My Home School Grades {Mosaic Review}

I haven't had plans to track grades for Kayley anytime soon so when we were given the opportunity to review a program through Mosaic Reviews called My Home School Grades my first thoughts were, "I'll never use this..."  I was pleasantly surprised when logging into this program I discovered that it is so much more than grade tracking!  My Home School Grades is a new program founded in 2012 by homeschool dad John Echols and homeschool grad Jordan Shute.  My Home School Grades provides the user a much needed place to gather all the information for your families homeschool in one easy-to-use database.  Not only does it track grades, it tracks classes, lessons, labs, units, activities and creates a report card/transcript!

Let me tell you all about My Home School Grades:

After logging in to the program you have an option to Add Students.  I added both Maggie and Kayley....

Clicking on your student pulls up their info where you can add classes or activities.

Adding a class is simple.  Here I input summer school classes for Kayley.  I haven't really figured out how to assign "credits" but since we are in 2nd grade I didn't feel that was essential right now.  This will be much more important for High School age students.  You have the option to input grades by clicking on the single grade tab...

or lesson plans by clicking on the lesson plans tab...

Once you have input your courses you can edit them to assign grades, change lesson plans, etc...

My Homes School Grades also offer a place to assign activities:

I input Kayley's swimming lessons as an athletic summer activity...which counts as school!

What is really great about this program is you can print a transcript/report card of what you did through the year.  Whether you will be sending a child to college and need this for admissions or your child is like mine, 2nd grade...this is a great tool for your portfolio and allows you to keep track of activities and lessons completed throughout the year.

My Home School Grades is easy to use and really keeps all your homeschool activities organized!  I will continue using it throughout the summer and see how I like it more long-term.  I am a very disorganized individual and I like that this encourages me to do a better job of tracking my daughters activities. 

My Home School Grades is $49.99 for a Life Time Membership!

Are you interested??
You can learn more about My Home School Grades, sign up for a free 14 day trial, or watch the "How-to" Videos to discover more about My Home School Grades.

My fellow team mates reviewed My Home School Grades too, you can read their reviews at mosaicreviews.com!

Homeless....

Well, we are officially homeless now.  We closed on our house last Friday.  While we wait for our next house to close (not until June 13th) we will be bouncing around a little staying with friends.  We are doing ok but all of us are feeling a little homesick.  We miss our own space and our own beds.   Kayley's came apart nicely and we are debating on whether we will be able to get it into our new house?  (It is about 1/2 the size of our old house).

We filled those PODS to the brim.  Ended up with 3 of them and really needed 4!  Careful when opening the POD, items may have shifted during take-off.   LOL.

In the meantime we've been trying to make an adventure of things, enjoying spending time together (aka we are bored to death)....  

We went out to eat the other night and they had this awesome soda machine.  

And we've hit Bass Pro and looked at the fish.

We will be bouncing one more time before we close on our house 

and my internet access is sporadic.  We are ready to be settled!  whew!

Waterproof Bible {Mosaic Review}

I have seen a lot of "water resistant" products but this is by far, the first time, I have ever seen a waterproof book.  Oh, not just any book - The Bible!  Now you can take your Bible with you anywhere you go!  Camping?  Do it!  The Beach?  YES!  The bathtub??  Why not?  I have to admit that I was completely intrigued by this Bible and Kayley, age 6, treated it like a science experiment!  Thanks Mosaic Reviews and Bardin Marsee Publishing for letting us enjoy this fabulous Waterproof Bible!

The Waterproof Bible is a project from the creative genius of Bobby & Anna.  Their desire to create a way to take the word of God with them wherever they went prompted them to find a way to create a Bible that is durable and weatherproof allowing you to be inspired anywhere and anytime.  The Waterproof Bible is 100% tree free and made from synthetic, recyclable, materials.

