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Confessions of a Homeschooler

Homeschool resources, ideas, and curriculum!

URL: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com

Updated: 3 days 9 hours ago

Handmade Handprint Ornaments

Fri, 02/12/2011 - 15:29

Looking for a fun personalized Christmas activity you can do with your kids this season? You’re going to love these cute handmade handprint ornaments so much you won’t want to part with them! (Though they do make wonderful gifts!)

Supplies:

Plain bulb ornaments (I used clear ones from Michael’s, but metallic red would be just as cute!)
White acrylic paint
paint brush
Little hands
Something fun to fill your ornament with, I used sparkly tinsel
Permanent markers to draw on embellishments

Instructions:

1. Carefully paint your kids’ hands (Be prepared for lots of squeals)

2. Have them carefully ‘grab’ the bulb, being careful not to move their fingers. I helped to press their fingers onto the bulb.

3. Use markers or acrylic paint to draw on embellishments: Scarf, hat, eyes, buttons, nose, arms

4. Write their name and year onto the palm of each ornament and hang on tree, or give as gifts! Warning: These may turn out so cute you won’t want to part with them, so you may want to make a couple sets!

I hope you enjoy these adorable handmade ornaments!

Since you asked, here are some fun ideas for ADVENT:

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Handmade Handprint Ornaments is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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December 2011 Monthly Meal Plan

Fri, 02/12/2011 - 09:30

Hi everyone! In the excitement of the 12 Days of Christmas posts, I sort of forgot that it was a new month! No worries though, I still have our December 2011 monthly meal plan for you all!

…oh, and sorry about some of the sugary treats this month, I added in some fun Christmas baking days! ;o)

December 2011 Meal Plan PDF
December 2011 Meal Plan Word Doc (Editable)

Cheers!

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School Days Memory Keeping

Thu, 01/12/2011 - 15:39

Ever wonder how you’re going to manage all the precious school papers your kids bring home, or in our case all the stuff they create in your home?

I get a lot of questions on how we store all of our homeschool papers and records. I even wrote a post on Storage and Record Keeping. But what about the special things you want to keep permanently? And how about those pictures that you take each year to show how your kids have grown? Enter the “My School Memories” kit!

Awhile back, like before I had 4 kids and started homeschooling, I had intentions of scrapbooking a page or more for each of my children to help show their progress from one year to the next. Sadly I’ve been so busy preparing lesson plans and taking care of our house that I haven’t exactly had time to follow through on my plans.

So in response to that, I created some super easy and cute school memory pages to help make it easier for me to remember these years! AND… in the spirit of Christmas gift giving I’m going to share them with you for FREE!

Each page is already set up for you, so all you have to do is print the PDF then glue on a picture and fill out some information! And if you noticed, I worded the pages so that your children can fill in the information themselves! Not only does this take some of the work off of your plate, but how cute will it be to see their own handwriting as they journal about their favorite things from one year to the next!

The pages go from preschool all the way to 12th grade, and included in the printable are little labels for your file folders along with instructions on printing them out.

Since I know there are homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers who read my blog, I made 2 versions of these printables for you! Click below to download the one you would like. The kits are basically the same, but I switched out a few of the questions so they make sense for either of your educational choices!

(DOWNLOAD TIP: If the file does not open in your browser window, RIGHT click on the below download link then select “SAVE LINK AS”. You will then be prompted to save the file to your hard drive.)

Currently I am keeping their favorite pieces of art and things I want to remember in these file folders. I place the cover page with their photo in folder in the front, then I can easily add in anything they make throughout the year.

I went ahead and printed one set for each of my kids and then added them to their file folders so they’re ready to go. All I have to do is add on a picture each year, then at the end of the year I’ll have them fill in their pages.

Alternative to the file folders: You can also use page protectors and put your stuff in binders. I think the folders work nicely because you can just toss stuff in there, and you don’t have to worry about hole punching anything. But if you use page protectors you can kind of do the samething )

I hope you enjoy these, and happy memory keeping!

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School Days Memory Keeping is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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Christmas Preschool Printables

Wed, 30/11/2011 - 16:03

Looking for some fun Preschool Christmas Activities? I shared these fun Christmas printables last year, but thought I’d bring them back out for all of my new readers!

Click here to download the entire Christmas Preschool Activity Pack

What’s Included in the Download?

