Kids Faith Krate Review #kidsfaithkrate #disciplechildren #raisethemup #kidsbiblestudy #subscriptionbox

One of the Kids Faith Krate Boxes.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary product through FrontGate Media in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Days can be hectic. Busy schedules get in the way of spending quality time with the family. Kids Faith Krate can help you focus on what matters and grow your faith together in family discipleship.

Kids Faith Krate is a monthly Christian faith based subscription box for kids a. The hands-on crafts that come in the boxes change from month to month and are best suited for ages 4-10. They can fit craft supplies for up to 3 children in one box. The price goes up depending upon how many kids you would like to have craft supplies for. Boxes are delivered at the beginning of every month so that you will have all 4 weeks to do the material.

What’s Inside All Kids Faith Krate Boxes?

1. Four weekly Bible lessons to do with your child!
2. Four crafts to go along with each week's lessons.
3. A new stamp every month to add to your Stamp Collection for scripture memorization!

In each box is a booklet that guides the parents through the process of helping the child along. It also includes most the items you will need for the crafts and activities. In the guide booklet there is an overview for the parents and 4 complete lessons. Each week's lesson has a key to the krate (a main theme), read together (a scripture and discussion), create together (the craft instructions), talk together (questions to think about and discuss together), remember together (a memorization scripture), and handle with prayer (a prayer you can say together that goes along with a scripture). There is also a stamp in every box to collect every month to make the memorization of the scripture a little more special for the child.

Kids Faith Krate June Camp Compassion Box.

We received the Kids Faith Krate June box early. The theme of this box is Camp Compassion. It goes through 4 lessons, one for each week of the month of June: Compassion for the Hungry, Compassion for the Sick, Compassion for the Needy, and Compassion for the World. Each lesson has scriptures and crafts or activities that go along with the lesson.

I love that there is a guide to show the parents what to do and that it goes through step-by-step what you need to do with your child. My favorite activity in this box was a baking activity where you get to bake a loaf of bread with your child after they decorate a bread napkin themselves. I love that the bread napkin is made of reusable cloth that the loaf can be wrapped in and becomes unique once decorated by the child. After they make the loaf and napkin, they give the wrapped loaf away to someone that might need it. I love this lesson and humble act that teaches compassion and sacrifice.

Make sure you look over what is needed for each project before hand so you will not be missing an item when you go and do the project. Some things you will have to acquire or have on hand at home. The bread ingredients were not in the box, just the recipe. There is also a blanket activity which only includes 4 squares of fleece like material that the child ties together. It suggests that you could make it a larger blanket if you had more of the same kind of fabric to add to it to make more squares. When I opened the box up I noticed that the items were mostly loose in the box, but I inventoried and found that everything was there. I do appreciate that they are probably trying to limit plastic. They seem to have just enough of the material that they provided to create the crafts successfully with anything that you do need at home listed so that you will know what you will need if it is not provided in the box.

BUY IT

Purchase Kids Faith Krate starting at $28.99 a month up to $43.99 depending if you chose a 1 child plan or 3 additional children. These are shipped on the 28th of each month. Use the code “campinabox” and get $10 off your first box!

Emily Lex Watercolor Package and Classes Review and May Flowers Giveaway #EmilyLex #Watercolors #WatercolorClass #MayFlowers #favoritethings #emilylexstudio

 

Disclaimer: I received complimentary product through FrontGate Media in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Emily Lex is an artist that makes pretty watercolor art and words of encouragement. Her work has been featured on HGTV, Better Homes & Gardens, Magnolia Journal and more. She also has a shop full of lovely things that she has created: watercolor workbooks, art prints, Truth for Today cards, Kids Truth for Today cards, Freely and Lightly book, Twirl children's book and stands for the cards. She also teaches online classes on how to paint with watercolor and do fancy penmanship.

 

Emily Lex package of products.

 

We received a very generous package for this review:

• A watercolor flowers workbook
• A watercolor animals workbook
  
• Truth for Today cards
• Kids Truth for Today cards
• A brass stand
• PLUS free registration for all 3 of her online, go at your own pace watercolor classes including one for kids! 

 

Emily Lex Watercolor Workbooks: Animal (above) and Flower (below).

 

There are two watercolor workbooks: Watercolor Workbook Flowers and Watercolor Workbook Animals. Each watercolor workbook has you create 10 watercolor pictures with the help of a reference page, instructions, and a faint sketch. They have forty-two 7" x 9" spiral bound lay flat pages professionally printed on slightly textured paper. Each workbook has original watercolor artwork + sketches by Emily Lex. The reference page has a picture of the completed art, paint palette of colors, and simple instructions to help you. The sketch page has a light sketch outline that gets you started with the art. This sketch page can be painted directly onto it because it is made of watercolor paper.

