Buy Handmade: The Melting Pot Candle Company

I just love candles (who doesn't?!) and when I can find
ones that are handmade by a mom, I like 'em all the better.

The Melting Pot Candle Company is owned and operated
by Natasha, a 31 year old wife and mother of 3 (plus one on the way!).
She was kind enough to send me some sample products
to check out, including bath salts,  mini melts, a tart warmer, 
a soap sample, and some little tea light candles.  PLUS
She's offering a giveaway..be sure to read all the
way to the 
bottom of this post for details!
The mini melts are really cute, some even having
sprinkles on them
to make them more festive, and the scents are really
nice and yummy.  :)  I'm looking forward to giving
some of these
great items as gifts for Christmas.  The prices are
bargains--you can really get a lot for your dollar,
and put together a beautiful,
useful, as well as economical gift here.

Natasha shares about how she got started in
her business: 
I started making soy and palm tarts because my
favorite tart maker decided to no longer sell her products.
I was on a mission to make the best tarts for the best price.
I love making homes smell great and people happy.

What inspires you?  
My customers inspire me!
I get a lot of feedback from my items and I am grateful
for each and every one of my customers.
I try my best to make sure each and every order to
every person is perfect.
I get a lot of joy trying new things and sending them
as freebies or having particular customers try new products.
I appreciate their thoughts and take them all very seriously.

What are some of your favorite items in your shop? 
Some of my favorite items are my new ones!
I love handmade soap.
With the economy getting tighter and pressing on my
own wallet I could no longer afford to buy from other WAHM's
so I created my own and offer them at the lowest possible prices. 
Some of my favorite scents are Oatmeal Milk and Honey,
Wild Mountain Honey, Pink Sugar, Cotton Candy and
Sweet Orange and Chili Pepper!  

One of my favorite things about The Melting Pot
Candle Company is their Random Act of Kindness program.
If you know somebody who needs a "pick me up" or deserves
a little special something, you can send in your story about them.
Once a month someone is chosen to get a special goodie
package from The Melting Pot for FREE!  How sweet is THAT?!
This sort of
thoughtfulness and heart is the kind of thing that makes me
LOVE supporting mom-owned businesses.... Heart!
You can read more about that here.

As I looked through the Melting Pot site I saw over
and over again the sort of thoughtfulness
and heart that goes into this business.  From
conscientious shipping policies, and being mindful 
of pricing and speedy service, I am impressed and
pleased to recommend The Melting Pot
Candle Company to you.  :)  

GIVEAWAY:

Natasha is offering one lucky winner a candle burner, tea lights, and
5 tarts of their choice of wax (soy or palm) and scent! (photo below shows details)


To enter:

1. Visit The Melting Pot Candle Company and look around.
Come back here and leave a comment, letting me know which 5 scents you'd want to win! Be sure that your email address is included so that I can contact you if you win.

2. To get an extra entry, join their facebook fan page by clicking here. Leave a comment letting me know that you joined and your name as it appears on the fan list.

3. To get another entry, blog about The Melting Pot Candle Company. Leave a comment letting me know you did this, with a link to your post.

1 winner will be randomly chosen on Saturday, December 12.

Buy Handmade: Anise Mouette

Anise Mouette is a super-fun place to shop for retro-inspired handmade goodies. Check these out:

Felt Plush Toys!

How cute are these scarves with little animal friends?!

I love these birdies! (Anise sent me a tote bag with this design.
Love it!! Nicely made, and great for a reusable grocery bag!)

Itty bitty finger puppets that are SO sweet!
(I got one for someone on my Christmas list! It is well made and totally adorable.)

Tell a bit about yourself:
My name is Anise and I live in Altadena, California,
with my 22 month old son Cyan and husband Biff.  
My Etsy shop is anisemouette.etsy.com.  
The name makes up my first and middle names
which are French, though I’m not French,
at least not entirely.  
I’m a native Angeleno, though I did live
with my parents in Paris for a brief time in the
early seventies when I was just a baby.

