Disclaimer: Before I start this review, I’m going to say upfront that I do NOT recommend this product. I will share a few reasons why in the body of this review but am truthfully just hitting on the tip of the iceberg in my concerns.

Overview of the Product

The Amazing Bible Timeline is a large {37″ x 45″} poster that shows 6,000 years of world and Biblical history in a color-coded circular format. It begins with Adam and shows the breakdown of nations throughout history, color-coding the different families and nations.

Once the Flood occurs it shows how many of the different nations came through the sons of Noah {Ham, Shem, & Japeth}. You can see what was happening in different nations at specific points in history. The timeline is broken up into 100 year segments so you can quickly find a time in history when looking for events.

My Thoughts

Before I go any further, I will say this: As a homeschooling mom {or a mom in general}, my responsibility is teaching my children our beliefs and I will do all that I can to ensure the my children are given materials that support our beliefs. I do not feel that is wrongly rejecting a faith that doesn’t match our beliefs ~ it’s doing what God has called ME to do and fulfilling the responsibility I have to my family. I am also responsible for the materials that I put in front of them and being aware of what that product contains.

Initially I was excited about the timeline, but we received an email from the company addressing several questions that other Crew members had raised about the timeline. That response raised a few red flags for me and I began to dig a little deeper into the company itself and really examining the timeline.

I rolled out our timeline and found a few things. In two different locations on the timeline their were references to Mormon theology/beliefs. One was a direct reference to the book of Mormon {A.D. 400} and another a reference to Joseph Smith and his travels {A.D. 1800} ~ neither something that our family would consider accurate Biblical history.

To give you a little deeper history on the company, they produce both a LDS {Latter Day Saints} version of the timeline and also a non-LDS version {the one I was sent to review}. In 2000, the original ‘blueprints’ for the standard version were accidentally destroyed and the company had to backtrack and recreate the timeline based off the LDS version. They admit there may be mistakes or things that they ‘missed’ in removing because there are over a thousand references on the timeline overall.

My Concerns

Here’s the basic sum-up of my issues/concerns:

• The two errors we found on our timeline were obvious errors ~ ones that specifically mentioned LDS names or references. If they missed these two obvious references, what other errors might still remain that are not as obvious?
• It has been NINE years since the original was destroyed and it seems ludicrous to me that in that length of time these obvious mistakes were missed. Personally, if I had purchased one of these and paid nearly $40 after S/H, I would be calling the company and demanding a refund.
• Quick math would tell you that you could easily review the timeline THREE times in one year if you only studied/examined ten references a day. Yet somehow, they’ve had numerous proof readers {non-LDS} who missed the obvious references for nine years now.
• I understand that mistakes are mistakes, but I personally struggle with a product that contains errors that tie into the basic integrity of the product and the fact that a profit is being made off of careless mistakes. You would be upset if a spelling program taught you how to spell inaccurately, or if a science book taught you incorrect formulas. A spelling error on the timeline would a mistake ~ referencing the book of Mormon on a product geared toward evangelical Christians/non-LDS is more than a little mistake.

There are other issues I have in my dealings with the company that have left me with even more questions. However, I’m at the point where I don’t want to give the company any more ‘screen time’.

Do I recommend the product? Absolutely not. Would it be a good fit for your family? ~ that depends on your beliefs and your personal convictions. Only you can make a decision for your own family.

The Amazing Bible Timeline can be purchased for $29.95 {plus $6.00 S/H} and also comes with a digital version of the timeline as well as interactive maps of the Holy Land.

We recently bought our own GPS and our kids have been fascinated by it. They love watching the directions on the screen and ‘seeing’ where we are going ~ and how far it is. Kaleb, our two year old, has even started shouting out directions of left/right now even when we don’t have it in the car.

If you’ve heard of geocaching, you have a good idea what Educaching: GPS Based Curriculum for Teachers is all about. Educaching takes technology and brings it into the classroom, providing you with lesson plans, activities, and ideas to make learning fun and teach your kids the ins and outs of coordinates and mapping using a GPS.

What Educaching Includes

• Teacher’s Manual {geared for grades 4-8}
• 20 detailed lesson plans
• reproducible field sheets and activities to go along with the lessons
• Information on grant applications {to obtain your own unit to use @ school}

The manual {$32} starts out detailing how to use a GPS and what geocaching is all about, giving information to help ‘train’ the teacher on the process. The lesson plans cover a variety of topics for various age ranges {12 beginner, 6 intermediate, 2 advanced} and can be used in a large classroom or in a homeschool setting. A few lesson topics: Grand Slam, Dino Discovery, Which Tree is Which, and Rain Birds. You can view a sample lesson on Rain Birds here. The lessons touch on different subject areas: math, language, and science and also provide national standard levels for the various subjects.

