The Nutcracker Review

We received The Nutcracker from Maestro Classics to review. It is a classical music CD with an activity booklet. The music is conducted by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the music is by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, adapted and conducted by Stephen Simon, and narrated by Jim Weiss.

CD $16.98 MP3 $9.98

The Nutcracker CD has 21 tracks. It covers the whole story, from the Christmas Party to the Land of Sweets and the Sugar Plum Fairy. It lasts 58 minutes and is sure to make it on the music list for a Christmas party!

The Nutcracker is a classic. It has always been one of my favorite holiday stories and the music is timeless. The Nutcracker Prince was always on our Christmas movie marathon list (it's available on Youtube). The Nutcracker story book is one of the books included in our 24 Days of Christmas book list. This year, in addition to reading the story, we'll be able to listen to the music.  If your kids love to be creative and want to put on a play, you can let them use the booklet to follow the acts and act out the scenes of the story with the music in the background. Or you can watch The Nutcracker ballet performance. My kids opted to dig out their collection of Nutcrackers from our box of Christmas decorations, found a couple toys to replace the other characters, and tried to play out the story.  The booklet also has other information and activities to offer, such as a history on ballet, music from the Overture to The Nutcracker, information on harps and Tchaikovsky, a word scramble activity, and a crossword puzzle. From the Maestro Classics website you can download the curriculum guide to The Nutcracker, which covers ballet, history, geography, science, language arts, art, music, and math. You can create a whole mini-unit on The Nutcracker using the curriculum guide. The website doesn't offer music sheets for The Nutcracker, but they may be able to get them if you email them. If not, there are plenty of sheet music available online. 
Maestro Classics offers the following Stories in Music:
Peter and the Wolf
The Nutcracker
The Story of Swan Lake
Carnival of the Animals
My Name is Handel: The Story of Water Music
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
The Tortoise and the Hare
Merry Pranks of Master Till
Casey at the Bat
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Soldier's Tale
Juanita la langosta Española (Juanita the Spanish Lobster)

Maestro Classics offers a 12 CD collection at a discounted price. We would love to someday own the whole collection! There is music for everyone, whether you're a fan of ballet or the stories, and if you aren't sure which you want to start off with, each one has a sample of the music on the website.

We have always really enjoyed Maestro Classics CDs. They are a wonderful way to incorporate music into our homeschool lessons. We enjoyed listening to The Nutcracker and we look forward to bringing it back out during the month of December to help us celebrate Christmas.

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The Ultimate Homeschool Planner Review

We received The Ultimate Homeschool Planner - Blue Cover from Apologia Educational Ministries to review. It covers 52 weeks of your homeschool year. It also features Biblical scriptures and inspiring quotes. It comes in blue, yellow, and orange. I liked the blue cover because the colors were vibrant and really popped.