Large Floor Numbers
Coloring Pages
Lacing Card
Do-A-Dot Marker Pages
Pre-Writing Activities
Pattern Activity
Roll-A-Tree Game
Color Matching Puzzles
Candy Cane Counting
Size Sorting
Christmas Puzzle
Scavenger Hunt
Letter C Magnet Page
Star Counting
and More!

And I’m sure you’ve all seen my Jesus Printables, they are great Christmas time activities too!

I hope you enjoy these fun Preschool Christmas Activities! Click here for directions on how to use all these fun games!

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Christmas Preschool Printables is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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Homemade Advent Candles

Tue, 29/11/2011 - 15:29

Hi everyone! I absolutely LOVE Christmas time and I thought it would be fun to do a “12 Days of Christmas” blog series! So over the next 12 days I’ll be sharing some of our favorite Christmas traditions, crafts, printables and more! I hope you enjoy the season!

Christmas Traditions:

I’m always so excited to create wonderful traditions for our children. These are the types of things they will remember when they’re older, and even pass down to their own families. Since Christmas is my favorite holiday, each year we do something fun for the Advent season.

This year I ordered some Make your own Advent Candles and Bartholomew’s Passage for our Advent reading.

The candle kit comes with 5 Purple sheets, 2 Pink, 2 Ivory, and the wicks. They have updated the kit since I ordered, so now they come with instructions, but if you get your sheets from somewhere else I’ll show you how we did it.

Supplies:

Blow dryer
beeswax honeycomb sheets measuring 8″ x 16 1/2”
6 yards of cotton wick
scissors

Directions:

First, using your blow dryer on the “low” setting, quickly warm the wax sheet just a tad. I laid mine out on some paper just to keep it from sticking to my counter top. Next lay a piece of wick along the very bottom of the wax sheet.

Then carefully roll the sheet of softened wax paper up around the wick. Make sure to keep it straight as you are rolling.

Continue to roll the wax sheet pressing gently. The wax will naturally stick to itself.

Once your sheet is completely rolled up, gently press in the edge to secure it to the candle.

Next trim off the excess wick leaving about 1/2” of wick above the candle.

Repeat with the remaining colors to complete your set of homemade Advent candles!

Each night, light the candles as you read a chapter from your book. If you’re not up for purchasing a new book, you can always read your favorite Christmas stories each night, then on Christmas Eve read Luke 1-2.

Here are some other wonderful Advent reading ideas for your family:

Looking for more ideas for Advent?

Have a great Advent season!

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Homemade Advent Candles is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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RooMag.com Launch

Tue, 29/11/2011 - 14:39

I’m sooooo excited today! Candace Cameron Bure is launching a brand new online magazine called RooMag.com! The official launch is today, and it’s going to be a wonderful place to get tips on parenting, home, life, travel, heart matters, encouragement, and more!

They’ve also asked me to be a contributor on the site which is a huge honor, I absolutely LOVE Candace! I really can’t even tell you how giddy I am to be part of something that I know will be so amazing! Please make sure to stop by today and share your support with Candace as well as the list of amazing contributors for this site!

Candace’s “desire is to minister to the hearts of women so they might pursue wholesome values that nurture and reinforce the family unit; that modern women would be bold enough to stand against the negative message our culture tends to reflect, and embrace the women we were created to be.”

As a side note, Candace will also be staring in a TV movie on Sunday, December 4th called The Heart Of Christmas. It will air Dec. 4th at 7 & 9pm EST on GMC TV (check your local guide or call your cable provider for channel information)

Want more information? Check out Candace at the links below, make sure to let her know that Erica @ confessions sent you over!

Candace C. Bure on Twitter
Candace C. Bure Website
Candace C. Bure on Facebook

Thanks so much for all of your support, and I hope you enjoy RooMag.com!

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RooMag.com Launch is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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Grapevine Bible Study Giveaway!

Mon, 28/11/2011 - 16:00

I’m so excited for the giveaway today and it’s just in time for Christmas! We’ve just started the multi-level Birth of Jesus study. It’s been so awesome to go through this as we approach the holidays that I wanted to share it all with you too!

