Linda @ Linda’s Lunacy

Our Homeschool Week in Review

April 20, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

Major announcement time!! Hannah finished Algebra this week! *cue applause* As you can tell, she is very happy to be done!

She’s already working on her next math book, consumer math. Then she’ll head on into geometry.

Hannah made cupcakes this week for Israel’s Independence Day. Of course, the rest of the kids don’t care what day it is. Any day is a good day for cupcakes! lol

On Wednesday, I got a new book in the mail. Zach opened the box, but wasn’t too sure about the book. Until I showed him a picture inside of a sword fight. Well, now he was interested. lol He sat down and read the whole book in less than two hours.

He was a late reader, not reading on his own until he was 10. He sure has made up for it! He reads chapter books like they are going out of style. He really liked this book. Now he’s asking for more Robin Hood books. He wants the originals, he said. I hope I can find those on Paperback Swap. lol

That’s our homeschool week in review!

To see more homeschooling posts, visit Weekly Wrap Up.

Knowledge Quest Sacagawea eBook Review

April 18, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

As part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew I received the Sacagawea (Brave Explorers Every Child Should Know) Complete PDF e-book by Karla Akins to review.. This is the second book in a series called Brave Explorers Every Child Should Know available from Knowledge Quest. Sacagawea is 112 pages long and geared toward children ages 8-14. I read this ebook on my computer as a pdf, but it is available in a Kindle version. Sacagawea contains interactive links through out. The links define words, tell about a time period, person, or group of people. If they talked about an illness, there would be a link to follow that told him what it was. I read some of this book out loud to my 12 year old, 6th grade son. I found that we didn’t take full advantage of the links when I was reading out loud. So I turned the book over to my son. He read and clicked his way through the rest of the book. Here is a sample of the Sacagawea ebook on the Knowledge Quest website. This would make a great family read aloud. Then the kids could go back, read it again for themselves, and explore all the interactive links.

“It’s a good book. The only thing I didn’t like about the book is Charbonneau. He is laaaaaazzzzzyyyyyy and hoorrrrriiibbbllleee. Sacagawea wouldn’t eat a horse or a dog. ” – Zach This was the first time he read an ebook with interactive links. When I got on the computer after his reading sessions, I had to close multiple windows that he opened while reading this book. So judging by the number of windows open each time, he really enjoyed the interactive links portion of the book. In fact, I told him he didn’t have to click on every single link available. He said he wanted to, because he liked finding out the information. We both really liked this Sacagawea ebook. Sacagawea is available on the Knowledge Quest website $4.97.

Tales of the Defended Ones – Book Review

April 18, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I recently received the book Tales of the Defended Ones to review. Tales of the Defended Ones tells the story of five children who need defending. Ben, Joseph, Antonio, Caitlyn, and Jorani. All from different countries, with many things in common.

Ben and Joseph lose their mothers, but find a family looking just for them. Antonio is rescued from what seems like a hopeless situation. Caitlyn dares to trust that truth will set her free. Jorani is delivered from slavery into the arms of grace.

As you follow these real life stories, you will see the hand of our Defender God shielding and defending these kids. While we may have never encountered the type of things these kids need to be rescued from, we all can relate to God coming in to save us. These are tales of the weak and wounded. Tales of how our amazing God has made them strong and whole again. Just like he does in our lives.

While Tales of the Defended Ones is written for youth, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The writing is not so simple that adults will be put off by it. The children’s stories were told in a way that won’t scare children reading this book. I was impressed with how the author handled a difficult story of slavery. Showing the girl scared and hurt, without sharing the details of her slavery.

I highly recommend Tales of the Defended Ones by Beth Guckenberger as well as the first book in the series, that I reviewed last year, Tales of the Not Forgotten .

You can learn more about Beth at http://www.bethguckenberger.com and here’s a link to purchase Tales of the Defended Ones (Storyweaver) (affiliate link)
Beth Guckenberger is celebrating the release of her new book in the Storyweaver series, Tales of the Defended Ones, with an iPad giveaway and Facebook party {4/25}.

One fortunate winner will receive:

An iPad Mini
A Tales of the Defended Ones small group kit (books and DVD)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 24th. Winner will be announced at the “Storyweaver” Author Chat Party on April 25th. Beth will be chatting with guests, answering questions, and offering tips about beginning a dialog with children and youth about the orphans around the world, the basic needs of children living in poverty, and what we can all do to help. (It’s okay if you haven’t read the book – who knows, you might WIN a copy!) Beth will also be hosting a fun trivia contest and giving away tons of great stuff! (Gift certificates, books, and more!)

So grab your copy of Tales of the Defended Ones and join Beth and friends on the evening of the April 25th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 25th!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and purchase the book, I will receive a small commission.

Break Away DVD Review & Giveaway

April 17, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I recently received a Break Away DVD to review. This inspirational film comes from the makers of Faith Like Potatoes and Journey to Grace.

Break Away tells the story of Francois, a hard working husband and father, who gets laid off from his job. Although he tries hard, he can not find another job. Francois is forced to use what he has, including an old bicycle, to provide for his family. His brother, a bicycle shop owner, professional cyclist, and “black sheep” of the family, helps him. Francois makes some life changing discoveries about his life, career and his faith in God.

http://youtu.be/CDUWbhSu5z4

Although a fictional story, Break Away was inspired by true events around the recession that left people without work. The message brings hope and offers practical and Biblical solutions in a very entertaining way. Break Away is Dove Family Approved and suitable for all ages.

