Wordless Wednesday Cowlitz County Rocks

Zari and Teela found a Cowlitz County Rocks Happy rock at Lake Sacajawea.

The Cowlitz County Rocks we have found so far.

YWAM Publishing Heroes of History Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map Review

My family had the privilege of trying the Heroes of History - Meriwether Lewis from YWAM Publishing 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.

YWAM (YOUTH WITH A MISSION) Publishing is a nonprofit organization that produces and distributes books that help Christians make a difference in the world by giving a portion of every dollar spent to buy books through YWAM Publishing to children and adults in other countries that are in need. Their books focus on evangelism, educational training, prayer, discipleship, and mercy ministries.

YWAM Publishing has two popular book series; one called Heroes of History and the other called Christian Heroes: Then & Now; in which true stories are told of real people that lived in our history. In the Heroes of History series we learn about great men and woman who changed the course of history. In the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series we learn about ordinary people who have put their trust in God and in doing so accomplish extraordinary things. Both of these book series help us as: parents, teachers, and caretakers; give our children wholesome biographies to read or be read to that teach good character traits, values, and virtues.You can read more about them at: http://www.heroesthenandnow.com/.

Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map Book

Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map by Janet & Geoff Benge is part of a series of 28 biography books called Heroes of History by YWAM Publishing. This series covers the years 1451 to 1951. This book tells the true life story of Meriwether Lewis, President Thomas Jefferson's private secretary that was sent by him to be the leader and Captain of the Corps of Discovery (The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition of about 33 men) to explore the lands West of the Mississippi. With the help of his friend William Clark and later Sacagawea/Sacajawea and Sacagawea's husband, Touissant Charbonneau, they made the journey to the Pacific Ocean. This Christian biography book from YWAM Publishing about Meriwether Lewis teaches great character traits, values, and virtues too. This book covers the years 1774-1809. It chronicles his life from his birth to his death in 1809. It is a total of 18 chapters and 231 pages long. I had previously heard bits and pieces of his life and the expedition in history class at school while growing up, when I was visiting the Louisville Kentucky Frazier History Museum "The Lewis and Clark Experience" with my son, Jaedan; and reading about the history of Oregon and Washington before I read this biography book.

Meriwether Lewis Unit Study download page tab.

The Unit Study Curriculum Guide that is paired with the Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map book that I received was in the digital downloadable format and opened as an executable file. The digital version is downloadable in a zipped format, so you will have to unzip before you use it. After selecting where it will go on your computer, unzip it, and find the folder it placed it all into. Find the file version you need: __MACOSX for Macintosh and the other for PC. Click on the file that has START HERE in its title and it will open in a new window in your browser. You can then read a very short synopsis of the biography under the Meriwether Lewis tab, download the unit study under the Unit Study tab, etc.

The Unit Study downloads in PDF format. It also has a 12 page guide for classroom and homeschool as well as one for a small group that tells you how to best use the unit study. This shows how flexible you can be with the unit study. You can do the whole study or just parts of it. It is all up to you how you use it. The unit study goes in depth to help you go above and beyond the book and explore other areas that pertain to the material like: crafts, cooking, art, and writing assignments; has questions to ask your children to see if they comprehended the reading, and quotes to use as copywork to enhance handwriting or memorization. The unit study is broken into two parts.

Here is the Unit Study Curriculum Guide Contents:
Part 1 -
Introduction (how to use the study)

1. Key Quotes (great for copywork, memorization, theatrical presentation, or art display)
2. Display Corner (an area designated for hands on display of items relating to the reading)
3. Chapter Questions (questions that enhance the reading: vocabulary, factual, 2 comprehension, and 2 open-ended)
4. Student Explorations (essay questions, creative writing, hands-on projects, audio/visual projects, arts & crafts)
5. Community Links (field trip ideas)
6. Social Studies (places, journeys, terms/vocabulary, geographical characteristics: mapping, timeline: plotting historical events, conceptual questions)
7. Related Themes to Explore (science, literature, folk culture, geography, history)
8. Culminating Event (sort of a show and tell ending, ideas include: literary, clothing, music, food, oral presentations, displays)

Appendix A: Books and Resources
Appendix B: Answers to Chapter Questions

Part 2 -
Appendix C: Social Studies Reproducibles


How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I read the book to my daughters who are 6 and 9. Teela, my 9 year old wanted to read it herself, but we needed time to get through some of the study guide too. My sons who are 15 and 16 are reading it to themselves on their own time and have been doing some of the projects from the study guide. My girls enjoyed listening to me read about Meriwether Lewis.

