Love Letters From God Holy Bible Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

What if a child could read his or her own personal mail from God? The NIrV Love Letters from God Holy Bible will invite kids to do just that! The Love Letters from God Bible, with letters written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Sophie Allsopp, is a perfect way to introduce children to the Bible and God’s great love for them. This Bible includes 80 love letters inspired from God's words written especially for the reader, as well as the full text of the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV).

Each love letter also contains a very special Bible verse, entitled "God’s Wonderful Words to You" which are located on a illustrated tag under the letter. These are carefully chosen promises of God’s very own personal words of love, encouragement, and hope, and are also highlighted in light blue in the text of the scripture. Beside each letter there is a "Write Back" prompts section with lines where the child is invited to write their own RSVP to God. In the back of the bible there is a brief dictionary and a list of Great Bible Stories with their main scripture referenced. There are also some blank pages to write notes and very nice colored maps as well to study located after those pages.

Features include:

• Hardcover Bible 
• Presentation page for gift giving
• 80 personal love letters from God
• Highlighted Wonderful Words—special verses to remember and cherish
• 80 journaling prompts encouraging children to write their own love letters to God
• 8 full-color tip-in pages with additional content
• Ribbon bookmark to save your place
• The complete text of the New International Version (NIrV)

I had some dislikes that I thought could be made better. The pages (except for the ones with pictures), like most bibles, are a little delicate, so we encourage our children to turn the pages with care. The highlighted scripture verses were highlighted in light blue and were very hard to see that they had been highlighted at all. I was a little disappointed that these Love Letters From God were not lift-the-flap and more colorful like the ones in the Bible Stories series of books.

We usually work through the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible at our home Bible studies because we feel it to be the most correct translation, but I do love that the Love Letters from God Holy Bible is so easily readable for younger kids. My daughter Teela who is eight years old and in third grade was able to read it without difficulty. Teela especially loves reading this Bible to her younger sister, Zari, who is five because it is very easy to read and understand. I believe this has helped my younger children understand the words and what is happening better than a KJV Bible.

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You can also purchase the Zonderkidz Love Letters From God Holy Bible at Zondervan for $27.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Taste of Herbs Is Now Live, But Hurry!

LearningHerbs just opened registration for their phenomenal Taste of Herbs course.

This course will completely change the way you navigate herbalism…

Don’t miss out! Here’s the link: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=42

Here is what you will learn in the course...

• What’s the solution for getting lost in herbal information overload? Simple… Just use your senses…
• Why do so many people learn about HERBS through books and the internet… and never TASTE them? 
• Did you know that you can discover how herbs work by just TASTING them? 
• How to match an herbal remedy to a PERSON … and not to a dis-ease 
• The BEST practical online herbal learning program available… 
• How to be 10x more confident in your abilities as a home herbalist 
• How to learn about herbs with NO homework time, no study time, and no memorization 
• The #1 way to really understand herbs: Taste it, feel it, and apply it 
• How to INSTINCTIVELY know the right herbs for the right remedies 
• How to integrate herbal learning into your life, instead of having to take time off 

The Taste of Herbs course seriously reduces your herbal learning curve.  

Hurry! This offer closes on Saturday, October 1 at midnight Pacific time! Check it out now… learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=42

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of this webinar. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog! 

Zonderkidz A Night of Great Joy Book Review and Giveaway

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

A Night of Great Joy is a Zonderkidz children's book by Mary Engelbreit. It is an adorable hardcover picture book that Mary Engelbreit illustrates with her colorful artwork. The paper jacket of the book is glittered too. The book celebrates the Christmas season as a group of multi-ethnic children puts on the Nativity pageant play throughout its pages.



I remember my church's Sunday School growing up putting on the Nativity pageant. As children we would play different parts in the play. One year I was a sheep. It was a lot of fun in theater even though I did not have a big part. My family would put on the pageant at home as well. I always enjoyed being a part of it.

I love Mary Engelbreit's artwork! It is whimsical, vibrant, and fun. Her charming illustrations have always given me joy. This is a sweet book for little ones filled with her illustrations. The words in it are simple yet tell the story well of what happened the night of Jesus's birth. This wonderful book is a treasure for the Christmas holiday. It reminds me of the pageants I was in as a child. I love this book and my younger children do too. It would be a perfect gift for Christmas and is great for ages 4-10 and Mary Engelbreit fans.

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You can also purchase the Zonderkidz A Night of Great Joy at Zondervan for $16.99.

