Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf Review and Giveaway!

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

I love to travel, but sadly I don't get to very often because living on a farm means having many responsibilities: tending animals, planting, gardening, harvesting, and keeping up the home and grounds. However, I still get to occasionally go to: hike, waterfall spot, bird watch, rockhound, mudlark, beachcomb, star gaze, and just explore nature. I also love to go to different fairs, festivals, carnivals, conventions, concerts, theatrical performances, antique shops, bazaars, flea markets, farmers' markets, open air markets, food carts, museums, and art galleries as well.

 

I am wearing the Jasmine & Jain travel scarf from Waypoint Goods.

When I do go places, I like the convenience of having my hands free to be able to do things and not to worry about my stuff being stolen. Caitlin Blythe, the owner and founder of Waypoint Goods, made the perfect travel fashion accessory to do just that and more! Besides being fashionable, this infinity scarf has a handy, inconspicuous, and unseen zipper pocket that has room enough for an iPhone+ or similar sized cell phone, passport, wallet, keys, some cash, ID, credit cards, boarding passes, facemask, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, and/or other small essentials. This means you can keep your belongings safe and secure without having to take a bulky purse or backpack with you at all times. No more worrying about pickpockets while you are taking in the culture, food, art, sights, and sounds of your next adventure because the hidden pocket blends into the wide folds of the scarf eliminating the outline of your secure essentials. Just place the pocket loop closest to your body and use the other loop to drape over the top and hide the pocket and contents.

I received a Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf from the Featured Artist Series and called Jasmine & Jain. It is one of the lightweight scarves made from all natural bamboo and cotton. This pattern was made by two women, Alison Abbott and Jane, and was inspired by the flower market in Jaipur, India and the local people there, wearing colorful geometric patterns. Marigolds, rose petals and the scent of jasmine made the painted and layered canvas spring to life. The scarf's pattern is a result of an adaption of the full canvas. I love this gorgeous scarf! The oranges, reds and purples with the layered pattern are so rich and beautiful. You can read more about the art process, here. 1% of sales of the Jasmine & Jain scarf will be donated to the nonprofit organization, CharityWater.org.

I love that the Waypoint Goods scarves are made of quality fabric and notions that is sewn well. The fabric is soft, yet durable and is meticulously stitched with a lined pocket that has an invisible zipper. The pocket is lined in Waypoint Goods patterned fabric that complements the outer fabric and is lighter in color so you can find your stuff fast.

There are two different categories of travel scarf depending upon length and fabric choice and each have 5 lovely designs per category. One category is the lightweight bamboo and cotton travel scarf which is long and narrow and great for warmer weather and petite travelers. The lightweight scarves are 18" wide by 34" long and made of  eco-friendly 70% bamboo and 30% cotton. The other category is the original travel scarf which is wide and short and is best for cooler weather and wrapping up. The original is 22" wide by 32" long and is made of buttery soft 100% polyester.

I love how versatile this travel infinity scarf is, that you can pretty much wear it anywhere, and it is easy to clean. It can be used as a scarf, shawl, blanket and worn several different ways. You can take it with you on an airplane, train, bus, boat, etc. It is great to have at crowded tourist areas, stadiums, museums, concerts, festivals, date night, out walking the dog, etc. If you don't have other pockets in your dress, jeans or jacket, this scarf is the key to that problem! Washing instructions are pretty straight forward: hand wash cold with mild detergent and lay flat to dry. If you cannot wash the recommended way you can instead machine wash on delicate cycle after placing in a garment bag and then lay flat to dry.

BUY IT

Any of the Waypoint Travel Scarves would be perfect for gift giving! They are a unique and functional gift that is just as great for travel as everyday life. Great for giving at graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, or any of those special days or moments that come up. The Waypoint Goods Travel scarf comes gift ready with sleek packaging and the same attention to detail and design inspiration as the scarf itself. Sign up for their newsletter and get 10% off your first order!

WIN IT

• Prize: Win a Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf of your choice!

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The Herbal Academy and Homestead Bloggers Network $297 Giveaway!

The Herbal Academy provided me with this promotional information, giveaway, and offer to share with my readers. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Perhaps you, like myself, have been on a mission to incorporate a more natural approach to your family’s wellness. You’ve revamped your homemade meals with fresh, healthy ingredients, researched holistic ways to approach common ailments, and tried using essential oils and herbs in your own health routine!

