Luv'N Lambert Life

CTC Math {Crew Review}

April 25, 2014 by Dana

Can I just start this review by saying how much I really love CTC Math’s 12 Month Family Plan? When I first log onto the program several weeks ago, I thought it was just going to be like any other Math program online. I admit, I was wrong. This program is absolutely wonderful and it works well for our family.

CTC Math is an online Math tutor. This program covers Math from Kindergarten all the way to Calculus and between. It doesn’t teach your student Math but builds on what your child already knows with easy to follow lessons. Designed to be used with students of every age and grade level, it truly tutors the child in learning Math.

Parent Login Area:

In the Parent Login, I was able to set up accounts for up to five children on the 12 month Family Plan which we were given access to for this review. I simply inputted my child’s name in the Add Student area, created log-in information for each child and chose a passing grade for them. I don’t normally use grades so that was a bit different for me to do for them, and I choose to leave it at 90 as passing since that’s what I recall using in Public School as a student.

In the Parent Login, I can view my students and see how many levels they have completed, as well as the rating for each level completed. I can also print a summary or a detailed report for completed lessons for each student. This is nice so that I can print and add it into their portfolio. I can also see what areas they need to study and focus on learning.

Each week, through my email, I receive a progress report telling me how each student is doing. I can print these as well and see what areas need more focus or need repeating. When my children complete different areas, I can print awards and certificates for them straight from the program. My kids really enjoy things like that.

Last on the Parent Login is a side panel that shows my students recent activities. It tells me when they log-in and what they do while there. This is a great way to make sure they are really doing their work and not just playing around.

Student Login Area:

Through the Parent Login, I was able to set specific logins up for my children to be able to use CTC Math. When students come to the CTC Math page, there is a option to log in at the top of the page. Once they click on this login area, a box pops up where they can enter their information and begin using the program.

Students or their parents and teachers can then choose a level appropriate for them. For my children, I chose to use this program as a math review and tutoring program to begin with. I allowed them to start from the Kindergarten level to see what concepts they really know and which they need to work on. Each level of the program has a basic placement test to show knowledge of what the student is learning. If the student passes this level then we knew we could move on and move forward. Each lesson covers a different concept.

If a student needs instruction for that level, they can click on the separate lessons of the program. These are short videos showing what’s being learned. The student listens and follows along, following instruction as needed. The next step is to answer questions about what the student has heard and learned in the video instruction. These are much like the placement tests.

Both questions and tests are easy to complete. There are online selections to choose from or answer boxes in which to type in the correct answer in number or written form. Some questions have multiple choice answers to choose. Some questions require students to click on in order to color the objects they are learning with. The program varies throughout and by level being learned. As expected upper levels will be harder than lower levels.

I allowed my students to work on this program for as long as they liked, which happened to be much longer than I would have actually have required. I did not specify what they had to do or what level. I simply started them at the lowest level and allowed them to complete the tests, then I’d mix it up by choosing another level and concept to see how much they knew. This worked fairly well for us.

How We Really Liked It:

I did personally find some of the instructional videos to be a bit boring and basic. I didn’t find them exciting to learn from but I did feel they cover the important details and lessons needed. My children thought the same thing as I did about the videos.

The questions were a bit more fun and the kids really enjoyed those because they were quickly and easily answered without requiring a lot of writing off the computer. The kids enjoyed the colors used through the program and the characters for the lower grade level learning. The fact that this program allows them to work are various levels and “test” themselves beforehand was something they enjoyed as well, which surprised me since I stay away from that type of thing in our learning normally. I found I also enjoyed being able to see what they really know so easily by them completing such a simple test.

So overall, I found that what I initially thought was just a normal everyday online math program has more than impressed me and my children with the lessons and ease of use. This is a program we will be continuing to use while we have the subscription and if we continue to enjoy it as we have been the past few weeks, then we may even subscribe again. I recommend the program to students of all levels in public, private and homeschooling.

