A TOS Review: Another Koru Naturals Review!

It’s not often I get a box of goodies in mail to review that are ALL for me!

It has happened TWICE this year! And both times the box of goodies came from the same place. Earlier in the year I was blessed to be able to review a couple of products from Koru Naturals. This time around my little box had 3 delightful treasures inside. I received Skin Clear Cream, Manuka Honey Propolis Soap and Emu Oil and Blue Tansy Oil Cream.

Koru Naturals is really a neat company. Their products are completely natural and promote a healing and healthy living. 

Earlier this year one of the products I got to review was their Emu Oil. I can tell you I have been dipping into the bottle like the widow woman with the oil found in 2 Kings 2:4. There always seems to be enough…And I can guarantee that I have been using it for everything. “Here. I see you have a patch of dry skin. Let me rub some Emu Oil on it.”

So you can see I am a fan. Just be prepared for this particular review to be filled with enthusiastic praise.

When my new box arrived it was like Christmas.  I immediately opened everything up and applied the “sniff” test. My “sniff” test is very important. Upon “sniffage” warm, fuzzy and pleasant feelings must suddenly overtake me.

You will be pleased to know that each product passed my “sniff” test in their own way.

I want to talk about each one.

The Skin Clear Cream contains Manuka Honey and Manuka Oil. The company has created this new and improved product by adding the following ingredients: Kawakawa, Harakeke, Burdock Root, Thyme and Canadian Aspen Bark.  Don’t reach for your natural remedies book. I looked all of these products up….just to be sure. Kawakawa is a tree.  It is used as a traditional medicinal plant and is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.

Harakeke is a plant unique to New Zealand. It really has been a workhorse. For medicinal purposes it was applied to boils and wounds and used for toothaches (among other things).

You can read more about the properties all the ingredients on the web site, but the Skin Clear Cream is intended for acne-prone skin. We are assured that folks with normal skin can use this product as well.

I don’t have acne prone skin, but I do have rosacea. My struggle is that I have difficulty finding a quality moisturizer that doesn’t aggravate my skin.  My experience with the Skin Clear Cream is that it did just that. It didn’t improve my rosacea, but it did keep my skin nice and smooth. It didn’t irritate my rosacea in the least.

I do have a teenage son that has been experiencing some breakouts. My next move is to swab some Skin Clear Cream on his face every day.

You do need to know that this product is very loose and almost soupy. It didn’t bother me, but I almost lost some of it when I first opened it. It does come with a handy applicator (shown above).

My next little treasure is Manuka Honey Propolis Soap.

This soap has been taken straight from my bathtub. You can see it's been well loved. 

Oh. My. Goodness.

It smells blissful.  And then there are the wonderful properties of both the Manuka Honey and Propolis (You have my permission to grab your natural remedies book).

I have just a few skin issues. I am really sensitive to some products. As frugal as I am, I am not one to grab whatever soap or body wash is on sale to take home. I have had some awful experiences.

This soap is heaven in a bar. It has a gentle smell (did I mention blissful?). It lathers nicely and I feel like I am really clean after I use it. Most importantly, it doesn’t stick to the ledge on my bathtub.

Anybody else hate that? I won’t mention any other products, but I have had a few that I had to pry off my bathtub ledge with a butter knife.

Obviously, this soap is superior. And it leaves my skin soft.

I’ve saved my favorite product for last.

The Emu Oil and Blue Tansy Oil Cream was created JUST FOR ME.

At least that is what I’m telling myself.

Faithful readers of my blog will know that I have had multiple orthopedic issues that resulted from a car wreck years ago. I am not going to go into a lot of deal here, but injuries I suffered were lifelong.

I hurt all the time.

I am not complaining. It’s just the way it is. Most of the time I manage the pain quite well.  I made a decision a long time ago not to rely on narcotics. I won’t get into all that, but I do recognize that are many who have to do just that.  I am also blessed that I have been able to stay active.

However, despite my own efforts, various therapies and an occasional visit to the chiropractor there are just those days the ache is nasty and won’t be challenged.

And along comes Emu Oil and Blue Tansy Oil Cream.

Now for my friends that deal with chronic orthopedic pain. You have to know that this cream is intended for minor pain. It is a natural topical cream. I don’t want to lead you on with promises of unicorns and rainbows. It won’t cure your issue.

However, I have found it to be an essential tool in my pain management plan.