Sound familiar?

I know it can be challenging to begin this holistic voyage! How do you start? Who do you trust?

If you have a desire to move from the unknown to the confident, I have great news for you today!

The Herbal Academy just announced the release of their brand new foundational herbal programs today including, get this, new printed versions complete with textbooks, topic specific companion booklets, and compiled recipe and monograph books!

There is truly nothing like these printed programs available that I know of!

The revised herbal programs boast of the very latest research available and feature expanded lessons, fresh videos, hundreds of recipes, new multimedia resources, and experiential exercises that will take your learning off your computer and into your kitchen!

Early-bird registration is NOW OPEN with two enrollment bonuses including $25 off your tuition and a $70 herbal goodie bag with a print package purchase! Hurry because early bird pricing ends February 20th!

Explore the new programs here!

The many new features of the newly revised Introductory Herbal Course, Intermediate Herbal Course, and Herbalist Path Packages include:

● New lessons and expanded lessons
● Brand new compiled Recipe and Monograph Books for each program
● Dedicated and beautifully presented Materia Medica charts for each body system
throughout the courses
● Hundreds of Expanded Herbal Monographs
● Fresh downloadable booklets highlighted in each course
● Dozens of new videos added throughout course units
● All new media and learning charts
● New experiential exercises
● The revised courses include the very latest research, presented in a clear, easy-to-
digest way!
● You’ll also notice dozens of new educators in the courses, including herbalist-adored
Guido Masé!
● Longer installment plan options offering more manageable monthly payments!

ENTER TO WIN!

One (1) winner will receive a Complete Enrollment in the Introductory Herbal Course (value $297) courtesy of The Herbal Academy in collaboration with Homestead Bloggers Network. Giveaway ends February 13, 2019 11:59pm.

Click Through Here to See the Course Syllabus!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this post to let my readers know about this course and giveaway. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Wordless Wednesday Blue Jay Drawing

Zari drew a Blue Jay bird for our nature study.

Wordless Wednesday Teela's Pet Caterpillar

Teela & her pet caterpillar. It is making a cocoon!

The Herbal Academy Botany & Wildcrafting Course Kickoff!

The Herbal Academy provided me with this promotional information and offer to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Botany & Wildcrafting Course, curated by the amazing Herbal Academy team of herbalists and botanists, is now open for registration at an introductory price of $149 ($50 off right now)!! I reserved my seat in class, and cannot wait to begin this journey. To give you an idea of what is included in class, lessons cover topics like using the dichotomous key for plant identification, identifying botanical families and patterns in nature, drawing herbs, making a pressed herbarium, wildcrafting for wild edibles and herbs, drying herbs, and much, much more.

If you too are interested in learning more about botany and foraging, check out the course page here: https://theherbalacademy.com/product/botany-wildcrafting- course/

CLICK HERE to ENROLL!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this course for free for posting this information. 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.

Creation Illustrated Unit Studies Review

Some pictures of the Pine Trees and pine cones on our property.

Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog. My family had the privilege of trying the unit studies from Creation Illustrated 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.

Creation Illustrated is owned by a non-profit, non-denominational ministry dedicated to share Biblical truth and character-building lessons about God's creations. Creation Illustrated is a quarterly magazine by the same name that was first published in the Fall of 1993. Each magazine now includes a creation character-building lesson and a coloring contest for all ages to enter. Also new is a nature photography contest and poetry contest to inspire people of all ages to get outdoors and creatively use their cameras and pens. The print version has no ads. Published and edited by Christian homeschooling couple, Tom and Jennifer Ish, this nature magazine provides positive reading material for families all over the world. They also produce DVDs, books, unit studies, cookbooks, and more. These are going to be available in new digital editions soon to the general public to purchase.

The Unit Studies are about individual topics that cover God's creations. There are 8 different ones so far that you can pick from Creation Illustrated. These range from animals to plants and other subjects in between. We received two unit studies in PDF versions: Snow Unit Study and Pine Trees Unit Study. These correspond with the Winter '18 Digital Edition and Fall '17 Digital Edition of the magazines.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
We were given the snow and pine trees unit studies in PDF format to use for our homeschool. We picked the Pine Trees Unit Study to focus on for this review. These unit studies both include lots of fun facts and activities like; links to educational videos, a puzzle, etc. Subjects that are explored in these are: reading, Bible study, science, math, geography, vocabulary, spelling, and art. Both are targeted for grades 5-8, but parts of the lessons can be used for grades 3-4 as well.