The price of CTC Math is currently discounted for Homeschoolers at 60% off the regular price. I do not know how long this sale will last so if you are interested, my suggestion would be to purchase now. A membership can be purchased for a single user or for a family plan of 2 or more students.

The Single Plan is $11.99 a month or $50.80 for 6 months or $78.80 for a year of the program.

The Family Plan is $15.97 a month or $78.80 for 6 months or $118.80 for 2 or more students for 12 months of the program.

You can also find CTC Math in the following places online:

Facebook CTC Math – https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath?ref=hl
Facebook Aus (Maths Online) – https://www.facebook.com/mathsonline.com.au?ref=hl

To read more Schoolhouse Reviews of CTC Math, please click on the banner below:

Happy Easter, Y’all! {Thoughts From Me}

April 21, 2014 by Dana

We had a wonderful Easter weekend and we hope that you all did as well. We weren’t sure how it was going to turn out since the entire weekend forecast showed that rain was coming. Sure enough it rained off and on from Friday night until Sunday afternoon.

The rain didn’t stop us though. Friday night I finished up shopping for the Easter baskets, gathering some last minute fun for the younger kids. I also found a cute Easter dress for Emma which she then transformed into her own clothing style.

Saturday, I spent lazying around until late when I put together the Easter baskets. There’s just something about playing that “Bunny” that I love! And the kids love it too!

We had a last minute invite to an adult birthday party for a friend on Saturday. I quickly threw together a cute little banner for her which we hung on the wall where we had the party. She loved it and we loved celebrating with her.

Sunday morning came with a lighter rain. The kids actually let us sleep in before grabbing their baskets to open. They found a lot of excitement in those wicker baskets which always makes me happy as well. Lots of candy they love, and some special trinkets like a stuffed My Little Pony and a Littlest Pet Shop toy for the girls. There were Star Wars bunny’s for the boys. Jackson got a mini-golf set and there were toy water guns for a little summer fun. The kids were thrilled and so are we with their happiness.

Sunday afternoon was spent in Belle Isle, where we had dinner consisting of Ham, Deviled Eggs, Broccoli, Rice, Biscuits and so much more. It was delicious!

Then we had our annual Egg Hunt. Over 300 eggs were hidden for the kids to find, all stuffed with candy. They found every one and then divided up the goods, making trades for candy they liked better and sharing with the little ones who didn’t get as many eggs are the older kids.

So as you can tell, we all had a very Happy Easter and we hope you did as well!

Curiosity Quest: DVD Combo Pack {Crew Review}

April 16, 2014 by Dana

If you are looking for a great new video to use for Science in your homeschooling, or if your children are simply interested in learning Science through television, look no further than Curiosity Quest. These wonderful videos are jam-packed full with information, teaching kids through a short video at home. My entire family loved these videos and have watched them repeatedly since we first received these videos a few weeks ago.

Joel Greene takes us on an adventure of it’s own through each video. The videos are DVD Combo Pack- Produce and DVD Combo Pack – Swimmers of the Sea. He takes you through every step of the process, discussing unusual details and digging for information so you gain a thorough understanding of what you are learning about. The best thing is these videos are fun and encouraging to watch, leaving you wanting to see more.

Throughout the videos there are questions asked and answered that also help to build the understanding of what you are learning about. These questions are directed to children just like yours who give their best guesses and are followed with the correct answer so that children really get the answer to the question given. This makes kids laugh and leaves them with the fact stuck in their heads so they retain the information. What a fun way to learn!

There are also Fun Facts shared by children throughout the videos. These Fun Facts are a quick piece of information shared. Since this comes from a kid to a kid, it also allows children to better retain the information so they learn. Just another great part of the videos.

As I mentioned above, my entire family LOVED these videos, from Grandma to my one year old. My 11 year old learned so much from them that she never knew before viewing the videos. She wasn’t able to decide which video she liked best.