 

Examples of Emily Lex Truth for Today Cards (left) and Kids Truth for Today Cards (right)

 

There are two different packs of Truth for Today cards: one regular version and one for kids. Each card set has 31 cards with original watercolor artwork by Emily Lex and a scripture verse. These are 4" x 4" cards made out of 120lb cotton texture eggshell paper. There are also two different types of holders for the cards to sit in: brass and gold card stand. They are both sold separately from the cards. We received brass card holder. It is solid brass with a brushed finish. Emily Lex has three courses you can take: Simplified Penmanship, Simplified Watercolor, and Watercolor for Kids. These classes are online and you can watch them on any device. After purchase you get instant unlimited access to the video course chosen. You can work at your own pace and can pause and replay any lesson at your leisure. Each course has 8-10 video lessons. Supply lists, project templates, and guides are included. Simplified Penmanship is a course to learn better handwriting skills. You can use this to write notes, letters, address envelopes, create artwork, write on a chalkboard, and write legibly and beautifully. Simplified Watercolor is a course that teaches watercolor basics and then helps you create lovely watercolor paintings that you can be proud to display. Watercolor for Kids is a course for kids of all ages. These lessons will teach your young aspiring artist techniques for mixing paint, caring for a brush, and stroke-making, then practice making fun watercolor art cute enough to proudly display.

 

My Thoughts:

I have not done very much watercolor painting on my own, except for the "Paint With Water" books I did as a child. These were fun, but did not really teach me the fundamentals of how to paint with watercolor. I have always wanted to learn those basics, but never took the time or had the chance. When I received the opportunity of reviewing the Emily Lex Watercolor Package and Classes I jumped at the chance. 

I first received the package of watercolor goodies in the mail and opened it up. There were so many fantastic things inside. I cannot wait to thoroughly dive into everything offered.

I looked through the watercolor booklets and am very excited especially to do the whale in the animals workbook and the sunflower in the flowers workbook...2 of my favorite things! There are so many other pages that look like fun also! The instructions on the reference pages look fairly simple to follow and you can paint directly onto the page with the outlined sketch, so no need for buying a watercolor pad of paper. The sketch makes it very easy to know the outline of the painting and you do not need to know how to draw to do these. There are also blank pages to practice what you have learned with watercolor or just do your own thing. I also love that they are perfect for taking with you on trips or outdoors when the weather is nice and they don't need any screen time to do.

The Truth for Today and Kids Truth for Today cards are just lovely. I love the illustrations from Emily Lex and bible verses on each one. These are gentle reminders of scripture truths. They are a wonderful way to start the morning with and would be great as gifts for someone that needs uplifting. Both sets of cards are great for anyone, regardless of age.

I love how the Truth for Today cards can be displayed in the brass holder that we also received. Make sure to place the cards in it the correct way so that the card angles slightly back not forward this way you can read the bible chapter and verse number. This sleek and stylish brass holder can also hold other things as well...like a recipe card.

Here are my finished art from some of the Emily Lex Simplified Watercolor lessons.

There were three different courses that we were also given: Simplified Penmanship, Simplified Watercolor, and Watercolor for Kids. I have been doing the Simplified Watercolor class. It is a great step-by-step watercolor class for a beginner like me or artists who would like the practice. You can go at your own pace watching the videos, pause at anytime, go back if you missed something, and skip over the parts you already know if you want. In this she begins describing the supplies. I only had a cheap set of crayola watercolors, a nice paintbrush set I got as a gift, and a watercolor pad from my kids using our watercolor crayon set. She said that using the cheap paints would be fine, but as you get better with the art then you might want to purchase a better set and she listed a few. She went over some techniques in the third and forth lessons and then we started painting actual pictures of things. There are also bonus lessons at the end as well. I loved how it also checked off the lessons I had done so that I would know where I was the next time I logged in. I could also still go back through the finished lessons if I needed to. I loved painting the Seascape the most so far, but the Dot Project was fun too. I know that my kids are going to enjoy the Watercolor for Kids class. I looked it over and I might even do the lessons right along with them. The Simplified Penmanship class is going to be very good for me. My penmanship is not too bad, but I would love to do better with my writing and learn some fancy lettering too. I cannot wait to get all the way through these. I have learned so much already and there is so much more to go.