My daughter, Teela, who is in 4th grade used this with our botany lessons at home. Teela is ahead in reading and so we thought even though this is recommended for grades 5-8 she would still do well with this study. I love trees and since we have some pines on our property I wanted her to learn more about them. I must say though, I too got a lot out of this study.

Pine Trees Unit Study Cover

Pine Trees Unit Study

Creation Illustrated Fall 2017 Magazine

The Pine Trees Unit Study is primarily for grades 5-8. This 16 page study also has an answer key in the back and goes hand-in-hand with the Fall 2017 edition of the Creation Illustrated Magazine. The nature unit studies we received were in a downloadable and printable PDF format and is taught in a Biblical creation based, Christian worldview.

Table of Contents:

• Reading Resources – 3
• Educational Videos – 3
• Vocabulary & Spelling – 4, 5
• Bible Study – 6
• Geography – 7
• Science – 8, 9
• Math – 10
• Writing & Penmanship – 11
• Art – 12
• Puzzle – 13
• Teacher’s Answer Keys – 14, 15

The Reading Resources were outside links and we found that not all of them worked, but we found them when searching for the title and the main part of the website it was supposed to be on. We thought the Fibonacci spirals in pine cones were really neat. The List of pines by region also was helpful, but we went searching and narrowed it down further to pines in Oregon where we live. The Educational Videos were great. We loved learning about the 2nd oldest tree in the world called Methuselah. We also enjoyed the video on Japan and Pine trees as well. I did not know that the gourmet Matsutake mushroom and calligraphy ink depend upon the pine trees there. The Vocabulary and Spelling were words found in The Enduring Pine Tree article from in the Fall magazine. These helped with spelling and learning definitions of these words. The Bible Study has you look up bible scripture, list what the word is being used for, and mark if it is pine or fir. The Geography unit was all about what country/region went with specific species of Pine. The Science unit has you identify pine trees by characteristics, etc. The Math is a bunch of tree math problems. The Writing & Penmanship is a short essay on Pine Trees. The Art study is drawing a picture. Last there is a word search Puzzle and the Teacher's Answer Keys.

Zari and Teela with a gigantic Pine Cone on display at the Children's Discovery Museum in Kelso, WA.

The 76 page digital version of the creation magazine for fall of 2017 is jam packed with information, stories, full color photography, and a few ads. The digital edition of the magazine lets you digitally turn pages, zoom in and out, make it full screen, and press play to flip through pages automatically. I wish the digital magazine was available to download as well, but currently it is not. This is nicely laid out and went well with the homeschool unit study about Pine Trees. I loved reading about the facts of pines in the article, "The Enduring Pine Tree: Creation Up Close" by Tatiana Claudy. I did not know there were 126 species that botanists have identified and that a few of these trees date back to the era of Noah's Flood which are still standing today. I loved the way this magazine made use of Bible verses throughout its articles so you could look up scripture and have Bible study as well. The photographs are stunning and I agree with others that this magazine is "The Christian answer to National Geographic." The article "The Day the Sun Went Out" by Bobby Harrison reminded me of my experience recently with the Total Solar Eclipse here in Oregon and my trip in 1998 to Curaçao in the Caribbean to watch one in totality. The magazine had other articles as well and some recipes to try. The Vegan Mincemeat Bread Pudding looked really yummy. There is also a short study guide in the back and family activities that you can do.

Snow Unit Study Cover

Snow Unit Study

Creation Illustrated Winter 2018 Magazine

The Snow Unit Study goes along with the Creation Illustrated Magazine, Winter '18 Digital Edition. It follows a similar structure for contents with an emphasis on snow instead of Pine trees. We can't wait to dive into this study closer to when winter is again.

We love these unit studies about our Creator and His creations. These are a great way to have outdoor education with homeschool activities. The Bible-based magazine is a wonderful addition to these as well.

Follow Them on Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreationIllustrated/timeline
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreationMag
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creation_illustrated/
• Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/creationnature/pins/
• #hsreviews #CreationIllustrated

BUY IT

• Subscriptions to the Ad-free quarterly PRINT editions of Creation Illustrated Magazine are for 1 year and available for 25% Off at: Creation Illustrated under the Subscriptions tab.
• Subscriptions to the quarterly DIGITAL editions of Creation Illustrated Magazine are coming soon.
• Creation Unit Studies are available to download at 30% Off at: https://dv157.infusionsoft.com/app/storeFront/showCategoryPage?categoryId=6

Creation Illustrated Spring 2018 Magazine Cover Sneak Peek

The Unit Study from the Spring edition will be available soon and it is all about butterflies and transformation along with character-building lessons!