After each chapter my girls and I did the first three questions from the study guide which are geared toward the younger students. They include a vocabulary question, a factual question coming from the reading, and the first comprehension question. The study guide is geared toward ages 10+. So I had to help them with the some of the vocabulary because of its advanced nature. We would look up the words in a dictionary and thesaurus as well, for more understanding. My boys, Jaedan and Delbin, who are 15 and 16, had no problem with the reading and vocabulary, but that is because they are voracious readers. I had my boys do all of the chapter questions. Besides the chapter questions I had my girls do copywork from the key quotes and I had my boys memorize them and say them back to me. I will have my sons do an essay as suggested in the study guide under the student explorations and essays. They also will be doing some creative writing.

We also went to other websites in the books and resources section of the study guide to learn more about the Indians, places the expedition traveled, food, etc. I loved especially learning about Meriwether's journal entries about plants and animals from these other resources. I love botany and this was great to see pictures and read about the first specimens of these plants preserved within the pages of his journal.

Sunrise Over Lewis and Clark Bridge, taken on March 13, 2015.

The town of Rainier Oregon, where I live, is across the Columbia River from Longview Washington. The bridge that connects our two cities is called the Lewis and Clark Bridge. It is of course named after the two explorers. In Longview there is a Lake Sacajawea Park which has a very nice statue of Sacajawea and Pomp. We visited there to learn more and have a homeschooling field trip.

Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview Washington

There was so much to learn and explore in this unit study. We were amazed at the very complexity of it all. We didn't even begin to scratch the surface and were still very engaged in the lengthy unit study.

The YWAM Publishing biographies are historical and true. These true stories along with the unit studies are great for homeschooling families. I highly recommend them!


Follow Them on Social Media:
Website - http://www.ywampublishing.com/
Facebook - http://on.fb.me/o9VOMN
Twitter - @YWAMpublishing http://twitter.com/YWAMpublishing
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/YWAMpublishing
YWAM Publishing Blog - http://www.ywampublishingblog.com/
Suggested Hashtags: #hsreviews #christianheroes #christianheroesthenandnow #heroesthenandnow #christianbiographies #herobiographies #heroesofhistory #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschooling #americanhistory #americanhistorycurriculum  #ywampublishing #truebiographies #truestories #teachthemwell #MeriwetherLewis

BUY IT
YWAM Publishing Heroes of History - Meriwether Lewis: Off the Edge of the Map book:
Regular Price: $9.99 YWAM Price: $7.50

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for YWAM Publishing...

NOW Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion Review & Giveaway #momsmeet

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

We received NOW® Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion, along with additional products: BerryDophilus™ Kids Probiotic, Super Enzymes, and brochures to try and review.

  
NOW® Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion is a dietary supplement that supports women's vaginal health, reduces occasional bloating, and supports a healthy immune system promoting feminine flora balance in every stage of a woman's life.* This probiotic is called 20 Billion because it has 20 billion Colony Forming Units or CFU. It has a blend of probiotic bacteria, good bacteria, that consists of these strands: Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019), Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (HN001).

These are in smaller gel capsules for easy swallowing.  Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free. It is recommended to take one capsule daily. The bottle contains 50 veg capsules that should be refrigerated upon opening to help keep the ingredients fresh.

My Thoughts:
The Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion are easy to swallow. I took them when I was on my period and they seemed to alleviate the bloating. My friend tried these for her recurring UTI and she had good success. I like that these are especially formulated to support women's health.

NOW® BerryDophilus™ Kids Probiotic is a dietary supplement for children (age 2 & up) and adults that supports gastrointestinal health and a healthy immune system. It has a blend of probiotic bacteria, good bacteria, that consists of 10 strands: Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14), Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp-115), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr-32), Lactobacillus paracasei (Lpc-37), Lactobacillus salivarius (Ls-33), Bifidobacterium lactis (Bl-04), Bifidobacterium longum (Bl-05), Streptococcus thermophilus (St-21), Bifidobacterium breve (Bb-03), and Lactobacillus casei (Lc-11). This has 2 Billion CFU.

These chewable tablets are vegan and vegetarian friendly. They are sweetened with Xylitol, so they won't harm teeth and have a pleasant berry taste to them. It is recommended to take 1 tablet 1 to 3 times daily between meals or on an empty stomach. The bottle contains 60 chewables that should be refrigerated upon opening to help keep the ingredients fresh.

Our Thoughts:
The BerryDophilus™ Kids Probiotic is nice tasting and the chewables come in fun animal shapes of a hippo, lions, and elephant. My daughter's who are 9 and 6 especially liked the berry flavor. I thought they had a sweet zing to them. I love that they have Xylitol instead of sugar.

