Educents - Huge Back-to-School Savings

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, there is no additional cost to you, and I make a small commission. Thank you!

Educents is having a huge Back-to-School Sale that I wanted to make you sure you don't miss. Have you shopped with Educents yet? Kate and Kaitlyn, the founders of Educents, are passionate about education. They are passionate about bringing YOU the educational products you love at an affordable price. Shouldn't everyone have access to education?

So, how does it work? Educents is an online marketplace for affordable educational products, providing daily deals to students, parents and educators by working with established educational suppliers. Whether it is a science kit, curriculum pack, books or art supplies, they make sure that Educents has the lowest price. Educators need a break, and they’re here to help.

Since the launch of Educents in April, 2013, Educents has saved educators over $15 million dollars and has helped more than 130,000 teachers, homeschoolers and parents gain access to affordable educational materials.

Check out just a few of the things on sale now (and even some FREEBIES)!

History/Geography Wall Play Sets

Life of Fred (all sets!)

Minion Math Centers

5 Kit Magic School Bus Variety Bundle

Magformers 30-Piece Magnetic Building Set

You can also enter some pretty great Giveaways during the month of August!

Happy planning, shopping and saving!

Blessings and love. xo

Big Book of History {Master Books review and a special giveaway}

Disclaimer: I was sponsored by Master Books to review their homeschool curriculum and am excited to share my experience as well as an awesome giveaway!  All opinions are mine alone.

I recently had an opportunity to review The Big Book of History: A 15 Foot Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation to Modern Computers and Big Book of History Teacher's Guide from Master Books. I received the panel version, although there is a hard-cover version, as well. You can see the hard cover here. This is a fantastic resource for homeschools, Christian schools or even a children's class in a church setting. This 15 foot time-line is an incredible way to see so many historical facts in relationship to one another. It is recommended for ages 7-12, although that is a general guideline. I can really see it being used by any age, starting at 4 or 5.

Here are a few shots I took to give you a better idea at the colours and photos and size . . .

I didn't actually have a 15-foot wall space available, but this product is versatile and can be used one panel at a time or spread out a few feet at a time. Or it can be spread out in its entirety on a table or on the floor to get the big perspective. This is the most colourful and fact-filled time-line I have ever seen. And since this is a Master Books product, you can guarantee it is from a Creationist perspective.

The Big Book of History is colour-coded in order to help students follow the four main categories of history, which include, Biblical/Christianity, World Events, Inventions/Technology and Civilizations/Empires. This is the way the key looks . . .

I recommend this time-line for any homeschool or Christian school. It is so handy to have for when you are working through a history curriculum or simply reading through a novel with your children that contains dates or facts or discoveries. Pull out the time-line to take a look at what else was going on in the world during that time frame. I have a feeling I won't only be using it during our studies this fall, I can also see my children pulling it out on their own to study and research times and dates and facts for themselves. You can use The Big Book of History along with the homeschool curriculum from Master Books (it is specifically recommended for grade 5) or purchase it alone to use with any curriculum you already use or even just on its own.

You can view a short video here . . .


View a full-colour preview HERE.

Check out all the Master Books Homeschool Curriculum HERE!

Right now Master Books is having a special 26% sale on curriculum sets and FREE SHIPPING on any order over $75. No Code Needed. Offer ends August 31st.

Giveaway:

We’re giving away 2 Master Books Gift Cards worth $75 each so you can get whatever curriculum fits your children’s level and interests. Open to USA residents only.  

To enter, simply fill in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings and love. xo

Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus {review and giveaway}

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

Hello my Friend!

If you are one who loves mystery or solving puzzles, or if you enjoy studying ancient history, or if you want to learn more about the Bible, I have something special to share with you today that is fascinating and exciting.

About Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus:

For more than 50 years, the vast majority of the world's most prominent archaeologists and historians have proclaimed that there is no hard evidence to support the Exodus story found in the Bible. In fact, they say that the archaeological record is completely opposed to the Bible's account. This view of extreme skepticism has spread from academia to the world. The case against the Exodus appears to be so strong that even some religious leaders are labeling this ancient account as historical fiction. Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney begins with the questions, "Is the Bible just a myth, or did the archaeologists get it wrong?" He decides to tackle this issue with a deliberate scientific approach. After examining the details in the biblical text, he journeys across the globe to search for patterns of evidence firsthand. The result is the most in-depth archaeological investigation into the Exodus from Egypt ever captured on film. This scientific documentary's goal is to communicate the TRUTH of the Bible and help equip believers with defending their faith and the Bible.  

