Krazy Kuehner Days

LightSail for Homeschoolers Review

2021-10-24T22:07:00.004-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review LightSail for Homeschoolers. What a fun way to improve reading skills in students.

LightSail for Homeschoolers is an adaptive homeschool reading curriculum. Their program is designed for ages 8-18 (grades 3-12). They do offer a Young Learners package also, but that is separate. LightSail offers the choice of a standard or premium subscription. The premium subscription offers more content.

The program focuses on reading, writing, vocabulary, and fluency, which helps not only give you a complete language arts program, but also helps those who may be struggling in the reading/writing area of their studies. Kids continue to build on their reading and comprehension skills.

Parents can assign their student the books/areas that they want them to work on. Students can login independently or you can easily sit with them to provide help as needed. It's very versatile and offers a wide variety of reading materials.

The one-year Premium subscription that I received gave us access to over 12,000 books, 51,000+encyclopedia articles, 150+unit studies, and more. We had no lack of materials to choose from during the review period.

The interface is very user friendly. Each child has their own login for the site. They can check books out from the library. For struggling readers, you can listen to the books also.

You can find reading levels for all ages and abilities.

As you are working your way through the program, if you are unsure about how a section works, there are plenty of videos uploaded for help. The video shot below happens to be from a section in Writing that is coming soon. But it explains what is coming.

There are studies in reading, writing, and vocabulary. All of these areas intertwine.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Premium subscription really does a great job keeping everything that families need in one location to complete reading/writing/vocabulary literature program. You can even try it for a 7 day trial to see if it will be a good fit for your family.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review this program with their families. Click on the link below to see how they used this product in their homes, and how well it worked for them.

Renita

Teach Sunday School - Bible Breakdowns

2021-10-13T07:17:00.027-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review Bible Breakdowns published by Teach Sunday School. We were able to use the Old Testament and New Testament over the last few weeks. These have been a great addition to our Bible studies.

You can purchase Bible Breakdowns in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each page breaks down the title of the book and a brief

They are super easy to download from Teach Sunday School in a PDF format. You can choose to print them all at once, or one at a time.

Each page for each book of the Bible includes:

Brief summary of the book
How many chapters
Who wrote the book
Type of book
when it was written
time period that was covered during the book

At the lower part of the book, the read information really begins. In the breakdown section, each chapter of the book is broken down into verses and gives information about events that took place. It really allows both children and adults to take a look at each verse and how they work together.

As you see below, the chapters and verses are broken down to allow the study of what is in each verse.

Also included are rankings for popularity of Bible verses.

These pages are great to include in a 3 ring binder with notepages for study notes. You could also keep the PDF downloaded on your device and refer to it as you are studying. We chose to keep them in a 3 ring binder to use along with our weekly Bible reading. These have been a great addition to our Bible studies.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the Bible Breakdowns in Teach Sunday School. Click on the link below to see how they used these pages in their homes and what they felt about them.

Renita

The Critical Thinking Co. - Understanding Fractions Review

2021-10-06T11:18:00.002-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review Understanding Fractions published by The Critical Thinking Co. The workbook has provided a lot of extra help for the girls as they are working to conquer these math skills.

Understanding Fractions was written by Robert Femiano. This book of roughly 50 pages of fraction practice, was written to be used by students in grades 2-4.

Inside of this title, students will be practicing:

The Meaning of fractions
Writing and using fractions
Finding common denominators
Simple adding and subtracting of fractions

Using fraction circles cut-outs, students can truly "see" how fractions work. These pages can be cut out and colored by students, or even laminated or added to card stock to make them last longer. For those students in the very early stages of fractions, these are a great addition to mastering their fractions.

Inside the front cover of the book, suggestions are given on how to students can reach their full success while using this book. It is encouraged for students to work along with their teacher through the pages.

Each page contains many practice examples, including story problems.

Understanding Fractions is not meant as a stand alone curriculum. But as practice to mastery. That is how we have been using it. As the student works with their teacher, the teacher is available to answer questions. Included in the back of the book are the answers, just in case they need a little help themselves.

Caty has struggled with fractions for a while now. Each page usually took roughly 20 minutes, depending on our struggles. These pages can definitely be used by anyone who may be struggling with these skills, no matter what education style they are working through at the moment. There are even more challenging questions that are marked with a star.

The extra practice has helped her a lot. Using Understanding Fractions has saved me time from hunting down extra worksheets and money from printing a bunch of items also. It is definitely worth the using Understanding Fractions in your schooling. It can be used with both public school and homeschool students.

We have used several of the publications from The Critical Thinking Co. for various subjects in our studies. We have always been impressed and have enjoyed the help in working to mastery. I encourage you to check out all they have to offer in boosting your student's critical thinking skills.

Several members of the homeschool review crew were given the opportunity to try out several products from The Critical Thinking Co. Click on the banner below to see what they tried out and how they felt about them.

Renita

Math Essentials - Basic Math Skills Rescue Parts 1 & 2 Review

2021-09-30T06:50:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review new new books written by Richard W. Fisher, Basic Math Skills Rescue Part 1 and Part 2 published by Math Essentials. These are an excellent addition to our routine for skills practice in areas where Caty has been struggling.

There are just some critical math skills that many students struggle to master. These skills really are required for success in higher math levels. So if students have not mastered basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division at the upper elementary levels, they will struggle through high school and even into college. One way to master these skills is through videos and practice.

That is where Math Skills Rescue comes into to help students. These workbooks can be used along with video based instruction that is available to stream online.

I have been using Book 1 with Caty. She struggles with Executive Processing Disorder. With this learning struggle one of her struggles is with keeping steps in order. Math Essentials - Basic Math Skills Rescue is set up to encourage your student to succeed. There is plenty of practice in the over 200 page book.

I do like that each book is set up in a "testing" style. Instead of regular worksheet style. This helps to prepare students for those upper grade level activities. This was confusing to Caty at first. It does require more steps in her mind, so she struggled a bit there. She did need extra paper to work on problems as we have been using this book. She writes rather large, so there was not enough room on the page for her to work out all of the problems each day.

But having extra paper on hand allows the student to also work out the problems along with the videos. This gives them extra practice as they work alongside the instruction and really gives them a step-by-step guide. I had Caty keep these examples to refer to as she worked through problems on the pages.