NOW® Super Enzymes is a dietary supplement for adults that supports healthy digestion; breaks down fats, carbohydrates, & protein, and improves efficiency of obtaining and absorbing nutrients. This is a combination of super enzymes including: Bromelain (from pineapple), Ox Bile, Pancreatin and Papain (from papaya).

These come in large gel capsules. It is recommended to take one capsule with a meal and to not have these if you are allergic to fresh pineapple or papaya. The bottle contains 180 capsules that should be stored in a cool, dry place after opening to help keep the ingredients fresh.

My Thoughts:
My oldest son is one that cannot take these because he is allergic to enzymes in fresh pineapple and papaya. I however; tried these and this solves a lot of digestive issues that I have had...especially with spicy foods and foods like broccoli which causes me gas. I like the idea that these also break down fats and carbs better.

BE SOCIAL
Website: http://nowfoods.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/nowfoodsofficial
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nowfoods
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nowfoodsofficial
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nowfoods

BUY IT
Suggested retail price for the Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion: $33.99

Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion is available to purchase at natural health food stores nationwide, and at amazon.com, iherb.com, and now-2-u.com. To find Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion in your area, visit: nowfoods.com/store-locator for the full list of locations.

Check out NOW’s probiotic chooser tool to help you pick the probiotic or gut health product that best fits your wellness needs: https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/probiotic-gut-health-product-finder

WIN IT
Prize: One bottle of NOW Women’s Probiotic 20 Billion

This giveaway is open to continental U.S. residents only! Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. This post is sponsored. Compensation for this post was provided. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Chewy.com Oxbow Timothy Carrot Small Animal Treat Review #squeak

We received an Oxbow Timothy Club Carrot Small Animal Treat from Chewy.com free to facilitate this review.

Oxbow Animal Health has a lot of products for small animals so that they can lead longer, healthier lives. Their Timothy Club products are made from fresh Timothy Hay. This wonderful hay is the best protein-to-fiber ratio, aids in digestion, and promotes dental health. These products are 100% edible & free of harmful chemicals. There are no artificial flavors, colors, additives, or preservatives. These treats are perfect for small animal pets like: bunny rabbits, Guinea Pigs, hamsters, gerbils and chinchillas.

The Oxbow Timothy Club Carrot is a special small animal treat that is made completely from all natural Timothy Hay and is hand-woven in a fun carrot shape. It is free of wire and thread as well. It can be hung from the woven loop in the habitat for your pet to nibble, paw, and bat at. This creates mental stimulation, relieves stress, and prevents boredom while you're away. Your small pet is sure to love this great tasting treat that helps them stay healthy.

Features

• High-fiber 100% All Natural Timothy Hay
• Preservative and additive free
• No artificial flavors or colors
• No harmful chemicals, wire, or thread
• Hand-woven, edible construction
• Fun long-lasting small animal treat
• 220 x 60 mm

Norman checking out the Timothy Carrot.

Our Thoughts:

We placed the Timothy Carrot into our rabbit, Norman's, bunny hutch with him. I secured the Timothy Hay loop of the carrot to one side of the hutch and waited to see what Norman would do. He was a little curious and came to sniff it and nudge it a little, but didn't seem interested in it at first. I came back later though and he had nibbled the loop completely and so it was just sitting on the bottom of his hutch. Later in the week he had nibbled the whole top part of the carrot shape with the hanger and so it didn't look much like a carrot any more. It is also hollow inside. My daughter said she saw him stick his little fuzzy nose in the hole in the top where the "carrot greens" used to be. He probably was sniffing and nibbling it. He also was seen sticking his paw in it. He has left the rest of it for now, but probably will nibble on it little by little until it is gone.

Norman nibbled the top completely off.

Chewy.com is a great place to find items for your pet(s). They have a great selection of food and treats, bowls and feeders, health and wellness products, flea & tick products, toys, cleaning and potty training products, grooming products, leashes and collars; beds, crates and gear, litter, etc. They conveniently ship 200+ brands of pet food and other stuff direct to your doorstep, anytime of the day. They have competitive prices and offer free 1-2 day shipping on any order of $49 or more. They have 24/7 customer service, just call and ask your question(s). Chewy.com is also dedicated to supporting non-profit organizations that help animals in need. A portion of sales are donated to these great causes.

BE SOCIAL
Website: https://www.chewy.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chewy and https://www.facebook.com/oxbowpet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/chewy @chewy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpWl2nwLDQQI4TTa1kJgxrg
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chewy
Instagram: http://instagram.com/chewy

BUY IT
Get the Oxbow Timothy Club Carrot Small Animal Treat at Chewy.com for $3.59. (prices are accurate as of the date of this post)

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