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New Movie Trailer From Kendrick Brothers: Show Me The Father

September 9, 2021 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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I’m so excited that there is another great movie coming soon from the Kendrick Brothers!  Show Me The Father is set to be in theaters starting September 10th.  This is the same great group that has done the movies Courageous, War Room, Fireproof, Overcomer, and more.  We LOVE their movies and cannot wait to see this one!

You can watch the trailer below and start making plans with your friends to see their latest movie.

 

Review: Britfield & the Lost Crown

August 28, 2019 By MommyOctopus 2 Comments
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My daughter has been enjoying the adventures of Tom and Sarah in the book Britfield & the Lost Crown, by C.R. Stewart.  Since she has been the one reading it, this following review will come from her perspective:

About the Book:

Tom lives in an orphanage.  The world’s cruelest orphanage, Weatherly Orphanage, to be exact.  When his best friend, Sarah, gets in trouble, they both bust out of the orphanage.  Tom has a clue which tells him that his parents are still alive.  Sarah and Tom travel all over the world to find Tom’s parents and to escape people who want to bring the orphans back to Weatherly Orphanage.  A famous Scotland Yard detective is hot on their trail and almost always a few steps ahead of them.  Tom and Sarah need all the help they can get.  Even if it is two brilliant professors and two unexpected allies.  Can the two kids outsmart the world’s most famous detective who has cracked every single case but one?  Will they figure out how the world BRITFIELD can help find Tom’s parents and learn about his past?  And most importantly, can they fly a hot air balloon?
There is an 83-page PDF study guide that goes along with this book and takes approximately 8 weeks to work through. It can be found on the Resources page.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book!  It was long but extremely hard to put down.  C.R. Stewart’s Britfield & the Lost Crown is a book packed with action, royalty, mystery, plot twists, and lessons on friendship and kindness.  My favorite part was definitely the unexpected allies near the end of the book which caused a huge plot twist!  I would tell you, but I think reading the book would be much more fun!  I figured out a few things before the book explained them which was kind of annoying because I like surprising books.  Even though a hint of the book was spoiled by myself, it was still very thrilling and unexpected.
Here are a few of my favorite, action-packed glimpses into the book without giving much away:
“When the clock finally struck 7:00 p.m., the orphans diligently put away their tools and cleaned up their workstations.  They filed out of the Factory two-by-two and down a long dark corridor.  This was one of the brief moments they weren’t monitored or supervised by any Deviants, a codeword the orphans used when describing authority figures.  Sarah ran up behind Tom and gave his shirt a swift tug.  “So are you going tonight?”  she whispered enthusiastically.
“I’ll head out in a few hours,” he replied nonchalantly, trying to mask his anxiety.
“You scared?” she inquired.  “I’d be scared…especially of Wind.”
“A little bit…but it’s got to be done, right?”
“Right,” she acknowledged, then hesitated for a second.  “I wish I was coming with you.”
“It’s always been a one-person mission – too risky for more.””
“As they turned to leave, Sarah noticed the two plainly dressed men staring at her.
“Tom, isn’t that strange?” she indicated.
“What?”
“Those guys over there.  They keep glancing at me.”
Tom looked.  One of the men slowly lifted his hand and spoke into a small radio receiver.
“Run, Sarah!”  Tom shouted.  “Run!””
“Tom peered over the basket and saw a vacant meadow with a gigantic structure sitting in the middle.
“We should aim for that clearing over there,” he suggested.
“What is it?”  asked Sarah, squinting her eyes.
Hainsworth looked out.  “That, my dear, is Windsor Castle.”
“M-maybe that isn’t such a good place to land,” Sarah cautioned.
“We don’t have a choice,” Tom said impatiently.  “It’s there or nowhere.”
“But we’ll be arrested.”
“Don’t worry.  It’ll be fine,” Hainsworth said evenly.  “It’s time I pay a visit to an old friend.”
If you like all of those examples, plus adventure, mystery, friends, royalty, danger, traitors, plot twists, and especially hot air balloons, then this book is for you!