Book 1 of the Basic Math Skills Rescue series includes problems practicing whole numbers & integers, fractions, and decimals and percents. This is math work that works with students from Grades 3 and on. It is really meant as extra practice to mastery. You can use these along with whatever math program you are using. We actually stepped away from regular math and have been using Basic Math Rescue daily as practice to mastery for Caty.

Each page does have Helpful Hints to help students remember how to solve problems on that page. This includes hints or even examples to remember how to borrow in subtraction.

We did not get into Basic Math Skills Rescue Part 2 book yet. This book covers Middle school level math skills. She is not quite to that point yet. I do like the amount of story problems included in this book. Story problems really are "real world" math. How many times are you just given a list of number problems to solve? Almost never. But you are given a problem with several numbers involved and you need to decide what information is important. We will definitely be continuing into Part 2 soon. This is an area where Caty needs to work on eliminating unnecessary information in order to solve problems.

Basic Math Skills Rescue Part 2 includes topics of Geometry, Problem Solving, and Pre-Algebra.

We have used other books from the Math Essentials series that was written by Richard W. Fisher. Lydia has benefited also from the Mastering Series. I'm glad that we were introduced to the Basic Math Skills Rescue series so that Caty can benefit from more practice to mastery.

If you have a student who just needs more practice, even a little help to get them to mastery, then you need to check out the Basic Math Skills Rescue series from Math Essentials.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the Basic Math Skills Rescue Parts 1 & 2 in their homes. Click on the link below to see how they used these and what they felt about this series.

Renita

WORLD Watch Review

2021-09-09T06:25:00.004-04:00

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

We recently had the opportunity to review the WORLD Watch online subscription. This has been a great way for the kids to keep up on the world news with explanations on their level.

When I watch the news, it can be hard for the kids to understand. WORLD Watch has been created from a Christian view and at a level that the whole family is able to understand.

During the week, there is a daily episode and also a newscast that always feature current world information. Each episode is under ten minutes, so it makes for a short watch, but packed full of information. The stories are meant for the entire family.

There is also a summary included for the student to watch. The Newscast segments are roughly 5 minutes each.

Information is presented from a Christian viewpoint, so scriptural text is included. The scriptural text is provided in some of the Featured Stories, but not in a sermon style. It simply is presented in a way to show that Bible prophecy is alive in the world that we are living in.

The WORLD Watch website is very easy to use. When you log into your account, at the top of the page is the Daily Newscast, but also a Feature Story. You can choose to click and watch that episode, or you can choose from the featured stories from the previous days.

But you can also go back and watch in the archives also.

You can pause each episode or increase the size of the screen if there will be more than one viewing it. My kids hate when I try to watch something on the computer with them and I do not make it full screen. So this is an option.

I really liked that the material is always top stories of my regular news stations that week. As you can see some of the news stories from August include stories on the census, the evacuation of Afghanistan, drought in the West, COVID vaccine boosters, and even in immigration.

Between the Daily newscast and the Featured Story, the news is presented in roughly ten minutes each day.

WORLD Watch does make sure that you are able to use their program and do include a tech page so that you can easily use this program with whatever streaming option that your family uses. We simply used a laptop, but there are options with many televisions to stream on the big screen.

You can also read a biography about each of the reporters and employees that make WORLD Watch possible on their website.

We have used several different kids news story options for the kids through the years. WORLD Watch is one of my favorite to use. The information is presented in a non-biased way. This allows for open discussions with the kids about the various topics and what they truly think with the information that was presented. We will be continuing using WORLD Watch in our home for the girls during the week.

Several families from the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review WORLD Watch in their homes. Click on the link below to see how they used this product with their families and what they felt.

ACT Mom - ACT Mom Online Class Review

2021-09-02T06:25:00.002-04:00

We had the opportunity to review the ACT Mom Online Class from ACT Mom. What a great option to prepare your students for taking those upcoming college tests.

Keith and Kati Johnson had spent five years prepping their son for his ACT tests, and he scored in the upper 98% of students that take this test. So she decided to take these classes and tips to the public. They were offering in-person classes, but then COVID brought the in-person classes to a halt. The idea to offer the same classes came them. This not only allowed students to continue their classes, but also gave them the opportunity to even offer to more students who could not attend live classes because of location.

Why the ACT? The ACT scores that students earn can open up thousands of dollars in scholarship and grant money at many different universities. The higher the score, the more funds. But higher score require a lot of prep and studying on the part of your student. That is where the ACT MOM Online class comes in.

The ACT Mom Online class includes courses in English, Reading, Science, and Math. There is a binder with graphing paper and ACT practice tests that you will also receive. There is also an answer key and scoring instructions included so that you as the parent can score their tests to see the progress your student is making.

Each subject's videos are presented in a lecture style. Students are expected to watch the videos and take notes as they go. There is a practice test at the end of each course. Using the videos though, students who need to watch the information again, can easily do that. There are also quizzes as they go through the course information. The ability to rewatch videos, quizzes, and then of course the test at the end of each section really does allow the student and parent to see how much is being absorbed and where students will need some extra help.

ACT Mom does offer individual course study also, if you feel your student only needs help in specific areas of study.

The format of study includes the lecture style, with an emphasis on notes. If you student is struggling in this area, it is a great way to reinforce the importance of note taking. This style will only help your student as they advance into college.

She has even provided some free resources for families to help them out. The ACT Mom really does want to see students succeed. This program that they have created has shown success. Lydia is not quite ready for the ACT yet, but using this program will definitely prep both of us for the areas that she will need to work harder in before she makes her first attempts at the actual test. This would be a great program for the visual based learner with learning disabilities. Lots of extra practice and tips to succeed.

Click on the link below to see what other families from The Homeschool Review Crew felt about this product.

Archer and Zowie Book Review

2021-08-18T09:05:00.006-04:00

We recently had the opportunity to review Archer and Zowie by Hans Bluedorn. What a fun elementary level story for kids!

Hans Bluedorn is the author of The Fallacy Detective. But Archer and Zowie takes children on a whole new adventure. This make believe story takes kids on adventures of their mind and creativity. Archer and Zowie tackles themes on friendship and having positive self-esteem, but presents them in a fun way that really speaks to children.

