Sex by Design from Abby Ludvigson: A TOS Crew Review

Sex by Design from Abby Ludvigson
Purity is important, and having the discussions about it are a privilege of parenting teens.  We have found a great way to introduce the topic, and have the deep discussions, it's called Sex by Design from Abby Ludvigson. 

Bentz Test Laboratory is growing up... we now have 4 teens at home, one young adult at college and just 3 youngers.  Where has time gone?  With all these ages, we need ways to discuss some very important topics.  

Sex by Design is a program designed to help you.  It contains three components:  a film series, parent & teen guidebooks, and online resources.  This program can be used how you want - their recommendation is to take the time you need to work through it together.  It can even be repeated at different ages. 

We choose to do it as a group study together.  My testers are ages 18, 16, 14, and 13, both boys and girls.

Here are the topics covered:

1) Plan Ahead: Living Pure In A Sex-Saturated Culture
2) Counting The Cost: Every Decision Has A Price Tag
3) Dating: Doing Relationships God’s Way
4) Sex: God’s Purpose And Plan
5) Modesty: God Cares What I Wear
6) Pornography: Its Deception And Steps To Get Out Or Stay Out
7) Secondary Virginity: Running Back To God


The author, Abby Ludvigson,  is a fellow MN girl with an education degree and a passion for encouraging young adults to consider what God says about purity and sex. Her story is very inspiring - she faithfully waited for God to fulfill her dreams of marriage.  I love that we can point to real-life, modern day examples for our children.

The program features video segments for parents to watch (preview it alone first) with their children.  Each segment is  around 15-25 minutes long. These are supposed to be the "springboard" to start the discussions that you will have together.  This isn't an independent study for your teens - you need to be involved. The videos are very professionally done - with segments featuring teens sharing and Abby teaching.

The guidebooks have questions to work through together.   We decided to work through this slowly - we have teenage schedules to consider!

The first unit is exactly right where we are - Plan Ahead: Living Pure in a Sex-Saturated Culture.  With some of my testers on the younger side, and some already well into high school, this message of deciding for yourself what your boundaries are and strategies to use is very applicable.  It focuses on spending time with God, learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and limiting exposure to dangerous media.

The curriculum is designed with options so you can customize to your child's learning style.  There are note-taking pages in the guidebooks to use, or not. The "Follow up" section includes discussion questions will get you talking about the topics.  "Personalize it" sections are for your teen to make this their own.  Practical steps, strategies and commitments (like purity rings) are recommended.  Finally, "Apply it" offers suggestions and activities to put what they are learning into practice like journals and additional articles to read.

The Guidebooks also include a Bible Study designed to fit each of the 7 topics discussed.   The goal is to get your teens into the Bible learning and listening to God themselves.

There are also more resources online to accompany the study, if you want them. Abby has compiled resources from leading experts and put them all in one place for you.  You can find books, articles, and even downloads.

This study is beautifully done.  The Guidebooks are engaging, the videos are high quality and the online resources are a treasure chest.  I highly recommend it!


Find Abby Ludvigson  on Facebook

Hashtags: #hsreviews, #purity, #growingup, #rightchoices

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Doctor Aviation: A TOS Crew Review

Doctor Aviation

For homechool high school electives... the sky's the limit!  Bentz Test Laboratory has been exploring the world of aviation with Doctor Aviation , a six-month online aviation course.  
This easy-to-use, online program offers 15 lessons that cover a wide range of topics involving aviation - airplanes, aviation history and even airport management.  It is suitable for a wide variety of ages - from teens to adults.


Dr. Aviation Intro Video from Daryl Smith on Vimeo.

Each lesson contains a 45-60 minute video with three sections:

• Technical Trivia - the way airplanes and airports work.  
• Notable Innovators  - famous pilots and aircraft designers - i.e Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart just to name a few. 
•  Legendary Events/Aircraft - a famous event or aircraft in aviation history  - i.e the Boeing 747 or the First  Solo Transatlantic Flight

The videos include diagrams, and slides as well as,  Dr. Aviation -a former Air Force pilot and instructor with over 20 years of experience, speaking directly to the student.  The videos are very well done, and highly interesting! Once logged in, the student can access any lesson (going back to review if they wish) - however, the program will keep track of your progress.