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Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for Rafflecopter below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. Another will be provided free to the giveaway winner. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Heirloom Audio Productions The Cat of Bubastes Review

My family had the privilege of trying the The Cat of Bubastes from Heirloom Audio Productions for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

My family and I love audio books! We love to listen to them while: I am multitasking, we have a long drive ahead of us, or there is cruddy weather and we are stuck inside. My family usually enjoys them better if they are fun and adventuresome. I believe they are better than movies because audio books require more imagination which is great for growing minds.

The Cat of Bubastes is Heirloom Audio's 6th dramatization which is adapted from a novel by George Alfred Henty. G.A. Henty authored many historical fiction novels in the late 1800's and early 1900's, including The Cat of Bubastes in 1889. All six Christian audio dramas are from Heirloom Audio's series known as The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty. This audio production and theatrical radio drama consists of 2 and a half hours of masterful storytelling on 2 CDs recommended for ages 6-adult. I cannot say enough good things about this. Really, the presentation is very extraordinary! It brings the history to life.

This audio theater follows the young prince Amuba and his faithful friend and mentor Jethro since their capturing by the Egyptians and enslaved in the city of Thebes. Their loyalty is tested when they are trapped in a murderous plot to attack the family of their Egyptian friends. Along the way, Amuba and Jethro uncover the wonder and truth of the one true God.

I had some definite favorite parts of the Christian radio theatre. The part about Jethro having to dress up to be disguised was funny and interesting. Also, I liked how Ameres was so nice to Amuba and Jethro from the start. They did have God smiling down on them for sure and even their misfortunes lead them to better things.

inside the case to The Cat of Bubastes audio theater

Along with the 2 CD audio theater set I also received many other awesome package bonus downloads. The 2 CD set also has a list of the cast on the back of the case, a pamphlet insert that has a bit about Heirloom Audio's other audio dramas, and in the center under where the pamphlet goes is the 1 Chronicles 17:20 scripture. This inspirational verse also comes as a digital download so you can print it out as a poster to put on your wall.

The Cat of Bubastes Single Package (what I am mentioning in this review) includes:

• The Cat of Bubastes (CD Set - Physical Copy + MP3 Download Version)
• The Cat of Bubastes Study Guide (Digital Download)
• The Cat of Bubastes Soundtrack (MP3 Download)
• Printable copy of the Inspirational Verse Poster (Digital Download)

I want to also mention that Heirloom Audio was being generous to the Schoolhouse Review Crew that received this for review. We received additional bonuses other than that were supposed to be in the Single Package. The additional items are only be available if you buy the Family 4-pack.

The Schoolhouse Review Crew that received this for review received all of the above and these additional bonuses:

• The Cat of Bubastes eBook (Digital Download)
• The Cat of Bubastes Cast Poster (Digital Download)
• The Cat of Bubastes Behind the Scenes Documentary (Digital Download)
• Newsletter Website (Link)

The all-star cast in this audio book is expansive and amazing. Some of the cast consists of Brian Blessed as G.A. Henty (Star Wars, Tarzan, King Lear), Anthony Daniels as Permotep (Star Wars), Sylvester McCoy as Chigron (Dr. Who, The Hobbit), Elizabeth Counsell as Amense (The Chronicles of Narnia), Russel Boulter as Moses (Ben Hur), and John Rhys-Davies as Rabah (The Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones). It is always great to hear the boisterous voice of Brian Blessed on these productions. All of the cast's performances are wonderful! The character building is wonderful too as long as you can keep up.

I love the music and sound effects that accompany this program. The music that is used on the CDs is adventurous and is also by itself in soundtrack form as MP3 downloads. It is an original score by Emmy-winning composer John Campbell (of Narnia). The foley sound effects make you feel like you are right there with the characters and immerses you more into what's happening.

There is also a study guide that is 50 pages long. It has discussion points and questions to ask your children as they listen to the program. This is wonderful to use as part of a history curriculum while homeschooling. It is really easier to listen to the whole program before you do the study guide and then listen again a second time to do the study guide, in my opinion. It feels awkward to stop and start the program so many times (every 4 to 10 minutes) during play. The study guide does have the tracks and timestamp to stop at marked in the guide so you know where the narrative takes a new turn.

At the beginning of the study guide there is a list of the cast and crew, a brief introduction, and short descriptions about G.A. Henty and Moses. Each track has questions in the study guide having three parts: Listening Well, Thinking Further, and Defining Words. There are questions in the Listening Well section which are to see if you and your child are really paying attention. There are questions in the Thinking Further section that helps you understand deeper and get you and your child thinking more. The Defining Words section is a list of words that will enhance the vocabulary of your child and places more meaning for the story. Having a dictionary handy might be appropriate because the definitions are not already spelled out.

At the end of the study guide there are five main parts. The first gives us a recommended reading list for learning more about Ancient Egypt. After that there are three Bible Studies: one on God Meant it For Good, one on The Knowledge of God, and one on Idolatry and Tyranny. Lastly there is some historical background for The Cat of Bubastes.