The story of Archer and Zowie lets us see the evolution of two best friends. After a mishap they have reprogrammed the microwave to do some pretty cool things. They can order food from other locations, completely squash the entire universe, and of course this new invention want to kill them.

Writing in a different genre, Han Bluedorn digs into this science fiction story and has really created some super fun adventures for these best friends to go on. They battle dark matter, babysitters, microwaves, giant penguin aliens, and yet they are able to remain friends.

Archer and Zowie is really a cute story of imagination. These two best friends go on lots of adventures, and can really encourage children to dig deep and let their own creativity flow through invention and play.

Caty enjoyed reading this story. It did not take her long to make her way through the book. She is a more advanced reader though. It was written for elementary through early middle school ages. So roughly 7-12 years old could read independently, depending on their reading level. But Archer and Zowie would also make a great read aloud together.

I really liked the one section where the author made sure that the readers understood the text. Sometimes it can be hard to understand even with context clues, so this brief explanation was great.

Archer and Zowie is written from a Christian perspective. So there is mention of belief in God in the reading. But this perspective does not rule the story. So still could be read by those with a secular perspective also.

The illustrations are super cute also.

When I asked Caty if she would read a sequel or another adventure with Archer and Zowie, she said she definitely would. She said is was a great balance of "sci-fi and weirdness, just what I like to read."

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to read Archer and Zowie and also check out The Fallacy Detective. Click on the banner below to read about their experiences and how they used these products with their families.

The HomeScholar LLC - Total Transcript Solution Review

2021-08-13T07:26:00.001-04:00

Homeschooling in high school is a whole new level of challenges. We recently had a chance to review the Total Transcript Solution from The HomeScholar LLC. This is a game changer for anyone who is struggling to get their student's transcript ready for college.

The HomeScholar LLC was created by Matt and Lee Binz, who have become experts in homeschooling through high school. As homeschool consultants who also homeschooled their own children, they have worked for over 15 years helping other families have the confidence to continue through those high school years and enter into college.

Lee Binz likes to emphasize her core beliefs in homeschooling:

Homeschooling independently provides the best possible learning environment
Every child deserves a college-prep education, whether or not they choose college.
Parents are capable of providing a superior education for their children.

The Homescholar LLC has created a variety of products that make it easy for parents to create high school transcripts that any college would love to see.

I did have a little trouble getting started. But figured it out pretty quickly. Lydia is officially a sophomore this year. She is still undecided about college. So I need to make sure that I keep good records for her, just in case she decides to enroll.

For the boys, I just kept a record of classes and credits in a spreadsheet on my computer. But that is the difference in doing it on your own, or buying a subscription to Total Transcript Solution. The Binz family has created a true how to homeschool high school system. If you are preparing your student for collegiate success, they have a plan that you can follow and set you up for graduation success.

Your subscription to Total Transcript Solution does not need to be purchased annually. It is a lifetime membership. You have access to:

Video training to help you fill out the transcript, list classes, assign grades and credits, and even figure GPA
Flexibility to use the transcript software with all your children for the same price.
You even can get professional feedback on the transcript you created from Lee Binz. The cost includes a 20-minute phone or email consultation with Lee Binz.
Ten different transcript styles in Word, Excel, or Pages, including the NCAA format that is used to help earn scholarships.
Extra bonus books on Get A Handle on the SAT, and even favorite homeschooling resources.

The videos are helpful and really do answer questions about how to homeschool through high school. Lee Binz takes what seems like a daunting task and gives you the confidence to know that you CAN homeschool in the high school years, and YES your student can go to college. Her videos help you and your student to really lay out their plan, and how to get the most from their learning experiences and put them on their transcript.

I really do believe that for anyone who is on the fence about homeschooling through the high school year should purchase Total Transcript Solution. It can get you off that fence and on the path to homeschooling through high school.

Once I got through the checkout process it has been a completely easy program to use. I will be using this for our other daughter also as she is entering high school next year. She is also still undecided about college. So I am going to be prepared. I do encourage you to include your student even on some of the videos and the planning. That's another way to help them to learn independence in planning, goals, and decision making.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review various products from The HomeScholar LLC. Click on the link below to see how they used these products in their homes.

Math Essentials Speed Wheel Drills Review

2021-08-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Math struggles are real in this house. Continuous practice is really important for the girls. Recently we had the opportunity to review the Speed Wheel Drills from Math Essentials. What a great way tor practice in short bursts.

The purpose of speed wheel math drills to for kids to be able to practice quickly those essential math facts. Without these being memorized, it does make it harder to tackle those middle and high school math programs.

The Speed Wheel Drills series from Math Essentials includes a book for Addition, Multiplication, and Division. Instead of practice being a full pages of problems, students can practice all the math problems for each number. This type of practice allows for easier memorization.

Each book contains more than 1,440 speed wheel drills that you can assign for children to tackle so many each day.

I like the ability to let them work on so many each day. Caty worked on the addition book that we received. It did not take long the facts that she has been struggling with to start clicking more. Now with her learning challenges, the extra practice has been great. The problems she has been working on are not stretched across a page. So this has kept her from feeling super anxious as she works through the problems.

That is a great benefit to these Speed Wheel Drills. The practice did not cause them anxiety. They were able to get a lot of practice in what seemed to them to be a half a page or even a quarter of a page depending on the problems that day.

Lydia practiced her multiplication and division facts. Again, the practice was fun. It was different. It was not just a case of constant sheets of practice.

I like the flexibility. This is not a course that teaches how to solve these problems. These are strictly practice books. You can assign as much or as little each week as your student needs. With over 1,440 speed wheel drills, the materials will last your student for a while and will help them reach mastery stages.

If you are looking for just some fun extra practice for your students, Math Essentials Speed Wheel Drills are a great addition to your school schedule. They also offer a wide variety of mastery workbooks for middle school, high school, and even adult refresher books.
Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the Speed Wheel Drills books from Math Essentials. Click on the link below to see how they used these products in their homes with their students.

The Fermentools Starter Kit Review

2021-07-29T11:21:00.004-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

I have always wanted to make sauerkraut, but have felt it was an overwhelming process. We got a chance to review the Starter Kit from Fermentools. This was such a super easy process, and my husband is in love.

The Fermentools Starter Kit arrives with the basics to start fermenting your own foods. Fermenting foods is a centuries old procedure to preserve food, and also give your body maximum health benefits from what you are eating. Our kit arrived with a bag of fermenting salt and the basics below.