How did you get started creating your products?
When I was a child I loved to draw and over
the years I've taken more art classes than
I can count. 
In college I enrolled as an art major, but
I eventually majored in English literature 
and then went on to pursue a master's in
creative writing. 
Following, I taught collegiate English for
seven years, but with the birth of my son,
I decided to take a break from the working
world and spend more time at home. 
In doing so, I was inspired to pick up the
pencil once again. 
Memories of my childhood and the playful
nature of my son became the focus of my
work and then, 
after stumbling upon Etsy and the Handmade
Movement, 
I was immediately inspired to take my
designs to the next level 
and create Anise Mouette - a line of
retro-inspired handmade wares 
that include toddler & adult tees,
canvas totes, “kitsch”en magnets, utility aprons, 
and now felt goods.

What inspires you? 
As mentioned, both my son and memories
of my childhood inspire me the most, 
although I am always up for a challenge
and often try my hand at craft challenges 
such as those held on Craftster every month
which allow me the opportunity to 
work with new ideas and mediums on a
regular basis.

What are some of your favorite items
in your shop? 
Recently, I've started working with felt,
so my newest items are my current favorites.
My "record player" tee and tote come in
at a close second while my customer base
seems to love 
my "family fun" items most.

One thing I love hearing about is the
ways that businesses share their
profits with others.  
Here's what Anise does:
Since I've taken a break from teaching,
I'm using a portion of all my sales 
to purchase baby formula for infants in need
so as to keep contributing to my community. 
Once a month I purchase formula locally and
then donate it for immediate distribution 
at the Foothill Unity Center in Pasadena, California.

If you're a crafty gal yourself, and want to try your hand
at making some of the
items that you see at Anise Mouette, you can
 check out her blog,
where she spreads
 the crafty goodness, with her “Kitschy Crafts” section.
Anise posts fun how-to 
craft tutorials regularly!  Pretty cool, eh?
(I know my 13 year old daughter will be loving this!)

Here's a picture of Anise and her son. Awwwww! :)


Keep up with the latest and greatest at Anise Mouette by joining their Facebook Fan Page here.

Buy Handmade: Julie the Fish Hand Stamped Personalized Keepsakes

I know that a lot of us homeschool moms also like to support other mom-owned businesses. This year I'm sharing about some of my favorite handmade products, made by moms! Enjoy. :)

Julie the Fish offers a fabulous variety of hand stamped, personalized keepsakes, and I think she literally has something for everybody! Whether you are looking for a gift for a man, woman, teenager, child, coworker, or a special occasion, she has just the thing. And if she doesn't...guess what. She does custom work too! So you can let your imagination loose and get something completely unique. Awesome! The prices are very reasonable, and Julie works fast, considering how much of her work is custom. You'll want to get over there right away to make your purchases, because December 7th is the cut-off to ensure Christmas delivery.

Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post, because Julie's got a GIVEAWAY for you!!

I think the first thing that caught my eye at Julie the Fish was these custom guitar picks. With a 17 year old rocker in my own home, I loved it that I had found something mom-made, handmade, and cool enough for a teenage boy. :) The finished quality is very good, and the size works perfect for us because my son prefers the smaller jazz picks, so he is going to love this.


These leather bracelets are another unique find that will work well for guys or girls:


I just love these necklaces. Such a great gift for a new mother! I got one for a new mommy on my Christmas list, and I'm very pleased with the quality and look of it. So sweet!


This sort of creative piece is right up my alley. I love swirly trees, and anything that can be personalized with a larger number of names.

Julie sends out her products in sweet be-ribboned gift boxes, and I love that. It's all done and ready to give!


Here's my interview with Julie!

Tell a bit about yourself:
I'm a mother, teacher, and artist.
I stay home to take care of my two little boys during the day.  
I love my guys and enjoy all the funny realities of being a mom.  
At night I teach English as a Second Language.
My students are native Spanish speakers learning English.  
I have fun using both of my fluent languages every night.
I'm also an artist/crafter.  
I love to create just about anything.
My newest passion is hand stamped jewelry.
I just can't get enough!

How did you get started creating your products?
A friend of mine had a simple stamped necklace and I loved it.
I thought, "I can make that!" 
so I started creating custom pieces.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by my customers, their lives, and stories.  
I love creating a custom keepsake piece that someone
will cherish for years to come.
When someone has a special occasion
I feel honored to create a piece that helps them celebrate.