 

For this review we received the King James Version of the Waterproof Bible that included the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs only.  Some unique features include:

• Stain Resistant • Ultra Clear Text • Ideal for Gear Bag or Backpack, Tote Bag or Purse • Dry Highlight • Write and Underline with no bleed thru So, once we were aware of all of its unique features we put it to the test.  Since the pages and cover have the feel of one of those "Tyvek" envelopes I was pretty sure it was going to do well.  I could tell just by feeling it that it was a tough book! 1.  Stain resistant?  Check!  We threw this baby in a mud puddle, took it inside and washed it off with NO problems. 2.  Highlight?  Yes, but it washed off. Hence the need for this handy Dry Highlighter that Bardin Marsee sells in their store for $3.25.  I didn't get to review the highlighter but it claims that it will NOT wash off.  (It comes in 4 different colors). 3.  Write and Underline with no bleed thru.  Check!  I discovered that it is actually challenging to write on the Tyvek-type pages with a regular pen.  Bardin Marsee recommends the Fisher Space Pen.  I bet this would work better than my cheap ball-point.  The Fisher Space Pen you can write standing on your head and apparently has a shelf-life of 100 years.  Wow!  It retails for $16 - $24 dollars but a small price to pay if you never have to buy a pen again! 4.  We also discovered that the Waterproof Bible does not really float very well but once it has been submerged you can pull it out of the water and it dries very fast.  The water just beads up and rolls off! 5.  I was too chicken to really test its durability by trying to tear a page or the cover so I cannot really vouch for how well it will not rip, etc.  Sorry - I just couldn't bring myself to actually do something like that to the Bible on purpose! The Waterproof Bible gives you the freedom to take God's Word with you anywhere you go!  Take it to the beach, camping, fishing, mission trips, exercising, and so much more!  I, personally, will be storing our Bible in our 72 Hour Emergency Kits!  It is a 100% Worry Free Bible! The Waterproof Bible is 376 pages and measures about 4 1/4" x 7".  Retail price for the one we reviewed, The Waterproof Bible New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs  is $24.95.

Interested in owning your own copy?  There is a large selection of types and styles of the Waterproof Bible ranging in price from $24.95 to $44.95. 

Several of my fellow Mosaic Reviews team members also reviewed the Waterproof Bible, to read their thoughts visit MosaicReviews.com!

The Beginning of Better Days {Deseret Book Blog Tour}

How important are women in the restored church of Jesus Christ? We learn something about the answer to the question from a simple historic fact: In 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith took time to attend several meetings of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and give personal instruction to the women there. He did this at a time of great personal turmoil, when persecutions were raging and his responsibilities were heavy. He did it at a time when society barely acknowledged women as having any kind of status at all. On six separate occasions, he taught the women personally about their privileges, their opportunities, their obligations, and the blessings the Lord had in store for them in His kingdom.
The Beginning of Better Days includes Joseph Smith's six timeless sermons to the women of Nauvoo, along with personal essays from Sheri Dew and Virginia H. Pearce that help us better understand the sermons and their relevance for Latter-day Saint women today. "We have attempted to share a little about our own processes of discovery regarding the sermons," writes the authors. "This is what worked for us. What works for you may be similar — or it may be completely different. The important thing is to dig in."

Are you looking for the perfect mothers day gift?  I know!  Mothers Day is right around the corner on May 12th!

This new book, The Beginning of Better Days is a compilation of six of Joseph Smith's instructions and talks directed to the women of the church at Relief Society Meetings with personal narratives and insights written by Sheri Dew and Virginia H. Pearce.


At DeseretBook.com  this book currently retails in hardcover for $17.09 or as a Bookshelf eBook for $10.99. 

Don't forget you can download Deseret Bookshelf on your eReader completely free and when you do you get 8 free eBook downloads plus the Scriptures!

I received The Beginning of Better Days free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you Deseret Book!!

Ooka Island {Mosaic Review}

I can't believe that it is about time for Maggie to begin reading!  At our house we try really hard to make learning fun and Maggie has been anxious for an opportunity to play on the computer so we were thrilled with an opportunity to review Ooka Island! 

