#homeschoolmomlife

Nothing profound today...just sums up my day. We're almost there moms...the end of the schoolyear is in sight!  Grab some coffee and get teaching!

Anyone else??

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year from The Old Schoolhouse®: A TOS Crew Review

Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year from The Old Schoolhouse®

 Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year from The Old Schoolhouse®, written by Gena Suarez is one of my must have homeschool power tools!

Summer is a wonderful time to relax, unwind from the school year, and start to plan. The Hey, Mama! Homeschool Planner for 2019/20 Year  is part planner, part journal, and part personal encouragement for this journey. 

Gena is a homeschool veteran who talks directly to your mama's heart.  Each month begins with a devotional from her heart to yours.  Topics like joy, provision, perseverance and hope give you a burst of encouragement to begin the month.  Gena's practical advice is like having a mentor along with you,  field tips, squabbling kids, and naysayers, her tips are just what you need!

The planner is designed to get you organized, with monthly 2 page spreads. I love planners that begin in July!  This keeps my school year all in one place.

In addition, the weekly section is left blank, so you can customize.  I appreciate this.  I use this specifically to be my Co-op planner.  Instead of using the titles for "child", I use them for "class".  This works perfectly for me to see all of the classes I teach in one place.  

One of my favorite features of this planner, is the ability to use it like a journal as well. It has room for up to 5 children.  I just realized, with 3 graduated, I fit into this planner!  Sections are included so you can record specific things for each child.  A blank lined page you can journal on,  detailed curriculum planning section, attendance record, books read log, yearly goals, and semester goals.

I use my summer months to pray for these goals for each of my children.  We discuss them together and I love to be able to look back.

All of this AND this planner is beautiful!  The cover is a lovely floral design.  The pages are heavy quality paper.  It is sturdy enough to stand up to an entire year of use.  

You will want one of these, but you better hurry!  They are already 98% sold out!

Find The Old Schoolhouse® on Social Media:


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoldschoolhouse/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tosmagazine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOSMag @TOSMag
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tosmag/

Hashtags: #hsreviews #IGotMyHeyMammaPlanner #tosmagazine #homeschool #schoolplanner #schoolresources

See what other members of the Crew thought here

Balancing Diapers and Deadlines from Lisa Tanner Writing: A TOS Crew Review

Balancing Diapers and Deadlines from Lisa Tanner Writing

Don't let this title fool you.... Balancing Diapers and Deadlines from Lisa Tanner Writing is for every mom.

This online course is designed to help you maximize your time by streamlining your home systems.  I am a busy, homeschooling mom-of-eight...plus -  I am a work-at-home mom as well!  In addition to a wonderful 20 hours per week position with The Texas Homeschool Coalition, I am part of the The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew team of bloggers.   I am in my 9th year of writing reviews of homeschool products and curriculum.

Even though we are past the "diapers" portion, this course was exactly what I needed.  It is a 30 lesson course you work through at your own pace.  It is very easy to use, and designed by a fellow mompreneur (with nine children too!). 

The lessons are in sections:

• Welcome to Balancing Diapers and Deadlines 
• Building Your Foundation with the Basics 
• Minimize Your Decisions 
• Minimize Your Decisions: The Annual Meal Plan 
• Sustainable Growth 
• Growing a Business with Your Kids Around 
• Boost Your Productivity 
• Closing Thoughts

Each of the units is made up of multiple lessons.  The lessons are easily read in about 10 minutes, or less.  The lessons consist of helpful tips and encouragement from the author with multiple "action steps"  you can take to begin to implement these productivity boosting tools in your home.

I found myself with plenty of extra time during my husband's surgery and recovery, and this was the perfect time to invest in my "professional development" and use some "think time".  As I read through Lisa Tanner's course - I found plenty of useful reminders,  things like meal planning and chores have been long-time staples for survival in our household.  However, I also realized that I have gotten a bit too relaxed in some of these areas, and this course was just what I needed to get back into these helpful routines!

Throughout this course, the author provides extra links to helpful articles and other courses with downloadable forms you can use and personalize.

