tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57132590106735057572024-02-18T22:44:56.801-06:00My Elastic LifeBlessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-89565549637676616232016-02-10T16:49:00.000-06:002016-02-10T16:49:18.100-06:00Thankfully when we made our trip to Hiroshima with a Japanese friend a couple months later, it was uneventful weather wise. It was an amazing trip though and we will always remember it fondly. The last 5 months we were in Japan went pretty fast and before we knew it, we had new orders to Washington state, were packed out and lived in a hotel for a month in Japan. Then, we were on our way back to the states again. And this, puts us in the spring of 2012. <br />
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Once we returned to the states, there was much to be done, but far more than we planned on. We picked up our car in Texas as well as our dog, which a very good friend had fostered for us for the 3 years we were in Japan. After some visiting with her and some other friends, we were in for a long road trip to Washington state. Once we arrived, we lived in a hotel for about a month while looking for a place to live. We found a home to rent in a decent neighborhood and slept on air mattresses for a week or so while waiting for our household goods to arrive. But those were only the ones from Japan. We had another shipment (the other half of our stuff that we couldn't take to Japan) that would need to be released from long term government storage and delivered to us. So, that was about another month to receive that stuff. When they delivered it, we had them put it all into the garage so that we could go through it a little at a time. After all, we had just been up to our eyeballs in boxes and packing paper and using unopened ones for a desk or table in the midst of the unpacking mess. If you ever wonder if you really need to keep something, just put a date on it and then set a reminder for yourself to go back and look at your items after a year. If you hadn’t used any of it in that year and the only reason you are seeing it is because you had a reminder to do so….well, you might want to consider letting it go.<br />
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After three years of, the other half of our stuff, being in storage here in the states while we were in Japan, there was a lot to process. By the time we were done, it was late summer or early fall of 2012 and we desperately needed a yard sale!! One of the last sort of “normal” things we did in 2012.<br />
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Til next time….<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtov0D_IZqP781ku2NHK3J0F1EyvdPIeUHgn4CjbC06khjofwJn90CtEmhPNtojEFBfw6waL-tvfR33vZXRDBOagi6EY4SCSUds5q8oJTb9lYBum2GvJvBsFSJtfQ4lyogfcnSi5JKQZGe/s1600/Til+next+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtov0D_IZqP781ku2NHK3J0F1EyvdPIeUHgn4CjbC06khjofwJn90CtEmhPNtojEFBfw6waL-tvfR33vZXRDBOagi6EY4SCSUds5q8oJTb9lYBum2GvJvBsFSJtfQ4lyogfcnSi5JKQZGe/s320/Til+next+time.jpg" /></a></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-67171470772793192732016-01-23T15:44:00.001-06:002016-01-23T15:44:57.826-06:00The Saga ContinuesWe were able to reach the United States a day or two before my Grandmother passed. So, that was another flight. I have done a lot of flying in my life and been to a lot of different airports. I have to admit though, it was the first time that I had gone through the Chicago O’Hare airport 4 times in less than a week!! All the while, I was trying to finish up 2 college courses and thankfully, the Professors were all very understanding of the situation we were in. I did eventually get them completed. By the time we returned to Japan, 3 weeks had gone by and Operation Tomadachi was in progress. Operation Tomadachi was the name for the U.S. military giving aid to Japan, whether it was water, clothes, food, etc. I was so glad that we were able to be there for my Grandmother’s funeral, but was glad to be back with my husband, supporting the Japanese in their recovery efforts and working to enjoy the remainder of our tour.<br />
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In the summer of 2011, we made our trip to climb Ft Fuji, but didn't make it all the way to the top because of Typhoon Ma-on, (may on) known in the Phillippines as Typhoon Ineng. That Typhoon (which is basically a hurricane, but from the Pacific Ocean) brought high winds and because of the high altitude we were at on Mt Fuji, SNOW. They closed the mountain down to climbers for safety reasons. It was definitely dangerous and cold. So, after only getting about half-way up, we climbed back down and proceeded back to the hotel to check out and get back on the train to go home. Little did we know that we would wind up in a very small, rural train station for 16 hours. As it turned out, the tunnel we needed to pass through to get home was at risk of landslides, other trains and people had been lost previously to landslides, and the Japanese did not want anyone to be hurt so...all trains were stopped until the situation was safe. Since we were in such a rural area, the only thing nearby was a 7-11. And the bathrooms…they were the old fashioned ones (not westernized), so basically, a hole dug into the ground with some lumber put around it (so you didn’t step in it) and that was pretty much it. Oh and did I mention that it was COLD?! All of the announcements were, of course, in Japanese. We didn’t speak enough to understand what all they were saying. We did, however, meet a very nice Japanese guy who did his best to explain what was happening. When an announcement came at 7 in the morning and everyone cheered, we knew that we would soon be moving. When we reached the train station nearest our house, there was a donut shop. We went in and had donuts and coffee and the kids had hot chocolate. Then, half-asleep, we walked the mile and a half home, took turns with hot showers and took a nap. I would say that we got more than we bargained for with our Mt Fuji trip!!<br />
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Stay tuned for the next installment!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77-TXPYlF6aeea3pFbzllBmU0-3ejAwD00HgZGHRupVd5CcyRnZKPU6cg6xDlYZptitNbVS_y-JuoAlFjJi_-tfwc72t2Do-slx8HOXD47vV4oYjvXFcXuKId38GURC_6YcB0bg-8vRQM/s1600/Plan+A+didn%2527t+work.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77-TXPYlF6aeea3pFbzllBmU0-3ejAwD00HgZGHRupVd5CcyRnZKPU6cg6xDlYZptitNbVS_y-JuoAlFjJi_-tfwc72t2Do-slx8HOXD47vV4oYjvXFcXuKId38GURC_6YcB0bg-8vRQM/s320/Plan+A+didn%2527t+work.png" /></a></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-4784189071206572372016-01-18T22:29:00.004-06:002016-01-18T22:29:31.317-06:00Has it really been that long?Wow. I was looking at another blog today that is part of blogger and noticed my dashboard. Oops, it has been over 4 years, very nearly 5 years since I last posted anything. I have no idea if any of you will read this or not since it has been so long. But, here's the short of the long of it.<br />
