Homeschool Supplies {Review Crew Back to School Blog Hop}

Welcome to day two of the Homeschool Review Crew Back to School Blog Hop 2017. Yesterday we talked about Curriculum/Resource Choices, today's topic is: Homeschool Supplies. Over the years some things have remained a constant and this year I've added two new things which I now consider essential to our homeschool.

Printer
A printer is a huge investment in your home education journey.  We have used all sorts of printers from dot-matrix, ink, and now we have a lazer printer.  I managed to buy this one second hand.  It was a choice between colour or a black only printer.  I settled on a black print only printer as 95% of my printing is in black only.  I love this printer.  It's a wireless printer meaning I can print from any device in the house.  Each page I print costs me less than a cent to print so I print guilt free when ever we need something.

Comb Binding Machine
With the growth and accessability of the internet market for home educating families I recently discovered that I was spending a lot of my homeschool budget on binding digital products after I had downloaded and printed them AND I had growing piles of paper all over my house!  This was begining to annoy me and I finally invested in a comb binding machine.

  I purchase the covers and the combs on eBay.  You can view a two minute how to use a Comb Binding Machine on YouTube here it's a lot easier than you think to bind your own books.

Bookmarks
I have found that over the years my supply list has remained fairly static.  We are a book loving family here and as such book marks are always in demand.  One of my favourites is the Magnetic i-clip.

Details:

Each clip measures 57 mm from tip to tip when open, 18 mm wide and 28 mm from edge to tip when closed.

Because they are magnetic they do not fall out of the book.

Meaning you can use either side to mark the exact spot on the page you stopped reading.

They are 2 mm thick when closed and do not damage the book you are reading.

They are available as 

• Butterflies
• Emoticons
• Celtic
• Cupcakes 
• Owls
• Punctuation
• Music
• Calligraphy
• Pawprints
• Live, Love, Laugh, Learn
• Snowflakes
• Seashells
• Floral Silho
• Designer Shoes

They are fairly popular and sell out fast but be persistent till you get the ones you want.  I buy mine from Book Depository.  They come in a pack of eight

Glue
Years ago I was introduced to the UHU line of glues by a friend and I have never looked back.  We had tried all sorts of glue sticks and were getting really frustrated.  Some would dry before you even had a chance to adhere it to the page and others would simply peel off a couple of weeks later.  This is no longer a problem since we now use UHU Stic Glue.  I look for this and stock up when it's on special.  We use UHU glue sticks for most of our notebooking and timeline glue needs.


Pencils
One of my pet hates is sharpening a pencil and the lead is broken inside.  Grrrr it frustrates me endlessly.  When my teens were younger this drove me to Warehouse Stationery NZ where I spent a while reading the backs of all the coloured pencil boxes in an effort to find a better pencil that I did not need to sharpen and sharpen and sharpen again!

I discovered that Faber-Castell had a new type of pencil on the market and were advertising SV bonding.

Faber-Castell Tri Grip Colour Pencils

What is SV Bonding ?
SV stands for the German word "Sekuralverfahren" meaning secural bonding or (secure-all bonding). The SV Bonding is a process of gluing the lead to the wood on both sides and the full length of the pencil. This results in strengthening the lead to prevent breakage, provides for better sharpening, which produces a fine point. All Faber-Castell pencils are SV Bonded. SV Bonding is a Faber-Castell trademark.

Scissors
Cheap scissors are a waste of time and your finances.  They don't cut the paper well and end up being the biggest source of frustration to you and your student.  Go to the store and try out the types they have there.

• See if fingers fit the grips and whether they are comfortable.  
• Check the blades. Are they sharp ? Straight ? Even ? Well made ?  

Do yourself and your student a favour and spend more than 99 cents and you will get years of happy tidy cutting from your students.  

What are your favourite homeschool supplies?  I'm looking forward to hearing more 

Blessings
Chareen

Meet some of the Crew participating in this weeks blog hop:

1. Diana – Homeschool Review – Diana has been home schooling since 1992 and has tried many styles of home schooling. Her blog reflects home schooling, crafting, and family life.
2. Elyse – Oiralinde: Eternal Song – My name is Elyse. When I asked my family to describe me, they said I am an “introverted gypsy made of music.” My online moniker is Oiralinde, which is an elven word meaning “eternal song.” My life is full of music: love, laughter, and memories.
3. Felicia – Homeschool 4 Life – Well, it’s back to school time and we homeschoolers have more to do than others to get ready. We not only have to gather supplies and plan new schedules, but we have to gather curriculum all while trying to figure out how to keep track of grades, life, and schedules. We all could use a little encouragement and guidance during this transition time from summer to school. That’s why we’re here!
4. Hillary – Walking Fruitfully – I’m a mama to six, from 7 years old up to 16. We homestead and homeschool our crew in a relaxed, Charlotte Mason-inspired way, even through high school. We strive “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10
5. Jacqui  – Homestead Bounty Blessings – I am a wife, mother, teacher, homesteader in training, and believer in Jesus, my Savior. My blog, Homestead Bounty Blessings, shares my journey in gardening, chicken keeping, homeschooling and homesteading.
6. Jacquelin – A Stable Beginning – This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to 6 fabulous kids. We are in our 9th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Charlotte Mason approach. Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.
7. Jenn – Treasuring Life’s Blessings – Jenn is a mom to 8 children. She shares about her everyday life, homeschooling and favorite recipes.
8. Jennifer – Dear Homeschooler – I am a homeschooling mom of two, sharing my experience of teaching in homes, in schools, with Special Needs, and online ESL to build a community of home educators.

Do you have a blog? If so, you’re invited to share your blog posts about what curriculum you are using or some of your favourite curriculum you have used with your family.