Change the Way You Do Sundays!

 

This post may contain affiliate links.

Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool! See my full Disclosure statement for more information. 

 

 

 

If you live in Indianapolis area, this is for you!

  Sundays are the best part of my week,

and can be the best part of your week as well....

 

There is a spot saved just for you!!

 

 

Apologia Educational Ministries: The Ultimate Homeschool Planner Review - TOS Crew

 

 

This post may contain affiliate links.

Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool! See my full Disclosure statement for more information.     

I believe that the Nemesis of every homeschool is poor planning! I have planned well....and I have slacked off.....and I know how hard it is to get back on track when you fall off. To stay on track in your educational needs, especially with more than one student, you must plan everything out.  I have just the ticket for you and your homeschool! I was able to review The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia Educational Ministries.

 

About The Ultimate Homeschool Planner:

This gorgeous planning system designed by best selling author Debra Bell is spectacular! Upon opening the planner you will find several pages that hold the next several school years as a quick reference. The last school year listed is 2022-2023. I love that this quick reference is here.....this will help you as you plan try to ahead. This planning system validated what I have found to be true, "planning won't eliminate chaos and disorder, but it can reduce it." (The Ultimate Homeschool Planner: Welcome Page)

 

 

 

Before you begin planning take some time to read the User's Guide on pages 6-17. These pages are full of helpful information and tips. As you read through this guide, take some time to follow the tips that are so nicely laid out. As you put these tips into action you will find that you aren't feeling as overwhelmed about homeschool planning as you used to. I wish I would have had this planner for my first year of homeschooling, I think things would have gone more smoothly for us!!

 

One of my favorite sections in the planner is the Student Goal Setter. I know how important it is for my students to "buy in" to what we are doing and this goal setter helps with that. It is fun to sit down and set reachable goals with your student for the school year, and then work together in order to meet it over the next 180 days.

 

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner allows you to plan out your months and then break it down further into weeks. The monthly planning pages don't allow for tons of details, but then when you get to the weekly planning pages this is when you can take some time and fill in the details. There is plenty of room to write.....which I am very glad about. I hate trying to fit lots of information into tiny little boxes!!  RIGHT!?

 

The beginning of each week has some extra pages that you won't find in just any old planner. The Ultimate Homeschool Planner allows you to have a Bible Plan, Battle Plan, Prayer section, Hospitality/Outreach goals, Memorable Moments for the week, and Evidences of God's grace. This puts your whole homeschool in the proper mindset, with God first and foremost!!

 

At the back of the planner is a section to record grades, plot reading lists, plan out high school years, record field trips and activities, and then you will want to make sure you read through all the teaching tips from pages 266-271. These helpful tips and tricks will surely make your life easier!!

How I Used This Product:

I spent some time planning some stuff! I had another planner I was already using for school, but it was nothing in comparison to The Ultimate Homeschool Planner. When I sat down to utilize this fabulous planner I was pleasantly surprised by the layout. The way that this product is put together helps you organize things in your planner .......and your mind better! You will see a difference in the way you tackle a school week, because you have taken the time to utilize this amazing planner by Apologia Educational Ministries! Planning out the school year with this product is an absolute pleasure! 

My Bottom Line:

I believe that this planner is a help for your homeschool. I have enjoyed utilizing it in mine! I love that there are verses and quotes that are sprinkled throughout this well thought out planner that provide encouragement and direction. If you haven't already done so, get one of these for yourself, and find out just how helpful this planner can be in your homeschool!


Social Media:
If you are like most people these days, you like to stay connected via social media too. Here are some links to check out.

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld/timeline

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/apologiaworld

Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/

Google+:
https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125

  

Care For Some Lukewarm Coffee?

 

 

This post may contain affiliate links.

Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool! See my full Disclosure statement for more information.      I don't know about you, but I like my "hot' things....hot, and my "cold" things....cold!  According to the Word of God, He does too! That particular subject was the topic of conversation in my Christian Education class Sunday morning.  The following verses make God's stance on the situation clear. Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Think about it.....how does something get to be lukewarm? Today while I was at work I poured a cup of coffee and instead of sitting it on my little cup warmer, I sat it on my desk. I was busy working on something on my computer and apparently it took longer than I thought because when I picked it up to take a drink it was......well......YUCK! I hate lukewarm coffee! I had to spit it out of my mouth! Has that ever happened to you? Of course it has!! It has happened to all of us with one thing or another.  You see.....my coffee spent too much time away from it's source of heat........

With that thought in mind we need to take some time to examine ourselves. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5  "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." It isn't always easy to take some time and examine our relationship with God. Sometimes when we take some time to do that......we may find out some things about ourselves that we tried hard to bury. "Lukewarmness is not the inevitable result of being imperfect. We are all imperfect. Lukewarmness is the inevitable result of lack of love for God. The solution is not to push yourself into behaving perfectly; the solution is to cultivate your love for God." (Crazy Love, Frances Chan)  It is important for us to make sure that we remain connected to our Source, the One True God! If we do that, we will be connected to our heat source!

