 5 lbs- $90; 50 lbs- $600

Snowy: 

1 lb- $20; 5 lbs- $90; 50 lbs- $600

*you can request a free sample (one per person/organization) to see if this is something you would like to use for your school or activity- contact orders@buckets-o-fun.com *

Let me start by saying these products are not for consumption! And I don't tell you that because I don't think that as consumers you would understand that- I tell you because it could happen that someone, or ahem something, could accidentally ingest these. I want to direct you to the safety sheet for Yuck products right now! That way when your cat does decide to eat a piece of Chunky Yuck, you'll know what to do ;)

Now, onto the review!

Just what is Yuck?

Buckets-O-Fun Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) classified it as a Crosslinked Polyacrylamide. The paper that I received says that Yuck products are a polymer. They remind me of the absorbent stuff in the center of diapers actually.

The first one we decided to use was the Chunky Yuck. The reason: This stuff takes forever to hydrate completely! The directions call for 24 hours to fully hydrate. And they aren't kidding!

With our samples we did receive sheets with activities to perform with the Yuck products. Buckets-O-Fun has accessories- such as tints, balloons, and shooters- that can be purchased to supplement (and probably make your Yuck experience so much more fun!) but we didn't have any of these. What we did was to do observations (science like) of the Chunky Yuck. First we measured how much Yuck there was when it was dry. We did this with both measuring spoons and a scale. The kids kept track of their observations on a piece of paper. The paper that comes with these samples does have good questions to get you started with observations. 

The kids loved this stuff!! Here are some photos of them using the Chunky Yuck.

It took well over 24 hours and we only used 4 cups of water. At about 27 hours (and 6 cups of water added) we decided it was not absorbing any more and drained the water into a measuring cup. The last 2 cups had not been absorbed. Ours didn't get as large as ice cubes but it was pretty neat to watch them. 


Wish I could show you the piece we had set out to dry so that we could observe it in reverse but no, that is the piece that our cat decided was a midnight snack. Here I will refer you once again to the safety sheet for Yuck products.... (yes, she was fine- the Chunky Yuck was as hydrated as it was going to get- and I hope she chewed it well!).


Okay after all of that, I was thinking clean-up would be difficult. This stuff leaves a funky residue on the side of the dish you use to hydrate it in. However, if you use a bit of vinegar in some soapy warm water, it is a breeze to clean up! We dumped the water outside to prevent this stuff from getting in our pipes. 


We don't have photos of the other Yuck products because honestly, we've not gotten to try them out. We live in a house with a small kitchen (with carpet in the 'dining room') so wanted to work with the other messier Yuck products outside. Of course, now that is October, the weather is not cooperating! I can imagine the others will be even more fun than the Chunky Yuck. My kids loved the Chunky Yuck!


At Buckets-O-Fun you can find other fun products such as 

• Finger Rockets (currently unavailable- soon!)
• Rubber Animals
• Beach Balls and Belly Bumpers
• XForce
• Water Balloons, Water Tag
• And More

Bottomline:
The Yuck products are fun and great for sensory exploration. We liked them for 'science' (who am I kidding, we just called it science!). The game suggestions sent with the samples look like a lot of fun. These would probably be great for a Youth Group or a summer activity where there are a lot of kids. I really want that XForce.... The other products are probably not something we would buy usually. And the Yuck products most likely fall into that category. For 1 pound, though, of any of the Yuck products the price is reasonable. I would recommend this to others if they are looking for something like it. 


Check out what others have to say about this at the TOS Homeschool Crew.

*Disclaimer: I received this product free from Buckets-O-Fun through TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own and I was only required to give an honest review. See more Disclosures/Policies.*

CSN Stores Review: Snuggler Cat Bed

For the opportunity to win a $60 gift certificate from CSN Stores, visit Blessedmom's Simple Home.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to do a review of any item at CSN Stores. There were so many things to chose from that it was difficult. In the end I decided to keep my kitty from getting cat hair on our clean clothes. She loves to hop in the basket right after the clothes come out of the dryer. 

After looking at the many different styles and types of cat beds I decided to try this one:

When we got it delivered by UPS we were all rushing to rip open the box! The cat obviously didn't care that what was inside was for her. We took it out and were amazed at how soft it was. By this time the cat wanted to know what we were all messing with. She loves boxes and this came in a large box with a cardboard inside the cat bed to help it retain its shape. 