In addition to the video lessons, each lesson includes Guided Notes and To Learn More PDF downloads.  

The Guided Notes are straight forward, filling in the blanks style.  It's a great way to interact with what they are hearing, and practice note taking skills.  The only comment my tester had is he wishes that spelling of names would appear on screen, to help with completing the form.
We printed out the notes and kept them in a binder for future review.


The "To Learn More" is included for each lesson with additional resources the student can use to dive deeper.  Books, articles (with internet links), videos and further study ideas are included with every lesson.


My tester is a Senior in highschool (gulp...how did that happen?)  He is fascinated with aviation, and is potentially considering a career.  This program arrived at just the right time!

He is completing all the lessons, and will be incorporating activities and reading from the To Learn More resources to earn a 1/2 credit for his transcript. He has really enjoyed the material - it's a great introduction to all areas of aviation.  He likes it so much, he's spending much of his summer studying it on his own!   It's the highest endorsement a high school student can give...

Here's a preview of what the course covers - you can watch the first lesson for free here:


I. The Aircraft

2. The Major Components of an Airplane
3. Axes and Forces
4. Why an Aircraft Flies: The Secret of Airfoils and Lift
5. Why an Aircraft Turns, Pitches, and Flies: The Flight Controls

II. Air Traffic Control

6. How We See an Aircraft Miles Away: The Secrets of Radar
7. The Air Traffic Cops: How Air Traffic Control Works

III. Maintenance

8. Keep 'Em Flying: Aircraft Maintenance - Propeller Engines
9. Keep 'Em Flying: Aircraft Maintenance - Jet Engines

IV. Airfield Operations

10. The City in and of Itself: Running a Large Airport
11. The Small Airport and Running an FBO

V: The Aircraft II

12.  Flying in the Clear and Not so Clear Air: VMC and IMC
13. Important Pilot Instruments – Attitude Indicator
14.  Important Pilot Instruments – Airspeed Indicator
15.  Other Aviation Ships: Gliders, Helicopters, Airships

This is not only a very well done program, but Dr. Aviation actually donates 70% of his revenues to "Young Life, Cru, Campus Outreach and other organizations working to restore wholeness to America's youth; the future of our country"  I love supporting organizations with this mission!  Thank you Dr. Aviation!!

Find Doctor Aviation on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctoraviation Tag: @doctoraviation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/draviationguy Tag: @draviationguy

Hashtags: #hsreviews #Aviation, #AviationHistory, #DoctorAviation

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Trust Fund & Love Was Near from Mapelle Films: A TOS Crew Review

Trust Fund & Love Was Near from Mapelle Films
I have four daughters, and one of our favorite things is to snuggle up together and watch a good "chick flick" together.  But, it's tricky to find something we can all watch, that's also appropriate with a good message.  We were delighted to get the chance to preview - Trust Fund - a movie with the coordinating book Love Was Near from Mapelle Films.
A exciting bonus, is that the producer - Isaac Alongi, was homeschooled!  It's wonderful to see the fruits of homeschooling showing in adults. He credits the freedom to explore his passions while being homeschooled one of his favorite parts.  I hope ALL our children will thrive from their years spent homeschooling like he has.

This film is a contemporary telling of the Prodigal Son story from the Bible.  Although the film never mentions God directly, it uses the story to illustrate the point, much like Jesus did. The main character is Reese Donahue- played by Jessica Rothe.  She is the younger daughter of the story. She is a free-thinking, expressive young writer who is ready to enjoy life.  
Without giving away too much of the plot, she leaves home and makes poor choices along the way.  Her father welcomes her back home, throws the party, and the older sister objects (I'm not giving away the plot...it's already in the Bible!) 
The film does offer a Study Guide, which you can download. It offers Scripture and some great questions for encouraging discussion with your children, after watching the movie.

