Luv'N Lambert Life

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crew review

We Choose Virtues {Crew Review}

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Over the past few years, I have heard the absolute BEST things about We Choose Virtues and have really been wanting to try this company and it’s products out.  I was very excited to see it in our Schoolhouse Review Vendor list this year and knew it was going to be one I would sign up for.  The product we were gifted for review are the We Choose Virtues NIV Parenting Cards, along with the We Choose Virtues Download Bundle which contained a ton of goodies for us to use with our cards. This set is designed to be used with children ages 3-11.
I was able to choose which version of the cards I wanted.  The options were NIV and KJV.  Normally, I would have gone for the KJV for myself but since I am using these for the kids, I chose the easier to understand NIV version.  I’m not sure that would have made a difference in the cards since they are written for children regardless but in my head it made sense at the time of choosing.
Shipping on this product was really quick and we were able to get started right away.  I chose to use a few cards each week as we discussed these Virtues.  I usually picked whatever card seemed to fit our days at the time.  The card I started with was Obedient, since we all seem to struggle with following direction without complaint or argument.  
In the corner of each card, it begins with I am within a bright yellow circle.  Then comes the word for the Virtue in large font across the card itself.  An adorable child representing the virtue is presented below this word on the right each time so you can clearly see how they fit to the lesson of the virtue itself.  Next comes a phrase to make the child think that is catchy in order to stick well into the memory to be repeated later on.  Then there is a smaller bit of info on the subject to help explain it further, followed by the biblical scripture that it relates to below that.
On the back of each card, you find the Virtue User Challenge.  Each of these is different and should be completed together, yet individually within the family.  It’s like a family pact to make this virtue top priority for the length of it’s lesson.
Underneath the Virtue User Challenge, the virtue itself is featured and described so that it’s easy to discuss with the family.  And beneath that, is an box that tells What to say after “I’m Sorry”.  This section was my absolute favorite as I’m never sure how to explain this to my children and they are never certain what they are really expected to say.  Please, forgive me for _______ has become a blessing to our family and our daily expression of love, gratitude and simple forgiveness.
On the right half of the cards, you find the Teachable moments for families section, in which the virtues are further explained by examples from others lives.  These really get you thinking and sharing with one another.  This particular section led us to great conversations that we were otherwise missing in our day to day life.
Below the Teachable Moments section, The Kids of VirtueVille are featured, explaining who the adorable child representing that virtue is and what they are all about.  These little descriptions are adorable and really help children relate to the purpose of the virtue.  Each one has their own quirky personality that my children were really able to see bits and pieces of in themselves.
Each of these awesome cards ends with What is that… do you think?  What a topic starter!  My children always had some thought provoking answer following this one great question each time we went over one of the 12 cards.  There’s also a basic parent card with the set that tells you about the concept of the We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards and how to use them.
In the We Choose Virtues download bundle, there is a Teacher’s Handbook which further explains how to use the We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards and other parts of this wonderful program.  This colorful PDF file breaks it all down for you so that you can better teach the Virtues to your children in a classroom or personal setting.  Ideas and instructions for each tool of We Choose Virtues can be found in this wonderful document and implemented as you see fit.
A PDF of We Choose Virtues Sing Along is also provided in this file.  This is a black and white printable file containing a little song to sing for each virtue being taught.  I chose to print these off with each lesson and post them where the kids could see and sing them throughout the process of this review.  The kids loved them!
Another provision in this file is the We Choose Virtues Family Assessment.  I printed this right away and filled it out.  What a great way to see where our family needed improvement so we could start with the Virtues we needed to cover the most right away!  I was really impressed with this document and it’s help in planning for our use of this program.  We completed an assessment for each member of our family, compared them and helped each other as we worked on these virtues together.
The Kids of Virtue Coloring Book was also a ton of fun!  I printed copies of this book out for each of the kids to use and they enjoyed coloring in the Kids of VirtueVille as we talked about the corresponding cards each week.  I think this one was Laycie’s favorite part.
The PDF file also contained a Butterfly Award to download.  This printable is designed to help encourage children to follow the lessons they learn through the We Choose Virtues program.  These can be awarded throughout the program as the child learns the importance of each virtue and blossoms into a better person.
The entire set of items works beautiful together to create a program that promotes the Virtues that children need to learn in this day and age to be better people.  We absolutely LOVE We Choose Virtues and look forward to using more of their products in the future.
We Choose Virtues NIV Parenting Cards are available for purchase for $38.49.  There are a total of 13 double sided cards measuring 8.5″x 5.5″ on heavy cardstock.  These are full color cards.
The We Choose Virtues Download Bundle includes the Teacher’s Handbook for the program, the Family Character Assessment, Coloring Pages, Butterfly Award and Sing-Along-Song Sheets for $7.99.  These come in a PDF file download.
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Learning Wrap-Ups {Crew Review}