Obviously, you will need a GPS or other handheld device capable of mapping coordinates to be able to use the curriculum. The one we have allows us to switch to pedestrian mode, so we didn’t have to have a special unit for the study.

My Thoughts

We did the Dino Discovery unit and the kids used the coordinates to find the hidden bones. When they had all been located and mapped on the field sheet, we came inside to put the bones together and ‘create’ a skeleton.

The Educaching teacher’s guide provides enough lessons to keep you busy, but it also will get ideas going in your own mind for future activities to do with your children, and you have the field sheets to continue using with other lessons. If you have a GPS receiver {or know someone who does}, this would be a great way for you and your family to have a little fun exploring and learning together!

To Learn More

Visit the Educaching site for more information or to purchase the product. There are two different options for purchasing:

• Educaching Curriculum in 3-Ring Binder with a CD with customizable templates for your use. {$32.00 plus $6.95 S&H}
• PDF format emailed to you within 24 hours ($32.00}

We have the pdf version but I think I would honestly spend the extra $7 to have it already printed out and in a binder to use right away! :)

During the peak of the Underground Railroad, Sarah’s mother, Rachel, helped by opening her home to slaves as a stop along the ‘railroad’. When Rachel is killed in a buggy accident, Sarah promises to continue helping the ‘packages’ arrive safely at their destinations and do all that she can to continue the care of the slaves.

Sarah is an orphan though, and she still needs to find a family. She is taken in by Granny Evans until a more permanent family can be found, but she still has the responsibility of guarding her mother’s secret.

About the Author

Jim Baumgardner is a grandfather of nine who wrote the books for his homeschooled grandchildren. This excerpt from a letter that he sent along with the book sums up so much {and says it much better than I could!}:

“The Sarah Books are authored by me for my grandchildren. I say that so that you will know these books do not have any sex, profanity, or anything that would be offensive to young readers. I would never subject my grandchildren to such writing.

The books have been referred to as Christian fiction. I prefer to describe them as Young Adult fiction written by a Christian author. Sarah’s faith is important to her and she lives by it, but the books do not try to convert the reader to anything. The stories do teach Christian principles of living a good life and treating others as you would have them treat you. I do not ignore the evil in the world and Sarah must confront it at times just as we all do.”

Our Thoughts

Our girls have been reading and listening to Sarah’s Wish by Jim Baumgardner over the last few weeks….and really enjoying it! At the back of the book is a code that unlocks a digital download of the files so you can listen to a reading of the story.

Laurianna has been reading the story as part of her independent reading time {3rd grade}, but the book was a little over McKenna’s reading level {2nd grade}, so she is happy to have the audio version and be a part of the ‘review’. As we’ve run errands and travel we have the audio version {about 4 hours long}, playing in the van for the kids and me to listen too. The audio version is read by one person who uses different voices for characters, which the kids think is hilarious.

The girls love period/historical books, so this book has been a lot of fun for them to read and listen too. Both thought the book was a little sad at first because Sarah’s mother died, but quickly were wrapped up in the storyline.They have really enjoyed it and I’m glad to add another audio book to our listening library that will also teach the kids historical facts.

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about Sarah’s Wish and other books in the series, you can visit Sarah Books online. Sarah’s Wish is available directly from the company {$9.99 w/ free s/h} or through Amazon. If you order directly from the company, you’ll receive an autographed copy. Be sure to check out the other books in the Sarah series ~ Sarah’s Promise and Sarah’s Escape.

This year at our local homeschool convention I visited the booth for Virginia Soaps & Scents. I knew that they were on the review list for Homeschool Crew and just wanted to meet the owners and see all of their products in person. I walked up to the booth a little skeptical of all the homemade soaps and scents and left with a bag of purchases I was very anxious to try!

I can honestly say that Roy & Richelle are two of the sweetest and most amazing people you will meet. I wandered back to their booth several times over the course of the weekend, spent a lot of time talking to them, and bought several things from their booth because I was so impressed with what they offered. One of the things that I really wanted, a shaving bar, had already sold out and a few days later I found a package in my mailbox with shaving bars and a sweet note from Richelle inside ~ just because. Needless to say, I’m in love with their company!