For More Information:

For more information, please visit the Britfield & the Lost Crown website.  You can also find out more on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
To read other reviews on this book and more from other homeschooling families, please click on the banner below.

Britfield & the Lost Crown {Reviews}

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Review: Writing with Sharon Watson

June 19, 2019 By MommyOctopus 2 Comments
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.


I have been looking for a good middle school composition program for my soon-to-be-seventh grade son.  We found  Jump In, 2nd Edition from Writing with Sharon Watson through this review and it has been a great fit for us.  So much, in fact, that I am checking into their high school composition books for my oldest.  This is a keeper!

The Jump In, 2nd Edition Student Book retails for $40 and the Teacher’s Guide is $10.  I definitely recommend getting both to get a good grasp on this program.

Teacher’s Guide:

On one of the first pages inside the Teacher’s Guide, there are schedules for the Jump In, 2nd Edition program that can be tailored to your student and your time frame.  There are schedules for one year, two year, and three year plans.  Each daily lesson will take anywhere from five to twenty minutes to complete.  Students will learn how to write different types of paragraphs, topic sentences, and main ideas.  They will also be guided in writing nine types of essays and a research project.  This program is not designed as a stand alone program and you will need a separate grammar course to round out your English lessons.

Inside the Teacher’s Guide, there is “The Teacher’s Backpack” section that includes reproducible pages for constructing paragraphs.  There are also sample essays and examples on how to give grades.  I really appreciated this part since it helped show which sample essay paper would have received an A and compare it to an essay that would have received a C.

The 10-Minute Writing Plunges were my favorite part of the Teacher’s Guide.  There are enough Writing Plunges to last all year.  The guide recommends giving new prompts to students every day Monday-Thursday and then Friday choosing a paper out of those to proofread and turn in for a grade.

An answer key to the Daily Lessons and Assignments is also included. In the very back, there are Grading Grids for each type of essay and writing format.

Student Workbook:

The Jump In, 2nd Edition is filled with 286 pages of writing lessons, assignments, and lots of opportunities to improve writing.  Some assignments may be a persuasive essay, a book response, a haiku poem, a how-to paper, and even a newspaper article.  The student workbook is designed to be used by one student and consumed.  In the past few weeks, my son has learned about an opinion essay and has started learning about persuasive essays.

My son decided to write his opinion declaring that “Poppyseed Chicken is a Great Meal”.  I thought his topic was very creative and I loved reading his supporting sentences.  Later in the program, he wrote his essay that was almost all put together from the prompts in the book.

I like that it gives sample essays and has the students pull out supporting statements and topic sentences so that they can see first hand the different parts of the paragraphs or essays.  After they pull apart essays, they are guided through creating their own essays.

Our Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this review and look forward to continuing the Jump In, 2nd Edition this fall with my son.  He liked it as well since the work is broken down into bite size chunks to work on throughout the weeks.  This one will definitely be going on our homeschool plans list for fall!

For More Information:

For more information, please check out Writing with Sharon Watson.  You can also find out more by visiting Facebook and Pinterest.  To view more reviews on this product and others, please click the banner below.

 

Jump In, 2nd Edition {Writing with Sharon Watson Reviews}
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Review: Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year

June 6, 2019 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.


I love making plans on paper.  I’m more likely to follow through with them if they are in front of me!  If you are a homeschooling parent and are looking for lesson plans, I’ve got an awesome product for you!  Check out the Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year with devotions written by Gena Suarez and published by The Old Schoolhouse®.

I’m always hesitant to buy something like a planner online because I prefer to thumb through it first and make sure it’s a fit for me.  I’m glad I had a chance to review this planner because it’s now my favorite!  Within it’s 189 pages, you’ll find everything you need to keep your homeschool organized including calendars, forms, record-keeping, devotions, and more!  The planner consists of full size sheets of paper but with the binding, it’s easy to use on a desk.

Check out all that is included by looking at the Table of Contents:

When the planner first arrived, I was very pleased!  I love that it is spiral bound so I can easily flip through it.  I also like that it has room for plans for 5 different children!