What are some of your favorite items in your shop?
My two favorite pieces in my shop right now are the
square name necklace 
and the love necklace.

All of the pieces in my shop
can be personalized with your information.
Also, if you have an idea of a piece
you'd like created I can make it happen.

GIVEAWAY!
Julie is giving away one of her 
hand stamped initial necklaces!  
The winner will get to choose
what letter you want on the necklace,
plus can choose from an assortment of crystals
or other adornments to go
with it.  Sweet!  

Want to win?! Here's how:

1. Visit Julie the Fish and browse around. Find your favorite item.

2. Come back here and post a comment, telling about your favorite item. BE SURE that I have your email address with your comment, or else there's no way for you to win. :)

3. Get an extra entry to win by becoming a Facebook Fan of Julie the Fish! (let me know in comments that you have done this, and your name as it would appear in her fans) Julie's Facebook Fans will get an extra 10% off their purchases in November. (hurry!)

4. Get an extra entry to win by placing an order with Julie the Fish! (let me know you have done this in the comments section)

5. Blog about this to your peeps! (send me a link to your post in the comments section)

6. Tweet about this post! (let me know in the comments section)

7. Winner will be chosen on Saturday, December 5. (I'll send you an email if you're the winner)

Calculadder and Ready Writer

Over ten years ago I purchased a master pack that included Calculadder and Ready Writer. Calculadder is a timed test for math, and Ready Writer has fun exercises for the beginning writer to learn proper writing strokes. Highly recommended! (and they have FREE samples available)

Thinking about Workboxes

I heard about workboxes for homeschooling a few months ago, and recently while my mind has turned to craving a new season of organization and efficiency around here, it came back on my radar. I am now scouring blogs to see how others are implenting the idea, plus I ordered my own copy of the book yesterday. I am going to try to hold myself back from getting a bunch of supplies until I read the book, plus re-read Managers of Their Homes, and work through Managers of Their Chores, both of which I also purchased recently. Can you tell that I am really, really, REALLY wanting some fresh inspiration for getting life organized?

Here are some of the resources I am checking out for workboxing ideas:

The original site, including where to purchase the regular book or the ebook.

Many sites that have inspired and informed me:
http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?cat=4
http://www.amothersjournal.com/2009/03/08/workbox-system/comment-page-1/#comment-2904
http://vegaadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-is-best-system-ever.html
http://myfamilyliferocks.blogspot.com/2009/03/workboxes.html
http://ginger-snap-shots.blogspot.com/2009/02/workboxes.html
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LeslieNelsen/Workboxes/

Have you used workboxes? If so, how did you like it? Share your ideas in the comments!

Easy Homeschooling books available for FREE!

Hey everybody!
Tonite I was able to add a selection of Easy Homeschooling books in the FREE Gifts with Purchase section of my health and wellness shop. You can check it out here. Feel free to let others know! :)

Wisdom from the past

“It is not difficult to see why … the female became the emblem of the universal … Nature …. surrounded her with very young children, who require being taught not so much anything as everything. Babies need not to be taught a trade, but to be introduced to a world. To put the matter shortly, woman is generally shut up in a house with a human being at the time when he asks all the questions that there are, and some that there aren’t. It would be odd if she retained any of the narrowness of a specialist. Now if anyone says that this duty of general enlightenment … is in itself too exacting and oppressive, I can understand the view. I can only answer that our race has thought it worth while to cast this burden on women in order to keep common-sense in the world. … How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No. A woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness.”
GK Chesterton

Facebook--come join us!

If you have not yet joined our Fan Page on facebook, what are you waiting for? We are having fun over there, giving encouragement (and hugs!) to moms that need it. Tell your friends, too. The more, the merrier.

"If I talk about it, I might start to cry."

I remember a few years ago when I was homeschooling only two of my sons, and things had been rather bumpy. I walked into a church event and a friend there asked the fateful words, "So how's homeschooling going?"

My answer?

"If I talk about it, I might start to cry."

And then I talked about it anyhow.

