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The End of an Era

May 29, 2018 by Dana

Thank you to Homeschool Diploma for providing us with the means to make this Graduation Day happen. We are truly thankful for the beautiful diplomas, cap, gown, and tassel you have blessed us with. I look forward to purchasing my daughter’s diploma from this company soon in our future.

You can read our review of their products here: https://luvnlambertlife.com/2018/04/homeschool-diploma-crew-review.html

17 years fly by before you know it. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was bringing my babies home from the hospital and now here we are at Graduation. They truly do not stay little long and this season is a short one.

As a Mother, we hope and pray over our children throughout their lives. We help them build their dreams, we support their hopes, we provide all we can to give them the lives they deserve. We can’t know the course of their future but we pray for the best for them in this life.

But education does not end at graduation. Education is a daily part of life. We learn more and more through the years than we ever do in the 13 years we attend school. Learning is the most important part.

So though graduation is here, we will continue to learn together, to expand on hopes and dreams as they come. That’s the real beauty of learning at home… continuing education even after it’s time to end has come.

Read more about our 2018 Crew Graduates by clicking below!

Home School Navigator {Crew Review}

May 24, 2018 by Dana

Home School Navigator is an online program that focuses on teaching your student reading. It’s a full program that covers all the important parts of the reading skills that your child will need. There are several program levels from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade that you can choose from for the Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum they have available.

The first level of the program is the Red Level. This is a Kindergarten level that you can choose. Red Level covers books like If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, Eric Carle books and Pete the Cat. These are simple and easy to use books that most people already have in their homes or they can easily be checked out from a local library, as well as purchased online or in a local bookstore.

When you sign up for the Home School Navigator program you’ll choose your students and set the program up with a username and password for them. They will use this to log in each time or you will log in for them straight from your dashboard. You will choose a level for the student to start from: Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue or Indigo.

In each level, you will find levels of bars for you to choose from. The Red Level begins with a Master Book Title List for the books that go along with the lessons taught in that level. This is a download that you can print for reference later.

You will also find a bar with Handouts available. These are the worksheets and handouts that can be printed and used along with the lessons. These are a great addition to the program.

Next you will find the actual lesson plans for the program, broken down for each week and each lesson. These vary by level. They are downloads that you can then reference like an actual teacher’s guide and lesson plan for your lessons.

Some lessons contain videos that go along with the program. They help you “teach”. There are links to other websites and videos that go along with what you are learning as well. Each lesson of the program differs.

The lessons cover Literature/Comprehension, Writing/Grammar, Phonics/Word Study/Vocabulary and so much more. There are “extra’s” that you can do as well. And a look-ahead for the next week is usually included in the current lessons so that you know what’s happening before you get to that.

Each of the program levels follow this format. As your child grows in reading, the program develops with more videos and links to keep them interested in what they are learning. Skills being taught become harder and more appropriate for the student as each level is completed.

There are places that you can upload completed assignments and the program is set up so that you click a button when the student has finished a section. In your parent dashboard, you will find access to assignments, each students profile, a place to download your student’s portfolio, and other info. You can also order additional materials to use with the program like a cursive writing workbook, a wall word set and several other items. These are not necessary to order but nice additions if you choose to add them in.

We used this program on several levels. I found it to be very structured and set up like a public school teacher’s curriculum would be. It wasn’t extremely hard to follow. I do not like that you’re unable to change your child’s level in the program after a certain time period since some students develop as they go and are ready to advance. I also prefer a program that includes online copies of the books needed for the program when using it.

For a homeschooler who is looking for a full program that is laid out for them and easy to navigate, this program would be wonderful. For a veteran homeschooler who prefers a less structured lesson for learning, I didn’t find it fit us well. I would recommend this program to someone who is newer to homeschooling and who is looking for a program similar to what public school would use. This would be a great fit for a student who is advanced in reading as well.