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Creation Illustrated...

Wordless Wednesday Bullfrog Sighting

Teela and Zari found this American Bullfrog while on their nature walk.

Up close. He jumped back into the water by the road after saying hi.

Wordless Wednesday Amphibians & Reptiles

Zari and the frog she found.

Zari with a Long-Toed Salamander we found on our Nature walk.

Wordless Wednesday Hawthorn Berries in Snow

Nature makes the prettiest decorations!

Grow Your Own Avocado Tree at Home: AvoSeedo Offer #avoseedo

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information and offer to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.


AvoSeedo avocado tree germinator bowl makes it easy for everyone to grow their own plant at home from a simple avocado pit. Easy to use for all ages of amateur avocado arborists, clever AvoSeedo bowl design keeps the avocado pit immersed in just the right amount of water to grow effectively. Made for durability from recyclable, non-toxic materials and is reusable for other vegetables like lettuce, celery, carrot tops! Germinate and grow an avocado tree in your own home, whatever the climate. Fun family (Millennial parents, their young kids, grandma/grandpa) project to make a tree sprout and watch it grow from the pit of a common avocado. Increase kids' understanding of ecology, interconnections in nature, responsibility and care for the environment in a participatory and concrete way.

GROW YOUR OWN AVOCADO TREE AT HOME!
Save 20% on any AvoSeedo avocado grower or other product and enjoy FREE shipping too. Visit the AvoSeedo Shop today and get growing today! https://shop.avoseedo.com/ Use Code: sp20 #avoseedo

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about AvoSeedo I am getting a a voucher for a free AvoSeedo (including free delivery) to anywhere on the continental United States. 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.

Wordless Wednesday Praying Mantis

Get Outdoors and #DiscoverTheForest

We love getting outside and sharing the great outdoors with friends and family. My favorite pastimes for outdoor activities in the summer are hiking, backpacking, nature walking, camping, tree climbing, rock climbing, biking, horseback riding, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, fishing, picnicking, barbecuing, foraging, hunting, and gathering, wildcrafting, harvesting crops, farming, and gardening. Any one of these activities lets my family, friends and I get fresh air and get back to nature. We have a "naturehood" nearby us called Dibblee Beach. This beach with Columbia River access is just a short walk from our home. We love to go there and relax and play. We also have Lake Sacajawea Park across the river from us in Longview Washington. We enjoy spending time there to picnic, BBQ, or have our kids play on the playgrounds that surround the scenic lake.

Nature is closer than you think. Every neighborhood has a #Naturehood, urban forest areas and parks that are just a short-drive away, making it easy for families to unplug from the daily routine and reconnect with nature. These urban forests offer many of the same benefits as national forests, but they're right in the neighborhood. Beyond the swings, slides and clearings, there are trails, trees, wildlife and water just waiting for the urban dweller. To find a neighborhood park or green space near you, visit DiscoverTheForest.org.

Research has shown that children who play outside have lower stress levels and more active imaginations, become fitter and leaner, develop stronger immune systems and are more likely to become environmentally conscious in the future. Kids need to discover the wonders of nature, make memories with their families and friends outdoors, and develop an interest in the environment by creating a lifelong relationship with it. Spending time together outdoors helps enrich family life.

DiscoverTheForest.org features an interactive map tool that enables users to search for nearby forests and parks, and filter by zip code and desired activities. Free outdoor activities are also available for download and printing, which you can take the next time you visit.

SOCIAL • CORNER
Website - DiscoverTheForest.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/discovertheforest
Twitter - https://twitter.com/discoverforest
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/discoverforest/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discovertheforest/

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I'm participating in a group initiative with Homestead Bloggers Network about the importance of getting outdoors with your family. 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. My name is going into a drawing for a $50 Amazon Gift Card.

FishFlix.com Living Waters: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth DVD Review

My family and I had the privilege of watching the FishFlix.com Living Waters: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth DVD for this review to use in conjunction with my own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

FishFlix.com is a Christian based company that develops family-friendly movies. They have children's Christian movies, apologetics, educational, Christian history, biblical movies, dramas, romance, action and other feature films. They focus on bringing these wonderful wholesome films to their viewers.

