Happy Monday!  We had a great weekend and went to our favorite mountains stop with our camper.  Great time with the family and everyone social distanced very well.  We spent time in the creek, went on many miles of walks, and enjoyed the fresh mountain air.  I hope all of you have had a good time with your family.  Here’s what we are making this week –

Monday: Lentil Soup

Tuesday: BBQ

Wednesday: Chili

Thursday: Steaks

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Eggs, biscuits, sausage

Sunday: Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos

Hope you have a great week!

In addition to the BOGO Swimsuit Sale I posted earlier, Target is also offering Buy One Get One FREE on sandals and flip-flops!  There are pairs as low as $4.99, so only $2.50 each when you purchase 2!!

Deal Idea: 

• Snag 2 pairs of 4.99 flip flops
• Pay $4.99
• Final Cost: $2.50 each after BOGO sale!

Anyone looking for hand sanitizer?  You can grab this travel-sized Extra Strength Hand Sanitizer – 3.38oz 70% Alcohol.  Priced at $3.49.  Shipping is  $1.49, but if you order 10 or more shipping will be free!

I love this deal!  Every year I grab it because I am notorious for losing my sunglasses. I don’t feel as badly when I have gotten a great deal on them.  I always love seeing which ones they include in my grab box.  Head on over to grab 8 pairs of sunglasses for only $14.99.  Chose between 8 mens, 8 womens, or 4 mens + 4 womens.

It’s that time of year!  Time to grab your swimsuits!  Target is offering Buy One Get One FREE on swimwear for the family!

Some deals to point out – Toddler Boys Swimwear starting at $9.99!  Buy $2 and then they are just $5 each!  Girls swimsuits priced as low as $11.99, or just $6.50 each when you purchase two!

Head on over to check through all the deals!  

During this unprecedented season, it’s important to make sure that the children are able to cope with the changes.  Now available to stream for free on Apple TV+, “Helpsters Help You” is a new series of six shorts from the makers of “Sesame Street”.

“Helpsters Help You” follows Cody and the Helpsters, a team of vibrant monsters who love to solve problems. Produced in partnership with Sesame Workshop, each “Helpsters Help You” mini-episode has been created to provide emotional support for preschoolers and parents living in the time of COVID-19.

Each week, the Helpsters leader Cody brings positivity, ingenuity and creativity to all her friends who are at home. And now you can download a fun and engaging “Helpsters Help You” activity book to give your young ones additional ways they can help at home.

The Helpsters Help You has a free activity book available for download.  You can watch the “Helpsters Help You” for free on AppleTV+  or on YouTube.

“Helpsters Help You” is inspired by Apple’s Parents’ Choice and Common Sense Media Award-winning series “Helpsters,” now available with a subscription on Apple TV+.

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department announces the reopening of select locations including Ben Burton, Memorial, and Walker Parks (formerly Trail Creek Park) on Monday, May 18.  Sandy Creek Park will open Tuesday, May 19. Dudley Park, the Firefly, Greenway, and Sandy Creek Nature Center trails will remain open.  All other parks and facilities remain closed at this time.

Ben Burton Park will open to permit access to fishing, open space, boat launch, and trails for public use.  There is no restroom access.

Memorial Park will permit access to fishing, open space, picnic shelters (small gatherings only), and trails for public use.  The playground, basketball court, dog park, and Bear Hollow Zoo will remain closed. Restroom access will be limited.

Sandy Creek Park will permit access to disc golf, fishing, open space, private dog parks (by reservation), picnic areas (small gatherings only), and trails for public use. The beach, large pavilions, playgrounds, basketball & volleyball courts, and public dog park will remain closed. Restroom access will be limited. Park entrance is $2 per person for ages 4-64, all others are admitted free of charge. Payment options include annual passes, punch cards, and credit/debit cards.  Cash will not be accepted.

