Trim Healthy Mama - Book Review

Have you seen this book yet?

I am finally getting a chance to read it - all 650 pages!

This book is FULL of common sense principles to guide you as you think about and participate in enjoying food while losing weight.

Yes, I said, ENJOYING FOOD WHILE LOSING WEIGHT. 

Sounds good to me since I like to enjoy what I eat.  :)

Pearl and Serene both enjoy food, which is evident by the way they describe the recipes that they include in their book.  It seriously makes my mouth water.  

I've made their Trim and Healthy Pancakes.  They're great!  EVEN my husband liked them, and that's saying something!

I'm only about 100 pages into this book so far, but I've taken lots of notes and am looking forward to learning more as I go along!

When I first sat down to read this book, I had just made myself a snack of one large, toasted bagel with cream cheese and strawberry jelly smeared all over it.  I was also drinking a cup of creamy, sweet, caramel coffee.

What can I say?  I like me some sugar!  But really, sugar isn't good for me, and I know I need to limit it.  I just don't always know how to go about limiting sugars while still having my meals and snacks taste good.

This is why I'm excited about this book!  They have included MANY recipes that they say will help curb my constant desire for sugar, as well as help me feel satisfied, but not deprived.  
  

I have much to learn about how God made our bodies to process foods, why you should eat certain foods and not others, and how to go about consuming foods in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're missing out, but helps you stay healthy and lose weight in the process.

NOT that I'm trying to lose weight now...no.  I'm gaining weight for a pretty good (adorable, so sweet) reason - due in July.

But I am very interested in learning how to eat in a healthy way.

If you're interested in reading some counter-cultural advice with regards to how we consume foods, you'll want to read this book!  It's written in a very conversational, fun manner.  I've enjoyed what I've read so far.

PLUS, I have a friend, Mandi, who has been losing weight just by following these principles.  She was actually losing weight TOO quickly (!!!) so she decided to add in some more "crossover" meals to make sure she was staying healthy.

Amazing!

You can click on the following links to order the book:

http://tinyurl.com/TrimHealthyMamaUS

http://tinyurl.com/TrimHealthyMamaEbook

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  I will receive no other compensation .  All opinions expressed are my own.   

Linked to the HHH 

Amanda Bennett Unit Studies I Recommend (and those I don't)

A couple years ago, I bought two CD's worth of unit studies from the Download N Go series.  We had already bought, finished, and thoroughly enjoyed the Magnificent Moon study, so when I saw that there was a sale for over half off, I was sucked in.  I probably should have bought them individually since I don't use them as my core curriculum, however, I didn't.  I'm making the most of it though, by doing a study every now and then when we need a little spice in our curriculum or when we're studying something that goes along with the unit studies that we have already purchased.  

Watching the videos from the Twisting Tornadoes Unit Study - they really liked the videos!

For those of you who may be interested in buying an Amanda Bennett Download N Go Unit Study, here are the ones that we used fully (including the lapbook) and really enjoyed:

Magnificent Moon
Davy Crockett
Ben Franklin
(Click on this link to see the posts I wrote about the above unit studies.)

These are the ones that we didn't find as interesting; therefore, we never finished the lapbooks:

Handsome Horses
Twisting Tornadoes
Crazy Cartoons

We also did Chocolate Challenge.  I think we found that one semi-interesting, but didn't end up doing the lapbook with it. 

My kids really enjoy making the lapbooks, but if the unit study is a little boring or I find the lapbook components irrelevant or difficult for my reluctant writer, then we don't do them (much to my children's dismay).

When we happen upon a good one, it's GREAT.  And even in the not-so-great ones I find that my kids have learned as well, just not as much or as enthusiastically as in the "great" ones.  :)

My Top 11 Favorite Homeschool Books

I enjoy a good homeschooling book to rejuvenate and refresh me in this educational journey that we’ve chosen for our children.

Below is a list of my top 11 favorite homeschool books organized loosely by topic.  The first 10 are the books that I continue to recommend if someone asks.  The last one is a book that I’m currently reading, but am finding it to be essential to a more complete understanding of God’s hand in the modern American homeschool movement.

Hope you can find some new reading material below!

“Homeschooling in Our House” Books

Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson – (I was randomly searching for ideas to teach my two – five year old class at church, when the Lord had me stumble upon a homeschooler’s blog.  I sent Heather an email asking about homeschooling, and she recommended this book to me.  I find it pretty cool that the Lord used her (and a number of other people) to guide me toward homeschooling more than 6 years ago.)