My children learned and understood so much more with this study guide. We used the questions and Bible study section throughout and it made for a very lengthy, but interesting discussion session with my older kids. I am very glad that it was included. I love the scriptures it had you look up and ponder too. I also love that there were Expand Your Learning sections throughout the guide for sources for further reading and other information to further your knowledge. I do wish, however, that there was an answer guide as well to the questions, because it would make the whole thing flow better in my opinion.

This was a very good production and my family enjoyed listening to it thoroughly. Even in the face of adversity the main characters discovered how the truth sets you free. This audio book would be a wonderful addition to a Christian homeschooling curriculum and perfect to go along with an Ancient Egypt or Moses study.

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Three options to choose from: Download version for $19.97, Single Version for $29.97, and the Family Four Pack for $99.97.

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World Heart Day Infographic

World Heart Day is September 29th and Culturelle Probiotic has made a fun infographic to see how well you know this important organ. Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year, a number that is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. The numbers don’t lie—keeping up with your cardiovascular health is something that should be recognized every day not just on September 29th.

This is why Culturelle Probiotic recently introduced new Pro-Well 3-in-1 Complete Formula to its line of everyday wellness products, which contains 100% Lactobacillus GG to maintain both digestive and overall immune health, along with naturally sourced Omega-3s to support a healthy cardiovascular system.*

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I am receiving free product in posting this information but this does not sway my opinions. I received this information all from Culturelle Probiotic. The information provided on this blog post is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice of a medical professional (for instance, a qualified doctor/physician, nurse, pharmacist/chemist, and so on). I am not a medical professional, just a mom with a opinion. Even if a statement made about the product is accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms. I am only suggesting that you should try it for yourself and see if helps you. People are all different and outcomes could vary drastically.

Tatutina Big Sister T-Shirt Review

Tatutina is a wonderful online store with unique products that are all very colorful and happy. A lot of their products are hand painted/screened and all of them that are, use paint that is certified non-toxic and lead free. They have such a fun and funky way of creating their designs! I fell in love with the colors and bright patterns of all their products. They have clothing, gifts, jewelry, and art.

We received the Big Sister T-Shirt to review for free. This is an adorable shirt that has bright pink, orange and yellow butterflies graphics on a lavender background. It is hand screened and has the words Big Sister on it as well as the butterfly designs. Made from soft 100% cotton that is machine washable and dryer safe. It is available in three sizes: 2, 4, and 5/6.

Teela is my oldest daughter. She is 8 and is a big sister to my youngest daughter, Zari who is almost 6. I received the largest size shirt and was pleased to find that the Big Sister T-Shirt runs a little big which is good because my 8 year old can still wear it. Teela is slender so keep that also in mind. This shirt is so cute! I love the bright designs and the butterflies! Such a great way to show sisterhood!

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The Big Sister T-Shirt can be purchased in Tatutina's Etsy shop for $15. They also have a Big Brother T-Shirt.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

The Bitter Truth About Herbs

I have some cool news if you want to know how to match the right herb to the right person…

LearningHerbs is presenting a free webinar called “The Bitter Truth About Herbs”.

In this webinar Rosalee de la Forêt and John Gallagher will…

• show you how TASTE helps you know exactly which herbs to use 
• demystify herbal energetics into a PRACTICAL system you can put to use immediately
• explain how the BITTER taste reduces anxiety, stimulates digestion, balances blood sugar, and much more
• and loads more! 

Simply register here: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=41

See you there!

P.S. When you register you’ll also get six bitter herbs recipe cards and a special article on making your OWN bitters!

Go check it out now: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=41

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of this webinar. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Keep Healthy Snack Bars Review

I homeschool, but still love to have snacks on hand at home and traveling when my family members get a little peckish. I try to find snacks that are healthy and wholesome, but sometimes I cave into my cravings and the kids want for sugary sweets and unhealthy confections. I am only human! Fortunately I was given the opportunity to try something in the snack food world that is good for my family.

Keep Healthy Inc. is a company that produces healthy snack bars. Their bars have no artificial ingredients or preservatives. The ingredient list on each bar is short and sweet. Every ingredient is pronounceable and fairly simple! All of their bars are gluten free, Non-GMO, kosher, and made in the USA. They also do not use refined sugar or high fructose syrup - just fruit and nuts. I love that these are easily packed in a lunch or on-the-go snack when we have field trips and outings. There are 6 different types of bars including: Original Date Bars, Chocolate Covered Date Bars, Original Fruitkies Bars, Chocolate Fruitkies Bars, Organic Protein Bars, and Organic Low Glycemic Bars. Keep Healthy is also a proud sponsor of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. 2% of sales are donated with a minimum donation of $10,000 in 2016/2017.