I watched Break Away with my whole family including my 12 year old and three teenagers. This is a great family movie. While younger kids won’t grasp what it truly means to not be able to find a job and provide for your family, they will still enjoy watching this movie. Kids, and adults, will like the bike race scenes.

The Break Away DVD is being released on April 23rd. You can also pre-order it from Amazon. Break Away DVD (Affiliate Link)

To learn more about Break Away:

Break Away YouTube
Word Films YouTube
Word Films Facebook
Word Films Twitter
Word Films Website
Dove Review

Thanks to Word Films I get to give Break Away DVD to one of you! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click on the link and purchase the DVD I will received a small commission.

In the Kitchen with Linda

April 15, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I don’t have any pictures to share this week. I didn’t do anything picture worthy. Well, I prepared all the meals, but they were the usual, run of the mill meals. My daughter did made another Pineapple Upside Done Cake this week. That disappeared too fast to get a picture. lol Now that I finished our taxes, I’ll have more time to spend in the kitchen this week. Any suggestions for what I should make?

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….

What’s For Dinner?

Saturday – Sabbath- Make ahead meals- Al fredo pasta, peas

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Egg salad sandwiches on homemade bread

Monday – chicken – Baked chicken, rice, salad

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – beef – Crockpot deer, potatoes, onions and carrots

Thursday – super simple – Homemade bean soup, homemade bread

Friday – Sabbath Dinner – BBQ chicken with homemade BBQ sauce, baked potatoes, corn

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

This is Our Time – DVD Review & Giveaway

April 14, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I recently received a This is Our Time, distributed by Pure Flix, dvd to review. This is Our Time is an inspirational film about what it really means, and what it really takes, to follow the call of God in your life. While following five friends who have just graduated from college, you see how their strong belief in God binds them together.

“The experiences the characters in THIS IS OUR TIME face are the kinds of real-life ups and downs, successes and devastation, all of us encounter in living life,” said Lisa Arnold, the film’s writer, director and co-producer. “I wanted to tell a story that would resonate with young people just stepping out into the world to make their mark that would help them see that no matter the circumstances they face, God is always with them, loving them, guiding them.”

The movie tells the stories of Luke and Alé , who marry right after school and move to India. They serve as missionaries for Embrace A Village, a ministry that cares for those afflicted with leprosy and their families; aspiring financier Catherine, who joins a prestigious financial institution determined to make an impact on corporate America; Ryder, who lands an impressive job in social media and can’t wait to use the powerful medium for a greater good; and Ethan who is seemingly the odd man out, who struggles to find his God-given-purpose and feels sidelined by God. They all are trying to make a meaningful difference in the world.

“What they all come to learn is that it never really was their time,” Arnold said. “It always was, always is, God’s time.”

I really loved This is Our Time! It is an awesome movie that the whole family can watch together. I loved the characters, the story line, and the way the characters faith in God is portrayed. There is nothing in this movie that little kids can’t watch. One of the characters dies, but her death is not shown, though the funeral, the grieving, and the aftermath of her death are. When she dies, the movie realistically shows how the friendship of the group, and their faith, are tested.

This is Our Time shows that although we may be following God’s plan for our lives that doesn’t mean that every thing is going to go perfectly for us. Even though our lives may not turn out the way “we” have planned, God as a plan for our lives. When we find trouble and heartache along the way, we can rest assured that God is there to comfort us and that His plans are far better than our plans.

While the characters in This is Our Time are fictional, the Embrace a Village is real. There is a short video on the dvd that explains about the village and what it does. When you watch the movie, make sure you go to the dvd menu and watch this video. It is well worth the time.

For more information visit the This is Our Time website, and visit This is Our Time on Facebook.

This is Our Time will be available nationwide on April 16th. I highly recommend you get this movie to share with your family and friends.

I’m very happy to say that I get to giveaway one This is Our Time dvd to one of you! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this dvd for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Saturday on the Farm

April 13, 2013 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

This week, I’m pleased to share with your my one and only Tulip. Isn’t it pretty?

I didn’t get any flowers from this plant last year, so I’m very pleased with it. In the back, you can see the poor Daffodils. They got knocked over by the wind we had this week. I guess I should go ahead and cut them and bring them in the house.

Here’s a full picture of this garden, known as “the front bulb garden”. It contains bulbs, and it’s in the front yard. I’m creative like that. lol

I was so excited the other day to find buds on the Lilac bush! I haven’t had Lilacs in my yard since I left Massachusetts in 1991. so My guess is you’ll be seeing lots of Lilac pictures. lol

The Red Bud trees are getting ready to bloom. That would be why we’re having a cold snap.

In case your wondering, my Grandmother always said we had “three winters”. Red Bud, while they were blooming, Dog Wood Winter and Blackberry Winter. After Blackberry Winter, when the blackberries bloom, the weather stays warm. It’s usually accurate. Those old timers really knew how to live with the signs and seasons.

My next project, as if there isn’t already enough to be done around here, is to turn this old grill into a potting bench. As soon as I get a non-windy day, I’m going to start painting it. Oh wait, I should probably finish fixing it first. lol

What’s blooming in your yard?

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