Want to see what homeschooling looked like in the Clarkson family?  This was the very first homeschooling book I ever read and my first glimpse into what life in a homeschool family could look like.  I was so intrigued after reading this book that I immediately began my quest to read as many books on homeschooling as I could.  I stopped counting and writing the books down after I’d read about 30.  I’m still on the lookout for more to read.  If you’d be so kind, leave me a comment and let me know your favorite(s)!

Home Sweet Home-School by Sue Makestaad – I laughed and shook my head (yes) a lot with this one!  When I finished reading it, I emailed the author to let her know how much I appreciated her humorous account of what homeschooling looked like for their family.  She wrote back a nice “thank you” email with some more encouragement in it just for me.  What a sweet lady!

To read more head on over to Heart of the Matter Online where I continue! 

Linked up to the Hip Homeschool Hop
 

Our Indoor Waterpark Mini-Vacation

This weekend we went to the indoor waterpark at the Double JJ Resort. 

We enjoyed the fun waterslides, warmth of the waterpark, spacious accommodations, and big breakfast buffet in the morning that was included in the price.

We only lost one child (Matthew) during our stay and only for about 5 minutes.  

Okay, those were the worst 5 minutes of my life and I am SO thankful that the Lord let us find him quickly!

I must say that this waterpark isn't quite as nice as Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, MI.  (There are some pictures from our GWL stay at the end of this post.)

Do you remember in The Little Mermaid when Ursula puts on her lipstick?  (click on link to see a short video of what I'm talking about :) ).  

This waterpark needs some Ursula lipstick.  Everything needs to be repainted and brightened up.

The other thing that I didn't like as well about this overnight stay, is that the hotel is really far from the waterpark.  You even have to walk outside (under a tented covering) for a bit.  When it's winter and you're wearing a bathing suit and sandals...that makes for a CHILLY walk/run.  

At GWL, everything is in one building which makes it super convenient and warm.

The room we stayed in, Billy the Kid Thoroughbred Suite, was very nice, even nicer than the room we stayed in at Great Wolf Lodge.  It was much bigger with a living room, a kitchen, and a separate master bedroom with its own TV and whirlpool tub (unfortunately only Matthew took advantage of this!)

The only bad thing about the room itself was that we could hear the neighbors very well.  They had a party into the evening with screaming kids and loud adults.  We could hear it all...even the middle of the night...well, I won't go there.  Let's just say that I could hear EVERYTHING.  

Awkward moment.

  If we had to do it over again, we'd probably bring our snow stuff as there are a bunch of outdoor activities you can do as well as spending time at the waterpark. 

  Even though we probably won't ever go back, overall we had a nice stay with lots of fun family time eating ice cream, staying up way too late watching America's Funniest Home Videos, and of course, getting really wet.

Should We Homeschool? and Books I Recommend

Nate and I were not in agreement about the type of education we wanted for our future children.

At all.

I was 100% for public school.  He was 100% for private school.

We prayed.  A lot.  We prayed that we'd eventually agree, preferably before our first child turned 5.

Thankfully the Lord answered our prayers, but not in the way that either of us thought He would.  (Seems to be a fairly common theme in my life.)  He turned our minds and hearts toward this counter cultural thing called, "homeschooling".  While it didn't seem that crazy to Nate (his good friend/cousin was homeschooled), homeschooling seemed absolutely nutty to me.

Growing up, I had only ever known of one family who homeschooled and I thought they were WeIrDoS.  Not that I ever actually engaged them in conversation...ahem...I just KNEW they were weird.  I mean, come on.  They didn't go to school, which obviously means that they were not properly socialized.  And, let me just tell you, one of the boys sat around at church reading a book (for goodness sake) All. The. Time.  They were strange, strange people.

So, I may have been more than a little surprised to find that I actually liked the homeschooling family that lived across from us when we were first married.  They didn't seem odd and their children were super cute and very sociable (who'da thunk??!).

Well, I was in for a big surprise over the next couple of years.  Not only were we going to be persuaded to think (through much reading, thinking, praying, discussing) that homeschooling was a viable option for educating one's children and that homeschoolers were, in fact, not all weirdos (although there are some...probably even us...to some), but we were going to fully, happily embrace the homeschooling lifestyle (except for those jean jumpers...sorry, not happening).     

Here are some of the books that I enjoyed while learning about homeschooling.  However, if you choose to read these, know that I do not agree with everything every author puts on a page.  For example, in the first book, it talks about homeschooling being the "right thing to do" as if it is the only "right thing to do".  While I think that homeschooling is a great way to educate children, I do not think it is the only great way.  

