A Math Adventure Game

My daughter struggles with math.  She simply doesn't like it.  She thinks it is too hard.  Learning multiplication has taken all year, and she still hasn't mastered it.  Along came a review for a math game for kids, an adventure game with a horse in it.  I figured if this game didn't peak her interest, nothing would.  She loves horses and playing adventure video games.  This program is called Math Rider.

This is a screen shot of the adventure land.  You are trying to work with the king to rescue his daughter.  You are on a horse that jumps over hurdles.  Each hurdle is a math question.  If you answer the question before your horse comes to it, you get points. At the end of that particular part of the quest, you can look at a map of your progress in the imaginary land.  It will show you your progress on the path.  If you answer questions correctly, the horse speeds up.  If it takes you more time, it will slow down.  The quicker you answer, the more points you receive.

The types of questions that can be answered can be chosen by the parent. It does different levels of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  When my daughter began the program, she loved it.  I did notice that she began to remember math facts better the more she played the game.  She spent most of her time doing addition and subtraction.  I wanted her to use the game to do multiplication.  As soon as we started with the multiplication, she was frustrated.  I told her to just listen for the answer to the ones she didn't know.  When the program tells you the answer, it will give the same question a hurdle or two later.  I could see that this was helping her remember her multiplication.  After missing more than she got right, however, she didn't want to do it anymore.  In her mind, she wasn't given enough time to figure it out.



This is a picture of the statistics page for your child.  It lets you know what they have mastered, where their difficulties are, what percentage of mastery they have achieved, and how much they have improved since starting.


I even used the program once or twice myself, and it does keep you on your toes with your math facts.

I like the program, and I think it is very beneficial.  The only issue I have is that it does make you feel pressured as you answer the problems.  Sometimes when you feel pressured you can't think quickly enough to answer or your hands hit the wrong keys.

Math Rider is an intelligent math facts game most appropriate for children ages 6 through 12 who at least have a grasp of addition concepts.  One downloadable Math Rider program allows up to 8 students to work on the same program but not as a multiplayer game.  Each student can work at his/her own level based on their knowledge.  Each purchase of Math Rider also allows you to install up to 3 times, so you can put it on more than one computer in your home.

Math Rider is regularly $47 but is on sale now through February 15th for $37.  You can purchase online and download for PC or Mac using PayPal, Visa, MC, and American Express.  They also have a 30-day risk-free guarantee.  They have a 7-day free trial accessible through their contact page.

Their contact information is:
Sharper Edge Pty Ltd

31 Hannah Street
Beecroft NSW 2119
Australia

Phone: +61 2 8005 8531
Office hours: 9am to 5pm (East Australian Time – GMT+10), Mon-Fri

DISCLAIMER:  I received this product free of charge so that I might try it and provide an honest review of it.

Time Flies...Sometimes

I have neglected my blog for over a month.  Last week I thought to myself, "I really need to get blogging.  It's been over a week."  Imagine my surprise when I realized it had been almost a month.  I have no idea where the time went.  Since last week, I have thought every day, "I need to blog.  I need to blog."  Something always seems to get in the way, however.  It's either a box that needs packing or a can of paint that needs to be used.   In an effort to prepare our house so we can sell it, there seems to always be something that needs done.  I wonder how we were able to ignore all these things that need fixed all these years.  If someone wants a house that is move-in condition, they ought to just take it the way it is, right?  I guess they don't want it lived-in condition.

We have been trying to move since right after Thanksgiving.  John has applied to many jobs in Florida with the search now going to North Carolina.  He grew up thinking he'd move to NC since he spent some summers there and loved it.  He is simply opening us up to God's direction.  We are still holding out for Florida, but we don't want to put God in a box.  We are waiting to hear from a company in Jacksonville about when he'll go down for his third interview.  We are hoping to hear this week.  This is the part that seems to be dragging despite the fact that the rest of life seems to be flying by.

