Captivated DVD from Media Talk 101 (Review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew)

We received the Captivated DVD from Media Talk 101 for review purposes!

Product Links: Captivated DVD

Vendor Information Link:   Media Talk 101

Age Appeal: Adults, approved for all ages

Format: DVD, over 1 hour

Price: currently $16.95, free shipping

We all know that there is a lot of media available to us today, television, video games, texting, social networks, and much more.  We all need to be able to have discernment it what we do.

This documentary features Dr. Ted Baehr, Dr. Jeff Myers, Dr. David Murray along with others, professionals and everyday people.  The media experts and church leaders discuss the impact of technology today and how it relates to God and His word.  The everyday people discuss what they have done about media in their lives and how it impacted them in the past.

Our Experience: 

Our family do not have smart phones, but we do have computers and televisions.  It was shortly before the Captivated DVD was being offered that I decided that our family was becoming too involved with television and computer games.  I decided that I would limit non-school computer time to 1 hour a week and television to one show during one meal a day.  During the three weeks that we decreased our time on the computers and television, I noticed a change in the children.  They were playing together more and not complaining about things.  Their attitudes also improved.

Dad watched the video with me.  We talked about it.  We watched it together as a family later on.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I really liked the extended interviews in the bonus section.  I got a real feel for their opinions and how to begin ridding our lives of excess media.
• The children thought it was boring even though it applied to them.  It would have helped to have more of the younger generation speaking, so B and C could learn how they have dealt with media in their lives.
• I learned a lot of interesting facts about how much people are watching television and texting.
• It was nice that there were people from different walks of life giving their opinions about media and what had captivated them.  The lady who played Farmville was very interesting, because her addiction to the game is exactly the reason why I have never tried it.  I knew that if I tried it, then I would always want to be playing.
• I am glad there was a balance between media being both good and evil.  It can always be used for good as long as a person does not use it too much.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fourth grade):   

Even though Captivated did not really captivate me, I did learn a lot.  I think this would be better for children older than me, as I found it boring.

It was good for learning good discernment skills for discerning media.  I liked the extended interview with Dr. David Murray.  You can learn a lot from the extended interviews.

Overall I would recommend this documentary to people older than me.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in second grade): 

• It would not be interesting for kids my age and younger, because it was grownups talking to grownups.
• My family does a good job of not being involved with a lot of media.  My mama only lets us have one hour of computer time each week.  I usually do not use up that hour.

Dad’s Thoughts:

Captivated is a must see DVD program for parents and couples wanting to be parents. It shows us how today's media is being over consumed by our children and by us as adults. Not only do we get it directly from TV but also through movies and through our phones, tablets, and other portable devices that connect us to entertainment and disconnect us from God and reality. Captivated is an eye-opening experience to the deception brought by media that we have fallen for but that we simply explain it away as entertainment, someone exercising their Freedom of Speech, or as a nature documentary or special.

We need to be able to distinguish between that which will add value to our lives vs. that which will rob of us of our precious time with idle activity. This is a program that needs to be shown in as many venues as possible to get the word out about how destructive the over consumption of media is to our minds and our bodies.

I definitely recommend "Captivated" to be on your must see list.

Mama recommends the Captivated DVD!

Social Media Links for Media Talk 101:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaptivatedTheMovie
• Twitter: @CaptivatedMovie

 

Diary of a Real Payne: Church Camp Chaos by Annie Tipton (Review)

Diary of a Real Payne: Church Camp Chaos 

By Annie Tipton

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre-  Juvenile Fiction / Religious / Christian / General

Published by- Barbour Publishing

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 192

Age Group- ages 8-12

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $5.99, ISBN 978-1-62416-826-0

EJ has been looking forward to this summer for a long time.  She gets to spend the entire week at Camp Christian this year.  First she has to finish third grade, turn eleven, then it is on to camp.

Her week is super exciting with Macy, campfires, hikes, and the zip line.  There are some fears though, why have her parents been having mysterious meetings and will Macy really move away?  Will EJ learn that God is there to help her?

About the Author-

Annie Tipton currently lives in Ohio.  She created her first story when she was two.  She has been a newspaper reporter, author, and editor. 

