Thank You!!!

This has been on my heart and in honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of my readers who are serving or have served in the military and those who spouses are serving or have served in the military. I especially want to honor the mothers out there who hold their families together while their husband is away for long periods of time. You ladies truly amaze me! I am even more amazed and humbled by those mothers who have faithfully carried on after loosing their spouse in battle. You ladies are truly amazing and I want to say thank you! Thank you for the sacrifices that you and your families make each day so that you/your spouse can fight for our countries’ freedoms! I am forever grateful! I honor you and I thank you!!!

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Our NEW Calendar Board

The kids and I have enjoyed using our calendar time. We are still using our calendar notebooks (I love that the notebooks provides individual calendar work for each of my kids), but I have changed our calendar board.  Honestly, I got tired of having to set out the “pouches” with all of the “pieces” from our old calendar board. So, I decided to do something about it!

I LOVE our new calendar board set up!!! It is SO much better than what we had before! So, here is what the new board looks like:

{Click on the image above to see enlarged details!}

The main change with our NEW calendar board is that it is now made up of a bunch of “flip charts” on metal rings. So, I don’t have to keep up with anything because everything we need is right there on the board! No more missing pieces…no more having to remember to set the pouches out each night…etc.

Each day the kids still do their calendar notebooks and they take turns updating the calendar board. As opposed to me going over the calendar board, the person who updates the board also get to “teach” (i.e. go over the updates on the board.) As they go over the calendar board, the others follow along in their calendar notebooks. While I sit in on the kid’s teaching, I glance over their calendar notebooks.

Visit my Calendar Time webpage for details on how I made our new Calendar Board as well as explanations of how we use each of the parts. From the webpage you will also be able to download the printables that I made for the board. I have provided links to all of the printables that I used from external sites as well!

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Kids Flag Page {Review & Giveaway}

When I was presented with the opportunity to review the Kids Flag Page, I was VERY excited and of course I eagerly agreed! Prior to reading Jolanthe’s review, I had only been aware of the adults Flag Page. I heard Pastor Mark Gungor speak at a Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage conference and I immediately purchased the adult Flag Page materials. Having used the adult version, I was thrilled to use the kid’s version! (FYI, if you EVER have the opportunity to attend one of Pastor Mark’s conferences, I HIGHLY suggest it! It is Bible-based, insightful, and HILARIOUS!!! We even purchased the DVDs!)

Kids Flag Page is a neat parenting tool that will help you discover your child’s heart. It helps you tailor your parenting styles based on how God wired each of your individual children! Having five kids of my own, I can see distinct differences in each of them and I love that the Kids Flag Page helps me tap into each of their natural bents!

I love the caption found on the cover of the Kids Flag Page book:

I for sure think it would be a lot easier if each of my kids came with their own instruction manual, but the reality is that they didn’t. However, I do feel that the Kids Flag Page does provide valuable insight in how to best train up my kids according to God’s Word, my own parenting style, and the unique way God created each of my kids!

So, what is the Kids Flag Page? It is essentially an interactive game designed to help you learn more about the unique nature of your child. So, with game board in hand, I sat down with my daughter and we went through the deck of Motivation Cards until she divided all 36 cards into stacks on the game board labeled Always Me, Sometimes Me, and Never Me. Next we went through all of the Always Me cards and she narrowed them down to her six favorite cards. From those six, she selected her favorite card. (Yes, my little princess did not put any cards in the Never Me category…)

I used the included score card bookmark to tally her scores and determined her Home and Adopted Countries. She used the stickers included to complete her Flag Page! While completing the Flag Page DOES complete the child’s part, the real insight comes when you read the companion book “Discover Your Child’s Heart with the Kids Flap Page” by Dr. Tim Kimmel. I was really surprised as I read more about my daughter’s Home and Adopted Countries. It helped me to understand why she does some of the things that she does and how I can encourage her in those those natural, God-created motivations!

