12 Days of Christmas Day 4

Every mom needs some down time so today, I am adding to the giveaway a $10 Barnes & Noble e-gift card. The only catch is you have to promise you will use it on yourself!



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12 Days of Christmas Give Away - Day 3

Today we are going to give you a personalized Christmas ornament to decorate your tree. This ornament is going to be personalized for free, for you!

Can't you just see a personalized ornament on your tree!

It may not be this exact ornament, it will depend on what the wonderful people at Family Matters & the Blue Eagle Store, the sponsor of this give away has in stock for you.  But, I can personally guarantee you, as the owner of a Christmas tree that is decked completely out in these ornaments, that it will be super cute, the best quality and even better, personalized to your specifications!

To enter to win go to the Blue Eagles Store and browse for a bit, then come back here and tell us what your favorite product is! Super Simple!

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day 2

Ahhhh! I totally dropped the ball on getting today's post up! Since I messed it up I am going to post what was going to be added last to the lot today. I hope today's prize will help you forgive me!

Today I am adding to the prize lot a $25 Walmart giftcard!! Since this prize pretty much speaks for itself I will just post the entry requirements and let you have at it!

Be sure to come back again tomorrow to see what else we have added!

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day 1

It is time to begin our 12 days of Christmas Giveaway! Over the next 12 days Jessica and I will be posting about some great products and adding them to the giveaway. Gifts will include everything from some pampering items for you, to some great curriculum! This will be ONE BIG GIVEAWAY! One winner will be chosen for the entire prize package so be sure to come back every day for more chances to win!

On the first day of Christmas Molding Minds gave to me:

A set of We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards and a Virtues Kids Kit!

I love my children, but you know if you have a daughter you have some sass and you know if you have a son you have some rowdiness! I searched high and low for a fun way to teach my children virtues with a Christian basis and I found it!!!

We Choose Virtues is a character training tool that can be used as an entire course or as a supplement to your existing Bible routine. There are 12 character traits that are taught with the use of colorful flash cards, posters and other materials.

We reviewed the Faith Based Virtue Flash Cards, Virtue Clues ,  Virtues Coloring Book and the Kid Virtue Poster a few months back and LOVED them. The colorful flash cards (5.5×4.25) were my personal favorite of the items. They are very colorful and along with featuring a virtue they also feature a memorable character (Duck and Chuck represent diligently) a quote that makes the virtue easy to remember (Ok, whatever you say, I will obey right away!) and an applicable Bible verse. The back of the cards feature teaching hints as well as practical application tips and discussion starters. The Virtues clues are colorful credit card sized flash cards that are easy to carry around for moments when your child needs a quick reminder of a virtue with a word of encouragement from the little boy or girl character that represents each virtue. This is a download only. This is great for your younger children but my 7 and 8 year old still enjoyed it immensely! We learned a trait each week and then followed it up by coloring the corresponding character. It was a nice way to solidify and talk more about each virtue.


One of the other great things about We Choose Virtues is that they have different levels of materials so you can purchase from 3 years old all the way up to 18 and they also have kits geared towards classroom use, homeschool use, church use and family use.

We Choose Virtues has become an indispensable tool in our house and we are seeing results! My kids enjoy learning the new virtues and it is easy to remind them about each one with the quotes and with the clue cards! This is the perfect edition to your school! I personally will be adding some of the other products to our stash! (excuse the excessive use of ! I am just excited!)

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Thanksgiving and Thankfulness

Thanks giving is just a little more than a week away. I have seen on Facebook and other social networks, people posting one thing they are thankful for each day. Because I am an overachiever and somewhat of a show-off, I decided to do all my days at once.
So here is my list:

1. I am thankful forGod who provided a Savior who died for the wrong I have done and will do and then offered amazing grace.
2. My husband - he is a great guy.  He the quiet to my boisterous, the calm to my liveliness, and I am his challenger - in a good way.  We balance each other well.
3. My kids - They are awesome. :D
4. My mother and father - I am incredibly thankful to have both my parents still living. 
5. My siblings - We all get along very well and I am proud to call them my best friends. My sisters and brothers are always there, no matter what.
6. My friends that I have known forever - They have known me through the worst of times and the best of times and still love me regardless. 
7. My new friends that I have made in the last three years - nothing like making new friends!
8. My dog and the warm furriness of a pet that is pressed up against your side when you are sitting on the sofa and just a bit chilly! 
9. My home - I am fortunate to have a warm home with space for everyone.
10. The internet - It offers friendships with people I would have never met with out it.
11. My kids' pediatrician - We see Dr. Stepp and he has seen us through some very hard times with my son's medical condition.  
12. Homeschooling - I am thankful that I am legally able to homeschool.
13. Good books - I love reading. Reading a book is very much like going on vacation!
14. Bacon - Because it is bacon - enough said.
15. Coffee - I really love coffee, especially with a big pile of bacon.
16. Change - I am so glad that things change. Even when change really bites at the time, it always brings new revelation and new relationships.
17. My washing machine and dryer - there are those that enjoy doing laundry with a washboard and then hanging it out on a clothesline - I would not be one of those people. 
18. Weather forecasters - Even though sometimes they get it wrong, most of the time, they get it right!
19. Farmers - I like to eat, they make it possible
20. Mechanical pencils - a new lead is just a click or two away.
21. T.V. with kid's shows - because sometimes, I just need a babysitter.
22. Laughing - because sometimes, I just need a good laugh!
23. Ibuprofen - I think it may cure everything.
24. My cell phone - I remember having to page my dh at Walmart to remind him to get milk.
25. My paid for van - it fits everyone in my family, and it is well, paid for.
26. A good fitting bra - you know why if you have one.
27. Food delivery places - when I have had a long day and making dinner is just too much to think about, I am glad dinner can be just a phone call away.
28. My sewing machine - it is super cool to be able to make things that people love.
29. Forks - because eating with chopsticks takes far too long.
30. Comfy T-shirts

That is my list! What are you thankful this season?

Lesson Plan on Sumer

There are lots and lots things to learn and know about Sumer. I could not find a lesson plan that I liked well enough to do with my children, particularly my 6th grader.  This is what I came up with, it is by no means comprehensive and you could easily add or take away from it.

Artist's depiction of a Sumerian City

Lesson Plan on Sumer

Objective 1 – Understand what Sumer was and where it was located and why it is important

·        Map –Mesopotamia, Sumer, Iraq, Persian Gulf, Tigris, and Euphrates
·        Name and locate a principle city in Sumer

Objective 2 – Describe what a Sumerian city may have looked like

·        Draw a picture including city walls, moat, and Ziggurat

Objective 3 – Understand the ability to produce an abundance of food and access to resources encourages people to settle in one area.

·        Why were the Tigris and Euphrates rivers important?
·        Compare and contrast a nomad’s life with that of a person living in Sumer.

Objective 4 – Know what the Epic of Gilgamesh is – The epic of Gilgamesh is not really suitable for children, so the teacher should briefly retell it or read an age appropriate retelling of the story.

·        Write or draw your own adventure.

Objective 5 – Understand the what cuneiform was and how it was used

·        Make “clay” tablets – we used mud and water, the kids wrote on them and we let them dry in the sun.  You could also use playdough, there is a link to homemade play dough in the appendix
·        Create your own cuneiform

Objective 6 – Understand Sumerians based their math on the number 60 and relate that to our world today.

·        60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute, circle is 360 degrees

Objective 7 – Be familiar with Sumerian’s worship of several gods and the role of the Ziggurat

·        Make a ziggurat out of sugar cubes              
·        Discuss how kings were viewed as deities, and when the king died it would seem that his guards, musicians, servants, wives and concubines voluntarily sacrificed themselves in order to go to the afterlife with the king.

Appendix:

Sumer – A Short Summary
Sumer was an ancient civilization discovered in 1853 by British Consul John George Taylor, when he discovered the city of Ur, the Abraham of the Bible’s birthplace. Sumer was established about 4000 years ago, around southern Mesopotamia, now modern Day Iraq.  It is a river valley basin, supplied by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Some believe it is located around where the Garden of Eden would have been located.

Sumer was an advanced society. They developed irrigation for agriculture, traded with the people and other nations surrounding them and established industries such as metal working.

Sumerians worshipped many Gods and Goddesses and also deified their kings. When a King died, there is evidence that the royal guards, musicians, servants, wives, and concubines voluntarily sacrificed themselves in order to join the king in the afterlife. They were all then entombed in ziggurats.

A Sumerian city would not normally have been overly beautiful. The city would have had a wall and a moat around it.  There would have been a ziggurat in the city center.  There were also no trash collectors, so the streets would have been littered with garbage and household waste.

Sumerians contributed to our society.  Their math system was based on the number 60. Today, we still have 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute and circle is 360 degrees. 

Sumerians are also thought to have the first, most organized system of writing.  This writing, cuneiform, took many years to learn.  It started with pictures and progressed to wedge shaped symbols. These symbols were pressed onto clay tablets with a reed pen.