One improvement that I’d like to see in next year’s version is some sort of tabs so I can flip to the page I need with ease.  It can be a pain to find the spot I’m wanting to work on with all those pages.  I am probably going to buy some sticker tabs to use in this planner. I also noticed that on one month, the numbers were off on the calendar, but with some white out, it was an easy fix.

I haven’t done a lot with the planner yet since we are still finishing up the current year of school, but I plan to soon!  (Maybe I should write that in the planner! Ha!)  I have started making lists of curriculum I plan to use with the kids next year.

I also like that there is an area to record books that my children have read, their yearly goals, and plenty of areas to make notes on each of the children.  The kids are already planning how we will fill up these sections once we work more on planning for the school year.

The Devotional section is nice.  After each devotion, there is a fully lined piece of paper so I can jot down any notes or reflect back on what I’ve read.  This is a lovely feature that I know I will use.

The weekly planner has plenty of room for seven subjects or categories for each of the five children spaces.  The blocks are a nice size and allow for writing down numerous assignments in each box.

This planner was a win for me!  I will most likely use this again the following school year!

For More Information:

For more information, you can visit the Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year website.  I heard that they are almost 98 percent sold out, so you’ll want to grab one soon if you are interested.  They are currently on sale for $22.

You can also find out more on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Please click the banner below to read more reviews on this product and others from the Homeschool Review Crew.

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year {The Old Schoolhouse® Reviews}
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Review: The Logic of God by Ravi Zacharias

June 6, 2019 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

My husband was recently on medical leave due to receiving radiation for cancer.  During this time, he has enjoyed reading books. One that has stood out to him among his favorites is  The Logic of God by Ravi Zacharias.

In his first ever devotional, The Logic of God, apologist Ravi Zacharias offers 52 readings that explain how and why Christianity, the Bible, and God are still relevant, vital, and life-changing for us today. Each entry includes a Scripture, questions for reflection, and some practical application steps.

About the Book:

Jesus Christ alone answers our deepest questions.  We all have doubts that challenge our faith. We wonder whether the Bible still matters, or whether God is truly as loving and personal as we hope. In his first ever devotional, The Logic of God, apologist Ravi Zacharias offers 52 readings that explain how and why Christianity, the Bible, and God are still relevant, vital, and life-changing for us today. To all our dilemmas Ravi says, “I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds.”

With a remarkable grasp of biblical facts and a deep understanding of the questions that trouble our hearts, Ravi tackles the most difficult topics with ease and understanding. But The Logic of God is more than intellectual; it is also personal, offering thoughtful wisdom on:

  • when Jesus draws especially near you
  • the deep ray of hope found in God’s Word
  • how God transforms disappointments
  • why prayer matters
  • how genuine peace is possible
  • making sense of suffering

Our Thoughts:

We like the setup of the 52 week study and reading through a section weekly.  The questions make us think.  There are application questions that help us further think and apply the lessons.  The sections are nice and short, so it doesn’t take a large amount of time to read through.  The lessons are very well done, God-focused, and point us back to Christ.  This is going to be a staple around our house!

Giveaway:

If you’d like a chance to win a copy of this book, head on over to Blessed Freebies and enter the giveaway contest there.

Review: The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls – Books 3 & 4

February 26, 2019 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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My 2 older kids are avid readers.  They devour books as quickly as possible.  After reading the first 2 books in the series, my kids were super excited for more of The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group to read.  My kids are wanting to be more involved with our reviews lately, so I’m turning this post over to my 15 year old so she can give you her thoughts:

G’s Thoughts:

I know these books were made for tweens and younger, but I enjoy reading them as well.  They put a good spin on Bible stories that are great to think and talk about.  The books follow the adventures of 2 kids, Peter and Mary.

My favorite book is The Great Escape (Book #3).  It tells the story of Moses, the Israelites, Pharaoh, and the ten plagues.  Peter and Mary are in Egypt during the Exodus and Pharoah’s daughter finds them.  This story is seen mostly from the Egyptians’ view, which we don’t usually think about.  On top of staying alive and battling the Great Magician, the kids have to solve the scroll’s secret in time.