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Since I last wrote, we were in the big earthquake in Japan in March 2011, my Grandmother passed away, we made a trip to climb Mt Fuji, another trip to Tokyo Disney Land and Disney Sea, a trip to Hiroshima, moved to Washington state, survived breast cancer, became a godmother, our family retired from military service, we moved again and bought a house! WHEW!! That is a whole lot going on in the past few years and that is just the cliff notes.<br />
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So, I will start small and just talk a little about the earthquake in Japan. In March 2011, there were many things that happened that kept me from my blog. The big earthquake in Japan hit and that is where we were living at the time, so it made for a couple of crazy months! The earthquake lasted almost 5 full minutes, which is to say, the shaking lasted that long too. If you would like to see a video of what it was kind of like, National Geographic put together a bunch of clips that people had posted to youtube and the like. It will give you a little bit of an idea of what it was like: <br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBdvvXyS-r4">Tohuku Quake 2011 Mash-Up</a><br />
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At first, the kids and I just went about things as usual. But after about 30 seconds, it should have stopped. When it didn't, and things started falling off the entertainment center, the kids and I got in the door way as we had been taught. As we hung on to the frame and the house rocked back and forth on the rollers, we could see daylight on either side of the door as we continued to be shaken. At the end of that initial big quake, we looked outside to see the Japanese nationals who had been at the grocery store across the street from us, standing in the parking lot, looking up at the light poles and seeming rather fearful (Understandably so). Glass bottles had been knocked off shelves during the quake and had made quite a mess. The light poles were still swaying back and forth, the street was still rolling with the seismic activity and in some places sidewalks and streets were opening and closing like something out of a science fiction movie. There were aftershocks that lasted for days. The weeks that followed were filled with what were called rolling black outs. Basically, scheduled periods of time where we would have no electricity for hours at a time. During those times of blackout, it became very cold in the house we rented out in town. They have little to no insulation and it got so cold in the house, you could see your breath. The kids and I would cuddle up on the couch under a blanket and read books or play a game and wait for the power to come back on. Needless to say, it was very interesting cooking food for meals. Our meal schedule and menu changed to fit the times that power would be on. When it became apparent that the rolling blackouts would continue for an undetermined amount of time, the Fukushima radiation could become a possible threat to our area, my husband was going to be working most of the time, and I received news my Grandmother was not long in this world, we discussed and agreed that the kids and I should go back to the states for a couple weeks. <br />
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I will continue to catch you up as I get back into writing here on my blog.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-26191116430117122892011-02-07T22:46:00.004-06:002011-02-07T23:01:00.987-06:00TOS Product Review Vocabahead<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnCdIkcasVOBf4e04TJLzMxoQrLzgBSvM-j9MXyql1vHjfb1g3bVjg5HITx9i__ela1B3n1KkhXJ25mfHSepkgh3RdDQtvk0xvWdO1FRpyo2L1iXOoazBgThyphenhyphendSC-il6Fux8R7dazCNG7/s1600/VocabAhead_Logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 61px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnCdIkcasVOBf4e04TJLzMxoQrLzgBSvM-j9MXyql1vHjfb1g3bVjg5HITx9i__ela1B3n1KkhXJ25mfHSepkgh3RdDQtvk0xvWdO1FRpyo2L1iXOoazBgThyphenhyphendSC-il6Fux8R7dazCNG7/s200/VocabAhead_Logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571179156486576930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrLBSgIAyU794UOJzvmCCiLJ1O9uYfuPgNLCax1SOo4699WIVlHdBn3n_FT-KnV6lz7GLqBWX_riOq6VwZq5uXVvYkb_61_ztRMFy8W4tCz9wwj9fOMXZeY31xVcj3DQKnAXhl0FfSxLO/s1600/Vocabahead+DVD1000_s.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrLBSgIAyU794UOJzvmCCiLJ1O9uYfuPgNLCax1SOo4699WIVlHdBn3n_FT-KnV6lz7GLqBWX_riOq6VwZq5uXVvYkb_61_ztRMFy8W4tCz9wwj9fOMXZeY31xVcj3DQKnAXhl0FfSxLO/s200/Vocabahead+DVD1000_s.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571179025308157154" /></a><br /><br /><div>Our language is made up of so many other languages and we have so many words in our language!! Learning new vocabulary may seem a daunting task and even more so, when you try to figure out how you're going to remember the meaning of the new words. Whether you're studying for an ACT/SAT or just broadening your knowledge, <a href="http://www.vocabahead.com/">Vocabahead</a> has some excellent resources! I had the pleasure of reviewing one of their products, <a href="http://www.vocabahead.com/SAT-Vocabulary-Videos-DVD.html">'One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos and MP3's'</a>. </div> <div> </div> <div>This product is convenient and it works! The disc can be played on your computer, or you can put it on your IPOD or IPAD. How handy is that?! I love that our daughter has it on her IPOD, now she can learn the words anywhere, anytime, if only for a few minutes at a time. With each word, it's used in a sentence and usually one that is memorable and a little story to go with it. The videos are entertaining and help to enforce remembering the new word's meaning as well as spelling. What I especially liked about the design is that when a word has more than one meaning, it was included as well as examples of the different meanings.</div> <div> </div> <div>We already had in our homeschool day 20 minutes of preparation for ACT/SAT and various methods of prepping. I'm happy to say that we now also include Vocabahead's disc! Just think about it for a moment, even if all you could squeeze in were 20 minutes a day, that's 1 hour and 40 minutes after 5 days, 6 hours and 40 minutes at the end of the month! WOW! For $24.99, that's an excellent price!</div> <div> </div> <div>Here is a pretty good video to give you an idea of how this works:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pjCQ5lBOG9k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />As always, if you would like to see some other reviews, please stop by the <a href="http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=74319&type=thumbnail">TOS crew product reviews</a>. </div> <div> </div> <div>Julie</div> <div> </div> <div>*I received this product to review for free, in exchange for an honest to goodness review*</div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-91114858784390290552011-01-31T04:41:00.004-06:002011-01-31T04:52:51.550-06:00TOS Review Times Alive by City Creek Press!I still remember learning my times tables all those years ago and I also remember that it was a lot of repetition. I was fortunate enough to have a Mom that made things fun though! Although I have continued the tradition of making learning fun, I love all the tools that technology brings. So, that brings me to this review for <a href="http://www.citycreek.com/">City Creek Press</a>. <br /> <br />Before I begin to talk about this product, look at the fun pictures and the sample video.