You can find Home School Navigator online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolnavigation/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/homeschoolnavigator/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolnavigator/

T is for Tree {Crew Review}

May 23, 2018 by Dana

Reformed Free Publishing Association is a Christian based company that shares beautifully designed books spreading the Word of God to others. T is for Tree: A Bible ABC by Connie L. Meyer is just one of the many books they have available for purchase through their company. It’s a beautifully illustrated book created to share the ABC’s in a unique way with children.

Reformed Free Publishing Association offers books, Bible study guides, christian audio and so much more on their website. Their purpose is to share the truth of scripture with other, in the Reformed tradition. They offer autobiographies, Christian self-help, Children’s books and much more.

T is for Tree: A Bible ABC is a hardcover book, around 32 pages in length. It recommended for ages 3-6 but my 10 year old also enjoyed it. Each page is uniquely designed and beautifully illustrated. T is for Tree shares all 26 letters of the Alphabet, showing each letter in a bold, colorful font leading it into a sentence statement that goes along with the letter being shared on the page. The sentence shared with the letter is simple in design and thought, easy for a child to follow and learn as you read the book over and over.

Featured on the pages as well is a short paragraph or sentence that further explores the topic shared on the page which goes along with the letter being taught. For instance, A is about Ants and the paragraph shared talks about how Ants gather food and such. This creates a short story on each page for the child to enjoy.

At the bottom of each of the pages, there is a Bible verse shared in quotations. This is a great way to share God’s Word with your child. Each verse is unique and specific to the page.

I read this book with Jack and Laycie. Both of them really loved it, as did I. The illustrations are simply gorgeous and it was wonderful to see what illustration the next page would bring as well as reading through their content. The information shared was simple, yet it teaches so much. The book doesn’t take a long time to read.

As a homeschooler, I think it would be great to read this book with your little one several times, and then read each letter as you’re learning it. You could create a printout with the Bible verse to learn each week as you learn the letter. You could use the simple sentence that is shared with the main letter as copywork for your little one. It is just overall a wonderful book to learn with and to share with your child.

T is for Tree: A Bible ABC is available for purchase for $17.95 in hardback. It is a children’s book. The pages are paper and the book is finished in a gloss finish for easy wiping and care.

You can find Reformed Free Publishing Association online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReformedFreePublishingAssociation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/reformedfreepub

Go to Sleep, Sheep! {FrontGate Review}

May 19, 2018 by Dana

Go to Sleep, Sheep!Thomas Nelson: Tommy Nelson Publishers

I am constantly looking for adorable and sweet children’s books to read to my kids, especially around bedtime. Go to Sleep, Sheep from Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson publishers, is one of those wonderful books. It’s a great addition to any child’s library and nightly story-time routine.

Go to Sleep, Sheep! is a children’s board book. It’s a medium sized book that is shaped like a barn. It’s very easy to hold in your hands or your child’s hands as well. The pages are coated so they are easily wiped clean but they are cardboard so heavy water or spills could damage them.

The front cover features glitter embossing to add attractiveness to the title and the Moon featured in the upper corner. The book is illustrated by Sydney Hanson. The animals shared throughout are truly adorable.

The story-line is equally cute and reminded me a great deal of my son at bedtime. He’s always wanting to eat, or watch TV, or play longer… anything except go to sleep, just like Sheep! Sheep’s bewildered Momma talks him through all of the needs he suggests he has until he’s passed out safely in Bedtime Barn. Each page shares why he needs to go to sleep and Momma often answers with “Go to sleep, Sheep!”

This adorable book, Go to Sleep, Sheep! is available to purchase for around $8.99. It’s available online and in retailers near you.

You can also join in the giveaway at:
https://www.blessedfreebies.com/gotosleepsheep.html

We absolutely loved this book and we know that you will as well.

Prone To Wander LA: Phone Cases {FrontGate Media Review}

May 17, 2018 by Dana

Prone To Wander Los Angeles creates uniquely designed jewelry, prints, home decor and phone cases for you to enjoy. All of their items are simply lovely. For this review, they sent to use two different phone cases to use for my iPhone 5 model.