Needless to say, I was very impressed with the Kids Flag Page. It was fun for my daughter and very insightful for me as a parent! I plan to use it with my boys once they are a little older! In the meantime I have already identified what I believe will be the Home and Adopted Countries for them and I am excited to see if my predictions are correct!

The Kids Flag Page is designed for kids ages 4-15 and can be purchased directly from Family Matters for $44.99 (and includes materials for 3 children). The following is included:

• Activity Board
• Instruction Booklet
• 36 Trait Cards
• 4 Countries of the World Chart
• Kids Flag Page Book by Dr. Tim Kimmel
• Supplies for 3 Kids Flag Pages (Score Cards & Stickers)

 

Giveaway Info

~Giveaway is Closed~

Family Matters has offered to give a Kids Flag Page set to one of my readers! How cool is that!! The first and mandatory entry is to check out the Kids Flag Page and simply let me know that you would like to win!

Optional Entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)

• Blog or tweet about this giveaway & include a link back to this post (leave a separate comment for each)
• Follow (via Google Friend Connect) or subscribe to Mama Jenn (or let me that know that you already do) 

The giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, June 4th! Giveaway is for US residents only. I will select a winner using Random.org. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in case you do win!

Disclosure: I was provided with the Kids Flag Page to review on my blog in exchange for providing my honest, unbiased opinion. The opinions are my own and they are not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

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Weekly Homeschool Planner {Winner}

You all probably thought I had forgotten. {Truth be told…I DID forget!}  ACK!!! But, we do have a winner for the awesome Weekly Homeschool Planner! Congrats to commenter #9, April! I will forward your email over to Jolanthe so that she can get to all set up with your planner!

For everyone who didn’t win, you can still head over and purchase the planner! Who says its to early to start planning for the next school year! 

Remember, it is fully editable! You can buy this ONE planner and reuse it year after year after year! Now, I am a girl who likes to save money and not having to purchase a new planner each year sounds like an amazing deal to me!!

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Read It. Spell It. Write It. {Spelling Activity}

I created the Read It. Spell It. Write It. printable to go along with our Magnetic Phonogram Tiles. It is a great spelling enrichment activity that my kids enjoy using to practice their spelling words.

To save on paper and ink, we laminate the page and use dry erase markers. Another option is to slide the page in a page protector. Place the page on a magnetic cookie sheet or some sort of magnetic board. I prefer to NOT use the cookie sheet because the lip of the cookie sheet makes writing a big awkward and unnatural. So, we use a flat magnetic board that I found at a garage sale.

Simply write one word in each of the four boxes along the left side of the page prior to giving the page to the student. The student first reads the word aloud. As a reminder to read and sound out the word, the child must put a check mark in the box beside the word after reading it. The child then spells the word using some sort of alphabet manipulative (ex: letter tiles, magnet letters, foam letters, alphabet disks, etc.). We use our magnetic phonogram tiles. Finally, the student writes the word in the last box.

Download Read It. Spell It. Write It. from my Spelling Printables page.

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Mama’s Mission of the Month {May Mid-month Reminder}

Alright, all you mama’s who are participating in Mama’s Mission of the Month for April, this is the April Mid-month reminder about the goals that we set for the month of May. With the month more than half-way over, I just wanted to check in to see how you all are doing!

As for me, fortunately there is still some time left in the month. While I haven’t completed my May missions, I am almost certain that at least two of my goals WILL be accomplished! Stay tuned for my new Calendar Board and my Kids Flag Page review!

With that said how are you coming along with your May Mission of the Month? Feel free to leave a comment letting us know how your mission is going! {No, you don’t have to leave an update comment. And yes, you will still be able to write your complete Accomplished post and link it up at the end of the month. The update comment is simply a way of keeping you on track with completing the goals you have set for the month.}

If you have no clue what the Mama’s Mission of the Month is all about, it is basically a monthly blog carnival designed to help me {and you} follow through on some of the goals that we have set for the month! For more information or if you want to know how to join in next month, check out the intro post!