We started with Grapevine Studies this year, and after 4 months of using the curriculum, we still LOVE it! it’s easy, and my children have fun drawing the little stick figures for everything. What I love most is that even my kindergartner can look back at her drawings and recall what was going on in that section. I also really like the maps they include. It’s so cool to show my children where things took place, and how far people traveled as we go through the study.

Bible has quickly become one of our favorite parts of the day! You can read my review of Grapevine Studies here.

Would you like to see a sample so you can see for yourself? Click on the link below:

CAN’T WAIT? Click here to get the Birth of Jesus study today! Use code: ADVENT11 to get 20% off any non-sale items now til Dec 31!

READY TO WIN! (Grapevine is offering 1 physical book version, and 3 – eBook sets, so that’s 4 winners! YAY!)

Mandatory Entry:

Simply leave a comment below letting me know why you’d like to win a free copy of the Birth of Jesus, please include whether you’d prefer the physical book version or the eBook.

Additional Optional Entries: (not required to win, leave a separate comment on this post for each additional entry)

Like Grapevine on Facebook: let them know Erica @ Confessions sent you!
Subscribe via email to Confessions of a Homeschooler or Subscribe via RSS to Confessions
Follow Confessions on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway, feel free to copy the text below:

Enter to win a Birth of Jesus Grapevine Study from @ericahomeschool! Enter thru 12/2/11! http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/?p=5488

Nitty Gritty Giveaway Details:

The give away will be open until midnight EST Friday December 2, 2011. Winner will be announced by Monday December 5, 2011.
Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, winner will be chosen at random!
This giveaway is offered to US residents only!
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
NOTE: In order to enter the contest you must leave a comment on THIS post. To leave a comment scroll to the bottom of the post and click “Post a comment” (If you are reading this via RSS, you will need to visit my actual blog to post a comment.)
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the Birth of Jesus for review and giveaway purposes. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

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Grapevine Bible Study Giveaway! is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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What’s in the Bible? DVD Winner!

Mon, 28/11/2011 - 08:46

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the What’s in the Bible? DVD’s! As promised, I have a winner!

Congratulations to commenter #529, Jodi! I’ve sent you an email to you, please replay asap so we can get your DVD set shipped!

Thanks so much, and don’t forget to enter to win a FREE copy of Pick and Draw this week, and I have another giveaway just in time for Christmas coming tomorrow! (Psst…Don’t tell anyone, but it’s 3 free copies of the Birth of Jesus Grapevine Bible study, a wonderful study for the month of December!)

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Pick and Draw Giveaway!

Fri, 25/11/2011 - 16:03

In honor of Black Friday, I thought I’d put up a special little surprise for you all today! I have a great stocking stuffer giveaway Pick and Draw! It continues to be a favorite in our home. If you haven’t heard about this yet, keep reading, I’m sure you’re kids will love it too!

About the Game

Pick and Draw is a fun, one-of-a-kind drawing game that teaches you how to make very creative cartoon faces. It can be played by one or more people, and is an excellent way to encourage creative thinking skills. This game is so much fun and encouraging for everyone, even my children who seem reluctant to try drawing. As you can see the cards are easy, fun shapes:

The game:

A good quality deck of cards with a sturdy plastic carrying case
60,000 different drawing possibilities in the deck
The cards use basic shapes that anyone can draw
Can be one player or multiple
It is easy to play: just pick a card from each pile and draw it!
All you need is the deck of cards, a pencil and paper
It only costs $10!
It’s great for boosting drawing skills and creativity!

We always have so much fun playing this game, it is super easy, and with all the different combination’s it was fun too!

Each game comes with instruction cards, suggestions, drawing tips, and a personal message from Rich:

“I have made this Pick and Draw game so tat you and I can draw together. I want it to be fun for you and I think you will be surprised how well you can draw. Your ability to create is a gift from God. So grab your paper and pencil and let’s draw!”

Rich also encourages you to name your characters and tell information about them such as what they like to do for fun. Its a great creative outlet that reaches children in such an effective way!

Here are some of our results:

About Rich Davis:

The game was developed to be used for all ages at public libraries and schools. Rich wanted to help people unlock new pathways of visual thinking, empower them, and to do it in an unsuspecting fun way.

According to Rich, he developed the Pick And Draw Game “to help kids open up their creativity that God has placed in them and to build enough confidence for whatever the next creative-growth-step will be for each person.”