In Journey to Jericho (Book #4), Peter and Mary end up in the desert to solve the secret of the scroll.  This story is about the Israelites entering The Promised Land and defeating Jericho.  The kids help spy for the Israelites.  They also help Rahab and her family escape the crumbling walls.

These stories are short, sweet, and straight to the point in a fun way.  The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls books help children want to learn more about Christ.  The books take the Bible, which is sometimes hard for younger children to understand, and changed it to a story that seems too good to be true.  The amazing thing is that though Peter and Mary are fictional, the rest is Biblically accurate.  Kids might have a lot of fun acting out these stories while learning.

There really isn’t anything I don’t like about The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series.  This would be a good book series for children just beginning to read chapter books.  I do like the characters, the stories, how everything is portrayed, and the books in general.  I can’t wait to read more!

My Thoughts:

I’m always excited when my kids are eager to read wholesome books.  I have been very pleased with what I’ve seen produced by WorthyKids and we look forward to reading more from them in the future.  I hope they continue this series for many years.

For More Information:

For more information, you can visit the The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls website.  You can also find out more on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  You can find the books on Amazon.

You can also read more reviews on this product and others by clicking the Homeschool Review Crew banner below.

The Great Escape & Journey To Jericho {WorthyKids Reviews}
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Marvel Universe Live is in Atlanta!

February 23, 2019 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

 

Just a quick reminder that Marvel Universe LIVE! is near Atlanta, on the north side, in Duluth!  We received tickets to see the show last night and it was jaw-dropping amazing!  The boys we took described it as “great”, “awesome”, and “incredible”.  It’s like nothing we had seen before!

Watching the motorcycles on stage was astonishing and was a favorite among all.  We were in awe that they could do so many tricks in a small stage area.  The kids loved seeing their favorite characters on stage, including Spiderman, The Hulk, Captain America, Black Panther, and more.  The Hulk was HUGE!  The acrobatics were neat to watch, too.

We loved the show and think it is definitely worth taking your family to see.  Thumbs up all around!

About the Show: 

Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax make their live production debut bringing their courage and misfit wit to Marvel Universe LIVE! Alongside Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk, Black Widow, Wasp and Iron Fist, the Guardians of the Galaxy help fight the scheming, menacing and loathsome villains Loki, Yondu and Green Goblin. Audiences will join in the quest that sparks new feuds with old foes, pitting student against mentor, sister against sister and brother against brother. 

Witness cutting-edge special effects, aerial maneuvers, pyrotechnics, martial arts, motorcycle stunts and vast 3D video projection mapping in this completely new thrilling adventure. Fans of all ages will be immersed in the Marvel Universe and experience it all with their family…LIVE!

Ticket Information:

Tickets for Marvel Universe LIVE! start at $25. For shows at Infinite Energy Center, all seats are reserved, and tickets are available by calling 770.626.2464 or visiting www.InfiniteEnergyCenter.com.

To discover more about Marvel Universe LIVE!, go to www.marveluniverselive.com

Review: UglyChristmasSweater.com

November 25, 2018 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

Christmas is such a fun time to dress up, be goofy, and have a little fun.  UglyChristmasSweater.com reached out to us recently to check out their products and I’m so glad we did!  Not only do they offer ugly Christmas sweaters, but they also have fun leggings, jumpsuits, and jackets.  At UglyChristmasSweater.com, you’ll find lots of fun sweaters and accessories from your favorite movies.  As a word of caution, some of them may not be appropriate for little eyes to view on the website.

UglyChristmasSweater.com has had their ugly sweaters featured on The Today Show, Live with Kellyand Ryan, Good Morning America, and the Ellen Show. They are also a national partner of charity organizations such as Toys for Tots, Arthritis.org, and the
Smithsonian Zoo.

The older 2 kids and I picked out an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” and we are thrilled with the results.  I went with the Grinch sweater, my daughter picked the Santa! I Know Him! sweater, and my son picked an awesome Star Wars sweater.

The sweaters we received are pretty comfortable, and not scratchy and itchy.  Truly, they are a lot of fun and we had a blast taking pictures in them!  We’ve received so many compliments already on wearing the sweaters out and about.  I know we are going to get a lot of wear out of our “Ugly Christmas Sweaters” this year.