Some of the Keep Healthy variety of snack bars.

Keep Healthy Inc. sent me a variety pack of 16 individually wrapped bars to try. In it each bar was a different flavor...so as you can imagine I didn't have time to try them all. Every bar I did sample (which was actually quite a few) was really yummy though.

The Original Date Bars have a base of dates, the fruit superfood that is high in fiber and antioxidants. Dates are also great for anti-inflamatory benefits.These are all gluten, dairy, and GMO free. Includes 4 delicious varieties to try including: Apple Walnut, Apricot Coconut, Cashew Date, and Pecan Date. I loved the Apple Walnut one the most from this section.

The Keep Healthy Chocolate Covered Apricot Coconut Date Bar is my absolute favorite!!

The Chocolate Covered Date Bars are their original date bars covered in dairy free chocolate. Includes four delicious varieties to try: Chocolate Covered Apple Walnut, Chocolate Covered Apricot Coconut, Chocolate Covered Cashew Date, and Chocolate Covered Pecan Date. I love chocolate, so these were my favorites out of the date bars and my absolute favorite was the Chocolate Covered Apricot Coconut.

The Original Fruitkies Bars have only three kinds of ingredients: fruit, nuts, and brown crisps. These are in their health bar section because the sugar is lower than the snack bars. Still they are sweet enough to gratify the hankering for other things. These come in 9 delicious flavors which include: Blueberry Pecan, Cherry Fig, Cherry Walnut, Cranberry Pumpkinseed, Macadamia Date, Mango Almond, Papaya Cashew, Pineapple Coconut, and Strawberry Apple. I love the Pineapple Coconut and Mango Almond one. So delicious!

The Chocolate Fruitkies Bars are better for you than any regular candy bar or cookie. They are so luscious and guilt free! They come in 8 flavors including: Chocolate Covered Apricot, Chocolate Covered Blueberry, Chocolate Covered Cherry, Chocolate Covered Cranberry, Chocolate Covered Mango, Chocolate Covered Papaya, Chocolate Covered Pineapple, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry. I got to try the pineapple and mango one. Both were really yummy!

The Organic Protein Bars are new to the Keep Healthy Health Bar collection. Each provide 15 grams of plant based protein.These are a great to replenish protein right after a workout. These are also USDA organic as well. There are 6 flavors including: Almond Vanilla Crisp, Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Chocolate Cherry Crunch, Chocolate Coconut, Chocolate Fudge, and Strawberry Banana Crisp. I love the Apple Cinnamon Crisp the most out of the ones I received.

Delbin enjoying the Keep Healthy Banana Nut Organic Low Glycemic Bar.

My oldest son, Delbin, has Type 1 Diabetes, so when he has a low blood sugar I like to have healthy snacks on hand that will supply him with the proper things he needs. I hate having only sugar-filled or overly processed snacks to offer him. Keep Healthy Bars have the perfect bars for his low blood sugars and they also have Organic Low Glycemic Bars that won't radically change his blood glucose levels. These particular bars help him be fueled with all natural, plant based ingredients and keep his blood sugar stable. Besides diabetics watching their levels, these bars are great for Great for: busy lifestyles, the sugar conscious, weight management, and before or after a workout (12 grams of plant based protein!).There are 5 different flavors of the Low Glycemic Bars including: Banana Nut, Chocolate Cherry Mint, Coconut Crunch, Lemon Zest, and Sea Salt Brownie. My favorite of these was the Coconut Crunch and Lemon Zest.

Keep Healthy Snack Bar Varieties.

I love these snack and health bars. Keep Healthy Inc. offers a wonderful variety of yummy flavors that you are sure to love. These are perfect to satisfy those cravings and energize you throughout the day. They are the perfect snack without the guilt and great to refuel your kids for an after school snack or brain food if you homeschool.

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You can purchase the bars from the online store on Keep Healthy Inc.'s website. A box of 16 bars is $23.84 to $39.84 depending upon which bars you select.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

FREE Herbal Training and Downloads! Never Feel Lost, Alone, or Confused About Herbs Again!

Have you ever felt lost or confused when learning about herbs?

Maybe you have a shelf full of herbal books and don't know where to begin. Or you're sick and tired of the “one size fits all” information on the Internet.

LearningHerbs has just released an AWESOME new training video – and it’s free!

You'll learn the cure for information overload, and how to match the herb to the PERSON and not the illness.

It's powerful training… and it's 100% free: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=40

FREE Downloadable Packet!