I can see God's wisdom in that, though.  First of all, it causes us to trust Him.  John has gotten a little discouraged because he hasn't gotten a job yet, but I say, "God is in control.  He knows what he wants you to do."  My faith has been strengthened through this process.  I usually am a person that wants something to happen right away and, while I would love a confirmation of this grand adventure, I am glad that He is giving us the time to get things done around here and also have more time with our friends.

Once John gets an offer that he accepts, our house will go on the market.  I have painted 5 rooms so far and have 4 more left.  We have odds and ends to fix or replace.  This takes time.  I think our house will sell quickly.  If it does, that may allow us all to go South together instead of having to be separated for any length of time.  I can see God's wisdom through it all.  I can see how He has orchestrated everything since last April.  I am thrilled to be a part of the symphony.  I look forward to hearing more of the music.

Endings and New Beginnings

My favorite holiday is New Year's Eve.  I have been told it is not a holiday.  I'll buy that I suppose, but it is still my favorite DAY of the year.  I love endings and new beginnings!  How much more final is the end of a year?  To reminisce about all the things that have happened.  To know that good things happened, bad things may have happened, but we made it to the end of another year.  This year I became the mother of a teenager.  All 3 of my kids achieved double digits.  If I didn't feel old when my son became 13, I certainly felt old when Paige reached the age of 10 in November.  :-(   We got 2 new cars this year, both Honda, because we were tired of car repair bills.  We haven't had any since we got the new ones, thank the Lord!  We vacationed in Disney in November and decided that we want to move to Florida.  We attended family reunions and funerals.  Kids went to camp again this summer and won a lot of awards for memorizing Scripture.  I started writing a novel, which I haven't picked up since September.  We attended the Washington County Fair.  I started selling Arbonne in an effort to quit my typing job.  This year was so full that I can't even remember half the things we did.

On New Year's Eve, I mentally drift into the next year and wonder what things could possibly transpire in the next 365 (or 366 if leap year) days God gives us.  I know it's just numbers and you could easily think of each day the same way or go from October 1st of one year to September 30 of the next year, but I deal in chronological years where I need to buy a new calendar to hang on my wall on January 1st.  That metaphorical action of throwing away the old year and hanging up a new one, full of possibilities, makes me happy.

So, what will this new year hold?  I know that Jacob will be starting high school in the fall.  We may be living in Florida at some point before the end of the year.  If not Florida, then possibly a new home in PA.  I will still be selling Arbonne, but I have come to realize that my typing job was a gift from God over 13 years ago and that I need to get my head on straight and be thankful for what I have and not complain, so I'll be keeping this typing job until I don't have to work anymore.  This year, more than any other, is so full of the unknown for us.  I am actually very excited about that.  I know that whatever this new year holds we'll be under God's care.  He will guide us.  He will help us to grow closer to Him.  Therefore, I know this new year will be wonderful!!!

I pray yours is as well!!

Vintage Remedies for Boys

With eager anticipation, I received Vintage Remedies for Boys to use with my 13-year-old and 11-year-old sons.

This book is filled with chapters about real food, healthy drinks, snack time, sweet desserts, local foods, healthy bodies, coughs and cols, backyard medicines, etc.  It has kitchen tips and many recipes using real foods, not artificial anything.  There are also quizzes included for each chapter to test their knowledge.

I was glad to have a supplement to my health curriculum for my boys, and this book is put together well with a lot of very useful information and delicious recipes.  There are only two issues I have with it.  One is that it is all words.  There are no pictures, hand-drawn or photos, whatsoever.  The second issue I have is that it doesn't seem to have been proofread.  There are a lot of typos in it. Besides that, it is a wonderful resource.

The website is http://www.vintageremedies.com/home/.  They have Vintage Remedies for Girls, Guys, and Kids.  The guys and girls versions are $45.00.  The  kids version is $25.  There is also one for tweens which is $29.95.

Vintage Remedies offers other great products for healthy living.  They even have a course called "The Family Herbalist."

They can be reached at 230 Franklin Road, Suite 807; Franklin, Tennessee 37064, or by phone at 615-807-0882.

