Field Trip Friday: WonderWorks

20190111_141709 — The amazing upside down building!

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Last week I shared with you about our little mini vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC and our visit to Medieval Times for a history experience. Today I want to share about our visit to WonderWorks. With its creative architecture it is hard not to notice this venue as you drive through Myrtle Beach. We had seen it several times on past visits but never had the opportunity to visit. Thankfully we had done some research before this visit and realized that it was home school days and the perfect time to check it out.

When I told the children (and my parents) that we would be going to WonderWorks I called it a science museum. While this is a true statement it is more than just a science museum. I would say it is a cross between an amusement park and a science museum. They call it ‘edu-tainment’ for educational entertainment. There is lots to learn but most of it is very hands on and often active.

What to expect from a trip to WonderWorks Science Musuem

It would take a small book and not a blog post to do justice to all of the various exhibits but I will give you an overview and tell you more about some of our favorite exhibits. We spent between 3 and 4 hours there and easily could have spent a whole day if we had the time. They have a cafe where we ate a late lunch, but you can also leave and come back with your ticket and hand stamp.

The first room included a Titanic exhibit in which you could put your hand into the freezing water, a hurricane exhibit where you could feel the hurricane force winds, and a computerized display and game about other weather disasters. We were having fun and enjoying our visit in this room, but soon learned that most of WonderWorks was even more interactive. For example, in the next room, you could use a pulley system to pull yourself up a tower, play various ball games (football, baseball, etc) by throwing the ball against an interactive video screen to see how well you played, and if you were brave enough even peddle a bicycle upside down and in a 360 degree turn.

In one room they had a bed of nails that you could lay on. This really interested my older children because they had recently seen a performance where the guy laid on a bed of nails. They enjoyed trying for themselves and learning about the science behind why it works. My daughter said this was her favorite exhibit, but she also spent quite a bit of time on the glow in the dark ropes course that was hanging above the top floor. She spent almost 30 minutes just climbing/walking around on the various obstacles that were suspended above the over exhibits.

20190111_113247

The baby really enjoyed the bubble exhibit where we were able to make giant bubbles and pull the bubbles over ourselves. He also enjoyed the giant piano. He may not have understood how to really play it, but he enjoyed hearing it make noise as he crawled over the keys.

20190111_114041 — Forgive the glare, but this was a section of the giant pin art board.

My four year old loved the giant 8 foot tall pin art wonder wall. Many of us had a small pin art toy growing up, but I had never seen one this large. Instead of just your hand or nose you could press your whole face and body into this pin art board. We had a great time making impressions, taking pictures, and then starting it over. The baby even got involved with his hands and feet.

My oldest enjoyed the 6D motion theater. They had multiple movies that you could watch in 6D with 3D glasses and lots of movement. Personally, it was a little much for my stomach and I’ll fully admit to closing my eyes but my son and husband really enjoyed it and watched several of the options.

You can check out this educators guide for more information on all of the exhibits that they offer. You can learn about space, light and sound, weather, robotics, gears and more in a hands on way. They even offer laser tag (included in regular admission and a $3 charge with home school tickets). I highly recommend this trip for a fun science adventure. If you are not near or planning to visit Myrtle Beach, check out the website to see if they have another location near you. Also, for more great ideas in Myrtle Beach check out this great idea from my friend Jennifer over at Homeschool Fanatic.

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Where: 1313 Celebrity Circle Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

Hours of Operation:

Sunday-Thursday – 10:00 AM-8:30 PM

Friday-Saturday – 10:00 AM-9:30 PM

Costs: Adults (13+): $28.99 Children (4-12): 18.99 Children Under 4: Free

Homeschool Discount: If you go during home school days the price is $12 per person (an additional $3 if you want to play laser tag)

Website: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/myrtle-beach/

Food: There are drink machines inside as well as a cafe in the gift shop. You cannot bring food into the museum but you can come and go throughout the day if you wanted to leave for lunch.

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This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies!

Starting August 31st all of Evan Moor’s Daily Practice titles will be on sale 20% off!

The NEW color edition of All About Reading is ready to order!

FREE Writing About Books: Book Reports and Beyond from Write Shop!

FREE: Check out this great new FREE resource for classical and Charlotte Mason education! Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. Great for folks already homeschooling or if you have friends that are looking into it!

What is New With All About Reading?