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The first time I saw a Learning Wrap-Ups product was several years ago when we began homeschooling.  Our local homeschool used-bookstore had a multiplication set for sale.  A few months later, I was offered a set of Learning Palette’s as well at a homeschool used-booksale. I admit, I turned both of these products down at the time due to lack of extra funds for them but I never forgot the products or how fun they appeared to be.
So when this review became available, I was thrilled.  I had regretted passing up those two products many years before and wished several times over the years that I had made the investments because I had heard such good things about the Learning Wrap-Ups company.  As you’ve probably guessed, because of that I jumped at reviewing Learning Wrap-Ups and we received the following products for this review:
I also have to say, that even though I knew this product was amazing, and even though I knew we’d be receiving a package full of fun things to do, I never expected to be gifted so much through this review.  This has truly been a blessing for our homeschooling and our home alike.  We’ve greatly enjoyed using Learning Wrap-Ups over the past few weeks and there has been something for everyone from this one box filled with goodies!
For the review, I was able to select which products I wanted.  I chose the items that I listed above because I felt they best fit our families’ needs.  Laycie is in Kindergarten right now and the Learning Palettes were a great way to introduce concepts for her age level without being overwhelming and still keeping it fun.  The Wrap-Ups were perfect for my older children as well, some for review and some for new learning activities during our day to day lessons.
The Kindergarten Math Learning Palette 1 Base Center Kit comes in it’s own plastic carrier so that all the products within stay contained easily in one place.  Inside the bag is a Learning Palette board with different colored plastic circle disks which are used for self-correction as you use the Learning Palette.  There are also five different boxes inside, each containing 12 cards with 12 challenges to complete for learning about various math skills.  The topics cover Matching and Early Numbers, Numbers, Coins and Fractions, Intro to Algebra, Intro to Geometry and Measurement, and Intro to Data.
There are a total of 60 curriculum cards with a total of 720 questions in all.  Each of these cards meet the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards.  They are also Common Core and State Standard correlated.
As mentioned above, these tasks are self-correcting.  With help, children read through the card and make their answer by choosing a disk color that coincides to the correct answer.  Once all the disks are in place on the Learning Palette, the student turns the card over to see if they were right or not by checking if the colors match up.  This can be repeated again and again as needed.  As we answered questions, we would read through the wrong answers to see why they were not right and what the correct answer was.  It was a very easy process for us to work through.
The Kindergarten Reading 1 Base Center Kit is the same as the math but instead it covers Reading as a subject.  The same self-correcting method with colored disks is used.  The subjects covered with this Learning Palette are Alphabet, Beginning Consonants, Rhyming Words, Beginning Vocabulary, and Vowels.   There are also 60 cards with 720 questions covering Reading in this set of the Learning Palette.  Other grade levels are also available for these kits.