One sections I loved was the "Growing a Business with Your Kids Around" - in this section, she offers sections for every age group.  Each sections gives you specific ideas to help keep your children productively engaged, so you can focus on your business. She even offers ideas for helping integrate your children into your business (my children have been testers for my reviews for years...) She understands the challenges of having a child with special needs, and offers great practical tips here as well.  This is a great list for all parents, not just those who are building a home business with children around!

One of the things I really enjoyed with this course was the ability to work at my own pace.  Some topics didn't necessarily apply, and I could breeze through them.  You simply mark a section complete after you finish, but you can easily return to it again, if you want to.  It's well organized, and packed with useful information.

I highly recommend this course - You will definitely find help and encouragement that you need!



Find Lisa Tanner Writing on Social Media:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/lisatannerwriting
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lisatannerwrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisatannerwrite
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/lisatannerwrite

Hashtags:
#hsreviews #mompreneurlife #workingfromhome #productivity

See what other members of the Crew thought here

GREEMU from Devonian: A TOS Crew Review

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GREEMU from Devonian  (Koru Naturals)
Yeah!  Finally, I get to be the tester at Bentz Test Laboratory!   I've been using GREEMU, by Devonian Health and Beauty. GREEMU is a plant-based emu oil alternative. (We were introduced to Emu Oil last year from Koru Naturals and loved it!)  
GREEMU is a mixture of

 Macadamia Seed Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Rice Bran Oil.  If you aren't a fan of animal-based products, GREEMU is a natural plant based oil alternative for you. This product is designed for your skin and hair.  It can ease away fine lines and is a great balm for dry skin.  It also tames frizzy hair and split ends, leaving behind shiny, healthy hair. With summer approaching,  I've started to pay attention to my dry legs and feet... capris and sandals are already my wardrobe choice here in sunny South Texas.  But, my word - my skin is DRY!  Maybe it's winter neglect, maybe it's my thyroid acting up again...one look told me I had to do something before showing off my feet! :-) I was excited that my 4 oz. bottle of GREEMU arrived just in time. Just a few drops of this light liquid goes a long way.  It's thick, white oil with just a faint scent, kinda nutty.  It goes on easily and absorbs quickly, so you don't feel greasy. I used this daily, after my shower, and I saw immediate results.  My feet and legs felt great, and my skin was so much softer.  No more cracked heels, I think I should go buy some new flipflops to show them off! :-)  Several family members have used Emu oil in the past for dry, flaky scalp.  They found GREEMU to work just as well in helping keep their hair looking great. One of my favorite, and effective beauty products.  You will want to check it out! Find Devonian on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/

Hashtags: #hsreviews #naturalbodycare #greemuoil  #vegan         @korunaturals See what other members of the Crew thought here

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia Educational Ministries : A TOS Crew Review

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner    from Apologia Educational Ministries 


Let me start with a "before" and "after" picture of my planning process...  As you can see, I could not wait for the The Ultimate Homeschool Planner    from Apologia Educational Ministries to arrive!  

This planner is designed by Debra Bell - one of my go-to, homeschool experts!  She's been down our path, and survived to tell about it, as well as encourage us who are still plodding on.  

This planner is not only beautiful, and sturdy (laminated cover with pockets too) - but, it's functional as well.  I have such a "non-standard" life that the average "standard" style planner never, ever works for me.  This Planner is just the opposite - it seems like it was designed especially for me and my crazy schedule!