My thoughts-

• I have read the first book in the Diary of a Real Payne Series, True Story and loved it.  I loved this one too.
• This book started a few months after the first one ended, but I noticed a change in EJ.  She was not using her wild imagination quite as much or as long as she had been.  It did help her have fewer problems, which was good.  I think B and even C were a little disappointed, because her imagination stories were so good.
• Sometimes it is hard to get B and C interested in having certain books read to them, but not Church Camp Chaos.  We chose to read it as a bedtime story, but that little bit of time wasn’t enough for them.  We had to read it quite often.  They were disappointed when the book was over.
• I really enjoyed the diary entries.  They showed a side of EJ that would have been difficult to show without those entries.
• I do think it would have been nice to have more about God and the Christian faith throughout the book.  I was glad to see it in EJ’s father’s Bible at the end, but because of the fears she was having, it would have been good to know more about God and His plans during the book.
• I really liked this book and I am glad the children did too.  There are a lot of good lessons to be learned from EJ and her family and friends.

B’s Thoughts (age 10)- 

I liked Church Camp Chaos.  My favorite chapter was Chapter 8, “Jail Break.”  It was funny because of the lime-green flip-flop which was hanging from the ceiling fan.

I think Diary of a Real Payne: Church Camp Chaos would be good for children of all ages.

C’s Thoughts (age 8)-

I liked Church Camp Chaos.  My favorite chapter was “Dessert Duels,” because EJ and her mom had a contest to see who could make the best cupcakes.  I also liked the first chapter “School’s Out for Summer” with EJ and Macy having a three-legged race.  They won their race.

I think that this book would be good for boys and girls of all ages.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Diary of a Real Payne: Church Camp Chaos, by Annie Tipton, for free from Barbour Publishing .  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Prayer of the Week!- From Ephesians 1:1-4

A couple of years ago I took part in a Bible study where we studied the book of Ephesians.  Once a week I would like to mention the Bible verses which were studied, then give you my prayer involving those verses.

Today will be Ephesians 1:1-4

Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for making me first in Your eyes and giving us all spiritual blessings in Your Son.  Thank you for loving me and I will love You as much as humanly possible.

In Jesus’s name.  Amen.

Picture of the Week! (March 30, 2014)- Tulips

I have decided that last week was the last week I was going to print pictures that dealt with the cold and snow.  This week I looked for pictures of flowers.  I found this one I took last year.  I am faithful that all over this country we will soon be seeing these flowers and other kinds as well.

Have a wonderful week!

Homeschool Spelling Program from Spelling You See (Review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew)

We received Spelling You See: Americana (Level D) from Spelling You See for review purposes!

 

Product Links: Spelling You See: Americana (Level D)

Vendor Information Link:   Spelling You See

Age Appeal: elementary school or struggling spellers (placement information is on the website)

Format: Physical copies of the Instructor’s Handbook and two Student Workbooks

Price: The Instructor’s Handbook is currently $14 and the Americana Student Pack which includes the two workbooks and a pack of erasable colored pencils is $30.

Spelling You See is a program which has been used with children since 2000.  It consists of short activities consisting of listening, speaking, reading, copywork, and dictation.  Currently there are five available levels, Listen and Write (Level A), Jack and Jill (Level B), Wild Tales (Level C), Americana (Level D), and American Spirit (Level E).

Americana (Level D) contains nonfiction stories from American history.  The students will chunk the letter patterns at the beginning of each daily lesson, then spend ten minutes on either copywork or dictation.  The letter patterns which are chunked are Vowel Chunks, Consonant Chunks,  Bossy r Chunks, Endings, Tricky y Guy, and Silent Letters. 

There is a sample lesson available at the Americana webpage. 

Our Experience: 

We have struggled to find a good spelling program for B and C that models the Charlotte Mason Method, but is still fun.

From the moment I first learned about Spelling You See, I knew it would help B and C learn how to become more efficient spellers.  It consisted of short lessons and natural ways of learning how to spell.

Each weekday I would read the passage, we would read it together, they would chunk the letter combinations of the week, then they would do either the copywork or the dictation for no more than ten minutes.  If it was a dictation day I would dictate to one child at a time, because they write at different speeds. 