When you sign up, you won’t JUST get the video… You’ll also get access to a complete downloadable packet with the Taste of Herbs Flavor Wheel, worksheets, and more!

Go get this training now: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=40

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of this deal. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Sacred Motherhood: An Inspirational Guide and Journal for Mindfully Mothering Children of All Ages Book Review

Sacred Motherhood: An Inspirational Guide and Journal for Mindfully Mothering Children of All Ages

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Anni Daulter is the founder of the Sacred Living Movement and the author of several books including Sacred Pregnancy: A Loving Guide and Journal for Expectant Moms. She also hosts holistic, life altering retreats and workshops. She is viewed as the Martha Stewart of the birth world, making the whole pregnancy and birth experience extra special for mama and baby. Anni is mother to 4 children, Zoe, Lotus Sunshine, Bodhi Ocean, & River Love and she is happily married to her soul mate, Tim Daulter.

In one of her recent books, Sacred Motherhood: An Inspirational Guide and Journal for Mindfully Mothering Children of All Ages, she and author Niki Dewart to reconnect with yourself when mothering gets stressful. Part journal and part guide, this book takes a little bit out of the day to day rush of life around us to read, reflect, and write. The thoughtful prompts and beneficial reminders help mothers unwind and reestablish inner peace before going back to their important endeavors of motherhood.

Gorgeous photography in Sacred Motherhood.

This book is an exquisite creation of gorgeous photographs and uplifting words. It takes one on a beautiful journey of self-meditation and contemplation. The pictures mostly show empowered women in Goddess looking attire and adornment and adorable children and babies. Anni Daulter and Niki Dewart have combined their infinite wisdom of pregnancy, birthing, parenting, and living consciously in this lovely book. Their inspiration and celebration of motherhood echoes deeply in the pages of this text. Whether you are having a maiden voyage or are a seasoned traveler of motherhood, the journey that Sacred Motherhood takes you is both nurturing and healing to body, mind, and spirit. Even though the lessons and photography lean towards Eastern Philosophy and The Divine Feminine, this book can also be personalized to whatever spiritual or religious practice you follow.

A journal page in Sacred Motherhood.

I love how each part of this book correlates with the rhythm of the seasons starting with spring and ending with winter. The book is divided out into 52 weeks with each of the four parts having 13 chapters. Each illuminating chapter as seven sections: You, Your Soul, Your Child, Reflections, Sacred Motherhood Practice, Ideas, and Pairings. After these there are a few journal pages to write thoughts. I love the ideas that the authors give to help celebrate the momentous events of motherhood: from ceremonial baths to art creations to gardening with your children to having a spa day; these help the bonds of motherhood become stronger. The pairings are so much fun too. These span: herbal allies, music, books, movies, flower essences, crystals, colors, classes, trainings, and retreats. Sacred Motherhood also has some recipes for: oils, sprays, teas, etc. Every offering is one of love and passion to inspire you to be mindful while on your motherhood journey.

This book is a treasure. It now has a permanent place by my bedside so that I can refer to it often. I recommend this to mothers everywhere!  This book would be a perfect baby shower gift.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden DVD and CD Review & Giveaway #TheBiggestStory #FlyBy

The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden DVD and CD.

I received this DVD and CD free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

I got the opportunity to review The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden Book last year. Now the award-winning artist, Don Clark, and the best-selling author, Kevin DeYoung, have come back with an animated and narrated version of the story from the book. The story is brought to us with greater imagery and voice and now music too! The music in the background is an original score by composer John Poon. The story comes right out of the Bible from the Garden of Eden to Christ's resurrection. It paints us a picture of God's glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.

Sneak peek inside and extra goodies.

The Animated Short film on DVD has animated illustrations adapted from the book. The story is read along with the animations. These like the book are strikingly vivid with a lot of geometric shapes and bright colors for the palette and made by Don Clark. The illustrations come to life in this 26 minute film. Each of the 10 chapters are 2-3 minutes long and narrated by the author himself. The music helps give the right feel to the story. This DVD includes a free digital copy of the film and a 2-sided poster featuring artwork adapted from the book.



The Audio Book on CD is just the narration put to music of the story read from the book by the author and like the DVD is 26 minutes long with 10 chapters that are about 2-3 minutes each. This is great to take in the car on trips or to follow along with the hardcover book. Also includes a free 2-sided poster featuring artwork adapted from the book.

Even though we have heard the stories before in one way or another, this retelling was a little different. This retelling focuses on the Biblical truth that no matter how many times God's people sin, God still finds a way to redeem the world he made and keep his promises. It does leave out a lot of the story along the way, but tries to touch on the most important parts. The book is made up of lots of smaller stories within 10 chapters that are woven together to show how everything sort of fits together and why. At the end it has A Note To Parents, a guide for parents to help the discussion of what was read.