Laycie absolutely loved the Learning Palette kits and could not wait to use them every day.  Even today she asks to use them repeatedly and hasn’t tired of learning with them.  I allowed her to do a few a day, helping her as needed and showing her the corrections when she was done.  She is able to open her Palette cover, put in a card and answer the questions mostly on her own, then put it all away when finished.  Very little help is now needed by me for her to do this.  It’s been great to give her a bit of educational freedom as well.
Our Learning Wrap-Up kits are pretty awesome as well.  Both Laycie and her older siblings have enjoyed these.  Some have been great review, while others have been great learning for them.
The Learning Wrap-Up Math Intro Kit didn’t come with CD’s but we are totally ok with that because it was just as great without them.  It does come with a Wrap-Up for Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Fractions.  Each Wrap-Up is a different color and they are super easy to use.
Wrap-Ups are plastic and have numbers on the front with a start arrow to let you know where to begin.  They have a string attached and when you use them you start the string at that arrow.  Then you wrap the answers you are working with, wrapping the string around the Wrap-Up which you are working on.  These are also self-correcting so when you have the Wrap-Up done, you can check the back to see if you had the correct answers or not.  They can be used over and over and are great both for learning and review of math facts.
The Learning Wrap-Up Math Intro Kit was a favorite of Winston’s.  He loves Math and anything to do with Math.  He spent hours going over and over the Wrap-Ups simply reviewing facts and he really enjoyed doing that – he still does it today.
The Learning Wrap-Up Vocabulary Intro Kit works the same way as the Math kit.  The student places the string at start and wraps to the correct answers.  These are also self-correcting and can be reused multiple times.  The Vocabulary kit covers synonyms, homonyms, compound words, and antonyms used in vocabulary.
Emma absolutely loved these!  A bonus was that words she didn’t know, she quickly learned to read and spell by using these Wrap-Ups!  They were right up her learning alley!
Additionally to the Learning Palettes and the Learning Wrap-Ups kits, we received 10 Steps to Addition Mastery and 10 Days to Multiplication Mastery.  Each of these workbooks are 62 pages in length.  They contain many varied activities in relation to Math concepts.  They are black in white print with adorable designs throughout to keep Math interesting for the young users who are working through them.  They are not reproducible and each student should have their own workbook for completion.  I used them with all three students by having each student choose a page to complete separately.  Laycie did more of the additon pages, while Winston and Emmalee completed more of the Multiplication workbook.  They agreed the work was fun but still somewhat challenging for them.
We were also given the opportunity to use LearningPalette.com!  We were gifted with a year’s subscription for up to five users.  This site covers all levels of the Reading and Math Palettes.  It is simple and fun to use, just like the Learning Palettes themselves.  Simply follow the instructions to log in, click the Learning Palette you wish to learn with, and complete the answers right on the website.  This is also a self-correcting format, helping children to achieve success in learning.
I am so thankful for the chance to review this product and the joy it has brought into our home and our homeschooling.  The kids really don’t feel like they are doing school by using Learning Wrap-Ups but instead feel like they are simply playing while learning and nothing makes me happier than that!  Learning Wrap-Ups is a wonderful investment for all families, whether in Public school or Homeschooling like we are!