Living Waters: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth is the third DVD from The Design of Life series by Illustra Media. Earlier this year I reviewed Flight AND Metamorphosis from them. This documentary series explores creation and helps make a scientific case for Intelligent Design. This is a step in a different direction than that of the usual Darwinian evolutionary science or scientific materialism documentaries that we have seen in the past. The Living Waters DVD goes into specific life in the waters of the Earth and tells us about the incredible complexity of their biological systems. First it talks about dolphins and their sophisticated use of echolocation, a type of sonar that can calculate the precise distance, shape, location, size, speed, direction, and internal structure of an object. Next it looks at sea turtles and the impressive navigation of the oceans with a natural magnetic compass inside these long distance travelers. Then it follows the Pacific salmon and their amazing sense of smell that aids them on their migration from the ocean back to their birth place in the stream beds. Lastly it mentions the Humpback Whales with their magnificent songs and ability to stay fertile underwater and in extreme conditions. This film is 68 minutes long and has a narrator and speakers in different scientific fields of expertise that talk throughout the films about each subject.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

My family are all fans of documentaries that teach about science and nature. Since my family is Christian we don't subscribe to the belief that humans came from monkeys. We follow the biblical approach of Intelligent Design. We love documentaries about science and nature that follow the same teachings.

Ocean life has always had a special place in my heart. My husband and I love cetaceans: dolphins, porpoises, and whales. When I was younger I wanted to be a cetologist and studied everything I could about them. I lived in Alaska some of the time of my youth and collected a scrapbook of newspaper clippings every time something would surface about them. I went to a touring museum exhibit in Anchorage that was featuring life size mechanical versions and a lot of neat information called, "Whales: Giants of the Deep". We used to live in Orlando, Florida and as soon as we moved there bought season passes to Sea World so that we could visit every chance we got with our three kids we had at the time. We have been whale watching here in Oregon, spent some of my time scuba diving and snorkeling in the ocean off of Curacao (a Dutch Island in the Caribbean), and my husband has swam with dolphins in Hawaii as well. They are such magnificent and intelligent creatures. I believe that there is so much that these creatures can teach us.

The Living Waters: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth DVD from FishFlix.com is a wonderful documentary that explores rivers and oceans and the complex living things that reside there. As in the other DVDs of The Design of Life series this too has spectacular cinematography footage, wonderful computer animation, and great musical scores. These can be compared to something from National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. I love this type of high quality, family-friendly films and I cannot wait to see more of what FishFlix.com produces.

This DVD is great for Christian based homeschooling. I would highly recommend this for any Christian homeschool that is teaching about oceanography, marine biology, zoology, biology, or science in general, to their students. It has some very in depth information and computer graphics that show anatomy and physiology of the inner-workings of these animals. This is geared towards older children as younger ones might not grasp the meanings fully. My younger girls who are 4 and 7 were a little bored with the various intellects talking about natural selection, evolution, and intelligent design, but loved when they showed the footage of the animals. My boys who are 13 and 15 seemed to be fascinated with it all and learned a whole lot about the animals featured.

We did notice that there was no mention of God in this film other than the words Intelligent agent/designer. Even though this DVD goes into evolution and tells about it in depth, the scientists featured on this film make a strong case for intelligent design because of the complexity of everything and how things cannot just happen by chance. This film has further cemented our belief in Intelligent Design. God's creations are so intricate and incredible!

BUY IT
List Price : $19.99
Price Now: $13.99
You Save : $6.00 (30%)

Follow Them on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fishflix
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christiandvd
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fishflix/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Fishflix/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/familychristianmovie

Read other reviews for FishFlix.com...

Free Entry to All National Parks to Celebrate the National Park Service’s 99th Birthday on 8/25

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act creating the National Park Service (NPS), a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those yet to be established (now there are 408 national parks!).

I am surrounded by Oregon and Washington state where I live. Oregon, the gorgeous state where I reside, has a total of 6 national parks, 10 national natural landmarks, and 17 national historic landmarks so far. Crater Lake National Park is by far the most famous of our national parks with its beautiful lake and scenery. Washington state has 14 national parks, 18 national natural landmarks, and 24 national historic landmarks so far. Mount Rainier National Park is one of the national parks in Washington with its gorgeous mountain and surrounding forests.

