Every Bed of Roses

Thursday 12 November 2015

Giraffe Faces {Virtual Fridge}

This Week
Wow time flies so fast and we've missed a few weeks of the Virtual Fridge but I'm pleased to say we are back. This week we learned to use a new medium: acrylic paint. Painting small area's was a little challenge for Nathaniel as we have not done very much painting up until now.

This Month's Theme
Welcome to the Virtual Fridge for the month of November. If you are after some inspiration our theme is THANKSGIVING.

This weeks Feature

This weeks feature is a tutorial by Susie from over at Busy Toddler: Fall Leaf Craft.

Your Turn

I invite you to take some photo's of your children's artistic pursuits put them in a post and link up with me I would love to come over and see the wonderful art your children have enjoyed doing.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.everybedofroses.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Virtual%20Fridge" title="Virtual Fridge Link Up"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmwOV8LEHGlyewq4vzijOFKpQAQ5QIsoboACS3NXYb5NkkMDEHopBuLfzKfSaVQtoxfGsnLCZpgIMEh0TUIjur_buc11sMxmpoh7BbjBtaFht9Xz5VVXrIyI8hVM2iJVNWx-58dYsLcs/s900/Link+Up+with+Us!+Art+Linky.jpg"height="125" width="125" alt="Virtual Fridge Link Up" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Blessings
Chareen

Connect with me

The Virtual Fridge a weekly art meme where we can hang our children's art on a virtual fridge. This meme was started by Jennifer over at A Glimpse of our Life who kindly invited three other bloggers to co-host this weekly meme.

Your hosts are

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday 9 November 2015

Eat Your Science Homework {Ann McCallum Books Review}

Something good to eat is always a good way to help children solidify their learning.

Recently the Schoolhouse Review Crew were introduced to Ann McCallum Books. Ann is the author of a nifty set of books in the Eat your ... series and Nathaniel and I have been working our way through Eat Your Science Homework.

There are currently three books in the Eat Your Homework series

Eat Your US History Homework
Eat Your Science Homework
Eat Your Math Homework.

Ann also has a blog where she shares recipes and encouragement on how to Eat your way through a variety of topics.

What we received

ISBN: 978-1-57091-299-3
Published by: Charlesbridge
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 2009, 2014
Specifications: Teacher: 48 pages
By: Ann McCallum
Illustrated by: Leeza Hernandez
Awarded: Junior Library Guild Selection

The book is divided up into:

Introduction - Here you will discover all about delicious chemistry in the kitchen.
Safety instructions - We learned about safety in our lab. The tricks of the trade list was helpful for Nathaniel. It was good to read these. I realized that some things I had not actively told him before and had assumed he knew.
Six experiments - Each experiment covers a particular topic. We love the creative names for each one: Atomic Popcorn Balls, Density Dressing and Veggie Sticks, Invisable Ink Snack Pockets, Loop, Whorl and Arch Cookies, Sedimentary Pizza Lasagna and Black Hole Swallow-Ups
- The topic is introduced and explained carefully. The jargon is introduced in context and fully explained.
- Next the recipe is presented. There is a before you begin section which covers time, oven temperature and difficulty. An ingredients list followed by the step by step method. The author coaches the student carefully in what to do in each step.
- The next page is a conclusion to the topic page. We enjoyed reading these as they give some relevant information, interesting historical note in relation to the topic and concluding words.
Review - This is a summary of what you have learned as you've worked your way through the book.
Glossary - A concise list of scientific terms used throughout the book with clear explanations of each word.
Index -

How we used it

After reading the introduction page on Density, Dressing and Veggie Sticks chapter it was time to gather our supplies.

This lesson involved no heat so I left Nathaniel up to following the directions in the method. He enjoyed watching what happened as he added each ingredient to the bottle and surmising what he thought might happen when he added the ingredients.

We learned some new technical jargon: immiscible, miscible and density. We also did some follow up experiments to solidify the topic of density. The results were edible and Daddy now has some new blue salad dressing to enjoy!

