Thursday, November 29, 2012

Adventures in Odyssey: The Imagination Station Book Series {Review}

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My kids love reading and I am so excited about our new favorite book series: The Imagination Station series from the creators of Adventures In Odyssey. We currently have the first two books in the series, Voyage with the Vikings and Attack at the Arena.

Imagination Station Books

As soon as the books arrived, my kids literally fought over who would get to read them first! That was one of the few times that I was actually happy to see my kids arguing! Once we resolved who would read which book first, I quickly found my oldest twins like this…

and this…

and this…

Apparently, our bean bag chairs are still the best place in the house to read! In fact, they both read almost half of their 100+ page books the very same day we received them! Needless to say, they are really enjoying the series and they can’t wait for more!!

The Imagination Station ~ Voyage with the Vikings

About the Series: The Imagination Station series, published by Tyndale House and Focus on the Family, is a historical fiction adventure series for young readers, recommended for ages 7 and up. The chapter books remind me of Magic Tree House books, but with the added benefit of having the Christian faith interwoven throughout the stories! There are currently nine books in the series.

Adventures in Odyssey ~ The Imagination Station: Voyage with the VikingsVoyage with the Vikings (Book 1) ~ from the publishers:

While visiting Mr. Whittaker at Whit's Soda Shoppe, Beth and Patrick find a mysterious letter in the Imagination Station requesting a Viking sunstone. The letter is old and says that someone named Albert will be imprisoned if the sunstone isn't found. Mr. Whittaker sends cousins Patrick and Beth to Greenland circa 1000. On their quest for the sunstone, the cousins meet Vikings Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson--and find the sunstone as they join Leif on his first voyage to North America. But the adventure is just beginning, for when they return to Mr. Whittaker's workshop with the sunstone, there is another note waiting for them, requesting a silver goblet. Join Patrick and Beth as they continue their travel to various lands and time in the Imagination Station book series.

Adventure in Odyssey ~ The Imagination Station: Attack at the ArenaAttack at the Arena (Book 2) ~ from the publishers:

Patrick and Beth learn that Mr. Whittaker’s fancy ring can be seen inside the Imagination Station but not outside of the machine. A mysterious letter leads the cousins to fifth-century Rome in search of a special cup that belongs to a monk. If found, the cup could keep the mysterious Albert out of prison. At the Roman Coliseum, Emperor Honorius is hosting a gladiator battle in celebration of a war victory. Beth attends the event as the emperor’s slave; Patrick attends as a monk’s apprentice but is taken prisoner and sent to fight in the arena. During their adventure, the cousins meet Telemachus (a true historical figure), a monk who believes that fighting is wrong. Telemachus is willing to risk everything—even his life—to stop the killing. When the cousins return with the cup, they find that a third letter has been sent with more information about Albert’s fate.

 

Additional Resources: There are lots of great resources on the Imagination Station website for each of the books in the series! Resources include family activities & devotionals, additional historical information, vocabulary pages, and more! Below is a coloring page to go along with Voyage with the Vikings!

The Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings Coloring Page

Below is a screenshot of the Roaming in Roman History page that goes along with Attack at the Arena.

My Thoughts: I am very impressed with the Imagination Station book series! The books are very engaging and full of adventure! Not only do I appreciate that the books are written from a Christian perspective, but the books also provide a wonderfully creative way to expose my kids to various historical time periods! We cannot wait to read more in the series!

The Imagination Station books would make great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers!
You can purchase Voyage with the Vikings and/or Attack at the Arena from Amazon, currently priced at $4.99 each! The Kindle version of both books are currently prices at $3.82 each!

This product was given to me free of charge for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and were not influenced by the company/vendor or the free product provided. I was not required to post a positive review of the product.


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Monday, November 26, 2012

Truth in the Tinsel {GIVEAWAY}

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I am so excited to share this giveaway with you! Last year we used Truth in the Tinsel and had a BLAST! In fact, as we were unpacking our Christmas decorations this year, the kids got super excited when they saw all of their Truth in the Tinsel ornaments from last year and asked if we could do it again! Well, OF COURSE we can, because I loved it too!

