potatoes are in the ground!!!!!

After weeks of waiting, it's finally done. Potatoes are in the ground. It has been raining so much around here that we got to thinking we would never get the potatoes planted. Thankfully we had a few days of good sunshine and was able to plant six rows of potatoes. Here are some pictures!

Here are the bugs cutting our potatoes, getting them ready to plant.

Daddy and the girls together!

Fun day and great memories!

God Is Good!

Artistic Pursuits Review

We were so excited when we were told we could review ARTISTIC PURSUITS.

My 11 year old bug is my little artist. We have heard such great things about this company. This curriculum has taught her so many things and she is still enjoying her lessons. This art program not only teaches children how to draw, it also includes art history and appreciation.

We were chosen to review the Elementary 4-5: Book Two, Color and Composition book. It is for ages 9 and up and is just the right fit for my fifth grader.

This thick, comb-bound book is so beautiful. Each unit in this book includes:

    Lesson 1: Vocab and Creative Exercise
    Lesson 2: Art Appreciation and History
    Lesson 3: Techniques
    Lesson 4: Application


The focus of this book is to teach color and composition. It also provides an in-depth look at the color wheel. Units will guide your child through a study of color while covering topics such as primary and secondary color, neutral color and analogous colors. Each unit focuses on one color theory principle at a time.

There is a small list of supplies required. It was fairly easy to find all of them. One was a set of watercolor pencils, something we have never purchased before, so she was quite excited about that.

She used this art program a few times a week. We decided it would be best for her to finish all of her other studies before she started art class so she could take her time and not rush through her lesson for that day. It usually takes her about 30 - 45 minutes to complete a lesson. She is learning so much from Artistic Pursuits. We have not been disappointed by this program.

Here are a few of her art pieces:

I am so proud of her and I just know each time she sits down with this program, she is learning and only getting better!

Artistic Pursuits is available for preschool through high school.

Go here to find out more about Artistic Pursuits. There are 10 books in all and each level, including Elementary 4-5, Book Two: Color and Composition, sells for $47.95.

Go check out more reviews on Artistic Pursuits here.

from Brown Belt to Advanced Brown Belt

Big Boy Bug has been taking Tae Kwon Do for about two years now. He has quickly worked his way up closer to black belt.

Tonight he had his awards ceremony and was presented his advanced brown belt. He has this advanced brown belt, red belt and advanced red belt to go through until he reaches black belt. He works really hard at this and we are all so proud of him!

We love you Big Boy!!!

Roma Downey's Little Angels Prayers for Every Day Giveaway!

My family and I had the opportunity to take a look at a new book by Roma Downey entitled "ROMA DOWNEY'S LITTLE ANGELS PRAYERS FOR EVERY DAY.

This book features more than 50 rhyming prayers. The book has prayers for morning, prayers of praise, prayers of thanks, prayers for mealtimes, prayers for others, prayers for help, prayers for guidance, prayers for forgiveness, prayers of comfort and prayers for bedtime.
In this book, twins Alex and Zoe, go about their days, along with little angels, their guardians, teachers and companions. From waking in the morning to going to sleep at night, from thanking God for a meal to praying for His comfort when afraid, these little prayers help little ones to see that any moment, no matter what you are going through, is a good time to talk to God. It is the perfect way to teach children about prayer and the ways God cares for us each day. There are even bible verses scattered throughout this little book as well.


Here are a few sample prayers taken from this wonderful little book:

     Prayers for Morning.......

          Dear Lord,
          When the darkness goes away
          and the daylight shines so bright,
          I'll thank you for another day
          and for another night.
          Amen!


     Prayers for Mealtimes.......

          Dear Jesus,
          Thank you for this day.
          Thank you for our meals.
          Thank you for the way
          your glory makes us feel!
          Amen!


     Prayers for Bedtime.......

          Dear God,
          It's almost time for me to sleep,
          and now it's time to pray.
          Thank you, God, for all you do,
          and for this happy day.
          Amen!

Those are just a few of our favorites, The first day we received this book, I read each and every prayer to my 3 and 5 year old bugs while they were taking a bath. They listened so well to each and every prayer and wanted to read them over and over again.