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Kinder Cottage Publishing: Peter Rabbit Series {Crew Review}

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Who doesn’t love the beautifully written childhood tales of Peter Rabbit?  As a child this series was one of my favorites.  I remember wanting to hear more and more about Peter and the other rabbits story as my Mother read them to me, and later I read them to myself.
Kinder Cottage Publishing has moderately redesigned and published the Peter Rabbit series to be shared with yet another generation of children.  For our review, we were gifted with two beautiful copies of the Kinder Cottage Publishing series: Peter Rabbit at the Farm and Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper.  I was able to choose our books from the series list.

Kinder Cottage Review

I chose Peter Rabbit at the Farm because of my children’s love of Farm animals.  We already know Peter’s tale by heart so I felt these new stories would continue that love we have of this dear rabbit and his mischievous ways.  I knew Peter Rabbit at the Farm would be a favorite for Laycie and Jackson for years to come.

Kinder Cottage Review

I also chose Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper because I tend to hunt out books that contain my children’s names.  They enjoy hearing stories of children and animals that share their name and it builds an interest in them that is special and wonderful to watch blossom.  Right now, Jackson is not even two but I know as he grows up, Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper will be one of our favorites to read together.  After all, my own little Jack is quite the Jumper himself!
Both these books are just gorgeous.  As an avid collector of books for our home library (what homeschooler doesn’t have a library??)  I tend to seek out books that are beautifully written and that contain equally gorgeous images illustrated inside.  These books fit that bill.
The books are small, for children’s sweet hands.  They are also hardback, making it easier to hold and easy to wipe of the covers when those tiny hands have a bit of goo on them.  Inside, the pages are thick and not frail like many books today.  These books were designed to be used by children and it shows.  They will stand up to time and use for years to come thanks to this design.
The title page of the book is printed directly into the front covers so that children are not affected by the presence of the page as they are viewing the book.  As they read, they are able to dive directly into the words written on the pages, getting straight to the story, as many books in the past were designed for children as well.  This is something I really liked about the series, since my children are often distracted by the publishing page when trying to read their books at home.
The font used throughout the books is large.  It’s made so that children can see it and so that they are able to focus on the words themselves.  This large font is great for reluctant readers because it makes it seem as though there are less words, making it less overwhelming for them to read and learn.  Plus it’s easy to point out a word that isn’t easily read or understood.  These are the types of books I have spent many years hunting out to use with my own struggling readers.
Each page in the books contains an accompanying color illustration.  These illustrations are gorgeously designed with simple lines and muted but beautiful coloring.  They  are not overwhelming and bright as many images used in books today are.  They do not stress the senses while viewing and reading but bring about a curiosity many books today miss completely.  This was another part of the book’s design that I truly appreciated.
These books were very easy for all of my readers to use.  I enjoyed reading them to the kids.  My struggling reader found them interesting to read, which is rare for him and my avid reader loved reading them to her little sister and brother as well.  Even Laycie was able to read these books by simply telling me her version on the story through “reading” the picture illustrations throughout.  I truly love books that all my family enjoys.
The Peter Rabbit series from Kinder Cottage Publishing has deeply impressed me.  This is definitely one series and one company we will be looking to add more books from into our library at home.

Kinder Cottage Review

You can purchase Peter Rabbit at the Farm or Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper from Kinder Cottage Publishing.  Both books are $4 each.  There are many more books in the series that you can choose from.  The series does not need to be read in order in order to read.
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Progeny Press: Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide {Crew Review}

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For this Schoolhouse Review, we were given a PDF copy of Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide by Rebecca Gilleland, published by Progeny Press.  This guide is designed to go along with the novel Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  It was given to us for free in exchange for our opinion of the product which is shared in this post.

Progeny Press Review

Little House in the Big Woods is a story written by Laura Ingalls Wilder to portray what life was like living as a child in the Frontier days.  This wonderful book has been read by many over the years and is a core part of many homeschoolers reading lists.  The entire series is a great asset to any homeschooling library.

Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide by Rebecca Gilleland is a wonderful addition to the book.  It helps to get students thinking about the information they are learning and to compare today to yesterday.  This brings Little House in the Big Woods to life.

Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide was designed for use with students in Grades 4-6, those in Upper Elementary school.  It is reproducible for students meaning Homeschooling families can print the guide over and over for each student within their homeschool classrooms.  This makes it able to be used again and again for students who may be learning at different levels.

Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide is a Literature Guide.  It is designed to be broken down over a period of 6-10 weeks depending on the speed of the readers using the guide.  Preferably students should first read the novel, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and then work through the study guide, rereading at their own pace.  Completion of at least one page of the study per day is expected to be done daily while using the study.

As with most materials we use, we did this one together.  The guide was simple enough to understand.  Progeny Press writes explicit informative guides for students and teachers to easily follow along.  The guides begin with an introduction to the materials and a section explaining their expected use and lesson guide.  This makes it easy to begin the study right away.

We read Little House in the Big Wood aloud together.  We briefly reviewed the information about Laura Ingalls Wilder which we had previously learned about through another Schoolhouse Review we completed last year.  This made it easy for us to move forward quickly in our study.

We also reviewed past lessons on Paul Bunyan who happens to be one of our favorite American Tales and a person of interest in our homeschooling since we have a long family history of Lumberjacks aka Loggers in our family.  Paul Bunyan is a household name around here!

This also lead to us reviewing our last field trip to Josh’s work where we saw the equipment at work and discussed the many differences in past logging and logging today.  Living in a town that is centered around the International Paper Mill and has survived over many decades due to the logging industry, these lessons were easily added into our study.  In fact, much of our lessons with this guide were easily expanded upon because of our lifestyle at home.  Many of the words covered within this guide were ones we already know from other lessons we have completed or simply from life itself.

