Giveaway time!!

I have been a big fan of Usborne books ever since I was about 6 years old sitting on my bed and searching for the duck on each page in the "find the duck" First Words in Spanish book. Usborne books were created out of the desire to have quality educational books that were interactive and interesting enough to compete with video games and magazines. Over 20 year later, I am even more in love with them and the richness they bring to my home. We use them in school, we use them for bedtime stories, my 6 year old uses the doodle and activity books during road trips and quiet time and my toddler loves all the touchy feely pages of the board books. I recently started selling them and couldn't be more excited! I love these books and I love sharing my love for them with new people! I have decided to do a quick little giveaway this week! Everyone who orders through THIS LINK before Thanksgiving will be entered to win a free product! The winner will be notified and given a variety of products to choose from, which I will have shipped directly to you! This is an excellent time to buy Christmas presents for the children in your life and possibly get a free item to go with it! I am also linking to a few of my very favorite products that we sell! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!

My top 5 choices for Christmas gifts:
"That's not my..." board books. These are touch & feel books perfect for babies and toddlers. Subjects range from puppy to princess to car and right now the tractor one is on sale for under $4! $4-$9
1001 Things to Spot books- subjects vary from bugs to fairies to pirates! Ages 3+  for only $9.99!
"Big Book of..."-subjects vary from big machines to big monsters to sea creatures! Ages 4+ for $15.99
Doodle books! So many fun activities in these books! From $5.99-$14.99
Sticker books! These are SO much fun and there are so many to choose from! Fashion, history, warriors, fairies, cars, trains, heroes, pirates, you name it! These are one of my favorite products hands down! And they range from $6.99-$9.99 making them a truly affordable gift that your kids will love!

My top 5 choices homeschool supplements:
Children's Encyclopedia's- These books are outstanding! One of the best resources I have found for home schooling across the board, but are excellent for homework and research for children in a classroom setting as well. Not only are they interesting for kids to just flip through with their beautiful illustrations, but the information inside is extremely well written and distributed in a manner that keeps it from feeling overwhelming. $15-$20
Illustrated Dictionaries- These are excellent resources for math and science. So many concepts can be easy to understand, but difficult to explain. These books help break it down in a way that kids can see and understand, without ever talking down to them. I love them!
Beginners books- These come in a wide variety of subjects and are packed with just the right amount of information. Great for early readers and as a general resource for common subjects and interests. Age 6+  only $4.99
My Very First Art Book- This is basically a full art curriculum in one great book. Awesome! $12.99
Famous Paintings- This is my favorite book in that it also makes an excellent gift for anyone interested in art and it makes a beautiful coffee table book. Do yourself a favor and buy a couple :o) $16.99

So get some Christmas shopping done AND get entered into the free giveaway!
*Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with these pages and does not sponsor or support their content.

Creative Gift Ideas for Kids (All are $25 or under!)

“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!” - Neil Gaiman

I love books. I have always loved the escape a good book can provide when you are stuck in one spot. Growing up we did a lot of road trips and, along with my gameboy, books were always a favorite activity to bring on the road. And to have in bed after lights out. And to have at all times in my backpack, then purse, and now diaper bag just incase I get a few minutes of waiting that can be better spent delving into the adventure awaiting me between those pages. Books make my heart so happy. Now that I am a mom and a homeschooler, I have found an even deeper love for books. I love the interests that the right books can create in my children. I love fiction as well as non-fiction. I love anything that sparks creativity, curiosity in the world and people around us, and a desire for more knowledge. My absolute favorite books are Usborne books. Hands down the best books out there for kids. They range from great baby board books to fabulous young adult fiction. The company was created out of a desire to create books that were interesting and interactive enough to compete with video games and magazines and they have done an awesome job of keeping up with this. I am a big fan of giving books as gifts, but am aware that many kids are not a fan of receiving them. I think this is so sad and a clear sign that they haven't been given the right opportunities to fall in love with books. So, out of my love for them, I have decided to compile a list of books, both fiction and non fiction, that make excellent gifts for kids! I have divided the lists by age and provided a link for each book for details, as well as the opportunity to purchase it for the kids on your list! Enjoy!