DISCLAIMER:  I received this product free of charge in order to provide honest feedback.

Anybody for Punkin' Chunkin?

It is fun to watch Punkin' Chunkin' on television.  Imagine getting to build your very own trebuchet to toss large pumpkins thousands of feet away.  Wouldn't that be fun?  Of course, the machines those people build cost them sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.  I've got a machine you can build for a couple of tens but then it won't chunk punkins either.  You will, however, learn a great deal about the machine and the history behind it.

Pitsco Education is dedicated to helping students succeed by offering a wide array of STEM-oriented classroom solutions (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).  I received the trebuchet and catapult kit that included  the Siege Machines book, the Catapult kit, and the Trebuchet kit and weights.  It retails for only $21.95.  The kits are AMERICAN made in Kansas.  There is a more expensive kit that includes all that is listed above plus two in-depth teacher/curriculum guides for another 20+ hours of teaching material for each kit.  It retails for $64.95.

The Siege Machines book that was included is full of wonderful information about the trebuchet and catapult. It talks about their history, safety, and mechanics.  The book provides experiments and charts for data.  I really enjoyed going through this book with my kids.  The directions for building each machine are separate from the book and are included with the kit.  They were NOT easy to understand.  Not that these kits are designed to be put together by a child, but there is certainly no way they ever could be.  Even my husband and I had trouble understanding them.  There is a lot of cutting of tubing and string or scoring of wood that is required with these kits.  The instructions would often say to look for an example in the picture above, but it would actually be in the picture to the left.  The pictures were dark and slightly fuzzy as well.  If the directions were in a much better format, I would have nothing negative at all to say about these two kits.  The instructions as they are, however, make putting these kits together a less than enjoyable experience.

Because these are the kits I received, I cannot speak to the quality of the other kits they provide or what the instructions are like, but they do offer other items such as airplanes, hot air balloons, kites, CO2 dragsters, many different architecture kits, math tools, physical science tools, and robotics.  It is definitely worth the stop  at the store,  http://shop.pitsco.com/store/, to see what they have.  The list is extensive.

Pitsco Education also has an Academy for student-directed learning or teacher-directed learning.  As I browsed this tab on their website I was amazed by the quality of the experiments.  It seems Pitsco is truly devoted to helping kids understand and succeed in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.  Perhaps all they need to do is work on their kit instructions so the parent who is not a scientist or engineer can   help their child put the kits together.

Pitsco can be reached at 800-835-0686.  Their address is Pitsco, Inc.; PO Box 1708; Pittsburg, Kansas, 66762-1708.  Their email is for purchase orders only.

DISCLAIMER:  I received this product free of charge in order to provide an honest review.

"The Curriculum for Creativity!"

"The Curriculum for Creativity!" is a trademark slogan for Artistic Pursuits, an art curriculum I received in order to use and review.  I welcomed the opportunity to review an art program with my children because I am always looking for ways to encourage their love for art.  The grade 4-6 book we used was Book One which teaches the elements of art and composition including space, line and shape, texture, value, contrast, balance, overlap, depth, proportion, etc.  There were 16 units in all combined in a spiral-bound, 88-page book.

At the beginning of the book, it lists all the supplies that are needed and for which unit they are needed.  There are some pages for "Getting Started" - What Parents Want to Know (book content and scheduling), What Students Want to Know (learning to observe and focus), The Elements of Art.  In the back of the book, there is an evaluation sheet for obtaining a number and letter grade and a bibliography.

Each unit provides students with many opportunities for drawing.  The unit begins with discussion of the topic such as texture or balance.  The student is given "a creative exercise using real-world experience."

The next lesson for each unit is a painting by a famous artist.  The student observes this painting according to the topic being discussed in the unit.  Some biographical information of the artist is provided and a section about what times were like during the period of the artist or the period painted.  Students are then given the assignment of drawing from observation.