Testing out All About Reading's new color edition level 4

If you have been following along on our homeschool journey, you may already know that one of the programs that we love and are most loyal to is All About Spelling. My oldest taught himself to read (with a little help from the leap frog videos) at the age of three but struggled with spelling. We had tried traditional spelling books, word walls, copy work, and other assorted programs and styles until I was at a loss. Finally, I found All About Spelling and it really clicked.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

At that time I did not switch over to All About Reading because both my oldest and my second child were already reading well and I was not looking for another phonics program. However, my third child will be five in a few months and start ‘Kindergarten’ next year which in our home means we will at least introduce him to a phonics program and see how things go. Depending on how he does with it, we may keep going or we may hold off a little longer until he is developmentally ready. In looking at various programs I have been highly considering All About Reading. I know that I will be using All About Spelling with him when the time comes and I love the idea of the two programs that are set up with similar styles and working together for an all around literacy program.

All About Reading's new color edition review

Knowing that I was considering it for next year, I was very excited to learn about their new color edition. The color makes it very visually appealing to young learners and can help with engagement. In addition to the full color activity books and heirloom quality readers they have also fully updated the teachers manuals with full color and an additional 56-72 pages of material per level.

I wanted to dig a little deeper and I was given the opportunity to try a sample lesson. I used a lesson from the level four program and gave it a try with my daughter. I knew going into it that it should be a review for her but I wanted to see how the style worked and what she thought of the new activities. She really enjoyed it and thought that the game she was able to play was a lot of fun. She told me that she thought the reading program was, “cool”. For this particular game she had a set of word cards that had a gopher on one side and the word with another gopher on the opposite side. She had to pick up each card, read the word on the card correctly and then she could place the card through the slot on her paper that made it appear the gopher was going into his hole in the garden. It was quite simple but as she stated she really enjoyed it and it made the practice more fun.

The lesson we worked on taught the ph phonogram. First with the flashcard and repeating after the instruction that ph says /f/, two letter /f/. Then after a bit of review and practice you moved onto reading words using that phonogram and the other letter tiles. First together and then independently. Once you felt they had grasped the concept you could move onto the activity and further review as needed.

All About Reading is a great systematic way to teach phonics. Much like the spelling program it goes through each step making sure to teach both the rules and the exceptions. They do a good job incorporating various learning modalities throughout the program. I have found that even though I have memorized how to read or spell a word, there are rules that they teach that I never learned. This new updated program keeps all of those positives and adds in some extra helps for you as the teacher and the addition of the beautiful full color pages. I highly recommend that you take a look and see if this might be the right reading solution for your family. You can even try the sample lesson!

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Deals and Freebies!

My Snowman Paul is Free on Kindle and many others in the series are less than $1.

Are you looking for a free Bible study that your whole family can enjoy? The Proverbial Homemaker is offering up a study of James that is FREE for a limited time.

Did you join us last week for the FREE five day activity challenge?

To keep the fun going, and keep making memories with your kids, Jamie has a program called The Activity Room that I know you’ll love, so I have to share about it just a bit, plus it is only open for enrollment a few times a year and enrollment JUST opened TODAY.

What this means for you, right now — is that The Activity Room is open for enrollment only through this Thursday, January 24th. After that time, she’ll close down to focus on her members and won’t open the doors again until May.

Changing Up Curriculum Without Overspending!

It is January, a new calendar year, but for most folks the middle of a school year. It is often a time we reevaluate what were are doing in our home school to see what is working well and what needs some tweaks. Sometimes we can make minor adjustments and see big changes. For example, I shared last week about how I switched my son from regular chalk pastels to chalk pastel pencils and renewed his love of art. However, sometimes you need to make bigger changes. It could be that the spelling program you are using just is not working for your child, or they are frustrated and not understanding math because of the way it is presented.

How to stay flexible and change curriculum without wasting money.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

It can seem so simple to change things up on one hand, but I also know that curriculum can be a financial investment. It can feel like a waste to toss aside old curriculum without using it and purchase more curriculum (which may or may not be the right fit). However, continuing on with a curriculum that is not working is not just wasting money but time. So how do you manage to not waste money or time and still have the flexibility to find the right fit for each child?

One solution is to buy used curriculum. If you can find the curriculum you want used you can save money upfront. Assuming that it is not a consumable product you should also be able to sell it when you are finished or realize it is not the right fit for your family and recoup much of your investment. You can ask around on your local homeschool Facebook groups or e-mail loops, your local homeschool store (if you are lucky enough to have one), or check online at places like Amazon or eBay.