To celebrate the upcoming centennial of NPS in 2016, the National Park Foundation (NPF) launched their Find Your Park campaign to encourage everyone to get up, get out there and #FindYourPark - no matter your interest.



The National Parks Service has provided 99 ways you could celebrate NPS’ 99^th birthday on August 25, 2015 and get ready for NPS’ big 100^th birthday next year. Founders’ Day also marks fee free day to all national parks.

99 Ways to Find Your Park
http://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/nps99.htm

1. Go climbing
2. Write poetry
3. Be an urban hiker
4. Visit a National Heritage Area
5. Dance
6. Learn about climate change
7. Discover a culture new to you
8. Experience silence
9. Walk through a doorway of a historic house
10. Find inspiration in the story of a civil rights leader
11. Go on a ranger-led tour #rangerspointingatthings
12. Hug a tree
13. Make a memory
14. Earn a Jr. Ranger badge
15. Relax on the banks of a scenic river
16. Celebrate innovation
17. Find life in a desert
18. Get inspired by a First Lady
19. Stand on a mountaintop
20. Bring a kid to a park
21. Paddle a water trail
22. Take a photo that matches a historic one #retrogram
23. Try something new
24. Channel your inner Bill Nye—become a citizen scientist
25. Walk a historic main street
26. Find your park in Spanish #encuentratuparque
27. Explore a cave
28. Go green
29. Brush up your national park trivia skills
30. Scout a park, boys and girls!
31. Make art in a park
32. Celebrate Native American heritage
33. Come sail away
34. Take a picnic and dine al fresco
35. Be bear aware 
36. Hit the road
37. Enlighten yourself at a historic lighthouse
38. Go biking
39. Explore Asian American and Pacific Islander culture in America
40. Feel the sand between your toes
41. Share your story
42. Learn about endangered species
43. Join us
44. Follow NPS on social media
45. Follow the footsteps of a woman who made history
46. Get in the know about H2O
47. Bee pollinator friendly
48. Get VIP status
49. Catch a wave
50. Immerse yourself in a living history program
51. Hit record
52. Get prehistoric
53. Improve your health—get a park Rx
54. Use your free active military pass
55. Get reel—Visit a park featured in your favorite movie
56. Join a trail clean-up
57. See the sea
58. Discover a traditional tribal cultural practice
59. Let Elmo and Murray be your guides
60. Mail a postcard
61. Discover history around you
62. Make new friends
63. Raft down a river
64. Pay your respects at a national cemetery
65. Pick a POTUS
66. Take a mini-cruise
67. Plan ahead and prepare
68. Walk nature's treadmill
69. Pose for a family photo in a park
70. Recognize women who made history
71. Reflect on our most difficult stories
72. Stamp your park passport
73. Ride on a historic carousel
74. Run
75. See history from a different perspective
76. Renew your spirit
77. See how NPS helps transform your community
78. Go fish
79. See the starry, starry night
80. Make a splash
81. Share a #tbt park photo
82. Discover the beauty of our nation's other public lands
83. Sleep outside
84. Spread the love—thank a park volunteer
85. Plan the best field trip ever
86. Visit our international sisters
87. Trash Your Trash
88. Find a monument and decode history
89. Travel the Underground Railroad
90. Use the buddy system!
91. Visit for free on our 99th birthday
92. Wander an American battlefield
93. Watch wildlife
94. Take a deep breath
95. Go wild: Experience wilderness
96. Use a national park lesson plan
97. Play
98. Take a sunrise selfie
99. Get ready to celebrate with us in 2016!

The National Park Service waived all of its entrance fees on nine days in 2015. The remaining entrance fee free days are August 25 for the National Park Service’s birthday, September 26 for National Public Lands Day, and November 11 in honor of Veterans Day. The entrance fee waiver does not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.

Parks are so much more than the majestic landscapes you might think of; they also protect and preserve our culture and history in urban areas and offer endless ways for families to get involved. So get out and go visit a national park!

To find a national park near you, and to learn more about the Find Your Park campaign, visit FindYourPark.com or EncuentraTuParque.com.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I am posting about these events because I want my readers to know about them. Thanks to a public relations email for providing me this campaign information. 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 posting about this campaign and event information.