I did like that The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden has a good message behind it. It reminds us that God always remembers and fulfills his promises. It also shows that we need redemption, forgiveness, and salvation from Christ, The Snake Crusher, to lead us back to our promised home.

I recommend this DVD and CD to parents, teachers, and caretakers everywhere that want to teach children about the amazing grace of God.

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Prize: Win a copy of The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden DVD and CD {US & Canada Only}.

Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for Rafflecopter below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print & Chicken Party Scarf Review

Fluffy Layers is a wonderful company that was developed by Tara Grier. Fluffy Layers are the creators of The Egg Collecting Apron®, The Egg Gathering Apron® & The Harvest Apron®.  They also have some other really cute farm animal accessories that you can wear and they are coming out soon (launching Sept 25 2016) with a home collection I can not wait to share with you!

Gorgeous Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print.

Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print  is a gorgeous apron! I love the nice sturdy canvas type fabric of roosters, hens, and roses. It ties securely in back and I love that the neck strap is adjustable too. The red ruffle gives it a feminine touch that is reminiscent of cute vintage aprons.

Me in my adorable apron.

The Colorful Fluffy Layers Chicken Party Scarf. (eggs not included)

Fluffy Layers Chicken Party Scarf comes in white and blue. I received one in white. I love this brightly colored flowing scarf. Its fun and energetic chicken pattern puts a smile on my face. This lovely versatile scarf is approximately 71 X 35 inches and can be used as sarong, cover-up, scarf or wrap.I can wear it out anywhere or just around my farm. It is fabulous to liven up any outfit.

Love the bright colors of the Chicken Party Scarf!

BUY IT
You can purchase Fluffy Layers Farm Apron with Rooster and Hens Print & Chicken Party Scarf in their Fluffy Layers' online shop.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this review. As a Fluffy Layers Brand Ambassador I get occasional products to share with my readers for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Armfield Academic Press Getting Started with French Review

My family had the privilege of trying Getting Started with French from Armfield Academic Press for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Armfield Academic Press produces high-quality materials for learning language for homeschoolers and self-taught students of any age. They currently have curriculum for learning Latin, Spanish, French, and soon Russian. The books allow the student to go at their own pace in the comfort of their own home and don't require a teacher that specializes in the language to learn the language being taught. These beginning foreign language books give the student practice before mastering the ideas and moving on. They also have free downloadable audio recordings of pronunciations on their website so you can hear what the word or phrase is supposed to sound like in the language and orally say it back correctly and authors commentary lesson by lesson in case the student needs more help. This foreign language curriculum can be used with multiple students since it is non-consumable and requires no additional materials.

Getting Started with French is the newest foreign language program of study from Armfield Academic Press. It is written by William E. Linney and Brandon Simpson. It comes in a 281 page soft cover book. This book starts off with a preface that tells you about the book. Then it goes into an explanation of how to use the book. The lessons 1-172 are after that. Near the end it has some general advice, an answer key for easy checking of answers, a pronunciation guide, glossary, and subject index. The lessons are fairly short and don't take much time to do. The book refers to their website which has downloadable audio recordings with a native French speaker and the authors commentary.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

Ma famille apprend le français dans notre maison. (OK...so I might have cheated a little with this sentence on Google translation...I am just starting out with French after all.)

A little background...I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and lettered in language. My younger sister, Melody, on the other hand took French. Learning a foreign language was intriguing to me and since my father went on a Spanish speaking mission for our church when he was younger we could converse in Spanish around our home a little bit and . After taking Spanish and learning enough to get by when I traveled to Curacao in the Caribbean in college...even though it was a different dialect, I thought it would be neat to learn another language. I didn't really pursue that further until now.

My other children are learning Spanish this year...so I dove into the French myself. After I received the Getting Started with French from Armfield Academic Press I started the short lessons. I like how I don't have to spend a tremendous amount on each one because my time is precious and usually pulled fairly thin.  Each lesson can be completed in just a few minutes.

In Getting Started with French correct pronunciation is a huge part of learning to speak French properly. I found that with French their are sounds that I had never used before. These sounded unusual and unfamiliar to me. I went into my room to do the pronunciation part because I was a little embarrassed about my beginners accent and my kids were looking at me funny when I was making all these weird sounds with my mouth. I think the r sound was on of the hardest sounds for me to master. I was used to the English r sound and the Spanish r that rolled. This new r was a strange gurgling sound.

Getting Started with French Lesson 11.