I told her that sometimes it was intensely hard. I told her that I was struggling. And I told her that although homeschooling can be intensely hard and a struggle, that doesn't mean I'm not where I'm supposed to be.

There is a lot in our society that tells us that if we are not happy and enjoying everything that we do, that we should feel free to go choose something else that would make us happy or be more enjoyable. I think that concept is wrong. There is a lot of value in struggle, suffering, perseverance, and commitment. Don't doubt it.

I really liked this article on this subject. Good stuff. Enjoy.

P.S. Later on that friend at church thanked me for my candid honesty. She told me that she had been thinking about homeschooling her own kids, but that every homeschool mom she ever talked to about it got all Stepford on her and acted like it was the most wonderful, natural, positive thing they could be doing. And she wasn't buying that. She said it made her nervous to only hear glowing reports, that she knew in her gut were probably not entirely true. Hearing what I had to say hadn't scared her off from homeschooling. She said it helped her feel like she had a more realistic idea of what it can be like, and what it takes to stick with it. I was glad I wasn't afraid to be transparent that day.

Raw Almonds for Sale!

Almonds are a delicious and nutritious snack, but the ones we get in the grocery store have been pasteurized, so the greatest health benefit has been heated right out of them.

This fall we are trying something new. Get in our our big bulk buy of fresh, unpasteurized almonds from California! At just $6 per pound, you can get these wonderful almonds in increments of 20 pounds.

Since these almonds are fresh, they will stay nice at room temperature for 9-12 months or more. If you store them in the fridge they'll last for years, and in the freezer they'll last for a really, really, really long time. :)

These almonds are not certified organic, but the farm that they come from has not used any pesticides in at least 15 years.

The almonds are shelled and fresh!

This is a pre-order. That means that you will order and pay for your almonds now. I will be placing our large order (many hundreds or even a thousand pounds or more) around October 15-20. Once they arrive here I will be shipping them out to you.

Feel free to go in on this order with a friend if you like. Almonds are great for Christmas gifts too!

This is a one-time opportunity. These almonds are just sold once a year when the fresh harvest comes in. There is a slight possibility that I may be able to take another order in November, but for right now this is the only time I can be sure of that there will be enough supply to fill the orders.

Click here to order.

Teaching Textbooks--Another Kid Loves It!

We added Teaching Textbooks 4 to our curriculum this year, and boy-oh-boy is it a HIT! My son is so happy that he has churned out 18 lessons in two days. :) He keeps coming to me to say how much fun it is, and how much he is learning.

Certainly at the speed of 9 lessons per day, he is getting quite a bit of review so far, but I think that's great. Teaching Textbooks is super easy for my child to use it independently without any problems, does all the grading and record keeping for me, and manages to do it all while bringing a smile to my kid's face. (and mine!)

We are eagerly awaiting the October release of the 3rd grade level of Teaching Textbooks. I've got another kids just raring to go.

"Get your toe out of your mouth."

This concludes today's True Confessions of Things Said at Supermom's Home School.

New School Year

After being inspired by Stephanie Nielson's annual Back-to-School feast and theme, I decided to employ a theme for our own school year. I picked Let Love Lead You. I made a theme card for each member of the family, and included a personal note on the back. I think they turned out really cute, and I am happy to have an easy catch phrase for what I urge the kids about so often.

Back to School Sale

Don't let the cooties get you down this school year! Stock up on Supermom's No-Lice Hair and Body Spray.

Right now you can Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

Whether you want two bottles for your own family, want to split the cost with a friend, or share the extra bottle with your day care provider or classmate, this is a GREAT deal that we have never offered before.

Shipping is a bit more when shipping two bottles together, so the sale price is $29.99 including shipping

Options

2 Bottles of No-Lice Spray $29.99 add a metal egg comb $37.89

Would you rather purchase with a credit card? Click here to go to my store!

Help This Family

I just learned about Carol and her family today. A year ago, after giving birth to her second child, Carol had multiple health complications that resulted in both of her legs and one arm being amputated, in addition to losing her sight. Unimaginably difficult.

As you can probably guess, their medical bills and the continuing costs related to Carol's rehabilitation are huge. There is a fabulous silent auction set up right now that ends soon. There are tons of gorgeous items there that you can big on. Most bids start at $15-20. PLEASE go check it out, and spread the word. This is an easy way to be a blessing to others.