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Twisters & Twister Curves {Guidecraft Mom Review & Giveaway Link}

I love open-ended toys that allow children to be creative and Guidecraft has quickly become my favorite place to find such learning toys! This month we have fun with a new building toy! Twisters and Twister Curves have definitely been a hit with my kiddos!

Twisters are large, brightly colored (red, blue, green & yellow) plastic pieces that snap together! Once snapped together, you can twist and turn the pieces for endless building possibilities! The Twisters includes 66 pieces, 24 connecting rods, and a small pair of plastic pliers used to pull the connecting rods out of the pieces. The Twister Curves include 66 curved pieces, 24 connectors and a pair of pliers.

Once I showed them the box, the kids got to work! Here are some of their creations!

A “big eyed bug”

Twin red-eyed tree frogs! (Thank you Diego!)

Yet another frog!

And lots of silly creatures!

One day I heard A LOT of crashing and I found that the boys had created a full set of Twister “good guys” and “bad guys.” Each set was lined up across the room from each other and ready to fight. The boys were “helping” the Twister guys throw balls at each other…and yes, the Twisters DID withstand the battle!

Our thoughts: I love when my kids are creative with their toys! Twisters definitely allow for them to exercise their creative juices! My kids and I for sure give Twisters and Twister Curves two thumbs up!

BUY A SET: Twisters and Twister Curves can be purchased directly from the Guidecraft website or via Amazon. Now you can even make purchases from the NEW Guidecraft Facebook page!

WIN A SET: Carisa from 1+1+1=1 is giving away a set of Twisters and Twister Curves! The giveaway ends on Sunday, May 22nd. Be sure to head on over and enter to win! {US Residents only}

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, this product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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{Recycled} Manipulative Storage

We have lots of little manipulatives and I LOVE when they come with a storage container of some sort. However, not all do. Plus, we tend to make some of our own manipulatives and I have to create my own storage. One of my favorite ways to store manipulatives are in recycled containers. Just peel off the labels and wash them out!

Can you tell that the plastic containers shown above once housed mixed nuts (purchased from Costco)? So, if you are in need of some storage for your manipulatives be sure to check your recycling first! 

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DIY Magnetic Phonogram Tiles

I was on the hunt for some hands-on activities/manipulatives to help my boys with their spelling. So, I decided to make some magnetic phonogram tiles.

They were super easy to make and my kids enjoy using them! They are able to practice spelling (using their phonograms…as opposed to just individual letters of the alphabet) on anything magnetic…the fridge, cookie sheets, white boards, etc. Want to make a set of magnetic phonogram tiles for your kiddo(s)?

All you need is:

• printable phonogram tiles download (found on my Spelling Printables page)
• adhesive magnet squares (Read below for info on how to save $$ on these!)
• cardstock
• laminator (with laminating sheets) or clear contact paper

Directions: Print the phonogram tiles download onto cardstock and laminate them. Cut the tiles apart and adhere the magnets and begin to have fun spelling!

SAVE ON MAGNETS: You could purchase the self-adhesive magnets to save on time and avoid the need for glue. (You could probably even cut each of the adhesive squares into fourths prior to sticking them onto the tiles, which could also save on $$ because you wouldn’t need as many magnets.)

However, you could also do like I did…just use some old magnets from your refrigerator. I have lots of old magnets that I have gotten from all over…pizza places, doctor’s offices, realtors, etc. Often times they just come in the mail. In fact, I have begun to save them…for occasions such as this!  It really doesn’t matter what is on the front…all you need is the magnetic back side! If you don’t have any leftover magnets, I have seen magnetic sheets in the school section at the Dollar Tree that could be repurposed.

{Above is a pic of the back of the tile w/the magnet attached.}

Anyhow, I cut the magnets apart into little squares. Mine measured about 1/4 inch. Then, I used some tacky glue to adhere the magnets to the back of the tiles. We let them dry overnight and then viola…homemade magnetic phonogram tiles!