I highly recommend all that Emily Lex has to offer. Her products and classes are so much fun and would make great gifts. I am very pleased with everything we received and want to thank her for being so generous so that we could try a bunch of things. Everything here is fabulous! I encourage you to check Emily Lex out for yourself.

 

 

WIN IT

• Prize: Win the May Flowers Giveaway
  
• Host: Emily Lex.
• Who Can Enter: Open to US and Canadian residents 13 years or older.
• Selection Process: 3 Winners will be selected on 05/30/2021.
  
• Where to Enter: Go to this link https://emilylex.com/may-flowers-ga and fill out the form to enter.

 

BUY IT

Purchase products and classes from Emily Lex's Shop.

Learn more about Emily here: https://emilylex.com/about/ and on IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilylexstudio/ and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilylexstudio/

A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice Book Review and Giveaway #amostclevergirl

Disclaimer: I received this product in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Jasmine A. Stirling in exchange for my honest review.

A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice by Jasmine Stirling is a wonderful book geared towards 4-12 year olds. It has lovely illustrations by Vesper Stamper that have a warm cottage feel. The story begins with Jane as a girl living with her family at Steventon in the Hampshire countryside, to her tragically quiet time in the small house in Bath, and then ends with her as an experienced woman back in the countryside again finding her voice once again, only wiser. This book will certainly be a delight to Jane Austen fans everywhere. 

 

 

I love this book! It is eloquently written and illustrated. My girls who are 10 and 12 also found themselves consumed by the words and pictures. They were absolutely enthralled by the story of one of their beloved authors. I loved how her father was so supportive of Jane and her ambitions. Through all of the trials she had in her life, Jane grew into a talented, perceptive, and clever woman. Her experiences shaped her and made her better.

 

 

I highly recommend A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice for all ages. Jane Austen fans especially will love this book. This is also a great book to introduce Jane Austen to little ones.

 

 

Follow The Author on Social Media:

• Website: https://jasmineastirling.com/
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasmine.a.stirling.author 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasmine.a.stirling.author/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasmineStirling
  

 

BUY IT

• Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sGRdFa
• Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9781547601103
  

 

WIN IT

Enter for a chance to win a glorious Jane Austen-themed picnic basket, including a hardcover copy of A Most Clever Girl autographed by Jasmine A. Stirling!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A picnic basket filled with:

• A copy of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice, signed by author Jasmine A. Stirling

• A vintage teacup

• 1 oz of tea From Adagio Teas

• Truffles from Moonstruck Chocolates

• Gardenia hand cream

• A set of Jane Austen playing cards

• A $15 gift certificate to Jasmine A. Stirling’s Austenite Etsy Shop, Box Hill Goods

Two (2) winners receive:

• A copy of A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice, signed by author Jasmine A. Stirling

The giveaway begins March 16, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT, and ends April 16, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read other reviews on the tour:

Byron's Games Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers Review #ComlimentaryProductReceived

 

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers from Byron's Games for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

While having an extended stay in a hospital a 6 year old boy named Byron was inspired by Mrs. Ellen Donovan, of the Family Life Center and the Olympic games that were going on at the time. To pass the time, he created his first board game, Continent Race. He wanted to help other kids avoid boredom during their hospital stays and brush up with their geography skills. Now Byron's Games has 3 games: Continent Race, Math Sprint, and Maestro Mastery. They also have the Connections stationery kit, Trailblazers Oasis Blanket, Trailblazers Travel Pillow for Kids, Kids Golf Set, The Family Journal, and 100 Kids Books - Scratch-off Poster, products.

Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers is a great game for learning about famous composers. Byron created this game to help kids learn 52 masters without monotonous memorization. There are 52 cards with music masters, from medieval musicians to more contemporary composers. Each card has names and depictions, country of origin, years lived, fun life facts, and music era (Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary.) This card game is for ages 5 and up, you can have 2+ players, and a game takes about 30 minutes.

You can enrich your child's musical learning with Byron's Games online listening tool and educational ebook that go hand-in-hand with this game. The online listening tool features your composers' compositions, providing to music to develop your player's ears. Since the memory cards don't have room for all the facts Byron's Games made a companion ebook called Maestro Mastery: Learn and Explore Great Composers where the lives of the 52 composers featured in the game are explored in more detail.

 

Game Contents:

• Instructions
• 104 matching composer cards (2 decks with 52 color - coded cards each)
• 1 music timeline card
• 1 poster to continue learning and hang on the wall
  

How to Play:

1. Start with one deck only (unless playing with a large group).
   
2. Lay one deck (52 cards) face down in rows and columns.
3. Take turns going clockwise around the table, turning only 2 cards over at a time to find a matching pair.
4. State each composer's name and make sure all players see the cards, before flipping them back over.
   