I’d say most of this guide was a review for us but much of it allowed us to take a longer look at the things that surround us.  Though we may not live where Laura lived, much of our home is like Laura’s was back then and many of the things that affected Laura’s life can be found right here daily in ours.  It was odd to see how much we have in common while seeing how much different our lives are from technology today as well.

This study guide is interactive, allowing completion right on the guide.  This made it easy to use the guide to talk together and answer the questions together as well.  I did print out the vocabulary sheets as review for our study.  We also looked up a lot of things online, learning some differences between today and yesterday within our study that were easier seen through videos and past photos.

The Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide is 56 pages in length from cover to cover.  It contains questions for each chapter of the novel, crosswords, word finds and other activities to make learning fun, vocabulary to fit the lessons, and many suggestions for games and other fun things to bring learning to life.  Each chapter of the guide is different from the previous one so that children do not bore with rote learning while completing the guide.

Little House in the Big Woods Study Guide is available to purchase from Progeny Press for $16.99 as an e-guide.  It is designed for grades 4-6.  The novel, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, must be purchased separately and is necessary to complete this guide.

Progeny Press Review
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Apologia: What We Believe Series {Crew Review}

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Apologia Review

If you follow our blog, then you know that I absolutely LOVE Apologia Educational Ministries.  I was introduced to Apologia’s wonderful curriculum when we first began looking into homeschooling when Winston was four, nine years ago.  It took me a while to invest in any of their curriculum but as soon as I did, we were immediately hooked.  The kids LOVE Apologia just as much as I do and enjoy every curriculum purchase we have made from them.  For this review, we used Apologia’s What We Believe: What On Earth Can I Do?, What On Earth Can I Do? Notebooking Journal, What On Earth Can I Do? Junior Notebooking Journal and the What On Earth Can I Do? Coloring Book.
We discovered Apologia’s What We Believe series for Biblical Studies the very year they came out.  I was thrilled to find that Apologia had created a set of books just for educating children on how to study the Bible and build their relationship with God.  It was such a blessing to me to find these materials through this one company which we loved so much and I knew that my children would enjoy these books as much as they have the Science curriculum we previously purchased from them.  I wasn’t wrong.
We’ve been using Apologia’s What We Believe for quite a while now, each year diving deeper into the books.  Sometimes going back to previous chapters to review the curriculum and put it to use for our lives in their current path.  The books never fail to teach us something new from the first time to the review of different sections.

Apologia Review

Apologia is one of our favorite review items from the Schoolhouse Review team.  We look forward to seeing what they have available each year and to learning from the beautifully written books to the intriguingly designed curriculum.  When the vendor form popped up for the What We Believe series’ fourth book, What On Earth Can I Do?  I knew it was a product I definitely wanted.  Not only does this fourth book complete on of our favorite Apologia curriculum collections, it is also a series my children and I love to enjoy and learn from together.  I was estatic to be chosen to review this in the last of our series with my children.
The What We Believe series is a Biblical study designed to be used with students and children in grades 1 through 6.  It is a Biblical Worldview series, teaching stewardship to those who use it.  It is easy to follow and easy to understand, making it work well for family use.
I’ll be honest, I don’t know a lot about the intended plan of using this program any more simply because I have used it so long that it just flows for us.  We use it together as a family, from oldest (Me aka Mom) to youngest (Jackson at 21 months listening along).  We take turns reading through, though I am usually the one doing the reading to ensure my children grasp the knowledge behind the lessons and stories shared throughout the books.
We read the text straight through, section by section.  Sometimes we do this daily throughout our school year and other times we do it several times a week.  How you choose to complete your lessons is completely up to you as it is with any Apologia curriculum.
At the end of each section, there are almost always questions to help reflect on the things we have read.  We discuss these together and talk about the answers as a family, helping each other build our knowledge and a stronger connection to God through our reading.  We enjoy sharing with each other and learning in this manner.
We also enjoy reading about different people throughout the lessons and listening to the stories of others who have shared in God’s work over time.  Some of the stories are serious and some are funny but they always have a message to convey.  The differences in each makes the curriculum well-rounded and enjoyable all together.  This is important to us since it keeps learning fun!
There are quotes from the Bible and quotes from important Christians shared throughout these lessons too.  We often use these quotes as copywork or I will put them onto a printed image or a post it and place them around our house as reminders of the things we have learned from our study.  I do the same with new words we learn through the Words You Need to Know section of the curriculum and also the Hide It In Your Heart section which is there to help instill the word of God in your heart and lives.
There are also prayers shared throughout the curriculum which help teach your children how to pray.  This helps to show them the prayers of others to help them strengthen their ability to pray and their understanding of how others pray, as well as their own prayers.  We also pray these sections together with one of us reading the prayer and then we add to it however we feel is needed.  I like to take turns on these sections so that my children strengthen their voice when it comes to speaking prayers to others.
What We Believe: What On Earth Can I Do? was written by John Hay and David Webb.  This textbook is hardback and is 294 pages long.  The book contains 8 lessons with around 15-20 sections each.  There are four books in the What We Believe series.  What On Earth Can I Do? is the fourth and final book in the series.