Devotions from the Garden: Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life Book Review

Devotions from the Garden: Finding Peace and Rest from Your Hurried Life by Miriam Drennen is a gorgeous hardcover book that is filled with beautiful color photographs of lovely gardens, words of wisdom, and scripture. I also love that it has a fuschia colored ribbon attached to the book that you can easily bookmark your place with. This 223 page treasure would be wonderful gift for anyone that loves gardening and biblical values.

I have been sitting down and reading a passage every morning and the devotions in this book are very uplifting and inspiring. Devotions in this book are garden themed and have different Christian stories, metaphors, and analogies pertaining to each, along with a biblical scripture. Each devotion is about two pages long with a title and scripture at the top along with the devotion and a devotional prayer at the end of each. There is a total of 90 devotions with such garden topics as: The Mantis, God's Greenhouse, Composting, etc. They offer deeper reflection and meditation upon God and what was taught in each devotion all throughout the day.

Taking the time to ponder everything around us and ourselves is sometimes hard in this chaotic fast-paced world we live in. Sometimes we need to slow down and focus our thoughts to nature and prayer. The Garden is the perfect place to escape. Find tranquility, bring yourself closer to Christ, and grow your faith in Him with the Devotions from the Garden book.

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The author, Miriam Drennen, also has a similar devotions book called Devotions from the Beach...and Days You Wish You Were There.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book from the BookLook Blogger review program for free in exchange for my honest 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 posting this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

FishFlix.com Flight and Metamorphosis DVD Review

My family and I had the privilege of watching the FishFlix.com Flight AND Metamorphosis DVDs for this review to use in conjunction with my own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

FishFlix.com is a Christian based company that develops family-friendly movies. They have children's Christian movies, apologetics, educational, Christian history, biblical movies, dramas, romance, action and other feature films. They focus on bringing these wonderful wholesome films to their viewers.

My family are all fans of documentaries that teach about science and nature. Both Flight and Metamorphosis are two separate DVDs that are from The Design of Life series by Illustra Media.  This documentary series explores creation and helps make a scientific case for Intelligent Design. This is a step in a different direction than that of the usual Darwinian evolutionary science documentaries than we have seen in the past, making my job a little easier to try to explain the differences of opinion to my kids as my family doesn't subscribe to the belief that humans came from monkeys. These films are both around an hour long. They each have a narrator and speakers in different scientific fields of expertise that talk throughout the films about each subject. The footage taken for each documentary is amazing. They also take some of the footage and show you a perspective that cannot be seen with the naked eye through animation, microscope, and imaging software. The background music for each was very nice as well.

The Flight DVD is all about the wonders of bird's flight. It is the first volume in this series. It starts out with the egg and the developing embryo of a bird inside. We watch while it develops inside the egg, first just a few cells, then more until it starts to actually look like a bird. This is a complex and remarkable process in of itself. The bird finally hatches and the process of gearing up for first flight emerges. Flight for a bird is way more elaborate than one just sees from the outer surface. We get to see the inner workings of the birds with their skeletal, feather, and muscular structure and how very important these are for flight. I didn't know how intricate feathers really are until watching this film. After learning about how and why flight for birds works the film goes into three specific types of birds: the hummingbird, starling, and arctic tern. It talks about each of these birds and their unique characteristics: the hummingbird's unique flying skills, the starling's amazing acrobatic flight in groups, and the arctic tern's migration from pole to pole. As Flight closes it confirms Intelligent Design as being the only logical way that flight for birds happened.

The Metamorphosis DVD is all about the beauty and design of butterflies. It is the second volume in this series. In the film it shows the anatomy of a butterfly, how and where they lay their eggs, the emergence of a caterpillar, what caterpillars do most of their lives, the making of the chrysalis, the transformation of the caterpillar into the butterfly, and Monarch migration. Both the complete transformation of the caterpillar into the butterfly and the Monarch migration are very amazing things to behold! The fact that the caterpillar is made into a totally different insect is unfathomable especially if you try to factor natural selection in as a cause...you just can't, there is no way. There are way too many factors that happen perfectly every time for it to be something other than Intelligent Design. Butterflies cannot be formed by mere chance!

My family watched both of these DVDs together. We liked the spectacular footage and great musical scores used in both movies. These can be compared to something from National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. I love this type of high quality, family-friendly films and I cannot wait to see more of what FishFlix.com produces. We did notice that there was no mention of God in this film other than the words Intelligent agent/designer, but regardless of this these films have further cemented our belief in Intelligent Design. These are great for Christian based homeschooling. God's creations are so intricate and incredible!