Here is an example. Just a few days ago, I must have slept on my neck wrong. I have also been dealing with a pernicious cold. It was miserable. I couldn’t even turn my head without having to turn my body.

I got up from my sickbed and went and took a bath (with my Manuka Honey soap). After the bath, I rubbed the cream into my neck and shoulders and laid down. What would normally take days to resolve was gone within a few hours. I was able to rest without that throbbing pain. I have to tell you that it didn’t hurt that the smell is so soothing.

I felt like I had just experienced my own private little spa.

I try not to comment about the price of any product I review, but I can’t help but point out that all of these products are reasonable. You won’t have to hire out a kid to purchase a little at a time.

Though if you want to hire mine for an afternoon of industry and healthy activity (like mowing the lawn) he’s available.

I do need to note that the Skin Clear Cream and the Emu Oil and Blue Tansy Oil Cream contain essential oils that are not recommended to use if you are pregnant.  Be sure to do your research before purchasing.

  

You can connect with Koru Naturals via the following social media networks. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews. 

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

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A Reformation Day Giveaway! Win a Kindle, $100 from Amazon and so much more!

I've been reading the neatest book about Martin Luther. I am going to be sharing my review soon (and very soon), but in the meantime let's get on to some good stuff.


October 31 commemorates what has become known as "Reformation Day." Martin Luther’s nailing of his ninety-five theses to a church door on October 31, 1517 in Wittenburg, Germany, provoked a debate that resulted in what we now call the Protestant Reformation. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Martin Luther is a vital figure in Church history. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as explained by Scripture alone. Author Danika Cooley has written Luther's story for young people in her new book, When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther.


 



 To celebrate Reformation Day and the release of When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther, I've joined together with a team of blogger friends to host this wonderful giveaway, valued at over $500!

 One person will win ALL of the following:

 $100 Amazon Gift Card ,Fire 7-inch Tablet WiFi 8GB ($49.99) , When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther (hardcover $16.99) From WiseDecor.com, a $50 Gift Certificate From Nuremberg Tourist Board, a Playmobil Martin Luther figure ($9.99) From Thinking Kids Press, a curriculum bundle from When Lightning Struck! author, Danika Cooley:

• Cobblestone Path Church History Research Journal: The Reformation Age (digital $20)
• Bible Road Trip Year Three Curriculum and all 3 Notebooking Journals (digital $80)

From Fortress Press, a book bundle by author, Tim Dowley:

1. Christian Music: A Global History  ($35)
2. Introduction to the History of Christianity: Second Edition ($55) 
3. The Student Bible Atlas: Revised Edition  ($12.99) 
4. Atlas of the European Reformations ($24)

From Home School Adventure Co.:

1. Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics (digital $39.95)
2. Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal (digital $18.95)

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter below.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions:

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Void where prohibited by law. Must be at least 18 years of age. This giveaway is in no away associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. No purchase necessary for entry. Odds are determined by the number of entries. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn. Entry into this giveaway will subscribe you to the Thinking Kids Press email list. 

A TOS Review: Drawing Around the World: USA

I have always loved Geography. My favorite Geography class happened my sophomore year of High School. My teacher was a MK (missionary kid). Other than thinking of her as a kindred spirit (I, too, was an MK) she was just plain stinkin' fascinating to listen to. She made the world seem like it was right outside our small classroom door. 

I have tried to bring my fascination with “parts unknown” into our homeschool. I imagine that I am not as interesting as my 10th grade geography teacher. Especially when my pupil starts doodling "Peyton Manning is Awesome" across a benign map of Kansas. I feel the tide of boring Geography classes changing. I just got to review the neatest Geography curriculum evah! Brookdale House provided a digital copy of their Drawing Around the World :USA geography curriculum for us to try out.

The course is intended for grades 4-12. It isn’t a typical geography course. The students draw, write, research state information and learn to craft accurate maps of every state in the whole United States.

One of the big draws of the curriculum for me was its repetitiveness. It is also very "gentle"...I am a big fan of a Charlotte Mason Education. Drawing Around the World: USA fits nicely into the Charlotte Mason World.  It instructs in nice sized bites. 

Here is how the lessons are laid out.

Day 1: Learn about the state or states. The student will need to find and record basic information about that state; such as capital, population, state bird, etc. Next is to draw the state and mark the capital as well the other states that have been studied so far.