Ooka Island is an early reading adventure for kids age Pre-K to Second Grade.   Ooka Island is a 3D, downloadable, adventure that sets your child on the path to reading.   Using an Eye/Ear & Read Direct Method for early literacy, for homeschool families, this can be a full Language Arts curriculum...for parents this program is a fun and interactive way to boost phonics and learn reading skills while having fun playing computer games like the "big kids!"

 You follow Auntie Kay and her pal Zobot in the blimp as you work your way around the island building on phonics skills!  During your adventure you become a hero as you rescue Ooka Elves from the Flying Pigs!  (Also known as "Fligs") 

Logging in on Ooka Island is so easy!  The main login screen shows your avatar, and the login password is a picture recognition password.  Perfect for prereaders to be able to log into this program independently!

 

Zobot guides you to your next destination.  You click on his screen to go to your adventure. 

The Cave of Sounds...  You are riding through the mine car at the bottom of the cave of sounds...click when you hear the appropriate sound to move ahead!

This is Maggies favorite!  The Clumsy Wacky Moving Company spilled the contents of their truck into the water!  Save the items by identifying the sound...before it all goes over the waterfall!

Rescue the books from underwater to add them to the Popcorn Library in the Submarine listening activity...

Then read them together with your pal Zobot....

and answer interactive comprehension questions!

Next, visit the Cake Factory to help the Ooka Elves decorate the cakes using your listening skills to hear the appropriate word blend...

Then, play at the Bubble Troubly fountain!  Retrieve sounds from the bubbly fountain and put them in Auntie Kays basket!

Practice the alphabet as you climb to the top of Alphabet Mountain.  Enjoy a fast moving skateboard ride, complete with tricks, all the way back down!

While learning you follow Zobot around the island but you earn free play time as well!  During your free play time Zobot will follow YOU around the island where you can choose your own adventure!  Visit the pencil playground and go down the slide!  Listen to the Ooka Juke Box and change your clothes and a whole lot more!

 As you travel the island you were earning mist and  unlocking items that you could buy in the mist mart!

 In the Parent Menu visit the Ooka Lighthouse where you can print report cards, reports, assessments and so forth.

We really enjoyed Ooka Island.   It was fun and really interactive.   It is the the only computer game I have seen where it involves sound recognition in addition to other basic phonics skills.   The independent log-in for prereaders is really helpful.  Using this type of log in allows Maggie to click on the icon in my toolbar and log in completely independently.   The graphics were great and the program, while big, didn't slow down my computer. 

 Visit the website to take a video tour, learn about the Ooka Island method of learning, view activity pages or workbooks that complement Ooka reading lessons, or listen to music samples.

Are you interested in purchasing Ooka Island?  A great thing about Ooka Island - It is affordable!

Also, thank you so much to Ooka Island for offering my readers an additional 30% off.  Yes, that is in addition to the already discounted 37% annual savings!  In order to get the additional 30% off you will need to purchase through this link:  http://offers.ookaisland.com/inblog?purl=ieBuc

Many of my friends from Mosaic Reviews reviewed Ooka Island as well, to read their reviews visit mosaicreviews.com!

LDS Living: Best of Mothers {LDS Living Freebie!}

Have you seen this?  Right now you can download LDS Living Best of Mothers free for your Deseret Bookshelf app!  This eBook is a compilation of the best of the LDS Living articles on Motherhood.  Prepare to be uplifted!  I know I am!

Just in time for Mother's Day - give yourself a treat of inspiring and encouraging stories free!  Download your copy from Deseret Book and have great {Mothers} day!

Moving...

Did I mention that we are moving?  This weekend?  

Well, ever since we sold our house we have been in a flurry of excitement.  I've barely started packing and here it is, Thursday already...

Here is the news so far.  Our house closes on Friday the 10th but needed to move this weekend if we wanted help since this is the last weekend before we close.  In many ways I am going to miss this house.  It has caused us a lot of trials but we have definitely come to call it our "home."  We've put a lot of time, $ and work into it, Maggie has never lived anywhere else.  In many other ways I am excited to move on and start another chapter of our lives although in this chapter the main characters find themselves completely stressed over finding another place to live.

