I may be a little late joining this week, but I figured better late than never, right?

That and I had to think about what I was going to say, because in all honesty, I’m not sure I had a real answer for the question.

Curious what could have me stumped?

Share your favorite book that has supported and encouraged you in your homeschooling adventure and why you’d recommend it to another homeschooler.

Truthfully, reading non-fiction is not one of my strong suits. Instead it quickly leads to a lack of insomnia on my part. I get all blurry-eyed and …well, it’s probably the reason that there’s a stack of them right next to my bed.

I did pick up a copy of The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer last weekend and have high hopes of actually sitting down to read it {ahem}. I’m not sure if I consider myself a ‘classical homeschooler’ ~ so I suppose I should read it and find out…but I’ve heard some great things about the book, so I had to see for myself. At the rate I go, I’ll probably have it wrapped up about the time Kaleb graduates from high school.

The only homeschooling book that I’ve actually read has been Debra Bell’s Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling which is chocked full of great information for both the new and seasoned homeschooler. Would I recommend it ~ definitely yes. It’s well-organized and has a lovely section on burnout, which for some reason, I was especially drawn to when reading it. {grins}

Don’t forget to visit Stef at Layton Family Joy and see some more homeschool book recommendations from other homeschool moms!

This past year I was again blessed to be a part of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. During the year I reviewed a large variety of products and found some products that we really enjoyed.

You may have read some {or all} of these product reviews, but here are my top ten picks from the variety of products we received. If you would like to read the actual review, click on the title and it will pull up each review post for you.

In no particular order…

All About Spelling ~ this year brought more GREAT products from All About Spelling: the Cobweb the Cat and What am I? readers. These books have been well loved by our kids.

Studypod ~ a little product that has been used so much this year during our schooltime. It has been wonderful {and put a stop to quite a few arguments between the kids}.

Olde World Style Maps ~ some amazingly wonderful maps from Homeschool in the Woods. We’ll be using quite a bit of their curriculum next fall too!

Rocket Phonics ~ We’re still using this with Zachary and have loved it this last year. There are some great hands-on activities that work well for little boys who are super active. :)

Virginia Soaps and Scents ~ I am HOOKED on their Lemon Verbena soap and lotion now. I love the way it smells {and so do my kids}.

Language Smarts ~ another great book from Critical Thinking. We’ve been using this since we received it and I’m planning on getting the next level for our upcoming school year.

Life on the Farm ~ This game has been played over and over again at our house and I love the durability of it!

Nature Friend Magazine ~ beautiful pictures and a great nature magazine from a Christian {no evolution} perspective.

Christian Keyboarding ~ Our girls have loved this and starting it got them really interested in typing and writing on their own.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling ~ a great tool to recommend to families that are considering homeschooling, new to homeschooling, or even looking at the ‘next step’ for their younger children. It is chocked full of useful and helpful information.

The past two years working with the Homeschool Crew have been a great experience for me. I’ve learned so much about my children and their learning styles and found some amazingly wonderful curriculum and products that I likely never would have considered.

My last review for the Crew posted earlier this week, but there will still be reviewers circulating around the blog world this fall. Thanks so much for hanging in with me this year!

You all might remember a fun review/giveaway that I did a few months back about some Learning Resources Counting Bears. The folks at CSN Stores ~ who literally sell everything from a bathroom vanity to children’s learning toys to pet supplies are teaming up with me to bring you some more great stuff.

Want a sneak peek to see what it’ll be? You’ll have to check out this super-fun learning toy…

Generally my reviews for the Homeschool Crew include things for our kids to use during their schooltime ~ not things that are meant just for me!  BeeYouTiFul is a company that provides all natural products for your entire family, from vitamins to beauty items. The products that they offer are ones that their own family uses.

I requested two different products to review:

Laveshmint Hydrating Toner {$14}is the ultimate culmination of clean refreshment. Made with certified organic Aloe Vera, Laveshmint’s astringent properties naturally close the pores after cleansing.

Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion {$12} is gently scented with peppermint and lavender essential oils to bring cool relaxation while aloe and coconut oils smooth and nourish skin. Perfect for all skin types. Watch your complexion shine! Paraben and Formaldehyde free.

My Thoughts

I’m super sensitive to scents and although the toner was a little odd at first, the scent doesn’t last long, so it wasn’t a big issue for me at all. The lotion is very interesting though! When I first put it on, it ‘tingled’ for a bit, but it eventually faded. I was worried I was having a reaction to it, but realized that it is intended to have that tingly feature and is supposed to be great for sunburned skin. While I hope not to use it for sunburns, I think it would be a great help. Overall, the products worked great for me.

Customer service with the company was a great experience for me. The lid on my lotion jar wasn’t sealed and had leaked during shipping. When I contacted them just to let them know, they immediately sent me a replacement lotion because of the problem.

Find Out More

If you would like to order or see more products from BeeYouTiFul, be sure to visit their website. Shipping and handling is $6 on any size order, so take advantage of the flat rate shipping when you order!

For those of you who have been waiting, I will be posting our lesson plans for the remaining countries we studied in Africa ~ but I just uploaded all of the printables that I made to go along with our studies!

The lesson plans will be following in the next few weeks, but feel free to browse the Africa page on my website! I added map and flag printables for the following countries:

• Kenya
• Morocco
• South Africa
• Tanzania

Enjoy and have fun learning!

You may have noticed a few buttons shifting and being added into my sidebar. I’ve added a Facebook connect button!!

Facebook is a great way to connect and be able to quickly reply to people and share with others without having to come up with an entire post on something! If you are on Facebook ~ come and visit the new fan page that I set up for Homeschool Creations yesterday. I’ll be posting links to fun stuff that I find as I go along ~ little extras that don’t always get posted here.

Hope to see you there!