We received two Curiosity Quest videos. DVD Combo Pack – Produce was about Cranberries, Mushrooms and Oranges, while the other video, DVD Combo Pack – Swimmers of the Sea was about Salmon, Sea Turtles and Penguins. Both videos shared the same format for learning as I mentioned previously.

We learned that Mushrooms are a fungus. The first step in growing them is hay, which is broken down to become soil by adding water and other ingredients to help make it rich for the mushrooms to grow. Through this video we were able to see how large mushrooms grow and what they are used for.

In the next video we learned about Cranberries and were able to see fresh Cranberries harvested. Cranberries are not grown in water as most people think. They are grown dry and grow on vines, much like grapes but on the ground. They are buoyant so water is added at harvest to help boost the cranberries from the ground making them easier for the harvester to pick. They are perennials so they regrow year after year if they are well cared for.

Last we learned about Oranges on this particular video. Oranges bruise easily causing rot to form. People are used to pick oranges because machines are much more brutal causing the fruit to bruise, leading to the breakdown of the fruit. Orange flowers are also used for making orange honey. Bee keepers pay the orange farm to bring their bees so they can make this sweet treat. Oranges are inspected under black lights so that bruising and rot shows up easily. These bad fruits are then separated to be used for making penicillin and other medicinal forms.

This information is from only one of the two videos that we received for review. We learned just as much from Salmon, Sea Turtles and Penguins. Did you know that Sea Turtles have never evolved, remaining the same for millions of years? Or that Florida has three sides of beaches, making it a great place to have Sea Animal rescues? Sea Turtles can live with only one flipper. Never use stainless steel hooks because they can get stuck in a sea animal and remain there for years to come.

Both these videos are amazing. You can see for yourself by purchasing them from Curiosity Quest. Each video is available for $24.95 each. They are for ages 7-14. They are well-worth the cost.

You can find Curiosity Quest in the following places online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriosityQuest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/curiosityquest
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCijkbeDwySOsg-pZjOeWsgg

To read more reviews of Curiosity Quest, please click the banner below:

Live Life Happy {Thoughts From Me}

April 16, 2014 by Dana

Some nights I come to write and there’s just nothing to say. I don’t know where to start or where to go so I just type. I admit, I’m not good at choosing topics to share about.

Our lives are pretty predictable. We get up, the babies have their meds, the kids have breakfast. Then we do school, we watch videos, we discuss things that interest us. Then it’s lunch and sometimes it’s school in the afternoon, sometimes it’s play time outside if the weather is great. Then comes dinner, bathtime and bedtime. Wash, rinse, repeat every day.

Weekends bring a routine of their own as well. Around the house leads to the kids helping as much as they can so they learn important skills like changing tires, brakes, and oil. In the Summer, they help cut grass and clean up the yard.

This is our life. Boring as it is, I wouldn’t change it for anything. People often ask me how I can stand having the kids around all the time. I honestly don’t know any difference. They’re always here, I’m always here and to me, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. To them, that’s how it should be as well.

I’ve asked them multiple times if they’d rather go to Public school and they constantly assure me they wouldn’t. The older two went for a while and wanted to be home so home they came again. The younger two have never been to Public school and if I have my way, they never will.

Life is what you make of it. How you live is your choice. Negative or positive, it’s all a decision you make daily. I choose to be as positive as I can be. I choose to find the good in life as much as possible and I choose to teach this to my children. They appreciate that and I pray they will pass it forward as they grow up.

Each day is a gift to live and a blessing unlike any other. Live, laugh, love and be happy every day!

Lulu’s Cafe – T.I. Lowe {A Review}

April 16, 2014 by Dana

It’s very rare that I write a review on a book that I wasn’t asked to review but this one has called to me from the minute I heard it mentioned by a dear friend. Lulu’s Cafe was written by T.I. Lowe, a home-town girl, who grew up in the same places as me. The small-town gossip about her amazingly written book left me wanting to read it for myself and I was definitely not disappointed.