5. Once a match is made, the player reads the composer card aloud (Composer's name, years lived, country they are from, era of music, and the text description). Adults can help younger children read their cards.
6. The match is laid face up on the table in front of the player who made them, grouping matches by era of music, (e.g., Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Contemporary). The eras are color-coded and can be found in the upper right-hand corner of each card.
   
7. Once you match all maestros, the player with the most matches wins. This is the overall winner.
   
8. The player with the most matches in a specific era also wins. This is the era winner. (There can be multiple era winners.)
   
9. The winner of each era reads aloud the era's description from the music timeline card. Read in chronological order. Again adults may assist in reading.
   
10. As each era's time-frame and description is read, go around the table for players to call out and lay down the composers they have within that era.

Optional Listening and Extra Challenge:

Optional Listening: A website is included in the instructions to enhance learning. On this website you can hear a sample of each composer's work. You can make this fun by doing this during game play when a match is made or alternatively after the game has ended. Extra Challenge: After multiple games and gets more familiar with the music selections you may play a sample for the group to place in which era it is from. You can also lay 3-5 different composer cards, face up and have one person play a selection from one of them for the players to guess who it is by.

● Increases concentration and cognitive function
● Augments attention to detail
● Increases vocabulary
● Maximizes memory 
● And more!

 

Maestro Mastery in play with three players.

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

It has been cold outside and so my kids have been playing a lot indoors. We have been enjoying a lot of board games, card games, and puzzles. One of the games that we have been playing on these chilly days is Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers by Byron's Games.

 

Maestro Mastery in play with two players.

My daughters, Teela and Zari, who are ages 12 and 10 have been playing this game with me. The first time we played we just did it with one deck and 3 players. A different day Teela and I played together with the other deck. Teela won both times as overall winner and the first time Zari won as the era winner and Teela won as era winner the second time. The third time we played we played it with the optional listening website. It was fun hearing the music of the composers, but some of the links wouldn't play because it said that the video was unavailable because it was private or that an error occurred. Hopefully they go back and fix those.

 

Maestro Mastery optional listening.

 

All in all we liked Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers. It is a great game to learn about who some of the composers were and stuff about them. I love that it is educational and teaches while playing. I would recommend this to families that homeschool and others that are looking for games that teach as well. This matching game is great for family game night and music education.

 

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/byronsgames 
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/byronsgames
• Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/byronsgames
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqc5skcLby7XPMPubub8CRw
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #byronsgames #maestromastery #musiceducation #playmatters #playtolearn #classicalmusic #familygames #familygamenight #musicforkids #gamestagram #gamesofig #kidsgames #kidinventors #boardgames #musicgames #gameschool #gameschoolers #roadschool #homeschool #learningathome #homeschoolmom #homeschoolkids #learnandexplore

BUY IT

You can purchase Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers on Amazon.

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Byron's Games Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers...

Byron's Games Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game from Byron's Games for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

While having an extended stay in a hospital a 6 year old boy named Byron was inspired by Mrs. Ellen Donovan, of the Family Life Center and the Olympic games that were going on at the time. To pass the time, he created his first board game, Continent Race. He wanted to help other kids avoid boredom during their hospital stays and brush up with their geography skills. Now Byron's Games has 2 games: Continent Race and Math Sprint, the Connections stationery kit, and Trailblazer products.

Math Sprint  - The Mental Math Game is a great game for helping with math mastery. Byron originally created this game for a local game inventor challenge. It too was inspired by the Olympic games, especially the running events. All you have to do to advance your piece is to solve a subtraction, addition, multiplication, division, or word problem. It is a race against other players to solve the problem first. There are also different skill levels with 3 race lengths and beginner to advanced level cards. Each color coded athlete playing piece has a profile picture with different hobbies and interests to go with it that you can pick from. This gives the players to have something they might relate to in the game. This math game is for ages 7 and up, you can have 2-8 players or teams, and a game takes about 30 minutes.

 

Game Contents:

• Instructions
• 258 cards: 92 Addition & Subtraction, 106 Multiplication & Division, 30 Wild Cards, 30 Challenge Cards
• 1 marker
• 1 running track board
• 10 dry erase cards
• 8 runner playing pieces

How to Play:

1. Base on the age and level of your group, determine which card types to include in the draw pile, shuffle those into a deck, and place them face down in the middle of the board. The challenge cards should not be in play when playing with younger kids.
   