Day 2: The student draws the state, the capital and all the other states studied so far on a blank map.

Day 3: Repeat of Day 2.

Day 4: Draw all the states and capitals learned so far on the map. The student is supposed to do this without looking at a complete map.

The very first thing I did was get the curriculum printed off. This is a hefty 282 page course. There are plenty of pages for instruction and inspiration.  While there are links provided to geography websites, I used the book list ideas from the library. We generally study one state a week and this curriculum fit in seamlessly.

Now Josiah has dysgraphia and the whole drawing aspect proved be challenging for him. However, this is not a traditional drawing course and I felt that the repetitive nature and constant reinforcement would be beneficial.

Now who remembers that the capitol of Vermont is Montpelier? Josiah also learned that 3/4's of Vermont is covered with trees. More than that he can now locate Vermont on a blank map and knows its located in New England. 

 Of course, my goals for Josiah's educational experience is not to know dry facts and figures. However, I want the boy to be able to close his eyes and picture the entirety of the United States in his mind and tell me what states border Utah. 

 And if ever caught in one of the "Cash Cab" situations (is that show even around anymore?) I want him to know the capital of Vermont. 

I love the fact that Drawing Around the World: USA allows him benefit of steady progress. He can put his pencil to paper every day in easy repetition. 

And my friends. The best part is that I can spend my time filling in with strange and unusual facts, unique state recipes and virtual road trips. All the while, Brookdale House is doing the heavy lifting. They have provided an educational tool for me that not only provides therapy for my dysgraphic son (bet they didn't count on that added benefit), but easily helps him learn and remember. 

You can see I've made pretty good friends with the whole course. The one thing I do have to tell you is that there are a lot of maps that might seem superfluous. I went ahead and printed the whole kit and caboodle and I am glad I did. 

Your situation might be different. I am trying to provide Josiah with more independent work. I have found that on a few days throughout the week I can include some map work in his "homework" packet. I like having a page(s) for every day so I can do that ahead of time. 

There are also opportunity for timed drills. We didn't use these. I felt like the work was plenty and he seemed to absorb it a lot more (by labeling and writing everyday) than he would normally. 

I can't wait to try out Drawing Around the World: Europe next! 

You can connect with Brookdale House via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner to read more reviews. Brookdale House has lots of great products! 

Twitter 

https://twitter.com/BrookdaleHouse

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/brookdalehousehomeschool

Pinterest:

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Google+

https://plus.google.com/107691583736742187981/videos

A FREE Zendoodle download for you!

Yes siree Bob! (whoever Bob might be)....

It's gowgeous here in the Ozarks! We need some rain...though I can't believe after the soggy summer we've had that is even a problem.

Today I have some extra special just for you my friends.

It's because I love you.

Annnndd...because our little SassyFrass shop (at Molly Green) needs some love.

I don't have all of my P's and Q's taken care of (still trying to figure the whole thing out), but at least you can see some of the lovely and exquisite and whimsical zendoodle art my Momma has created. I have done a few myself, but Mom has really outdone herself.

You know how I feel about owls. This one is probably one of my favorites.

And it is FREE for you.  Just click on the picture. It will take you to the shop where you will be able to download the PDF file. Be sure to check out what else we've created. AND stay in touch with the shop....there are bunches and bunches of Christmas Zendoodles I need upload.

P.S. I'm linking this to the TOS Crew Blog. If you need some extra special goodies for your lapbooking and notebooking needs you will find some there! The post will go live next Wednesday October 28.

Creating Frugal & Fancy Feasts: 17 Weeks of Learning to Live A Beautiful Life

Heya! It's Week 6 of my 17 Weeks of Learning to Live a Beautiful Life.

Before I give you the assignment for this week (should you chose to except it) is a picture of my newest addition.

Last week I showed you a pitiful picture of me soaking my feet in an old salad bowl.

My momma also saw it and sent me home with one of their many foot baths.

Yay!

I have arrived.

This week I want to talk about how to make your every day meals just a bit fancier. I challenge you not to keep your special china moldering in the cabinet.

Get out those fancy dessert glasses or china plates! Don't wait for special occasions to live on the swanky side.

This week I would like for you to choose one meal...be it a full meal or snack, dessert, whatever...to fancify.

I am going to give you a few of my favorite frugal fancy food hacks. Fer Sure.

Here my friends we have the versatile crepe. If you can flip a pancake you make a crepe. Don't let the fancy word scare you away.