T.I. Lowe and I have walked the same streets over time, the same well-beaten paths of beauty by the river and the beautiful Atlantic Coast that make up our coastal SC home. I knew every true, picturesque place she described in the made up town of Rivertown, SC. Much as Rivertown became “Home” to Leah Allen, the main character in Lulu’s Cafe, Rivertown is indeed “Home” to me.

Leah’s life was not always sweet southern peaches and cream. She’d been through Hell in her lifetime – a Hell that few of us can even begin to imagine. Growing up as an orphan was only the faint beginning of this life she led.

To everyone else, it seemed Leah, who was then known as Gabriella Sadler, lead a dream life. She was the wife of the handsome Brent Sadler who gave her everything she could ever want. If only the world would take a closer look, they’d see that Gabby’s life was not all roses and champagne. Only a few cared to look for the truth and those few couldn’t help Gabby.

There comes a time when the abuse becomes too much and you fight back. I know because I have been there and though I wasn’t nearly as badly abused as sweet Gabby was, it wasn’t easy just to walk away. Still Gabby managed to break free and she started on a path to begin her life again. She headed South.

In the South, Gabby began to grow and blossom, thanks to the great support she found in Lulu and others in Rivertown. She was known as Leah now, her name all along. She hid her past but began to look forward to her future. Lulu’s Cafe helped Leah find who she really is and that fine piece of man, Crowley Mason also played a hand in that.

Coastal South Carolina leaves with you a lasting impression. The sweet little towns, the southern sass, the smell of wetlands and marsh grass are incomparable. I personally couldn’t imagine a better life than here and Lulu’s Cafe, T.I. Lowe’s debut novel, brings forth every bit of that beauty through Leah’s story. T.I. Lowe provides an experience you won’t soon forget and a connection to a place time has not changed. I truly look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

You can purchase Lulu’s Cafe through T.I. Lowe’s personal website at www.tilowe.com. It’s available on Amazon Kindle for $3.99 or in Paperback for $15. This is one book you’ll want to read!

*Disclaimer – I was not asked to write this review. It is of my own personal opinion. I received no items in exchange for this review and I purchased the eBook version of this book on my own with no monetary reimbursement. I am including this disclaimer in accordance with FTC guidelines and regulations.

Five Becomes Six: Happy Birthday to my Laycie Bug, the Kid {Thoughts From Me}

April 11, 2014 by Dana

Tonight I put my five year old to bed. Tomorrow when she wakes she will be six. It doesn’t seem possible and yet it is.

Laycie Elizabeth has brought so much joy to our lives. Her sister, my Emmalee, dubbed her our Angel on the day she was born and she has truly been just that to us all. She brings happiness and joy to our days that was unimaginable before she was born.

I could never have imagined being a Momma to four beautiful children. I never expected to find so much happiness in my life as they bring me. I am blessed and I am thankful every day for the love I receive from each of them.

This weekend we are having a Grand Birthday Bash and Oyster Roast. It’s Laycie’s birthday party and a raincheck party for our older kids who didn’t get to have a party because of all the cold weather we had this past Winter. Spring has finally shown her beautiful self and we will be taking full advantage!

I’m not sure what our weekend will bring, except that it will bring together so many that we love. It will bring our eight beautiful children home together (I hope). It will bring our friends here to celebrate and enjoy each other once again, both new and old friends.

It is a celebration for me, their Momma, who loves them dearly and could not imagine this great Earth without them, even though I never imagined I’d have been blessed by the eight of them. My loves, my heart carried in eight separate pieces outside my chest, these beautiful children who make me whole. This weekend will be wonderful and I look forward to enjoying every moment of it along with them.

So Happy Birthday to my Laycie Bug, the Kid and Happy Belated Birthday to my Win and Emma. Here’s to many more years together, growing and loving each other forever. God bless you for the love you give me. I am thankful every single day.