Mama’s Thoughts:

• C has always been a strong speller and B has always needed extra help, so Americana (Level D) was a good fit for both of them.
• I liked that the lessons were short, because short lessons work the best for B and C.
• Seeing them learn how the words were spelled just by chunking certain letters was spectacular.
• Sometimes teacher’s books are not very helpful.  I thought that the Instructor’s Handbook was great.  Dr. Karen Holinga didn’t leave anything out.  She included information about the philosophy behind Spelling You See and how the chunking, copywork, and dictation worked.  The book had the answer key and all information needed to teach the lessons correctly.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fourth grade):   

I really liked Spelling You See: (Americana Level D).  I really, really think it would be a good spelling program from Demme Learning for children who are struggling with spelling.

I liked how you only had to do one part of a lesson a day.  Chunking was fun to do.  I was glad that dictation and copywork lasted only ten minutes, that way I didn’t get tired of doing the work. 

I enjoyed doing spelling, history, and handwriting all at the same time.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in second grade): 

I liked working on Spelling You See: Americana (Level D).  Lesson 6E about the Liberty Bell was the best, because I spelled a lot of words correctly. 

Children my age would learn a lot from Americana. 

Dad’s Thoughts:

Unfortunately Dad was unable to participate in this review.

Mama highly recommends the homeschool spelling program Spelling You See and Americana (Level D) !

Social Media Links for Spelling You See:
https://www.facebook.com/SpellingYouSee
https://twitter.com/spellingyousee

 

Picture of the Week! (March 23, 2014)- A Little Bit of Snow

As we were in the park near our house, I saw a hole in the tree with just a little bit of snow.  Considering how much snow we have been getting I thought there would be more, but there wasn’t.  Perhaps that is a sign that warmer weather is coming!

Picture of the Week! (March 16, 2014)- After the Hail

In the past month we had a small hail storm.  After the storm we took a walk and I found the hail floating in the puddles.  It was fun to watch it float and move.  It was also a lot of fun to walk on.  It made a fun crunching sound.

Mango Languages: A Foreign Language Homeschool Curriculum (Review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew)

We received Mango Homeschool Edition for review purposes!

Product Links: Mango Homeschool Edition

Vendor Information Link: Mango Languages

Age Appeal: 6 through adult

Format: Online language course

Prices: 

Introductory Pricing:

• 1 subscription is $18/month or $125/year total 
• 2 subscriptions is $28/month or $175 /year total     
• 3 subscriptions is $38/month or $225/year total         
• 4 subscriptions is $48/month or $275/year total    
• 5 subscriptions is $58/month or $325/year total
• Anything over 6 subscriptions is a special group rate that will depend on the number in the group.

Do your children want to learn a different language, but they aren’t sure which one they would like to learn?  Mango Homeschool Edition with over 60 different languages, from Pirate to Latin to Ancient Greek, might just work.

Along with the 60 different languages, there are progress assessments, built-in journals and discussions, collaborative learning spaces, eNote messaging, and more.

Over the next several months they will be including:  

• Enhanced Tracking and Progress Monitoring.
• Goals and Personal Lesson Plans (both stand-alone and tied into Mango courses)
.
• Resume and Portfolio Builder.

 

Our Experience: 

B enjoys learning French and C enjoys Spanish.  I thought Mango Homeschool Edition would be a fun homeschool online program that would help them improve their primary foreign language and help them to find other languages they may like to learn.

B and C were surprised at the amount of languages available and the fact that they could send eNotes to each other.  They had fun trying different languages like Urdu, Dutch, Yiddish, Arabic, and more.  I had them work on their main languages of French and Spanish 4 days a week and on Fridays they got to work on Pirate.

Together we picked the languages of Irish and Dutch to learn.  We decided to try one lesson of the first chapter.  We did finish the lessons, then we found some videos to watch, so we could learn more about Ireland and the Netherlands.  C really enjoyed learning Dutch, so I think she may continue with the lessons.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I tried to learn several languages, like Arabic and Hungarian, but I decided I currently do not have the time to dedicate to learning the language.  I will have to stick with the little bit of Spanish that I remember.
• The narrator’s voice sometimes says, “Isn’t this easy.”  It can be very frustrating when she says that.  C mentioned that it sometimes bothered her.
• I thought it was fun working on the lessons with the children, but I could see how many people trying to work on one lesson at the same time wouldn’t work.  We kept interrupting one another and we could not agree on our pronunciations.
• I think the eNote feature would be handy if I wanted to write a note in the language to one of the children or ask how things were going.  It would help to communicate with other members in the language group.
• Since this program is currently built on learning by conversation, it might not work for a family who wants to learn a foreign language in the traditional way.
• Since there are over 60 languages, everybody should be able to find the language they would like to learn.
• It would be nice if there was English as one of those languages, so that people who don’t speak English could pick up the conversations if they were going to be in an English speaking country for a while. 