Lesson 3 is the lesson on technique, trying to draw using the topic of the unit.  For example, unit 6 is "Form Using Value."  The technique discussed in lesson 3 is "How to See Shading and Shadow."  For the exercise, the student is to look outdoors for an object that has form and draw one object showing form by shading.  The technique lesson describes how shadows occur and how to draw them.

The fourth lesson, or final project, shows pictures drawn by other students that are like what they will be drawing themselves.  Instructions are given for how to set up for the final project for each unit, including what they will need to complete it.

My oldest son is in 8th grade, but he completed the assignments along with my 4th and 6th graders.  He enjoyed this curriculum, as art is his favorite subject.  Any time he has the opportunity to create, he is happy.  I am pretty sure my 6th grade son enjoyed it as well, and I think he learned some techniques from it that he did not know before.  I can see a real improvement in his drawing ability as he gets older and learns new techniques.

My daughter claims she is a horrible artist and can't draw anything.  I'm sure she didn't do her best during most assignments because of this fear of drawing poorly, but when she did apply herself she did a great job.  I'd love to try one of Artistic Pursuits books geared towards younger children so she might gain some confidence.

They have preschool curriculum, curriculum for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade that includes an introduction to the visual arts, stories of artists and their art, and modern painting and sculpture.  Each book includes projects for the student as well as learning about great artists and their work.  There is the book I used and the companion, book two, that teaches about color and composition.  There are two junior high books for the elements of art and composition and color and composition, and there are two senior high books (for grades 9-12) of elements and color and composition like the two previous grade levels.  The books are written to the student, so no teacher preparation is required.  The high school books are intended to be used independently by the student, and they include 64 lessons in each book.  The pictures in the books are in color, and they are printed on thick paper so the book holds together very well despite being opened and closed many times and tossed from child to child during the homeschool year.  Each book that has been created by Artistic Pursuits sells for $42.95.  They provide a view inside each book.  Simply go to the products page for the books and click on the book you'd like to view.

Artistic Pursuits also supplies art packs that you can buy that contain most of the supplies you'll need according to the grade level.  The art pack for Book One for Grades 4-6 is $45.00.

Artistic Pursuits can be reached at Artistic Pursuits Inc., 2626 East 109th Avenue, Northglenn, Colorado, 80233 or by phone at 303-467-0504.  If you have questions or need shipping information, their email is alltheanswers@artisticpursuits.com.  Their fax number is 208-567-4269.


My 8th grader wanted to be sure I let you know that he loved this curriculum.  I may have to purchase the high school curriculum for next year because he loved it so much.  I know that he will learn techniques and have the opportunity to practice, and he will learn about the masters.  This is an excellent art program for any stage.  I especially love that it requires no preparation on my part except purchasing the tools required to draw.

DISCLAIMER:  I received this product free of charge so that I would use it and provide an honest review.

Parlez-vous Francais?

I took five years of Spanish in high school, and it was my first major in college until I changed it.  I love foreign languages and have tried over the years to teach my children some Spanish since that is what I know.  When I had the opportunity to review a French program with them, I jumped at the chance.  I had taken one semester of French in high school but didn't continue with it.  There have only been a few things I've been able to retain from that.  This was my opportunity to refresh and learn some more.  The program we reviewed is from Great Commission Languages.

We received Le Francais Facile, Level IA.  It is the first half of the existing Level I curriculum and is created in such a way as to appeal towards older grade levels, grade 7 and up, although my children who are in 4th and 6th grade have been able to use it and enjoy it.  It includes exercises right in the book so copies don't need to be made.  It includes a CD with all the lessons and pronunciation so the student can actually hear how the words are supposed to sound.  There is another CD that contains the answers to all of the exercises that are in the book.  I also received a separate test booklet, test answer key, and phonogram cards which help in learning pronunciation of individual letters.   The level IA student book sells on the website for $84.95.  The test booklet and answer key are each $10, and the phonogram cards are $10.     
Great Commission Language has a classic format French program, Level I, that is intended to be used over 3 years with younger students or 1 to 2 years with older students.  It appears to be a higher end product than the new format which I reviewed as it is a much larger book and includes professional illustrations.  It sells for $139.95.  There is a second level program and a junior level program that is geared towards family with multiple children, especially younger. It has 34 lessons and focuses more on songs and stories and less on grammar and writing.  It is $69.95.