Since we haven't even decided on where to live we ended up renting from PODS.  I've never moved with a POD before but it looks to be very convenient.  We will load up our POD, they will pick it up and replace it with a 2nd POD (hopefully we can cram everything into only 2) and then they will store them both at their storage facility until we find a place to move.  

In the meantime we are at the mercy of several of our wonderful friends.  We will be "house sitting" for the next month or more while we figure out what to do. We've been looking at a LOT of houses.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that we have looked at over 15 houses now.  Home prices are great but we are stuck with settling for something we don't love.  Everything we looked at is either too small, too run-down (ugh, I do not want to buy a workhorse), too expensive, or some other problem.  We are leaning toward too small for the sake of NOT having to put sweat and $ into it right after moving in.  At this point we are looking for a "starter home" that will have good resale value and then consider moving again in 3-5 years.

So, that is where we are today.  I'm not sure where we will be next week!

Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach....{Book Review & Giveaway!}

Wow.  You've heard the story of Jonah and the Whale.  You know the one.  The story goes: Jonah gets swallowed by a whale after he tries to run away from God.  You see, he didn't want to go spread the gospel in Nineveh.  After 3 days in the belly of the whale he is spewed out on the beach where he changes his mind & heart and heads to Nineveh!  Well...this is a Jonah story unlike any you have ever heard!

How funny is this? It had me laughing out loud!  

The story of Jonah, as told by the whale, in the book, Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in my Stomach and I Think I'm Going to Throw Up by Troy Schmidt.  Recommended for ages 4 to 8, this hilarious story tells the traditional biblical account from a very interesting and creative perspective.  Illustrated by Cory Jones the pictures are outrageously cute!  This is a short and colorful book that teaches a lesson in the importance of Biblical obedience.  

Bonus features include a Parent Connection section that recommends two memory verses, further reading, thinking questions and a "Do" section that really gets the child into the story.  Perfect companion to the Bible story, bedtime or school time!

We loved this book and can't wait to read the others in the series:  Hey God, I'm Having an Awful Vacation in Egypt Thanks to Moses! and Hey God, Can You Stop the Rain so I Can Get Off of Noah's Smelly Ark?  No really, those are the titles.  LOL!

Learn more about this series by visiting:

Website:  http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/books/products.asp?p=9781433679643

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/troyschmidt and https://www.facebook.com/bhpublishing?fref=ts

Twitter: @troyeschmidt

Would you like to win a copy?  I have a chance to share one copy with a Swinging On Small Hinges Reader!  Drawing ends May 7th at midnight.  Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention iton my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordancewith the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

An Uncommon Life: Years of Preparation by Lee Tom Perry {Deseret Book Review}

A few blog postings ago I mentioned that I haven't read much by way of biographies.  No reason in particular I suppose, I just haven't.  When Deseret Book offered me the opportunity to review two of them I couldn't resist!  I enjoyed the Eliza R. Snow biography a lot and this one about apostle L. Tom Perry is just as good!!

 

Elder L. Tom Perry, a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is fond of describing himself as being "as common as dirt."  Yet his life is uncommon by any standard. After spending most of his early years in his hometown of Logan, Utah, and additional years on a mission and in the military, young Tom Perry launched a twenty-year professional career that took him from his first job as an internal auditor in Boise, Idaho, to executive positions in retailing on the west and east coasts of the United States. Soon after his fiftieth birthday, he was surprised to be called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve. Not long afterward, President Spencer W. Kimball extended to Elder Perry the call to join the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Perry has now served for forty years as a General Authority.

Written to commemorate his 90th birthday, this biography is written by Elder L. Tom Perry's son Lee Tom Perry.  In the book he says, "My father has given me little direction about his biography, but he has made one request - it should have a purpose.  In other words, it ought to teach something to everyone who reads it."  Don't worry Elder Perry, it does! 