With that said, here is my list:  


Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson - This book shows what homeschooling looked like in the Clarkson family.  It was the very first book I read on homeschooling.  I was randomly (even though I don't believe in randomness) searching for ideas to teach my 2-5 year old class at church when I stumbled upon a homeschooler's blog.  I sent Heather an email asking about homeschooling, and she recommended this book to me.  Pretty cool that the Lord used her (and a number of other people) to guide me toward homeschooling - something that I was pretty much against - more than 5 years ago.  (I own this book if anyone wants to borrow it from me.)

A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola - This book is wonderful.  I've read it two or three times.  I still don't own it, but it would be a great resource to have at my fingertips.  Karen walks you through her days while homeschooling her three children in the style of the late 1800's educator, Charlotte Mason.  I'd love to be able to say that my kids have had an education like the one portrayed in this book.  I'd also love to be able to say that I am as patient, sweet tempered, and organized as Karen seems to be.  ;)

Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Homeschooling - This is a huge book with tons of great ideas for getting started.

So You're Thinking About Homeschooling (15 Families Show How You Can Do It) by Lisa Whelchel - Interesting to read about the different ways each family tackles homeschooling.  This is why I like to read homeschooling blogs!

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell - I remember really liking this book.  However, I can't remember any specifics, but I know I liked it!  :)

For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay  - This is one of those books that everyone says you need to read if you're going to homeschool.  Not sure I agree completely, but I did think it was a thought-provoking read.


Home Learning Year By Year:  How to Design a Home School Curriculum by Rebecca Rupp - I just put this one on hold at the library so I can see if I'm missing something in our curriculum!  I can't remember what I liked about this one.  You see, I have this list of all the (many) books I've read with stars by the ones that I learned from and enjoyed.  This one has a star.  That's all I know.

A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison - Another one of those Charlotte Mason books.  Wishing I could be a little more gentle and organized with this homeschooling thing.  ;) 


Home Sweet Home-School by Sue Makestaad - I think I laughed and shook my head (yes) a lot with this one...I think...I really should have taken better notes.  I know that when I finished reading this, I emailed the author to let her know I appreciated this encouraging book.  She wrote back a nice "thank you" note with some more encouragement in it just for me.  I thought that was very kind.  She must be a nice lady.  :)


The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson - WOW.  You've gotta read it.  I really, really liked it.  It's for all mothers, not just homeschool moms.  This is the same lady who wrote the very first book on my list. 


Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson - Can you tell that I like Sally?  :)  This book/Bible study is geared toward the homeschooling mom.  (This one can be borrowed from me as well.)

I'm currently working (very slowly) through, The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.  I'm having a hard time getting into this one, which is strange since I've liked all of her other books.  I've heard that some like this book even better than The Ministry of Motherhood, so I'll have to keep reading.

So, there you have it:  How we began this homeschooling thing, and a list of all my favorite homeschool-type books.  :)

 

Because of a Cousin/Best Friend

I'm pretty excited as I type this because I recently finished something I didn't know I'd be able to do so soon.  I read an entire chapter book to Jonny and he actually listened, asked questions and...drum roll please... enjoyed it!  Amazing.

I started reading chapter books to Emilia when she was 2, so you can imagine my surprise when along comes Jonny who doesn't want to sit and listen to long, boring, picture-less chapter books.

A couple weeks ago, I thought I'd give it another go.  He and I were quietly alone.  A rarity indeed.  About two or three pages into Farmer Boy, Jonny interrupted me.

"How long is this going to take?"  He didn't quite moan because he knew I was excited.  Kind boy.

"Oh, not too long.  I'll only read a chapter.  Don't you want to know what those mean boys will do to the teacher?"  I'm coaxing him.  Trying to appeal to his boyish interests, which center on righteous things like... fighting. 

He reluctantly agrees to listen some more.  We make it through a chapter, but I've never seen a boy jump up so fast when I close the book.  You'd think I was reading...oh, I don't know...instructions on how to crochet a large afghan. 

Later, I got a call from my sister-in-law, Juliet, who happens to be the mother of Jonny's bestest cousin/friend in the whole world.  Jadon and Jonny were born a week apart and they are inseparable (when they're together, which isn't that often because they live 2 hours apart). 

In this phone conversation with Juliet, I found out that my mom had been reading My Side of the Mountain to Jadon.  I happen to own that book and quickly located it on my shelf. 