We also got the chance to look at Love Was Near, 225 page, softcover book that gives more insight to the story of the film.  It's like a peek into Reese's thoughts and journal, with places for the reader to journal along.  My 14 year old read it.  She liked seeing the pictures from the movie included.  Many of the questions pertained to experiences she hasn't had yet...like "Have you been in a relationship, or are you thinking of someone now, that you aren't sure you're seeing or thinking about clearly?"  A very good family discussion question... "If you inherited 5 million dollars, what would you do?"  The book is a great way to intentionally discuss the themes of the movie.
Which brings me to our opinion of the movie.  We enjoyed our time together watching it, but it left us with lots of questions.  There are numerous sub-plots and we got lost every now and then (could be us!).  My testers are 13 and 14, on the young side, and found it hard to relate to the main character. She's extremely rich - and her world is so very different.  She has an inappropriate relationship with the Italian boyfriend (never shown explicitly on screen, but suggested heavily), but comes back to get  the  American boyfriend in the end. We never see the "why" behind what the father does.  We wish it had explained how his faith motivated him to forgiveness. 

All in all - it was an entertaining movie.  I would recommend it for OLDER teens/young adults.  Check out the trailer here.   I fully support more movies with a Christian message, produced by homeschoolers!

Find  Mapelle Films on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrustFundMovie/ Tag: @TrustFundMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrustFundMovie Tag: @TrustFundMovie
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/trustfundmovie/pins/ Tag: @trustfundmovie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trustfundmovie/ Tag: @trustfundmovie

Hashtags: #hsreviews , #trustfundmovie. #family. #movienight, #moviereview, #familynight, #familyfun

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Trident Case: A TOS Crew Review

KRAKEN A.M.S. CASE FOR APPLE IPAD 2/3/4

For Devices: iPad 2, iPad 3, or iPad 4  from Trident Case
Cost: $69.95
Great for all ages!
Do you have mobile devices - phones, tablets, eReaders?  Do you have kids?  If you answered yes to either question, but especially if you answered yes to both - you need to check out Trident Case!  





Trident Case a USA based company that began in 2010.  They specialize  in manufacturing "military grade" protective cases for your mobile devices.  

Trident Case supports a broad range of devices from manufacturers including, but not limited to Apple®, Research in Motion®, Samsung®, HTC®, Motorola®, LG®, Nokia®, Sony®, Vizio®, Asus®, and Amazon®. With 6 different series of designs - featuring 1 to 3 layers of protection - you will find the perfect solution for you!
The Bentz Test Laboratory was sent the KRAKEN A.M.S. CASE for IPad 2.

 My 16 year old SON was the tester for this product. He saved quite a long time to be able to buy his very own IPad, and he is very protective of it.  Needless to say, he is a teenage BOY so it goes without explanation, he thoroughly tested this case!   This case boasts a pretty impressive list of features:

HARDENED POLYCARBONATE SHELL	SHOCK-ABSORBING SILICONE	BUILT-IN SCREEN PROTECTOR	DEVICE CONTROLS & PORTS PROTECTED
ENHANCED AUDIO Sound funnel technology	MILITARY STANDARDS Meets or exceeds MIL-STD-810F	VIBRATION 18 hrs at 20-2000 Hz	DUST FILTERS 3 hours at 29 ft / sec. Sand - 3 hours at 59 ft / sec.
RAIN / WIND 7.9 inches / hour of rain at 40 mph winds for 1 hour	ACCESSORIZE WITH KRAKEN A.M.S. ATTACHMENTS	PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA	GREEN PROTECTION Degradable, compostable, and recyclable

All Trident Cases meet Military Standard MIL-STD-810F for vibration, dust, sand, rain, and drop. Thankfully, my tester did NOT test his new case by leaving his IPad in the rain, but it makes a mother's heart rest easy to know that "just in case" - his investment would be safe!  
The KRAKEN A.M.S. CASE features an absorbent, shock absorbing, silicone,  inner layer, covered by a hardened polycarbonate outer casing, with a built in screen protector (yeah, not sticky films to apply!).  It has silicone plugs and dust filters to cover and protect power ports, audio jacks, and speakers.  Very easy to use, it was able to quickly insert his device without complicated instructions or procedures.  
I love it, 3 layers of protection - kid tested, mom approved!  Plus - it looks cool too. :-)




I love their "Build your own Case" system.  You can choose from 81 different color combinations to make your device have a custom look for you.