I like that in the book they don't only teach pronunciation, but correct grammar in French as well. Not unlike other languages there are so many rules to remember, but this book goes and makes each a bite size piece that is not at all hard to handle. New words show up in the book in bold. The exercises in the book I both tried to pronounce to the best of my ability and translate them to the written English equivalent in a notebook as the book says to do. These exercises have the answers in the back of the book which also helped me see if I had gotten them correct.

It was important to follow the order and not skip around and I could understand why. Each lesson built upon the next which was very helpful to me and how I learn. The chronological order made sense.

The downloadable audio recordings have a native French speaker from Paris France saying the words and phrases learned in the book. The author commentary was a dialog between the author and Francois, a native French speaker. This further explained how and why things are pronounced the way they are. Both the pronunciation recordings and the author commentary comes in mp3 format so that you can either listen to it on your computer or take it with you on an mp3 player, thumb drive, or CD. This lets you learn the pronunciation of the language while you travel in the car too! Sometimes that was also where I practiced.

I believe that learning another language is very important. I know that many from other countries require learning English as a second language to their students. I believe that native English speakers should also learn other languages as part of their learning of different cultures and places.

The Getting Started with French course is perfect for those that want to teach themselves French. It is also wonderful for homeschooling as well. I recommend this homeschool foreign language curriculum to anyone. They are simple and straightforward. I can't wait to learn more!

BUY IT
You can order Getting Started with French here. You can also purchase Getting Started with Latin, Getting Started with Spanish now and soon Getting Started with Russian.

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Quilted Monkey Mat Savings Offer

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional offer information to share with my readers. This is a sponsored post.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Quilted Monkey Mat Offer I am getting a free Monkey Mat in gray or red. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Bacon: Man's Best Friend's Best Friend #woofyeah Review

Prince and Pup-Peroni's new Filet Mignon & Bacon flavored treats.

Do you love bacon? I know I do! My dog Prince loves it to...who's dog doesn't??!! Pup-peroni has our pup saying 'woof yeah' this International Bacon Day!  His tail wags nonstop when he gets a taste of his favorite treats and just watching him so happy, makes me happy too. I love sharing moments of pure happiness with my pooch. There is no better feeling!

When I heard that International Bacon Day was in September I couldn't help myself. I had to celebrate this special day all month with my four-legged friend. Pup-Peroni's new treats are Filet Mignon & Bacon flavored and made of real Angus steak with a bold bacon-y flavor!! My pooch loves eating them as much as I love giving them to him. Prince enjoys Filet Mignon & Bacon flavor so much. These meat sticks have a soft-chewy texture that makes that tail wag so fast.

Prince loves Pup-Peroni's new Filet Mignon & Bacon flavor! Woof Yeah!

No matter how you celebrated 'International Bacon Day', your pooch will be saying "woof yeah" to the tasty flavor of Pup-Peroni Filet Mignon & Bacon treats!

You can learn more about Pup-Peroni Filet Mignon & Bacon flavored dog snacks through the link below:

>> http://bit.ly/Pup-PeroniBacon-EccentricEclecticWoman

Please feel free to share your personal 'woof yeah' moment with your dog in the comments below...

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these products for free to facilitate this post. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Apologia Educational Ministries Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Review

The set of Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition curriculum.

My family had the privilege of trying the Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition from Apologia Educational Ministries for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family. This post contains affiliate links that will benefit the blog.

Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. is the #1 publisher of creation-based science and Bible curriculum. They focus on Christian based homeschool curriculum. Their products are all taught from a biblical worldview. They have creation-based science, apologetics, language arts, Constitutional Literacy, and resources and books to help homeschooling families succeed.

Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition is a creation-based astronomy curriculum that is part of the Young Explorer Series consisting of a Student Text, Notebooking Journal, Jr. Notebooking Journal, and Audio CD. It is geared towards grades K-6. Here students will explore the most distant reaches of God's creation and His incredible universe. This is the newest and most revised edition, now in full color and with even more activities. Students will explore our solar system, including our sun, the planets, the asteroid belt, dwarf planets, and the Kuiper belt, then stars and other galaxies far far away in our night sky.

We Received The Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Which Included:

• Student Text
• Notebooking Journal
• Jr. Notebooking Journal
• Audio CD

Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Student Text is a hardbound textbook. This textbook has a total of 14 lessons that explain astronomy and its many wonders. The book starts out with Apologia's Young Explorer Series Instructional Support that explains the curriculum parts. It then has a table of contents and Introduction To Astronomy which tells you about the textbook, activities, course website, notebooking journals, and Apologia science kit. Each lesson has colored boxes that contain scripture and things to contemplate, activities to do, vocabulary words in bold, color pictures and charts, questions and writing prompts in orange text, cautions in red text, and questions at the end of each lesson to summarize what was learned. At the end of the textbook there is an Appendix with a supply list for the activities in each lesson, Answer Key for the questions at the end of each lesson, Index to help find things in the book, and Photo Credits.

