MyHomeschoolGrades Review

It is the end of the year and many homeschool moms (and maybe some dads) are now winding down, creating portfolios, getting evaluations done, and writing up report cards. My son may only be in kindergarten but I am already seeing the endless report keeping in my future.

I was able to check out a great online website, My Home School Grades. Their price is so great- only $49.99 for a LIFETIME membership. Seriously. Forever. All your kids. All their years.

It is very easy to add students and set up classes. I was surprised at how user friendly the interface is! It took me less than five minutes to set up my son and his classes.

They have many curriculum choices that have lessons pre-written for you, or you can write in your own lessons. You can also have your class Pass/Fail (which is great for kindergarten).

They had Math-U-See already in their database, so I was able to just input his worksheets. You can put in a fraction, a percentage, or a letter grade. I love that it accepts any of these forms of grades.

I love how it makes a snappy looking report card.

I look forward to using this as an easy and quick way to consolidate grades. If you are interested, they have a free 14-day trial to check it out for yourself, and no credit card is required. At the end of two weeks you will have the choice to buy the lifetime membership or not.

Also, Mosaic Reviews will be hosting a Facebook Party this Friday (May 24, 2013) at 9pm EDT. All you have to do is head over to the Mosaic Reviews page and hang out and have fun with all of us!

An Introverted Gypsy

Sometimes someone says something to you that stops you in your tracks.  This week it was my husband.  He called me an "introverted gypsy." That, along with my son's definition of me being "made of music," is the most accurate depiction of me.

I am an introverted gypsy made of music.

I hate large groups and I feel awkward when I have to meet mew people. I would rather hang out in small groups or one-on-one. I really hate using the phone and I get anxiety when I have to speak in front of a large group. However, I am not a homebody. I like to travel and I am not content with staying at my house all day. Give me my husband and kids and an open road.

I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar...

Waterproof Bible Review

Yes! In pink!

This has to be one of the best products I have reviewed. The Waterproof Bible from Bardin Marsee Publishing was not what I expected.

Who:
The people behind the Waterproof Bible wanted to make a Bible that could go anywhere without fear of destruction from the elements. They had in mind missions, military, campouts and hot tub reading.
"Wherever life takes you - carry the Waterproof Bible or THE OUTDOOR BIBLE and Be Inspired. Anywhere."

What:
The Waterproof Bible is made from plastic and is 100% waterproof inside and out. It comes in five different versions: King James, English Standard, New International, New King James, and New Living translations.

I used a towel to dry my Bible and it worked wonderfully. Good points to know about freezing and keeping it away from bug spray.

I had fun testing out this Bible. I wanted to see just how it works, but at the same time since it is the Word of God I did not want to be disrespectful of it.

It floats!

Can easily be written on with pen or dry highlighter.

Water does not smudge the writing!

I was pleasantly surprised with how this Bible felt in my hands. The pages are thicker than normal Bibles, so I didn't feel like the pages would tear- even when wet!  After I used a little water on the pages I wiped the Bible dry with a towel. It was easier than cleaning jam off my 2 year old's face. The ink from my markings didn't wash away and after I towel dried it, I was ready to start marking away again.

The only downside is that they do not have a Catholic version of the Bible. I would love to see a New American Bible translation so that I can enjoy the benefits of the Waterproof Bible while also getting all the books of the Bible. The version I had was only New Testament and psalms and proverbs, so I didn't feel like I was missing my Catholic Bible too much.

I plan on bringing this copy with me when I go to the beach this summer. What is better than sitting on the beach, enjoying God's creation, while reading the good book in the shade of an umbrella. I would recommend this Bible for anyone that wants to use their Bible outdoors, on trips, and for kids that are ready to read the Bible without pictures/stories but might be a little rough on the thin pages of a standard Bible. The price for a Bible is $39.95 and $24.95 for the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs.  They do have a clearance section that has bibles for $20 and $10 right now, so check that out.

Check them out on Facebook and on Twitter!!

Would you like to have some fun and have a chance at winning a Waterproof Bible?  Of course you would! Right now Homeschool Mosaics is giving away 10 copies of the Waterproof Bible!  Just hop on over and enter to win! (The giveaway closes on May 29th- so go there now!) Also, this Friday (May 17th) at 9PM EDT, Mosaic Reviews is having a Facebook Party!  Just head over to their Facebook Page and join in on the fun. I hope to see you there.

I reviewed this great product as part of the Mosaic Reviews team. Please check out the other reviews of this Waterproof Bible and see how others liked it and what they did with it.

Where are my gifts?

Ever feel like you pray and pray and pray and never hear your answer? Right now that is me and I am getting frustrated. I have been mulling over 1 Cor 12: 7-11 for weeks now.

"To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes."

Ooka Island Adventure Review

Over the past few weeks I have had the pleasure of reviewing a reading program called Ooka Island Adventure. This is a computer program for Pre-k through 2nd graders. It gets kids reading in a fun, game-filled way. This program uses music, workbook pages you can print, read aloud stories, and offers real-time progress reports for the parents. You can read all about the program features here.

I have a five year old son, and he enjoyed using the program with his two year old sister next to him, watching intently. The program works by having the kids follow the program for about 20 minutes developing specific reading skills. After that time, the kids get "free time" to do whatever they want, for about 10 minutes. All the activities help their reading skills, but it is nice for the kids to be able to pick what they want.

I asked Sebastian what he thought of the program. Here is what he said.

I like it but they should get rid of the Ooka Compass because it lasts forever. I like the free time, but I think you should be able to rescue elves sooner because I really wanted to play with the elves.

The Ooka Compass is a tool that you can use to find out where your student is.  It lasted too long for my son, so we had to cancel out of it and forget it. It just meant he had to start from the very beginning which made him a little bored in the beginning, but it wasn't the worst thing. He also got bored of reading the stories two times each. He just wanted to move on to the next step instead of rereading the story. I understand that that the repetition is good for kids, so I tried to encourage him to not give up when the second reading came up.

Overall my son enjoyed this program and I know what his sister loved to watch him play. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a computer program to help reading skills. Right now, Ooka Island is offering a fantastic savings! Please check them out. Ooka Island is offering 30% off until June 1st, 2013!