What if you want even more flexibility or do not want to hassle with buying and selling curriculum? You might want to the ability for your children to pick out some of their curriculum based on interests or to add electives as the year progresses. This is where a family membership to Schoolhouse Teachers can be the perfect solution. They have a variety of classes for each grade level in most subjects with a total of over 425 courses for the whole family. This means that if you are working through one of their 7th grade literature courses and decide it is not quite right, you just switch and take a different one. All of the courses for ALL of the students in your family are included for the same low price. You can also combine courses or just do certain lessons depending on what you need for your child.

I personally use a combination of both of those approaches to give me flexibility to work with what each of my children needs, to change things up as we go along, and yet to stick to a reasonable budget. We use math from other programs, but love the literature courses on Schoolhouse Teachers. I love the fun hands on courses for my preschooler and enjoy being able to give my children access to instruction in a variety of electives based on their interests.

If you were looking for an inexpensive way to change things up or just wanting to add in some fun electives like music, drama, bread making, photography, homesteading, graphic design, or wild life adventures, you should consider a membership to Schoolhouse Teachers. Right now they are running a great special that makes their already good value even better. You can get access to all 425+ courses, World Book resources, and lots of parent resources for your entire family for only $90 a year. You can pick and choose as many or as few courses as you would like and change them whenever you see fit. You can do lessons from various courses or do the entire course straight through.

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Deals and Freebies!

Starting August 31st all of Evan Moor’s Daily Practice titles will be on sale 20% off!

The NEW color edition of All About Reading is ready to order!

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

If you are looking to add some new electives or switch up some of your classes, SchoolhouseTeachers.comis having a great sale, that is over 400 courses to use with all of your children for one low price.

Happy Birthday AA Milne

Growing up we did not have satellite or cable television, but my aunt and grandmother both had a satellite dish (you know, the big ones that looked like UFOs). When I went over to their house, I loved watching the television show Welcome to Pooh Corner.

I have so many fond memories, and when my children were old enough, I was excited to share the characters of Winnie the Pooh and his friends with them as well. The show is no longer available, but the books that inspired them are a great place to start.

happy birthday aa milne

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links; see below for more information. *

Happy Birthday A. A. Milne

January 18th is the birthday of the man who created the wonderful imaginary world of Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne. What better way to celebrate his life than to read some of his wonderful stories.

There are several different books and collections written about the bear and his friends. I have included links to those in the resources list for your convince. If you do not have any of them, several of them are less than $2 on Kindle or Audible.

In addition to the stories that he wrote, we really enjoy the book Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear. (As of this posting, the book is only $1.71 on Audible, but prices are subject to change.) This book is a great story about the bear that inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories, as well as an introduction to World War I. It is a picture book, but even my older children enjoy it.

Art and Food Ideas

If you want to do something a little different, you could try a new recipe with honey (Pooh’s favorite food). You could also try this free Winnie the Pooh art lesson by the wonderful folks at You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels.

If your children are a little older, you could also watch the new Christopher Robin Movie, I have not yet seen it, but it does have good reviews on plugged-in.

I hope you have a chance to study AA Milne and his wonderful books. Winnie the Pooh is such an enjoyable addition to any childhood and a great way to revisit memories of when you were younger.

I had a $5 credit on Audible and a lot of errands to run today, so for less than $1, I picked up The House at Pooh Corner, and we will be listening while we ride.

Take a few minutes today and read a book, listen to a story, draw a picture, or try a new recipe. Who was your favorite character from the 100 Acre Wood?

Winnie the Pooh Resources

Free Art Lesson

Winnie the Pooh (only .99 on Kindle)

Audible Dramatization of Winnie the Pooh and The House on Pooh Corner

Now We Are Six

Finding Winnie

Christopher Robin Movie

Pooh’s Library

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When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

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This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies!

Journey Homeschool Academy is offering sale if you need a new science program! We love their high school programs and plan to try their elementary astronomy next year.

This is a great resource for lots of amazing printable materials from pre-k to 12th grade and they are offering 40% of lifetime access.

My Snowman Paul is Free on Kindle, and many others in the series are less than $1.

Are you looking for a free Bible study that your whole family can enjoy? The Proverbial Homemaker is offering up a study that is FREE for a limited time.