Crepes take minimal ingredients and can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. They make for wonderful "impress the guests for breakfasts" kind of dishes.

My crepes here are simply filled with chopped fried apples and drizzled with a homemade caramel sauce (The Pioneer Woman has a really easy recipe). I also sprinkled them with fragrant cinnamon. They are plated on a vintage china plate that I got at the Thrift Store for a whole .25.

My favorite crepe recipe is from Allrecipes. Be sure to read the comments for some extra inspiration.

For lunch nothing says comfort more than a simple bowl of soup. You can dress up a bowl of soup considerably with just a little garnish. On this day I made my favorite recipe of tomato soup. I made extra large croutons out of some stale bread and garnished the whole thing with a little bit of parsley and just a tad bit of mozzarella cheese.

Of course I used one my favorite bowls evah! I should tell you that it is one of my more recent acquisitions. While at my mom's house this past weekend I happened to ooh and ahh in just the right tone over this bowl and its mate. They are now mine. Apparently, Mom is partial to the oohs and ahhs of her eldest. I shall try the same on a few other choices pieces of china.

I have mentioned before that I generally make supper easy on myself the majority of the week. However, I do chose one night a week that I pour all of my love and heavy whipping cream into a special supper for my guys.

Our special supper happened on an ordinary Tuesday evening this week. There was not a swim team practice nor spin class to draw us from home.

I made one of my favorite dishes ever. My Mom's famous French Chicken. This was the dish I asked for on my birthdays when I was a young 'n. I paired it with some simple mashed potatoes and Julia Child's Haricots Verts a la Maitre d'Hotel...which are basically green beans sauteed with a little lemon juice and butta. I picked up one of her French Cooking cookbooks this summer at The Thrift Store. Ooh la la.

This is a deceptively cheap meal. The green beans came straight from my Daddy's garden. The potatoes were 10 pounds for 1.49 this week at Aldi's and the chicken thighs were marked down for under .99 a pound. I only used half of the package I purchase. I love it when I can make a meal for soo cheap!

It is a really pretty meal and absolutely comforting. I did garnish the potatoes with a tassel of parsley. I should of chopped and sprinkled. As it is the potatoes look like a knitted hat with a pom pom on top.

We don't have dessert every evening. I will bake a nice loaf of fruit bread or a bundt cake once a week. Or I make up a batch of One Quart Pudding. This is an easy peasy microwave dessert.

Once again the caramel sauce makes an appearance. The star of the show is my adorable bubble glass dessert cup. I found 2 of these at a Thrift Store recently. I paid a buck for the pair.

These dessert glasses would make eating Jello a classy experience. The only thing missing from this picture is a dollop of real whipped cream.

Sometimes simple is just best. In this case simple comes in the form of a cup of Hot Chocolate. Of course, I have a truly decadent recipe that I use on occasion. And then there are the few boxes of Hot Chocolate mix I have in my cabinet. They are cheap and easy to use in case of a chocolate craving.  

This simple cup of hot chocolate is made special by the huge amount of mini marshmallows I piled on the top. I then drizzled a bit of the ever versatile caramel sauce over the marshmallows and added a sprinkling of cinnamon. This mug is extra large and presents any chocolate lover with a drizzly, yummy treat. I looked for a bag of mini M&M's I had in the back of my freezer (for those special baking needs). It looks like someone got to them before I did. You can use any kind of chopped candy to send the whole thing really over the top.

Every girl needs a few things for an impromptu tea party.

This tea bag holder and spoon make for a charming little addition. Both were given to me by my momma. I am sure she got them at a flea market years ago. I have an assortment of a both holders and spoons.

My bundt cake is Gluten and Sugar Free, but you can use even the easiest recipe to charm your tea party participants.

My tea party supplies have come from a variety of places, but all I have purchased myself have come from either a flea market or Thrift Store. I buy a cup here and there. Nothing matches and that's the way I like it. (Uh-Huh!)

Have I inspired you to fancify your feast? 

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Every recipe I use has a healthy alternative. For example, The Pioneer Woman Caramel Sauce is to die for. But I could do just that if I eat too much of it. I like to keep my blood sugar fairly controlled (I have that pesky diabetes type 2). For myself I use this recipe.  My hot chocolate is always sugar free and dolloped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Just don't be afraid to make it fancy.