Truth in the Tinsel Giveaway {ends 11.28.12}

However, our Christmas tree and the garland on our staircase simply cannot hold another round of Truth in the Tinsel ornaments for five kids!!! So, this time around we will be using the coordinating printable ornamentswith a little twist! {Don’t worry, I will post pics once we get started this year!}

We will also use the FREE Advent Countdown that I created to coordinate with Truth in the Tinsel and I will be tying in The Christmas Angel as well! (You can read my Christmas Angel review for more info.) I can’t wait for our Advent excitement to begin…and the kids are pretty excited too! {grins}

Want to know more about Truth in the Tinsel? Check out the posts that I wrote about it last year:

Now that you can see how excited I am about doing Truth in the Tinsel again this year, I am equally excited for one of my readers to have a chance to win their very own copy of Truth in the Tinsel!

 

Giveaway Info:

Would you like to win a copy of Truth in the Tinsel? You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below. (If you are reading this post via email or via a reader and the giveaway widget does not appear below, visit the actual blog post or click the link below to enter.) Giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday 11/28/12. The winner will be emailed and announced on the giveaway widget. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be selected. All entries must be documented within the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This product was given to me free of charge. I do not have to return the product to the vendor. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not required to post a positive review of the product.


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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Black Friday ~ Cyber Monday Deals 2012

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I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now that I am able to sit down and relax a bit from cooking and eating all day, I discovered a lot of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in my email inbox that I wanted to share!

Black Friday ~ Cyber Monday Deals

So, in alphabetical order, here are some of the 2012 Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and steals that you may want to take advantage of. {FYI, I actually have all of the products listed below. So, if you have questions about the products, feel free to ask! If you have questions about the specific deals and sales, please contact the company!}

1+1+1=1 Store: Get 25% off anything in the store on Black Friday. Use code: blackfriday25.

1plus1plus1 BlackFriday 2012 Sale


Ahh! Products: Take $10 OFF any bean bag chair on Black Friday. Use coupon code: Black10. On Saturday, November 24th (Small Biz Saturday), get $25 OFF all bean bags from AMEX. (Must register with AMEX first.) Be sure to read my Ahh! Prod review. Plus, enter to win the Holiday Bean Bag giveaway!

Ahh! Prod Bean Bag Chairs

 

Child Training Bible: Get a FREE Child Training Bible Chart Set with every purchase from Black Friday through Cyber Monday! (Read my Child Training Bible Review.)

Child Training Bible Sale

 

Confessions of a Homeschooler Store: Get 10% OFF everything in the store on Black Friday. Use coupon code: DEC_COAH10

Confessions of a Homeschooler


NotebookingPages.com: Receive a discounted upgrade to NEW Lifetime Memberships of both Notebooking Pages Membership AND the Lifetime Access to The Notebooking Publisher from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

NEW Lifetime Memberships!


Tell Your Time: Download the eBook for FREE on Amazon on Cyber Monday and Tuesday, November 26 & 27!

Tell Your Time


Truth in the Tinsel: Get the FREE coordinating printable ornaments with the purchase of the ebook on Black Friday. (Do NOT add the ornaments to your shopping cart! The link to download the ornaments will be included in the “Thank You” email from eJunkie.)  Check out all of my Truth in the Tinsel posts:

Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments


We Choose Virtues: Use the promo code FRIDAY30 on November 23rd or MONDAY30 on November 26th for 30% OFF your ENTIRE shopping cart. (Read my We Choose Virtues review.)

We Choose Virtues Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale 

What’s in the Bible: Use coupon code 30THANKS for $30 OFF the complete Old Testament DVD Bundle.

What's in the Bible? Old Testament Bundle $30 OFF

 

Your Blogging Business: Get the eBook for ONLY $1 on Black Friday. Use code: BLACKDOLLAR 

image

Do you have some Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to share? Please feel free to post in the comments!
Happy Shopping!

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Zz for Zebra {MFW Kindergarten Printables}

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As much as I love the hands-on activities and crafts in our My Father’s World Kindergarten Curriculum, I was not very good about doing the Words to Remember badges with my daughter. So, I came up with something a little different for the boys. I created printable  art/copywork pages for them to work on their penmanship while creatively depicting the Words to Remember.

My Father's World Kindergarten Words to Remember Copywork: Zz for Zebra

This is the Lesson 18: Zz for Zebra page from one of my older boy’s kindergarten school year.This project was a little messy, but a lot of fun! We used a box, black paint, tape, a few marbles, and the zebra coloring page.

Directions:

1) Tape the backside of the zebra onto the base of the box. (We cut out our zebras first, but in hindsight, I think we should have cut the zebra out at the end of the project after the paint dried!)

2) Squeeze the black paint into the base of the box and drop in a few marbles.

