Well this is new!  I just found out that Dollar Tree has a Value Seeker’s Club with members-only contests, money-saving party ideas, crafts, recipes, exclusive product sneak peeks & more.  I bet this will be a great way to find more ideas for a party on a budget!  Head on over to join their free club.

If you haven’t heard yet, pay attention!  Heads up if you collect Huggies rewards points from their diapers and wipes! Hughes is giving you until 11:59 pm TOMORROW night to get your codes in before they stop accepting them! If you are putting codes in, be patient. It’s taking me about a minute to get each one added. Just hit submit once and then wait… and wait… and wait.

My thoughts?  Personally I’m not a fan of having to submit my receipts to them to get points.  I probably will do it, but I believe it’s just a way for them to provide research on what parents are buying along with their Huggies products.

If you’re like me,  you already do submit your receipts for points on apps like Ibotta, Checkout51,  and others, so honestly, it’s not a huge deal to me.  Adding another app and another thing to remember is a pain, though.

What are your thoughts?

This year, Chick-fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day is on July 12, 2016.  That will be a fun day since it’s my 3rd child’s birthday!  Hooray!  There are a few changes that you will want to take note of before heading out.

The most important thing to take note of is that they are now only offering an entree instead of a full meal for free for adults.  Children can still receive a kids meal.  Please read the snippet below, pulled from their website:

I have to say that I’m a little sad, but I understand the changes.  Chick-fil-a is still so incredibly generous to offer such a fun day!  Let’s remember to be gracious and thankful for what is offered.  We will still be there with our cowbells on 🙂

How does your family celebrate cow day?

Easy Grammar is a curriculum item that we have used during the past 2 homeschool years.   Sometimes in homeschooling, grammar seems to get a little lost.  I admit that we didn’t really start working on it much in the early elementary years with our oldest 2 kids, but thanks to Easy Grammar, it’s in full swing now.

Timberdoodle.com offers Easy Grammar Teacher’s Guide, Workbook, and Test Booklets at an affordable price.  If you weren’t sure what to get, you could start with the Easy Grammar Teacher’s Guide.  The Teacher’s Guides have the answers and tips for teaching, but also include blank workbook pages so that you can make copies for your family.

Timberdoodle.com sent me Easy Grammar Plus, which is the next one we need for my oldest homeschooler.   The Easy Grammar Plus isn’t geared toward a specific grade, but will work well for grades 7 through adult!  Yes, adult!

Easy Grammar Plus contains additional higher level concepts such as gerunds plus the perfect and progressive tenses.  It also includes more difficult capitalization and punctuation rules.  All in this one book, you will find unit reviews, unit tests, cumulative reviews, and cumulative tests.  Of course my favorite part is the reproducible worksheets.  Being a large family, being able to make copies of lessons saves me a ton of money.

We highly recommend Easy Grammar.  I’ve seen huge improvements in my children’s writing and they understand more about grammar from using this book.  We will be continuing to use it throughout their levels.

Thank you to Timberdoodle for providing us with a copy in exchange for a review.  

 

 

OOOOh I just love Chick-fil-A!  It’s even better when it’s FREE!  Chick-fil-A is offering a FREE sandwich when you download the new Chick-fil-A One app!  I’ve been using this app for a few weeks and it’s been great.  You can earn points to get free food!  Plus I can order before we get there and they will set a table right up for us!  So great when I’m juggling all the kids by myself.  This has been a huge help to me!  Head on over to check it out!

As I’ve mentioned before, I am part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  It’s been such an amazing opportunity to review homeschool curriculum!  The latest in curriculum options that we have received as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew is the Book of Astronomy Set by Memoria Press.

About the Product:

The Book of Astronomy set includes The Book of Astronomy Student Book and Teacher Guide. The Book of Astronomy Student Book is 164 pages.  The Student Book is made up of 4 units, an appendix, planet facts info sheet, zodiac chart, and even a pronunciation guide.  Inside of each unit is numerous areas of study including constellations, stars, and the solar system.