Rich is also a children’s book illustrator, if you’ve read any of the “Puffin Readers” you have seen his work!

“My Inspiration for creating art lives inside me….the Creator of the Universe, Jesus Christ. I am not ashamed to state that…He is reality for me, not a concept.”

Where you can find Rich:

CAN’T WAIT? Visit Pick And Draw to get your game today!

READY TO WIN? Rich is offering 3 FREE Pick and Draw Games to giveaway to my readers!

Mandatory Entry:

Simply leave a comment below letting me know why you’d like to win.

Additional Optional Entries: (not required to win, leave a separate comment on this post for each additional entry)

LikePick and Draw on Facebook
Subscribe via email to Confessions of a Homeschooler or Subscribe via RSS to Confessions
Follow Confessions on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway, feel free to copy the text below:

Enter to win a Free Pick and Draw game from @ericahomeschool! Enter thru 12/2/11! http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/?p=5479

Nitty Gritty Giveaway Details:

The give away will be open until midnight EST Friday December 2, 2011. Winner will be announced by Monday December 5, 2011.
Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, winner will be chosen at random!
This giveaway is offered to US residents only!
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
NOTE: In order to enter the contest you must leave a comment on THIS post. To leave a comment scroll to the bottom of the post and click “Post a comment” (If you are reading this via RSS, you will need to visit my actual blog to post a comment.)
Disclosure: I received a free game for review on my blog. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

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Homeschool Giveaways Black Friday!

Thu, 24/11/2011 - 14:55

Before I head out to enjoy the weekend with my family, I wanted to let you know about a HUGE Homeschoolers Black Friday Giveaway Blast!

Carrie from Homeschool Giveaways is hosting a HUGE giveaway event just for homeschoolers on Black Friday! (November 25, 2011)

She has tons of great giveaways to offer! And it’s no ordinary giveaway. Everyone get’s to enter to win their favorite product, but Carrie is also picking a grand prize winner who will receive 1 of EVERYTHING! WhooHoo!

I’ll be sponsoring 2 giveaways for the event:

Package 1: My Letter of the Week and K4 Curriculum Combo Pack

Package 2: Expedition Earth and Road Trip USA Combo Pack

So make sure to stop by Homeschool Giveaways and enter to win!

Happy Thanksgiving, and good luck!

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Homeschool Giveaways Black Friday! is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

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2011 Christmas Gift List

Thu, 24/11/2011 - 02:30

I hope you are preparing for a lovely Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends, and gearing up for all those crazy Black Friday sales! Here are some of our top picks for 2011 to help you out! And just to make it a little better, these have all been approved by Teeny Tot, Tinkerbell, Turbo and Strawberry shortcake themselves! (Although I did have to remind them that I run an educational blog a few times! LOL!)

Stocking Stuffers:

Pick and Draw
Why Do They Call it Christmas? DVD
Smencils
The Night Before Christmas Recordable Book (My parents did this for our children, and they LOVE it! It will be a wonderful keepsake for years to come.)

Kids Gifts:

Dino Digs (Seriously a huge hit in our house!
PlayFoam
KaBam
Kanoodle
GeoSafari® Talking Electron Microscope™
GeoSafari® Tuff Cam
Blurt!®
Math Slam™
Buck, Buck, Moose!™ Game

Melissa & Doug See & Spell
Melissa & Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks
MindWare Imaginets
ThinkFun Zingo (My kids LOVE this game!)
ThinkFun What’s Gnu
Pop for Sight Words by Learning Resources
Pop for Letters Game by Learning Resources
Goodie Games – ABC Cookies by Learning Resources

What our kids REALLY want this year…(Currently accepting donations…;o) just kidding hee hee!)

Legos (Anything Star Wars!)
American Girl

Click here to see my 2010 Christmas Gift List of ideas!

Happy shopping! And make sure to stop by Starbucks on your way so you don’t get too cranky waiting in line ;o) (I highly recommend the Grande White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino! I didn’t say to get it skinny, because I figured you’d need the extra calories to endure all of the shoppers!)

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Thankful Turkey Kids Craft

Wed, 23/11/2011 - 15:54

Looking for a fun Thanksgiving craft you can do with your kiddos? Look no further, this is a simple fun craft you can do and the great part is you probably already have most of the supplies close at hand!