Zz for Zebra Craft

3) Now the fun part! Move and shake the box so that the marble rolls around in the paint and adds stripes onto the zebra.

Zz for Zebra Craft

4) Let the zebras dry and then adhere them to the copywork pages.

Visit the MFW Kindergarten Words to Remember blog post for information on downloading all of the Words to Remember copywork pages.

PLEASE NOTE: These copywork printables are only for students who are reading and writing easily. This type of copywork is not a regular part of My Father's World Kindergarten curriculum.


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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Hats & Beanies {GIVEAWAY}

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The leaves are starting to fall and the temperature is beginning to drop. Now is the perfect time to get your little ones geared up for cold weather in some absolutely adorable hats from Peaces By Cortney!

Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Hats & Beanies for Babies & Children

Peaces By Cortney sells handmade, crochet hats, toys, and accessories for babies and children that are just…too…cute! Check out the cutie below in his gray and yellow striped Peaces By Cortney beanie!

Peaces By Cortney: Handmand Crochet Hats & Beanies for Babies & Children

 

Football Hats for Little Ones:

My absolute favorite hats in the shop are the football inspired beanie hats for kids!

Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Football Themed Hats & Beanies for Babies & Children

Want to see some little ones showing off their hats and supporting their teams? Check out this cute fella sporting the Dallas Cowboys inspired hat and this adorable little guy wearing the Buffalo Bills inspired beanie! They are just too stinkin’ cute! Almost makes me wish my boys were little again!

 

Lots of Variety:

Not a football fan? Don’t worry! Cortney has lots of other super cute hats for both boys and girls! Below are just some of the hats currently available in the Peaces By Cortney shop:

 

Custom Orders:

You can even place custom orders…like I did! My daughter picked out a hat and wanted a matching hat for her doll! Cortney made custom hats that my daughter {and her doll} absolutely loved!

Peaces By Cortney: Matching Handmade Crochet Hat for Girl & Doll

Check out the happy girls in their matching hats!

Peaces By Cortney: Matching Handmade Crochet Hat for Girl & Doll

Check out the details!

Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Hats & Beanies for Babies & Children

About the Hats:

All hats in the Peaces By Cortney shop are handmade by Cortney in a smoke-free, pet-free environment. The hats are made of ultra soft yarn that is super comfy for babies and children of all ages. The hat embellishments, also handmade by Cortney are hand stitched onto the hats. The rich color and subtle sheen of the yarn provides a clean and finished look with a bit of pizzaz.

 

Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Hats & Beanies for Babies & ChildrenSizing and Washing:

Hats are available (made to order) in sizes ranging from newborn to 4T. For larger or smaller sizes {perhaps for a doll} contact Cortney for more information on custom orders and pricing. All items are machine washable and dryable. However, for best results, particularly with items with embellishments attached, hand wash and lay flat to air dry.



Great for Gifts!

The hats make GREAT Christmas gifts and they are PERFECT baby shower gifts! In fact, after receiving the hats for my daughter and her doll, I was so impressed with the quality that I ordered a football hat as a baby shower gift for a friend who is also a big football fan! She liked the hat so much that she had professional pictures takes of her son in his Peaces By Cortney football beanie AND she included the photo with the hat on their baby announcement cards! I think she liked the hat…a lot! {grins}

Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Hats & Beanies {Perfect for Baby Shower Gifts}  Peaces By Cortney: Handmade Crochet Hats & Beanies {Perfect for Christmas Gifts} 

 
Connect With Peaces By Cortney
Visit the Peaces By Cortney Etsy Shop!
You can also connect with Peaces By Cortney on:
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest



Giveaway: Win a Peaces By Cortney Hat

Would you like to win a Peaces By Cortney hat for a special little one in your life? Cortney is graciously allowing one of my readers to select any item from her shop priced at $32 or less. You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below. (If you are reading this post via email or via a reader and the giveaway widget does not appear below, visit the actual blog post or click the link below to enter.) Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents. Giveaway ends 11/17/12. The winner will be emailed and announced on the giveaway widget. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be selected. PLEASE NOTE: Winner’s selected item is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This product was given to me free of charge. I do not have to return the product to the vendor. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.


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Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Christmas Angel

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Christmas is my absolute most favorite time of the year! I especially love the joy that it brings to my children! As part of the holiday season, I love planning fun little holiday activities for them through the month of December and this year is no different! In fact, my latest discovery, The Christmas Angel, will definitely play a part in our Christmas celebration this year!