There is also a short instruction book to get you started. We provided the food and the wide mouth glass canning jar.

Joe love jalapenos. So we started with a basic jalapeno coleslaw. I cheated and bought pre-shredded coleslaw. Then I mashed and mashed, and lets just say this took a little while. As you mash the coleslaw you are breaking out the natural juices by adding the pink fermenting salt (included in the Starter Kit) to the mixture. I'm going to say it was a good 20-30 minutes. Joe and I took turns.

Then we added fresh sliced jalapenos to the mixture and continued to mash it some more.

You could see the cabbage juice starting to break down in the bowl. This was not an instant process. It did take a little while.

I don't know if it was the cabbage slaw we used, but I took the advice from the instruction book and we added some filtered spring water to the mixture. Included in the Starter Kit is a glass disk. This disk is called a glass fermentation weight and it's made specifically to fit inside a standard wide-mouth Mason jar. I wondered why I would need that. You can see in the picture that you use that as a weight to keep the cabbage mixture below the water/juice line. I added the special Airlock system, the stainless steel lid from the Starter Kit, and the rubber stopper (also included). The whole process to get this first batch going took us a little over an hour.

And then the killer part starts......the waiting game. You can eat this in as little as a few days. But for a good kraut, you should be patient and let it sit in a cool, dark place for at least 3 weeks minimum. This was the jar after 3 weeks of patiently sitting on the counter.

This is now a hit. Joe really likes his homemade jalopeno sauerkraut. I'm going to need to keep a batch in rotation as he eat this. And best of all, he is getting better health benefits than all the store bought probiotics that he was taking before.

The Fermentools Starter Kit took away my fear out of getting started in making my own sauerkraut. This is really a very simple process!!! Now to try other foods! Next up Spicy pickles!!

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the Fermentools Starter Kit. Click on the link below to see what they thought of this kit.

Renita

Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Review

2021-07-29T07:11:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently have the opportunity to review Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Program. Caty has been using the Young Scientist Anatomy & Physiology. What a great program this has been for her.

Greg Landry's Homeschool Science is a complete online science program. He offers self-paced programs from 4th grade through 12th grade. The choices include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy & Physiology, Exercise & Sports Physiology, Embryology/Endocrinology, and Earth & Space Science.

All programs are taught from a Christian, young earth point of view. Each class does include information to encourage student success with information on studying and even note-taking.

Students are able to work through each level at their own pace. Each level of science, whether you choose high school, middle school, or even the Young Scientist series contains self-paced videos that run between 20-30 minutes for each session. There are PDF files to download as the student workbook. They include bright colored pages. When you purchase a subscription to each class, you gain access for you whole family for a year. This does allow for flexibility when it comes to students who want to study further into certain topics of their lessons. This is a really neat option for families too, Professor Landry is available for questions by email! There are very few programs that allow parents/students to email with questions in self-paced programs.

Greg Landry is a veteran homeschool dad and former college professor. He is a young Earth creationist. He has taught thousands of homeschool and college student throughout his career.

How have we felt about the program we chose to review?

So far, Caty has been enjoying the program. It has been very easy to use. As many of you know, Caty has some learning disabilities that make a major impact on her learning style. She does well with video based learning. She likes that she can watch a video for her lesson, instead of just reading chapters in a book.

Each one of the video lessons does start with a prayer. There is a bit of review from what I have seen. Students can follow along with Greg in their workbooks. I did print the PDFs and put them in a 3 ring binder for Caty. This is recommended by Greg. The PDF files were easy to download, and the YS Anatomy & Physiology is broken down into two files to make it easy. I chose to print in color, because I thought the bright colors would keep Caty's attention.

One of my favorite features in the workbook is that he does encourage note-taking. Caty though struggles horribly in this area. Her brain cannot handle listening and notes. With this program, Greg has included a filled out page, and then the student can fill out a worksheet based on the page that is included with it. So they are basically copying notes. This has been amazing for her, especially as she was working on the cells section. She has the filled in diagram to study as she is filling in her copy. For someone with Executive Functioning Disorder, this is amazing!

There are comprehension questions also included with each chapter in her studies.

I am truly amazed how easy this program is to use. I had to print out her workbook, and simply add the videos/worksheets to her lesson plans. So there has been very little work for me. Makes my homeschool life so much easier.

Young Scientist Anatomy and Physiology is a 13 week program that covers topics from the Scientific Method through all aspects of human anatomy.

In this particular course, there are not a lot of experiments. If you do want to add some hands-on projects, you can easily do that. I plan on adding some in during her studies, but since the rest of the planning is done this will be super easy and not take up much time.

When we are finished with this particular class, we will continue on to another Young Scientist program of Caty's choice.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review various science and virtual lab programs from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science program. Click on the link below to see how they liked these programs and used them in their homes.

Creating A Masterpiece Online Art History Review

2021-07-16T08:58:00.004-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Caty has been really driving herself to draw more. Our latest review of the Art History from Creating a Masterpiece has been a great addition to helping improve her drawing skills.

Creating a Masterpiece Art History has been created for all ages. The teacher, Sharon Hofer provides through step-by-step instructions videos. Styles of Art in History contains a wide variety of projects that cover many different mediums. These include sculpting, egg tempura, and even working with glass etching.

Students can break down the videos in to multiple sessions, or sit and work on the more basic projects in one session. It really depends on your student's attention span and love for art. This can be adjusted easily to work with your student.

With most art programs there is a large investment for supplies, but with Creating a Masterpiece. Supply cost can vary for the different programs, but that is the same with any art program that you choose. In the Styles of Art in History side of Creating a Masterpiece, there are some specialized projects with supplies that cost a bit more. The Drawing Program has really the least amount of supply fees.

Sharon created this program to make students feel as though they are in a studio with her. This might seem a little odd, but it felt like we were sitting in a studio.

For one of the Art History choices, we worked on Rose Windows. This was a cool marker project. Each video built onto each other, with supplies you have around the house....except us. We could NOT find our protractor anywhere. So we needed to hand draw. I loved during the one video when Sharon said, you can continue to follow my lines or create your own. After all, art is about self-expression. And so we started just adding lines. Caty said she felt as if she was creating her own adult coloring pages.