Once off the phone, I animatedly told Jonny that Jadon and Grandma were reading this same book and Jadon really likes it.  Jonny's eyes immediately lit up as he grabbed it out of my hand.  "When can we start reading it?!"  He was smiling.  He was actually excited about a chapter book!  I couldn't believe it!  I shouldn't have been so surprised.  Those boys could get excited about collecting broken pencil leads if they find out the other has that as a new hobby.

I wasn't about to waste time.  Scrapping any plans I had for the day (which, if you know me, isn't that hard for me to do), I immediately sat down and started reading My Side of the Mountain to Jonny.  I finished a chapter.  He asked for more.  I finished another chapter.  He asked for more.  Glory, glory!  We finished that book in a week.  

Jonny will turn 6 in mid February.  It took him a little longer than his sister, but I think he may have caught the chapter book bug.  At least, I hope so.  What fun to see him delighting in a book... 

Even if only because of his cousin. 

Now I just have to find out what book Jadon will read next.  ;)

An Unusual Dinner

One night I didn't feel like cooking, so I pulled out some random food and called it "dinner".

Emilia carefully arranged the food on her plate and then showed me what she had made.

Any guess what it is?

Well, if it helps, we've been learning about the digestive and renal systems in Apologia Anatomy.

That carrot hanging down under the ranch dressing bladder is the rectum.  Yup.

I'm glad she's learning something (although a couple things are misplaced, like the pecan kidneys ;)).  I'm just not sure I want to think about my renal system while I'm eating.

But it didn't bother her. :)

Henry VIII and His Poor Wives

We just finished learning about the awful fates of most of Henry the Eighth's wives in The Mystery of History.

Trying to remember the stories of each of his six wives can be a daunting task, but this history program has a great project idea for recalling these ladies.

Emilia really enjoyed the process of making this game/memory box and she loved quizzing her dad and I.

Her outfit and hair have nothing to do with this lesson.  She just wanted to be this for the day...

I almost skipped a project for this lesson because it was a rather long lesson by itself and we all know that projects take time and make messes.  I am so glad that I didn't skip it.  By making this box with the fact cards inside, I'm quite certain she has retained much more than she ever would have if we had only read the text and discussed it.

FYI:  #1: Divorced   #2: Beheaded   #3: Died giving birth   #4: Divorced   #5: Beheaded   #6: Outlived Henry (Whew!)

I'm keeping this box out on the counter as a reminder of the excitement she had while doing this lesson.  Because, although the book itself really is an interesting read, there's just something about creating that helps the brain make connections.

And there's just something that kids enjoy about making messes.  :)

A Book Worth Reading

We're currently reading The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, which has been a delightful tale, despite the slow pace at times.  We've read a few of her books so far.  The main characters in her stories are moral, inquisitive, loyal, and hard working - traits worth emulating. 
 

     

Reading...

Not too long ago, our family (well, let's be honest...Nate, Emilia and I) finished reading this wonderful book:  The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.

Tommy felt a little left out, so Emilia filled him in with the Mickey Mouse picture book version. 

I can tell you that the original unabridged version is SO much better.  What a great book! 

Seriously.  You have to read it...

Homeschool Planning According to Heidi

Edited March 6, 2012:  You can still read this post, but also understand that I am constantly changing things for (hopefully!) the better in our little homeschool.
Here's what we're doing with schedules now.
 

I am "schedually challenged".  Remember this post?

I'm not the type of person (at this point in my life - I like saying that because it leaves room for improvement or change ;) ) that does so well following a schedule (besides the schedule of: wake, breakfast, do things, lunch, naps, do things, dinner, do things, sleep - does that count?) 

I'm spontaneous. 

At least that's what I keep telling myself because it sounds so fun.  Doesn't it?!  :)

However, because I am spontaneous (and super fun), I don't do so well following a strict schedule.  I like to drop everything and take the opportunity to enjoy days like this. 

I can feel badly about this at times because I read about all these other moms who are extremely organized and have their days laid out in 15 minute time increments.  It looks so...well...organized!  There are days that I WISH I could be more like this!

But, that is not who I am (at this point in my life ;) ).

And I'm okay with this.  Everyone is different.
(Although I do admit to a small amount of schedule-envy when I see things like this and this.)

As a homeschooling mom, though, I do need some sort of accountability (besides my hubby who faithfully makes sure I'm not TOO spontaneous).

Enter, The Well Planned Day.

Not only is this homeschool planner asthetically pleasing, it has been a great way for me to see how much schooling we've done.