 

 

Review: Can You Believe It – Hillsong Kids

November 24, 2018 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

We recently had the opportunity to review the new Hillsong Kids “Can You Believe It!?” Songs of Truth DVD.

My younger girls and 3 year old watched it downstairs and before long, they were singing and dancing along with the video.  They’ve watched it a couple times and really enjoy it.  I like knowing that they are wholesome songs and that I don’t have to worry about them hearing inappropriate lyrics.  Their favorite song on the DVD was “Heaven is Our Home”.  What a beautiful song with wonderful words.

About Hillsong:

Hillsong believes that teaching children to love God and others takes place in both the home and in the church. For this reason they seek to partner with parents (the greatest teachers of all!) and with church pastors and leaders, equipping them with great resources. Through fun experiences, meaningful music and ministry that encourages kids to participate, Hillsong Kids presents Jesus Christ and His Church in a relevant way, creating moments which children will never forget.

For more information or to check out the DVD, visit the Hillsong Kids website.

Reviews: St. Bartholomew’s Eve From Heirloom Audio

October 16, 2018 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

St. Bartholomew's Eve
 

My children love listening to radio dramas.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our newest from Heirloom Audio, called St. Bartholomew’s Eve. Typically our family would start playing the CD during our after lunch quiet time while working on puzzles or quietly playing while the toddler napped.  My oldest son also liked to take the CDs into his room to listen to as he falls asleep at night.  I love that The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty stories always leave my children begging for more.

About the Story:

St. Bartholomew’s Eve is about the Huguenots in France. It tells of how the Huguenots were being killed for just believing Christ. Ned and his cousin, Sebastian sneak out of church and run into George Henty. George tells them the story of an English Huguenot boy who goes to France to fight in the war along side his cousin Francois and his new friends. Soon the people are wondering who they should obey, the king of France or the King of Kings. At the of George’s story, Ned and Sebastian realize that they should take time to worship God, since people fought and died to give us the freedom to worship God without having to fear. What an amazing story and much can be learned from this audio drama.

St. Bartholomew’s Eve is a wonderful choice for evening together time as a family or quiet time during the day. Heirloom Audio uses “active listening” in their dramas so that the listener can experience the full effect of the story through sounds.  The sound effects throughout the CD are extremely well done.  So well, in fact, that it makes you feel like you’re in the midst of the story.  With over 2 full hours of story-telling, Heirloom Audio truly brings Christian history to life!

While listening, you might hear some familiar voices!  Some of the voices include:

  • Brian Blessed – Star Wars, Tarzan, King Lear
  • Elizabeth Counsell – The Chronicles of Narnia
  • David Shaw-Parker – The Muppet Christmas Carol
  • Brian Deacon – Bonhoeffer, The Jesus Film
  • Andy Harrison – The Secret Garden
  • Huge Docking – Oliver Twist

Our Thoughts:

We’ve reviewed for Heirloom Audio before and like the others before, St. Bartholomew’s Eve did not disappoint.  The audio dramas by Heirloom Audio are quickly becoming our family’s favorites for passing the time on long car rides, enjoying quiet time, or just sitting together as a family. Although it’s geared for children ages 6-16, I found this particular one might be better suited for older children.  All of the kids enjoyed listening, however there were a few intense parts that caused my 7 year old to be a little fearful, especially given the sound effects.  The older kids were fine, though.

As a family, we are a huge fan of Heirloom Audio and are looking forward to their next release!

For More Information:

For more information, please visit the Heirloom Audio website or check out St. Bartholomew’s Eve.The 2-CD set can be purchased for $29.97 plus shipping and handling.  MP3 download is also available for $19.97.

We also recommend reading our reviews on other Heirloom Audio dramas.

  • Wulf the Saxon
  • Beric the Briton
  • The Dragon and the Raven
  • Captain Bayley’s Heir

You can also find out more on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.  You can click the banner below to read more reviews on this product and others by other homeschooling families.

St. Bartholomew's Eve {Heirloom Audio Reviews}
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