2. Select your runner piece.
   
3. Choose the race distance: 100m (shorter game and beginner level), 200m (intermediate level when have a bit more time to play), or 400m dash (advanced or older players or when the group has more time to play).
4. Line your piece up on the starting line on the board running track where the race distance is you are running and pick one of the lanes numbered 1-8. The Coach should be in lane 1.
   
5. Each player takes a turn being the Coach going clockwise, draws a card, and reads the math problem aloud or the adult or oldest can be the Coach the whole time.
6. Each time a player answers a question correctly they can move their runner forward 2 spaces.
7. If there is a tie in answering correctly, both players advance 2 spaces.
8. If a player doesn't answer the question correctly they don't move.
   
9. The first player to get the correct answer advances and is on the way to the finish line!
10. If the Coach draws a Wild card, then  the Coach moves his/her piece as directed.
11. If a Coach Tip card is drawn the Coach reads it aloud so all players can learn.
12. If playing with a large group you can play in teams instead of individual players. Teams can discuss quietly and raise their hands when their team has the answer.
13. Use the blank dry erase cards and dry erase marker to make up your own problems or work out solutions.
    

 

● Improves your kid's reasoning and logic skills
● Helps kids practice processing, analyzing, and calculating
● Boosts your own mental math abilities
● Provides precious time for you and your family to grow together

 

Zari, Teela, and I playing Math Sprint.

 

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

It has been cold outside and so my kids have been playing a lot indoors. We have been enjoying a lot of board games, card games, and puzzles. One of the games that we have been playing on these chilly days is Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game by Byron's Games.

My daughters, Teela and Zari, who are ages 12 and 10 have been playing this game with me. I was the Coach in the first game we played. Teela chose the yellow playing piece which is Mary Matherina, Zari chose the green piece which is Mya Marcher, and I chose the blue piece which is Crystal Reaction. I liked Crystal, well, because she shares the same name as me and seems to like science. Zari and I started on the 100m level and Teela started on the 200m level. At first we shuffled all the cards together, but then Zari was having trouble with the division problems, so we took all those cards out so that we could level the playing field. We should have just picked out the appropriate cards to include in the game with all the wild cards to make it fun and unpredictable and make it a acceptable number of cards--not the entire deck.  Zari still didn't like that it was a math game because she doesn't like math and Teela was dominating the game because she was faster at getting the answers. Next time we play I think that I will play with Zari and be on her team so maybe she will have a chance at winning or maybe she can play with a friend that is at her same level.

All in all I liked Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game. It is a great game to brush up on your math and also help with learning new math skills for younger students. My kids had mixed feelings about the game and this is probably not going to be a game they turn to on their own off of our game shelf. I love that it is educational and teaches while playing. I think that I would still recommend it to families that homeschool and others that are looking for games that teach as well.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/byronsgames 
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/byronsgames
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqc5skcLby7XPMPubub8CRw
• Hashtags: #familygamenight #kidinventors #gamesforkids #byronsgames #exploreyourworld #mathgames #homeschoolgames #mathsprint #learnandexplore 

BUY IT

You can purchase Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game on Amazon.

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Byron's Games Math Sprint - The Mental Math Game...

The Easter Storybook from David C Cook Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. 

My family had the privilege of reading The Easter Storybook from David C Cook for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

David C Cook is a ministry that publishes and distributes discipleship and worship materials for local churches to help bring the word of Christ around the world, globally. These products include: music, books, curriculum, Bible studies, and resources for adults and children alike. Proceeds from purchases also help with their global outreach efforts.

The Easter Storybook contents.

The Easter Storybook is one of David C Cook's books for children. This book is written by Laura Richie and illustrated by Ian Dale. It contains 40 full-color, beautifully illustrated stories that are about how Jesus' life, starting from His time as a boy in the Temple to His resurrection. Each story includes a Bible passage and a conversational question to engage the readers and get them thinking and discussing as a family about the true meaning of the Easter season. This is recommended for children ages 4-8.

Zari reading The Easter Storybook.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

My daughter Zari and I read this book together. She is 9 years old.

We love the full-color illustrations. They are wonderfully done and the people in the illustrations have a more authentic Middle Eastern feel to them, which I like. I also like all the detail in them.

Each story has the same layout. The length of each story is about a page which is perfect and not too long. The chapter(s) that the story comes from in the bible is listed at the top under the story title. It has a bible verse from the English Standard Version (ESV) at the top of each story that goes with the story. At the bottom of each story there are open ended questions to ask and answer. The opposite page of every story has a whole page illustration.

Format of the stories.