Babies (from $5-$20)

~Animal Hide and Seek (My personal favorite!) 
~That's Not My... (This series is SO cute! That's Not My Puppy is my favorite, but there are many cute ones to choose based on the interests of the parents/child) 
~Very First Words: On the Farm 
~Animal Noises 
~Touchy Feely Cars 
~Find the Duck (There is also Find the Kitten and Find the Puppy)  
~Hop, Skip, and Jump with CD 
~ Baby Scrapbook 

Toddlers (From $5-$25)

~Construction Sites Lift and Look 
~Cuddle Bear book plus a huggable Cuddle Bear toy (This is such a sweet book and a portion of the proceeds go to the Scott Carter Foundation to help end childhood cancer) 
~Flippy Floppy Jungle Animals 
~Mini Machines Box Set 
~Planes Lift and Look (Especially great if you will be traveling!) 
~The Holes in Your Nose (Because what toddler isn't fascinated by their nostils?)  
~Trains Lift and Look 
~Under the Sea Chunky Board Book 

Preschoolers (From $5-$25)
~Complete Book of Farmyard Tales with CD (One of my personal favorites and a very popular Usborne product. This is perfect for something to keep little ones entertained on road trips or for quiet times in bed listening to the CD as they following along looking at the pictures.)  
~Big Book of Playtime Activities (Tons of ideas for things to make and do- perfect for those blustery days indoors!) 
~Big Book of Big Animals 
~Asia Box Set (Retail value of over $60 if sold separately, but altogether in this set it is just $15!)  
~Book of Fairytales 
~Little Book of Train Stories with CD 
~Book of Princess Stories 
~A Squirrel's Tales (Another favorite of mine! My 18month old AND my six year old love this book and taking turns having the squirrel follow the path through the pages.) 
~Wipe Clean Doodles with pen

School Age Kids (From $4-$20)
~Big Book of Know How (My favorite! This book is so fun and I cannot wait to give it to my son!) 
~Illustrated Classics for Girls 
~Illustrated Stories for Boys 
~The Story of Spying 
~True Escape Stories 
~Improve Your Survival Skills 
~Extreme Adventures Series 
~ Phoenix Files Series (Great  suspenseful young adult fiction) 

--Activity Books-- (All under $20)

~ 50 Science Things to Make and Do 
~ Recycling Things to Make and Do 
~Face Painting 
~Fairy Things to Stitch and Sew 
~100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly
~Write Your Own Story Book 
~Monsters Coloring Book 
~Doodle Pad for Boys 
~Art Deco Patterns to Color 
~50 Rainy Day Activities 
~Big Doodling Book 

These Things to Spot (similar to I Spy) books are so much fun! My eldest son has loved them since he was 3 years old and still spends time looking at them in bed with the flashlight. They have many themes ranging from Bugs to Spot to Things to Spot in Fairyland to 1001 Pirate Things to Spot and at only $10 each, they make a great gift! 

Activity Cards (All of these are ($10!)
~100 Things to Spot in the Sky 
~50 Horses and Ponies to Spot 
~50 Optical Illusions 
~ Hundreds of Silly Jokes 
~Monster Doodles (Wipe clean with pen) 
~ Travel Doodles (Wipe clean with pen) 

Sticker Books (All are under $10!)
Under the Sea
Dollhouse 
First book of Fairies 
Popstars 
1920's Fashion (My favorite!) 
Build Your Own Car 
Heroes
Pirates 
Dinosaurs

... What are your favorite books to gift to the children in your life?  *Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with these pages and does not sponsor or support their content.

Classical Conversations Cycle 2 Usborne Book Suggestions

I have had a number of friends ask about using Usborne Books to supplement Classical Conversations. I decided to go ahead and make a list of books that tie in nicely with what Classical Conversations is learning this year (cycle 2). These books are great for all students, whether they are in a classroom setting or in home school of any kind. I have only included those that fit alongside the CC Cycle 2 subjects. I plan to have a list for cycle 3 out before too long for those who want to prepare for next year. This list is NOT an official list from Usborne nor from Classical Conversations. Please feel free to share this and to let me know if you find Usborne books you feel should be added. 