Field Trip Friday: Medieval Times

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

We recently had the opportunity to spend a few days in Myrtle Beach, SC for a little rest and rejuvenation. Our primary purpose for this trip was not educational but we did take advantage of a few fun educational opportunities. The first one was not your typical field trip but it was so much fun and a great addition to any study of medieval history.

We are currently studying Ancient history but still wanted to take advantage of this opportunity while we were there both because of its educational value and because we knew the children would have a great time. What is this wonderful opportunity? The dinner show at Medieval Times. We went to the regular evening show, but some days they offer special school/ homeschool shows at lunch time. They even have free lesson plans and materials that you can download to accompany your trip.

When you arrive at Medieval Times you immediately notice that the building is designed as a large castle. This is a great visual for children that have been learning about castles. On the inside you get a chance to meet several costumed interpreters that are playing the role of the queen, knights, and the queen’s advisors. You have the opportunity for pictures and to ask questions while looking at various shields, suits of armor, and other replica items. For a small additional fee you can also tour the dungeon, but this tour may scary for small children. My husband took my oldest through it but said that he would consider the some of the content to be ‘PG13’ so use your own discretion but I probably would not recommend it for children younger than teenagers.

Once the time of your show has arrived you will be seated according to the color that you were assigned when you arrived. This color represents the knight that you will be cheering for during the show. Once seated your server will bring you your beverage of choice and the first of several courses. My four year old’s favorite part of this experience was that there is no silverware; you eat everything with your hands.

Once you are seating with your drinks the show begins. Each year the show changes a bit but the overall idea is that you have multiple knights competing in a series of games. They demonstrate some wonderful horsemanship as well as skill in the competitions. There is jousting, sword fighting, targets and more all demonstrated as a part of the story and show that is taking place in the arena while you enjoy your dinner.

The dinner consisted of soup, bread, chicken, potato, corn and dessert. While not the most gourmet meal that I have ever eaten, it is well cooked with generous portions. It also includes your choice of tea, soft drink, water or lemonade. The ticket price includes the show and your dinner but not the gratuity. You also have the option of purchasing additional drinks (frozen novelties, adult beverages, etc) and a variety of souvenirs and pictures.

My children all enjoyed the show and their dinner. It was exciting and engaging. The horses were beautiful and very well trained. The knights did a great job in the games and they provided an excellent show.

This field trip would be a great way to introduce or conclude a study of knights, castles, and medieval times. The ticket costs vary depending on the season. We went in January which is the off season and they were offering a variety of discounts. They also have special ticket pricing for the lunch time shows. We went to the show in Myrtle Beach, SC but they do have several other castles through the United States and Canada.

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Where: 2904 Fantasy Way Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

Hours of Operation:

Varies depending on the season and castle. Check the calendar here.

Costs: $55.95 adults $28.95 Children 12 and under (regular pricing check for discounts and deals)

Homeschool Discount: If you go during a school showing you can get School Show Pricing of $26.95 per person

Website:

School Show Pricing $26.95 per person

Food: Included with your ticket

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Deals and Freebies!

Exciting news from All About Learning Press this week ! The NEW color edition of All About Reading is ready to order! We use All About Spelling and are hoping to use All About Reading next year with my son who will be in Kindergarten.

My Snowman Paul is Free on Kindle and many others in the series are less than $1.

FREE Writing About Books: Book Reports and Beyond from Write Shop!

Did you join us for the FREE 5 Day activity challenge? To keep the fun going, and keep making memories with your kids, Jamie has a program called The Activity Room that I know you’ll love, so I have to share about it just a bit, plus it is only open for enrollment a few times a year and enrollment JUST opened TODAY.

A Fun Winter Art Lesson and What It Reminded Me About Flexibility.

We have been using You Are An Artist Chalk Pastel lessons for several years now and I really enjoy the ease of use, the fact that my children can do them independently, and the flexibility that they offer. They did these adorable winter bird chalk pastel paintings this week which are now proudly displayed in our kitchen.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

The Problem

A few months ago my oldest son who normally loved art and drawing was starting to resist doing the lessons and I was not sure what was going on. He is a preteen and can be a bit moody as is typical of boys his age so I did not know if it was the program or just him testing the waters and pushing his boundaries. As we talked more I realized that he was frustrated with the bit of mess that can be caused by regular chalk pastels.