You can download a fabulous Teachers Guide for Eat Your Science HOMEWORK.

Recommended Age Range

7-10 years old

Over All I thought ...
We've enjoyed working our way through this beautiful book. Every single double page spread is beautifully illustrated and contains thoughtful information. I appreciated how the author spoke directly to the child and did not assume that the student knew something. Every concept was clearly explained and scientific terms were presented clearly and concisely. Each experiment was followed up with a Science Sampler which ranged from finding elements present in our home to interesting information on famous scientists over the ages.

This is a fun book to add to your science routine at home and the best part is you can EAT your experiments!

Blessings
Chareen

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Apple Rose Shortcake Muffins {THM E}

A few months ago all these beautiful images of Apple Roses were filling my news feed on Facebook and all I wanted was to eat one. This year I've been pursuing healthy eating using the Trim Healthy Mama plan and non of the recipe's out there were going to allow me to enjoy an Apple Rose bake. I've finally found my solution! Enter the Apple Rose Shortcake Muffin!

Shortcake Muffin Mix

Ingredients

1/2 cup of sweetener
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup egg white
1/2 cup sweetener blend
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Method

Mix sweetener and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Take 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar and sprinkle in the bottom of the silicon muffin trays. Enough to make 12 medium muffins.
Grind the oats and baking powder and set aside
Blend remaining ingredients in a blender.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour 1/4 cup of the mix into prepared muffin molds.

Apple Rose inserted into muffin mix ready to bake.

Apple Roses

Ingredients

6 small apples
6 table spoons of water

Method

Wash and core the apples.
Cut them in half
Slice each half into 2 mm ( ⁵⁄₆₄in) half moon slices.
Fill a glass bowl with warm water and a dash of lemon.
Separate and lay the apple slices in the water.
Cover and microwave for 3 min.
Set aside until cooked. (You can steam them too) The apples need to be soft enough to roll without breaking but not mash! Once cooked remove and drain them.
Once your apple slices are cool enough to handle it's time to make the rose. Take the halves and create a straight line about 30 cm (12 in) long. Lay the straight edges along the bottom. The apples need to overlap by half.
Lightly sprinkle the apples with the remaining cinnamon sweetener. This is the only tricky bit because the apples are not being held in place by pastry. Start on the left and roll them up to form a rose.
Place them gently into the muffin tin and push them slightly into the Short Cake Muffin mix.
Repeat until all apples are cooked and muffins prepared.
Bake for 20 min at 180 'C (350 'F)
Remove and allow the muffins to rest in the mold for 5 min.
Gently remove and cool on a cooling rack.

Serving Suggestion

1 Tablespoon of sweetener blend.
Grind in a coffee grinder until you get a fine icing sugar consistency is reached.
Sprinkle over cooled muffins and enjoy!

These were a most delightful way to end our E dinner last night!

Blessings
Chareen

You can pin this post here:

*The recipes above are tweaked versions of original recipe's which are not THM but can be found here:

Apple Roses Cooking with Manuela
Strawberry Shortcake Muffins to make this recipe THM friendly I substitute the 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of egg white. If you use whole eggs then it becomes a cross-over. PS the Strawberry version is divine!

Tuesday 3 November 2015

The Brinkman Adventures: Season 3 {Review}

There's been much excitement around here lately. Last year we were introduced to the Brinkman Adventures and after listening to season two we have been stalking their website and Facebook page in anticipation of Season 3

The Brinkman Adventures are the result of a vision and idea the Lord gave to Ian Bultman when he was away on a prayer retreat.

The vision was to create radio quality dramatizations retelling actual modern day missionary stories using the day to day lives of his own family (there are 10 children in his family). Each of the children's names have been changed in the production but they all play themselves.

The aim of the series is one of changing lives and encouraging young people to become missionaries.

What we received

Episodes 25 to 36
MP3 Album
24 files in a 599 MB zipped folder

How we used it
After downloading our MP3 file I extracted it and imported it into iTunes. We loaded it onto our iPod and enjoyed listening to the episodes on our family room sound system.
As before we were hooked and could not stop listening to the episodes!