We wanted the cat to try out her new bed- she didn't want to! We finally bribed her into it with some cat treats. She looked so funny; she made sure her hind legs were not in the bed and she could make a quick get away. We tried to get her to like it, we really did. But she was having none of it. Nope.

Okay, so I thought well, we'll try again later- bribe her with her dinner if we had to! Later in the day we were all sitting quietly and suddenly realized that the kitty wasn't around.Where was she? She sometimes likes to go where she isn't allowed so we went in search. We looked and looked...but couldn't find her in her usual places. We gathered back in the living room and were still unsure where she might be. 

Bet you can guess where she was...

The photo I took doesn't portray the cat bed in all of its magnificence. I really like this bed! It is so soft. The cushion that the kitty is laying on is reversible, with the opposite being lined with mircotec fiber (it reminds me of sherpa but maybe even softer). The outer shell is faux suede (super soft too!) and lined with the same mircotec as the cushion's underside. The shell has what feels like thick, firm foam to help it hold it's shape. In my photo the kitty bed looks like we've had it for quite a while. Actually, I think that someone tried to set the cat on top of the bed...which caused it to warp like you see.

I love this thing. I think I like it more than the cat ;) Too bad I can't fit in there...

Bottomline:

For the cost, I think this is reasonable ($28.95) and the quality is good. The shipping time was average. I would definitely recommend this product- and CSN Stores- to others!

*Disclaimer: I purchased this item with a store credit from CSN Stores in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I received no compensation for this review. I am not affiliated with Blessedmom's Simple Home but by including a link to her post, I am hoping I have gained an entry into the giveaway. See more Disclosure/Policies.*

Word Filled Wednesday- 10/27/2010

Word Filled Wednesday at the Internet Cafe Devotions

Proverbs 16:24


Sweet words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.


I love this verse. I wish I were more successful at following it. I'm a work in progress :)

Scale of 1 to 10--- this gets an 11!!

I love Love LOVE The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I haven't found another that does for me what TOS does. It gives such great advice, lesson plans, recipes, and great advertisements :) Hey since they are in every magazine they should be good, right!


But now there is a new item to check out. It is the Curiosity Files. These look very interesting! 

Look what’s included in these units:

• Bible study and memory verses
• Math, history, and geography investigations
• Literature and suggested book list
• Writing, spelling, and vocabulary activities
• Beautiful copywork pages (manuscript and cursive)
• Science observations, projects, and experiments
• Discussion questions
• Art, crafts, drawing, and coloring pages
• Lapbook and notebook pages
• Internet resources and video links
• Complete answer key

It is the 10th birthday (or anniversary??) of TOS and to celebrate they are offering great deals!! 

Here’s the scoop:  
Pick up a one-year PRINT (U.S. only) subscription to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine® for only $10!
Prefer digital? A Two-year digital subscription is only $10!
Bundles of Ana Lyze--our new weird and wonderful science studies are bundled for $10!
Student Planners are bundled for $10!
An MP3 of the Schoolhouse Expo is yours for only $10!
Click below to check out all the greatness!

You'll save up to 90% on 10 incredible deals. But you must hurry- the Perfect 10 deals are gone at Midnight on Tuesday, November 2nd.

TOS REVIEW: PGKey

PG Key

In the world today, technology is everywhere. It is very present in education as well. There are public school classrooms that have a computer at every desk. The public libraries have computers, with internet, available for anyone that wishes to use them. Technology is a great thing. I have two computers myself and use the internet and email on a daily basis. For the times when there is someone to watch over kids when they are on the computers with internet access, such as school, it is usually a safe advance of technology that benefits our kids. However, there are times when we just can't be there to watch over them. What if a parent works late and their kids have to be home by themselves for a time? If there is a computer around, who knows what will be accessed.

Recently I was fortunate to be on the list of reviewers for PG Key. This item can be used with any age individual, although it is targeted to parents to use with their children. This can be purchased directly from the PG Key website for a one time cost of $49.99 (+shipping/handling). Or it can also be purchased through Amazon.com at the same price (+shipping/handling).

What does PG Key do for parents? Why would this item be beneficial for families with children who use computers?

Here are the features of the PG Key:

Access Control- Control computer use by inserting or unplugging PG Key.

•  I found this to be frustrating at first but then discovered that it keeps one from thinking, "I'll just unplug it and then I can do..." because they can't use the computer at all if it is unplugged from the computer it is installed on.

Time Allowance- Decide the amount of time the computer can be used daily.