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Homeschool Legacy Forest for the Trees Once-a-Week Unit Study Review

My children and I had the privilege of testing out Homeschool Legacy Forest for the Trees free for this review to use in conjunction with my own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Forest for the Trees is a once a week unit study by Homeschool Legacy. This is a 4 week study that is geared towards second through twelfth graders. It has an option to use this to help your child earn a badge in Boy Scouts or American Heritage Girls or a project record in 4H, if your child is involved with any of those. I was given the option to get this in digital or physical format. I chose the physical format.

Fig Tree that we recently replanted.

Unit studies provide us with an in depth view of a certain focused theme and has us do many different subjects surrounding it. For example; with this Forest for the Trees unit study we were doing science projects, math, history, reading, etc. As a homeschooling family we love unit studies!  It gets us away from some of the more mundane work we sometimes have to do in our schooling at home and gives us a chance to dive into some hands on studies. A lot of time unit studies also let us get out in the field to learn.

Measuring trees and tree stumps & counting rings.

Now that the weather is getting nicer my family can partake of all of God's glorious creations even more. We love nature unit studies because it means going outside, exploring, discovering, learning, and breathing in the fresh outdoor air. We try to do nature studies a lot because they are a great break from being cooped up indoors, bookwork and online work. Trees are certainly a very important part of God's creations and with Forest for the Trees Once-a-Week Unit Study we got to learn a lot more about them. Forest for the Trees definitely gave us the motivation to get outside and learn about the surrounding local trees that we have here in Oregon, Washington, and right in our own backyard!

Forest for the Trees art project: tree bark rubbings.

Forest for the Trees is a fun, creative, hands-on study about trees. It has a total of 4 weeks of study: Week 1 is Tree Identification, Week 2 is Tree Anatomy, Week 3 is What Trees Give Us, and Week 4 is Forests and Forestry. In every section this unit study has a list of reading and video choices along with some required reading that helped with the unit. These are listed by their Dewey Decimal number as well so the can be easily found in the library. Daily activities include independent reading and family read-aloud from required books. Forest for the Trees also has once-a-week activities that include: family devotionals, science experiments, outdoor nature studies, reading assignments, art, field trips, history, life skills, language, vocabulary, research assignments, math, physical, etc. I liked that the unit studies from Homeschool Legacy are Christian based and have scripture devotionals in them too. At the end of each weekly lesson there is a section called Stump Your Dad Trivia with a interesting question and answer fact.

My boys and firewood from local trees they stacked into a fort.

This particular study of the trees had us save and document what we found in a notebook, a tree nature journal of sorts. We were told to gather specimens and/or sketch or photograph different parts of multiple trees around us. With the tree identification guide books they listed for us to use we could identify the particular tree we were looking at by the characteristics of the specimens and information we gathered. All the art, history, math, research, language, vocabulary and science experiment findings were also put in the notebook. We had fun adding to it little by little and piecing it all together.

Teela helping with the Transpiration science experiment to show that tree leaves breathe.

We did a lot of fun stuff while we learned about trees. My kids loved the science experiments the best! The science experiments were all very easy to set up and do. We learned about deciduous, coniferous, botany, dendrology, osmosis, transpiration, condensation, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, symbiosis, germination, etc. For art we drew a tree and parts of trees, did tree bark rubbings, and took photographs to document trees and yummy apple recipes we made. We also measured the girth of trees and learned about counting tree rings to see how old they are. We climbed trees too. In the first week we learned all about tree identification and used the field guide quite a lot to try and identify trees in our area taking a lot of samples and specimens home to add to our notebook. The second week we learned all about parts of the tree and did a lot of art and science experiments. In the third week we learned about the many things trees give us like food, paper, rubber, and wood. In the last week we learned about deforestation in the forests and the Giant Sequoia Redwoods.

We are in love with the Homeschool Legacy's Once-a-Week Unit Studies now that we have tried Forest for the Trees out for ourselves. We learned so much and had a lot of fun doing it. We hope to be able to try more of them out in the future for our homeschooling with unit studies.

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Forest for the Trees is available for $14 using the Grab-and-Go (PDF) option or $18.95 for the paperback copy.

Unit Studies by Homeschool Legacy

 

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