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fourth grade):   

I liked Mango Homeschool Edition.  I think it would be good a product if you want to learn a foreign language. 

My favorite language was French.  I liked French, because I had previous learning experiences.

My least favorite was Irish.  I didn’t like Irish, because it was hard for me.

I also liked Pirate.  I finished the whole Pirate course.

I did not like:

• That all of the features were not finished yet.  They are coming soon!

I did like:

• That there was French!
• There were languages I had never heard of like, Yiddish and Urdu.
• That it was good for homeschooling.
• That there were over 60 different languages to choose from.

I recommend Mango Homeschool Edition for all ages. 

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in second grade): 

• I liked learning Pirate, because it was easy.  It was also fun.  My brother and I played pirate while we were learning the language.
• I spent most of my time learning Spanish.  Spanish is my favorite language to learn.  It was hard to remember some of the words, because they were really difficult and long.   
• I was unable to do Egyptian Arabic, because the words weren’t in English.
• I liked sending e-notes to my brother. 
• It would be good for kids my age and older.

Dad’s Thoughts:

Mango Homeschool Edition is a neat program to learn a new language or to get a refresher.  There is a wide selection of languages to choose from including Pirate.  I wasn't aware of such a language but after doing a few lessons it's very entertaining and informative.  Mango is easy to use and does a good job instructing on how to pronounce the words and how to properly use them.

If you're looking to do something new or just get back into the swing of a second language that's gone rusty due to non-use I recommend Mango as your guide.

Mama recommends Mango Homeschool Edition as a homeschool curriculum for foreign languages!

Social media links for Mango Languages:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MangoLanguages
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mangolanguages/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MangoLanguages

 

Highway to Hell by Matt Roper (Review)

Highway to Hell:

The Road Where Childhoods are Stolen

By Matt Roper

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Nonfiction

Published by- Monarch Books

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 224

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-85721-254-2

Highway to Hell, by Matt Roper, is about the BR-116 and the child sexual exploitation which takes place along that highway in Brazil.

Roper is with Canadian country singer Dean Brody on this remote highway when they find a young girl selling herself to the truckers who are driving past.  They decide to travel along the 1500 miles of this highway and take action to help these young girls.

Excerpt from the book!

About the Author-

Matt Roper currently lives in Brazil and works as a freelance journalist.  He previously work for the UK’s Daily Mirror. 

My thoughts-

Although Highway to Hell, by Matt Roper, was difficult to read, because it was about child sexual exploitation, it was an important subject to learn about. 

I am not blind to the fact that there is a lot of wrong being done to the children of this world.  It was just hard to read about how young the children are and the fact that many turn a blind eye to it.  It is thanks to Roper and his friend, Canadian country singer Dean Brody, that I have been alerted to the dangers that young girls face on the BR-116 in Brazil.  The BR-116 is a highway which is over 1500 miles long and there are many young girls, which are selling their bodies to truckers and various other people.

I read about how there are officials who are there to be able to help the girl, but they often they either turn their heads or are simply unable help.  I was glad to know that Roper and Brody are working so hard to be able to help those girls.  This book spoke of some of their successes and they even have an organization which helps.  It is called Meninadança.  The website is www.meninadanca.org. 

This was a book which spoke to me.  I hope it speaks to you when you read it.  Thank you.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Highway to Hell: The Road Where Childhoods are Stolen, by Matt Roper, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Science Experiments from Amazing Science!, Volume 1 (Review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew)

We received Amazing Science!, Volume 1 from ScienceandMath.com for review purposes!

Product Links: Amazing Science!, Volume 1

Vendor Information Link:   ScienceandMath.com

Age Appeal: Grades 1-3

Format: 2 DVD (videos of 23 experiments for children to do)

Price: Currently $17.95

Does your family love science and science experiments?