The Ultimate Homeschool Expo starts soon!

THIS IS THE EVENT to be at if you want tons of encouragement and inspiration as you continue to homeschool your children, all for a rock-bottom bargain price, and from the comfort of your own home! PLUS, you can continue to take advantage of all the freebies, seminars, workshops, and speaker events for an entire YEAR! Click here to read all about it and get your ticket.

Listen in to some sessions here:

DIY College

I thought this article about the value of taking online college classes was very interesting and encouraging. Thought that some of you would enjoy.

I Know Most Moms Like a Little Extra Money...

I wanted to tell you all about You Data. Basically you sign up and then view a few web sites and make a little money. It's fun, I've found a lot of really cool new things this way, and I like the extra money in my paypal account! :) I've been using it for months now and enjoy it. Sign up is free and easy.

The Old Schoolhouse Tale 10 Promotion--Two Days Only!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is having their “Take 10” subscription promotion on May 25th and 26th. For just 48 hours, a one-year print subscription is only $15! Plus, as a bonus,new subscribers get 5 FREE WeE-books of their choice! Only good until midnight on May 26.
Click the banner above to check it out!

Homeschool Inspiration: Sonlight Curriculum

Of all the homeschool curricula I've tried, Sonlight has been the hands-down favorite for me and my children.

My real-life friend Jill Evely is a Sonlight representative and she has a wonderful, inspirational, and informative online workshop that you can listen to for free. It explains how Sonlight works, why a literature-rich curriculum is a great way to learn, and more. I just got done listening to it and it was excellent. Listen here.

On Being a Mother

Brave Writer Julie wrote an excellent blog post about being a mother. Check it out here, and enjoy!

Loneliness Book

Miiko Gibson is a dear, sweet friend in the internet community. Today I wanted to share with you about her new ebook called Sometimes I Feel Lonely. Originally written for her daughter, this book has such a sweet, gentle tone to it, as it guides the reader into both practical as well as Biblical ways to handle loneliness. All of Miiko's books and resources have this same lovely combination and think that this book will be a blessing to so many of you! You can check it out here.

I receive no compensation for telling you about this book. I simply believe that it is a lovely resource that others will be happy to know about. :)

Free English Grammar site!

I just found out about this great FREE resource today! English Grammar 101. Enjoy!

Listening to Learn

Do you ever struggle to do all of the read alouds for your curriculum?

Do you want to find a way to redeem the time spent in the car or waiting for appointments?

Are there subject areas where you are finding it difficult to teach your children, or wish you had a tutor available to enhance what you already do?

Would you like to make more great books available to your children?

I know that these are common issues for homeschool moms, and audio resources are a wonderful way to address these needs and make your homeschool better than ever!

I had the fun of getting to review a copy of Amy Blevins' great ebooks Listening to Learn today. Amy has put together this very informative resource full of everything you need to know to get started using audio books and downloads to enhance your homeschool. Amy covers the technical aspects (how to download/upload audio files, what kind of mp3 player do I need), the practical strategies (when to use audio books, what kind of items are available that can enhance what you're already doing), to tons of helpful resources to let you know where to start looking!

Although audio books have been on my radar for a long time, and my children listen to them most nights when they go to sleep, I found so many new ideas in this book for ways to expand what I'm trying to teach my children, ways to introduce them to new topics that may be of interest to them, and ways to use my own time better and be encouraged as a wife, mom, and entrepreneur.

This ebooks has a lot of truly helpful information and creative ideas for getting the most out of audio resources that will save you time, enhance the learning in your home, and expand your reach! I absolutely encourage you to get yourself a copy of this. I think you will love it!

**This is not an affiliate link. I have nothing to gain from promoting this book to you. I just feel strongly that it is a very good resource that will benefit most homeschool moms. :)

THE CIVIL WAR

I thought you ladies would enjoy knowing about this new resource:

25 lessons about the Civil War contain over 40 activities. Topics include: slavery and emancipation, secession, several specific battles, many important leaders and figures, women of the war, Reconstruction, and much more!