Apologia Review

This curriculum offers additions as well.  There is a website with extras created specifically for the course.  This can be found on the Apologia website and a special code is provided for log-in at the front of the book in the How to Use This Book section.  This is a great bonus of material that we always enjoy from Apologia.
Additionally, there are Journals which can be purchased to go along with this series.  We love these journals!   There are two choices to use:  the What On Earth Can I Do? Notebooking Journal is for older students while the What On Earth Can I Do? Junior Notebooking Journal is for younger students.  There is also a coloring book available for the youngest of students.

Apologia Review

 I think the What On Earth Can I Do? Coloring Book is my favorite!  I love the simple clean lines of the images and the words shared on each page.  These pages are perfect for the littles and the older kids alike.  The coloring book contains 64 pages to color.
The What On Earth Can I Do? Junior Notebooking Journal is another favorite of mine.  It’s easy for my younger students to comprehend, around grades 1-4.  The work inside isn’t too taxing or boring for them.  Additionally, there are coloring pages found in this spiral bound, softcover journal.  Lesson plans can be found in the front to help guide the use of the journal appropriately along with the curriculum.  I used them for a while and found them very helpful.

Apologia Review

The Junior Notebooking Journal contains lots of fun activities from crosswords, to word finds, and even books, songs and stories to help build upon the lessons learned in the textbook.  We enjoy reading these extra books and sharing the songs and stories with each other during our lessons as we work through them.
There are also note pages that are included in this journal.  We use those in many ways.  Sometimes we will draw a picture depicting the topic.  Sometimes we will write a story or just a few sentences.  Sometimes we cut out pictures from magazines to paste showing what these topics mean to us.  Each time we try to do something different from the last activity to keep our lessons from becoming rote and boring for the kids.
Lesson plans are also included in the front of the What On Earth Can I Do? Notebooking Journal.  They are a great addition to each of these books and very helpful to help you get an idea of a plan that works for your family.  As I mentioned above, we used them for a while until we adapted the lessons to better fit us.
The What On Earth Can I Do? Notebooking Journal is designed for older students to use.  I’d say it’s perfect for grades 4-6.  The work inside is a bit more challenging than the Junior Journal and the page designs are a little more serious than the other journal.  There are question and answer pages that are more thought provoking.  We generally do these together and write in our responses. There are also word finds and crossword puzzles but these are also lengthier and more challenging than the Junior Notebook.
Each journal contains work to be completed in accordance with each lesson in the textbook.  These are also broken into sections so they are easily found and completed.  There are mini-books which can be found in the back of the journals to use additionally with the lessons and help bring the book to life.
We love each and every piece of this curriculum and how each piece builds into the next helping us to grow closer in our relationship with God and to better understand our purpose here on Earth as his servants.  I personally enjoy the Biblical Worldview provided in these books which allows my children to grow in Faith outside of our little piece of the world we live in.  We all enjoy seeing how other people live in other countries with the same kind of faith that we live with, worshiping God just as we do.  This has been a blessing for our family and broadened our lives, our faith and our tolerance as Christians.
You can purchase a copy of Apologia Educational Ministries What We Believe: What On Earth Can I Do? for $39 for the hardback textbook.  The What On Earth Can I Do? Junior Notebooking Journal is available as a soft-cover spiral bound book for $24.  The What On Earth Can I Do? Notebooking Journal is also available as a soft-cover spiral bound book for $24.  The What On Earth Can I Do? Coloring Book is available in paperback for $8.