The Simple Solution

My other two children that participate in the lessons do not mind the bit of mess, that is easily cleaned up with a baby wipe. I first tried letting him use his colored pencils and while he enjoyed that more, it was harder to get the same effects as the pastels with regular colored pencils but then I found Chalk Pastel Pencils! You get the neatness of colored pencils (no chalk pastels on your fingers) but the ability to blend and create the effects of chalk pastels. He received a pack of these pencils for Christmas and is once again excited about participating in his art lessons.

Lessons Learned

When I thought about the effects of that relatively simple change, I realized that there are many areas of our home school that might be positively affected by small changes. If your child is not enjoying or performing well in a particular area, you may not need to go all out and completely change curriculum (though sometimes that is the right solution).

For example they need to do that subject during a different time of day, or they prefer reading in a comfy pod chair instead of their desk. When we have problems it is a good idea to look for those little changes that can make things work more smoothly. I would love to have you share with me what you are doing in art or what little changes have made your school days run more smoothly.

winter artand a lesson onflexibility!

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Deals and Freebies!

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices subject to change always check before purchasing.)

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

If you are looking to add some new electives or switch up some of your classes, SchoolhouseTeachers.comis having a great sale on over 400 courses to use with all of your children for one low price.

All About Learning has released the best deal of the day: A FREE Snowman Pack with reading and spelling activities for a variety of ages.

Apologia has a new FREE Christmas/Advent E-book!

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

Practice Monkeys Violin Lessons and a Discount! (Review)

img_20181026_100635_129 — Practice Practice Practice

Years ago my daughter was gifted a violin from a friend but aside from her making a few screeching sounds on it she never really used it. We couldn’t’ afford private lessons and the time commitment of loading everyone up to drive across town (we live out in the country), wait for her to complete a lesson, and then drive everyone back home just was not practical for our family. Thankfully, Practice Monkeys had a great solution for us. The Family Subscription to Live Violin Classes was a great way for her to learn violin right from the comfort of our home and for a price that was reasonable.

Practice Monkeys offers four days a week of live online classes as well as a ‘treehouse’ or website full of support. For the live classes you can log in at the time set aside for your child’s level and they can see/hear the teacher and she can see/hear them. This is a great chance for them to practice, learn new skills, and get feedback on their progress. In an ideal world and for the most benefit you would attend these sessions most of the days that they are offered.

However, our fall schedule was absolutely crazy and we were not at home most days during my daughter’s live lesson time. That did not keep her from watching, learning, or progressing. Each week the previous week’s lessons are uploaded onto the website where your child can access them to practice on the days when they cannot join the live lessons. This gives you a great deal of flexibility for practicing when it works best for your family.

In addition to the regularly scheduled lessons, Mrs. Van Kleeck offers help sessions several times a week for students that may be struggling with a concept or need a bit of extra help. Also, for a small additional fee students can schedule one on one assessment times. These are required for moving up in levels but can also be beneficial for a student that has questions or wants one on one assistance with a particular skill. My daughter recently moved from level two to level three and I found the assessment to be very beneficial. Not only was she able to show mastery of the level two skills, but she was able to get some direction on a few small changes she could make that improved her performance.

Using Dad’s office to do her assessment so the baby and the preschooler would not interrupt.

She also offers many resources for parents to be able to help their students as they learn and grow. I am not musically inclined and at first was very hands off of the lessons but I did find that it was beneficial to my daughters performance for me to be somewhat involved and helping her move forward. This does not mean that the parent needs to be a musician or able to play the violin but I do recommend utilizing the helps that she offers to be able to support your student as they progress. In addition, I had a few questions and was pleased at how quickly they were answered via e-mail. Mrs. Van Kleeck was very friendly and approachable both during the lessons and via e-mail.

When we decided to give this a try we realized that the violin that my daughter had been given several years ago was already too small for her. We were able to find her a suitable violin used for a very reasonable price but were not sure what we were going to do with the small violin. My four year old quickly let us know that he also wanted to learn to play the violin. While I have not yet formally started him in the program, he did enjoy watching the various lessons and learning some of the basic skills. Fortunately for us, this program is a family subscription so when we do decide to let him start formal lessons the cost will remain the same.

In addition to the monthly fee (regularly $49 a month for the family but check out our link below for a discount), you will need a few supplies. You need a violin, a shoulder rest, rosin, and some levels will need Suzuki books. We found with a bit of looking we were able to supply those materials used for under $40 though that may vary depending on your location. You also have the option of buying a new violin or renting a violin depending on what works best for your situation. She has links on her website to help you purchase the correct equipment and make it as simple as possible.