Supplies:

Brown, orange, and red for turkey body
Various colors of construction paper for feathers
Markers
Anything else you’d like to add for decoration

Directions:

First we read The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh. It’s a wonderful story about one family’s first Thanksgiving in the Plymouth Colony. The family starts as they are aboard the Mayflower, goes through their journey to a new land, and then ends with the great feast with the Indian chief Massasoit, Squanto and their people.

Making your turkey:

Step 1: We used my felt turkey template to trace out our pieces on to colorful construction paper. (Use brown for the body, orange for the beak and claws, and red for the beard.)

Step 2: Glue the body pieces together as seen above.

Step 3: Have your children write 1 think they are thankful for on each feather, then attach them to the back of the turkey body. (If you’re curious, “Six” is the name of our cat ;o) )

And that’s it! A super easy and fun Thanksgiving craft that will help your kids understand why we celebrate and what they can be thankful for in their own lives!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

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Thanksgiving Preschool FREE Printables

Tue, 22/11/2011 - 16:06

Hi everyone! Looking for some fun Thanksgiving related preschool activities for your kids? I’ve had so many requests to do a Thanksgiving Preschool Printable pack, that I did! YAY!

Download the Thanksgiving Preschool Printables

(DOWNLOAD TIP: If your browser does not open the printable, RIGHT click on the above link then select “SAVE LINK AS” and you will be prompted to SAVE it to your hard drive! Hope that helps!)

What’s Included in the FREE download?

Large Floor Numbers
Pre-writing Practice
Letter T Tracing
Letter T Poking Page
Pumpkin Pie Color Puzzles
“Thanks” Letter Matching
Pattern Activity
Building Activity
Counting Practice
Number Cards
Thanksgiving Coloring Page
Size Sorting
Number Order puzzle
Do-A-Dot Page
“Thanks” Bean Bag Toss
Thanksgiving Graphing Activity
What is the Difference Activity
Cutting Practice

Large Floor Numbers: Lay cards out on the floor and have your child hop to the number as you call it out. You can also use this as a beanbag toss game and have your child toss a beanbag to each number as you call it out.

Number Order Puzzle: Cut the puzzle out along the guide lines then use the numbers along the bottom to help you put the puzzle back together.

Thanksgiving Pattern Activity: Use the game pieces at the bottom of the printable to finish each pattern.

Size Sorting: Cut out the turkey’s and then sort from smallest to largest. Discuss which one is smallest, largest, and middle or medium.

Building Activity: Print page twice, leave one whole and cut one for game pieces. Use the pieces to re-create the pattern. This download includes 2 building activities.

Scissor Skills: Use child safe scissors to practice cutting along the dotted lines.

Thanksgiving Graphing: Use the guides at the top of the page to color in the correct amount of squares. Discuss which one had the most, 2nd most, least, and 2nd least.

Letter T Poke Page: Lay page on the carpet, then use a toothpick or oversized thumb tack to poke holes along the letter lines. Hold up to window afterwards to reveal your letter!

Letter T Tracing: Laminate and then use dry-erase marker to practice tracing the letter T.

“Thanks” Bean Bag Toss: Cut out letter cards, then lay on floor. Call out a letter for your student and have them toss the beanbag onto the correct letter. Alternate Option: Attach cards to wall or cork board. Use dart gun to shoot each letter as you call it out! (This idea came from 1+1+1)

Thanksgiving Coloring Page: Use markers, or crayons to color the picture.

Color Puzzles: Cut out the pies, then cut each one in half in different ways. Match up the pies based on their color. For a challenge, have your child put the correct colored pie onto each color word on the word grid.

Counting: Cut out the number cards (incl. in download). Count each item on the cards and add the correct number card to the blank box.

Which is Different? Examine each row of images and circle the one that is different.

“Thanks” Letter Match: Use the Letter Disks to match up to each letter. If you’re looking for more challenge, give this game to your kindergartner as a capital/lowercase matching game by using the uppercase card with the lowercase letter disks or visa versa! Click here to download the accompanying Letter Disks if you don’t already have them!

Number Cards: Cut out the number cards then have your student place them in numerical order. Use the manipulative of your choice and put the correct amount on each card. Some ideas: cheerios, gold fish, beads, legos, mini-clothes pins, etc.

Pre-Writing Skills: Laminate and use a dry-erase marker to trace over the pre-writing shapes.