The DVD features stunning animations and a cast including narrator, Kevin Sorbo (God's Not Dead, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), interviews with leading archaeologists including Israel Finkelstein, Kent Weeks, and David Rohl, and guest appearances by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. 

Take a look at the trailer . . . 

My thoughts:
This brand new, 199 minute DVD releases August 4, 2015. It is not rated (NR) and has a Dove rating of Family Friendly. I was engaged with this fascinating documentary from the first note of music. Have you ever had a personal crisis of faith? Did you go looking for an answer to your crisis? That is exactly what happened to filmmaker Timothy Mahoney and is what led him on the search for Truth. He traveled around the world on a 12-year journey to find the answers. The results are an impressive amount of evidence, not only for the people of ancient Israel, but also for the Exodus, specifically. I'm not giving any of the evidence away here, because I highly recommend this film and encourage you to view it for yourself. 

I don't need archaeological evidence for my faith in Jesus but it can add to the foundation of faith I already possess. I appreciate Mr. Mahoney's search for Truth and all of the information he has shared in this film. I learned many things that I had never heard before and am in awe of my God once again as I ponder His Truth and Power. I have so many places I'd like to travel to, and Egypt is now on my list. I plan to have my homeschool children view Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus in the new school year. I think they will be just as fascinated by it as I am. 

P.S. The music is significant and incredibly beautiful, so I wanted to mention it, as well. Don't miss it!

:::::::::::::

SOCIAL • C O R N E R  

Twitter  

Facebook

Official Website

Purchase Here

Giveaway:
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Open to residents of the US and Canada, age 18 and over.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings and love. xo

Back-To-School FREEBIES from Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies

Disclaimer: This post contains my referral links. Thank you for your support!

Homeschool Friend,

Do NOT miss this bundle of FREEBIES, just in time for back-to-school! 

$130 in FREE Homeschool Curriculum

Check out all the goodies that are included:

The Egypt Book from Warfare by Duct Tape 

(retail value - $9.95)

Horsing Around - Once A Week Unit Study from Homeschool Legacy 

(retail value - $14.00)

A Presidential Scrapbook from Knowledge Quest 

(retail value - $14.95)

Bible Road Trip Year 3: The Books of the Gospels from Thinking Kids 

(retail value - $26.00)

Write Through The Bible - Philippians 2:1-18 ESV (Cursive) from Intoxicated on Life 

(retail value - $10.00)

Creative Freewriting Adventure from Homeschool Adventure Co. 

(retail value - $18.95)

Count Your Blessings: A Thanksgiving Hymn Study from Not Consumed 

(retail value - $10.00)

Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World from Master Books 

(retail value - $9.99)

Cultivating Responsibility: Parenting Wisdom for Ages 9-12 from National Center for Biblical Parenting 

(retail value - $9.99)

Travel the World in 30 Days from Home Educating Family Association (HEDUA) 

(retail value - $9.95)

Click here to access your FREEBIES now!

Blessings and love. xo

Art At The Mill 2015

It's time for Art At The Mill at the historic Burwell-Morgan Mill (c. 1782) in Millwood, Virginia! This is truly a Clarke County treasure and one of my favourite events to attend. Walking into the old mill is a stunning experience that elicits the senses. The still-working mill is a pleasure in and of itself, and then add in all the wonderful pieces of art, and it is a sight to behold. During the show, you can view more than 1,000 pieces of artwork created by over 300 artists from our surrounding area and more than a dozen other states. You may even get to chat with one or two of the artists, whom I have always found to be so personable and willing to answer any of my questions. One year my little girls even enjoyed a simple art lesson given by one of the local artists. It was a special touch added to an already enjoyable experience.

Art At The Mill is a lovely day excursion. Shop at the art show, browse through the gourmet food shop, The Locke Store, maybe even pick up a few things for a casual picnic on the beautiful grounds of the mill. The surrounding horse farms also make for a relaxing drive in the country. The Shenandoah River is close by, as well, and you can get a peek at the delightful and unique Virginia Bluebells along the river banks.

These photos are all from last year's Art At The Mill event. I cannot wait to get there this year to see what all the talented artists have been up to in the last twelve months! I hope to see you there.