History-
Encyclopedia of the Ancient World ("From the first farmers of the Middle East to the rise of mighty empires in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome") - http://x3768.myubam.com/p/461/encyclopedia-of-the-ancient-world-il-reduced-format
Encyclopedia of World History ("Find out about dinosaurs, the first humans, Ancient Egypt, the Aztec Empire, Medieval Europe, the First World War and many more fascinating subjects.") http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1077/encyclopedia-of-world-history-il-cv
Medieval World ("Follow the Crusades to the Holy Land, explore China with Marco Polo and visit a Mayan ball game. Find out how a knight trained for battle, who invented fireworks and who the Vandals were.")- http://x3768.myubam.com/p/262/medieval-world-il
Living Long Ago: Everyday Life Through the Ages http://x3768.myubam.com/p/124/living-long-ago-cv
Castles (Level 1) http://x3768.myubam.com/p/414/castles-irlevel-1
Castles http://x3768.myubam.com/p/29/castles-il
Sticker Dressing: Knights http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1111/sticker-dressing-knights
Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1440/illustrated-stories-from-shakespeare
World of Shakespeare http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2666/world-of-shakespeare
Sticker Dressing: Explorers http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2083/sticker-dressing-explorers
Story of Exploration http://x3768.myubam.com/p/748/story-of-exploration-ir
A Tale of Two Cities (Set during the French Revolution) http://x3768.myubam.com/p/715/tale-of-two-cities-yr3
The Story of Inventions http://x3768.myubam.com/p/585/story-of-inventions
See Inside Inventions http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1327/see-inside-inventions-ir
The World Wars http://x3768.myubam.com/p/533/world-wars-il
Introduction to the First World War http://x3768.myubam.com/p/486/first-world-war-il
True Stories of the First World War http://x3768.myubam.com/p/187/true-stories-of-the-first-world-war
Story of the Second World War http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2901/story-of-second-world-war
Second World War Cards http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2571/second-world-war-cards
True Stories of the Second World War http://x3768.myubam.com/p/634/second-world-war
See Inside the Second World War http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1279/see-inside-the-second-world-war
Sticker Dressing: Second World War http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1554/sticker-dressing-second-world-war
Fighter Planes http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1276/fighter-planes-ir
Submarines http://x3768.myubam.com/p/990/submarines-il
Tanks http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1162/tanks-ir

History/Art-
Impressionist Sticker Book http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1128/impressionists-sticker-book
Impressionist Paintings Cards http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1240/impressionists-paintings
Famous Paintings http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1241/famous-paintings
Children's Book of Art http://x3768.myubam.com/p/294/childrens-book-of-art-il
Art Sticker Book http://x3768.myubam.com/p/722/art-sticker-book


Science-
First Encyclopedia of Science http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2714/first-encyclopedia-of-science-il
Illustrated Dictionary of Science http://x3768.myubam.com/p/513/illustrated-dictionary-of-science
Science Encyclopedia http://x3768.myubam.com/p/870/science-encyclopedia-il-cv
Living World Encyclopedia ("To emphasize how living things interact with each other and their ever-changing natural world, this informative first reference book is arranged by environments and habitats. Every page is packed with wonderful full-color illustrations and fascinating information about plants and animals and the way they live.") http://x3768.myubam.com/p/978/living-world-encyclopedia
Science with Water http://x3768.myubam.com/p/460/science-with-water
World of Animals http://x3768.myubam.com/p/754/world-of-animals-il
Big Book of Animals http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1181/big-book-of-big-animals
Mysteries & Marvels of Nature http://x3768.myubam.com/p/576/mysteries-marvels-of-nature-il
The Great Animal Search http://x3768.myubam.com/p/952/great-animal-search
First Encyclopedia of Space http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1073/first-encyclopedia-of-space-il
Look Inside Space http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1539/look-inside-space
Discovery: Space http://x3768.myubam.com/p/690/space-il
Discovery: Astronomy http://x3768.myubam.com/p/670/astronomy-il
Living in Space (Level 2) http://x3768.myubam.com/p/351/living-in-space-level-2-ir
100 Things to Spot in the Night Sky http://x3768.myubam.com/p/558/100-things-to-spot-in-the-night-sky
Astronomy and Space Sticker Book http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2066/astronomy-and-space-sticker-book-ir

Geography -
World History Sticker Atlas http://x3768.myubam.com/p/357/world-history-sticker-atlas-ir
Children's Picture Atlas http://x3768.myubam.com/p/32/childrens-picture-atlas
Geography Encyclopedia with Complete World Atlas- http://x3768.myubam.com/p/933/geography-encyclopedia-il

Math-
First Illustrated Math Dictionary http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1358/first-illustrated-math-dictionary
Math Puzzles http://x3768.myubam.com/p/1153/math-puzzles
Wipe Clean First Math http://x3768.myubam.com/p/2334/wipe-clean-first-math


*Usborne Publishing Ltd. has no connection with these pages and does not sponsor or support their content.