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimFPfJEfDzCu77XyX4e0ZUN6bsdRxBJ9czyuhoj3v2KAWUMU-eGDkBkrgENtnaCKMKD03G6yUy6EoSSs1JXgDCwzKM-Jy0zcZDrOc_rhtFxXdK7JsfZwCrGZtwJBDZv3lcc4FZ6YPtoPf/s1600/combo+pic.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimFPfJEfDzCu77XyX4e0ZUN6bsdRxBJ9czyuhoj3v2KAWUMU-eGDkBkrgENtnaCKMKD03G6yUy6EoSSs1JXgDCwzKM-Jy0zcZDrOc_rhtFxXdK7JsfZwCrGZtwJBDZv3lcc4FZ6YPtoPf/s200/combo+pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568301101105805586" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeqc_TIndirx6MSFqviOfBemUKK3dR4FtA_aKj3q5OX2NnA8uvCzLu-Q3ep5hGuhNCktlSbdgPLset4NSl1Yd4hzVqj48wN2bxh2LQA03OPF2HSWYA6JJYgJV2g6xZiU6PL2B_0_R1Bb_/s1600/Times+Alive+Multiplication.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeqc_TIndirx6MSFqviOfBemUKK3dR4FtA_aKj3q5OX2NnA8uvCzLu-Q3ep5hGuhNCktlSbdgPLset4NSl1Yd4hzVqj48wN2bxh2LQA03OPF2HSWYA6JJYgJV2g6xZiU6PL2B_0_R1Bb_/s200/Times+Alive+Multiplication.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568298889304368066" /></a><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HAxOLC9B1m8" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe><br /><br />This truly is a wonderfully, user friendly program for learning times tables. The songs are catchy and silly so they stay with the kids (and adults, in my humble opinion). The images in each lesson are moving to captivate kids' attention and each has a story or song to help remember the times tables. Our 8 year old son enjoys the program, he's giggly and looks forward to spending some computer time learning multiplication throughout the week. <br /> <br />As a teacher and parent, I really appreciate the student progress report that's built in. There are times that I need to work with our teenager and can't sit right there with him, but I know I can go back in the program later to see what he accomplished and how he's doing.<br /> <br />Although the program may seem a little costly at $44.95, it is well worth the money. It's an instant download and once it's on your computer, you don't need to be hooked up to the internet all the time to use it. It's perfect for "on the go" learning! And...they have it available for <a href="http://www.citycreek.com/Times-Alive-CD-ROM-p/sotnowpc.htm">Windows</a> or <a href="http://www.citycreek.com/Times-Alive-CD-ROM-p/sotnowmac.htm">Mac</a>. You can hop on over to our other <a href="http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=71543&type=thumbnail">TOS Crew reviews</a> too!<br /> <br />* I was given this product to review for free and these opinions are my own *<br /><div style="visibility: hidden; left: -5000px; position: absolute; z-index: 9999; padding: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 130%;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"> </div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-3735285292743398722010-12-15T00:51:00.005-06:002010-12-15T00:54:40.806-06:00ALEKS Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMrZTWoeGqDFBR6RBBXx8r7SF9dX09Z1gdtPIk0u5IgjMLwvT6uB02T9f-zoQgseIoeHSfnmph_UVUQ3aCImse8tEH90Lpq2TVDhSQapjkx6xDhkG3Ok1gOEJWPY05FdjJQNm3Oqruto4/s1600/ALEKS+logo.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 40px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMrZTWoeGqDFBR6RBBXx8r7SF9dX09Z1gdtPIk0u5IgjMLwvT6uB02T9f-zoQgseIoeHSfnmph_UVUQ3aCImse8tEH90Lpq2TVDhSQapjkx6xDhkG3Ok1gOEJWPY05FdjJQNm3Oqruto4/s200/ALEKS+logo.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550798302090673842" /></a><br /><br />What is ALEKS and how does it work?! ALEKS is an online math program that not only assesses what your child knows, but helps teach what they don't know! ALEKS stands for <b>A</b>ssessment and <b>LE</b>arning in <b>K</b>nowledge <b>S</b>paces. The process of signing up was pretty simplistic and even our 8 year old had a good experience with sign up process. Then comes the assessment. Admittedly, our kids were a little nervous about completing it since it was going to compile what they didn't know as well as what they did. Once they completed the assessment portion, they were shown a pie chart which also <i>explained</i> how the pie chart functions. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5yeQw91aCO1fhGwWQDYIY-d2hn3G_VoUvX1MmzUtHUFhLHqGH4rieQsCnLyvO-soe8VTAky8uxGwYQcPI6GmjmdCCam6e5mkaMTLdoRnSRSabijroNOcWOoVtIKYgoPMJtMnEo_VH8sT/s1600/ALEKS+pie+chart.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5yeQw91aCO1fhGwWQDYIY-d2hn3G_VoUvX1MmzUtHUFhLHqGH4rieQsCnLyvO-soe8VTAky8uxGwYQcPI6GmjmdCCam6e5mkaMTLdoRnSRSabijroNOcWOoVtIKYgoPMJtMnEo_VH8sT/s200/ALEKS+pie+chart.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550798458855177090" /></a><br /><br />As our kids worked through the pie chart, the concepts to be learned are listed as such and then have further break downs within each. When clicking on a concept, it takes you to sample problems and after the student answers a problem in that category correctly 3 times, they are considered to have mastered it and will then be taken back to the pie chart to move on to the next topic. If they are having trouble with the concept, they have the option to see the explanation and ALEKS will show how the problem is solved. Of course, when explained, it does not count as a correctly answered problem.<br /> <br />Overall, we were pleased with what ALEKS had to offer. The assessment portion of the program is an excellent tool for seeing where those "spaces" or gaps are. We didn't feel it was a complete program/curriculum, but it seemed to get our 8 year old interested in learning those problem areas, especially since it was an opportunity to be on the computer. Our 16 year old didn't get as much out of it as far as excitement goes, but she felt validated in the areas she was having trouble with.<br /> <br />The cost for this program is reasonable and worth the price.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">$19.95 per student per month</div><div style="text-align: left;">$99.95 every 6 months</div><div style="text-align: left;"> $179.95 every 12 months</div><div style="text-align: left;">*Family discounts apply*</div>See <a href="http://www.aleks.com/independent/students/getting_started"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">site</span></a> for more subscription information<br /> <br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"> Be sure to read more reviews about the ALEKS program by kindly visiting <a href="http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=60075&type=thumbnail" target="_blank">TOS Homeschool Crew</a> reviews.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /> *As always, these opinions are my own. I received this product free of charge to review honestly and that's what you have here.