Here's a some of the planning features included:

• Six years of calendars for long-term planning 
• One-Year Planning Grid for the year ahead
• Student Goal Setter pages to identify academic and character goals for each child 
• Family Priorities page to help you keep life in perspective 
• Resource List pages to track resources for up to six children 
• Two-page planning grid for each month 
• Special Notes for scheduling exceptions that break your routine 
• Wide margins to record prayers and answers to prayers Scriptures for meditating on God’s faithfulness 
• Exclusive Lord’s Day feature for making God’s Word a central part of your plan 
• Maximum flexibility to organize for up to six children by day or subject 
• Memorable Moments and Evidences of Grace pages for recounting God’s activity in your life and home school 
• Pages to record grades for up to six children and six subjects 
• Reading List pages for up to six children 
• Field Trip and Outside Activities log
• Year-End Review pages for reflection and next year’s planning

Debra Bell starts with a "user guide" that will encourage you that planning is an essential element in your day.  She recommends a "painless" 5 step process, and gives details (with pictures!) on how to implement a new plan that works for you:

• A yearly planning retreat
• Monthly planning sessions
• Weekly planning breaks
• Monday morning tutorials
• Friday afternoon weekly reviews

She caught my attention right away with "Prioritize for Sanity" - this was pure gold for me.  We have been very busy... ballet, soccer, violin, piano, basketball, serving, church, Coop, small groups....on and on and on.  But, I hadn't taken the time to prioritize any of it, and sanity was far from a word used to describe my world!

I think that my favorite feature of this planner is that I am the one that gets to customize it.  Blank monthly and weekly planner pages allow me to fill them in the way that I need to.  I don't have any guilt not following the pre-printed pages. 

The 2 page Monthly pages are first, followed by the Weekly planner pages:

This is the perfect layout for me. The weekly planning pages begin with an inspirational quote, Bible plan, Battle Plan - with "fighter verse", Prayers, Hospitality/Outreach - I can start each week focused on what is truly the most important thing... God's plans for me and my family!

The Weekly planner two-page spread has space for 6 people's weekly schedules.  Or, since it's blank - you can customize it to meet your needs.

 Since there are 10 of us to plan for in my family, I decided that organizing by activity type was better for us than person by person, so that's how I filled this section in.

I used the 6 rows with a row for boys activities, one for girls activities, another for church activities, coop activities, a row for medical/dental/etc appointments and of course - a row just for mom/dad activities.

The 6 columns gave me a column for every day of the week, except the Lord's Day - another gentle reminder to put God first!   The ample margin space for notes, supplies and appointments became my grocery and to do list area.

A blank page to record the week's memorable moments, achievements, and evidences of Grace gives me the opportunities to look back with gratitude on our week.  How many times I have said..."I should write that down so we remember"  This is the perfect spot to capture all those funny things your family says at dinnertime :-)

What a blessing to have a planner that reminds me of what is truly important.

My "Orange" planner (and the "Blue" one) have 48 weekly planning sections.  The "Yellow" design has 52 weeks.

 Sections for recording grades & scores for up to 6 students are included as well.  I didn't dive into this, but it's a great place to keep track of those ACT, SAT scores for your high schoolers.

Speaking of high schoolers, or those who are soon to be in high school - you will love the " High School Planning Grid with a sample plan" pages.  You can easily create a plan for your 8th-12th graders to cover the basic subjects as well as electives, tests and summer activities.  And, it'll all be in ONE place!

Six blank Reading lists and Field Trip logs offer a place to record those important activities.  For those larger than average families, you could use each as a semester, group list.  At least that's how I plan to do it.

The teaching tips in the back are worth the price of this affordable planner alone!

• Checklists for Raising an Independent Learner
• Motivating the Reluctant Learner
• Learning & Thinking Skills
• Power Tools of Learning

And finally,  a section for you to record your "Year in Review".  This is the perfect place to reflect on your goals and praise God for the progress and answered prayers.

This will become a treasured keepsake of your year, and I know it is a resource I will not be doing without!


Check out the other designs available:

Find Apologia Educational Ministries Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld/timeline
Twitter: https://twitter.com/apologiaworld
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125

See what other members of the Crew thought here

Koru Naturals: A TOS Crew Review

Skin Clear Cream, Manuka Honey Propolis Soap and Emu Oil and Blue Tansy Oil Cream from Koru Naturals

Yeah!  I got another chance to tell you about Koru Naturals!   (you can check out my earlier  review  here)   “Koru” is the Maori word for a new, unfurled fern frond. It symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace to New Zealand aboriginal culture. 
This company produces all natural products, does no animal testing, and every product we have tried is fabulous!