Dd is for Dinosaur

Elijah started asking when we were going to do the dinosaur unit ever since he found out there was one, which was before we even started kindergarten. It came at a good time, too. We finally were unpacked and starting to get into the groove of our life in Asheville. Homeschooling had been less exciting since the move and this was a good way to bring back the fun of it all. We started the unit with evidence of dinosaurs in the living room...

I used these footprints for a number of activities. Some were movement ones, having him jump from one to the next. I also wrote a large letter on each one and we used them for man words he knows like man, cat, sun, etc. 

We talked about measurements and how you can use almost anything for measuring. We traced and cut out an elijah foot print and hand print then made a graph. He helped pick things to measure and chart. I thought this would be super fun, but in all honesty, it took ALL day and was more like pulling teeth. He just wasn't in the mood for it I guess. Oh well, you can't win them all :o)

I saw these two ideas on pinterest, too (seriously, my homeschooling would be so much less fun without pinterest!) We made some cute little dino feet for Yohan, too, but I never got a picture. I used craft foam sheets for them so the are more durable. Paper would work, too.

We both love Bill Nye the Science Guy. Between him and The Magic School Bus, I have at least one fun episode for most every unit. Learning about dinosaurs seemed like a good time to learn about volcanos, too so I threw that in on one of the days I added to the unit's curriculum. Most of the units we do are 6 days, but we went ahead and did 8 or 9 for this one cos there was just so much cool stuff to do.

And of course, you can't learn about volcanos without making one! I had wanted to do it outside on the grass, but it was too cold and wet out, so we tried to make it look as outdoorsy as we could...using legos. Lij covered a plastic water bottle with play dough. we poured in some baking soda with a little bit of dish soap then poured in the vinegar and food coloring and watched the eruption. Many people pointed out on my instagram picture that it looks like a pig head with a bloody snout. Gross! I assure you it is not! haha

Another favorite was making dinosaur eggs. We made them one day and then cracked them open and turned them into dinosaur egg salad sandwiches for lunch the next day. Yum!

I got the idea for this cute dino craft from here. He is still hanging out on our fridge.

This pasta and coffee grounds craft (whyyyy is it upside down??) was so cute and fun! and I got the printable for making the skeleton puzzle here.

Elijah is learning so much with letters and reading and it just thrills my heart! 

There were so many great books for this unit, but these were our favorites :o)

Uu is for Us & Valentine's Day

Uu us for Us was a good unit. I, personally, am fascinated with anatomy and had hoped to instill that in my son. He's just not that into it at this point and that's ok. We had a good time anyways. We have a kid's museum with an exhibit all about the 5 senses, which we visited. We also watched a couple Cat in the Hat episodes and a Magic School Bus episode all about the body. I had him lie down on a large piece of brown craft paper and i traced his body, then had him fill in the features and even make his outfit look like what he was wearing. However, he asked me not to put the pictures of that online, so I won't. But trust me, it was cute :o) We went on "blind walks", observed sounds outside, and of course, did some activities with food. I forgot to take a picture, but I made a chart with the 5 senses and each of the foods shown in the picture (marshmallow, cheerios, granola bar, pretzels, and chocolate chips. I had him feel them with his eyes closed, smell them, listen to them being broken or bitten, look at them, and taste them. we then charted how he described each sense in relation to the food. 

We LOVE these cards from Usborne all about learning to tell time. We also made our own clock out of paper plates. (Please forgive the not upright photos!) 

 

And ok, seriously, how cute are these little tootsies? 

 And then we had Valentine's Day! I LOVE this day! It inspires so many beautiful things, especially in the food department! We got to have a little themed party when our friends visited, which made it even more fun. I made these cookies, which I loved, though I think everyone else just thought they were ok. We also had twizzler hearts and ice cream sodas. So pretty!