DON’T WANT TO MAKE THEM? If you are not interested in making magnetic phonogram tiles, you can also purchase magnetic letter tiles from the All About Spelling website. In fact, I got the idea for the magnetic phonogram tiles from both the All About Spelling website AND our Spell to Write and Read curriculum!

This is a fun hands-on manipulative to help practice spelling. Make your own or purchase a set to use for some great spelling enrichment activities!

You can download the Phonogram Tiles and preview some of my upcoming Spelling Printables here!

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Easy Lunchboxes now on Amazon!!!

You all may remember my review about our Easy Lunchboxes and how much I raved over how they TOTALLY helped streamline our homeschool day! Well, needless to say, I/we LOVE them and to this day, we still use them often!

Well, I JUST discovered that you can now purchase Easy Lunchboxes via Amazon! So, of course I just HAD to share! This means HUGE savings on shipping charges! Amazon will pay the shipping costs on FREE Super Saver Shipping orders over $25 (and Easy Lunchboxes qualify!!!). Plus, if you are an Amazon PRIME member, shipping on any size order is FREE! So, if you don’t have a set (or two) of Easy Lunchboxes, be sure to check them out!

• Purchase Easy Lunchboxes via Amazon and save $$$
• Read my Easy Lunchboxes review to see just how much we LOVE these!
• Visit the Easy Lunchboxes website for more product info.

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Crown Grid Game

This is a fun little game that I made for my little boys to work on counting and 1-to-1 correspondence.

It is super easy to play and the boys have a blast with it! In fact, we have had so much fun with it that I have LOTS more Grid Games in the works!  So, be sure to stay tuned! 

We usually play our Grid Games along with our Education Cubes and the coordinating insert cards. Using standard dice is possible with some of the games. However, we think it is much more fun with the Education Cubes! To play the game, roll the cube and count the number of objects on the cube. Using counters of some sort, cover the same number of objects on the grid until it is full. (Education Cube Members can find the coordinating insert cards on the “Other” page under the “Made for Grid Games” link.)

Helpful Hints: I prefer to slide the game into a page protector and use it on top of a magnetic cookie sheet. We use our puff ball magnets as counters to cover the grid. As an option, you could use dry erase markers and simply mark off the objects on the grid rather than using counters.

Download the Crown Grid Game Here!

This game was inspired by the Crown Grid Game from PreKinders. However, I wanted to have coordinating Education Cubes, so I made my own version of the game. Hope you all enjoy this game as much as we have! Like I mentioned, I have LOTS more in the works!

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Weekly Homeschool Planner {Review & Giveaway}

My pal Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations has created an amazing homeschool planner that I am super excited to tell you about! Not only can you manage and organize your homeschool day, but the planner provides you with lots of additional forms and documents to help track progress, chart attendance, keep up with chores, plan meals, etc. There is also a great little to-do list which I absolutely LOVE using!

The best part about the planner {and what I think makes it stand out from other homeschool planners} is that it is fully editable! Each of the pdf pages in the download can be typed in, edited, and saved onto your computer every single time you use them! Print them off as needed. That means that you can buy this ONE planner and reuse it year after year after year! Now, I am a girl who likes to save money and not having to purchase a new planner each year sounds like an amazing deal to me!!

So, want to know what all is included in The Weekly Homeschool Planner?
This fully-editable pdf planner includes:

138 planning pages (8 1/2" x 11")
12 blank month-at-a-glance pages
40 weeks of weekly planning and journal sheets
Preschool planning sheets
Field trip/Event plan sheets
Yearly curriculum planning sheets
Yearly planning and evaluation sheets
Yearly attendance tracking sheets
Field trip/Event plan sheets
Daily to-do lists
Main dish menu planner
Customizable chore charts
Important contacts info
Additional note space
Standardized testing and yearly assessment result tracking
Homeschooling requirement planning

Take a peek at a sample of the planner!

Giveaway Info:

~Giveaway is CLOSED~

I am super excited to be able to host a giveaway for one of the Weekly Homeschool Planners! The first and mandatory entry is to simply let me know that you would like to win!