I highly recommend this book. It has been such a blessing to us and gives the bugs such wonderful little prayers to pray each and every day!

Prayers for Every Day retails for $9.99. Go here and check it out!

You can also go to these places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdealBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealRomaDowney
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0k6mgA8jAo

AND!!! One lucky homestead reader can win a FREE copy by leaving me a comment and a way for me to contact you if you are the winner. This giveaway ends in 7 days. I will use random.org to pick the winner.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

TOS Review: Lone Star Learning

I was really excited to be able to review the Science Vocabulary Pictures, Set 1 cards from Lone Star Learning. I had kinda got away from vocabulary and spelling in our homeschool for a while now. I have been wanting  to re-incorporate it back into our school routine. When this came up for review, I jumped at the chance.

When I received these cards, I could not believe how nice they were. Each set contains 40 cards and are available in 5.5" X 8.5". full, color-coated cards. They show the word and its meaning in picture form.

We use these cards once a week, sometimes two, if the words are more of the easier ones. I give the bugs, 15, 11 and 10 year olds, two words a week to learn to spell correctly and to learn the meaning. I bought each one of them small notebooks to use with these cards. They are required to write all of their information in their notebooks so they can study them and learn them. When I flash the words to them, I expect them to know how to say the word, spell it and give the correct meaning.

There are so many ways to use these cards. We are using them for spelling, vocabulary and as flashcards. We are really enjoying these cards. Each set comes with a definition sheet. We are using it instead of a dictionary.

Here is a list from the Science Vocabulary Pictures, set 1:

blizzard, carnivore, Celsius, condensation, conductor, conglomerate, conifer, deciduous, evaporation, fall, fern, fibrous root, flood, friction, gear, gravity, herbivore, igneous, inclined plane, inherited, lever, fulcrum, load, magnetic, mammal, metamorphic, moss, permeable, precipitation, pulley, reptile, sedimentary, spring, stretch, summer, symmetry, taproot, turn, wedge, wheel, winter

I also received, by accident, the Target Vocabulary Pictures, Set 1. We haven't started this set yet, but are looking forward to them once we finish the science set. Lone Star Learning was gracious enough to let us keep both sets to review. How nice is that!!!

The Science Vocabulary Pictures, Set 1 is $29.99.

The Target Vocabulary Pictures, Set 1 is $29.99.

I highly recommend these vocabulary cards. They are really nice, high-quality cards that can be used in so many ways. The colors are amazing!

To see what other crew members had to say, click here!

Veggie Tales: The Little House That Stood Giveaway!

We love Veggie Tales around here. When I found out we would be reviewing this new movie, I immediately told the bugs. Boy were they excited!

The Little House That Stood: A Parable of the Wise & Foolish Builders. A Lesson in Making Good Choices.

This movie is about when the three little pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses. They meet one builder with a plan and two more that didn't have a clue. One is Larry who builds his out of hay and Mr. Lunt with bricks, these two didn't have a clue. But Bob, he builds his houses on a firm foundation, following the wise plans from the Master Builders' Handbook.

Do the little piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses - and their lives - on solid ground?  Find out in this parable that shows kids when they follow God's blue prints then can stand when the storms come.

We enjoyed downloading a couple of coloring sheets from here and making an afternoon of coloring and watching this great movie.

   Here are a few ways to check out this amazing movie:

Website: http://www.veggietales.com/littlehouse/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/veggietales

Twitter: http://twitter.com/veggietales

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K65sINFro&list=UUhddokv0fxIN3BS-KZpxFfA&index=2

I highly recommend this DVD. We love veggie tales and love how they use bible stories to teach our kids some great lessons about God. I love how these DVD's give scripture to read to your children.

Here is one of the many they recommend you reading with your children:

Luke 6: 47-48 (Taken from the KJV)

     Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.

     He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of this Veggie Tales, all you need to do is leave me a comment below letting me know your favorite Veggie Tales DVD or silly song. This giveaway will end Saturday, March 16th at noon. I will pick a winner using random.org. I will need you to leave me contact information in case you are the winner.

 

Veggie Tales has been a huge blessing to our family. They are filled with so much great information. This is a great way to learn about the bible and all the ways to grow closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."