Each episode has a follow up link on the website with more background information on the missionary story featured along with links to organizations and pictures of the actual people and events represented in the episode.

There are 12 episodes** in Season 3 and you can read more about the back-stories in the links below:

**Episodes 1-12 are in Season 1 and episodes 13 - 24 are in Season 2.

We have enjoyed each and every episode in this season. One of the highlights for us happened in episode 31 and 32. Earlier this year we read the biography of Nate Saint and in these two episodes we hear what happened to his son Steve Saint. It was one of the most moving stories I have ever heard so much so that I cried...Steve Saint performed himself in each episode too.

One of the most encouraging aspects of listening to The Brinkman Adventures is hearing a family work through real every day life with the Lord. The way they pray together about everyday issues, read the Word of the Lord together, learn grow and play together have greatly encouraged and impacted our families way of living and walking with Jesus.

Cost of the Brinkman Adventures
Suggested donation purchase price

Set of 4 CD's $27.99
MP3 Album $17.99

The Brinkman Adventures operates on a donation basis. You have the option of choosing your donation value. ALL proceeds raised go towards funding new episodes and supporting missionaries around the world.

There are two sample episodes available for you to listen to online. Episode #1 is available to listen to at the bottom of the Fun Stuff page and episode #9 The Provider has it's own dedicated page.

You can watch behind the scenes recordings of the family recording the episodes on YouTube.

*All prices are quoted in US $ and are current at time of review. Please consult the Brinkman Adventures website for current prices

Recommended Age Range
The stories are intended for family listening.

Over All I thought ...

If you are looking for the ultimate family Christmas gift look no further! The Brinkman Adventures is full of true to life drama, encouragement and inspiration for you and your family. Each episode has inspired us to find out more about the missions that are happening around the globe today.

Blessings
Chareen

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Overcoming the fear of homeschooling in the Highschool Years

I've been pondering the High School years quite a bit of late. It feels like the other day I was embarking on these years with my first two and all of a sudden I have two homeschool graduates, one of them is in Great Britain and the other is doing a trainee ship. Looking back I'm surprised at just how quickly those years passed by.

I'm often surprised at the FEAR of the high school years that is expressed among home educating families and concerned members of the public. Today I would like to share some thoughts on 5 Hurdles to Overcome in teaching the High School Years.

5 Hurdles to Overcome

1 - Negative Mindset

Your attitude sets the tone for your student towards any given subject matter. Be careful of passing on a negative mindset to your children which is born out of your own experience with a certain subject matter.
It's your job to facilitate learning. If the subject matter at hand is outside of our own personal expertise, it is our job to help find someone who can help our student better understand the subject matter at hand.
A great answer for any question you can not answer is to say: "That's a good question, I don't know the answer let's find out together." The high school years are an excellent time to model how to keep learning. The point is go on a journey of discovery together. You may be surprised to learn that you actually enjoy (dare I say it out loud ?) Algebra or Chemistry or Quantum physics ...

2 - FEAR

For each and every one of us there is a subject out there that makes us quake in our shoes and rightly so. There are not very many people who are able to be perfect in every subject matter.
The balance is remembering that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real.
Confronting this fear with a fellow homeschool parent and finding the truth is better than passing on your own fears to your children.
It is impossible to teach/know everything there is to know about any particular subject matter due to the information age we live in.You do not need to FEAR that you may miss something.
This is where co-ops and support groups come into play. Do not be afraid to ask for help ...

3 - Please Help ?

It saddens me that many homeschool families quit because they think to say HELP we are stuck in this or that subject area is somehow a confession of failure.
Remember: To say I don't know how to do something takes courage. We encourage our young children to ask for help and yet as adults we don't ask for help. This is foolish and serves no good purpose.
No two families are the same and each one has it's own set of needs to be met. What works for one family may not necessarily work for yours.
The secret is to keep asking until you find the key that unlocks the mystery of a particular subject for your family. While this can be time consuming it is worth the effort it takes.