2. Worried about using the fancy china? Frankly, my friend. Watcha waiting for? You can dial down the worry meter by taking a few precautions. Eat at the table. Don't use vintage china that has any gold or silver around the edge in the microwave. Chances are its the real stuff. My sets have been lovingly pieced together by my parents from a variety of flea markets through the years. My china pieces are really collectors items, but I have several that I just picked up at The Thrift Store.

3. Use cloth napkins. Oh yes. We used cloth napkins at my niece's graduation tea. You can check out that post for more fancy food ideas.

4. More than anything...make memories, have fun and make it special!

Make sure to check out my other Learning to Live a Beautiful Life posts thus far.

A TOS Review: Do You Believe?

Sometime this past year we had the privilege to review the movie Unbroken for FishFlix.com.  When I saw FishFlix.com come up on the vendor's list once again I was thrilled. This time around we had the chance to review a movie called Do You Believe? from FishFlix.com. It was one of those movies that challenged us. We were so inspired that we even shared it with our Bible Study group at church.

Do You Believe? Comes to us from the creators of God’s Not Dead (another fav). The movie came out in theaters this past March and now FishFlix.com features this movie (along with many, many more great movies) on their website.

The story follows twelve people whose paths cross in a powerful way.  A pastor encounters a street preacher who challenges him with this message…”Do you believe in the cross of Christ?"

This is much more than a simple questions. It dares the listener to ask himself, “What does this cross require of me?”  The pastor takes this question to heart and in turn challenges his congregation. 

There is a character in this ensemble cast that each one of us can relate to. The homeless mother who is just trying to do the best she can. The grief stricken older couple who are finding it hard to get past the death of their daughter. The pastor’s wife who is dealing with the pain of infertility. The EMT who is moved to share his faith despite the devastating consequences. The young gang member who has an encounter with His savior he can’t deny.

The question of the Cross comes to each and every one of these characters in a real way. Some will receive it…some will not.

One of my favorite characters was played by Brian Bosworth (The Boz). He is a man with a complicated past who has found restoration. The choices he makes during the film bring about some of my favorite scenes. I had to ask myself. Would I do the same? And…Do I Believe?

The cast is made up of some pretty stellar actors. Cybill Shepard, Mia Sorveno, Lee Majors, Sean Astin are just a few. This might be a little bit of a spoiler, but Sean Astin plays a fairly unsympathetic character. Josiah was dismayed by this. “No, Sam! No!”

We all loved this film. It did what I am sure the writers intended it to. It challenged us to make a difference. It made us think about the cross of Christ and what it requires of us. There were a few scenes that hit too close to home.

This is quote from the movie.

“Thousands pass under the cross.  But how many people know what it means?”

Wow. I Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Then there is this admonishment found in Mark 8:34.


When he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

I realize that there are many who will watch this film and not get it. They will accuse it of being too heavy-handed in its Christian message. For those of you who desire to follow that Cross…it might just change your life.

You can connect with FishFlix.com via the following social media sites. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews. Other members of the TOS crew reviewed a few different titles.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fishflix
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christiandvd
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/familychristianmovie

Impressions

Yesterday, we woke up to a crisp fall morning here in the Ozarks. Josiah and I threw on some tennis shoes and headed out our door for a quick walk to the bank.

I'm not sure how far away our bank is. It is far enough away to make one feel as if the walk counts for something, but not too far away that it makes one feel that she has to take off the rest of the day to recuperate.

Anyhoo.

As I was walking along one of the city sidewalks (which haven't been dressed in holiday style BTW) I noticed an imprint of a leaf embedded into the sidewalk itself. It's delicate lines forever etched out in concrete...or until the city decides its time for a new sidewalk.

Did your momma ever tell you (in the middle of some pouting jag) that if you didn't stop your face was going to freeze that way?

I don't think my momma did. If she ever gave us any warning involving body parts she had a whole host of scientific evidence to back it up.

My parenting style is just a little bit different. I use enormously helpful words like "thingy" and "stuff".

The idea, however, that an attitude or thought process that we find ourselves constantly returning too can forever leave a lasting stain upon our lives.

So can the impressions we leave with others. I will put it to you this way.

If you are going to be the only impression of Christ others might see are you making a lasting impression? What kind of imprint are you leaving for others to see?

I hope I am leaving an impression that models Christ. I hope that I am displaying all of those good and worthwhile things like faithfulness, patience, gentleness and kindness...and especially love.