Overall, my daughter really enjoyed the program. I saw growth and enjoyment even though we could not utilize the program to its fullest due to our time constraints. I recommend this program if you have a child or children interested in violin lessons. You will see the most benefit if you can regularly attend the live classes, however, if your schedule is such that it is not possible, I still recommend giving this program a chance. You may want to do a few extra scheduled assessments to get feedback as you move forward but you can still make great progress. ~~Now until February 1st Practice Monkeys is offering Review Crew readers a special discount of only $39 a month which is good for the lifetime of your subscription.~~ We are looking forward to continuing our subscription and hope to see you in class!

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January Hymn Study: Shall We Gather at the River

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. * When I started thinking about a hymn study for January I was looking at various lists of hymns for the ‘New Year’ and thinking that it would be appropriate to chose one of those hymns. I even started writing a post about one of them but it never felt quite right. Then I finally slowed down enough to listen to that still small voice and I kept hearing the words to this song in my head. It is a hymn that I love but do not often hear anymore. I pray that you enjoy this study this month and that it resonates in your soul.

Shall We Gather at the River Story

Shall We Gather At the River was written by Robert Lowry in 1864. He wrote the song based off of Revelation 21:1-2 where there is a description of heaven with a river flowing by the throne of God. I love the imagery and it makes me think of all of those who have gone on before me that are gathering at that river, singing praises to God. While the song and the verse are speaking of heaven I think it also reminds me to gather and slow down in the here and now. Life has a way of getting busy and chaotic and we need to ‘Be Still’ and spend time with the Lord.

Additional Resources

I have included several audio versions of the song as well as the lyrics and sheet music in the links below. There is also a free downloadable hymn study sheet and a free copy work to go along with the hymn. I pray that this song blesses you this month.

Audio Versions

Audio (Gospel Choir)

Audio (Buddy Greene)

Lyrics and Sheet Music

Download Your Freebies Below!

Hymn Study Fact Sheet

Shall We Gather at the River (January Copywork)

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on. Resource Library This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies!

and Freebies

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

Journey Homeschool Academy is offering sale if you need a new science program! We love their high school programs and plan to try their elementary astronomy next year.

This is a great resource for lots of amazing printable materials from pre-k to 12th grade and they are offering 40% of lifetime access.

2019 Book List

For 2018 I had a goal of reading twelve books and I surpassed that goal. I am a book lover that had gotten off of track because of children and life. It felt really good to get back into the habit of reading. I only count books that I am reading for myself and not the books that I read aloud to the children. I am increasing my goal for the year from 12 to 24 books. I have not chosen all of them but I have a good stack to get started and I can add to my list as I find good books to read.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

I am going to start out in January by finishing a book I started last year and put down after the hurricane, Becoming MomStrong. It was a really good book and I am excited to get back into it. I have also been reading Uninvited by Lysa TeKeurst and hope to finish that this month. Then I can dive into the rest of my 2019 list.

I plan to get quite a few of them from my own book shelves where I have lots of good books that I haven’t found the time to read yet. In addition, I am excited to hear about the books that you are reading and hope to find some good suggestions in the comments.

Just Open the Door is a great book on hospitality or at least the few chapters that I have already read. I received this book as a Christmas gift and I couldn’t help but get started. I love the down to earth suggestions combines with Biblical advice. I am hoping to finish it in January as well and begin to implement some of her strategies.

2019 book list

Girls Club: Cultivating Lasting Friendships in a Lonely World is a new book by Sally Clarkson and her daughters Sarah and Joy. I honestly have read many of her books and not found one I did not like. I am so excited to read this one when it releases in February and I already have it pre-ordered. She gives wonderful practical advice with high ideals and a Biblical foundation.

Caught Up in A Story is by Sarah Clarkson and talks about how good books can shape a child’s education and imagination. ” Drawing on her own storyformed childhood and her long study of children’s literature, Sarah Clarkson explores and celebrates the soul-forming power of story to help children imagine, and live, a great story of their own.”

Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter is a series that I have been reading since the summer of 2017. You will notice that I tend to gravitate towards non-fiction but I do also love this charming fiction series that is based on the life of Beatrix Potter.