* </p> <br /><div style="visibility: hidden; left: -5000px; position: absolute; z-index: 9999; padding: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 130%;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"> </div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-44338294891515707482010-12-01T00:09:00.009-06:002010-12-01T00:39:35.305-06:00Master Ruler Product Review!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiB8tc8MJXd6ptecHMCQku2KJQoZNttQ2DogWTv77q2b_4S2rHlUZMst0qtDu3RheqaDgArrDTJaQ_yEHEAxFqT81A83qOsNJsg9sJXLn4YFlEnUNwqLTSZ95WCFNXE6_ZT-4PohMAVrr/s1600/Master-Ruler-Logo.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiB8tc8MJXd6ptecHMCQku2KJQoZNttQ2DogWTv77q2b_4S2rHlUZMst0qtDu3RheqaDgArrDTJaQ_yEHEAxFqT81A83qOsNJsg9sJXLn4YFlEnUNwqLTSZ95WCFNXE6_ZT-4PohMAVrr/s200/Master-Ruler-Logo.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545599635957157602" /></a><br />Wow, so exciting!<span style=""> </span>Master Innovations is one of those companies that make you smile and say, "Man, I wish someone had thought of this long ago!"<span style=""> </span>Yes, there's quotes there, because that's what I said when I first saw the Master Ruler.<span style=""> </span>Master Innovations have come up with a creative, hands on, concrete way of learning mathematical concepts.<span style=""> </span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Master Ruler, as their website declares, "is SEVERAL rulers in one!"<span style=""> </span>It's an amazing tool for learning measurement.<span style=""> </span>I can't tell you how many times I've been measuring something and thought, dang, I wish these stood out in some way, so that this would be easier!<span style=""> </span>Well, with the Master Ruler, they've not only made the smaller measurements (like ¼") easier to see with the different colors, but they've made the ruler layered, so you can actually remove the layers you don't need.<span style=""> </span>Flipping them back and forth allows you to get the measurement more quickly and more accurately!<span style=""> </span>You can check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_jN1fDRkeQ&feature=player_embedded#%21">video</a> for more information and to see it working in action.</p> <br /><br />So, are you wondering at this point how your kids might like the Master Ruler or be able to use it? When working with our 8 year old son, he remarked, "hey Mom, I've never seen a ruler like this before!" When he was done working on just a few of the worksheets and some lessons that I had come up with, he mentioned that he understood fractions better! Now, that is an awesome revelation, right?! Right. Our 16 year old daughter said, "I sure wish that these would have been around when I was his (our son's) age. It would have been a lot less confusing!" Then, while doing a Chemistry experiment, she was using the metric ruler while our son used the other. What more can you ask for? We're all impressed. Here are some pictures for you!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha67hW1pHedhRvkhhi_tgCy-lUVKlH3c2TuYU_-Foinr2itARtmnhMzgxcJQ-kRakF0Bj93fxJKdDoA23j56k2u14kRT0vtGdZcMGIlppBhc9AqpkC2vkbmPI0U_LYdSKTJ1T5gIIEGMID/s1600/CIMG0958.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha67hW1pHedhRvkhhi_tgCy-lUVKlH3c2TuYU_-Foinr2itARtmnhMzgxcJQ-kRakF0Bj93fxJKdDoA23j56k2u14kRT0vtGdZcMGIlppBhc9AqpkC2vkbmPI0U_LYdSKTJ1T5gIIEGMID/s200/CIMG0958.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545598716902631378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTF6mBT2NfIBfKcRyDwmS1Ur2qUienWBPAnvkRLMV8ZoYl2-zyZBN33A5kITra-jirbseI4govOp_Qr_m5mNMo2nlNDgXzGa4cpjEzQfcg5VdLehfGHtbCtv2N3HtW2s_GDqazEq4iSC1t/s1600/CIMG0954.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTF6mBT2NfIBfKcRyDwmS1Ur2qUienWBPAnvkRLMV8ZoYl2-zyZBN33A5kITra-jirbseI4govOp_Qr_m5mNMo2nlNDgXzGa4cpjEzQfcg5VdLehfGHtbCtv2N3HtW2s_GDqazEq4iSC1t/s200/CIMG0954.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545598713296628034" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Master Ruler itself sells for $9.95, which I think is an excellent price, especially given the durable material! If you're interested in purchasing it separately, you can go <a href="http://www.themasterruler.com/store/themasterruler,Product.asp">here</a>. To see the other options you can get with the Ruler, look at this <a href="http://www.themasterruler.com/store/the-master-ruler,category.asp">page.</a> And of course, if you'd like to read more reviews about the Master Ruler or their other products, please see our <a href="http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=55572&type=thumbnail">TOS Homeschool Crew</a>.<br /><br />*As always, these opinions are my own. I received this product free of charge to review honestly and that's what you have here.*<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cobject%20width=%22640%22%20height=%22390%22%3E%3Cparam%20name=%22movie%22%20value=%22http://www.youtube.com/v/m_jN1fDRkeQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cparam%20name=%22allowFullScreen%22%20value=%22true%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cparam%20name=%22allowScriptAccess%22%20value=%22always%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cembed%20src=%22http://www.youtube.com/v/m_jN1fDRkeQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3%22%20type=%22application/x-shockwave-flash%22%20allowfullscreen=%22true%22%20allowScriptAccess=%22always%22%20width=%22640%22%20height=%22390%22%3E%3C/embed%3E%3C/object%3E"></a></p><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"> </div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style><div style="display: inline;"> </div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-84964092067113320672010-11-05T23:28:00.005-05:002010-11-05T23:39:08.369-05:00COLLECTORZ! TOS ReviewIf you're anything like me, you find yourself, at times, overwhelmed with books. I have such a hard time passing up a good bargain and my family loves to read! We all have such varying tastes and some books, (more than we care to admit) we want to keep and read again. See, in reading certain books we develop a sort of relationship with them. Sometimes there's hi-lighting, underlining, circling, etc. There are books on the shelves, in closets, in both short term and long term storage and we move so often, it can be difficult to keep up with where a certain book is. In addition to collecting books, I am a spreadsheet addict! So, you can imagine that my solution was to do the spreadsheet thing to track my books. Don't get me wrong, it works great! But, I was given the pleasure of reviewing <a href="http://www.collectorz.com">COLLECTORZ </a>and it is a wonderful tool to keep track of all your books, where they are, rate it, etc. It truly is a program worth purchasing!