I don't exactly use this planner to "plan" out my days.  Instead, I use it as a record keeping system.  I write down what we did for each day.  This is a great way for me to see what we've accomplished by the end of the year.  It also helps me know what we need to do weekly.

For example, Thursday comes around and I can see that we haven't done any art and we've only done one day of math that week.  I can then add subjects in to make sure the kids are getting a balanced educational diet. 

Keep in mind that I only have one child officially in school and she just finished 1st grade, so even though we may not do every subject (or even any subjects) every day, we still finished all of our 1st grade curriculum by April.

I know this may seem crazy to those of you 15 minute time-slotters, but it really does work for me.
And THAT is a good thing!

History Curriculum

For History last year we used The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer.  I had heard that this was a great curriculum from a couple different people.

We used it for the entire year, but I wasn't as pleased with it as I thought I would be.

First of all, I noticed some errors.

For example, there was a coloring picture in the student workbook that was drawn from this fresco. We had just studied this ancient work of art in Come Look With Me: World of Play. So, I knew that the people on each side of the bull were females, and the person vaulting over the bull was a male. However, on the coloring page, all the people were males. This may seem like a small detail, but it is just one example of the errors that I found.

Secondly, it isn't based on a Christian Worldview. I found myself having to contradict a lot of what we were hearing from the text and doing in the workbook.

Since we weren't that pleased with The Story of the World, I decided to try The Mystery of History.

I attended a homeschool conference over a year ago and was able to eat lunch with the author of The Mystery of History, Linda Hobar, and listen to her speak about her curriculum. It sounded like a great program, and she seems like a neat Christian lady.

I just got the audio version of MOH from the library so we could listen to it in the car. We already really like it. It's based on a Christian Worldview, and she ties Biblical history in with the history of the times.

So far, we are enjoying it!

More on Unit Studies

I tried out that free unit study that I mentioned at the end of this post.

It just wasn't as good as the Amanda Bennett unit studies. We enjoy the videos and other online links that Amanda includes. The kids and I both had a hard time getting motivated to do the free study.  We ended up reading books on Leonardo Da Vinci, including this one, which was a good book, but didn't do the lapbook.  I'm sure there are some good ones on that website and other places, but we've been spoiled with the AB unit studies! 

There was a great deal (half off!) on a CD of the entire set of Download 'N Go Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett, so I bought that to use over the next couple of years as a fun way to round out the curriculum. 

I'm thinking that this one looks like a pretty fun way to begin - maybe even now! 

Curriculum for K and 1st - Looking toward 2nd

Curriculum for Emilia's K year:

Science:  Sonlight A - Kindergarten Although this isn't exactly what we did (because I bought it used a couple years ago), it's similar. (We really enjoyed this - the DVD was super fun!)

Read Alouds/History/Geography:  Sonlight K (Enjoyed this as well, but wanted a more chronological approach to history for the future)

Reading:  Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons (Great book!  However, we transitioned to easy readers with more pictures around lesson 70 or so - which seems to be pretty common the more I hear about this book.)

Math:  Horizons K (Liked it - colorful workbook pages - didn't use the teacher's manual.)


Curriculum for Emilia's 1st Grade year:

Science:  Sonlight 1st grade (Enjoyed it once again, but want to try something different for 2nd grade.)

Read Alouds:  I looked on Sonlight's list and checked some of those books out of the library instead of buying them.  Emilia also reads well, so I'd have her read some to me.

History:  Story of the World: Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer (Chronological, but not based on a Christian Worldview.  I also found some things to be inaccurate that were stated as fact.  It was a pretty good study, but not good enough to do again.)

Geography:  United States Coloring Book by Winky Adam (fun and easy).  The Story of the World also had mapping activities in the workbook.

Art:  Come Look With Me Books - Animals in Art and World of Play (Pretty neat, easy way to introduce art to kids.)

Music:  Stories of the Great Composers for El. Students (We enjoyed this book.  Tells a fictional story based on fact and then has music for each composer.  Comes with the CD.) 

Math:  Horizons 1  (Still like it - she learns well with workbooks.)

Unit Studies:  Amanda Bennett Unit Studies: Magnificent Moon and Davy Crockett (Great!  Wrote a post  about those.)

We were involved in a small homeschool group this year that had holiday parties, field trips, and get-togethers.  That was a lot of fun for both the moms and kids!