As you examine yourself, take some time to look up the following verses:
Isaiah 29:13
I Chronicles 21:24
Luke 21:1-4
Revelation 3:1
Matthew 23:5-7
Romans 6:1-2
James 1:22
James 4:17
Matthew 10:32-33
Luke 18:11-12
Matthew 22:37-38
Matthew 5:43-47
Colossians 3:2

You can bet that the next cup of coffee that I pour is going right on my cup warmer! I won't make that mistake again! There is nothing like taking a big swallow of lukewarm coffee, once that happens you try to make sure it doesn't happen again......right?! How much more important is it that we keep our relationship with God HOT?!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

This post may contain affiliate links.

Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool!

See my full Disclosure statement for more information.  

 

Mark 12:30 says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Jesus said that this is the most important commandment in the Bible.......and yet.....do we?  More importantly.....do I?  That is the question that I find myself asking as I read this verse over and over again....Do I love you Lord with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength?  I find this question reverberating in my spirit as I go about my day....I find this question lingering on my mind as I drift off to sleep....or as I sit quietly in the presence of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. Do I actually love God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength???

 

Do you?

 

What would it look like if we did?

 

How would our world be different if every word we spoke and every thing we did declared our love for God?

 

We have an amazing opportunity to love God so much that it overflows into every aspect of our lives....impacting everyone around us!!!! It is so important to keep our focus on eternity as we make decisions, remembering that we are to love God with all our being first and foremost. That is when God can do his best work!

 

So, I find myself determined to keep God first and love him with ALL that is within me!!

My challenge to you is that you would do the same. Imagine the difference that we can make for the kingdom of God if we take this verse to heart and really focus on making it a part of our everyday life!

Love has got everything to do with it!!

 

 

Koru Naturals: Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser & Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Mauka Oil Toner Review - TOS Crew

This post may contain affiliate links.

Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool!

See my full Disclosure statement for more information.  

 

To say that I am "old school" when it comes to my skincare treatment is an understatement. I wash my face with soap and water when I am in the shower.......and I may or may not take my makeup off before bed. (I know....I know!!) So when I had the opportunity to review the Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser and  Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner by Koru Naturals I was excited to start a brand new regimen and see how well these products worked!

 

Day 1

So....I thought I would start off my new facial treatments with a before picture. Then I began using these products every morning before going to work, and then again every evening before going to bed. My goal was to have clean, smooth, healthy skin by the time that my review period was over. I made sure to put them right by the sink I use to get ready in the morning for easy access, and even though I never had a routine before....I found my new discipline fun.

 

What I found the first time I used the Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil Facial Cleanser was a pleasant surprise. The cleanser not only made my face feel wonderful, but it smelled divine!! So much so that people would often tell me that I smelled great! They would ask me what perfume I was wearing, and I would just smile and say, "none." ha ha!

 

2 Weeks

What I noticed is that my skin seemed to look more healthy and even though these pictures are hard for me to look at since I have no make up on.......I can tell that my skin is looking better.

 

Like I said in the opening paragraph I also used the Manuka Honey, Tamarind and Manuka Oil Facial Toner after each time of using the cleanser. I hadn't really used a toner before and I found it to be so refreshing. Again, Koru Naturals hit the nail on the head with this amazing product. I applied it with a cotton ball because it is definitely a thinner liquid than the cleanser. After applying the facial toner and allowing it to dry, I would follow it all up with a moisturizer. When I would head out to work or off to bed, I felt completely refreshed.

 

Koru Naturals goes above and beyond to make wonderful all- natural products, all while making it affordable for everyday use. I find that very important. All too often we get drawn into a product line that is absolutely wonderful, but the cost of the product and the room in our budget, makes it hard to utilize every day.

 

4 Weeks

I don't know if you can tell from these pictures, but my skin continues to get more healthy looking each week!!  I was also able to use the Skin Clear Crème during this same review time. I worked it into my daily regimen with the cleanser and the toner. It was so nice to moisturize with this wonderful product twice daily. It made my skin feel and look wonderful! There is a cute little palette knife included in the container, and that makes it easier to spread it on your face. Make sure to cover your face, while leaving the skin right around your eyes clear...you do not want to get it into your eyes!  As soon as you rinse off the Skin Clear Crème, you will notice a difference in your skin!

I understand that the face is an important and sometimes sensitive area, and the skin on our faces need special care at times. But that is not all that Koru Naturals has to offer. I was also able to use Manuka Honey Propolis Soap for the rest of my body in the shower. This soap is WONDERFUL! It smells wonderful and made me feel clean and fresh!



Final

I am a firm believer in these products. I hope that these pictures helped you follow along on this skincare journey with me! I know that by using these products my skin has become clear and healthy and I owe it all to Koru Naturals!

My Bottom Line:

I would have to say that my bottom line is that I love these products. I know that I benefited from this product, and my hope is that you would want to give these products a try for yourself. Click here and browse through the many health and beauty products available from Koru Naturals.

Social Media:

If you are like most people these days, you like to stay connected via social media. Here are some links to check out.


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals

Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/