• When it says 'daily', it means 'daily'. Even if your child was on for x amount in the morning and 1/2 x in the afternoon, if they try to get on in the evening but have gone over their time limit, it won't allow them to. It will require a password to reset the time limit.

Content Filter- Eliminate unwanted results from innocent searches.

Site Blocking- Block sites you decide inappropriate.

Activity Tracking- Review all activity on the PC with a DVD-like interface.

• Totally awesome. It was unreal to play back our activity on the computer through this. It definitely helps the kids with "When you think no one's watching..." mentality.

Activity Notifications- Be informed via text message or e-mail of any flagged activity.

• Really liked this feature. I had mine sent to email but think it is great that it can be sent through text as well. 

Chat and E-mail Logging- See both sides of chat and e-mail conversations.

Computer Configuration- Properly configure all users of the protected PC.

User Name and Password Logging- Keep track of user names and passwords.

Inappropriate Activity Evidence- Use video recording to show obvious or suspected inappropriate activity.

• The other side of this: Can prove that there was no inappropriate activity also :)

When I first saw the PG Key I didn't understand how something this small could do so much. I understood that it could block sites (I've had parental controls on my computer before but they blocked everything so I took them off) based on what I chose to input as allowed. What I didn't realize at first is that it records what is done while on the computer. That I thought was totally awesome! As far as I was aware none of the parental controls I'd tried on my computer did that. You can change the frequency of screen shots. I think it was set to 5 second intervals at first but I discovered that I could not see conversations on IM and emails with this. Perhaps my kids type extremely fast... I set it to 2 second intervals and I can read everything that they type.

I did have a slight problem with the PG Key shortly after I got it. Let me tell you though: it was definitely my error. PG Key only works with one computer. It won't switch from multiple computers to monitor- you have to choose a primary one to install it on. My problem was the result of plugging the PG Key into the wrong computer and installing it. So in order to resolve this problem I simply sent an email to support and within a day, I had my problem fixed.

I love the PG Key! But let me point something out- PG Key is not going to replace parental guidance! As the designers say on their website: "PG Key does NOT replace parenting with technology - It ENABLES parenting with technology." Something that I really like is that this helps the kids to foster the accountability that they need to have while online- even if I am not right there, looking over their shoulder.

An added benefit that the PG Key has allowed me, as a homeschooling parent, is the ability to check that my kids did their homework as well. I can see if it really took them an hour to complete their writing assignment- or if it only took 10 minutes and the rest of the time was spent playing on a gaming site (or a social networking site, in my 14 year-old daughter's case). If they do go to those sites, I see exactly what they did.

*Edited: Today is the 27th and I've had a lot of time to get to know the PG Key and its features. I love the PG Key but I must let my readers know of a problem that may have occurred with more than one user of the PG Key- it malfunctions and it takes support to fix it. I don't know exactly what the malfunction is but do know it is annoying and prevents the PG Key from doing its intended job. Right at this moment, I cannot use the PG Key to monitor my childrens activity because I am still waiting for support to figure out the issue.*   


Bottom Line:
I thoroughly recommend PG Key if you are looking for a low-key parental controls software. If you want to get really tough with what your children access, you can do this with PG Key but with more blocks, I felt it became more frustrating to try to use the internet with the PG Key. I really liked it for the monitoring capability and the notifications. It even tells me when one of my kids removes the PG Key from the computer.

See what other TOS Crew Members thought of the PG Key.

 *Disclaimer: I received this item free from PG Key through the TOS Crew for review. All opinions stated are my own. I did not received any compensation for this review and I was only required to give an honest review- good or bad. See more about my Disclosure/Policies.*

Searching His Word Saturday

It is late in the day (it's night here) but I didn't forget... As I was driving to our eye appointment this morning (at 7:30am ack!) I was thinking about it. I didn't have a verse in mind but I was trying to recall ones that I have read. Usually I cannot recall the verse but I know either the words or the gist of it. When I was looking for the picture for this post, I came across a photo of my Bible open to Jeremiah. And honestly, I've not read Jeremiah other than a verse here and there and most likely while at church. So my Searching His Word Saturday will be in the book of Jeremiah.

In chapter 22, Jeremiah is going to speak to the house of the king of Judah. In these verses  God is telling Jeremiah what he shall say to this person (or people). When I think of Judah, and the nation of Israel really, in the Old Testament, it seems to me that there is a recurring pattern: obedience, murmuring, disobedience, God's wrath, Israel's begging to be forgiven, God's anger subsides and the Israelites are again obedient- repeat. But each time the nation of Israel does something to provoke God's anger, it is something that they should have known better than to do. In the book of Jeremiah, we see again this cycle repeating. But it is coming to an end.