Amazing Science!, Volume 1 has 23 experiments where your children will learn about heat, air pressure, magnetism, surface tension, and more.

Sample videos and the list of experiments can be found at Amazing Science!, Volume 1.  The sample videos show three experiments, “Color Changing Milk,” “Amazing Magnetic Force,” Cloud in a Bottle,” and “Balloon in a Candle Flame.”

Our Experience: 

We worked on our science experiments from Amazing Science!, Volume 1 during our science class time.  We saved the more exciting experiments and the ones with fire for the weekend to do with Dad.

After we decided which experiment we were going to do we would watch the video and then do the experiment.  If there was something we didn’t catch the first time we would watch the video again, while working on the experiment.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• B is a kinesthetic learner and so is C to a certain degree, so watching the videos and doing the experiments was great way for both of them to learn.  As you read B’s part of the review you will discover how much he learned and enjoyed the different science experiments about tension, electricity, air pressure, and more.  I think they may have enjoy some of the experiments even more than watching the videos.
• B and C had fun watching the videos and doing the experiments with Dad.  Two of the experiments they did together were the “build a lemon battery” and “unburnable money.”
• It would be nice to have a small booklet with the DVD that would describe the science being learned in each experiment, so we could study more of the concepts if we wanted to.
• Some of the experiments needed more specific directions.  When we explored surface tension with pepper and water, it did not work very well.  I think we had too much pepper.  If we had known a specific amount of pepper to use, it would have had better success.
• I know these experiments are geared toward first through third grade, but I think they would work well for any age, especially if the child is kinesthetic or wanted a basic experiment before exploring the specific concept further. 
• I would encourage older siblings to teach these concepts and experiments to their younger siblings.  It would be a fun bonding experience and give the teacher a break.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fourth grade):   

I really liked Amazing Science!, Volume 1.  The first experiment we did was to make a lava lamp.  We did not make a real one, but a simple one.  Making the lava lamp was also my favorite experiment.

My least favorite one was the invisible ink (see the photo below).  I did not like it, because when we tried to decode messages baking soda and water smeared with the blueberry juice.

We tried to build the lemon battery.  It did not work, because our lemons were not strong enough.  It was fun to build the lemon battery and test it with the voltmeter.

I liked the science experiment of building the ocean in a bottle.  In this experiment I learned that oil is less dense than water.  A pecan is more dense than oil, but less dense than water.

“Soda can fizz” was really fun, because we learned about carbonation.  It was fun watching the soda spew everywhere on Mr. Jason Gibson’s video.

“Candle Suction Power” was cool!  It was cool, because when you take a plate of water with a lit candle on it and place a glass over the top of the candle, when the candle goes out, the water level rises inside the glass.  We learned about air pressure and that when you have hot air it wants to expand, but the cool air wants to contract.  When the air inside the glass contracts then the water is sucked into the glass.

I definitely think that Amazing Science, Volume 1 would be good for all ages. 

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in second grade): 

I liked the “color changing milk” experiment.  It was fun watching the different colors of food coloring make shapes in the milk.  Below is a group of pictures from this experiment.

I also liked “balloon in a candle flame.”  The “soda can fizz” experiment was fun, because we learned that when you shake the can the soda will go everywhere when you open it.  If you tap it on the sides six times, the soda won’t go everywhere.

I think Amazing Science!, Volume 1 would be good for children younger and older than me.

Dad’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed the Amazing Science!, Volume 1 science experiments.  They were easy, affordable and entertaining.  The experiments don't take a lot of time to complete and the video lays out everything you need and everything you need to know.  The kids enjoyed doing the science even if they didn't turn out exactly like the Amazing Science! video demonstrations.  It was fun doing this with the kids and I recommend getting the Amazing Science! program for your family.

Mama highly recommends Amazing Science!, Volume 1 for your young scientists!

Social media links for ScienceandMath.com:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ScienceAndMathCom

 

Picture of the Week! (March 9, 2014)- C’s Snow Person

We had a week where it was actually warm enough to spend time outside, so we went to the park.  Since the green areas of the park had not been played or walked in, the children were able to make snow people.  They had a lot of fun.