If you follow the 40 days of Lent these stories would be good for that because this book has 40 stories and they are each labeled Day 1 - Day 40. You can read one each day of the Lenten Calendar, although this would also be fine to read at other times in the Easter season as well. 

The stories generally go along with the bible and what it teaches. It does take on some liberties though. There is a recurring theme in the stories that basically says that after the garden of Eden people could not love and that people were broken until Jesus came. To quote one of the instances in the book (page 12), "John told everyone that people are broken and can't love, but the Messiah was coming to help people love." I am not sure what to think of this statement. If they had left this out I think that it would have made the book better and that it would then follow the bibles teachings more. Because of this I feel that this is more of the authors interpretation more than what is actually written in the bible.

I am going to just leave my review there and you can make the decision yourself from it whether or not this storybook might be for you and your kids. Take it or leave it, I guess it is up to you.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidCCookPublic 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/David_C_Cook 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.c.cook/ 
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/davidccook/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DavidCCookVideos
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #EasterStorybook #TheEasterStorybook #IanDale #LauraRichie #DavidCCook

BUY IT
You can purchase this book here.

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for The Easter Storybook by David C Cook...

Goodnight, My Darling Dear Book Review and Giveaway #NightMyDarling #DarlingDearBook #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through FrontGate Media in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. Affiliate links are in this review. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Goodnight My Darling Dear is a children's book by Amy (Kavs) Kavelaris. Amy is a illustrator and artist that does impressionistic bohemian art. She has three small girls and a husband that are her world. This book is dedicated to her littles. It is whimsically illustrated and poetically written. This adorable book brings a bedtime blessing to celebrate the wonder of childhood and what God has in store for all your little one is becoming.

Zari enjoying reading Goodnight, My Darling Dear.

Our Thoughts:

We loved this gorgeous hardcover kids book with dust jacket. The illustrations are so lovely! On the first page it allows you to personalize it with who it is to, who it is from, and a date. It has such delightful pictures of parent-and-child animal pairs. We love the rhyming too. The words are filled with positive sentiments. There are words within the poetry that are in a different font and in color to emphasize them and make then stand out because these words hold special meaning. I love that this book makes the child feel good about themselves, reaffirms that they can be be true to themselves and do great things with their lives. This is the perfect bedtime book to settle your little one down for the night because it ends with the child saying their prayers and going to sleep. I highly recommend this book to anyone with little ones.

BUY IT

You can purchase Goodnight, My Darling Dear on amazon.



WIN IT

• Prize: Win a copy of Goodnight, My Darling Dear
• Host: HarperCollins Christian Publishing and FrontGate Media.
• Who Can Enter: Open to US Residents 18 years or older.
• Selection Process: 5 Winners will be selected on 03/30/2020 and notified by email.
• Where to Enter: Go to this link https://www.blessedfreebies.com/good-night-my-darling-dear-giveaway.html and fill out the form to enter.

Albert Whitman & Company The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set #1 Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set #1 from Albert Whitman & Company for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Albert Whitman & Company is a book company that publishes and sells children's books. These books are selected to help readers grow intellectually and emotionally. Albert Whitman & Company has been publishing award-winning children’s books since 1919. They publish picture books, novels, and nonfiction books for children in grades PreK-12, including the classic series The Boxcar Children Mysteries.

We received the hardcover editions of The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set #1.

The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set #1 is a classic book set by Gertrude Chandler Warner adapted for beginning readers. They are illustrated by Shane Clester after the artwork from the animated film The Boxcar Children released in 2014. This first set has four books: The Boxcar Children, Surprise Island, The Yellow House Mystery, and Mystery Ranch. These are perfect for readers in K-2, ages 5-7. These are part pf the Time to Read® program and are Level 2 readers which are books for kids that are "reading with help". These books come in both paperback and hardcover versions. There are 6 books currently in The Boxcar Children Early Reader series with a total of 8 books planned through 2020.

Zari reading me The Boxcar Children.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We received the hardcover editions of The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set #1. My daughter Zari, who is in 3rd grade read these books. She read them allowed to me so that I could monitor her progress and ask her questions about each book after she read them. These books were at her reading level. She struggled a little on the big unfamiliar words, but generally she did very well at reading them to me.

If you read further there are spoilers...

The first book, The Boxcar Children, was an introduction to the 4 Alden children: Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. As orphans, the siblings are trying to make it on their own. In this book they are in search for a place to call home. Do they find somewhere safe to be together as a family?

Zari said she really loved that they found a home. Her favorite part was when they found the dog that they named Watch. She also liked that they got to keep the Boxcar.