<br /> <br />The program made entry of your collection a breeze! All you have to do is type in the ISBN and it will pull the rest of the information for you, thereby eliminating several steps and saving you time! There's even a scanner available that would make it even simpler. Can you imagine?! That is like a book junky's dream! <br /> <br />Now, you're probably saying, oh, okay, your physical books can be inventoried and then you can only access it on your computer. The program goes a step further! Not only can you do physical books, but ebooks and audio books. Yes, yes, read that line again, it's no typo and I really meant what I said. And to address the computer part....they have a mobile app version and online versions as well as the PC or MAC! I received The Collectorz: Book Database Software Pro version to review. You can purchase it for $49.95 at their <a href="http://www.collectorz.com/">website</a>. So, I've given you some pretty interesting information about the program, but I want you to do some research yourself.<br /> <br />The last little tidbit (pretty phenomenal actually) I'll mention is that they have programs for Music, Movie, Comic, Game, MP3 and Photo! I'm looking into the other ones too, cuz, holy cow, can you imagine how organized you could be? WOW! And just to entice you a little, here's a snapshot of the Collectorz: Book Database Software Pro version. When you buy one of these great programs, be sure to come back and post how you like it!<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSiZgXkdXTzfqH5hnP16rPo8C2PFPWjm3iENwvFP1e5QDzlfs1zTZ5OnDWBgbIcU-wvbj0KBXMQwq9Ty8ZCesuOBiGc9ekb0ABsDdSaeMHB1qYpp6daRCvtKkjigbMXnPeNza6QbdjRma/s1600/book-overview-small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSiZgXkdXTzfqH5hnP16rPo8C2PFPWjm3iENwvFP1e5QDzlfs1zTZ5OnDWBgbIcU-wvbj0KBXMQwq9Ty8ZCesuOBiGc9ekb0ABsDdSaeMHB1qYpp6daRCvtKkjigbMXnPeNza6QbdjRma/s320/book-overview-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536290717443204610" /></a><br /><br />*These opinions are my own. I was given the product to review to tell how I honestly feel!*<br /><br /><br /><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"></div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style><div style="display: inline;"> </div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-86508268735018590272010-10-12T06:38:00.002-05:002010-10-12T06:41:23.129-05:00Talking Fingers: Read, Write, Type!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxc9AVLIhdd3ZBnw0XngpYFgzfipRVzWeo1qGaPIhOxwZq2D4JMu6_mLVjle1IEE7dVKaLjfRQEYZ00WowR4EvLk0koPqAT_VmNDfPAXEqi0Zg6KdzMIC9cKWUWSU9c7PxQJRRCxs-7wf/s1600/RWT-796884.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxc9AVLIhdd3ZBnw0XngpYFgzfipRVzWeo1qGaPIhOxwZq2D4JMu6_mLVjle1IEE7dVKaLjfRQEYZ00WowR4EvLk0koPqAT_VmNDfPAXEqi0Zg6KdzMIC9cKWUWSU9c7PxQJRRCxs-7wf/s320/RWT-796884.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527122534563240338" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC2Ll08705Hy2DF-7sGt7v2dxbtoo5-N5lEpwEaRamOSjksNvGAVedxFSMAEYKEUEjds65B3OwAirjufBulN2Cdkkkqbm3cd9Xw7s4EEsUPW9pqNTLS3vUtznzGnp_PzqS2FYt3JyW8FP/s1600/Talking+Fingers-798514.gif"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC2Ll08705Hy2DF-7sGt7v2dxbtoo5-N5lEpwEaRamOSjksNvGAVedxFSMAEYKEUEjds65B3OwAirjufBulN2Cdkkkqbm3cd9Xw7s4EEsUPW9pqNTLS3vUtznzGnp_PzqS2FYt3JyW8FP/s320/Talking+Fingers-798514.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527122541379103234" /></a></p>I had the pleasure of reviewing the <a href="http://www.talkingfingers.com/readwritetype/RWT-learning-system.html">Read, Write, Type</a> program by <a href="http://www.talkingfingers.com">Talking Fingers</a>! Actually, my son had more of the pleasure than I, since it was created to teach the kiddos, but I was permitted to watch. (giggle) Are you wondering what its purpose is? Honestly, this one is just as simple as it sounds only jam packed with fun and interactivity.<br /> <br />This program is an amazing computer based journey for kids Kinder through 3rd grade. Its purpose is to teach kids to read, write and type. However, it also teaches the proper finger placement on the keys, has incredibly fun characters to cheer and sometimes, persuade children to keep learning. The fun games and sound effects enhance the learning experience and keep kids wanting more. The characters give friendly reminders to "power up", this means to get your hands in the correct positions and your fingers on the home row keys. The program is step by step for the kids and all their senses are used in the learning process. My son was so excited to learn with this program each day that he would anxiously ask in the morning if he could do Read, Write, Type first! Now, <i>that's</i> a program worth having! <br /> <br />To try out a demo of the program, just go to the <a href="http://www.talkingfingers.com/online-demo/">site</a>. It's a wonderful value for your money with a starting price of $35.00 per student. To read more TOS reviews, you can go <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783204/">here</a>.<br /> <br />*I was given this product free of charge and these opinions are my own*<br /><br /><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"></div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-4405912085683067522010-10-08T23:33:00.002-05:002010-10-08T23:36:05.687-05:00Product Review: Digital Frog International<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LhyfwJDoYfm1ETl-PvOYyTu_62mf3oxpUScU6vQ4vMg96CMqrYXLDOu5JHul_00UduiFCz_N_TEbS3uhkaFbsrfMSwj74LML0LP5IPB919s5whbnOQ7MgutUqXtkrcQDO3fgxXntdxE0/s1600/DigitalFieldTripSeries-785496.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LhyfwJDoYfm1ETl-PvOYyTu_62mf3oxpUScU6vQ4vMg96CMqrYXLDOu5JHul_00UduiFCz_N_TEbS3uhkaFbsrfMSwj74LML0LP5IPB919s5whbnOQ7MgutUqXtkrcQDO3fgxXntdxE0/s320/DigitalFieldTripSeries-785496.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525899705265285442" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVcw6ZMkaufX2WLnrP6Hqw-QzdU0zqW9P8Qn7O-xWVq5L8DFW6-hrK_S9BYmHt7d8PQr6hDN1iCsZN68J2f04j5Uy0tKLZwndk2uCiP2DrVDoo-p3V8UXEvGRodCrA7RWLW5UwIjuNOZG/s1600/DigitalFrogLogo-786719.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVcw6ZMkaufX2WLnrP6Hqw-QzdU0zqW9P8Qn7O-xWVq5L8DFW6-hrK_S9BYmHt7d8PQr6hDN1iCsZN68J2f04j5Uy0tKLZwndk2uCiP2DrVDoo-p3V8UXEvGRodCrA7RWLW5UwIjuNOZG/s320/DigitalFrogLogo-786719.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525899709065897074" /></a></p>How many times have you wished that you had the money and/or time to take your kids on a field trip to better understand the subject you were teaching?! You just knew if they had the opportunity to experience it, to make the connections between what you're teaching and the real world, that they would "get it" and remember it! Well, that's what this product is about, <a href="http://www.digitalfrog.com/products/digital-field-trip-series-dvd.html">The Digital Field Trip Series</a>. A disc to pop into your computer, both Windows and MacIntosh friendly, that takes you on a magical journey to <a href="http://www.digitalfrog.com/products/wetlands.html">The Wetlands</a>, <a href="http://www.digitalfrog.com/products/rainforest.html">The Rainforest</a>, and <a href="http://www.digitalfrog.com/products/desert.html">The Desert</a>. And, it's not just a disc to sit down and watch, it's interactive! Researchers have shown that we can remember things better if a majority of our senses are involved in the learning process and Digital Frog accomplishes just that! Visually stimulating, auditory (hearing) content, tactile (touch/hands on) through the use of the mouse throughout the "field trip" and it's interesting! Dare I say, FUN?! Yes! Having fun is one of our favorites for learning.<br /> <br />We really enjoyed The Desert series because we were already studying the desert, it's animals, how it affects people and how we affect the desert. The digital field trip series just took it a step further! You can get a copy of <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">all 3 for $125.00</span>, a $180.00 value. Just click on the link above, 'The Digital Field Trip Series. If you would like to read more TOS reviews, please click <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/">here</a>.<br /> <br /><br /><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"></div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-69723935928166190502010-10-01T09:56:00.003-05:002010-10-01T10:01:11.530-05:00Review Time!! Foundlings: The Peleg Chronicles<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMv4yYZREA7fXBOpExin7isE3nzZkklUfFK6ggsJdQgcJqT0ZJiMi46lav04y9j2F12z2WTh9ITLuIhpiJpbLzhZAM6rSwk1K1hIs8PN0gKUGcjJ9bDhup4qbdusXehoIOh-H4-ey6zkXD/s1600/Peleg-714023.bmp"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMv4yYZREA7fXBOpExin7isE3nzZkklUfFK6ggsJdQgcJqT0ZJiMi46lav04y9j2F12z2WTh9ITLuIhpiJpbLzhZAM6rSwk1K1hIs8PN0gKUGcjJ9bDhup4qbdusXehoIOh-H4-ey6zkXD/s320/Peleg-714023.bmp" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523091782824983090" /></a></p><div> </div> <div> </div> <div><a href="http://www.matthewchristianharding.com/FoundlingsSummary.html">Foundlings: The Peleg Chronicles</a> written by Matthew Christian Harding by Zoe & Sozo Publishing is $11.95. You can read a summary of the book at this link and if you're interested, just click on 'add to cart'.</div> <div> </div> <div>I enjoyed reading this book aloud to our kids. It gave us some down time from regular school work and we found it to be very entertaining and hard to put down. My daughter, who is 16, enjoyed the humor the author used in writing this book. My 8 year old son was so interested in the book, he would ask when would we read more?! What a great way to keep his interest in reading! One thing to mention here is that it's a recommended read for children 8 and up due to some of the content, however, you know your children best and can decide an appropriate age. Our son is a more advanced reader and understood the content to thoroughly enjoy it. The characters were interesting, felt real and had their faults, just as we (human beings) do. While some of the content leans toward concerning subject matter like drinking, and attempts at human sacrifice, the author made clear these were bad or evil. If your kids enjoy books such as Lord of the Rings, 39 Clues, Redwall series or Dungeons and Dragons type books, then the Foundlings series might be a good fit.</div> <div> </div> <div>The author did well to pull us into his book and on the adventure with the characters. Thiery, a 13 year old with a white wolf companion, was easy to identify with. The story encourages and reinforces Biblical principles of chivalry, truth, courage, duty, faith and love through Godly heroes. From dinosaurs, dragons and dwarves to Lords, false priests and giants, this book does not fall short in entertainment. I don't want to give away a lot of the story, but I will say that we really enjoyed the book and are looking forward to getting the 2nd one and there is a 3rd one due out in 2011. However, waiting to get the 2nd book is really, really hard because the ending of this first one leaves you HANGING! In a good way, but I would say if you're going to get the first one, go ahead and get the second one. :) And, if you're interested, a <a href="http://www.kid-friendly-homeschool-curriculum.com/peleg-chronicles.html">unit study</a> has been created, although not by the author. </div> <div> </div> <div>Be sure to do your due diligence research to decide if this book is right for you and/or your family. Here, you can look at other <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783082/">TOS Homeschool Crew reviews</a>.</div> <div> </div> <div>*I received this book free of charge to review and my opinions are my own*</div> <div> </div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-25714494782834230832010-09-08T07:57:00.004-05:002010-09-08T08:21:37.662-05:00My Review of: Math Tutor!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96Snhi_eaHck24FNJdXGYc84oZs7gdk4ELUTvJdQX_XSk_fGbpQr11gFoSVl5Wo__-4TiR11ZZaEbuY5UvLe3L9U4_cTPRLgNt-X9TJ7sGjQw8auA6ubteNHK7Kk7uHjZxRjPrgQCaOVp/s1600/Mathtutordvd+logo-779841.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96Snhi_eaHck24FNJdXGYc84oZs7gdk4ELUTvJdQX_XSk_fGbpQr11gFoSVl5Wo__-4TiR11ZZaEbuY5UvLe3L9U4_cTPRLgNt-X9TJ7sGjQw8auA6ubteNHK7Kk7uHjZxRjPrgQCaOVp/s320/Mathtutordvd+logo-779841.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514526179552547042" /></a></p>I was given the opportunity to review another product for the Old Schoolhouse Crew! I just love getting products to review, at no charge. My favorite part is writing all about what I think of them and posting them here for everyone to benefit. :) <br /> <br />Here's the rap sheet:<br /><br />The products: Math Tutor Pre-Algebra Tutor <p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9SCT_B5unOuWN7GX0Y0ZViHv97DQAaycwVT0cQNbHEodyvdRJ-LuKmMj-fTOUXTrLRfNgKZEdbeE_oyxlUsoGCOPpOCxXejSS_yHLUhJFK_jxCiNG4C8rR2KFAVaRRvFXMj2UdBYQai2/s1600/Pre+Algebra-781390.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9SCT_B5unOuWN7GX0Y0ZViHv97DQAaycwVT0cQNbHEodyvdRJ-LuKmMj-fTOUXTrLRfNgKZEdbeE_oyxlUsoGCOPpOCxXejSS_yHLUhJFK_jxCiNG4C8rR2KFAVaRRvFXMj2UdBYQai2/s320/Pre+Algebra-781390.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514526186281633570" /></a></p><br /> The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor <p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPN2X0AWnqUX04x-OjeO9Y7vlUlN1qjSBb7-w4qnWTCuXTvNCevXg3A-d6RnZYPfjasHPqksL69a2uoUZfY52xCW0fhAih8lYtJABQ5VeBeVYlMoF1fvwLno4BQsSMsRiFIwzQGVaLRRj/s1600/TI+83+84+Calculator+Tutor-782843.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPN2X0AWnqUX04x-OjeO9Y7vlUlN1qjSBb7-w4qnWTCuXTvNCevXg3A-d6RnZYPfjasHPqksL69a2uoUZfY52xCW0fhAih8lYtJABQ5VeBeVYlMoF1fvwLno4BQsSMsRiFIwzQGVaLRRj/s320/TI+83+84+Calculator+Tutor-782843.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514526192100393266" /></a></p><br /><br />The benefits: Personal instruction, on your schedule, in your own home!<br /> <a href="https://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/5.cfm">Online resources</a> such as forums and worksheets.<br /> You can even receive <a href="http://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/department155.cfm">free podcasts!</a><br /> <br />The cost: $26.99<br /><br />The risk: NONE! Guaranteed to improve grades or your money back.<br /><br />The Pre-Algebra Tutor Volumes 1 & 2 <br />In volume 1, there are 5 hours of instruction and in volume 2, there are 7 hours of instruction. The instruction is enhanced with the use of a white board and tangible examples such as telling students to visualize jellybeans and a pile of markers for greater understanding of mathematical concepts. The teacher, Mr. Gibson, is down to earth and his goal is to teach concepts in a simplified way and he does so without being condescending! You can get a sneak peak of the program through the <a href="http://www.mathtutordvd.com/products/item66.cfm">video snippets</a> offered on their site. <br /> <br />The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor<br />Do <i>you</i> have one of <i>those</i> calculators?! You know, the ones that are really awesome and can do all the graphs and complex operations for mathematics?! We have one, but had barely scratched the surface of everything these calculators are capable of. Mr. Gibson breaks it all down in 37 sections in this 8 hour DVD program. He even includes how to use the calculator to create those complicated graphs and how to calculate interest rates, mortgages and loans, savings and investments! You can see the <a href="http://www.mathtutordvd.com/products/item63.cfm">sample video</a> here.<br /> <br />Overall, these are a good investment and worth looking into. In addition to these products, they offer Basic Math, Mental Math Secrets, Algebra, Geometry and Trig, Calculus, Physics, and Probability. They even offer incentive to purchase <a href="http://www.mathtutordvd.com/products/department9.cfm">mulitple DVD's</a> at a discount.<br /> <br />Contact information for the company: <a href="http://www.mathtutordvd.com/products/department24.cfm">Math Tutor DVD</a>, <br /><br />All the Crew reviews are <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/782960/">here</a>.<br /> <br />*I received no monetary compensation for this review and the opinions are my own.*<br /><br /><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"></div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-32087898289537291792010-07-23T01:25:00.007-05:002010-07-23T02:54:19.060-05:00Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQV3Oc6-RQiyCd9mmGxf_mfjfzVbf5gpsB5GVE1MNudiEW_9hltZtctUYja3Lpv9yswj41o897IHEUc5X-7BaSd8oLUL8u7GHHwtKMV09EKEZF668vkmUBjJ9lgZohZxsNbyFDipdUMY0/s1600/travelkits_cover_sm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQV3Oc6-RQiyCd9mmGxf_mfjfzVbf5gpsB5GVE1MNudiEW_9hltZtctUYja3Lpv9yswj41o897IHEUc5X-7BaSd8oLUL8u7GHHwtKMV09EKEZF668vkmUBjJ9lgZohZxsNbyFDipdUMY0/s320/travelkits_cover_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497002969140263058" /></a><br /><div>Summer usually involves vacations, visiting family and friends and maybe even exploring areas not far from home. Do you ever wish that you had something better to occupy your children's time when traveling? Boy, I do! And I don't just want to "occupy" them, I want part of that time to be spent on something meaningful and maybe even educational. Why not, right? I mean, we only get to raise them once.</div> <div> </div> <div>So, as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Crew for the 2010-2011 school year, I was given the pleasure of reviewing another great e-book called Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others written by Donna Rees. The title is intriguing, no? Oh! And of course, it's not JUST for kids or for certain ages! Well, here's some info to get you interested and then you can hop on over to the wonderful <a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/">Old Schoolhouse Store</a> to browse this and other products. I've provided a direct link to the product further on in my write up here. ;)<br /> <br />Are you wondering what this travel kit e-book is about? Donna Rees does a great job of explaining the who, what, when, where, why and how! In fact, it's even listed that way in the table of contents, how cool is that?! A travel kit is a collection of snacks and gifts, individually wrapped in a sturdy container to take with you on your trip! This way, the trip is more fun and you get to feel good about giving too! So, at this point, you're probably thinking, well, okay, I don't need to buy the book for this. But, wait! There are soooo many good ideas, both for items to put in the kit as well as places to get them from! See, for me, the most fun part is having items in those kits that haven't been seen or used before. But, just because it's "new" to my kit receiver, doesn't mean it's brand spankin' new. Ah-ha! Do I have your curiosity peaked? In the grand scheme of things, I would much rather have a memorable "trip" AND vacation.</div> <div> </div> <div>Without further ado, here's some tidbits of what you can expect:<br /></div> <ul> <li>Ideas for those kit goodies</li> <li>Some great places to get the goodies from</li> <li>How to pass out the super finds</li> <li>Resources for creating things like puzzles online</li> <li>How to prepare for your trip</li></ul> <div>Whether you are a savvy, experienced shopper or a novice, this e-book would be a great resource for your library. It's great as a first read, but would be a benefit to browse over again and again. There's wonderful potential to cultivate the giving spirit in your children as well! By purchasing gifts for birthdays, friends, weddings, baby showers, etc., the trip can be a grand time to put together kits to be gifted to others at the appropriate time. And, as with most books, ("oh the places you'll go, in the pages of a book") my wheels started turnin' for more uses.</div> <div> </div> <div>Please, take a moment and hop on over to the <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/"><font color="#880000">TOS Homeschool Crew </font></a>blog to check out what the other crewmembers are saying about the <a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_201&products_id=15670"><font color="#880000">Travel Kits</font></a> e-book. It's a good value for only $12.45. </div> <p><a href="http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/"><font color="#880000">The Old Schoolhouse Magazine </font></a>publishes this book and there are other <a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=index"><font color="#880000">e-books </font></a>worthy of glancin' at and maybe even treatin' yourself to purchasing! One of the cool things about an e-book is the immediate access!!</p> <p><br />*I was given this product free of charge and these opinions are my own.*</p> <p></p>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-24948628699620318142010-07-19T09:00:00.005-05:002010-07-19T09:11:11.411-05:00Travel the World!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsquzC3sfSYYflWkrUVZrUbQZVslJKrHhZuVIDCuVF56abaCEUnrvNxy0AUSIqoNjy_Jp3ZrD78F5bpBGPM4Wf_8Lsf72yA-ygnBaCP4bzRAHa5gwTWhgglBel7Q6vsiJR39e9HDQ_U09/s1600/2010JunModuleCoverSM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsquzC3sfSYYflWkrUVZrUbQZVslJKrHhZuVIDCuVF56abaCEUnrvNxy0AUSIqoNjy_Jp3ZrD78F5bpBGPM4Wf_8Lsf72yA-ygnBaCP4bzRAHa5gwTWhgglBel7Q6vsiJR39e9HDQ_U09/s320/2010JunModuleCoverSM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495617609670551042" /></a><br /><div class="gmail_quote"><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I'm excited to be writing my first product review for <a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com" target="_blank">The Old Schoolhouse Store</a>! <br /></p><a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193&products_id=16122" target="_blank">Travel the World</a> is a unit study that can be used with various ages and can be a stand alone or you can use it as a foundation for more in depth lesson plans. Within this ebook are:<br /> <br /><ul><li>A brief overview of Geography</li><li>Activity pages such as word finds, rebus puzzles, poetry, coloring pages and more!