Jonny joined in when we did history and sometimes for the read alouds.  In February of Emilia's 1st grade year, Jonny wanted his own math book and wanted to learn to read.  So, I bought him Horizons Math K and he started Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  Grama Robin also came over on Tuesdays (when Emilia had dance class) to teach Jonny to read.  He'll officially start K in the Fall of 2011.

Edited on Jan. 6, 2012:   

For Jonny's K year he has continued through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons as well as working through Horizons K Math books 1 and 2.  He also joins with Emilia in Apologia Anatomy Science (although it's a little advanced for a Kindergartener) and occasionally in her History book.  He'll listen in on the read-aloud books occasionally as well.  I also added in a couple Handwriting Without Tears books. 

For Matthew - Although he isn't officially in any "grade" (he'll be 4 in Feb.), he really enjoys "doing school" as well.  The first part of the year I had him rainbow tracing numbers - something like this.  I'll have him work on his letters - rainbow tracing or putting letter blocks, papers, or magnets in alphabetical order.  We've also been making crafty animal letters from this book and working on saying each letter and its sound.  He has his own 3 ring binder with all of his animal letters in it. 

Curriculum for Emilia's Second Grade Year:

Science:  We're going to try Apologia Anatomy based on a recommendation.

History (which incorporates Geography):  We're going to try The Mystery of History.

Read Alouds:  Still going to get the list from Sonlight and check the books out of the library.

Art and Music:  I have websites online that I'm going to use.

Unit Studies (which incorporate Geography):  Either free or Amanda Bennett's Download 'N Go Unit Studies

Math:  Horizons 2 (She's already started the workbook.)

Edited on Jan. 6, 2012 

Spelling: I realized that although she can read well, she couldn't spell very well, so we've slowly been working through Horizons Spelling and Vocabulary 1.

Language Arts: I also wanted her to have some sort of grammar/language practice.  When I was at our local homeschool used book sale, I picked up Language Lessons for the Elementary Child not knowing much about it except what I saw on the cover (mentioned "informal" and "Charlotte Mason" which both caught my attention - just what I was looking for!).  I have been very pleased with this book.  We do as much or as little per day as we choose.  It's been a great tool for recognizing/studying art, poetry, copywork, grammar and more.  I'd like to purchase more of these books in the future.

Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett Review

A new friend of mine (homeschooling mom of 7 children - 5 of which are ages 10 and under) recommended The Magnificent Moon Unit Study by Amanda Bennett.  Since we were almost done with our curriculum for the year and needed a fun boost to keep up our spirits, I decided to spend the $7.95 and see how we'd like it.

We loved it!

The Magnificent Moon unit study is a 5 day lapbooking study that you "Download 'N Go".  There's no prep for mom, which I love.  I tend to like learning along with the kids instead of researching everything first.  Then it's new to me as well as to them.  I may have to change my tactic as they get older, but for now this works.    I did this study with my first grader and not yet kindergartener (sometimes, when not napping, my 3 year old would join in and he thought it was super fun - especially the online videos).  The kids asked to do it as soon as they woke up in the mornings - even on Saturday!  I didn't oblige them on Saturday...  :)
  

We had never done a lapbook before, but really enjoyed it.  I love how they get to cut, color, paste, and write, as well as use it as a creative memory tool.  One of their favorite parts was assembling their lapbook - making it look exactly as they wanted.  Their next favorite part was showing it off!  My favorite part was the amount of information they could share.  They learned a lot and were able to remember it - all in a very fun way!

After finishing the moon study, we had a moon party complete with a moon cake.  The following Saturday we went to the public museum and saw a show at the planetarium.

The kids were asking (begging!) to do another unit study, so we bought Davy Crockett and we were equally impressed. 

Each unit study has videos you watch (one or more per day - these may be long or short), articles to read, and questions to answer - all done online.  I printed off the first day of papers for the moon study, but quickly realized that I didn't need to do that for my children because of their ages.  We discussed what we read and only wrote on the lapbook components. 

There are also practical, hands-on things to do (ex. "go outside and draw the moon" or "this is how you can find your way if you're lost in the woods...go outside and find the north star...").

Overall, I highly recommend these unit studies.  Amanda Bennett's website is www.unitstudy.com.  She seems to have deals fairly regularly.  I'm a fan on facebook, so I see the deals on there.

However, even though I really like these, I'm not a fan of spending $7.95 on each one.  So, I did some online searching and found this website with free lapbooking unit studies. I've checked out some books from the library for the Leonardo unit study.  We'll see how that goes compared to these! (Here is what I thought of the free unit study on Leonardo that I tried.)