Is the impression I am leaving declaring the goodness of God? Or am I just another voice in the "poor me" section of the choir?

What kind of impression are you leaving?

It's something to think about.

A TOS Review: Tuck Everlasting E-Guide (Study Guide)

You can’t beat a good book. Introducing Josiah to great literature is one of my favorite things about homeschooling. I like that we can dive into an entire work or group of works (not just bits and pieces found in an abridged anthology). Most of the time we just read for fun or to shine a light on a particular era in history. However, I do choose a book or two during the course of a semester for an in-depth literature study.

Finding a good guide to take us through our chosen book is important to me. Last year, I was introduced to a company called Progeny Press. We got to review an excellent product. I was excited to see Progeny Press back on our vendor’s list for this year. This time around I received the Tuck Everlasting E-Guide.

Progeny Press is a company that provides quality literature guides through the lens of a Christian worldview.  The Tuck Everlasting Study Guide is just under 60 pages and completely interactive. If you have more than one student you can copy as many as you wish. This study is intended for grades 6-8.  

My first opinion has been that study guides from Progeny Press are always well organized and thought out. We were encouraged to have a few things on hand. These items included a dictionary, thesaurus, Bible and possibly a topical Bible and concordance. 

It is suggested that most middle and high school guides will take 8-10 weeks to complete. Students in High School can count each completed study guide as ¼ of a high school credit.

Progeny Press creates Literature Guides for grades K-12.

Have You Read Tuck Everlasting?

It is a fascinating book written by Natalie Babbitt. 10-year-old Winnie Foster meets a family called the Tucks. They have a secret and Winnie discovers it. A spring, which flows through the woods on Winnie’s family’s land, makes one immortal. The Tucks drank from the spring 100 years before and long to keep themselves and the spring a secret.

The book does not come with the guide itself.

How It Works and How We Used It

The Study Guide suggests that the student read the book over one week and then complete the Study Guide in the weeks that follow.

There are a number of optional prereading activities available in begin the study.

Generally, I am a paper to pencil kind of girl. I like having our notebooks organized and ready to work in. For this study, however, we took advantage of the interactive aspect. Josiah would much rather type than handwrite his answers.

You might need to know that Josiah is dyslexic and dsygraphic. Tuck Everlasting is not a long book, but I read it to Josiah over the course of a week. He has done a pretty good job with navigating the study guide and I have made myself available for any help he might need.  Sometimes I have needed to work him through a few more challenging activities. That's okay...I signed up to be his teacher. 

Here are screen shots of a few of the activities included throughout the course of the study.

Below are multiple choice questions about vocabulary. I LOVE that the author uses sentences found in the book itself. Josiah is learning the valuable skill of inference. 

There are several short answer questions.

This fill-in-the-blank activity is leading to a question on how a descriptive passage can give life and movement to an ordinary and mundane thing...like a road.

There are plenty of questions that ask the student to "dig deeper." Some involve looking up Scripture. This one gave me a little insight on how Josiah feels on the limits we've placed about him. Poor guy. A day with fewer video games played is apparently too restrictive.

 The guide is divided into groups of chapters. For example, the Prologue through Chapter 5 are all one section and so on. 

At the end of the guide are many overview activities. Writing, drama, music, art and more can be found here. I think we are going to work on an art project. The suggested project involves using original artwork, photos and pictures to create a montage from a passage in the book. 

There are so many things to like about this Study Guide. 

I like that includes so many thought provoking ideas and questions. The student is not encouraged to merely regurgitate facts. 

The Scriptural aspect of the study is a win! I want Josiah to be able to apply Scripture to many things throughout his life. This helps him do just that. 

For us the interactive guide has been such a blessing. It has lessened Josiah's burdened. Instead of struggling to write a legible sentence he can think about the subject at hand. 

Personally, I feel like reading the book before working on the Study Guide made things just a bit more difficult for Josiah...but that is an easy fix. We have been reviewing as we go along. 

Just a side note. If your child struggles with dyslexia or dysgraphia this is a perfectly doable product. While I read the book to Josiah you can easily check it out at your local library. The interactive option makes the guide so much easier to manage. 

You can download a sample section of the Study Guide here. Progeny Press has guides available for many beloved books. 

You can connect with Progeny Press via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews. 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ProgenyPress
Youtube: http://youtube.com/progenypress
Twitter: http://twitter.com/progenypress