About Virginia Soaps & Scents

Soapmaking for the Spargurs started out as a homeschool project while studying Colonial Williamsburg. What began as a one-time project turned into a fun family adventure with the entire family developing recipes and starting a business together. Everything that Virginia Soaps & Scents produces {from labels to making soaps} is done in their own home.

The bars are all hand cut, giving them each a unique look. As for what is in the soap? All of their soaps are made with natural oils ~ no chemicals.

We use many combinations of oils in our soaps, but almost all will contain olive oil and coconut oil – in combination with other oils such as lard, cocoa butter, safflower, sunflower, canola, peanut, palm or soybean oils.

Products I’ve Used {and LOVE!!}

Members of the Homeschool Crew recieved a sampler kit that included mini bars of Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap, Fresh Orange Soap, Coconut Lemongrass Soap, a Ginger Lime Shampoo Bar, and a Laundry Soap Kit. Prior to the review I had purchased similar products from the company with different scents and have been using them since June.

I struggle with different scents and smells, often getting migraines because of something that others might not even notice, so I am very cautious to try new things. The bars that I purchased myself were very mild and don’t overwhelm you with their scent {they also have a line of Fragrance Free products too!}. The scents that I have used are: Caribbean Breeze {shaving bar}, Coconut Lemongrass {Shampoo Bar} as well as the ones sent to us to review.

Laundry Soap ~ I’ve wanted to make my own laundry soap for quite some time, so I purchased two of their cleaning bars prior to receiving the kit. Making it was so incredibly simple ~ I just grated the cleaning bars, followed their recipe online, and had homemade laundry detergent in under 15 minutes. We’ve been using the detergent now for quite some time and I’m hooked! The kids love it too, since they can easily scoop the detergent out themselves and help with the laundry {Mommy loves this part too!}. The 9 oz {$3.95} cleaning bar will make two batches of detergent, enough for 128 loads of laundry.

Others have asked if we’ve noticed any change in our laundry ~ is it getting clean? Absolutely yes! The bars are unscented, so the detergent doesn’t have any overwhelming smell either. Just ‘clean’. I did have to purchase a box of Borax and also washing soda, but both boxes are going to last me for a LONG time. After figuring out the cost of the detergent, it works out to about 5 cents a load of laundry, and you’ll have plenty of Borax and washing soda for future batches. The detergent is low-sudsing, so you can also use it with front loading washers!! Soon I’ll be posting about how the whole ‘making detergent’ process too. :)

If you aren’t sure that you want to make your own detergent and want to ‘test the waters’ to see if it would work for you, they offer a Laundry Soap Kit for $4.95 that includes everything you need to make a batch of detergent ~ all you need to do is add water! Cleaning bars are $3.95 for a 9 oz bar or laundry kits are available for $4.95 each {enough to make 2 gallons of detergent}.

Shampoo Bar ~ I have to admit that I was a little skeptical on the shampoo bar at first. This was another thing that I bought prior to receiving the review packet. I was worried more about it because I have psoriasis that flares up from time to time. The shampoo has a GREAT lather and leaves your hair feeling very clean. Basically, it works just like the shampoo that I was using before. I do think that I need to switch over to the Oily Hair/Clarifying Shampoo Bar though, so that is getting added to my next order. Shampoo bars are $5.50 for a 5.5 oz bar or 2/$10.

Shaving Bars ~ Again, I was a little cautious on these because my legs will break out from the simplest thing. The shaving bars have a little more ‘glide’ in them than the regular soap thanks to castor oil, which helps out a lot when shaving your legs. The Caribbean Breeze scent is light and I haven’t had any breakouts while using them. Shaving bars are $4.95 for 2 ~ 2 oz. cubes.

Soap Bars ~ If you read our family blog, you might remember that we are a liquid soap using family. To the point that Zachary was in awe of a bar of soap while we were visiting friends. The soap has been hidden from little hands and stays with me. I am loving the Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey bar as well as the Fresh Orange scents. Soap bars are $4.50 for a 4.5 oz bar, 3/$10 or 10/$35.

Orders and More

I don’t think I need to remind you that Christmas is coming soon, and their products would make great stocking stuffers and gifts for so many on your list! For the holiday season they have Christmas Scents available: Wild Bayberry, Pumpkin Spice, and Peppermint soaps {I turned my order in this last weekend so I wouldn’t miss out on them!!}.

Be sure to visit Virginia Soaps & Scents and see the wide variety of products and soap scents that they have available. If you haven’t already figured it out, I highly recommend them for both their products and wonderful customer service ~ tell them I sent you over! :)

I’ve mentioned previously that math is the one area that I really would like our children to grow in this year. One of our girls especially struggles in the ‘speed’ department in answering math questions…we can sit and dwaddle forever at times in answering what seems to be a simple problem.