The second book is called Surprise Island. Apparently this book is based on not only the book by Gertrude Chandler Warner, but a movie called Surprise Island, as well. This book has the children being invited to go to an island for the summer. They make friends with Joe, the island's friendly handyman. As they explore the island they find all sorts of surprises and mysterious things too. What will they uncover about the island and their new friend Joe?

Zari said she loved all the surprises they found on the island. She would love to go clam digging sometime. She loves beach combing!

In the third book, The Yellow House Mystery, the Alden children find an old letter in an abandoned yellow house on Surprise Island that leads to a mystery. Long ago the house was abandoned by a man named Bill and he never came back to the island. What ever happened to him? Will the Alden children solve the clues with what is written on the old letter?

Zari said she thought it was cool that the Alden children were being detectives. Zari loves to hike on trails and explore as well. She said her favorite part in the book was where they saw the moose swimming in the water while the children were paddling in boats. That must have been slightly scary to see an animal that huge and wild up so close.

Mystery Ranch is the forth book in The Boxcar Children series. The Alden children go to their Aunt's Ranch for the summer. Their aunt is sad that everyone is moving away from her and that she might have to sell her ranch. She is lonely so the children try to cheer her up. What are the strange rocks on her property? Will they be able to help their aunt save her ranch?

Zari said she is glad that the Aldens are meeting more of their family. She likes to go on trips to visit her relatives too. She thought it was very nice of the Alden children to help out with the chores on the ranch. She loved the very ending of this book the most.

This Boxcar classics series of books are great for early readers. I believe they are great for ages 6-8. They hold kids interest and have great color illustrations. These are wonderful books full of adventure. These leveled picture books will help transition young readers to chapter books. Your children will love to become sleuths right along side The Boxcar Children while reading their adventures.

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• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoxcarChildren/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlbertWhitman 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albertwhitman/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlbertWhitmanCo
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #BoxcarChildren #theboxcarchildren #albertwhitman #albertwhitmanandcompany
  

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Purchase this book set on Albert Whitman & Company or where other books are sold.

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Albert Whitman & Company The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set...

Ten Little Eggs: A Celebration of Family Book Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book complimentary from Zondervan and HarperCollins Christian Publishing through the ZBlog Squad in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. Affiliate links are in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Ten Little Eggs: A Celebration of Family, illustrated by Jess Mikhail, is an adorable hardcover book about how families can come in all shapes and sizes and it's love that holds them together. This children's book has a mama bird asking, "What in the world will my little egg be?". Kids will love the fun illustrations and playful rhyming text. This book is written especially for children ages 4-8.

Zari reading Ten Little Eggs.

Our Thoughts:

Zari and I enjoyed reading this book a bunch. In this book the mama bird has 10 eggs in her nest that she is excitedly waiting for to hatch. As each egg hatches this book counts down. This is great for building counting skills for little ones. Each egg hatches a totally different, unique animal, but mama bird loves all of them for who they are. This super cute book is great for Easter since it is all about springtime and new birth. It is also a great book to read at bedtime because it ends with the mama snuggling for bed in the nest with all her babies. I recommend this book for adopted kids, foster kids, blended families, extended families, and every family in between.

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• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zonderkidz/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/zonderkidz 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/zondervan 
• Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/zondervanp/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zondervan/

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Kid-Friendly New Year's Eve Ideas From Kidstir!

Look what we are doing for New Year's Eve! Kidstir has put together some fun things for families with kids to ring in the New Year and you can join in the fun. Teach your kids how to say cheers from countries around the globe with this downloadable print out for some around-the-world fun.

Kidstir also has a healthy drink recipe for your kids to toast the New Year called Grape Fizz! Yum! 

And don't forget to put on some Silly 'Staches & Smiles while you count down to midnight! You can even add them to your straw for fun while you drink.

Zari with her silly stash 😁

About Kidstir
Kidstir is a unique cooking kit subscription service for children that can be joined or given as a gift, or you can send one of the single kits, as well. Each month, Kidstir will send your child a box filled with three delicious, nutritious recipes, kid-size cooking tools, games and activities! This subscription focuses on nutrition and hands-on fun. Created by moms who know that through cooking, children will gain important life skills in the kitchen — and cook up some fun family memories through the process.

Monthly, 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month subscriptions are available with free shipping. Plus, Kidstir will debut a new surprise kit which will be revealed on the 21st of each month! All subscribers receive a 2 year magazine subscription to Real Simple, Parents or All Recipes magazines as a thank you bonus. A Cookbook Binder and Sibling cooking tools & creative materials can be added at checkout.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this information and images for this post. I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of the fun. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I will be receiving samples later to try out and review.