Sumerians also had works of literature.  The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest literary work. It was written in cuneiform on 12 clay tablets. It is about the Adventures of King Uruk.

Online resources:
http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/ancient_mesopotamia.php  Lots of information here, also some quizzes and such.  There is a decent, short retelling of The Epic of Gilgamesh on this site.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2007/2/07.02.01.x.html

http://www.ancientscripts.com/sumerian.html

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/index.html   Mesopotamia for Kids

http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/su/Sumerians

http://www.historywiz.com/exhibits/sumerians-mm.html  Lots of cool pictures here

http://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/ancient-medieval/v/standard-of-ur--c--2600-2400-b-c-e  Free video on the Standard of Ur. They also give some really great background!  Toward the end of the video they do point out the naked, bleeding prisoners depicted on the Standard, I had no issue with my kids watching this video, but you decide for yourself.

http://fun.familyeducation.com/sculpting/recipes/37040.html – homemade play dough

http://www.utexas.edu/courses/classicalarch/images2/mapane.jpg – map of ancient Mesopotamia

http://sumer2sargon.blogspot.com/p/history.html - lots of information here

My Favorite Things... And a Give Away!!

I'm in Love!!!

Yes, I said it, I'm in love! :)

I'm a licensed Cosmetologist. And after many health problems, I became a Certified Natural Health Consultant as well. These 2 loves of mine have caused me to look high and low for great products that deliver real results AND are safe to use. That is a hard combination. I have found many natural companies but the quality is often lacking. And I've found luxurious companies but the products are loaded with chemicals that I won't put on my skin or encourage my loved ones to use! What's a girl to do?

A friend introduced me to Verefina! It was love at first sight! When I saw how beautifully the products were packaged, I was pleased. I learned that many of the bottles were specially designed to help keep air out so the product will have a longer shelf life. What a great idea! But sampling is believing...

I put a squirt of Pina Colada lotion in my hands and was immediately in love with the fragrance, and the luxurious feel lived up to my hopes as well! I wondered what was in the product. Turning the bottle over, I was THRILLED to find that I could read the ingredients!

Verefina products are 99-100% natural!

Could it be?? Could I finally have found a product that has the luxurious feel and fragrance without toxic chemicals? Indeed! I went on to sample the sugar scrub and skin care and I needed no more proof. This was what I'd been looking for! With fragrances like Grapefruit, Lavender, Cool Mint, Lemon Poppyseed, Pina Colada, and Spearmint, you're sure to find something you love. Verefina offers products from head to toe!

If you are like me and you need to sample to believe, sit back and let me pamper you for a moment...

Gently rub a small amount of our Lemon Coconut cleanser on your face, wipe with a warm, damp cloth. I love how soft my skin feels, those exfoliating jojoba beads really do the trick! Now spray a mist of the Ultra Hydrating Rosewater Mist on your face, it smells like a rose garden! And I love the way it hydrates. Finish your facial with the Sea Buckthorn skin cream. Has your skin felt softer?

Let's scrub your hands and feet with the Sugar Scrub, you pick your favorite fragrance. I love the Lemon Poppyseed, but they are all wonderful. They are so soft that you don't need lotion. But for fun, let's break open the lotions! Aloe and Calendula or Olive Oil? And what fragrance do you prefer? Your skin will love you! We have a foaming soap in each fragrance to go with your favorite lotion. Not only is there soap and lotion for you, but for your children and babies, too! Oh, their gentle skin will thank you!

You may have noticed the lovely fragrance in the air? It's the diffuser that has your favorite essential oil quietly blowing in the background. We have several oils, and all are top notch quality!

You won't find this at a spa, but you have to try this deoderant to believe it! I have used several brands in the past and never been pleased. But this one WORKS for me. It comes in 3 fragrances, I know you'll enjoy it too!


Do you feel like you've just been to the spa? This is what I get to enjoy every day! Well, ok I'm a homeschooling mom, so maybe I don't have time EVERY day for all of it, but I do get to enjoy much of it every day! I enjoy it so much that I joined the Verefina family a month ago. I'd love it if you would stop by my website and see for yourself all the items you 'sampled' plus more! We're growing all the time, so keep on the look out for new products! To see everything from the creamy lotions to natural first aid, visit http://christa.verefina.net.

And what would be more fun than a virutal spa day? How about a give away?!?! I believe you'll love Verefina as much as I do, and to prove it I'm giving away a bottle of Olive Oil Lotion in your choice of Unscented, Lavender, Pina Colada, Spearmit or Grapefruit to one lucky winner! Hurry and enter today!

Now hurry and enter to win! :) Good luck!!

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~Christa