Join the Clarke County Historical Association for the 2015 edition of Art At The Mill:

Art At The Mill will be open April 25th-May 10th, 2015 during the following hours:  

Monday-Thursday 10-5

Friday and Saturday 10-6

Sunday from 11-5

Adults $5

Seniors $3

Kids 12 and under are free

Blessings and love. xo

Birds of a Feather Unit Study {Review}

Have you been wanting to include a study of birds in your homeschool lessons this year? I have just the thing for you to introduce birds and bird-watching to your students!

I am delighted to introduce you to Sharon Gibson and her company, Homeschool Legacy. Sharon has written some wonderful unit studies, including the one I have had the opportunity to review: Birds Of A Feather (retail value $17.95). It is designed for use with children in grades 2-12. I have used this study with my two younger girls, ages 8 and 9. 

Sharon has designed her unit studies to be used in once a week lessons. In other words, you can take one day, let's say Tuesdays for example, and do the entire week's unit in your homeschool session that day. The lessons are also flexible enough to be broken down into small, once a day lessons, several times per week, which is how I have used them.  Since we already had our days planned out, I just plugged this unit in to our day and it worked very well for us. 

Here is how the unit study is laid out:

Week 1: Birds Basics and Your Backyard Habitat

Week 2: Bird Identification

Week 3: Ornithology

Week 4: Birds of Prey

Now, I'll start off by saying that my children have been nature lovers since they were wee things, and I have tried to nurture that love by giving them experiences to learn and explore. We have taken hikes, gone on nature walks, had bird feeders in our garden, participated in The Great Backyard Bird Count, and while living in Canada, we would go to certain hiking trails to feed the birds from our hands. The Black-Capped Chickadees and the White-Breasted Nuthatches, especially, would flock to peck from the seeds in our hands. One of our friends even had a skittish Northern Cardinal land on her hand for all of half a second! Those experiences are so special and some of our favourite memories. 

(Feeding the birds in Ontario.)

 (One of the first things we did after moving into this house was to put up a bird feeder!)

(And we have had so many lovely visitors pass through our backyard, including this Indigo Bunting. We had never seen one before, so he was an extra-special guest.)

I love this unit study because it incorporates many subjects and can be used with all ages. Sharon has done such a great job of including not only the scientific aspects of birds, but also literature, Bible, history, geography, arts and crafts, life skills and field trip suggestions. I love seeing the read-aloud and movie suggestions Sharon included and was delighted to find a couple of new-to-us books and movies, including these:

Here are some of the activities we enjoyed while studying Birds Of A Feather:

1. We already had a birdbath and a bird feeder in our garden, so we decided to make a simple version of a bird feeder to place around the yard. We used toilet paper rolls, peanut butter and of course, bird seed. Then we placed them in the bushes outside and waited for the local birds to find these special treats.

(Sorry for the blurry photo. Mr. C wouldn't hold still for the photo session.)

2. I had introduced nature journals to my older children years ago, but this was something new and exciting for my younger children. They have had such fun going out into the yard to see what treasures they could find for their books.

 (We started their journals with our state bird, the Northern Cardinal.)

(We've been adding leaves, bark, feathers, acorns, and whatever else we can find. They are going to enjoy these journals for a long time!)

3. We have enjoyed studying John James Audubon. His book Birds of America has produced hours of pleasure, not only for the little girls but also for the entire family. 

(This book is the largest book we've ever seen. When I went to the library to pick it up, the librarian said I would need a crane to get it out to my car. LOL!)

4. We've had some great discussions, i.e. "How would our lives be different if Benjamin Franklin had had his way and the turkey was our national bird instead of the Bald Eagle?".

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with Birds Of A Feather and recommend it highly for anyone wanting to add a fun and thorough unit study on birds to their homeschool lessons! We look forward to working through some of Sharon's other unit studies.

Here is a list of additional unit studies offered by Homeschool Legacy:

Forest For The Trees

Horsing Around

Weather On The Move

Christmas Comes To America

Knights And Nobles

Native America

Early Settlers In America

Revolutionary Ideas

We The People: Getting To Know The Constitution

Lewis And Clark: From Sea To Shining Sea

Westward Ho: Part 1

Westward Ho: Part 2

Each of these studies also includes badge requirements if your students are in American Heritage Girls or Boy Scouts of America. What a neat way to accomplish your schoolwork and your badge requirements all at the same time!

Follow Homeschool Legacy:

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Blessings and love. xo

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase with my links, I make a small commission. Thank you!!!

Build Your Bundle - Homeschool Edition SALE is live!