4 - Google

Home education and the internet have met up with each other to form a rather profitable marriage. While this is good for home educational businesses it's really bad for the home educator who has no hands on experience and does not know what works for which particular situation.
On one hand this is great as we have an unlimited supply of advice at our finger tips, the counter balance is we don't have anyone who knows us and our children who can support us.
I would encourage you to find real people to sit and have cups of tea with. Go from home to home within the group and see first hand how systems work then you will be better equipped to make decisions on what will or will not work for your family.
Only tackle Google and ask once you are armed with specific questions that need to be answered.
Do NOT let Google dictate what you should or should not be doing.

5- Pinterest.

For some of us Pinterest can be a source of anxiety and discontent and for others it's a paradise found
There are some amazing free resources and ideas to be found here. The problem is that the ideas are limitless and can end up paralyzing you to action.
If you choose to look for answers here don't get too hung up on the perfection displayed by others. Remember it's a cyber world where we can portray anything we want to, in any way we want to. Nothing is as perfect as it seems. Many online companies / homeschoolers purchase picture perfect scenes to 'sell' their information on Pinterest.
Use with caution and enjoy.

"Can I teach

high school science?

As your student gets older,

your role changes from

teacher to fellow learner."

Dr. Jay L. Wile

Things to consider

Research your options while your students are in the primary school years so that you have a clear pathway before you.
Be clear on your expectations.
Have an understanding of the level of education required to tackle different areas in the high school years.
Research and save for more expensive items such as a microscope. Do you have to have a microscope ? No but it is a great hands on learning tool that makes the sciences come alive in your home.
Find out where to purchase the items you need to do practical labs.
Consider the scope and sequence before changing curriculum or you might end up repeating what you have already done.
Get to know your student and what their long term study goals are and work towards those. Make it a priority to achieve what they need to accomplish their tertiary goals in the science arena.

I would like to encourage you not to fear but embrace the high school years. See it as an opportunity to learn and discover more thoroughly what you have always wanted to know.

Secondly remember you can not teach it all. There is no A-Z list for you to tick off and say right now I have taught this and that and we are finished. These days information in any subject area is exploding with at an exponential rate and it would be physically impossible for you to teach all there is to know in any given subject matter due to this..

I would love to read your thoughts on Learning in high school please leave a link to your post in the comments.

Blessings
Chareen
You can read more on these five hurdles in my post: HELP! How am I going to teach ... ?

Home School High School Topics

Over the next few months we will be sharing some insights into the following aspects of home educating through the high school years

Planning for High School {How and When,ways to/how we're planning to earn college credit while still in high school, Meeting High School Requirements, how to assign credit when there aren't tests, What records do you keep? How do you present them? What influences your method, your emphasis in certain areas?}
Electives in the High School Years {Following Passions, following interests, fitting a job in with school, and Being intentional in Preparing for what comes after high school, Life skills.}
Math, Science, Biology, History {What do you use ? Why do you use ... ? What influences your choices/selection? }
30 September - Language Arts {Poetry, Literature, Composition, writing, What influenced your choices/selection?}
"How am I going to teach High School ...?" {Addressing the fear factor of teaching subjects we struggle with or know nothing about, How to achieve credit in subjects your student *hates*}
25 November - How do you fit it all in ? {homeschooling high school alongside homeschooling the others, Fostering Independence, Do you generalise or specialise? Schedules,}
30 December - Graduation { Fostering Independence, How do you know when they are done ?}

Until next month. Happy blog hopping
Blessings
Chareen

Tuesday 27 October 2015

The Nutcracker {Maestro Classics}

One of our review highlights in 2014 was the one we did for Maestro Classics. We are endeavoring to follow a more delight directed approach along a Charlotte Mason philosophy. Charlotte Mason encouraged classical composer studies and the listening of great compositions. Personally I have a very limited understanding of classical music and would love to introduce more of this genre of music into our home school.