Following L. Tom Perry's life from birth to present we are blessed to see how his life experiences have shaped the amazing man that he is today.  Did you know he was in the Marine corps?  How cool is that?  Did you know his first name is Lowell?  And, seriously, his smile is contagious don't you think??  Through all of his life he has maintained a positive attitude and by taking this peek into his life we can learn valuable lessons.  He is such a faith-filled man and he shows you through his example how to draw closer to God and live a better life by giving service to others.

I have enjoyed reading about Elder Perry's life and by far the pictures are my favorite part!  You can read an excerpt or if you would like to purchase a copy of An Uncommon Life by Lee Tom Perry you can find it at DeseretBook.com in hardback for $31.49 or as a Bookshelf eBook for $13.99. 

Don't forget the Deseret Book Bookshelf eBook app is free and when you download you get 8 free LDS eBooks plus the Scriptures!

Disclaimer:  I received An  Uncommon Life free of charge from Deseret Book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my very own.  Thanks so much DB.com!!

Saving Memories Forever {Mosaic Review}

I have family members who tell the most hilarious stories!  There is nothing worse than sitting down and trying to re-tell that story to someone else and forgetting the details, or worse, the punchline!  Saving Memories Forever is an new app that is designed to help you record your family history and save it to be enjoyed for generations!

From their website:  "Have you ever wished you could remember your parents’ stories about their childhood? Do you have relatives who you only see once in awhile, but whose stories you’d love to capture and keep? Have you planned to write down your family history, but just haven’t had the time? Saving Memories Forever helps families record, save, and share family memories 'one story at a time'". 

Saving Memories Forever was developed by husband and wife team Harvey and Jane Baker.  About 20 years ago they assembled their family tree but soon after realized that there were holes in their history!  They felt like, on paper, they didn't really get to know their relatives.  Their stories were still untold.  They wanted the ability to listen to their family members crack their famous jokes.  From this desire Saving Memories Forever was developed.

Isn't this program such a great idea?  I had a lot of fun playing with it and I'm glad I have an opportunity to share how it works with my readers!

The program is in 2 parts.  You will need a smart phone to use the program and you will need a computer to manage the stories that you record.


I have an iPhone but this product is available for Android devices as well.   So, the first thing to do is go download the free Saving Memories Forever app.  The app is simple to use, it will walk you through the process to record and download stories.

Start by opening the app on your phone:

Click the Get Started button, it will walk you through a simple set up:

Next you add your Storytellers.  In addition to myself, I added both my girls!  Once you type them in, you can add a photo.  

Once you have chosen your storyteller you choose which era of life this story will fall into.  I had my kids record some stories so I chose Childhood.

Next it gives you a list of questions that you can answer, or if you scroll down further there is an option for "other."  

Here I have chosen the question, "What did you want to be when you grew up?"  Hit record when your storyteller is ready to talk and stop when you are done.  It is so easy!  It will give you the option to playback before you submit it as a final recording.  Upon hitting submit it will also give you the option to share it on Facebook.

My kids LOVED hearing themselves and I can't imagine how precious it will be to have their adorable little voices saved forever tell me stories.

Now, once you have submitted your story you will go to the website to manage them, share them, attach documents or transcripts, etc.

It really is a very simple, easy-to-use way to record your favorite memories!  We are loving it and I can't wait until I get a chance to record some other family members!

Interested in getting started?  Visit SavingMemoriesForever.com to watch a great how-to video, download the app, or set up your account!  The Saving Memories Forever app download is free and they offer a limited use free version that you can try out but to get the full benefit of the Saving Memories Forever app you can pay only $3.99 per month or an annual fee of $40.00 to enjoy unlimited storytellers, stories and more.

Thanks for stopping by and hearing about the fun we are having with Saving Memories Forever!  My friends at Mosaic Reviews also reviewed the Saving Memories Forever app.  To see their thoughts on this fun family history tool visit mosaicreviews.com: