Do you have a few minutes you’d be willing to spare? I’d love your help in answering some questions!!
The survey is closed now ~ thanks so much!
You all were an amazing help!!
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
5:14 PM
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0 Comments
Have a little cowboy or cowgirl in your house that would like to spend some more time on a cowboy unit?
I’ll be sharing some other fun cowboy crafts and go-alongs soon, so stay tuned!
Other Links to Check Out:
~ Christian Preschool Printables Western VBS Theme
~ Pre-K Pages Western Theme
~ Making Learning Fun Western Theme
Find more Early Learning Printable Packs
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
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1 Comments
Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a week is the lack of 
anything planned or expected. And this week just so happened to be one of those weeks.
It all started with the mere fact that we woke up on Monday morning. While we had been busy sleeping, outside our house the snow had been falling all night long. It left more than a dusting and there were some whoops and hollers happening in the house when it was discovered {all too early in the morning}.
I did what any mom {who doesn’t see snow that often} would do. We called it a snow day, dropped everything and we ALL went outside to play in the snow. Took a hike through the woods and found animal tracks. Built snowmen. Went sliding down the hill. Did a whole bunch of reading.
Had fun.
Tuesday was a back-in-the-swing day, which was followed by Wednesday. A friend ended up in the ER and her children spent most of the day at our house. Another day spent playing together. Thursday we did some basics {handwriting, math, and science} and then had a belated Valentine’s Day party and enjoyed the fact that it was almost 70 degrees ~ after a snow day earlier in the week.
Go figure.
When all was said and done, I can honestly say that it was a most MARVELOUS week that boiled down to us spending a lot of fun, relaxed time together. There may not have been any specific focus overall for the week, but I’m very much okay with that.
Very much okay.
More Preschool Links
Ready to Link Up?
Share what you are doing with your kids! Please link your exact blog post to the Mr. Linky below and link back here too! Grab a button for your post below and be sure to take a minute to visit the person who linked up before you. You can read more in the updated guidelines for Preschool Corner.
Be specific in your ‘link title’. Leave either your blog name or theme and provide an age range for your activities. Something a little like this:
Police Officer Theme {ages 4-5}
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Labels: Preschool Corner
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
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0 Comments
Many days I post any free Kindle books I’ve found on my Facebook
page. Frequently though, readers comment that they wish they could read the books ~ but they don’t own a Kindle.
Guess what? You do NOT need to own a Kindle to download the free Kindle books or to read them! How wonderful is that news?
While I LOVE my Kindle e-reader that was purchased a little over a year ago, Amazon offers several other options for reading the books without owning a Kindle device. Here are a few:
~ Kindle app for your iPad, iTouch or Droid
~ Kindle for your PC or Mac
~ Kindle Cloud Reader
Aside from the convenient size of my Kindle {it fits in my purse with room to spare}, the biggest plus for me is the lack of backlighting. I have a hard time falling asleep after too much ‘screen time’ and the fact that it is much like an actual book page helps me out so much. In the summer, the text also shows up great in bright sunlight.
If you are in the market for a Kindle there are several different options available for you to choose from, ranging in price from $79 to $189 with free s/h {I’d recommend the ones on the low end!!}. Although I have a Kindle without the special offers, I actually added them to my Kindle because they occasionally have some great deals.
~ Kindle e-reader w/ Special Offers {$79} or Kindle w/ wifi only {$109}
~ Kindle Touch w/ Special Offers {$99} or Kindle Touch w/ wifi only {$139}
~ Kindle Keyboard 3G w/ Special Offers {$139} and Kindle Keyboard w/ wifi and 3G {$189}.
~ Kindle Fire with backlighting {$199}
Note: There are other options for the Kindle as well, these are just a few of them.
On my blog No Ordinary Moments, I have a widget with the latest free Christian books for Kindle to release as freebies.
Although I check daily and pull books off when they are no longer free, please be sure to check the price before you add it to your cart. New books are updated daily on my Facebook page, but you may want to visit my blog at least once a week since I will be update it several times a week!
Note: Many of the Kindle freebies are also available as free downloads from Barnes & Noble for Nook readers also. I just typically spend most of my time on Amazon {ahem}.
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: Reader Questions, Reading
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
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0 Comments
This past weekend {and a few extra days}, I spent time with a most 
amazing group of ladies at the BEECH Conference. A handful of homeschool moms gathered to talk more about a vision for a different type of conference for homeschool moms taking place in 2013.
Though our numbers were small, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I gleaned from the weekend. Most importantly, I was blessed beyond measure with the relationships that were developed and deepened over the course of a few days.
At the beach with Jimmie and Maureen
I shared a room with two ladies that I am now able to call friends in real life as well as online ~ Jimmie from Jimmie’s Collage and Maureen from Spell Outloud. While I’ve known them online for quite some time now, being able to spend time with them in person and know their personalities ~ just too much fun. There were some late nights, deep conversations and my heart really cannot begin to explain all that happened.
The rest of the weekend involved a lot of talking, hands-on learning with each other, lots of laughter and plain ol’ fun.
Talking with Jamerrill (Holy-Spirit-led Homeschooling) Photo via Jimmie
The buzz about the BEECH Conference has been circulating and based on this past weekend, I can guarantee that you all will love what is coming.
BEECH will be a place where homeschool moms can retreat and build real relationships while learning the ins-and-outs of blogging.Can I encourage you to keep up on what is happening by signing up for the newsletter on the BEECH Conference website?
If you want to hear other tales from #BEECHcon see:
Daze of Adventure
Spell Outloud
Jimmie's Collage
Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling
Hodgepodge
Domestic Serenity
Donna Spann
Finding Joy
Layered Soul
Mommy Matters
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: BEECH Conference
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
12:00 PM
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0 Comments
The weatherman has been predicting snow and lots of it. As homeschool moms, we don’t depend on a bus picking up our child so the whatever the weather ~ school is on, right?
image courtesy of Microsoft
Growing up, snow was a very normal occurrence in our area and snow days were reserved for huge blizzards. Where we live now, snow is a treat and drivers in our area are typically a little unsure of how to handle the weather.
This morning we woke up to about 4” of snow and although the kids don’t know it yet, they are going to have a snow day. Although the trek to our schoolroom isn’t treacherous or unsafe, we’re going to have some fun playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa and relaxing together.
The beauty of homeschooling is ~ we can have a snow day whenever we want to!
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: My Ramblings
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
7:01 AM
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0 Comments
Moments to Remember was developed as a simple way to look back on our week as homeschoolers and find photos that encompass the memories we want to remember.
The week may have been tough, there may have been more bumps than smiles, but in the end these are the moments that keep us going, the ones we need to remember.
Something that I am so very thankful for in homeschooling ~ the ability to be flexible. Our week off in school fell during a time that I had to travel. While the kids are at home relaxing with their dad, I am learning and being encouraged by a fun group of ladies.
__________________________________________________
Ready to link up and share your moment this week?
 |
Link up your moments to remember post below, be sure to provide a link back and be sure to use a permalink to link up your exact Moments to Remember blog post {not your blog home page}. Your post can be as simple as one photo, or as detailed as tons of photos and tons of words! This linky is for homeschoolers, or families who are keeping their kiddos at home during the early years {we consider you homeschoolers too}.
When adding your link, just put your blog name for the title and choose an image from your post for the thumbnail.
Next week, link up with 1+1+1=1!
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: Moments to Remember
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
|
0 Comments
On the school front, this was a very quiet week overall. I spent the first few days of the week not feeling well and then the last few days of the week with some wonderful ladies at The Beech Conference.
Kaleb meanwhile had fun racing in the derby at Awana this week and even placed in his race which was very exciting for him {although he doesn’t look too thrilled, eh?}.
That pretty much wraps up our week here. What excitement happened in your house this week? Link up and share below. :)
More Preschool Links
Ready to Link Up?
Share what you are doing with your kids! Please link your exact blog post to the Mr. Linky below and link back here too! Grab a button for your post below and be sure to take a minute to visit the person who linked up before you. You can read more in the updated guidelines for Preschool Corner.
Be specific in your ‘link title’. Leave either your blog name or theme and provide an age range for your activities. Something a little like this:
Police Officer Theme {ages 4-5}
| |
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: Preschool Corner
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
|
0 Comments
Early this morning I left to attend the first ever BEECH Conference. BEECH stands for “Blogging to Encourage and Equip Christian Homeschoolers” {which is something I am rather passionate about!}. Over the next few days, I am very excited to be together with some amazing women who have blessed me immensely over the years.
While we are all hanging out together, we will be throwing a party online that you can join in with us on Twitter!! Join us Thursday, February 16 on Twitter at 9pm EST! Follow the hashtag #BEECHcon and follow both Jenn @dazeofadventure for the questions and @spelloutloud for the winner announcement.
But you don’t have to wait until Thursday night to start enjoying #BEECHcon!! There will be a special pre-party prize that you can enter right now.
We’d like to see what encourages you in your homeschool adventure. Your encouragement might come from a person, an object, or a special place. Whatever it is, submit a picture of your source of encouragement on the #BEECHCon Facebook page for a pre-Twitter party prize entry to win a $50 gift certificate to Hearts at Home curriculum store.
All pre-party entries must be submitted by 8:30p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 16th. The winner will be selected at the start of the party, and you need to be there to claim your prize.
More Prizes Too!!
The above prize is just a teaser! Make plans to join us this Thursday, February 16th at 9:00 PM EST for the #BEECHcon party, sponsored by these great folks:
Until then, find BEECH on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to receive information about what BEECH has in store for 2013. Hope to see you there!!
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: BEECH Conference
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:21 AM
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0 Comments
When I pulled out the latest Bible study lessons from Grapevine, there were literally cheers around the table. Last fall we worked through The Life of Joseph, drew stick figures, and our family fell in love with Grapevine studies. This spring we’ve been using The Resurrection Bible study and the kids {and I} have been loving it.
Take 20% off any non-sale item through
April 15th using code Rez12
What’s Included in The Resurrection study?
The study starts in the Upper Room and works through the events surrounding the Last Supper, the betrayal by Judas, through the trials and into the final hours of Jesus’s life {view sample lesson here}. We used the Multi-level study which includes 11 lessons. Although it is for ages 7 and up, we used it with all four of our children ages 5-10. Lessons include:
In addition to the teacher and student books, you will also need a Bible, colored pencils, a whiteboard {or large paper} and colored dry erase markers.
How We Used The Resurrection Bible Study:
We divided the lessons up over a 3 week period. At the beginning of each lesson we did a quick review and then worked through the passages in that lesson. Our girls would take turns reading the accompanying Bible passage {we use the NIrV Discover’s Bible} and then complete we all would complete the drawing to go along with that passage.
We have a large whiteboard easel that I would draw on using our BIG colorful pack of Expo dry erase markers so all the kids could see the pictures. As I read and we talked about it, they would copy the pictures onto their lesson pages. The varying colors of the figures and things used in the lessons are a great tool. For example, Jesus is purple throughout all of the scenes, making it easy to identify him in the study.
Although we didn’t do the Bible memory verses that Grapevine suggested, the kids decided to sing one of the verses that we read and we used that verse throughout the study since we know it from our Seeds Family Worship cd’s. {Note: I do appreciate that it is included in the study, but we just opted not to include it at this point especially since the kids are doing a lot of memorization with Awana as well}.
Here are a few things that we like specifically about Grapevine:
nd printing! The kids illustrate the ‘scenes’ with specific characters. I draw the scenes on our easel whiteboard and they copy them down as we talk about the passages from the Bible we are learning about. 
If you’re interested in any of the other studies and levels from Grapevine, you can download sample lessons from many of their other studies here. They have a variety of studies including Old and New Testament, Esther, the Birth of Jesus, the Life of Joseph, and Biblical Feasts.
Don’t forget to use the code Rez12 through April 15, 2012 for 20% off!
A Giveaway Too!!
Would you like to win the Beginner or Multi-Level Resurrection Teacher/Student ebook set? Follow the directions in the widget below to enter to win! Additional entries are provided, but not necessary in order to win. RSS and email readers, please visit my blog to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
I was provided a e-copy of this study from Grapevine in exchange for my honest review and opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own. I do not have to return my review copy ~ thank goodness.
Labels: Opinions and Reviews, Reviews: Bible, Reviews: My Favorites
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:30 AM
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5 Comments
To celebrate Valentine’s Day and God’s love for us, What’s in the Bible has a special Valentine’s Day card and coupon code that is available today only {February 14th}. The coupon code will give you $10 off Volume 1: Genesis and includes FREE shipping and handling.
Bottom line is $5.
Just click on the valentine card with Sunday School lady {she just cracks me up} and use the code LOVE4 during checkout.
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
|
0 Comments
It’s always good when I take a look at the plans that I made at the beginning of the year. Especially, when those plans include a week-long break that starts today.
Ahhh….the fun we will have. :)
The kids and I just started reading Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins and they are also anxious to rack up as many reading hours as they can to earn a free ticket to Six Flags.
In case you missed the post on my Facebook page, the Six Flags: Read to Success program is open to homeschoolers!! You have to register and each child needs to read 6 hours before March 1st ~ but you still have time. So, if you live within 250 miles from a Six Flags, sign up and download the forms.
We’ll be cuddling up on the couch to finish up the last few hours of reading {although certain children have already managed to finish up their allotted time}. I will have some other fun posts this week still, including a giveaway, so stay tuned!!
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
|
0 Comments
Moments to Remember was developed as a simple way to look back on our week as homeschoolers and find photos that encompass the memories we want to remember.
The week may have been tough, there may have been more bumps than smiles, but in the end these are the moments that keep us going, the ones we need to remember.
__________________________________________________
Ready to link up and share your moment this week?
| |
Link up your moments to remember post below, be sure to provide a link back and be sure to use a permalink to link up your exact Moments to Remember blog post {not your blog home page}. Your post can be as simple as one photo, or as detailed as tons of photos and tons of words! This linky is for homeschoolers, or families who are keeping their kiddos at home during the early years {we consider you homeschoolers too}.
When adding your link, just put your blog name for the title and choose an image from your post for the thumbnail.
Next week, link up with 1+1+1=1!
Visit these great companies!
- Maestro Classics ~ classical music series for children and families
- Great Homeschool Conventions ~ outstanding & affordable homeschool events
Labels: Moments to Remember
posted by Jolanthe Erb at
6:00 AM
|
0 Comments
A resource of homeschool activities for children ages preschool through elementary including free printables, crafts, product reviews, and more.
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