$29.00
Both covers feature an inside pocket for notes, papers, and whatever you may need to store away in your planner. Following that is a calendar of the 2015-2023 years. I used a highlighter to dot the days that were especially important, like holidays, vacations, field trip days, and planned outings. I've only gone as far as 2017, but it's nice to have those calendars ahead of schedule. After that is basically the starting page, where you can list your homeschool, students, and their grades. The user's guide was really helpful to fully utilize the homeschool planner. 
We used the one year planning grid to plan out our weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly unit studies. Generally we planned month-long units with each week being directed to a specific study within the theme. Like for instance, anatomy is coming up and we plan to focus one week on the outside body, one on bones, one on muscles, and one on organs. For life cycles, we choose a mammal, bird, insect, and plant and spent one week on each of them. 
In the goal section we didn't focus as much on character development, so much as what the kids wanted to focus on and learn by the end of the year. They each made their own list and I plan to do my best to make sure we can check off each one during the year. I also wrote down a few of my own goals, as a teacher and as a mother. I hope to improve on certain traits. Organization is one of them, so I hope the planner helps with that!
The resource list was super helpful in keeping track of each child's curriculum and student materials. I was able to list the curriculum on one side and use the other side to list which materials were to be used with that curriculum. Like for math, I listed counters, rulers, coins, pattern blocks, etc. Then I set up a shelf for each subject and put these materials with them so they are always easy to locate.  After that is the monthly planner. You'll have to add in your own month, year, and days. That means you can start whenever you want and you're not limited to a 2015-2016 year planner. At the bottom of each of these pages is a Biblical quote and a notes section. 
And from there is the weekly planner, which also has a space for notes, supplies and appointments. Small post it notes also fit in these spaces, which I usually carry around with me, and I can easily add them to the planner when I get home. The weekly planner also has a prayer section, Bible plan, battle plan, hospitality/outreach (which can also be used for Church plans or volunteer work), memorable moments, achievements, and evidences of grace. 
Near the back of the planner you'll find a section for records and grades for each student. You can mark subjects, grades throughout two semesters, and the end of year final grade. I am particularly fond of the reading lists as well. However, due to the fact that we read several books per day, we decided to limit the planner's reading list to the books that are used for their unit studies. Personal reading is usually done from our home library, and we save library lists (in the back pocket of the planner) in case we ever want to revisit a favorite book. There are also field trip and outside activities lists. We used these to note the name of the field trip, the address and phone number, tickets/pass (stored in the front pocket), and who we plan to go with. 
There are also teaching tips, which offer encouragement and go over learning styles and thinking skills, to better understand our children. I really liked the Twenty Power Tools Student Toolkit list, which we liked so much, that we made a copy of it and put it up on the wall in our homeschool corner. It lists examples like "analyze it! connect it! investigate it! transform it!" Finally, the end of the planner features a year-end review section for notes, which we haven't gotten to yet. 
I really liked The Ultimate Homeschool Planner. It had everything I was looking for in a planner, and a lot more that I didn't realize I needed, the the resource lists and monthly planner list. It made it so much easier to plan unit studies and keep track of all the books and materials we would need. And unlike some planners which only list Monday through Friday, this planner added in Saturday and Sunday on the monthly schedule, and adds in a sixth day on the weekly schedule, so you can use it for Saturday or Sunday, or both. I wish the whole week was available, but then there would be less space for the rest of the days. We have made due with combining the weekend days into one slot. 
I would highly recommend The Ultimate Homeschool Planner for Christian homeschooling families. It was a wonderful way to keep track of our lesson plans for the year and it had a lot of extra features that some planners don't have. I also liked the size of the planner. It wasn't too small and had lots of space for notes. It is roughly the size of a regular textbook or curriculum book, so it fit nicely on our homeschool shelf. 

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Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A Review

We received the Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A [Starter Set] from Institute for Excellence in Writing to review. It's a self-teaching spelling program. It combines auditory and phonics lessons to fully master each word. Children can work independently or with a parent's assistance. Level A is recommended for children in grades 3-5, or as remedial work for children in grades 6-8. It can also be used by children with special needs.

CD with Printed Materials $99.00

When purchasing any level from the Phonetic Zoo Spelling sets, you should always purchase the Starter Set with it, so you have all the additional materials you'll need for the lessons. If you already own the Starter Set, then you can simple buy the audio CDs. The Starter Set includes 5 audio CDs or an MP3 download (Level A, B, or C), Level A-C's Lesson Cards of spelling words, Personal Spelling Cards to keep track of misspellings, Zoo Cards for practice and rewards, an MP3 download of the Phonetic Zoo Teacher's Notes, and a Spelling and the Brain video. If you are unsure what level your child is at, you can have them take the placement test.

The Level A audio CD set contains five discs and each disc has 18-19 lessons. Bean and I worked on the lessons together. We only worked on one lesson per week, though sometimes it took us longer. We worked on the lesson three days a week, 15 minutes each, and mainly focused on introducing the subject matter, rather than fully mastering it. Bean is excited about spelling, but we don't pressure her to learn it all at once right now, since she is still young. This phonetic curriculum is great for laying down a strong spelling foundation that she can learn from.

On the front of the Lesson Cards you'll find pictures and the name of the animals and birds that focus on the word sound, along with three words for each level. For example, Lesson One features a caiman and a manta ray, along with the words brain, always, and pain for Level A, wailing, decay, and sailor for Level B, and ailment, portrayal, and tailored for Level C. The back of the card features the same rule, jingle, or hint from the Spelling Zoo Cards, along with a list of fifteen spelling words for each level.

The Spelling Zoo Cards are Bean's favorite part of this curriculum. She loves starting off each lesson listening to the jingle. It's not always a jingle, sometimes it's a rule or hint. But they have inspired us to come up with little songs for each lesson. As for the auditory lessons, we generally use it at the start of the lesson, and then use a dry-erase board and practice worksheets the rest of the week. I made the worksheets, and for each word, there is a traceable version and a write it yourself line. Since the spelling words are grouped into five groups of three on the Lesson Cards, we decided to focus on three words per day, hence why it generally took over a week to complete each lesson.

We look forward to continuing to use the Phonetic Zoo Spelling Lessons in the future. We plan to purchase Level B and C when we get to that point. I really think the audio CDs are worth it. It allowed Bean to work independently, which she prefers. We both really enjoyed using the Phonetic Zoo curriculum. I loved how easily it taught her spelling lessons, while she learned a better understanding of how words work. IEW is one of our favorite curriculum brands and I will always swear by their products. I highly recommend them for other homeschooling families. They continue to help ours and I know other families will find success with them.

