Well the TOS Homeschool Crew year has officially started for 2010-11. This year I have been blessed to have been asked back as well as to become a First Mate (FM). Each of us FMs have several crew members assigned to us in order to form a mini crew.

This year I have the pleasure to have several wonderful ladies on my mini-crew. We have named ourselves the Treasure Seekers which I feel appropriate since we receive many homeschool products and services through the crew year that are truly treasures for us as homeschoolers.

Announcing the Treasure Seekers crew:

Brandy’s Blog: Kingdom Academy
Jamie’s Blog: Pecan Prairie
Lynn’s Blog: No Place Liek Home
Tonya’s Blog: Live the Adventure

Well a new TOS Crew review year has begun. Hard to believe we are starting over again. We are beginning this Crew year with a review of the e-book from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Store.

At the beginning of last crew year I reviewed the The Old Schoolhouse planner which is again a wonderful homeschool planner and has even been improved for this year. What I didn’t do last year was to review the e-book modules that go along with and supplement the planner. This current review focuses on the June 2010 module e-book: Travel the World . You can use this e-book as a standalone product or with the Old Schoolhouse planner as a supplement. Either way I think you will enjoy all this e-book has to offer you and your child.

In this e-book you will learn about geography including the earth, maps, land and waters and all about the different continents. That is just a brief view of what you will be learning about in this e-book. You can view a full description of this e-book and information on what exactly you can expect out of the individual modules such as this e-book by visiting this link.

The information you learn from Travel The World e-book is presented in various ways using Bible verses and quotes, song lyrics, factual reading passages and pictures, games, crosswords, links to activities online, fill in the blank pages, rebus puzzles, lap-booking and through many many other methods and activities. It also includes some recipes that you can try as well. This e-book has something for all ages. There is also a specific section in it just for high schoolers.

My kids and I just touched the surface of this e-book and were thrilled with what we did so far. We plan on continuing to work through this book a little more in the weeks to come. If we were in our normal “school year” mode we would take the time to read some of the material and choose one or more activities from the e-book to do during each week. It seems like it would be easy to incorporate the material from this e-book into your regular lessons whether you school eclectically like we do or if you homeschool by unschooling, using a specific curriculum or other methods.

You can purchase the June 2010 Module: Travel the World for $7.95 through the Old Schoolhouse Magazine Store here.

Check out what my fellow Crew members had to say about the Travel the World E-Book here on our blog.

I received this product for free in exchange for writing an honest review of it for my readers.

This past TOS Homeschool Crew year had our family using Rocket Phonics as part of the products we reviewed. I wrote an earlier review of our experience of this product and wanted to give everyone an update on how our year ended with using Rocket Phonics.

Like other programs my children learned phonics and successfully developed into readers, but the difference was that with Rocket Phonics it took it a step further and my kids learned other things such as homonyms and homophones, prefixes and suffixes, developed reading comprehension skills, as well as spelling and reading decoding skills. All of this was learned through interesting stories and text throughout the Rocket Phonics program.. I would say that unlike some other programs we have used in the past that this was a much appreciated bonus to a reading program. Most of the others would only lead your child into reading and stop there. Rocket Phonics went that step further and brought a more complete educational experience for my children. I still recommend this to anyone looking for a reading program for their child. I especially feel that if your child requires a multi-sensory learning tool for reading that this would be a good fit for your child. My oldest started out having trouble getting past the initial stage of learning letter sounds and this would have been a good fit from the beginning for her. While she was a little beyond that when we tried Rocket Phonics, she still benefited from this program and I feel as if it solidified her reading skills and abilities.

You can check out my initial review of Rocket Phonics by viewing my homeschool reviews from this blog and check out Rocket Phonics information for yourself at the Rocket Phonics website here.

The Winners of the 2010 Homeschool Crew Seaworthy Awards:

Favorite Language Arts Product => EDUDPS

Favorite History Product => Bright Ideas Press (All American History and Mystery of History)

Favorite Science Product => Nature Friend Magazine

Favorite Math Product => Math Mammoth

Favorite Online Math Product => Mathletics

Favorite Handwriting Product => Zeezok (Presidential Penmanship)

Favorite Fine Arts Product (art, music, etc.) => Artistic Pursuits

Favorite Pre-school Product => Time 4 Learning

Favorite Elementary Product => Critical Thinking

Favorite Upper-Grade Product => Professor in a Box

Favorite College Prep Product => Cerebellum/Standard Deviants

Favorite Special Needs Product => Super Star Speech

Favorite Health and Beauty Product => Virginia Soaps & Scents

Favorite Christian Product => Grapevine Studies

Best Resource I Didn’t Know I Needed => Studypod

Best Homemaking Product => Sue Gregg

Best Customer Service => Graphics Toolbox

Best Online Resource => ABC Teach

Best e-product => Nutrition 101

Best Office and Technology Resource => Web Designs for Kids

Best Homeschool Resource => Apologia – Ultimate Guide …

Best Map Resource => Homeschool in the Woods

Best Book, Novel or Magazine => Sarah Books

Best Children’s Book => Children’s Bible Hour

Best Hands-On Resource => Journey Through Learning

Most Adaptable Resource => Sue Patrick’s Workbox System

Most Unique Resource => Lobster Network

Most Family-Oriented Product => Family Mint

Kid’s Choice => Maverick Books

All Around Crew Favorite => All About Spelling

As one of the last products that I am reviewing for 2009-2010 TOS Homeschool Crew year, I received Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan K. Marlow and provided to me by Kregel Publications.

This book is number 5 in the Circle C Adventure series which is geared for ages 9 through 14. The series follows a girl named Andrea Carter, her horse, Taffy, as well as her friends and family. The setting for the series is Fresno, California, in the 1880s. These are wholesome books that you can feel comfortable having your kids read. You may even enjoy reading them for yourself or reading them to younger kids too.

In the book we received, Andi, her brother Mitch, and her friends Cory and Jenny start out getting into trouble in town then find themselves in the midst of more problems after they venture out on a two week camping and horseback riding trip. The plot keeps your attention and we get a good sense of who the characters are and what they are experiencing throughout the story. As a parent, I appreciated the sense of values and lessons learned by the characters within this book. Being a Christian myself, I loved that the main character attempted to keep her eyes on God through her ordeal. The references to God by Andi do not seem artificial or awkward which makes the character appear very believable and make the lessons learned more plausible at least to myself as a reader. You can read an excerpt about Trouble with Treasure here to get a good sense of the story for yourself.

You can also find out more about the Circle C Adventures series by visiting the website here.

We really enjoyed reading about Andi, her brother and her friends and think you may too.

You can purchase each book from the Circle C Adventure series for $8.00. The website also has free study guides that you can download for free from their website.

Check out what my fellow Crew members had to say as well by visiting our Homeschool Blog.

As this year’s TOS Crew year winds down I have a few more reviews to post before this review year is complete. This time what I have to tell you about is a networking service that is free to use.

In a nutshell it allows you to keep an inventory of what you own such as books, videos, games and other items. It also allows you to have items that you set up to sell, trade, loan out or giveaway. It lets you search for items to borrow, buy, get for free, or trade.

It is easy to use and you can set up one or more communities where you can have like-minded people join so that you have a trusted group in which to share your items with. You can also have an open group that allows more folks to join and share things together. It is kind of the best of different worlds because it can be as open or closed of a community as you need it to be as well as being a flexible tool to use. You can also just use it to keep a private inventory for your own personal use where only you have access. It allows you to add pictures to your inventory as well as other information. Since it is online, if you need to access it away from your home it is possible to do that. Lobster Network also has a user guide that walks you through everything you need to get started to use their online system.

If you have a big inventory, it may take a little time to enter everything into your account, but before long you will be on your way and joining others in your quest to share with your friends and family. Remember you can just set up stuff you are looking for or things that you have to offer others. You can just have an online inventory that you can access anywhere you have a computer and internet. See how versatile this can be to use? You control what you use it for and how much time you spend using it. Remember it is free!

Check out their website for more information at http://www.lobsternetwork.com.

Check you what others have to say about Lobster Network by going here to our TOS Crew blog.

I received a free copy of Light Speed Chemistry AP Exam Prep DVD and CD from Cerebellum Corporation in order to provide an honest review as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew.

While my kids are not ready to take Chemistry at the high school level, I know that we will be using it when they are ready for it. For 25 minutes, this DVD explains the AP tests and provides practical tips for taking them successfully. The next 30 minutes cover the basics of 30 different chemistry concepts. You also get a digital workbook on a CD which provides additional help to your student in order to prepare for the AP test. The CD contains a pdf with an outline and notes, practice questions, and quizzes. This DVD provides your student with a good review of High School Chemistry prior to taking the AP test. The material is covered quickly so they suggest you stop the DVD presentation n order to make sure you understand each topic being covered rather than just watch the entire presentation at once. I liked that this is a visual tool that you can use in preparing for the AP test which would compliment the existing study methods your student may already be using.

Some of the topics covered in this DVD:

Atomic Theory and Structure
Chemical Bonding
Nuclear Chemistry
Gases
Stoichiometry
Equilibrium & Kinetics
Thermodynamics

In addition to the Light Speed Chemistry AP Exam Prep DVD, Cerebellum Corporation carries 3 other titles which prepare you for the AP tests: US Government, US History, and Writing. If you check out the Cerebellum Corporation website you can also find other products as well as the AP test preparation DVDs. I just browsed their website and after viewing the DVD I received for review, I plan on looking into other products to use in our homeschooling.

Light Speed Chemistry AP Exam Prep DVD can be purchased at the reasonable price of $14.98 which remember includes the DVD of about an hour of presentation and the CD with the digital workbook.

Right now, the AP prep DVDs are on sale for $11.24 at the Cerebellum Corporation website.

Check out what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say about this DVD and the other AP test prep DVDs on our TOS Crew Blog.

Ideal Curriculum provided me with a free unit of their pre-school curriculum for me to review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The curriculum itself consists of 9 separate units. Each unit provides everything you need to do a month’s worth of learning in the areas of math, science/social science and literature. You receive teacher guides for each section of the unit, music in mp3 format, reading books and handout activities.

The unit I reviewed had transportation as its theme. Since my kids are beyond pre-school, I mainly read through this unit rather than using it with my kids. I think this curriculum would be ideal for any homeschool Mom or Dad who wanted to have a complete structured curriculum package that is easy to implement. The units can be purchased either in print or ebook format. The ebook format allows you to reuse the units for your other children and is the most affordable option.

Here is what Ideal Curriculum says about their units:

”

These kits are available downloadable or in print version.
They include everything you will need on a monthly basis for a full year of literacy, calendar, math, oral language, science and social studies.
Our monthly kits include daily lesson plans that balance the important skills.

”
Pricing for the Ideal Curriculum is as follows:
1 unit : print $55 or download $30
3 units : print $156 or download $85.50
9 units : print $440 or download $240

If you are interested in finding out more about Ideal Curriculum check out their website. You can also read what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say at our TOS Homeschool Blog here.

Beeyoutiful has many products that can assist you in living healthier. One of these products is Hair Shine that I received for free from them in order to review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew.

Hair Shine is a spray in conditioner that you can use as a hair de-tangler. It is a natural alternative to other hair care products. You can even use it for relief from sunburn and insect bites. I frequently have problems in the summer with getting sunburn on my head and this is what I have used it for so far. My youngest has tee-ball in the early afternoon and I have already have had sunburn as a result. I sprayed the Hair Shine on my head and was delighted that my hair not only smelled great but the sunburn did not bother me nor did I get those flakes that happen after you skin starts to heal from a sunburn. I also spray it on occasionally just for a nice fresh scent. Previously I had to smear aloe straight into my hair when I had received a sunburn there and it would be greasy and not so comfortable or nice looking. The spray goes on and acts as a conditioner as well which is a great benefit. At $15 a bottle for 4 fl oz I admit it is a little pricey but knowing it contains natural ingredients such as aloe vera and various essences such as lavender, it is nice to know I am not putting unknown chemicals onto my skin.

You can get a full description of this product from the Beeyoutiful website here.

You can purchase Hair Shine and check out the other products that Beeyoutiful has to offer at their website.

Check out what my fellow Crew members had ot say about this and other Beeyoutiful products on our homeschool Blog here.

Well it is nearing the end of this year’s TOS Homeschool Crew review year. One of the products I received for free to review as part of the crew was Sue Gregg‘s Introducing Whole Foods Cooking.

This book contains information in order to get you started on a whole new lifestyle of nutrition and well-being. If you ever have considered investing into your own and your family’s well-being then this may be something for you.

As I consider the world today and what we eat as individuals as well as how we spend our time together as families around the mealtimes, I notice a disturbing trend toward unhealthy eating habits as we grab processed foods that are quick and easy but lack the nutritional value that our bodies crave and need to survive and be healthy. Often fast food restaurants fill our meals. If this is something you are concerned with, then maybe you have also considered how to break free from it. After our family received the Introducing Whole Foods book from Sue Gregg, we made a commitment towards the goal of eating better. Admittedly such a major change is not easy and sometimes it does not happen over night. Our family is still working on this even after most of this review year but we have made small steps that hopefully will allow us to reach our goal eventually.

What I liked about Sue Gregg’s Introducing Whole Foods Cooking
was that it explained the whys and hows of whole food cooking and did so with a Biblical approach, The book itself contains a few recipes and meal plans as well as a load of valuable information about nutrition and how to get started on this lifestyle change. You can also find a section called Food to Faith which is a student Bible study that guides you through 6 studies from the gospels of Luke and John. In addition there is a PowerPoint CD included with the book that demonstrates the recipes from the book along with pictures, has the 6 re-printable Bible studies as well as one semester of Whole Foods Menu Planning & Meal Preparation Curriculum for the SueGreggCookbooks Cooking Course.

I can tell you that we have tried several of the recipes from this book and each one has been a success in our home from the preparation to the table. My oldest has gotten her first taste of actual food preparation and cooking that has gone beyond making sandwiches and heating up soup to actually preparing a full sit down meal. She not only just asks to help in the kitchen but asks to prepare the meals herself.

If you are thinking of making the change toward healthier living the way God intended it to be then I suggest checking out Sue Gregg’s website for yourself and seeing all that they have to offer. There you will find samples of recipes as well as more information from them to help you decide for yourself. The book I reviewed, Introducing Whole Foods Cooking, is a good one to get started and can be purchased for $17 here.

Still want to know more what others have to say about Sue Gregg’s cookbooks? Check out what my fellow Crew members had to say also here at our Homeschool Blog.