WorthyKids Books The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Book 5 & 6 Review and Giveaway

My family had the privilege of trying the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Shepherd's Stone (Book 5) and Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Lion's Roar (Book 6) from WorthyKids Books for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

WorthyKids Books is an imprint of the Hachette Book Group. WorthyKids has kids' Christian and inspirational books. This line of colorful, interactive children's books includes such notable titles as: VeggieTales and Berenstain Bears. They reach the top 10 best-selling children’s books during the Easter and Christmas seasons each year.

M.J. Thomas is a scholar in Bible studies and an author to The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls book series. When his son Peter was 9 he tried to find books that taught about the events in the Bible in a enjoyable, exciting, and captivating way. He didn't find any, so he decided to write his own. The main characters of the stories are named after his son Peter, his niece Mary, and his dog Hank.

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls by M.J. Thomas are a time-traveling adventure book series that helps kids explore the Bible and increase in faith. These chapter books combine biblical accuracy with mystery, wonder, imagination, adventure, danger, and excitement. Peter, Mary, and Hank have discovered ancient scrolls that help them travel back in time. These scrolls have clues to solve and the three must solve them before time runs out or they will become stuck in the past forever. You will also meet Great-Uncle Solomon, the eccentric archaeologist who discovered the scrolls, and the angel Michael, who aides the children on their quests. These are recommended to emerging readers ages 6-9, readers ages 8-12, homeschooling families, and others that love adventure.

We have reviewed the first four books in the series, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls and now we get to read the fifth and sixth books as well:

• The Shepherd's Stone (Book #5)
• The Lion's Roar (Book #6)

If you read below, just know there are spoilers...

In the fifth title of the series, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Shepard's Stone; Peter was throwing a ball to Hank when it hit a suit of armor and knocked the sword and glove off. Inside they discovered a map of the home and some rooms they didn't recognize were on it. They Peter, Mary, and Hank went exploring a room in their Great-Uncle Solomon's home called the Royal Room and it had all sorts of crowns and portraits of royalty. Then the call of the lion beckons them once more to open another scroll. This time they are thrust into Bethlehem where they meet David, a shepherd boy, and his family. They witness the story of the Israelite and Philistine battle and David and Goliath from the Bible. With the help of Michael, an angel, they battle the forces of evil, the soldier in the black armor (The Soldier of Darkness). Will they solve the secrets of the scroll before the time runs out in four days?

In The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Lion's Roar Peter, Mary Hank, and Great-Uncle Solomon are playing hide and seek when they find a statue of a lion and a tile puzzle. They try to put the puzzle together when they get called by the lion's roar once again. This time they are called to the ancient Babylon. The time traveling trio meet: Hannah, Shadrach, and Daniel in their quest to solve the scroll. They get to see a statue of Marduk, Ziggurats, the Ishtar Temple and The Hanging Gardens. They witness the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Will they solve the secrets of the scroll before the time runs out in four days and will the evil High Priest and his raven get their way?

Zari Reading The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls The Shepherd's Stone book.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
Zari, my almost nine year old daughter, and I read these books separately. The fifth has 120 pages and 14 chapters. The sixth book has 120 pages and 14 chapters. These were both a quick, fast paced read for the both of us. We both thought the books held our attention well. They also have some black and white drawings here and there in the books that were fun. At the end of each book there is a page that has where to read the actual story and synopsis in the authors own words of the chapters in the bible. These books had a lot of action and adventure throughout which made them fun to read.

I liked that the story basically follows with what happens in the bible fairly well. Even though there are fictitious elements in these books...like the kids traveling in time...they tell the story from the bible and make it come to life. Zari loved all the imaginative things that the author adds to make it seem like you are also there with main characters. The scrolls were a great idea also to make it even more of a challenge for the trio to get back to their time and we like that Peter writes things in his adventure journal that are included in the pages as well.

Zari and I enjoyed reading these books from The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series. She told me they are fun books to read and she likes the series a lot. We love that these Christian kids books teach kids about the bible. These have a great lesson also to trust in God and he will always be there for you. We liked the action and adventure as well. These were fun books to read. We hope to be able to read more books from the series once they come out.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WorthyKidsBooks/
• Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/worthykidsbooks/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/worthykidsideals/
• Hashtags: #hsreviews #SecretoftheHiddenScrolls

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Purchase these on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, here.

WIN IT
To help promote the newest book, WorthyKids Books is running a giveaway of all 7 books and will choose three winners to get signed copies of the entire series so far. Click on the image below or here to enter!




Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for WorthyKids Books...