There are two slightly different notebooking journals. They are both spiral bound. The regular Notebooking Journal is for older elementary students (meant for grades 3/4 and older) and the Jr. Notebooking Journal is for younger elementary students (meant for grades K to 2nd/3rd). These are both consumable books and each is intended to be used by a single student. The main differences between the Jr. Notebooking Journal and the Notebooking Journal is that the Jr. Notebooking Journal has handwriting lines for copywork and writing assignments, beginning letter clues for the crossword puzzles, and coloring pages where open-ended questions are in the Notebooking Journal. Both versions have both manuscript and cursive copywork. The junior version also gives a lot more guidance and less writing. At the beginning of the journals there is a suggested daily schedule that outlines four to seven assignments per lesson. There are three different types of assignments: textbook reading assignments are designated in green, notebook section assignments are designated in blue, additional activities found exclusively in the Apologia Science Kit are designated in brown, and the additional bonus activities only found in the kit are designated by a symbol.

The Audio CD contains the complete audio recording of the course Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition. It is read by Jeannie Fulbright (the textbook and journals' author). This is great for auditory learners, slow readers, or students with other learning disabilities that make reading difficult. This is an MP3CD so you have to play it in a MP3-compatable CD player or a computer.

I also want to mention that Apologia Educational Ministries has an Astronomy 2nd Edition Science Kit as well. We did not receive this, but I really wish we did. It has all the materials needed to complete 63 total activities: 42 activities found in the textbook and 21 bonus activities noted in the textbook and found only in the Apologia Astronomy Science Kit. These bonus activities are marked with a symbol in the textbook. Since we did not have this kit we could not do the bonus activities and for some of the activities we needed to go purchase the things we were missing because we did not have all of the required materials at home. This kit looks like it would be a great addition to the rest of the set because it would give you everything you would need to complete all the activities.

Also listed in the textbook as one of the recommended resources for the Astronomy course is the Field Trip Journal that I reviewed previously. This is great to record up to ten field trips from planning stage to memories. Great to take textbook lessons to the next level with real-life adventures.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I used this curriculum with my daughter Teela who is 8 years old and in 3rd grade. I used the Jr. Notebooking Journal with her because she needs a little help with her handwriting. She also tires of writing too much. We did an average of two daily assignments per week, and starting at the beginning of the book, which got us through Lesson 1 (What is Astronomy?) and Lesson 2 (The Sun) during the review period.

Teela reading the Exploring Creation with Astronomy Textbook.

Both the textbook and journals have a lot of  wonderful full color pictures and charts that make the learning a lot more fascinating. We also made spelling lists with the vocabulary words from each chapter too. I loved the wonderful lesson by lesson supply list located in the back for knowing what to have on hand for the activities from each lesson. Having an answer key for the "What Do You Remember?" pages also was a tremendous help to me.

We loved using the link to the course website that is referenced in the textbook. It had a lot of fun third party websites that contributed more information to the study of different things. We loved the Planet Size Comparison website that lets you compare the size of two planets, NASA on The Commons Flickr page with lots of pictures to look at, discussion of What was the Star of Bethlehem?, The Sun website which provided information about the sun and the Total Solar Eclipse that will be happening August 21st, 2017 and a movie from NASA of 3 years of the sun in 3 minutes. There was a lot more too, but I did run into a few links that no longer worked as well and need updating.

Teela doing the minibooks and coloring in the Jr. Notebooking Journal.

Both the regular Notebooking Journal and the Jr. Notebooking Journal has some pages (for example the minibooks) to cut out and glue to other pages. This reminded me a lot of a lapbook in this regard. I like that they also have copywork and activities that included science experiments and observations from what was taught in the textbook. These were lots of fun and were hands-on way of learning the material. Teela especially loved the crosswords and making mnemonic devices to remember the planets in order.

Teela working on the writing portion of the Jr. Notebooking Journal.

The Audio CD is very useful when Teela got bored of reading the textbook on her own. She liked listening and following along a whole lot better and the lady that reads has a nice voice that makes it more interesting. I liked that I was given the option of listening too because I could hear what she was learning about without reading the text myself and my younger daughter, Zari, who is in Kindergarten and does not read yet could listen as well and glean information from it too.

I love the Apologia Educational Ministries Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition. I would recommend this highly to anyone searching for a creation-based astronomy course for their homeschool. Apologia also has other great homeschool curriculum for science as well that I would love to check out.

BUY IT
Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Student Text is $39. The Notebooking Journal and Jr. Notebooking Journal are $27 each. The Audio CD is $29.


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