*Sorry this image is so dark*

The first case is a lovely clear case with roses covering it that says “Trust In the Lord with All Your Heart – Proverbs 3:5”. This cover is gorgeous. The plastic case slips right over the phone and fits great. The design is simple and beautiful.

The second case is wooden with “Be Still and Know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10” engraved into it. It’s surrounded by beautiful pink and yellow roses with lovely green leaves. The wooden back is attached to a black rubber cover that easily slips onto your phone and stretches to fit.

I have been using this case for over a month now and I love it just as much today as when I received it. The case is not too heavy and the image has stayed well despite me carrying it all over. I love the feel of the carving: a reminder that God is always with me.

Prone To Wander LA has so many options to choose from. Prices vary by product. My wooden case in particular costs $22.99 while the clear plastic case I was gifted costs $14.99. Both are equally beautiful.

Be sure to stop over and check out all of the wonderful items Prone To Wander LA has available.

Panda Parents and MESSYLEARNING {Crew Review}

May 17, 2018 by Dana

We were asked to review MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS from PandaParents. I had honestly never heard of this company before this review and found it interesting so I decided to give it a try. Though it’s a little different, we have enjoyed it.

PandaParents MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS is a digital program that offers several factors. The first step is story time in which you introduce on of their many books by reading and allowing your little one to read the book themselves. The books vary in subject and the curriculum is monthly in it’s design. Story videos are also included to help you bring the books to life for your little ones. These are short and adorably designed, easily to be used by you for your child.

In the back of each book, there is a question answer section to review what you’ve read with the child. This is not mandatory but is a great extra to help you ensure your child is listening and comprehending what they are learning. This section is short but thorough.

The second step is to learn. Here you put workbooks that are specifically created for the program to use with your child(ren). The workbooks are age appropriate and fun to use. These help you to build the skills your child needs for development and support learning.

Step three is time to be creative. Here comes the Messy part. You use Art to further extend the learning process, allowing your child to complete different activities. In the process, your child learns about different medians of Art and explores creating their own masterpieces based on the books your learning at the time. This is a fun way to really get your child motivated to learn. They know this is coming after the work and they often want to get to this step in any program so they are more willing to learn. Fun for all!

The books we received were Mommy’s Baby, Scotty Skunk Hears a Scary Sound, and A Jolly Jingling Journey. Each book is unique and educational but simple and adorably written and designed. We enjoyed all three of them.

Mommy’s Baby is probably Jack’s favorite because of the silly lines throughout the book. He is my Baby so he could relate to the baby in the book and the things the baby said are often things he says at bedtime as well. It was a cute read.

Both the book and workbook come in PDF form. The workbook pages are pretty simple and easy to follow. We were able to print them and work on them throughout the week. There are 34 pages in the Mommy’s Baby workbook.

Scotty Skunk Hears a Scary Sound was another favorite. This book concentrated on the “S” sound, which is Laycie’s favorite and always a challenge for her to say with her tongue-tie. This book was great for me to work on with her to practice that challenging sound.

A Jolly Jingling Journey is about the Big Guy in Red, Santa. We love stories that are Christmas-y though this one wasn’t about Jesus. It was about the letter “J”. This book was equally interesting to my children and they enjoyed reading it with me.

The creative projects for Art and learning are included in the workbooks. The Read-to-me story videos are also a part of the program and help to encourage your little ones to read along with the videos. These are downloadable as well.

We really enjoyed using this program. It was easy to use and thoroughly educating. It wasn’t a program I probably would have taken a look at had it not been on the Crew this year but it is one that my kids and I have enjoyed using.

PandaParents offers a free trial and several payment options. You can order the Digital Subscription for $9.99 a month. There are more options available to you on their website.

You can find PandaParents online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PandaParentsABC/ @PandaParentsABC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Panda_Parents Tag: @Panda_Parents
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pandaparents/ Tag: @pandaparents