The Teacher Guide is very similar to the Student Book, only it has the answers, of course.  In the back, there are also Tests that you can copy for your student and the answers, and sheets that can be printed on overheads to make it suitable for classroom usage.

The Book of Astronomy encourages students to stand and recipe the 15 brightest starts with their constellations, 12 Zodiak constellations in Latin and English, and 8 planets.

The Book of Astronomy set is geared toward third through fifth graders.  That makes it perfect for a family that needs to sit down with multiple aged children, when you buy extra workbooks.

The reading book and work book is combined so that you can work the different lessons while you are learning.

The Book of Astronomy Set can also be paired with D’ Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths to further enhance learning.  You can find this set made by Memoria Press on their website as well.

My Thoughts:

My kids have actually been asking to study astronomy for a while so I was very thankful to have the opportunity to check out the Book of Astronomy Set.  I used this set with my third grader.

I love curriculum where I can be learning as well when I teach my kids.  I don’t remember learning anything about astronomy as a child, so this has been fun for me.  My favorite part of the student book is the pronunciation guide.  Let’s just say it was very much needed since I was way off in the ways I thought things were pronounced.

We found the books fun and easy to work through.  It wasn’t overly complicated and worked well for my third grader.

Since we started learning about different parts of astronomy, I have noticed my kids looking toward the stars more often at night. They have been trying to identify the various stars and constellations that we have been studying.  I think a trip to a planetarium is in our near future to go along with this curriculum!  I also like the fact that they are leaning the English and Latin words for the constellations.

More Information:

For more information on The Book of Astronomy set, you can visit Memoria Press on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Google+.

You can also view more posts by the Schoolhouse Review Crew on this program, or on 2 other programs that they offer – Traditional Logic I Complete Set  and D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths – by clicking the banner below.

We have used programs by IEW the past few years in our homeschool to help with writing, but I had no idea that there was more programs available.  I was super excited to learn that the Institute for Excellence in Writing is offering a program called Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization.  We received this program to review through the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

As a family, we haven’t focused much on memorization, with the exception of scripture, but the more I learn about the benefits of memorization, the more I want to do!

About Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization:

Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization consists of a teacher’s manual, e-download student book with poems, and a cd with ninety six poems that your children can memorize!

Instructions, memory charts, certificates, and poet biographies are included, as well as a complementary Student Book as an e-book download. You will also receive a bonus DVD of Andrew Pudewa’s conference talk Nurturing Competent Communicators.

Also included with the purchase is access to downloading 7 MP3 speeches on a variety of topics!

One of the best ways to get a “database” of vocabulary words is through memorization.  When you memorize, you’re actually growing your brain!

Poetry memorization is recommended for anyone that needs to grow their vocabulary or work on the flow of words when they speak.

You can watch a video from the creator of Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization on the product page.  Once there, on the overview section, click on the first video under Watch Video/Excerpts called Andrew’s introduction to Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization.  This will help give a quick overview of the program and why it’s beneficial.

My Thoughts:

Honestly, I was skeptical at first.  I mean, why should we memorize poetry?  I also questioned if my kids would find it interesting or if they would hate it.  I assumed that they probably would not be fans of this program.

The first day we tried Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, they immediately memorized the first poem, Ooey Gooey.  After that was accomplished, they wanted more! The kids did much better than I had expected and the poems were quite entertaining!  I have found myself to be memorizing right along with them!  Here we are, weeks after we first tried to memorize Ooey Gooey and the kids can still recite it at the drop of a hat!

To practice, we have the kids stand up in the living room and recite for their siblings.  Some do it with passion and some just recite.  It’s been fun to use poetry memorization to build confidence and even public speaking skills.

Here’s a quick video of my son and one of the poems he memorized.  I’m so proud of how well he did!

Isn’t that such a silly poem!  The kids were laughing hysterically at it!  My favorite is the second poem in the program about celery!

Not all of the poems were silly, some told a story or random information.  All of my kids, from ages 5-12, were able to easily pick up the poems and recite them back.