<br /></li><li>Copywork pages</li><li>Lapbook templates</li><li>Special section to use with High Schoolers</li> <li>Recipes</li><li>Answer Keys</li><li>Resource links, some to The Old Schoolhouse Store and others out in the world wide web</li></ul>We found this unit study to be a good asset for our homeschool as it incorporates across curriculum knowledge such as reading, writing, art and technology. The resource links to enhance the learning experience were wonderful to have at our fingertips. And since it's an e-book, I was able to print the pages I needed such as the reproducible worksheets. In this way, we saved money by NOT printing out the overview and just read it straight from the computer. :)<br /> <br />You can purchase this product by either buying the TOS planner, it's included as one of the monthly modules(unit studies), or as a separate unit study. The <a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193&products_id=16122" target="_blank">Travel the World e-book</a> is affordably priced at $7.95. If you're interested in the <a href="http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193&products_id=14269" target="_blank">2010-2011 Schoolhouse Planner</a>, it sells for $39.00.<br /> <br />Personally, I would have liked to see a little more information included on the continents. Also, we haven't done a lot of lapbooks/notebooks in our homeschooling journey, but are beginning to do more and I was expecting more in that area. It still is a good resource to have for your geography lesson plans!<br /><br />**I received this product to review, free of charge. These opinions are my own.**<br /> <div style="display: inline;"></div> </div><br /><div style="visibility: hidden; display: inline;" id="avg_ls_inline_popup"></div><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}</style>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-56688608441503653592010-06-29T19:35:00.005-05:002010-06-29T19:41:54.989-05:00Mom, What does “dud” mean?Our son loves glow sticks! In fact, people buy them for him as gifts because he enjoys them so much. Of course, we all know that on occasion, one will not work as well as it’s supposed to and only part of the stick lights up, or maybe even none of it. So, I grab another glow stick and hand it to him so he can “break” another one and tell him, “Sorry son, that one was a dud”. He repeated the word and liked the way it sounded, so over the next couple of days, anytime something didn’t work right, he would use the word dud and had a great understanding of how it should be used! A couple of weeks passed by and we get out a new glow stick about once a week. So, it’s Saturday and we’re pulling out a new glow stick and it didn’t work right, so he says, “Aw man, it’s a dud! It doesn’t work!” I giggled inside myself, the way he said it was so cute. He opened another one and it worked just fine. He didn’t have much else to say about it until yesterday and he asked the question, “Why do they call it a dud when it doesn’t work right Mom?” So, our adventure began and we were off doing research to find the origin of the term. Now that we’re all ed-u-ma-cated, (giggle) I thought I would share with you all what we discovered!<br /><br />According to Webster.com, the word dates back to 1567 and is from the Middle English dudde. The meanings listed are; <br />1 plural a : clothing b : personal belongings 2 a : one that is ineffectual; also : failure a box-office dud b : misfit 3 : a bomb or missile that fails to explode. Now, those are just for when you use the word as a Noun! As an adjective, it means of little or no worth and dates back to 1903. And of course, I’m not JUST going to use Webster, so here’s some other information you may find interesting…<br /><br />According to some Mike and Melanie, some etymologists (people who study the history and origin of language)“The term dud first appears in 1307 as dudde and refers to a `cloak or mantle made of coarse cloth.' In 1508 the term duds refers to `ragged clothing.' In 1825 the word came to be used to describe `a person in ragged clothes,' and in 1908 to describe `a useless, inefficient person or thing.' The latter meaning was transferred during Word War I to `a shell which failed to explode,' i.e. `a failure,' and the failure meaning has been with us since.” Now, if you want to see what else they post, they have new stuff each and every week! You can also ask questions about different words if you want to and under the ‘About’ tab on their page, you can read more about how the site came to be, how it’s influenced the web and more about them!<br /><br />So, a little further research showed it’s thought that when the word dud was used in World War I, it became the acronym for ‘device unable to detonate’. Whether or not this part is true, I am uncertain. But, given the history of the word, it is easy to see why it has the varied meanings that it does today. <br /><br />What words do you find interesting? Share your thoughts and information!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5713259010673505757.post-6659092404494776062010-06-15T01:35:00.000-05:002010-06-15T01:38:23.630-05:00My Elastic Life!<br /><br /><br /> I am just getting this blog up and running and wanted to post something witty and fantastic that would get attention, but, what I came up with was explaining away why I chose this title for my blog. Like I’m being graded or have to justify, right? Bwah ha, ha, ha. Well, anyway, you may just find it interesting and hopefully get a little laugh as to my musings here.<br /><br /> Okay, so why would I choose a title such as this for my blog? Oh my goodness, well, you just have to know me to understand that! My life has been crazy and somehow I always manage to “come back from it”. I persevere, press on, muddle through, or however else you want to say it. It’s not always pretty, but hey, I’m still here and breathing and have drawn a little closer to the Lord! <br /><br /> So, did you know that Webster gives these words as synonyms for elastic? - Flexible, adaptable, adjustable, alterable, changeable, fluid, malleable, modifiable, and variable. The word flexible means: capable of being readily changed. The word elastic means: able to revert to original size and shape after being stretched, squeezed or twisted~! You see, I have to maintain a life of elasticity to keep moving forward. There are times that I feel I’m being stretched to the very breaking point and am always amazed at how well I can bounce back. So…My Elastic Life just fits the bill. As you follow my blog and read posts, you will find the title was a good choice. <br /><br /> What will you find here? A little of this, a little of that, some product reviews, interesting and funny stories and well…just what makes my life so elastic!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01134377410858118501noreply@blogger.com2