Caty really has enjoyed being able to work on art wherever she wanted. She tackled the giraffe drawing project just relaxing in the kitchen while we were making a snack.

One day I was scrolling through and saw a lesson on drawing a sunflower. This is my absolute favorite flower. So I was pretty excited to try this video. Creating a Masterpiece can be used by ALL ages.

The sunflower lesson videos are short and they truly encourage to look at the shapes in what you are drawing. By breaking down shapes, it makes the picture seem less overwhelming.

Each lesson has a supply list also. Everything is in one spot for parents. It makes Creating a Masterpiece very easy to use.

We are all loving the Art History from Creating a Masterpiece. Our next piece will be working on a realistic eye. Creating A Masterpiece has really help with flexibility for both our learning style and talent. I'm so glad to be introduced to Art History from Creating a Masterpiece. It has really stood out for me, and I can't wait to see more projects from the girls using this program.

You can visit the Creating a Masterpiece website to see videos on how the program works and you can even sign up to try a free lesson!

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review Art History from Creating a Masterpiece . Click on the link below to see how they used this program in their homes with their families.

Renita

CTC Online Math Curriculum Review

2021-07-09T14:37:00.003-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

I will be honest, I am spread very thin teaching two kids at different learning and grade levels. I was grateful to get the opportunity to review the CTCMath Online math program from CTCMath for the girls. It has helped me out so much already these last few weeks.

CTCMath is an online math program that provides extra help for students who may be struggling in various areas of math. It offers video instruction which can be repeated as many times as the student needs. Each lesson includes quizzes to reinforce and provide practice in the skills that your student needs extra help in. You could use it as a standalone curriculum/teaching program or as supplemental to help reinforce skills your student may be struggling with.

CTCMath allows students to work at a pace that encourages them to master a skill, not just learn it. The videos are short and yet are full of information which helps those with short attention spans. They give several examples of how to complete the problems, and allows students to really understand it. If they are struggling still, they can easily re-watch the video.

CTCMath provides

Almost 1,400 math videos and interactive lessons
57,000 interactive questions
Diagnostic tests
Instant feedback for both parents and students
Help with higher level math such as algebra, trigonometry and calculus
Math lessons are available for students in levels from kindergarten through high school

We have been using the CTCMath online math membership for the last few weeks with the girls as their full math curriculum. We have been working on fractions, review multiplication and division also.

The girls like the short length of the lessons. If they do not understand the steps being taught, they can easily watch the video again and work at the skill they need to master.

The lessons start out with the video and then there are usually ten questions that students need to answer. They get immediate feedback.

But at the end of the lesson, you can also see a summary of all the problems they completed and the student can look at the problems they missed so they can work on what they answered wrong.

One of my favorite things about CTCMath. The simple videos. My kids like playing math games online. But sometimes the flashier the program, the less they learn. There is just too much distraction for their ADD brains. The videos on CTCMath are simple and to the point. They give a great explanation with several working examples. If they need to, they can easily watch them again. These videos save me an extraordinarily large amount of time in dealing with math instruction.

This video from the CTC Math Youtube site, will give you a thorough explanation and shows how the individual lessons work.

Along with the student account, CTCMath Family Membership also gives parents a login. They can use this login to not only track their student's grades, but parents can also assign out the lessons for their students. The lessons are not laid out in order for students. You can login and see all the lessons for each specific grade level or skill type. Parents though can assign lessons to be completed on specific days. You can assign out for several weeks, and also make sure that each assignment has a due date. This is then tracked in a report that is sent to your registered email. So you can track what lessons your student is completing on time.

The girls have been enjoying the ease of lessons. I like that I can adjust Caty's learning levels on various math topics. For example she was struggling with fractions, and needed to take a couple steps back. We discovered an area where she successfully hid that she was struggling. I was able to easily adjust her assigned lessons, and re-assign a younger grade level on the same topic. A "light bulb went off" and she suddenly realized that she did understand the problems!!  CTCMath online math membership is very adjustable for kids with special needs and those with learning disabilities.

I plan on continuing to use CTCMath online math subscription   as a stand alone curriculum for Caty this upcoming school year. Lydia will also continue to use, but as a supplement for her math program, to help her master skills with extra work and video explanations.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the CTCMath online math membership  from CTCMath. Click on the link below to read what they felt about this program.

Renita

Homeschool In The Woods - Project Passport World History Studies Ancient Greece Review

2021-07-08T22:06:00.004-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review Project Passport World History Studies: Ancient Greece from Home School in the Woods. I love creating my own unit study programs for our family. Looking up books that are tailored to each of our children takes a lot of work, but I think they appreciate it when we sit down to do the work each week. But there are some weeks where I just am out of time and energy. Learning must still go on, and that is when I am grateful for pre-made unit studies.

Project Passport World History Studies: Ancient Greece (Download $33.95 and CD $34.95) is a, 8 - 12 week unit study packed with hands-on project study on Ancient Greece. It includes 25 passport stops as you and your students travel throughout this land and time period. You will learn about religion, medicine, writing, education system, farming, Alexander the Great, and aspects everyday life.

Your students though are not just reading and filling out a lapbook. Project Passport World History Studies: Ancient Greece provides exciting writing opportunities disguised as creating a newspaper. Each stop takes you on fun-filled adventures. Included also are informational reading, instructions on how to create a folder to collect all your information in. The pieces are included and easily printed out and assembled.

We received the downloadable materials, but Project Passport World History Studies: Ancient Greece is also available in a CD format. The souvenir postcards have also been a huge hit. Since we travel so much, we send out a lot of postcards. The kids thought this was a great feature and looked forward to creating postcards to go along with our Story stops as we traveled through this time period. There is even a really great timeline that students can add pictures to as they complete each stop.

Caty had recently finished her ancient world studies, and so I decided to use the Project Passport World History Studies: Ancient Greece as summer reinforcing materials.

This unit study is extremely easy to use. I felt a little overwhelmed when I first started opening the files. But I quickly discovered how to print the files that we needed for each lesson. I was also able to quickly adjust activities to make any of them interesting for Caty.

In fact, each travel stop is laid out for parents. You simply need to follow along with the activities suggested. This is the part where Caty picks and chooses materials to go through. So it could be used by parents or students who are working independently.