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Koru Naturals Review

We received four wonderful and healthy products to review from Koru Naturals: Skin Clear Cream, Manuka Honey Propolis Soap, Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser, and Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner. Koru Naturals is a New Zealand company specializing in traditional Maori recipes for a healthier body. All of the NZ Fusion products contain no parabens, artificial colorants or fragrances.


$19.20
The Skin Clear Cream is 4 ounces of unpasteurized Manuka Honey and pure Manuka Oil. The new, 20th Anniversary version, contains new ingredients, including: Kawakawa and Harakeke, Burdock Root, Thyme, and Canadian Aspen Bark. These ingredients add minerals, a natural astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, and natural preservatives. If you struggle with acne or oily skin, this skin creme is for you. I don't often have break-outs, but when I do, I've reached for this creme first. This creme contains powerful moisturizers and promotes elasticity and helps to clear blemished skin. It's recommended to apply twice daily, which helps to restore the natural moisture barrier. But I generally use it when it's needed. 
$7.90
The Manuka Honey Propolis Soap is a 4.93 oz. bar of gorgeous soap. It's two-toned and has the most amazing smell. It has quickly become my favorite soap, and I'm extremely picky. One of the best qualities about this soap, besides its health benefits, is how soft the lather is. I have sensitive skin, and harsh soaps can cause me to break out in rashes, but this soap is ideal for people with sensitive skin. The combination of Manuka Honey and Propolis creates a soap that gently moisturizes, cleanses and protects the skin. 
$13.20
The Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner is a 4 oz. conditioner to apply to skin before using a moisturizer. It's ideal for people who struggle with acne, oily skin, or sensitive skin. It's suggested to use after cleansing, but before moisturizing. You just have to squeeze a small amount on a cotton ball and apply it to your face, but avoiding the eye area, and once it's dry you can apply a moisturizer. I usually applied it after a shower, because it feels really refreshing! 
$13.60
The Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser is 4 ounces of cleanser perfect for sensitive skin. It's gentle enough, even on the most sensitive skin (at least it beat my test). It's a deep cleanser and doesn't irritate skin. I did notice slight redness (no pain) when I first used any of the Botanical products, but my skin also wasn't used to cleansers or moisturizers. I no longer have that problem and now all of the products work wonderfully! The bottle suggests using your hand or a cotton pad/ball to apply to your face. I chose the easier option and just used my hand. After applying, wait a few minutes, and then rinse it off. 
We love Koru Naturals products. Some of the products can even be used by children, but always check the website, as some are not recommended for children under 12 or pregnant women. Also, always check the ingredient lists for possible allergies, as many of the products contain Manuka honey. The products are all-natural, perfect for sensitive skin, and if I'm allowed to be bias, my absolute favorite botanical products. 
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The Fun Spanish Review

We received The Fun Spanish, an elementary Spanish curriculum, from Brookdale House to review. It was an ebook copy, though the Brookdale House does have physical copies. The Fun Spanish uses a Charlotte Mason style of teaching, keeping it fun for the kids and easy for them to follow along. The curriculum focuses on memory retention, to get the most out of it. The Fun Spanish teaches verb conjugation, prepositions, and vocabulary, along with the fundamentals of Spanish sentence structure. Ideally The Fun Spanish would be used by children in grades 2-5.