Optional Entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)

• Blog or tweet about this giveaway & include a link back to this post (leave a separate comment for each)
• Follow (via Google Friend Connect) or subscribe to Mama Jenn (or let me that know that you already do) 

The giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, May 14th! This giveaway is NOT restricted to US residents. If you have an email address, you can enter to win! Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in case you do win!

Don’t Wait to Win! You can go ahead and purchase this amazing fully-editable planner that you can reuse for years to come for only $20! If you win the giveaway, Jolanthe will refund your money! So, be sure to head on over and make this the last homeschool planner that you will ever need to purchase!!!

Thank you to Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations for providing me with a copy of the Weekly Homeschool Planner in exchange for providing my honest, unbiased opinion and for hosting this giveaway.

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Color Matching {w/paper clips & foam}

Need a fun little activity to help teach/reinforce color matching as well as providing a little extra fine motor skill practice? Well, look no further!  :-)

This simply made learning tool is made from items that you probably have stashed around your home: foam (I purchased mine from the Dollar Tree), paperclips to match the foam, and a brad!

Click Here for instructions to make your own ---------->

Need more activities to keep your little ones occupied? Check out my DIY I-Spy Jar and Homemade Geoboard!

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Mission of the Month: May 2011 {and April Accomplishments}

Welcome to Mama’s Mission of the Month! My hope is that this will help me {and you} follow through on some of the goals that we have set for the month! So, if you are a mama and you want to join in, check out the intro post! (If you have already read the rules, you can easily grab the buttons from the Buttons Tab on the top of the sidebar.)

April Mission Update: Alright…CONFESSION TIME…While I am a very focused and determined person, I tend to be easily distracted. I start working on a project only to have another…ahem…”brilliant idea” that of course just can’t wait! The original project gets pus on hold for my new-found idea. This month proved to be a perfect example of these “traits” that I seem to posses. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it all done.    (I did, however, get quite a few things done that were NOT part of my April Mission of the Month list…perhaps that’s the problem…I made a list rather than sticking to my usual “one thing”) But, I am still going to give myself credit for what I did accomplish from my list!!    So, here is what my missions were and what did and did not get accomplished:

~ Finish organizing our classroom. Classroom is done and I am super excited! Hopefully I will get around to sharing some pics of our new space!

~ Post about our new Calendar Board. Before we moved I came up with a new twist on our old Calendar Board. Well, I obviously have NOT posted about our new board…

~ Read and implement A Day of Delight.  I won this book from the new Doorposts blog and I let’s just say, we were early to church yesterday! I haven’t finished reading the book, but I have begun to implement a few things from what I have read.

~ Finish our Chore/Job system. Our previous chore system isn’t working so well anymore, so I have been toying with a few new ideas. Plus, the kids want to start earning some money…hence my need for a Chore/Job system. I got some of this done, but not nearly enough to warrant a “checkmark.”

~ Use Flag Page with the kids. I have the opportunity to review Kids Flag Page and I have enjoyed using it with my daughter. It has been very insightful!!!  I have the adult version of Flag Page and I am thinking about going through it again. I found out about it a number of years ago after seeing Mark Gungor at a Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage Conference. (FYI, I loved the conference…my stomach was aching from laughing so hard!!)  While I have used the Kids Flag Page with my daughter, I have yet to post about it…for that reason, no checkmark…yet!  But, the review is coming soon!

 

My Mission for May 2011: Well, you probably already know what is on the list for May…and I’m not adding anything new!  I’ve got to set myself up for success! 

~ Post about our new Calendar Board.

~ Finish our Chore/Job system and post about it.

~ Post my Kids Flag Page review.

Well, that’s it…Hmmm, I just noticed that just about everything on my list for this month is blog related. FYI, your missions do NOT have to be blog related! It can be ANYTHING that is on your to-do list as a mom!!!! 

What is your May mission of the month?

If you participated last month, how did you do?

Feel free to link up and share! It is a great way to hold yourself accountable! For more information on how to join in, please read the intro post. The linky will be open until midnight, May 5th.

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