I generally print the stops, itineraries, newspapers, timeline materials, and extra projects. To print this unit study, it does require a bit more ink and definitely paper. I keep it all together in a 3 inch binder. I use the itinerary pages to keep track of Caty should have completed each week.

Book lists and video suggestions are provided with each lesson. These materials were easily gotten from the library, but I was also able to find other titles if our library didn't have the suggested titles. These books though really were not necessary because each Passport Stop was packed full of information. You could stretch this material out with a Passport Stop each week or do 2-3 stops a week, depending on in depth you want to study Ancient Greece with your family.

This is such a perk when using Homeschool In The Woods products. You can easily adjust to your child's abilities. Caty has been working independently. She chooses one activity to due with each Stop. One day she might work on a post card, and she always writes out the newspaper articles for those readings. She can read the materials independently. She was able to complete 3 stops a week per her history schedule.

We have used Home School in the Woods Project Passports in the past, and I absolutely love them and so do the children. All the projects included are amazing. That is what sets Home School in the Woods apart from other unit studies. It's not just a lap book or a few pages to read. You can fully immerse your whole family in a historic time period. So it's great for multi-level teaching. Homeschool in the Woods provides the materials....and you just need to provide the costumes if you really want to make it come alive....lol. Caty hasn't gotten to this project yet, but she's super excited to work on the Greek Pottery project.

Because We have such a love for the projects from Homeschool In The Woods, I already purchased the study of Ancient Rome and she'll be spending the rest of the summer on that before starting her study of the Middle Ages.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to try out various products from Home School in the Woods. Take a few moments to see how they used them in their homes and if they enjoyed the Passport stops as much as we did. Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog below.

Check out Homeschool In The Woods on Social Media....Keep up with all the latest information:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods/

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Renita

Smoking A Chicken in a Watermelon - Gluten/Dairy Allergen Friendly

2021-06-30T23:44:00.007-04:00

Life is always crazy around our house. Even during the pandemic, life for me did not slow down. I just became busy in other ways, new ways that others needed help so I changed my direction and went where I could help. We are still a homeschooling family, but with a sophomore and an 8th grader...well they are not into the cutesy hands-on projects anymore. It's sad...I am still grieving as I see all the pictures of projects we have done through the years. So I have come to the mind set that we will embrace and head in a new direction.

Cooking like for many others during this time, took a few different directions. I have severe allergies/sensitivities. So eating can be a challenge for me. Lydia has opted to go gluten free because she was having some intestinal issues. Joey got very sick in April, and it appears he developed a gluten/dairy allergy. Just to add to the mix, Caty is following a gluten/dairy free diet due to her PCOS. I am very used to making adjustments to recipes that I do not mind, but for the kids...a whole other story. So my brain is in overdrive every time they want something, how can I make this differently.

So I'm going to be adding our adventures in re-creating the more typical recipes into allergen friendly for our house. Today was an adventure in smoking.

I first hollowed out two watermelons. We use seedless. Obviously enjoying a few days worth of watermelon in the process.

Then I rinsed two whole chickens. I created my own rub for the chicken:

My Chicken Rub:

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp salt (we always use pink salt)

2 tsp sage

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp rosemary

In the meantime, we started the smoker and set it for 250 degrees. The recipes we found on the web poured beer inside the chicken. But that brings up a gluten allergy. So I chose Angry Orchard since it's considered gluten free.

So pour the alcohol of your choice into the watermelon shell. Be careful. You do not want it overflowing.

Then I covered the chicken and alcohol up with the other half of the watermelon. Put on the smoker for 5 hours, or until it reaches the internal temp of 165 F. In the last hour I pull the top half off of the watermelon. This last hour will then allow the chicken skin to brown/crisp up.

This recipe is so moist. The chicken will literally fall off the bone.

Be very careful about rind. Make sure that you use a spatula to remove the watermelon. You will also need to pour out the alcohol. I found that setting the watermelon on the counter inside of a casserole dish is helpful. Lift the chicken out onto a separate large plate

Everyone loved the flavor!!

Another note.....using a metal pan to hold the watermelon does make it much easier to remove from the smoker when it is done.

Enjoy....happy smoking! I'll be back next week with more cooking fun.

Renita

EdAlive - Words Rock Online Review

2021-06-30T09:22:00.001-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review Words Rock Online from EdAlive. Caty has found the game style approach to vocabulary a definite relief from book work.

EdAlive is an Australian based online learning company that has received many educational awards for their work in creating excellent teaching games for students of all grade levels and ages.

Words Rock Online (Ages 5 – 15 and beyond) adapts to student’s skills as they really get to dig into vocabulary. As they play these vocabulary-based games, they can earn achievements. It allows students to improve on their vocabulary to express their thoughts with clear and meaningful texts. With Words Rock Online, students are awarded with Agent cards for their achievements. This reward system encourages students to keep playing as the game continues to adjust to each individual student’s learning levels.

Words Rock Online covers:

· Spelling

· Grammar

· Punctuation

· Vocabulary

· Pre-literacy

Words Rock Online also adapts to student’s abilities. As they play this vocabulary bases game, they also earn achievements. It allows students to improve on their vocabulary to express their thoughts with clear and meaningful texts.

Students can play vs. the computer or other students.

With Words Rock Online, students are awarded Agent cards for their achievements. This reward system encourages students to continue as it continues to adjust to each individual student’s learning levels.

The games were created to help the students to learn through repetition and just being cute with pictures and activities that will draw their attention.

I can see an achievement report for Caty to make sure she is playing and working.

Students can mark questions as being too difficult. This will allow the game to adjust to their abilities, and as they improve the questions will become more difficult again.

Words Rock Online was not created to be a sole curriculum for students, but to provide them extra practice and allow them "game" time away from textbooks. So it is definitely meant as supplemental material.

Caty has been using this a few weeks now, and she has made some improvements in her sentence creation. I am going to keep her "playing" this summer as we continue to work on her language arts delays.

EdAlive has created all of these programs to work through several different web browsers and computer and mobile devices. Caty is able to play on her tablet through her browser. No need to worry about downloading separate apps for each system that your child may use.

Click below to read the reviews from other members of the Homeschool Review Crew that had the opportunity to use Words Rock Online and other EdAlive programs in their homes over the past few weeks

Renita

Winding Down the Year.....