E-Book $14.95 Printed Book $19.95
One of the awesome things about The Fun Spanish is that it has a curriculum schedule that is easy to follow. Unfortunately, due to the fact that my children are still young, they don't do as much writing as is required for most of this curriculum. We supplemented with flash cards and a white board with all of the study materials, and they copied down the work in their Spanish workbook. Bean did much better in this department, but Munchkin mainly focused on the alphabet, numbers and some phrases.
Currently we are also using an online curriculum for Spanish, but it does not include a written portion. It mainly focused on learning phrases and the correct pronunciation. That, combined with The Fun Spanish, was a perfect combination. The writing portions appealed more to Bean, who was able to have a better understanding of Spanish using this curriculum. Instead of just jumping straight in with phrases, it goes through the different components of Spanish, to help children better understand how words are formed. Like how some are masculine and feminine. That was a hard concept to teach, but we made it through it. 
We used the curriculum several times a week. We printed off each lesson and focused on one lesson every two weeks. Sometimes it took longer than two weeks to work through, so we made adjustments where it was needed. We prioritize mastery first, instead of plowing through at a set pace. Generally our lessons would last about 40 minutes (20 on the computer, 20 on written work). On the off days, we practice using homemade spelling sheets and flash cards. 
There are 17 lessons, so you can use this curriculum over a whole year. Considering the price of this book, that is a bargain for a foreign language curriculum! Each lesson builds on the previous lessons. They steadily get harder, but I found it to be a good pace. One thing the curriculum lacks is pictures, which I know helps most kids, but the neat thing about this curriculum is that there is a drawing section at the end of each lesson, along with a sentence to copy and to base the picture off of. So it really isn't lacking anything! We liked that the book wasn't too "busy" and allowed for children to focus easily. 
I would highly recommend this curriculum to other homeschooling families looking to introduce their children to Spanish. It's wonderful as an introductory course through the basics. I would just suggest picking up a Spanish dictionary, though not required for the curriculum, but for children to use on their own. My daughter would often write on her own after lessons were over and write her on sentences, but occasionally she would need a word in Spanish that she hadn't learned yet, so we'd have to look it up. Overall we really enjoyed using this curriculum and I hope they come out with a Level 2!

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Little Boy Review

We received Little Boy from FishFlix.com to review. FishFlix.com is an online provider of Christian movies "to inspire and entertain." We were thoroughly pleased with the movie we received! We don't often watch "people" movies with the kids, as they are still young and prefer "cartoons," but my 4 and 5 year olds watched this with me. They were entertained by the movie and actually sat through most of it with me. They generally don't watch tv for more than 30 minutes at a time. But once they got into this movie, they sat down and watched the whole thing!

Little Boy is a story about 8 year old Pepper Busbee, who lives in O'Hare, a small American town on the coast of California. He lives with his mother, father, and older brother during WWII in the 1940's. His brother tries to enlist in the war, but is turned away due to the fact that he has flat feet (it makes him clumsy). So his father takes his place and is sent to the Philippines, where he is taken as a prisoner of war. Meanwhile, Pepper is at home still upset that his father is gone. His father had instilled in him a deep faith in his ability to believe in himself. So despite his small stature (hence the nickname), he believes if he has enough faith he can bring his father back. He struggles, like most people at the time, not to be angry at the Japanese. There is a man in town who is from Japan that Pepper and his brother take their anger out on. At a sermon, the priest talks about faith can sometimes be enough to move a mountain. Having just been to a magic show where a magician showed Pepper how to move a bottle, Pepper took it upon himself to be faithful. The priest gave him an ancient list of good deeds to show his faith (such as visiting the sick, burying the dead, etc.), and included on the list to befriend the Japanese man. Pepper is at first unwilling to do this final task, but he eventually becomes good friends with him. At one point an older boy teases Pepper about his size and his list to bring his father home and Pepper decides to show the world that he means business. So he focuses his might and attempts to move a mountain. And it moves, with the force of a earthquake. Many would believe it was a coincidence, but Pepper and many others, were convinced it was a sign of his faith. He then focuses his faith on the ocean, facing the direction his father is in, and is there for several days, until finally one morning he is greeted by the townspeople who tell him that the war is over, thanks to "Little Boy" the bomb. His father isn't immediately released from the prisoner camp though and it is attacked. His father is found dead and Pepper scratches off the last task on his list, Bury the Dead. His family is devastated, but they believe it is the will of God. The ending is wonderful though, so definitely watch it through to the end!

$18.99
My daughter really liked that the story was able a little boy named Pepper. It's a new name for her, and she really liked his character. She liked that he believed he had "powers" to move bottles, mountains and end the war to bring his father home. She knows about WWII and other than a few pages we read in a history book, this was the first real visual of the reality of life back then. It was great that the story was told from the perspective of a child, which they can relate to.

Little Boy is really a magical, heartwarming story for the whole family. We really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it for other families. Even if you don't believe, you can still relate to the love a boy has for his father. And his daring journey of faith to bring him home from the war.

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Sam the Minuteman Study Guide Review

We received Sam the Minuteman from Progeny Press to review. It is a downloadable study guide that covers everything from vocabulary words to comprehensive questions, with so much in between. The Sam the Minuteman Study Guide is recommended for children in grades 1-3 and consists of 42 pages. The story is a quick read and since Sam the Minuteman is inspired by historical events (still a work of fiction), you can easily add this book and the study guide to a Revolutionary War themed unit study.