In verse 3: Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgement and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. But in verse 17 God says: But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. Verse 21: I spake unto thee in thy prosperity: but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyest not my voice.

I know what happens at the end but reading these again makes me wonder and yet feel so glad. I wonder how often I've been disobedient, how often I've murmured, done what I know is wrong. God's anger does not rain down on me as it did for the Israelites and the house of the king of Judah. But at the same time, the anger I stir up is real and it can be felt. I feel it in a change of my attitude- when God has been disappointed in me, I no longer search for Him. He is always there. Always. But when I've done something wrong it's like a child hiding from a parent when they know they will be punished. But I do feel glad. I feel glad that God does forgive and that He gave His son to die for our sins. I am human and I do sin. I do not revel in the fact that I am a sinner; born that way and it can't be changed. No, I strive to be better. And pray for forgiveness when I fall short. When I come to Him in prayer- repentant- when I do not run and hide like the child, I know He hears me. That is why I am glad.

I think I will have to start at the beginning of Jeremiah. If you have anything to add to this bit about Jeremiah, please feel free to in the comments or even by emailing me. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Weekly Wrap-Up...the one where we didn't have school

At See Jamie Blog this week

It's Friday already? I'm not sure how that happened! Our week has been very low key. 
Saturday we went to a Volunteer Breakfast held by the Goshen County Public Library for the volunteers of the Used Book Sale. The sale made over $5000~ amazing! We live in a town with under 6000 people and usually the sale makes at the most $3000 so it was a good two weeks! Sunday we went to church, followed by baptisms at a local hotel swimming pool. Two of the kids that have been in this church their whole lives were baptized as well as a gentleman named George who lives at the local nursing home. They come almost every Sunday. He is in a wheelchair and since there is no special equipment at the pool, three men had to lift George out of his chair and place him in the water. The baptisms were heartwarming. But the water was cold! Afterwards there was a supper (lunch) at the hotel that mixed as a going away meal for a family that has been with the church for 20 years. Well, the husband had been, his wife has been friends of the family ever since she was little. We will definitely miss them. There were many tears that afternoon.
Monday for some reason we were all (except dh) sick. The kids woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. They were so sweet that they took care of each other. I didn't hear a thing. *Go ahead, shake your head and say bad mom.* I finally woke up about 6 am to Lee retching in the bathroom upstairs. I felt horrible knowing they were sick all night and I didn't even know. Lee said that after each time in the bathroom they would feel like there was absolutely nothing wrong and didn't want to wake me up. They took care of each other. Some times my kids are each other's arch-nemesis and other times, they are inseparable. We didn't have school on Monday and we missed Co-Op. Fox felt 'ashamed' for not going he said because by 11am or so he felt almost 100% better. Well about then is when I started to feel ill. Fortunately I did not have to visit the bathroom but felt horrible- achy, tired, headache, and just horrid. I ended up sleeping most of the day and all night. Woke up late-ish on Tuesday and felt 100% better. 
Tuesday we had to run to Scottsbluff for grocery shopping and to return some stain to Menards. It was something I had planned to do after Co-Op on Monday. We stopped at Goodwill in hopes I could find them both some pants but no, nothing for them. There especially is a lack of boys clothes. We ended up going to Wally World where still I could only find a pair of pants for Lee. By the way~ She's still my 'little' girl! LOL pants from the girls section still fit her! At 14 she doesn't find it to be funny lol. I made the kids do math when we got home. They are both still having some issues with binomials (Fox) and quadratic equations (Lee). It was later that afternoon that I realized we were going on week 7 since our last break. Since we school year round we take a week off every 6 weeks. Usually it happens to be some sort of vacation so it works nicely :) I just spaced it this time though. So I said- no more school for the rest of the week! *and there was much rejoicing lol*
Wednesday, which feels like yesterday, and Thursday I spent working on getting caught up with my school while the kids read, played, built 'forts' in the living room, went to the library a few times, played some more, as well as Fox watched a segment from the History of Us dvd and Lee worked on her Tablet art. It was very low key indeed. And they helped me make chicken enchiladas :) 
Today, Friday, we only have planned taking our Kawaii kitty to the vet for her rabies shot and a few other vaccinations. She isn't going to like that. The kids have also already built another fort in the living room. It's funny: today I mentioned that it was Friday-yay- but that means that in just a few days the kids would have to do school again. Fox actually said, "Good". Shocker? Pleasant surprise. Lee said that sometimes she gets so bored that she wants to do school. Kids are funny...
Next week should be more 'exciting' although I really enjoyed hearing the random laughter and the fun the kids were having while I was slaving away at typing up my papers for class...lol :)

Check out what others' week was like~ Hop over to See Jamie Blog for more Weekly Wrap-Ups

Ice Cream Maker...Do you have one?