Some of what he liked best about this superior case:

• Easy to use
• The screen cover and protective edges do NOT block any of the screen, he does not need to take it out of the case to use certain features or ports
• Sound is great
• Looks and feels "cool" - fun design
• Keeps his IPad safe - even when he lets younger siblings use it!

Find Trident Case on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, Pinterest, Vine,  & YouTube

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Micro Business for Teens : A TOS Crew Review

Micro Business for Teens

Starting a Micro Business - $4.95 (ebook) $9.95 (print)  Running a Micro Business - $4.95 (ebook) $9.95 (print) &
Micro Business for Teens Workbook - $9.95 (ebook), $14.95 (print)


 Ever tell your teen to "go get a job!"....?   I have.  But, that's not as simple as it may sound. Micro Business for Teens written by Carol Topp, CPA, will show your teen how to start their own job step-by-step.
Three books: Starting a Micro Business , Running a Micro Business & Micro Business for Teens Workbook make up an excellent teaching series ideal for ages 10-18, however - anyone with a small business would benefit from this information.
The Bentz Test Laboratory has a budding business man, my oldest son.  At 16 years old, he's hungry for money - but, has limited resources (aka - no transportation!)  I advised him to take stock of what talents, abilities and interests he has - and use it to his monetary advantage.  So began his very own "violin studio".  When Carol Topp's  Micro Business for Teens became available to us - I knew it was just what he needed!

Starting a Micro Business - 7 chapters covering the basics from the bottom up:

• What is a Micro Business
• Getting an Idea: Micro Business Ideas Best for Teenagers
• Problems and Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
• Plan It First: Writing a Business Plan
• Financing Your Business Without Breaking the Bank
• Taking Care of Business: Extra Information to Get Started
• Encouragement: Final Words to Motivate You

Running a Micro Business 9 chapters covering the nuts and bolts of running a business 

• Sales
• Marketing
• Customer Service
• Record Keeping
• Bookkeeping Basics
• Using Software
• Legal Names and Numbers
• Reducing Risk
• Time Management

Micro Business for Teens Workbook - The 14 chapter workbook that ties everything together and offers a chance to put into practice what they are learning.  Designed to be covered one chapter a week for a 14 weeks, could easily be used individually or in a group setting (a free teacher guide is available as well as group prices for the resources.). The goal is to learn and earn!
This is a very practical, straightforward look at starting and running a micro business.  What is a "micro business"? It's a small business - usually just one person, often home based, low risk, low or no start up costs,  perfect for a motivated teenager.
My tester found these books informative and useful, but not overwhelming.  Since he had already jumped into his own business - the guidance in Starting a Micro Business on how to write a business plan, create a marketing strategy and making it manageable were invaluable.
In Running a Micro Business, he learned the ins and outs of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service.  Record keeping, bookeeping, and time managment skills are all covered in the same easy to understand manner.  We both enjoyed the motivational quotes throughout this book.  
  This series is specifically to the teenager, with realistic ideas and suggestions, it's a real-life approach with examples that many teens can succeed at. It's like getting CPA guidance for under $20 - a great value! Plenty of free resources, articles and more are on Carol's blog as well, you'll want to check them out.
The Micro Business for Teens Workbook is where you can take what you have learned and begin application.  Plenty of useful organizers, charts, and worksheets are included to walk you through the process step-by-step. 
I feel like this would be an excellent study course for teens, and anyone wanting to start their own business. It's practical, and very affordable.  I highly recommend it!

Find Micro Business for Teens on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

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