After reading Sam the Minuteman (the book does not come with the study guide, you'll have to purchase it or sign it out at the library), we created a small world using our Safari Ltd Revolutionary War figures (both sides). They recreated the scenario of the story, where Sam and his father and their townsfolk have to defend themselves from the approaching Red Coats (or Lobster Backs) who were marching towards Concord and their stash of weapons. We created a map pf Massachusetts using a large brown box, colored road lines and grass, used branches and leaves for trees, rocks with small homes painted on them, and the figures to represent the two groups.

The study guide can be used for both English and history lessons. There are different types of literacy lessons, covering vocabulary words, fill-in-the-blank questions, comprehension questions, word puzzles and more. On the history side, you can create timelines, answer true and false questions, learn about the freedom of American people, journal activities, arts and crafts, and even a homemade butter recipe!

For the questions portion of the lessons we answered at circle time, allowing the kids to work together to discuss the question and take turns answering. We revisited the story whenever we needed, but we were limited to the two weeks we had the book from the library. You'll also find an additional resources section at the back of the study guide that lists other books written by Nathaniel Benchley and books about the colonial times and Revolutionary War era.


We live in Massachusetts and in the neighboring town of Billerica, they have a Yankee Doodle parade every September. We attend every year to watch the parade and visit the Minuteman camps. The members of the Minuteman group dress up in attire appropriate for the time period and shoot their revolutionary era guns (it's just powder, no bullets). We used the parade and Minuteman camps to teach the kids about the life Sam lived.

After the parade we visited their camp to meet the ladies and craftsmen.

They have many displays for teaching how colonialists would have made a fire, cooked a pie in a cast iron cauldron, made candles, broomsticks and even bullets out of melted pewter. They also explain medicine of the day, how to load a gun, how they painted walls, and more. It's only a small group of people who do this, but it's very educational and the kids love it.

You're also able to explore the tents to see what their living quarters might have been like during the war.

We enjoy using Progeny Press for literature based unit studies. The study guides are inexpensive ($11.99) and they cover so much information. Students can easily complete the study guides within a couple weeks. We completed the study guide in just under two weeks.

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Reading Kingdom Review

We received a full year subscription to Reading Kingdom Online for two students from Reading Kingdom. This is an online reading program for kids in Preschool through third grade. Struggling readers, along with children with disabilities, dyslexia, or autism can also benefit from Reading Kingdom as it adapts for your child or student.

We started at an early reader level (recommended age of 4) for my son and daughter. Munchkin has used this program infrequently, since he struggles to keep up with the quick pace (mouse and keyboard are difficult to use at that age - a touch screen would be ideal). Reading Kingdom does offer keyboard and mouse training for those not accustomed to using them. However, Bean has enjoyed using this program as part of her daily reading lesson. She usually uses it for one or two lessons, and then we work on worksheets, early reader books, or flash cards.

The first time you log in, the Reading Kingdom video will show you a tutorial on the site and how it works. It will explain the various features it has to offer and suggestions on how to use the lessons. It advises that parents and teachers allow the students to work on their own and only offer assistance when it comes to moving the mouse (if need be). After the tutorial your student will be asked to complete a placement test to see what level they are at. From there they can begin lessons.

Each lesson lasts a couple minutes. You can pause the lesson for a limited time (up to 12 minutes) or stop the lesson. I personally would prefer an online program that lets us customize how long and how many times a lesson can be paused. In a regular school environment, it makes sense to have a timer limit you, because there are most likely other students who are waiting to use the program. But in a homeschool environment, while we try to work through one lesson at a time with no interruptions, sometimes life gets in the way and you need to take a break for more than 12 minutes, but don't want to have to stop the whole lesson. Either way, we have figured out ways to make it work.

Reading Kingdom focuses on six areas of reading: Phonics (Sounds), Sequencing, Writing, Meaning, Grammar, and Comprehension. 

Here's an example of a problem: click on the letters in the order that they appear, from left to right.

We are still on the Seeing Sequences and Letter Land portion of the program, which is like an introductory course through visual sequencing skills and learning keyboard skills. Once through that, we will begin working on the first level of the reading and writing exercises. There are several "books" covered in each level, usually 5 or 6. Each book covers a handful of words. For example, book one covered: kid, girl, kids, girls, some, a, boys, and more. There is a progress check and review at the end of each section.

We have enjoyed using Reading Kingdom. It has been a great way for Bean to work on her keyboard and mouse skills while working on reading and writing. We look forward to watching her progress through the program over the course of the next few months. I have high hopes that this program is successful for her and gives her a wider foundation of reading comprehension.

Reading Kingdom offers a free 30 day trial, story books, workbooks, and other reading and writing resources that are available for purchase. The online program is available for $19.99 monthly or $199.99 yearly. There is a 25% off discount available for those who signup immediately.

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