Journey that Saved Curious George is a children’s book and I will probably end up also reading it to my children but I included it on my list because my wonderful husband bought it for me after I had seen a blogger friend review it. It looked like such a great book that I mentioned wanting it and it showed up on the Christmas tree. I plan to read it for myself and then share it with the children. It is the story of how the author of Curious George, HA Rey, escaped Paris as the Germans advanced.

Anne of Green Gables is a book that I read and loved as a young child. My daughter is reading it as part of her literature assignments this semester and I decided it would be fun if I re-read it as well. It is a fun book full of many great lessons. (if you do not have a copy of this classic it is only .49 on Kindle)

The Organized Homeschool Life is a book I’ll be reading throughout the whole year. It is a book that includes a week by week guide to getting organized. Each week has a manageable step that you can complete towards organizing your home school in a variety of aspects not just physical items. The first week was all about setting up a good devotional routine. I found this book through a friend of mine that blogs over at HomeschoolFanatic and has started an online book study. If this book interests you I encourage you to join us over in the group. (Book Group with Homeschool Fanatic)

Those books will give me a good start to my reading goals for 2019 and I will be adding as I go along. I am hoping that at least half of my books will be books already on my shelves or in one of my reading baskets. There are so many books and so little time, but I have found that keeping books available and ready and reading even a few minutes at a time really adds up. Do you have a reading list or any reading goals for 2019?

Also check out this fun list full of classics from The Life We Build.

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My Snowman Paul is Free on Kindle and many others in the series are less than $1.

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Foot Prints Across the Year

20190102_131204 — I thought this turned out adorable but in hindsight I would not use a black background.

Children grow up so fast and it really is true that the ‘days are long but the years are short’. As the mother of a 12 year old I can tell you that the years fly by and I’m sure that will become even more a reality as he continues to grow up and gets ready to leave home. I am blessed to have four children ages 12, 10, 4, and 10 months and I want to make sure that I utilize the perspective that comes from having older children to really enjoy the moments with all of them. This doesn’t mean that every moment is going to be fun or that I’m going to be any less exhausted (teething anyone?) but I want to make sure that I capture the memories while they are at each new stage. *Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

Why Keep Track of His Footprints?

When my oldest was a baby I thought I would always remember with vivid clarity each moment, each new accomplishment, each different stage, but time has a way of making some of those memories quite blurry. I think this is especially true for busy moms that have so much going on with just keeping the house running and making sure everyone is clean and fed. I wanted to be intentional about watching the baby grow up even in the midst of the hustle and bustle so I decided to create a keepsake each month that would remind me how much he was growing.

How Do Footprints Through the Year Work?

Each month I’m going to do a foot print project that goes along with the month/season and at the end of the year I will have a fun collection and be able to see how much his tiny feet grew over the course of a year. My four year old LOVES anything related to paint so he will probably also participate although I don’t expect to see as much of a dramatic difference in the size of his prints. I may use his hands instead of his feet. I had originally thought about using hands for both of them, but attempting to make a hand print using the 10 month old taught me that it was not the best plan.

20190101_155201 — The hand print did not turn out well as he did not want to relax his hand.

I hope to be able to create some kind of book or keepsake at the end of the year to commemorate the growth. While you have the paint out and the children messy you can even create a duplicate project that you can send to grandparents or other relatives that might enjoy the keepsake.

January’s Footprint Project

For January I found this footprint snowman that was super easy to complete. For the baby I just helped him make his foot print and then I finished the project. I let my four year old see the example of this cute snowman project using a hand print and he loved the idea. However, I made the mistake of leaving him alone with his hand print and his new paint sticks and the results were not quite was I was expecting. We may try again later this month with a little more guidance. 20190101_165356

If painting isn’t the right fit for you, you could do some other fun craft, a series of pictures, or a program like Qeepsake which sends you a question each day to answer and create a journal of memories. I hope this post encourages you to have fun capturing memories of the hectic but wonderful time when your children are small and growing and changing rapidly. I would love to hear your ideas in the comments for how you record those memories and mementos. foot prints across the year pintrest

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Deals and Freebies!

you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

Journey Homeschool Academy is offering sale if you need a new science program! We love their high school programs and plan to try their elementary astronomy next year.

This is a great resource for lots of amazing printable materials from pre-k to 12th grade and they are offering 40% of lifetime access. My Snowman Paul is Free on Kindle and many others in the series are less than $1.