The Christmas Angel


What is The Christmas Angel?

The Christmas Angel is a fun, creative storybook set designed to help you create a fun family tradition centered around the true meaning of Christmas! It is a wonderful tool that helps remind children about the joy of giving to others! 


From the Creators:

Check out the video from the creators Lisa and Patrick Dorough explaining The Christmas Angel and how it came about!

 
What an amazing opportunity we have as parents to instill values and principles into our children. The Christmas season is about a precious story to celebrate a gift that none of us deserve, but have an opportunity to receive. The birth of Jesus is the greatest example of love. So how can we show the same love to others? Simply by putting others before ourselves. We should help our children focus on giving rather than receiving, for that is the true spirit of Christmas.


What Comes in The Christmas Angel Set?

The Christmas Angel Storybook Set comes with a cute plush angel, a beautifully illustrated full-color hardback book, and a packet of gold glitter (aka golden dust). To top it all off, the set also includes a keepsake tin to store everything so that the set can be treasured and used year after year! 

The Christmas Angel Tin Storage Box

     

The Story of The Christmas Angel

The story of The Christmas Angel is a beautiful story about a little girl who awakes to an angel sent from God. The angel tells her about the birth of Jesus and then encourages her to spread the joyous news to people everywhere! The angel explains that God gave us His special gift, Jesus! In the same spirit we should also give to others! 

The Christmas Angel


Choose to GIVE Today!

So often my kids get caught up in what they will receive during the holiday season. I love that the story of The Christmas Angel encourages the children to find creative ways to give to others, showing the true spirit of the Christmas season!

The Christmas Angel

The book even suggests ideas for giving…making Christmas cards, singing Christmas carols…

The Christmas Angel

…giving candy canes to neighbors and spending time with them to tell them of God’s love…sharing your toys with children in need…

The Christmas Angel

I have been doing some of my own brainstorming and I am very excited to get my kids involved in focusing more on the giving than the receiving this Christmas season!


Hints in the Golden Dust

In the storybook, the Christmas Angel leaves hints in golden dust. This is where the glitter comes in! The Christmas Angel visits YOUR child and leaves hints in the golden dust about what THEY get to do to share the gift of God’s love with others.

The Christmas Angel

Simply pour the glitter into the lid of the tin to leave hints about how you will spread the gift of God’s love to others for that day! (It reminds me of the salt box we made for practicing penmanship!)

The Christmas Angel Golden Dust

Hide the Christmas Angel along with the hints in the golden dust. Send your little ones off to find the angel and discover what fun what they will share the true spirit of the holiday, giving!


How we will use The Christmas Angel:

First, we will read The Christmas Angel storybook on November 30th and I will get them excited about what surprises are in store. Each day in December I will have an activity for the kids to spread Christmas joy to others through giving!

As much as I love the idea of writing in the golden dust, I have a backup plan in case one of my kids just happen to accidentally knock over the glitter in their excitement! Yes, I can TOTALLY see this happening! So, thinking ahead, I used a bit of the glitter to decorate an envelope with the word GIVE. I will write the hints in gold ink on an index card and place it inside the envelope.

The Christmas Angel

Each day I will hide the angel along with the glittery envelope filled with a hint written in gold ink! The kids will run around the house searching for the angel, excited to discover how they will get to bless someone that day through giving!

The Christmas Angel

I am excited to use The Christmas Angel with my kids this year! I know they will be thrilled searching for the angel but I will be even more thrilled that they will be learning that the greater blessing is to give than to receive!


Purchase The Christmas Angel

Would you like to begin a new Christmas tradition with your children by restoring the true GIVING spirit of Christmas? Purchase The Christmas Angel for the special little ones in your life for only $29.95. For more information, be sure to visit The Christmas Angel website or find them on Facebook or Twitter.

Purchase The Christmas Angel


Win a Christmas Angel Storybook Set

Would you like to win a Christmas Angel Storybook Set? You can enter to win using Rafflecopter below. (If you are reading this post via email or via a reader and the giveaway widget does not appear below, visit the actual blog post or click the link below to enter.) Giveaway is open to anyone. Giveaway ends 11/11/12. The winner will be emailed and announced on the giveaway widget. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Even More Ways to Win The Christmas Angel

Want another chance to win a Christmas Child Storybook Set plus some other great prizes? Be sure to check out the iHomeschool Network Christmas Facebook party on Tuesday, November 13, 2012!

