Time for Learning Review...

We recently did a review of Time for Learning for a month. In this post I will post both my opinions and those of my kids.

The five year old: He loved it! The learning games were engaging and he couldn't get enough.

Me, I liked the resources that go along with it that you can print off to reinforce what they learned. It was not an overwhelming amount either. We would continue to use it for our five year old.

The 8th graders:

Girl really enjoyed the format and the paperwork that went along with it.

Boy did not like reading online, and zipped through it without really reading it all.

Me, I think it is a great resource for a child you can trust to use it correctly. For a child such as my son who just kept hitting the "next" button, there is no accountability. Only being extremely supervised would this work for him, so I might as well sit down and teach him the material rather than using the computer. Also, there was a LOT of material to print out for the older kids as enrichment activities, and that is a drain on the printer. Having these available to purchase separately as a workbook would be highly preferable.

My favorite go to item...

Is these wonderful little cloths, known as Bird-E towels. You can find them over at my friend's shop, on etsy. This is her description of them from her site:

"Bird-E Towels™ are simply fabulous, a wonderful way to cut the paper towel habit. They are a washable, reusable paper towel alternative made from ORGANIC fabric! My ORGANIC Bird-E Towels™ towels feel and act more like a paper towel (only better!) vs any of the alternatives out there! "

I use these for everything, and just placed another order today. I keep them for things such as regular cleaning, a dishcloth, wiping up spills, drying hands, and many many other things.

This is also a note on uses from my friend's site:

"Whatever you might use a paper towel for, you can use these cloths. Dry your hands, wipe up spills, clean the dining room table, dinner napkins, etc, etc. Even better then paper towels, you can actually clean glass and mirrors without leaving linty bits like paper towels and other cloths can do."

I just fold them in half and keep them in a bin in my kitchen corner. Makes them handy. My new ones, I will keep in the bathrooms for wiping down things and such.

PIoneer Woman's Cinnamon rolls, my attempt and tweaks

I can not take any credit for this dish of pure heaven. No, I cannot. I got it from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drumond. You can find a much more entertaining and thorough walk through of this here, on her site.

Okay. You're still with me? Really, Ree is a lot funnier, but okay...if you insist.

Step one...(can you see the love that is baked in right from the beginning?)

Step two...after one hour added yeast

then flour and stirred it all together

Let rise for an hour...and added the other ingredients

Took half of dough and put it in my floured counter

rolled it out

added butter (yum!)

and sugar

and cinnamon

rolled, and made a MAJOR mess...then cut

Place in pans...some pretty

some not so pretty

But enough to share

Then I made the icing

and I drenched them like she said. At first, it looked like too much. But then...

it began to soak in

and in the end, they looked (and tasted) amazing!

Pulled Pork

This is blog one of three today...this is about my pulled pork, which is TO DIE FOR YUMMY!!!

Last night I placed a pork roast (shoulder) in my crock pot. I sliced two onions and layered the slices of one on bottom, placed roast, and another layer of onions on top. I then emptied a packet of italian dressing (dry) on the top, and poured one can of giner ale on that. I let it cook on low for 12.5 hours. I then drained the liquid reserving the onions and meat. I let it sit in the colander in the sink to cool. This is what it looked like at that point.

After this, I pulled it apart and threw it all back in the crock pot.

I then added two bottles of yummy BBQ sauce

But, it was still dry. After burning some in my crock pot last week, I was NOT risking that again, so I added a can of ginger ale.

I then cooked it on low for 4 hours. The recipe called for 6, but at 4 it was evident it had had enough, and further cooking would leave me with a nasty mess like the last time. (I didn't even know you could scorch food on low in a crock pot...apparently you can!)

The "other" blog

I started fresh with a new blog, this one, this year. I do still have my other blog there for reference if you are interested in any of it. You can find it http://crazyheifer.blogspot.com/ there.

I just thought it important to start fresh, like we were doing. Probably more of a mental thing than a reality, but whatever. Makes me feel better, so I did it.

Now, an update on us. We are getting back on track. I am feeling so much better after my surgery, and I am finally at the point of being pleased with having the procedure. I think it was the smartest move I have made in a long time as I feel years younger, even with the pain remaining.

Time For Learning

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

"The" Magazine

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I cannot tell you how excited I get when this magazine comes in the mail. It is like a gift every-time one shows up, full of all the wonderful tid-bits of knowledge, advice, laughter, and fun that one magazine can contain!

Well, today was *that* day! It is finally here!!! I am far too excited when it arrives to just sit down and start reading. Noooooooo, I have to flip through scanning it, picking out bits and pieces that interest me but never dwelling. I cannot contain my enthusiasm long enough to read it in order. So, I take time scanning and flipping, smiling and anticipating all the things I am going to get out of this issue. Then, I go back and I savor each page. Not always in order, but always in entirety before a few days have past. But, it does not end there. I never give an issue away, though I have leant them out so other's can benefit from an article that has made me think of them. I keep every issue. I believe that every homeschooling family should have a subscription to The Old Schoolhouse. It has proven invaluable to our family in our homeschool journey.

Just today it arrived, and already I had a need "met". I had been looking for a devotional or unit study to take my children through the beginning of December all the way to Christmas. I wanted something to tie in the reasons we do some of what we do to the REAL reason for the season. Right there on page 65 it was..."Christmas is all about Jesus", a 24 day devotional explaining how things like snowflakes and candles can help a family focus on Jesus. I ordered it straight away (further review to come after we use it). Their website is http://www.kovescove.com if you'd also like to look into it.

Now, to my plug...if you are a homeschooling parent, you need to subscribe to TOS magazine. If you know a homeschooling parent who does not, it would make an excellent gift. If you plan to homeschool but your children are not there yet (or maybe not even HERE yet), I still suggest subscribing. I wish I owned every issue ever!!! LOL Maybe I will make that a goal?

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is certainly a smart purchase and an excellent resource. I will spend time at a later date talking about their wonderful on-line conferences and so on.

To subscribe, just click here