First, let me tell you a little about what we got. 

Emu Oil and Blue Tansy Oil Cream  -  4 oz.
"An odorless, non-greasy, and fast-acting topical cream. This cream combines the effective ingredients of Emu Oil at 8%, Blue Tansy, Arnica Extract, MSM and Aloe Vera. Deep penetrating. Soothing formula. For minor pains on back, neck, hips, knees, shoulders, legs, arms, wrists, hands, elbows."
I have to admit... my age is starting to show! The "for minor pains" part jumped right out at me. Lately, I've been having a lot more of those :-) The Blue Tansy Oil cream is a wonderful product. I've really enjoyed using this cream for those sore joints, especially in my hands. It's light and non-greasy. It has a slight scent, but it's pleasant. It's not like most muscle creams that leave you smelling like a medicine cabinet. I like that it was soothing without leaving my skin tingling with a burning sensation, like other creams I've tried. I would recommend it.




Manuka Honey Propolis Soap - 4.93 oz, boxed
"A combination of Manuka Honey and Propolis. Both Manuka Honey and Propolis have a reputation for their natural intense moisturizing and skin protective properties."
I knew right away this was heading for my teenage tester's sink.  This soap was fantastic!!  I have two tester son's that are struggling to tame the acne monster.  This soap was a great weapon for them.  It has a light, pleasant scent.   It's easy to use.  Funny, my tester's weren't quite sure how to use a bar of soap... they've always had liquid soaps.  I guess they don't get out much ;-) They both reported that their skin felt softer after using this soap after a few days.  I plan to get more for the rest of the family!

Skin Clear Cream - 4 oz.

"Contains: raw, unpasteurized Manuka Honey (rated at 20+) and pure steam-distilled East Cape Manuka Oil.  Additional botanical ingredients:

• Kawakawa and Harakeke: two traditional Maori remedies for many skin conditions
• Burdock Root: a Chinese root rich in several minerals and used traditionally for skin conditions
• Thyme: a natural astringent and anti-inflammatory extract from leaves
• Canadian Aspen Bark: a natural preservative

Ideal for acne-prone skin, this cream will improve the appearance of blemished skin and promote skin elasticity through the action of manuka honey and other powerful natural moisturizers."

This one BLEW US AWAY! Like I mentioned, two teenage testers with major acne woes. They are skepics too...and boys. You probably know where I'm going here. My female testers would be all like "ohh ahhh" and eagerly try anything and expect it all to give them amazing results. My male testers...not so much.

However, they were to the point that they were willing to give anything a try that might help their face look more "normal", even washing with a bar of soap and applying a cream twice a day! (side note - the teenage years are horrible to your self-esteem) The cream is lightweight, absorbs quickly and doesn't have much of a scent.  If it had smelled remotely "girly" my testers would have been done.

They both have been using this cream and getting AMAZING, NOTICEABLE results! Their faces look and feel so much better. They report that after only one use, they could feel a difference. Their face didn't itch anymore (regular acne creams had left their poor skin very dry and itchy). Their faces weren't as red, and the acne bumps were already shrinking!

I cannot stress how impressed we were to find something that worked! 

I am a HUGE fan of everything we have tried from Koru Naturals, and I'm sure you will be to. Be sure to check out the other products the Crew reviewed, I know I will be!

Argan Oil and Sandalwood Hair Tonic
Emu Oil Shampoo and Emu Oil Leave-in Conditioner
Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser  Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner

Find Koru Naturals on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/
See what other members of the Crew thought here

The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner from The 7 Minute Life : A TOS Crew Review

The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner from The 7 Minute Life  

Cost: $ 24.95

Watch this short introduction video:
 

   

Ok moms, this one is for you (all ages can use this planner...)

 

Do you have 7 minutes?  NOPE... neither do I :-)  But, if you will try to focus for at least 7 minutes (the average adult's attention span) you can begin to make changes that can change your life according to The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner from The 7 Minute Life. 