2021-06-08T09:26:00.005-04:00

Anyone else feel like this...

Renita

Funny Friday

2021-05-21T09:37:00.001-04:00

I have been sooooo feeling this lately....

Funny Friday

2021-05-07T09:27:00.003-04:00

Who else knows the feeling???

YWAM Publishing - Heroes of History - Benjamin Rush Review

2021-05-05T09:52:00.003-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently had the opportunity to review the book and study guide for the Benjamin Rush - The Common Good - Heroes of History book from YWAM Publishing. We also received the PDF Study Guide that went along with this title. My history fan devoured this book!
I am a huge history fan, and I gradually have turned Caty into a history fan also. We were very excited to get the opportunity to review the Benjamin Rush book in the Heroes of History series. This series has been a fun way to learn more about history in the United States and around the world.

The Heroes of History series from YWAM Publishing is a biography series written for upper elementary through high school students to that bring to life 29 different individuals from history. These include historical figures like George Washington, Elizabeth Fry, Clara Barton, Milton Hershey, Orville Wright, John Smith, John Adams and so many more!

The series is written in a way that is not just reading facts about the historical figures life, but the child feels like they are reading an actual story.
From the publisher, we received a paperback copy of the title - Benjamin Rush - The Common Good . The chapter book is well printed, and sturdy. Caty is not always the most gentle with her books. She carries around her current books interests in a bag that gets dragged all over. She falls asleep with the books while reading them also. So for this book to still look as though we may have just received it, is saying a lot.
We also received the PDF Study Guide - Benjamin Rush - The Common Good. This easy to download file is packed full of extra information and activities to really bring the historical figure you are learning about to life. Activities include chapter review reading comprehension questions, creative writing prompts, essay writing ideas for older students, ideas on how to bring the historical figure more to life in your classroom area, field trip ideas, vocabulary, art projects, and even printable maps.

All of this material is easily presented in a way that you can use it with multiple learning styles. One way we made an adjustment was for Caty and I to review her comprehension questions orally, instead of writing her answers. She struggles big time with writing, so I knew that even though she knew the answers, she would not be able to put her thoughts on paper and would be frustrated. We changed these to an oral review. I would assign her chapters to read (which she didn't follow since she couldn't stop reading it...lol) and then I would review the comprehension questions from the study guide with her. We worked on the printable maps together and she has been reviewing important events of the American Revolution.
We have had the opportunity to review other books from the Heroes of History series in the past, and I have always found them to be well-written and fun to read. Several of them are available on audiobook also, so that makes it easier for students who struggle with reading disabilities and comprehension problems.
The Heroes of History series really are great for students that have high comprehension levels (through both reading or listening), because they are packed full of life experiences that are beyond just basic facts.

The Study Guides that you can purchase to go along with the stories are excellent for all ages and all learning styles. They are packed full of ideas and activities that really help your student to experience history and bring it to life for them. I love the fact that I can print the materials that I choose to print, thus saving paper. I leave the PDF opened on my laptop and we just read it off the screen as we were working.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review various titles from YWAM Publishing Heroes of History and the Christian Heroes series. Click on the link below to read how they used this series in their homes and what they thought of it.

Renita

Happy Star Wars Day!

2021-05-04T06:48:00.004-04:00

Do you have any fun plans today?? Star Wars science is a lot of fun. There are some great resources.

Star Wars Trivia

Star Wars Learning Packs

Star Wars Ideas for all Subjects

Star Wars Day

The Kuehners

Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0 from Teaching Textbooks Review

2021-04-28T06:00:00.002-04:00

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

As a busy homeschool parent of multiple kids in different grade levels, I was super excited to get the opportunity to review the new interface Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0 from Teaching Textbooks.

Anyone who has followed our blog over the last ten years knows that I do not enjoy teaching math, especially for the older grades. Throw in the fact that I am now working full-time, and I am struggling to stay afloat. Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0 has been the answer to my math curriculum search.

Teaching Textbooks has been a program that we have used since beginning our homeschool journey. We actually started out with the computer disk and printed workbook. The boys worked their way through and they would work on the computer and also through the workbook. This worked well. But they have improved on the original options and now offer this completely online option for parents.

Teaching Textbook 4.0 offers interactive math lessons for students. Each grade level can contain roughly 130 math lessons that includes quizzes over materials. The lessons present the material with video how to solve the problems. Students are asked to follow along with the step-by-step process and answer questions as the problem is solved. This is meant to give extra practice that may be needed.

Each lesson builds on previous lessons, and this includes practice questions from previous lessons. Those first 10 practice questions are great for building on skill to mastery. It's a mix of past and current lesson. Theses questions are not counted in the lesson grade. And yes....I said grade. Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0 does track lesson grades and gives you this information for quick reference. Under your parent account, parents can opt to delete lessons that students failed and have them repeat the activities to improve on their score.

I love that questions are read to the student. The voice can usually be picked from a short list, as well as the avatar that students would like to be. Usually there are even a couple of puns cracked during the lesson. I can tell when Caty is truly paying attention because she'll either crack up or go "man, why???" You know like most of us do when we hear a pun.

Originally the Teaching Textbooks Math 3.0 online platform was through a specific website. We have been using that since it's upgrade in January 2021. Now Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0 is an app that we can download on our desktop. We both have an individual login, so that I can track her. I can also download ebook pages from her lessons if she is struggling and I want to verify how she is being taught to solve a problem. I do not consider what Teaching Textbook uses as Common Core. But you know how sometimes the way I learned math, and then adapted my way of understanding for my brain to get "it". Well that's usually slightly different than the "teacher" in the app explains it. With access to the online material, I can print out the lesson and help her to understand the lesson.

The new platform is extremely user friendly. When you download the program to your computer platform, you do still need internet access to use the lessons. You can download up to 6 lessons though if you are traveling or even struggle with internet access.

Teaching Textbooks Math 3.0 was a digital product also. But you had to use the web interface. I like that Teaching Textbooks 4.0 is a digital product, but you have a program on your device to access the materials. Purchase of Teaching Textbooks 4.0 gives you access to the content for 12 months. You do get lifetime access to the gradebook. But say you are taking a few weeks off from school, you can actually pause your subscription for things like vacation and breaks. That time will not count toward your 12 months, since you did not access the program.