Do-A-Dot Marker Page: Use your Dot-A-Dot Markers to fill in the Letter T shapes! If you don’t have Dot-A-Dot Markers, you can also have your child add 1 sticker per circle to create the Letter T shapes.

That’s it! I hope you enjoy your holiday weekend, and my new Thanksgiving Printables!

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Thanksgiving Preschool FREE Printables is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

What’s In The Bible? Christmas DVD Giveaway!

Mon, 21/11/2011 - 16:21

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My kids absolutely LOVE the What’s in the Bible? DVD’s. They’re a fun filled way to journey thru the Bible with VeggieTales® creator, Phil Vischer. So when we had a chance to review their new Christmas DVD the kids were totally excited! And…the new Why do we call it Christmas? DVD is out just in time for Christmas, and I personally love the idea of giving a gift for Christmas that will bring your family closer go God!

And the best part is that I have a FREE Set of 6 DVD’s to giveaway to you! (What’s in the Bible? #1-5 and Why Do We Call it Christmas?)

Don’t want to wait? It’s available now and you can get the pre-Christmas special deal at BuckDenver.com. Right now you can grab all 6 DVDs for $37.95 ($47.90 with S&H, each DVD is normally $12.99 so that’s almost 50% off the regular price.)

Check out this special 28 minute Christmas DVD trailer to see for yourself how much fun these DVD’s are!

What are some of the questions that these DVD’s answer?

Why is Christmas called Christmas?
Why do we cut down trees?
Why do we hang stockings?
What’s up with Santa Claus?
What do any of these have to do with Jesus’ birthday? psst…more than you’d think!

I have to say that I learned a few things myself watching the DVD’s! And I’m not sure about your kids, but mine seem to remember things better when they “SEE” them which makes these DVD’s great for learning all about the Bible! And of course they’re PERFECT for stocking stuffers!

CAN’T WAIT? Visit the Buck Denver site to get your CD’s in time for Christmas!

Want more information?

READY TO WIN!

Mandatory Entry:

Simply leave a comment below letting me know why you’d like to win a FREE Set of 6 DVD’s (What’s in the Bible? #1-5 and Why Do We Call it Christmas?)

Additional Optional Entries: (not required to win, leave a separate comment on this post for each additional entry)

Follow What’s in the Bible on Facebook (Make sure to let them know Erica @ Confessions sent you!)
Follow What’s in the Bible on Twitter
Subscribe via email to Confessions of a Homeschooler or Subscribe via RSS to Confessions
Follow Confessions on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway, feel free to copy the text below:

@ericahomeschool is hosting an @Whatsinthebible giveaway! Enter thru 11/25/11! http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/?p=4629

Nitty Gritty Giveaway Details:

The give away will be open until midnight EST Friday November 25, 2011. Winner will be announced by Monday November 28, 2011.
Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, winner will be chosen at random!
Please leave a way for me to contact you in your entry otherwise another winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is offered to US residents only!
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Erica
What’s In The Bible? Christmas DVD Giveaway! is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

All About Spelling $50 Gift Card Winner!

Mon, 21/11/2011 - 11:02

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I also hope I can make it even more wonderful for one of you! As promised, I am giving away a $50 Gift Card to All About Spelling today! Yipee!!

Congratulations to Comment #774: Caroline from Under God’s Mighty Hand! I’ll be emailing you shortly regarding your gift card, I hope you enjoy it!

Stick around tomorrow for an awesome giveaway from What’s in the Bible?

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Erica
All About Spelling $50 Gift Card Winner! is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

10 Days of Character Studies: Day 10

Fri, 18/11/2011 - 15:28

Welcome to our final day in the 10 Days of Character Studies: Day 10. Today we’re going to talk about being selfless.

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

What does selflessness mean? Showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others. Selflessness means that we act without thoughts of how we will profit or be rewarded for our actions. We choose to help others because we may identify with them, and their needs. And we choose selflessness out of obedience to what God has called us to do.

What does selfishness mean? Concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others.