For More Information:

Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization retails for $65 and includes the CD, the spiral bound Teacher Guide, student e-book, and 7 MP3 e-resources.

For more information, you can visit the Institute for Excellence in Writing website, or check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Youtube.

For more reviews, check out the link below and see more thoughts and opinions by members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

 

An art exhibition is coming to Mall of Georgia, but it’s far from any traditional show. TeamLab, a Japanese art collective recognized for their advancements in the digital art practice, will unveil a 3,761 square foot, interactive hi-tech playground in the Village from May 14 through July 31. The exhibition, titled teamLab Future Park, is a series of deeply immersive environments designed to foster educational play and collaboration through digital art. As its first official opening on the east coast, the installation will offer innovative opportunities for Mall of Georgia visitors to actively participate in the artworks.

With influences from both ancient Japanese art and contemporary works, teamLab‘s installations are multi-channel orchestrations that involve the use of light, sound, video, digital sequences and virtual-reality environments, resulting in a technological, yet artistic wonderland. The exhibitions are a powerful testament to the development and rising interest in the field of digital artistic expression as well as its ability to cultivate creativity and curiosity through technology.

TeamLab Future Park focuses on promoting collaborative experiences for children through creativity and play. Guests can explore a digital playground through seven different living “works,” which use technology to nurture individual creative freedom within cooperative environments. With hands-on participation as the foundation of each work, children are encouraged to engage with each other and with the art itself to create a combined visual masterwork as part of a larger team. Utilizing technology’s capacity to promote education and influence relationships, teamLab Future Park emphasizes pattern recognition, tactile learning, spatial perception and the importance of teamwork.

 

The seven immersive works include: 

• Sketch Aquarium: This installation explores the magic beneath the waves in a digitally-rendered aquatic world. A favorite among all ages, the immersive Sketch Aquarium allows guests to create drawings of sea creatures and watch them come to life in a virtual ocean. This dynamic artwork constantly grows and evolves as more visitors draw and add different images of sea creatures. The busy sea creatures swim around and interact with each other, and guests can even feed them by touching fish food bags on the screen.
• Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses: This immersive work is a fun game of discovery that tests the skills and imagination for guests of all ages. Attendees are invited to design their own customised hopscotch game in this installation by arranging circles, triangles and squares on an electronic tablet. These shapes are then projected onto the floor. When children land on the same shapes in succession, they will trigger beautiful colors and sounds that reverbrate throughout the space. Special connections exist between the shapes – guests will have to practice playing the game to discover what they are.
• Sketch Town: Sketch Town encourages adults and children alike to cooperate and inspire one another to meet the challenges of this urban setting installation. Sketch Town, a shared space, allows guests to create their own town landmarks by coloring paper drawings of buildings, cars, planes and even fantastical vehicles like spaceships and UFOs in a morphing town that grows and evolves. Children can interact with the townscape by touching individual components to alter their behavior.
• Sketch Town Papercraft: Guests can turn their 3-D Sketch Town crayon drawings of cars and buildings into papercraft patterns. By assembling the patterns, their pictures are transformed into an original 3-D papercraft model to take home and enjoy.
• A Table Where Little People Live: This installation features an interactive tabletop with “little people.” Children can sit or stand around the table, and they are encouraged to interact with the little people by placing objects on the screen. As each object is introduced, the movements of the little people change, causing them to jump, climb and even slide.
• Light Ball Orchestra: Guests of all ages use beachball-sized globes of multicolored light and sound as instruments in this electrifying, one-of-a-kind orchestra. Attendees can touch any ball to change the color and sound of the balls around it, creating a resonating effect throughout the dazzling environment. Children and adults will enjoy creating a playful and dynamic space with other visitors, as their participation with the Light Ball Orchestra sends out ripples in different directions to interact with each other. Guests will work together by pushing, bouncing and rolling the balls to continuously change the composition, color and sound of the orchestra.
• Connecting! Train Block: This installation allows attendees to design their own transportation network. Guests will first use physical wooden blocks to design and connect an evolving system of roads, rivers and railways to keep the ever-increasing traffic flowing smoothly. Then, as more blocks are connected on the table, more cars and trains appear, forming a bustling townscape. Children can play and interact by placing the blocks in different positions to create a town collaboratively with other guests.