The "Build Your Bundle" - Homeschool Edition sale is here! For one week only (July 21-28) save up to 92% on bestselling homeschooling products, including MANY from Cathy Duffy's Top 100 list!
Take a look at the bundles:
Charlotte Mason Bundle This bundle features complete curriculum using the Charlotte Mason Methods for language arts, handwriting, and reading, a full geography curriculum, a plethora of resources for studying nature, artists, poetry, and a variety of "extras" just for mom! Included are popular products: Write From History, Sheldon's New Language Lessons, Handwriting Lessons Through Literature, Fine Art Pages, Grapevine Bible Study, and more! Learn all about Charlotte Mason and enjoy a special bonus (a $90 value all by itself) —the top 5 best selling G.A. Henty audio books from Jim Hodges Productions. This bundle is jam packed full of amazing resources your family will love!
Tots and PreK Bundle Teach your littlest ones about God's amazing creation and the value of virtue using our Tot and Preschool Bundle! Included are popular products from: We Choose Virtues, Character Concepts, Grapevine Bible Studies, and more! This bundle gives you a complete Christ-centered preschool program, including age-appropriate character-building tools, a stick-figure Bible study, a creation-based coloring book, a handwriting curriculum, an independent activity guide (for those times when you need a moment to focus), and much more!
K-3rd Grade Bundle Teach your K-3 children basic skills and core truths through easily understandable lessons and hands-on activities. Our K-3 Bundle includes reading, math, science, handwriting, character training and Bible resources. Your children will experience life in 17th century America as they learn about the settlers and our 13 original colonies. You will have everything you need to savor these first days of discovery!
Elementary: 4-6th Bundle This bundle features Wordsmith Apprentice from Common Sense Press, a Cathy Duffy Top 100 Pick! Included is a science curriculum teaching Geology, also from Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 Picks. You will also find "Mapping the Word With Art", a highly acclaimed curriculum that has a blend of history, geography, and art. There is more: Bible, handwriting and copywork resources, writing guides, timeline cards, ancient history notebooking pages, creative writing for both boys and girls, and an editable weekly homeschool planner for Mom - all for one LOW PRICE!
Middle School Bundle Your middle school students will tour the classical world and develop academic excellence using our Middle School Bundle. This bundle features Learning Language Arts Through Literature and two science curricula, one from Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 picks, as well as your choice of volumes from "A Child's Geography" - a complete geography and history curriculum! Also included is a popular history timeline/book of centuries, Renaissance and Reformation notebooking pages, a classical music curriculum and famous composers notebooking pages, and a creative writing collection that even "non-writers" will love!
High School Bundle Your high school students will develop academic mastery and intellectual maturity using our High School Bundle. This bundle features a New Testament Bible curriculum, an introduction to psychology, a full year of math curriculum, resources for world history and geography, philosophy, home economics, college prep, grammar, a creative writing collection that even "non-writers" will love, an anatomy science unit study from Cathy Duffy’s Top 100 picks, and more! You will receive enough materials for a full year of high school!
Bundle Just for Moms! Save money, strengthen your marriage, and streamline your schedule using our Mom Bundle. Find the encouragement you need and the insight to speak to your child’s heart (even that difficult child!). Whip your home into shape and train your children to do their chores effectively with a Easy Peasy Chores ($18.99 value!) This bundle brims with useful tools to help you bring calm to the chaos. Get them all for just $10!
Build Your OWN Bundles Would you rather hand-pick your selections? There are two "Build Your Own" Bundle Options! You can choose any 5 products priced $19.99 and under for just $25 ~ a savings of 75%! You can choose any 10 products priced $19.99 and under for just $39 ~ a savings of 80%! SO many amazing products to choose from!
BUY MORE & SAVE MORE!
*Lots of ways to save! When you purchase ANY 2 pre-assembled bundles you will get the 3rd pre-assembled bundle of equal or lesser value for 50% off! When you purchase ANY 2 "build your own" bundles you will get the 3rd "build your own" bundle of equal or lesser value for 50% off! Tell your friends about the "Build Your Bundle" - Homeschool Edition Sale using our referral system that is found on the top of the website! When 10 of your referrals visit our site using your unique link, we will give you a code to save 10% off your total purchase! *The B2G1 50% off offer applies to pre-assembled or "Build Your Own" Bundles only. Discount taken off the lowest priced bundle. See site for complete details and FAQ.

You might also be interested in:
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. When you use my links, I make a small commission, at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your kindness and support!