What does our verse for the week say about being selfish? I haven’t found anywhere in the Bible where selfishness is rewarded or condoned. God repeatedly tells us to love one another, love our enemies, love others above our selves, and serve with a cheerful heart. Our best example of this is Jesus Himself. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

Lessons Learned:

This week we are going to take a look at Ananias and Sapphira’s selfishness, Achan’s sin, the rich man who hid his eyes from the poor, and Judas Iscariot’s greed. We’ll see the consequences of their actions, as well as the blessings of those who were obedient in selflessness. We’ll also talk about ways we can serve others without expecting anything in return.

Click to download: A Character study: Selflessness

AND…as a special bonus for making it all the way through the 10 Days of Character Studies, I wanted to share the Fruit of the Spirit Study with you all as well! This is a 14 day study written by my good friend Beckie. She no longer blogs, so now I’m blessed to be able to share this wonderful study with you with her permission.

I hope you enjoy the the 10 Days of Character Studies, click the button below if you missed any of them! You can also click on the “Homeschool” tab then scroll down to “Bible” to see a pop-up menu of all of my character studies.

Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.

10 days of Character Studies | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | Milk & Cookies
10 days of Creative Writing | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of Crockpot Meals | The Happy Housewife
10 Days to a Godly Marriage | Women Living Well
10 Days of Growing Leaders | Mom’s Mustard Seeds
10 Days of Homeschooling High School | Weird Socialized Homeschoolers
10 days of I Wish I Had Known | Fruit in Season
10 days of Keeping Your Marbles | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of Kid-friendly Food | Planner Perfect
10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | Jimmie’s Collage
10 Days of Learning Apps | Daze of Adventure
10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | Cajun Joie de Vivre
10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | Preschoolers and Peace
10 Days to a Peaceful Home | Raising Arrows
10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | Bright Ideas Press
10 days of Science with Math | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of Teaching Values | Our Journey Westward
10 days of Winning your Child’s Heart | I Take Joy

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Erica
10 Days of Character Studies: Day 10 is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

10 Days of Character Studies: Day 9

Thu, 17/11/2011 - 15:20

Welcome to 10 Days of Character Studies: Day 9! I can’t believe it’s almost over, I hope you are all enjoying the studies. I also hope they are helping you and your family develop Godly character traits!

Today we’re going to be talking about self control. Ya, it’s a hard one to swallow for sure.

James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

What is self control? Showing control or restraint of your emotions, feelings, and reactions.

How can we show self control on a daily basis? For example, choosing to be kind to a sibling even if we are angry, not choosing to sin in our anger, responding to meanness with kindness, etc.

Lessons Learned:

We’re going to be spending the week discussing some ways to turn from anger and wrath, and begin to use self control in our words and actions. We’ll discuss how loss of self-control can lead to disastrous results. For example in the instance of Cain who ended up killing his brother, Moses who killed an Egyptian, and Nebuchadnezzar who tried to kill Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Of course we’ll also discuss the blessings of obedience in regards to self control and ways we can practice this character trait in our home.

Click to download: A study on Self Control

I hope you enjoy the study on self control, make sure to stop by tomorrow for our last study on selflessness!

Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.

10 days of Character Studies | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | Milk & Cookies
10 days of Creative Writing | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of Crockpot Meals | The Happy Housewife
10 Days to a Godly Marriage | Women Living Well
10 Days of Growing Leaders | Mom’s Mustard Seeds
10 Days of Homeschooling High School | Weird Socialized Homeschoolers
10 days of I Wish I Had Known | Fruit in Season
10 days of Keeping Your Marbles | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of Kid-friendly Food | Planner Perfect
10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | Jimmie’s Collage
10 Days of Learning Apps | Daze of Adventure
10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | Cajun Joie de Vivre
10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | Preschoolers and Peace
10 Days to a Peaceful Home | Raising Arrows
10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | Bright Ideas Press
10 days of Science with Math | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of Teaching Values | Our Journey Westward
10 days of Winning your Child’s Heart | I Take Joy

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Erica
10 Days of Character Studies: Day 9 is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

10 Days of Character Studies: Day 3

Wed, 09/11/2011 - 14:46

Hi everyone! Welcome to the 10 Days of Character Studies: DAY 3!

Today we’re going to be addressing what it means to be a good steward. This is a great study for my kids in particular! Our family has been so blessed and it is easy for all of us to take our lifestyle for granted. In this study we will address the ways that God has blessed us, and how we can be good stewards of those things as well as how we can turn that around and bless others.

Good Steward

So what does it mean to be a good steward?

The good steward is someone who is doing the best he can with the things that God has given him. The meaning involves how the precious gifts that God has given to all are used and cared for.

Lessons Learned:

This week we will be going through the Parable of the Lost Son, the foolish women unprepared for their bridegroom, the good and faithful servant, and the parable of the Shrewd Manager. We will study the differences between taking care of our things, and being foolish with them.

And one of my favorite parts of the week, we’ll de-clutter our home in an effort to learn how to bless other’s as we have ourselves been blessed!

Click to download: A Character study: Being a Good Steward

I hope you enjoy the study on being a good steward, and make sure to stop by tomorrow for a study on being a Honesty!

Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.

10 days of Character Studies | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | Milk & Cookies
10 days of Creative Writing | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of Crockpot Meals | The Happy Housewife
10 Days to a Godly Marriage | Women Living Well
10 Days of Growing Leaders | Mom’s Mustard Seeds
10 Days of Homeschooling High School | Weird Socialized Homeschoolers
10 days of I Wish I Had Known | Fruit in Season
10 days of Keeping Your Marbles | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of Kid-friendly Food | Planner Perfect
10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | Jimmie’s Collage
10 Days of Learning Apps | Daze of Adventure
10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | Cajun Joie de Vivre
10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | Preschoolers and Peace
10 Days to a Peaceful Home | Raising Arrows
10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | Bright Ideas Press
10 days of Science with Math | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of Teaching Values | Our Journey Westward
10 days of Winning your Child’s Heart | I Take Joy

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Erica
10 Days of Character Studies: Day 3 is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

Blog Talk Radio Interview

Wed, 09/11/2011 - 13:11

Yep, you heard me right, I did an interview on Blog Talk Radio called “Are You a Supermom?”.

I have to say that I’ve never done a radio interview before so I was a little nervous, but Annie from Moffat Girls and Teaching Blog Addict was so wonderful to work with I was put at ease right away! I had so much fun that I decided I’d share it on my blog a well so you all can get to know me a little bit better!

What questions did they ask?

1) Are you a supermom?

2) What are some of your best managing tools/tips that help you do all that you do and successfully homeschool?

3) What would you say to the mom who is overwhelmed and discouraged? She has piles of laundry to fold, dirty dishes in the sink, she is exhausted and she feels like a failure.

Warning: I rambled on a little bit…okay a lot…I’m a homeschooler, so I don’t get out much ) That means when the chance comes, I will talk your ear off! That said…if you’re still interested in listening, just click on the play button below to hear me in real life:

Listen to internet radio with TeachingBlogAddict on Blog Talk Radio

If the above widget isn’t working you can click here to listen to it on Blog Talk Radio: Are You a Supermom?

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Erica
Blog Talk Radio Interview is a post from: Confessions of a Homeschooler

Categories: Planet Home Education

10 Days of Character Studies: Day 2

Tue, 08/11/2011 - 15:26

Hi everyone! Welcome to the 10 Days of Character Studies: DAY 2!

Today we’re going to be addressing the character trait called “gentleness”. This is one of my favorites and also one of the harder ones for me in particular. I tend be a little more {uhem} “blunt” in my delivery, and I realize now that my kids respond so much better when I’m addressing them in a gentle manner!

Gentleness

Click to download: A Character study: Gentleness

So what is Gentleness? Gentleness means to be kind, not harsh or severe, but mild and soft. As a matter of fact God is kind enough to tell us exactly what His definition of gentleness is in His Word. In Romans 12:10 we read that we are to “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”

Gentleness isn’t always so easy to do, especially when someone else is not showing it in return. However we are all responsible for our own responses to situations, and so this week we are going to challenge ourselves to be kind to others, even when they are not so kind to us.

Since having kids I’ve really had to put Proverbs 15:1 to heart… “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Lessons Learned:

This week we will learn about Joseph’s brothers lack of gentleness, Cain’s, Paul and Barnabas’, and King Nebuchadnezzar’s lack as well. All of these instances resulted in separation of families and friends. We will see how showing gentleness to others can restore relationships, and bring us closer to our God.

Helpful Tips:

One thing that really helps our family is to be careful what our kids are watching on TV. (Really this applies to adults as well.) You may notice your child’s behavior change when they aren’t filled with the harshness that is often prevalent in children’s programming.