                                        

                                        

We made these cards for the grand parents and my husband's aunt and uncle. I love that we traced Elijah's hand for it. I think that makes it even more special. For his cousins and friends he made monsters with googly eyes and they said something like "I've got my eyes on you". Cute stuff inspired by Pinterest! Love it.

I also got the idea for this online. I interviewed Elijah about his dad and write it down. This is totally something that will be saved. 

On Valentine's Day we took a break from our curriculum and learned a smidge of history about it (turns out there's not much to learn). Elijah got homemade cards from us, his first very own box of chocolates (it only had 4 in it) and candy hearts. We put those candy hearts to work with this graph he filled out. I saw a print out for something like this online, but I can't find it to look it. I just went ahead and made it myself though. Super easy. 

                                     
                                      

He also did some taste tasting and clearly marked how he felt about each flavor/color and he practiced drawing hearts.
                                       

By far the best part was having Elijah help decide what random acts of kindness we would do and who we would give them to. He picked out a chocolate bar to leave for the mailman and we made chocolate dipped short bread cookies (one of the best recipes ever, which I got from my dad) for our neighborhood firemen and librarians. He helped make them and we added a note saying we appreciate them and i included a list of ingredients for any restricted diets they might have. We also made chocolate dipped strawberries as a surprise for my husband :o)

       

Delivering the cookies was SO fun! I cannot recommend doing this enough. I need to do it more with him. The firemen were so excited and kind and the librarians (whom we see on a weekly basis) were extra appreciative and thankful. I could tell he was so happy and proud. I love seeing him shine like that. I love that he is old enough to feel how good it feels to be kind to others.

 Our Valentines Day table was covered with sweet cards and gifts. I also got a surprise box from my sister full of Valentine's Day gifts that made me cry and miss her and her family so much.

My husband and I ended the day with a homemade dinner of flilet mignon (my first time making it), spicy roasted zuchinni, and creamy garlic noodles and we watched Lars & the Real Girl. It was a beautiful day full of love and happiness, which I am so blessed to say that I experience on a daily basis with my boys. I am so in love with my family I can hardly stand it. 

Moving Between Units...

                                 

Moving day arrived quickly and I am SO very thankful for the help we got from our friends Dave & Allison and my awesome sister and sister in law. Seriously, I have the coolest people in my life. We got to Asheville late at night and decided not to face the music until the next day. But not before going to s cute little diner for breakfast. :o)

I tried to pack the boys, but decided to keep them around with us...

I decided to take a break from the unit studies during unpacking/the holidays, but still wanted to do school. I took this time to focus on things Elijah was less confident in and to stick with the basics. We started learning how to tell him and did a lot of reading together. We also spent a lot of cold days making forts inside. 

 

We also had days where we learned all about Christmas and Hanukkah, which was special and fun. I absolutely love these holidays.

And I did random things around the house, trying to keep things fun for Elijah during the transition. This was my favorite :o)
                                        

Nn is for Nest & Tt is for Turtle (ish)

So... I know we did a lot of fun stuff for these units, but it feels like SO long ago and I remember nothing! Basically, anything we did the month before moving is a blur. This is all I've got...

For the nest unit we learned about animal homes and I know we spent a lot of time outside. We went to the zoo and talked about habitats. We also did a day that I added when my nephew was visiting (age 4) about fire safety. Stop drop and roll is always fun :o)

For the Turtle unit, my favorite book was Emma's Turtle. Elijah loved having a new reason to look at the globe and track where the turtle thought he was. Cute stuff!

letter blending! I was so excited to officially start this with elijah and he picked it up so quickly.

I don't remember exactly what this was for, but I love the pictures. I know I had him run a distance in his boots and then had him do it in mine. What did it have to do with? I am really not sure, but the message is clear: his boots are way easier :o)

We also spent A LOT of time in this month making lego robot "families" and "armies". These are a personal favorite of mine in the list of things to build with legos.

This was also right around the time that Hans started pulling himself up on furniture.

 We also had a day with friends over to learn about Thanksgiving (again, I KNOW I took pictures of all the cool things we did, but this is all I can find) and the kids made these cool Native American vests.

     ...and this is just because I am in LOVE with these beautiful dishes my sister found for me at a yard sale! I was so happy to get to use them for Thanksgiving and thought these happy flowers went perfectly. We have so very much to be thankful for!