I really dislike drilling, drilling, drilling facts into the kids to help them memorize and truthfully, they aren’t so keen on it either {the word meltdown comes to mind here}. Receiving the Math Zone game in the mail to review for Bonny Terry Learning was a fun little surprise for me and the kids. They love games and I love knowing that they are learning while playing. I was also intrigued by a little quote I found on the site:

“Did you know that improving math skills is more than improving memorization skills?” ~ Bonny Terry

About Bonny Terry Learning

Bonny Terry Learning provides a variety of tools and games to help children in the areas of reading, writing, spelling, study skills and math from grades K through high school. They also have assessment tools for parents who are concerned that their children might have a learning disability.

From the site ~ Bonnie Terry, currently a Board Certified Educational Therapist and Learning Disabilities Specialist in private practice, has served as a special education teacher since 1973. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education and Special Education from Illinois State University, Normal, IL, and a M.Ed. in Special Education from California State University, Sacramento, CA. Bonnie Terry is internationally recognized as an expert in Educational Therapy and Learning Disabilities.

Products Reviewed

We received two different products to review: the Easy Math Reference Guide and the Math Zone Game. The Reference Guide {$17} is a 16 page booklet that explains math concepts and facts from first through 8th grade including: addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, word problem strategies, geometric shapes, measurement, fractions, decimals and more. Essentially, it’s a one-stop tool that you can put into a binder for quick reference when your child {or you} get stuck and can’t remember various concepts. The guide gives examples in each area so you can see a problem worked out from start to finish.

The Math Zone Game {$12} is a card game that includes two different decks of cards {color-coded} depending on the age/ability of your child. One deck is geared toward ages 7-9 and the other is for ages 9 and up.

While playing the game, children practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and earn points when they figure a problem correctly. The deck also has ‘bonus’ and ‘sorry’ cards that can help either double or halve your answer score {I promise, it sounds more confusing than it really is!}.

To be honest, I avoided the game at first because I couldn’t quite figure out the rules. Different colored decks, new rules…it was a little overwhelming to me. When I finally sat down to do it, I realized it wasn’t so difficult after all. Laurianna was the only one that was really able to play the game with me {the right way}, since McKenna hasn’t really started with multiplication and division. While Laurianna dreads her math problems normally, this game made solving the problems fun and competitive, something that triggers a little more in her brain. Needless to say, it’s something that we will be pulling out weekly to use during our school time as a fun game to play with Mommy.

My only ‘issue’ was that the card colors came intermixed and they are supposed to be separated by color {part of my initial confusion with the game}. Poor me. I had to sort 81 cards by color. It was tough, but I survived and now we’re happily playing with our sorted cards. {grins}

Find Out More

Math isn’t the only subject that Bonny Terry offers ‘helps’ for school subjects. Be sure to check out the company site to learn more about these and other products.

Guardian Angel Publishing seeks to create educational and affordable eBooks and print books for children in the preschool to primary age range. Their books all feature original artwork and and photos in a story format. We received two of their eBooks to review with our kids: Earthquake! and The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It.

Earthquake! by Susan J. Berger is a 30 page book available in several different formats ~ pdf eBook, cd eBook and print ranging in price from $5 to $11.95, depending on book format. If your child {or you} want to know what causes earthquakes, precautions to take for earthquakes, how to read a Richter scale, or have some fun ‘hands-on’ activities to learn more about earthquakes, this would be a great place to start!

The book contains interesting ‘factoids’ as well as experiments to try at home. Our kids needed little encouragement to create a ‘seiche’ during bath time ~ lots of water on the floor and excitement since it was OK to make a mess on the bathroom floor.

My personal favorite was The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It by Bill Kirk. I love books that use rhymes to help kids learn ~ truthfully, because they help me remember things too! The entire book uses rhyme to learn the human bones from head to toe:

Without all our bones,
We’d be shapeless and blobby –
Just skin, guts and muscles,
All gooey and globby.

p. 4

The only complaint I have about the ebook was the lack of page numbers. Not generally a problem, unless you print it off, set it aside and a certain two-year-old decides to rearrange the pages for you before you put it together. Otherwise, it is definitely a book that has a great price {$5 eBook download} and catchy way to help you remember all the bones of the human body!

Guardian Angel has a variety of books available for purchase, so be sure to stop by their site and browse around a little bit.