Printable Chore Chart from Motivated Moms (Review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew)

We received Motivated Moms for review purposes!

Product Links: Motivated Moms Ebooks

Vendor Information Link:  Motivated Moms

Age Appeal: Moms

Format: ebook or app for IPad/IPhone/IPod Touch (We reviewed the ebook)

Price: $8.00/ebook and $.99/month or $7.99/year for the app

Do you need an organizational system for working on household chores? 

Motivated Moms, which is operated by Susan Cramer, might have the house cleaning schedule which will work best for you.  You will have the choice of ebook or app.  If you chose the ebook, you will have a choice of planners:

• Weekly (color or black and white)
• Daily (color or black and white)
• With a scheduled Bible reading or without
• Full-size or half-size pages

Click on the picture to see a sample of the ebook version I chose. 

Our Experience: 

I have to come clean and admit that I have always had trouble doing chores and keeping things uncluttered.  I was hoping that the chore schedule from Motivated Moms would help me develop the skills and dedication I need to keep this house clean.  I am happy to say, that things are looking cleaner and more organized in parts of our house.

I would make sure that the daily chores were taken care of throughout the day by checking them off after they were finished.  I did my best to make the time to work on the weekly chores during the day and we had success.  I also enlisted the help of my children.  They have their own daily chores, so they were able to help me get the chores done, because they motivated me and some of their chores were the ones that needed to be done. 

There were chores that were easy to work on, like make beds and empty trash on a daily basis.  There were other chores that were challenging to me, like dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning mirrors.  Those are chores which have always been hard for me to do, even if they only happen once a week or every other week.

  

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I thought it was great that the weekly chores repeated every couple of weeks, so if I was unable to get to one the first time I didn’t have long to wait to try again.
• There were some aspects I didn’t like such as, not being able to customize it a little bit more for our family and how we were to plan meals around leftovers the day after we had made the menu.  I also prefer to clean the bathrooms all at once instead of dragging it out during the week.
• I was very glad to have the quick tidy throughout the house on Fridays, specific days to go through a box or bag of clutter, clean out vehicles and purses, and delete unwanted computer files (something I really needed to do).  I thought it was great that each week we needed to go through or clean a certain part of the refrigerator or clean the light fixtures.  They are something I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about, so it was great to be able to clean them.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 10, officially in fourth grade):   

• I liked the Motivated Moms chore chart planner.
• My favorite chore was moping the floor.
• We did not do some of the chores, because we do not do those chores, like wash the porch rug and cut out coupons.

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 8, officially in second grade): 

I liked helping Mama do the chores.  I enjoyed getting the vitamins, cleaning the bathroom mirrors, and mopping the floors. 

There were some chores that did not apply to our family:

• “Clip children’s nails”
• “Clean jewelry”
• “Check stock of a/c or furnace filters”

I think Motivated Moms is good for moms.  Children can help their moms do the chores.

Dad’s Thoughts:

I liked the Motivated Moms cleaning and chore schedule. It's clear and concise as to what needs to be done and on what days. While there are many daily repetitive chores that need to be done, other infrequent chores are also included later in the schedule. Those things that may only need to be done once a month such as cleaning ceiling fans or light fixtures. I see this as a helpful tool to keep busy Moms on track but not overwhelmed with a long list of to do items trying to get a month's worth of chores done in one or two days.

Two things that I see could be improved are adding a blank line or two under each days' chore list to allow for schedule flexibility. Maybe some extra time became available and Mom completed an extra chore or two. Also on the other end maybe she's running short on time and needs to reschedule one or two things. The second thing is that there are activities schedule 7 days a week. It would be nice if there was a schedule specifically for those who observe the Sabbath and do no work on that day.

Overall, I like the idea of a schedule. It makes life a little easier when you can refer back to a guide and not just have to wing it on a regular basis.

Mama highly recommends Motivated Moms as an excellent housework planner !

Social media links for Motivated Moms:
https://www.facebook.com/motivated.moms
https://twitter.com/momoplanner

 

Picture of the Week! (March 2, 2014)- More Snow!

I am hoping that soon, pictures of snow will turn into pictures of flowers!  We had three inches of snow yesterday and tonight’s low is -14, but I know that later this week it will be in the upper 20’s.  I am really excited for that.  And spring, whenever it comes.