Check out the website for more info and pictures. Be sure to download
the free sample lesson while you are there!

Beyond The Tomb

Get a FREE Easter Unit Study here.

Math Can Be Fun!

Free mini ebook Math Can Be Fun: Help yourself and feel free to tell your friends! :)

Planting Taters

Don't miss my post about planting potatoes here! :)

Free Easter Resources from The Old Schoolhouse magazine!

TOS has put together some really nice FREE Easter resources that we can spread the word about! Included is a Unit Study, some placecards, and some copywork resources. Enjoy!

(Don't forget--if you are ever ordering anything from my health and wellness store, I can add in a free copy of the latest TOS magazine!)

Last Chance for Countdown to Easter Discount!

Tomorrow is the last day that you can use your SUPERMOM coupon code to get Countdown to Easter AND the Bonus Book for just $9.95. Don't miss it! (Click here to read more about it)

Items for Sale

I have a few items ready to go to a new home. All from a non smoking
home. Most of these are in perfect condition. (condition noted by
item) I can take paypal or credit card by phone. Would like to get
these moved on so would prefer not to wait for checks to come in the
mail. If you spend at least $25, I am willing to pay media mail
shipping to you. Orders under $25 will have media mail shipping added
to them.

A Family Treasury of Little Golden Books--hardcover, very good
condition, used in Sonlight P4/5 retail $22.49, my price $10

A Reason for Handwriting Teacher Guidebook--perfect condition. retail
$17.99, my price $9

singapore math 1A textbook excellent condition, retail $8.70, my price $5
singapore math 2A textbook excellent condition, retail $8.70, my price $5
singapore math primary mathematics 2A Home Instructor's Guide
excellent condition, retail $16.49, my price $10
singapore math primary mathematics 2B Home Instructor's Guide
excellent condition, retail $16.49, my price $10


TOPS science #38 Green Thumbs: Radishes (used in SL3)excellent
condition, retail $15, my price $8
TOPS science #39 Green Thumbs: Corn and Beans (used in SL3) excellent
condition, retail $15, my price $8

Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevieve Foster, very good condition, used
in SL 7, retail $17.95, my price $9
Keys to Good Language 5, Teacher's Edition, excellent condition,
retail $12.99, my price $7

You can email me at Supermom@SupermomsHealthAndWellness.com

Countdown to Easter

Back in December I raved about how much my children and I enjoyed our Countdown to Christmas book that we got from Amy Puetz. Now we are looking forward to using her new collection, Countdown to Easter. You can listen to my interview with Amy and learn about the book (and hear a story!) here, and you can purchase Countdown to Easter here. Use coupon code SUPERMOM to get the book PLUS the bonus book for just $9.95!

New Supermom Homeschool Podcast!

I've been wanting to start podcasting for well over a year, and finally am doing it! I've done a few for Supermom's Health and Wellness, and tomorrow I kick off my Homeschool Edition of Supermom Talk Radio with Amy Puetz! Amy has a wonderful new resource coming available on Monday, Countdown to Easter. I absolutely looooved Amy's Countdown to Christmas ebook, and so I jumped at the chance to talk to Amy about her new Easter book.

Join us tomorrow (Saturday, March 21) at 1pm Eastern time. Click here to listen in online, or for call-in information.

Veritas History Timeline memorization motions

My real-life friend Heidi put together this video featuring the music and motions she uses to help her children memorize the Veritas History Timeline cards. I thought some of you would enjoy seeing this.

Keeping Things Positive

Today was a beautiful day here. My husband was off today, so once school was done he and the boys played outside and then decided that it would be great to build a campfire and have a cookout tonite. This is one of their favorite things to do, and they were excited that we were back into "campfire season" around here. :)

They went to the store, bought hot dogs, mac and cheese, and smores stuff. They had a great time sawing branches to have enough sticks to roast their hot dogs and marshmallows on.

By bed time I started to usher the boys toward bed, but caught wind of their sweaty little selves and decided that 5 minute baths were needed. 5 Minute Baths happen on nights when it's all business bathtime. Quick in and out, with me making sure everybody gets cleaned and moved right along to bed.

My 7 year old got into the bath, and his sweet little legs were pretty dirty. My first reaction was to exclaim (in a friendly way) how dirty he was. but then I had an inspiration.

"Look at these legs! These are happy legs! These are legs that tell me that you have had a really fun day playing outside!"

He grinned and grinned as he recounted the fun he had had all day long. :)

This little scenario turned out so sweet, and reminded me how simple it can be to keep things positive, and to open up communication and make happy memories. Just wanted to share that with you all. :)

Copycat Books

This is a fun resource for me to mention to you because I first met the owner, Rhonda Roso, many years ago when her sons were in kindergarten. I guess they must been teenagers now. -Wow!-

A new title, The Basics in Manuscript, has recently been added to the Copycat Books series of copywork e-books. Also new on our website are FREE printables of pangrams (sentences containing all 26 letters) in both manuscript and cursive.

Copycat Books are educational e-books with copywork models in manuscript and cursive available in traditional, modern, and italic handwriting styles.

HisStory Sale and Freebies in March!

Hi ladies!
I got this information from Lisa, the owner of this business. They are having some great stuff going on this month!


For the month of March, Me and My House is not only having a great
sale on our popular HisStory Exclusive resources,
Freedom & Simplicity™ in HisStory

PIPEline of HisStory™

PIPEline™ Book of Remembrance


but ALSO offering a **FREE Sampler of Freedom & Simplicity™ in
HisStory** to our newsletter subscribers.
Read more here


Our newsletter has just gone out, but you can still subscribe to it
and get the Complimentary Sampler!
Get details of the sale and order at the link below - you can also
subscribe to our newsletter there.


Or use this direct link to subscribe, and get the Complimentary
resource:
http://frommeandmyhouse.com/mmh-list/?p=subscribe&id=6

Holy Week Devotional for the Family

Miiko Gibson is one of the dearest and most gracious ladies around, and she has put together a lovely family devotional series for Easter. You can see it here.

Miiko also has a free Lent ebook with activities and lots of neat things that you can get by visiting her blog here.

Enjoy!

Motherboard Books March Madness Sale

Get their popular website creation book at a great discount, plus a whole bunch of bonus goodies that are perfect for homeschools! This sale ends March 15, so hurry and check it out!

Wanting to Start Making Money Online?

I know that many people are looking for ways to earn extra money today. Using the internet is the best way I know how to do that.

Just recently an amazing new resource became available that teaches TONS about probably every aspect of making money legitimately on the internet. And guess what---it's FREE!

If you're at all interested, I encourage you to check it out. I have been learning from the site creator for several months now and have been extremely impressed with what he has to say. I hope it is a help to you.

For Sale: horizons math and A Reason For Handwriting

All in like new condition. Non smoking home.

Horizons Math 3 Teacher's Guide Part 1 and 2, plus Math workbook 2 ($42.50 retail for all 3 items) my price the the set is $33 which includes shipping

A Reason For Handwriting Teacher Guidebook for grades K-6th ($17.99 retail) my price $14 includes shipping

I can take paypal or credit cards.

Printable Valentines

Up until yesterday we had no plans for a Valentines Day party, but now we've been invited to one and I have five kiddos needing to provide cards to exchange with some new friends. I have found some cute resources that I wanted to share with you:

Valentines at The Toymaker

A variety including popular character cards here

A whole bunch of links to super-cute ones here.

Enjoy!

Special Offer From Times Tales

I've told you in the past about how much we have loved using Times Tales to help our kids remember multiplication facts. It has been many months since first using the system and it is STILL helping us! What a great product! Well, from now until Feb. 20 they are offering a special deal where you can get $5 off when you purchase Times Tales with the Mini Flip Chart (which makes it easy for the kids to quiz themselves on the memory stories). Just use coupon code NLFREEFLIP at checkout to get your discount.

Enjoy!

Audio Book Resources

A friend of mine agreed to let me share this wonderful list of audio resources that she and her children have enjoyed over the years. Have fun!


I have satellite radio and I am addicted to the old time radio show channel- much to my now older children's shagrin! They have a website where you can go and order or sign up to get low cost downloads (We have SLOW dial up, so I can't do this). Its www.radiospirits.com
When I googled old time radio, I got lots:

RadioLovers.com - Old Time Radio Shows
Listen to hundreds of old time radio shows online for free: Superman, Groucho Marx, The Avenger, Gunsmoke, Sherlock Homes, and many others.

Free Old Time Radio Shows - Free OTR Downloads In MP3
Free Old Time Radio Shows from "The Golden Age of Radio!"
Features some of the most popular old time radio programs of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

The Old Time Radio Network
Oct 23, 2008 ... Over 12000 old time radio shows you can listen to for free. We add about 100 more every week.

Free Old Time Radio Downloads | OTR | Old Radio Shows

WALT BAILEY'S OLD RADIO SHOWS
Site for collectors to buy, sell and trade radio shows from the 60's, 70's and 80's.

OLD RADIO SHOWS / PROGRAMS - HUNDREDS OF FREE DOWNLOADS
Listen for free to hundreds of old time radio shows online or download them: Amos and Andy, Jack Benny, Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, Our Miss Brooks, Whistler, ...

Homeschool Radio Shows sends links weekly (or even more often) to listen online or download and listen later. It's EXCELLENT for homeschooling.


Jim Weiss is our all-time favorite reader/storyteller and our original avenue into this audio world. His website is:
www.greathall.com He has a timeline you can use to find a story in an era of study which is very helpful. Outstanding.

Another great option is the Rabbit Ears series.


I would also highly recommend the Classics for Kids website and audio series. They have wonderful historical fiction stories about composers. We listened to Beethoven Lives Upstairs many, many times! This website also has a "sign up" feature and has lots of activities, etc.

We have gotten things, including Jim Weiss items, from an excellent catalog called Chinaberry.


Another excellent source is www.listeninglibrary.com We've gotten their catalog in the past.

A source which has some titles with which I am familiar, but am not totally familiar with the site is:
http://library.booksontape.com/index2.cfm

Others I found, but don't have experience with (but sound good!):
http://kids.audible.com/adkd/site/k/hp/LandingPgTemplate.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes Kids audiobooks for your iPod most appear to be free!!
www.childrensaudiobooks.com/

There's an "audio magazine" that we have enjoyed called Boomerang. Chinaberry has, in the past, offered some of them, but you can also subscribe. In Chinaberry, it had a set of cassettes that had just one feature of the Boomerang mag. that was a favorite. My youngest son listened to and loved that so much that he got his best friend hooked on them and ultimately got him his own copies for a gift!

There's much more, but, finally, I'd say that most classics/Newberry award winners that are read as audio books are great. I have found that the more recent Newberry winners tend to be less stringent on their moral standards, so be aware of this. For example, The Wolves of Willougby Chase and The Cay, both of which we checked out from the library, are a couple of our most favorite listens of all time. The Cay was read by Lavar Burton (there's another out now, which is not as good, we think, but that has an excellent interview with the author at the end!) and Wolves was read by Lynn Redgrave. Both readers are wonderful. I will look for things read by readers that we've enjoyed in the past. Oh, and we loved Call it Courage read by Lou Diamond Phillips.

Fun Poetry Class

I don't know if I've mentioned it here before, but I am quite unsatisfied with Sonlight 3's choice of the book Classic Poetry. It's everything that children expect poetry to be--dreary, boring, and difficult to understand. I have no idea why Sonlight would choose this book.

So, we've been reading Shel Silverstein poetry, which they gobble up and beg for more. Of course.

And then we found something neat and I used it to do two poetry classes this week.

Over at Great Homeschool Videos they have three YouTube videos depicting Robert Frost's poem The Road Less Traveled. (though some called it The Road Not Taken...) First I found the poem online and read it to the kids and we talked about what it meant. Then we watched each of the videos and talked about what we did and didn't like about each, and how each one did or didn't convey what we felt the poem was saying.

Another day we did the same thing with Robert Frost's poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.
We did the same thing with that one.

What I really liked about this was the way we could dive into one simple poem, understand it, and then see how others saw it or told the story. It was fun for variety as well. I had never thought about You Tube as a possibility for poetry lessons, but I will be looking for more of this kind of stuff in the future. It looks like there is a lot more to choose from there.