Walker Park, formerly Trail Creek Park, will permit access to open space, picnic shelter (small gatherings only), bike trails, and walking paths. Athletic fields are available for self-directed play, but closed for competitive and team use. The outdoor fitness zone, playground, and splash pad remain closed. Restroom access will be limited.

The public is reminded to continue to practice social distancing and gatherings must be limited to 10 people or fewer. Masks are recommended.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/leisure

Amazon is having a deal for Buy One Get One FREE on select vitamins. This is the perfect time to stock up!  There are currently 2 pages worth of vitamins included in this deal.  I’m not sure how long it is good for, but is currently an active deal today!

Designed by a fellow homeschooling mom, Beyond the Stick Figure Art School has a motto of “If you can draw a stick figure, you can learn to draw and paint”.  What a cute saying that definitely is the heart of the program.  The Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses program is an online course with videos, starting with the very basic drawing techniques.  Access to the full spectrum of courses retails for $370.  This price gives you access to the courses for life!   Some basic art supplies are required and are easily picked up off Amazon or in your local craft store.

The program requires you to watch and mark off lessons in the beginning instead of skipping ahead to what you want to work on. Although I’m sure that is very beneficial to start at the beginning, my older kids were not thrilled with having to watch every single one of the videos to begin the program.  They had already learned many of those skills already from a co-op class, and we would have loved an option to be able to move forward quicker depending on skill levels.

Honestly, I think having to watch all of the videos from the beginning actually turned off my older kids on the program and they quickly lost interest.  I mainly used it with my 3rd and 4th graders as an occasional activity as we finish up our school year.  I would have really liked to start off with the watercolor section instead of the drawing section.

Some of the basics included drawing circles and the proper way to draw and color in a dot.

We completed a ton of practice on circles and dots!

This picture shows what 2 of my children created from one of the drawing lessons, and learning how to fill up empty space.  She loved the way her circle picture turned out!

I would say that the Beyond the Stick Figure Art School program was ok for our family.  I definitely look forward to moving ahead in the program so that we have access to the Pen & Ink, Watercolor, Acrylic, and 3D design sections.  Don’t those sound fun?  I’m sure my big kids will jump back in when we get to those!  I do think that we will continue using it about once a week or so throughout the summer and into the next school year.

For More Information:

For more information, please visit Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  You can also find out more on their Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.  You can also read more reviews on this product from other homeschooling families by clicking the banner below.

My older 2 kids love to read and we were eager to check out the book The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix.  One of our favorite websites, Timberdoodle, is offering this great book for $23.50.  This book is definitely worth reading and is a true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer grows up, he witnesses Hitler and the Nazi’s raise to power. From the start, he didn’t like them. Soon, Hitler controlled almost half of Europe. Bonhoeffer had to do something. So, he joined the Nazis and became part of a group with a plot to kill Hitler.

Soon, the gestapo, Hitler’s secret police, arrested Dietrich for no real reason. He was never a free man again. John Hendrix does a good job making the story come alive.

The author of this book, John Hendrix, teaches that even though something is wrong to do, sometimes that is the only thing to do. He also tells how hate can destroy honor, a country, and a whole world. Hendrix tells the true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Adolf Hitler in a whole different perspective. 

This book uses some different symbols to make its point, like a wolf, glasses, and a Roman Cathedral. Even though these were real people, one can still relate to them. A pastor believed to go rogue, a madman with too much power, generals too scared to act, and people who just follow the crowd.

I asked my thirteen year old son son what he thought of this book and here is what he had to say:

I like this book because it is interesting and is an illustrated biography, which means it is full of pictures. There isn’t a thing I don’t like about this book. It is very well done and is fun to read. The pictures are wonderfully done. I recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II or in Hitler. It is a great book and you should read it when you have a chance.

If you’re interested in checking out this book or want to browse some wonderful homeschool materials, please check out what Timberdoodle has to offer. They even offer complete curriculum sets for each grade!