 

Tickets to experience teamLab Future Park at Mall of Georgia are available onsite or online at bit.ly/MOG_teamLab. To guarantee admission and avoid long wait times, the mall highly recommends purchasing advance tickets online. General admission is FREE for children ages 0-2, $8 for children ages 3-13 and $12 for adults. Adults are not permitted to enter the exhibit without children. A discounted ticket rate of $10 is available to senior over 65-years-old and to students over 14-years-old with a valid student ID. Group rate admission for 10 or more people is $10 per adult and $6 per child. The exhibition will only be available at Mall of Georgia May 14 – July 31. Exhibition hours are as follows**:

 

May 14 – May 27* 

• Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Friday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Sunday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

*TeamLab will open from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 15 due to a private event

 

May 28 – July 31

• Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Sunday: Sunday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

**Please visit simon.com/mall/mall-of-georgia/stores/teamlab-future-park to confirm hours of operation.

 

I have tickets for 1 family to attend the preview event!  Simply leave a comment confirming that you can attend to be entered.  The preview is Thursday, May 12, from 5-8pm.  Winner drawn tomorrow morning!

Giveaway has ended.

 

It’s Monday again!  We had a great weekend.  My aunt is here from New York and the kids celebrated the end of the year with their homeschool friends.  We aren’t quite done with school yet, but we are pretty close!

This week, I’m going to do our testing with my oldest 2.  If you aren’t sure how to test your homeschooler, check out my post.  Once we get that accomplished, we are on to field days with our homeschool friends and other things to wrap up this school year.  It’s been a great one!

Local readers, don’t forget this week is Bountiful Baskets week!  Tons of produce for just $15.  Find more about that on their website or on the local Athens produce facebook page.  You contribute Monday or Tuesday and pickup Saturday!  Yummy!

Here’s what I plan to make this week:

Monday: Coconut Aminos Chicken, brown rice, broccoli

Tuesday: BBQ, Chips, Beans

Wednesday: Pesto Caprese Chicken, salad

Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday: Eggs, biscuits, sausage, fruit

Saturday: Chicken Quesadillas 

Sunday: Skillet Kielbasa and Brussels in Mustard Sauce

 

What do you plan to make this week?

 

Our family loves heading to the Mall of Georgia to shop or hang out at times.  Random fact: My husband and I actually met at the Mall of Georgia when we both were working at JC Penney.  Gosh, that was like 16 years ago!

Every summer, the Mall of Georgia offers movies under the stars.  This is a ton of fun to go and sit with your family and relax outside the mall.

Here’s the line up for 2016:

 

• May 28: The Woody’s / “Minions” (rated G)
• June 4: J. Kyle Reynolds / “Jurassic World” (rated PG-13)
• June 11: Line 6 / “Hotel Transylvania 2” (rated PG)
• June 18: Brent Gafford Band / “The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron” (rated PG-13)
• June 25: Foxes & Fossils / “Kung Fu Panda 3” (rated PG)
• July 4: Mall of Georgia’s 14th Annual Star Spangled Fourth event (special program)
  • 5 p.m.: Kids Zone opens for family fun
  • 5 – 7 p.m.: Ants Trippin’ 
  • 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.: The Woody’s 
  • 9:30 p.m.: Singing of the National Anthem by Mallory Wilson 
  • 9:35 p.m.: Gwinnett’s grandest fireworks display 
  • Post-fireworks: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” (rated PG-13) 
• July 9: Fire & the Knife / “Grease” – 1978 Original (rated PG)
• July 16: Fly Betty Band / “5th Wave” (rated PG-13)
• July 23: Dean Taylor & The Better Days / “Alvin and the Chipmunks – The Road Chip” (rated PG)
• July 30: Beau + Luci / “Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (rated PG-13)