For even more ways to win, be sure to stop by the bloggers listed below who are also hosting giveaways:

Life by Ashley Pichea

Our Journey Westward

Simply Living… for Him

Our Abundant Blessings

This product was given to me free of charge. I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was compensated for my time invested in reviewing the product. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.


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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Our Boxes

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We have been participating in Operation Christmas Child for a number of years and it has become somewhat of a family tradition!

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Our Boxes


How Many Boxes to Pack:

We usually pack one box for every child that we have in our family. Each box packed corresponds to the age/gender of our own children. Since the kids get to help select the gifts, I thought it would only be fitting for them to select gifts for children the same age/gender as themselves. So, this year we planned on packing four boxes for boys age 5-9 and one box for a girl age 5-9.


Packing an Additional Box:

However, somehow over the years, it never dawned on me to pack a box in honor of my precious child in heaven! So, this year we are packing six boxes instead of five! Since the age/gender that receives the least number of gifts are boys age 10-14, I decided that the box packed in honor of the child I miscarried would be for a child in this group.


Seeing the Children:

Before we started packing, the kids and I gathered around the computer and watched a few videos about Operation Christmas Child. It just blesses my heart to see the children in the videos so thankful for the smallest things! We watched one video where a boy was thrilled about receiving a toothbrush! Oh, how much we take for granted!

Aside from Lejla’s story (you can watch it on my other OCC post), the video shown below is one of my favorites. The boy in the video just makes me smile…and he hasn’t even opened his box yet!


Writing the Children:

After watching videos, we wrote letters to the children receiving our boxes. We downloaded the printable from the Samaritan’s Purse website (Click on “Print Art” and select the “Coloring Page.”) Below one of my 5 year olds just completed his picture of himself…glasses and all! {grins}


Packing Our Boxes:

Next, it was time to pack! I sorted all of our goodies out on a table…

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Our Boxes

…and we all got busy packing our boxes!

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Our Boxes

Here is a list of everything that we included in our boxes:

SCHOOL

TOYS

TOILETRIES

MISC

pencils paddle ball washcloths craft items
colored pencils race cars toothbrushes hairbows
markers slinkies toothpaste headbands
notebooks tennis balls soap bracelets
writing pads yoyo’s brushes Pick and Draw
crayons jump ropes combs modeling clay
pens jax flashlights
pencil sharpeners dominoes   batteries
games candy
card games socks
etch sketch baseball hats
stamps
wristbands
stickers

Packing Pick and Draw:

One of the things that I am most excited about including in our boxes this year are Pick and Draw games! Pick and Draw has brought lots of joy and laughter to my kids and I pray that it brings the same joy and laughter to the kids who receive these games in our OCC boxes! Want to know more about Pick and Draw, be sure to read my Pick and Draw review! (FYI, Pick and Draw games are currently on sale! Purchase your first game at regular price $10 and all additional games purchased are only $8). 

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Pick and Draw Games


Praying for the Children:

Once the boxes were all strategically packed so we could actually snap the lids on, we prayed for the children who will be receiving our boxes!

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Our Boxes

On a side note, I just love how the boxes look with the bandanas as wrapping paper!


A Last Minute Addition:

A day or two after our boxes were all packed up, one of my 5 year olds came to me with his favorite stuffed dog, Sam. He had decided that he wanted to give his beloved puppy to “a kid that wouldn’t get any Christmas presents!” Melted my heart! So, together we opened his OCC box and squeezed Sam inside!

Operation Christmas Child: Packing Our Boxes


Next Steps:

Now, I just need to print my labels so that we can track the destination of our boxes and then drop the boxes off so that the journey of our shoeboxes can begin with the hopes and prayers that the six very special children receiving our boxes will decide to take The Greatest Journey of all!


Wonder Why?

Wonder why we participate in Operation Christmas Child? Wonder why we decided to use plastic boxes? Wonder why we “wrapped” the box bandanas? Click the images below…

Operation Christmas Child: Paper or Plastic?Operation Christmas ChildOperation Christmas Child:


Attention Bloggers: Please join in and help spread the word about this amazing organization by blogging about your Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts and linking up your post(s) below!

OperationChristmasChildLinkupBanner1

Samaritan's PurseDisclosure: As a member of the iHomeschool Network’s Samaritan’s Purse Blogger Team, I write about the ministry on a volunteer basis. All posts are my own thoughts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Samaritan’s Purse. I am not on employee, agent, or contractor of Samaritan’s Purse.

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