I've been thinking about an ice cream maker. We don't eat a lot of ice cream here in our house (not that we don't want to!) but I like the idea of making our own.


I found this on Amazon and wondered if anyone has tried this (or something like it) before:



Or if not that one, do you use a different, perhaps electric, ice cream maker? 

**50 Followers Giveaway** WINNER

Congratulations to Annie @ Country Living in Carboo Country winner of my 50 Followers Giveaway.  She will receive a beautiful pair of hairsticks with a case from LinderCroft's Sticks & Stuff.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: 

Result:

33

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Thanks to those who entered and watch for the next giveaway....perhaps when I reach 100 followers? Or maybe sooner because I love to do giveaways!

Word Filled Wednesday- 10/20/2010

Word Filled Wednesday

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3-11

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are they pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

FREE 1 year HLA Membership- Homeschoolers

Thanks to Freely Educate for bringing this to our attention!
You can get a 1 year free membership with the Homeschool Legal Advantage. No catch...no gimmick! Check out Freely Educate for the details. Or click here to go directly to Homeschool Legal Advantage. Use promotion code CLA.

What's Coming Up

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...well, not so much a secret actually because soon enough it won't be secret at all! 
In the next couple of weeks there are going to be some interesting (I hope!) posts on my blog- that's the little secret I'm going to share :) Sorry, nothing juicy lol


This week (10/20-10/23):

1. I just realized that I passed our 6 week break. Just totally passed it by. So the rest of this week is BREAK TIME.
2. I will announce the winner of the 50 Followers Giveaway! I'm excited about it...I love giveaways :)
3. On Wednesday, watch for Word Filled Wednesday.
4. On Saturday, watch for Searching His Word Saturday.

Next week (10/24-10/30):

1. Watch for my review of PG Key... that's all I'll say about that ;)
2. And have you heard of Buckets-O-Fun? I hadn't! I will review some things from them also.

Either the week of 10/24 or the following week (10/31) I will be writing a post on direct-sales, affiliate, business opportunities. I'm a member of the MomPack and there are a lot of great women that work from home and I'd like to share some of the opportunities that they have with you. The information is still rolling in! I can't wait to write the post!

What are you in the market for?

Does that sound funny? It reminds me of an old-time saying....but it might not be. I don't know. Anyway, I'm always in the market for something. I search online all the time for random things, like console tables (I like this one!)

or maps would love to have this one!) 

or dinnerware (some additions to my Pfaltzgraff) 

or whiteboards (can never have too many?). I cannot find things like these where I live generally. 

My town is in a time-warp I think ;) We have things that are upwards of 20 years old! Hey, that might be a good thing- that'd make them vintage... ;)


Well, off to do some more perusing :)

Links by Subject for Schooling page updated

It's been a while since I've found the time to update my page but I've finally added some more links.

Art/Music

+Art Institute of Chicago site for younger students- perhaps to about age 12? 

+Music Appreciation Course offered through Creative Commons license. 211 pages with Attributions at the end. High School and Adults. 

 +Dance Appreciation

Computer

PagePlus Essentials [Download] (used to be offered as a free download, now it is at a reduced price) -might be free again in the future :)

Geography/History

+Presidents Coloring Pages American History 

+US Constitution.net American History Costitution, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and other.

Government/Economics/Civics

+C-SPAN classroom resources (great for homeschoolers also) 

Language Arts

+Emily Dickinson Museum Navigate around to find games and activities  

Math

+Math and the Movies offers suggestions for clips from various movies that have mathematical concepts, also find worksheets to use along with the clips suggested -no movie clips on the site, you have to find them yourself

Science

+National Weather Service JetStream

+Monday Morning Science Blast (Free Science Labs)

+Free Science from Supercharged Science (you will receive quite a few emails asking for you to buy but..) there are many free resources sent through email as well.

Sites of Interest for Learning/Teaching

+TV Schoolhouse "A free and fun way to support your K-12 classroom or homeschool curriculum using time-proven Educational Films, Newsreels, TV Shows, PSAs, and Movies from the past."