Having such a long period to finish the lessons, this gives you time to your student to work through the entire grade level they are going through to take their time and not rush through the lessons if they need some help to master the material.

If you are not sure about the grade level your student will be tackling, you can easily take a placement test and find your student's placement level.

The benefits I have found using Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0:

Students can work independently
Automatic grading
User friendly interface (Students can easily find there they left off)
Access to the ebook for the program that your student is using
Ability to download several lessons so that you can work on the go when you may have limited internet
Parent login so that I can check their grades and what questions they are struggling on
Questions are read to students
Hints are given for various problems that allows for quick reminders on how to solve problems that students are struggling with
Kid friendly avatars allow the student to personalize their lesson, but not be overly distracting.
Very budget friendly for families. They offer large family discounts also.
Free trial subscription so that you can see if you like the program

We are definitely continuing to use Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0. We have used them for many years, and I love the improved format. I'll keep recommending them to my homeschooling friends.

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review various grade levels of Teaching Textbooks Math 4.0. Click on the link below to see how they felt about using these in their homes.

My New Cleaning Schedule

2021-04-27T21:53:00.003-04:00

With work and school, life is going to be very hectic. I have some major health issues that have been going on, but life still needs to go on. I have been working hard at getting myself into a set schedule for cleaning and making sure that our house stays safe and clean. I need to make sure that I have time for lesson planning, work with the kids, and even spend time with Joe. It's going to be rough.

A very sweet friend of mine made this schedule for me to print and keep handy for reference.

I bought some extra meal prep bowls for myself. Hopefully it will help from from eating crap. My diet is really horrible right now. I need help to try and cut back on flares. I will cook a couple days ahead and even freeze a couple single serving meals for myself to help me out. I cannot do leftovers for long due to my histamine disorder. I must have nutritious food handy though.

So far I have been almost able to keep up somewhat with cleaning. There are a few areas for improvement, even during a flare that I was struggling through, I have been trying my best.

What are some things you do to keep yourself organized? I'm going to make about 4 weeks worth of lesson plans this weekend to try and work ahead for the girls. I do know that I will continue to rely on some online resources for their education. They seem to be doing ok on some of their courses and working independently. This summer we will be reviewing some math techniques that they struggle with so that we can keep advancing in that area.

I'm all ears...meal planning tips, cleaning tips, organizing...help this struggling mom out. We can all support each other!

See you next time!

Renita

New Changes......

2021-04-23T06:00:00.004-04:00

Life has been absolutely crazy at our house. Working full-time. And everything extra has been a struggle.

Joey was sick for a couple of weeks. He had something similar to diverticulitis. He was miserable. It was awful. We had to take him to the ER twice. This made his anxiety run off the chart, but he was so miserable he begged to go to the ER one day. He is doing better now. But it was very rough. He's almost back on normal meds.

I have been looking to open up more independent employment options for myself. So I am heading back to school part time this summer. I'm going to try full-time this upcoming fall semester. The past 21 years of being a mom has really prevented me from reaching degree goals. It's time to close up the gap.

Lydia is working at the zoo part time. We have allowed her to go one day a week and help in a non-public position. Where she can get hours, but not be overly exposed to possible close-contact situations. She has really been enjoying this, but alas the shifts will end at the end of this month. So they promised to find her something else to do, to keep her protected.

Caty has ..well.. Caty has been a typical 13 year old. She keeps me on my toes.

Brayden is staying under the wire in the house. He is working on updating his room. He's doing a great job. Constant reminders, but he's making sure he's doing just enough work to stay out of trouble.

I am in planning stages for summer. I honestly have been exhausted. The girls have gotten an impromptu week off from school. They are supposed to be cleaning their rooms and reorganizing them. We are shifting around beds. The girls are redecorating their rooms. I would like it all done in the next few weeks. I think I have figured out our summer work. I'll do a separate post about that.

I went for more bloodwork. I may have an official diagnosis...maybe?!?! I don't want to be hopeful, but it would be nice. I would hopefully know a way to try and start healing and feel a bit better. I have had several reactions. Chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, depression, anxiety attacks, the list just goes on and on....That is a whole other post. I will update.

This is just a brief update. I had to get a new laptop and still working on connecting and downloading photos from my phone. I should have it all figured out soon.

I hope everyone is having a great week...we are experiencing a pretty heavy snowfall on the 20th of April. It's crazy to have spring flower buds now under snow. When I can think clearer later in the week, I'll post progress on all the kids.

Menu Monday

2021-04-19T02:00:00.001-04:00

Has anyone reached that part of the winter where they have cooked so much...yeah they are over it?? My planning brain is struggling. We have food. But WOW...I just can't some days. I am trying hard to plan as much as possible to keep myself organized. I work full-time from home (fortunately), but it's still a struggle.

Sunday

B - Pizza

L - Leftovers

D - Lasagna

Monday

B - Ground turkey hash

L - Leftovers from weekend

D - Loaded chicken w/ mashed potatoes

Tuesday

B - Mini egg muffins

L - Leftovers

D - Poor mans burnt ends w/ sweet potato tots

Wednesday

B- Toast and smoothies

L - Leftovers

D - Baked nachos

Thursday

B - Freezer Waffles or Pancakes

L - Salad and mac/cheese

D - Peanut butter chicken and noodles

Friday

B - Cereal

L - PB&J Rollups

D -Smoked ham, corn cake, roasted sweet potatos

Saturday

B - Corn mush and ham
L - Udon noodles

D - Loaded Potato soup

***This is important.....some days I change things around.**** I print a menu and keep it on the cabinet. If something happens, I change the menu in pencil. I make sure to keep track at the bottom of the menu of the meals that get moved, and we still have the ingredients for.

This biggest thing to remember.... BE FLEXIBLE!! I cannot express this enough. Do not down yourself if you need to move your menu around. You might be exhausted, need to work over, or a sports practice gets moved....all these things have happened to me in the last few weeks. Flexibility is the key. I also have given up some control in the kitchen and make sure that the kids are involved as much as possible in making meals. Some day they will be able to cook the entire meal themselves!! Whoohooo!!

I know I didn't share any recipes, but if you are interested, please email me. renitakuehner@gmail.com. I'd be happy to share a close variation of what we make. I seriously do not really follow recipes well...lol

Hope that these ideas help and everyone has a great week!!!

Renita