A Review of LIVE Online Math

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Recently, I was given a tour of LIVE Online Math by John Bovey. The LIVE classes have several choices of upper level math. The classes start at Pre-Pre-Algebra and go through Algebra II. I was able to participate in two of the Pre-Algebra classes, and I was very impressed with the technology of the online classroom. I was also impressed with the discussions and teaching time. The students are able to use a headset to talk to the instructor and ask questions about concepts they do not understand. As a homeschool mom, I know it is hard to remember all the reasons why you do certain things in algebra. The whiteboard technology allows the instructor to write on the board in real-time for the students. The students also have the ability, when the instructor chooses, to write on the board or mark where they do not understand the problem. If you are feeling like your student needs more for upper level math courses, I would recommend you check out LIVE Online Math!

If your student cannot commit to the weekly classes, LIVE Online Math also offers video courses. You can sign up for a free two-week trial for the pre-algebra class here.


Editing to add some info about pricing:

The video courses are $99.99 for the course (12 months of access), not per semester.  The Video-Pluscourses are $99.99 per semester and we have one weekly LIVE session with those.  So, basically it’s LIVE classes (3X per week), Video-Pluscourses (video course, plus 1 session each week), and Video Courses (just a video course with no live component).  

I was not compensated for this review. It is an honest representation of my experience.

Tami

A Review of The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer

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Buy it on Amazon now!



The Memory Jar is an enthralling Christian, fiction book by Tricia Goyer. It is a story of God’s loving grace and mercy on the journey through the valley of death and loss of a loved one. It illustrates how God brings healing to your heart after you suffer loss in life. This Amish story follows Sarah through the road of loss and restoration. It is a love story told in a compelling manner with many twists and turns. It makes me long for the days when life was slower and more centered on godly things and not earthly things. Tricia captures the lifestyle and roots of faith of the Amish in the first book in the series. I am looking forward to the next installment.  

Until next time,

Tami

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for this review. This is my personal opinion of this book.   

A Cry from Egypt by Hope Auer (Great Waters Press)

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In this freshmen outing for Hope Auer, I was intrigued to read about a fictional family who lived during the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians. The story of Moses leading the Israelites to the Promised Land is a well-known Bible story. In A Cry from Egypt, Hope writes about a family who lived in Egypt at the time that Moses first returned to ask Pharoah to release the Israelites. This type of historical fiction brings a Bible story to life for me. I was immersed in the family struggles and triumphs. The family is spared during the plagues, like the other Israelites, and the lead character learns of the all-powerful God her family serves as they are delivered from the bondage of slavery.

I would recommend this book for anyone 13 and older. Some of the scenes described may be difficult for younger readers.

For ordering information, see Hope’s website by her publisher, Great Waters Press.

http://acryfromegypt.com/store/

Dream Dating by Larry Pruett

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One of my passions in life is promoting healthy marriages. I have been married for more than 20 years to the husband of my youth. We share our lives with our six children. We have had our ups and downs. We have had our losses, and we have had our blessings. One thing that I recommend to all husbands and wives is to make time for couple-time. In our fast-paced lifestyles, we often do not spend a lot of alone time with our spouses. Demands from our jobs, our children, our parents, and other commitments are all important, but they put a drain on our alone time as a couple.

Larry Pruett has written a book called Dream Dating. It is aimed toward husbands, but I offered to edit and review his book. I enjoyed his ideas and felt that it would make a difference in many marriages if the husband took the lead and planned a dream date week-end. From a wife’s perspective, I would be swept off my feet if my husband planned a week-end like this for me. I know a lot of husbands may struggle with creativity to plan a whole week-end away, but Larry does a great job helping a man plan a special week-end away for two.

This book gets more than a 5-star rating from me! I think a lot of marriages would be stronger if both the husband and the wife took initiative to plan special time together as a couple.
For more information, here is a link to Larry’s book, http://www.ancientpathsweb.com/dream-dating-instant-download/. It’s only $5.00. It is worth much more than that for the ideas to plan a great week-end as a couple.