We enjoyed our first introduction to Maestro Classics so much I was thrilled when they offered us their latest addition to their product line: The Nutcracker featuring Jim Weiss

I am so pleased to have discovered Maestro Classics. Their aim is to introduce children to classical music through stories. The music on each CD is played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

What we received

Digital Download of The Nutcracker
Produced by: Maestro Classics
Narrated by: Jim Weiss
Music by: Tchaikovsky
Adapted by: Stephen Simon
Conducted by: Stephen Simon
Music played by: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Nutcracker Activity Book (PDF format)
Total download size: 95.2 MB zipped file
Total Duration 58 min 01 seconds

How we used it

After downloading the zipped file to my pc I extracted it's contents and imported the music into my iTunes library. I then burned them to disc. Nathaniel and I snuggled on the couch to listen to the CD. We were so inspired by the story we found a video on Netflix to watch The Nutcracker Ballet!

CD insert sample

The Activity booklet which comes with the CD is a beautifully illustrated full colour 13 page CD insert containing:

A Summary of Act 1 and 2
Short History of Ballet
A simple sample of the Overture to The Nutcracker
An introduction to the Harp
Short biography of Mr Tchaikovsky
Word Scramble
Nutcracker Crossword Puzzle
Biography of Stephen Simon and Jim Weiss
A reference to Maestro Classics
A contents page referencing each track

The curriculum guide is worth it's weight in gold. It's available as a FREE download from Maestro Classics. This ten page guide is fully interactive with links on every page to interesting information.

The Nutcracker curriculum guide covers:

Ballet - the history, YouTube clips, colouring pages, Nutrition, Games
History - Christmas around the world, mini unit study
Geography - history of nutcrackers and a mini virtual field trip
Science - simple machines, levers, physics
Language Arts - Fairy Tales,
Art - Let's make nutcrackers
Books - recommended books
Music - mini unit studies on Tchaikovsky, rhythm, activities
Math - Nutcrackers by number, themed Montessori activities

For the Parent
Don't miss out on the amazing extra's that are available on the website

Curriculum Guides Each guide is choc full of links and helpful information. They are full of amazing resources to use alongside the CD's. You can click on a single subject OR download all the subjects in one handy pdf guide.
Puzzles and Games -Contains the program answer guides as well as word search, crossword and coloring pages.
Articles on Music Education by Bonnie Ward Simon (BA, MA, M.Ed, MPhil)
Free Sheet Music
Homemade Musical Instruments
Montessori-inspired Music Appreciation Lessons based on Maestro Classics

Cost of The Nutcracker*

CD version $16.98
MP 3 version $9.98

*All prices are quoted in US $ and are current at time of review. Please consult the Maestro Classics website for current prices

Other CD's available

The 12 CD Collection
Complete Maestro Classics Library - MP3 Collection (13 titles)
Peter and the Wolf - music by Prokofiev
Carnival of the Animals - music by Saint Saens
The Soldier's Tale - music by Igor Stravinsky
The Tortoise and the Hare - music by Stephen Simon
Casey at the Bat - music by Stephen Simon
The Sorcerer's Apprentice - music by Dukas
Classic Pack
Story Pack
Swan Lake Orchestra
The Story of Swan Lake - Music by Tchaikovsky
Juanita the Spanish Lobster - Music by David Haslam

Connect with Maestro Classics

What we thought
We love all things Maestro Classic. The Nutcracker is perfect for ballet students learning to dance The Nutcracker, introducing children to Tchaikovsky's music, anyone going to see The Nutcracker ballet for the first time and fans of the popular story teller Jim Weiss.

Blessings
Chareen

Monday 26 October 2015

5 Books on Studying Artists

This months theme for the Poppins Book Nook is ARTISTS. Art can be a sensitive topic among home educating families. It all boils down to your preference and your personal home educating philosophy.

I have a passion for twaddle free living literature and have been collecting books for many years now. Today I would like to share five of my favorite go to books and five art projects we have enjoyed this year.

If you would like more information on a book click on the link below the graphic.

Until Next month

Blessings
Chareen

5 Beautiful Art Books on Artist Study