You can find Apologia online in the following places:
 Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld
 Twitter – https://twitter.com/apologiaworld 
 Google+ – https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125/posts
 Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/

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Trident Case {Schoolhouse Review}

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A few months ago I purchased a new iPad Mini for the kids and I through my cell phone company.  I didn’t immediately purchase a case for it, so I was thankful when this review for Trident Case became available through The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew.  It was definitely something we could and would be able to use.

It didn’t take long for the man in the Brown Truck to drop off our Trident Case in it’s specially marked packaging.  There was no doubt what had arrived and I quickly ripped into the packaging to find our brand new Trident Kraken A.M.S. Case for our Apple iPad Mini.  I chose a Red case, both for the Apple aspect, after all Apples are often Red, and for the neutral color since both boys and girls use our iPad Mini.
The case color is so vibrant and beautiful.  It immediately shown through the inner plastic packaging that I found inside my original cardboard box the case was shipped in.  The red color of the case is accented by a black silicone that helps to protect the Apple Mini when placed inside the case.
I pulled the case out the packaging and took it apart carefully.  It was a bit tricky to pull apart since it was just opened but not overly troublesome.  It was fairly easy to lock back into place as I placed the cover over our Apple iPad Mini.  I already had a screen protector on our Mini but it isn’t necessary as the case comes with a built in screen protective cover as well.  However, this allows double protection from scratching and I often leave a screen protector underneath my protective cases when applied.  It doesn’t affect the performance of my iPad Mini at all.
The Kraken A.M.S. Case is made in America and has been military tested for performance.  It is also Green Protection and able to be recycled at any point.  It offers drop protection, vibration protection, and rain and wind protection.  Dust filters keep dust from entering the case and ruining your device.  It also protects device controls and ports from water, wind and dust damage if you ensure you close the rubber pieces back into place after charging or opening for use.  Enhanced sound through sound funnel technology allows this case to not interfere with the quality of sound from the product inside the case.
The Kraken A.M.S. Case is compatible with attachments which can allow the case to stand up on it’s own.  There is also an available shoulder strap for purchase so that it makes carrying your case easier.  The case itself is a hardened Polycarbonate exterior with a silicone interior that allows suburb protection of the device inside.
Those are the fine details but how did it really stand up?  I find the quality of this product equal to other similar products on the market that I have used on other Apple devices I own.  I actually feel the quality is better than those devices.  The case is sturdy and solid.  It’s easy to put on and take off and very easy to use.  It does not interfere with function and is not overly bulky, yet I know with the Kraken A.M.S. Case, my very expensive Apple iPad Mini is safe and secure inside this case.  I was impressed with the port covers and how well they fit back into place.  I am also impressed with the screen protection.  It’s strongly glued into place so there is no worry about it coming loose or being damaged.
I am able to press the “Home” button with no issue and my apps are not affected by the thickness of the screen protector in place, even with my Apple Screen Protector in place as well.  It’s easily cleaned with glass cleaner and a soft rag as needed.  I even took this thing into the bath with me while I read with no worries about water damage though I was extremely careful not to drop it into the tub!
Overall, I give the Trident Kraken A.M.S Case for the Apple iPad Mini an A+.  I’m so thrilled with this case that I’ve been considering purchasing cases for our other Apple products as well and also purchasing some of the accessories available.
The Trident Kraken A.M.S. Case for the Apple iPad Mini is available for purchase for $59.95.  There are also versions available at differing prices for other devices, including the Apple iPad 2/3/4.  Cases come in various colors so if Red isn’t the color for you, choose a color that fits you best!
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