A review of “The Guest Book” by Mary Beth Whalen

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Are you looking for a great vacation read? Marybeth Whalen’s sophomore novel, The Guest Book, is a charming book for vacation, especially if you are going to the beach. Having lived in the Carolinas most of my life and vacationed at Sunset Beach, NC, I was very excited to read Marybeth’s newest book.

Marybeth combines a love story that spans many years through pictoral exchanges in a guest book in the beach rental house her family stays in year after year. After the death of the lead character’s (Macy’s) father, the whole family falls into deep grief and stops vacationing at the beach house. The memories are too painful for the family to return to a play of joy and fun memories.

After 10 years, the family is ready to move on, and the lead character’s mother rents to same house to put the past to rest. Through the journey this family takes, Macy and her mother find healing and a chance at second love.
Marybeth weaves the family’s story together beautifully through flash-backs and current experiences. I enjoyed reading this book.

Zondervan provided me with a copy of this book for an honest review.

The Guest Book is available on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Guest-Book-A-Novel/dp/0310334748/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343092276&sr=8-1&keywords=the+guest+book

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guest-book-marybeth-whalen/1107693430?ean=9780310334743

A Review of Heidi St. John’s Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Daylight

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Heidi St. John’s second book in “The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to…Daylight” really hit home with me. She says, “How to Fit Your Size 16 Day into a Size 10.” That really speaks to my schedule as a wife, homeschool mom, independent marketer, and home maker. I feel like I am always trying to squeeze one more minute of productivity into my day. Case in point, as I write this at 10:00 at night while watching my email box and Facebook page. Can you relate?

Heidi’s writing is very straight-forward, and she hits you right where it hurts. She gives such great advice, too. Is your husband your number one priority after God, or does he always get the left-overs? Ouch! Is your schedule so packed, you need to write in time to be sick or have a day of rest? Heidi has such a great approach to being over-scheduled — don’t do it! Allow yourself some white space on your calendar, and that does not mean from 12 midnight to 6 am. Ahem! Toes are getting stepped on across the country.

Throughout our lives, we go through seasons. Some seasons of life are long, such as our marriage years, and some seasons fly by, such as raising our children. One lesson Heidi really nailed it for me was that the heart of our children is much more important than the academics. I know I push so hard to get through the academics most days, and the heart issues are sometimes put on the back burner. I have made changes in my own heart to purpose to spend more time on the heart and not let the academics carry me away.

Heidi wraps the book up so well in the chapter on Surrendered Daylight. I have a certain amount of time with my children before they are grown and move out. I want to purpose to love the Lord with all my heart, love my husband, and love my children. If the love tanks of first my husband and then my children are full, then I have been successful. If my children learn from me and their dad to love the Lord with all their hearts, mind, and soul, then we have done what God ordained for us to do. Of course, our children have their own free wills to choose their own paths when they are adults, and hopefully, the seeds we have sown will root and grow through adulthood.

If you are a busy homeschool mom like me, I recommend both of Heidi’s books. They are well worth your time! Just be prepared to have your toes stepped on occasionally.

Tami Fox

Wife to 1

and

Homeschool Mom of 6

* Heidi provided a copy of her book, The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Daylight and Journal. The review is my own.

New job, new opportunities

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I started a new job recently with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine in marketing and editing for their new members-only site SchoolhouseTeachers.com. The link above is my affiliate link. This new site has lesson plans and daily teaching points. It debuted on March 1, and each month we will add new teachers and new content. It has been an exciting and busy month!

Check us out!

The littlest one………..

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Ok, so people say that the more children you have, the fewer pictures you have of the younger ones. Well, our youngest probably does not have as many printed pictures as his older sister, but he surely fills up a lot of our digital pics.

Love that boy so much!