 

The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner is the brain child of Allyson Lewis.  She was hard at work, going and doing, in an industry she loved for 30 years...until her body gave out, and her health put the breaks on her busy life.  As a result of her experiences, she wrote this planner to share what she learned during that season.  Her goal is to help you reconnect with YOUR life in a new, and meaningful way, not just to manage your busyness.  She also is committed to positively impacting the world as well, 10% of her net profits go to Share Hope7 Charitable Fund, which provides water, food, education and animals to people in need. 

 

I connected with her story right away.  I like to go, I like to be busy, I like to juggle a million little things, and I like to make it look easy...  BUT,  after struggling with my health last year, in the form of breast cancer, I realize that life is precious and not a single moment is worth wasting.  My time needs to be prioritized, organized and simplified to achieve my goals.

 

Getting started is easy - check out these helpful  Getting Started Videos to get you on your way.

 

I found the first 20 pages of this 217 page, spiral bound planner to be the most helpful to me.  They are filled with the "meat" behind this tool.  I have been a planner addict since my first days out of college and in the professional world.  I have keep running "to do" lists, and a master schedule for years (you have to if you have a big family...)  I have never had a planner that I found so personally MOTIVATING! 

 

Starting out by prioritizing my top 10 values with a handy list provided, I was able to identify where my time and money is spent (the true test of what you actually value!)  After I identified my top 10, I could easily see what may be taking up my time, but not matching up to my values. 

 

The next step was to "discover my purpose".  Sounds easy, but - have you ever really clearly and articulately defined your personal purpose?  I had a good idea it had something to do with this amazing bunch of children I have been blessed with, but - to actually write out my purpose was very empowering. 

 

Three basic questions can help you pinpoint your purpose, in just 7 minutes:

 

1.  What do you do for others?

2.  How can you use your gifts and talents to change the world? 

3.  Love is the foundation of purpose.

 

Ask yourself this question..."At the age of 85, I will know I have fulfilled my purpose when..."

 

I know it may sound simple, but this was very profound for me.  It made this planner a more precious tool than many others I have used,  the focus on purpose before filling up the pages with our daily tasks and to do lists!

 

The The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner also guides you through the basics needed to keep an organized day with what they call "Micro-Actions" 

• unfinished tasks checklists
• removing mental clutter
• keeping track of home repair
• making life connections (keeping in touch with those you want to - but, don't connect with daily)
• annual projects and tasks
• a 12 month calendar
•  a meeting calendar (not too useful for the average homeschool mom like me, but - maybe I should schedule some "principal" meetings in here :-)
• an annual exercise progress report
• a daily progress report
• a top priority daily "to do list" - the "5 before 11" goal - 5 things you want to accomplish before 11 am 

 

Following the extremely helpful purpose, planning and prioritizing section, the rest of the planner is customizable "Daily Progress Report" pages.  These are where you take what you have learned, and put it into practice! 

 

 I love making lists - I was giddy at these pages!  You can even keep track of how many glasses of water you drink that day!  Did I sleep, exercise, reflect and read?  Yep,  I get to CHECK THEM OFF!  Next to lists, I love getting to check them off - there is power in a checkmark, you know what I'm talking about...

 

Appointments can be recorded on the handy time section, voicemails to return, thank you notes to write, and plenty of space for you to use for notes.  My planner becomes a journal of our life and school year. 

 

Finally, the question of the day that helps keep you on the right track... "Did I do what I said I would do today?" with a yes or no to mark.  This one gets me every time!!

 

The sturdy plastic cover, spiral binding, and the handy 7.3" x 8.5" size make it easy to keep this planner with you on the go. 

 

The 7 Min Life blog offers plenty of helpful and inspirational posts to help you as well - be sure to check out this one - 7 Steps to Homeschool Schedule Sanity (an illusive goal,  I know..)

 

I would highly recommend this tool if you are ready to take 7 minutes and change your life.

 

 

Find The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner from The 7 Minute Life  on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest , Google+, & You Tube

 

 

See what other members of the Crew thought here