The new format, Level IA, that I received begins each lesson with a conversation that has words both in French and English, so it is translated as the story goes along.  There are then vocabulary words to learn.  Each lesson has the student conjugate a verb.  There are also grammar lessons throughout, cultural information, trivia, Scripture memory work (in French!), and a lesson plan for the week to be practicing French and doing the activities.


After just 3 lessons, I was able to recognize a lot of the words we had learned while watching a movie where one of the main characters was speaking French.  My kids have learned the vocabulary by making up silly sentences with the day's words.  At first my daughter didn't like it.  I think it was just because it was something new and more difficult than what she was used to but after a few lessons she said she was really starting to enjoy it.


Great Commission Languages also has a Spanish curriculum.  There is a level I similar to the French program for $139.95 and a Junior program.  There are extra grammar sheets available, phonogram cards, and CDs as well.


Great Commission Languages is a Christian company that operates according to Matthew 28:19-20 that we are called to go out into all the world and make disciples of all nations.  Teaching languages is one way this can be accomplished.  If we know the languages that others speak, we can reach out to them more effectively.  Take a moment to read their statement of faith at http://www.theeasyspanish.com/Statement.html.


They can be reached by email at marie@theeasyfrench.com, by phone toll free from Canada or the US at 1-866-773-7254 or outside the Canada or US at +1-306-728-3201.  Their address is PO Box 1446, Yorktown, SK, S3N 3G3 Canada.


I have enjoyed using this program with my children as I know that we have all begun to learn French in a very easy way and that those things we have learned will stick with us.  I can't honestly think of anything I dislike about this product.  I highly recommend Great Commission Language.


DISCLAIMER: I received this product free of charge to use and provide an honest review.

A Week After Vacation

Well, it's been a week since we got back from Florida.  My mind was in a fog for two days when we got back because I didn't want to get back to Pennsylvania.  The whole time we were in Florida it only rained a short time one morning.  We spent the week at Disney World and one day at Cocoa Beach.

 As we drove out of Florida, I almost cried.  I felt like I was leaving home forever.  On the way home, we talked about moving down there.

We watched the temperature drop on the thermometer on our car as we headed north.  Once we entered West Virginia, we were greeted by fog, rain, and very cold temperatures.  This picture is of the fog lying in the valley as we climbed the mountain in W. Va.

I can't say enough good things about our trip this year.  We did a lot of things we hadn't done before.  Some were corny like The Enchanted Tiki Room.  Other things were never really missed all the other years we had gone like Stitch's Great Escape.  My cousin convinced us to see The Country Bears Show.  Um, well, it was a classic, I guess.

We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village.  We ate at Sanaa, the restaurant on the first floor of Kidani.  I was a little apprehensive about eating here because I have some really picky eaters in my family, but I think it was the single most enjoyable experience I've ever had a Disney restaurant, maybe any restaurant.  Our service was spectacular (thank you, Ken), and the food was different and delicious.  I had Tandoori shrimp.  We sampled African breads and dipping sauces which were all wonderful.  One was a bit too spicy for my liking, but I don't do spice.  The decor and atmosphere were so inviting and comfortable.  If you ever go to Disney, I HIGHLY recommend Sanaa.

The day before we left we ate at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney, a place I had always wanted to go but never got around to.  It is an Irish pub, very quaint and authentic inside.  I had a lobster and avocado salad sandwich.  Oh my, was it just scrumptious!

I have almost 1000 photos from our trip, so I will have more to share in the days or weeks to come.  Suffice it to say, I may soon be posting the progress of our move to Florida.  :-)

Keyboard Town Pals Review

This program claims it teaches children to type in an hour on a QWERTY keyboard.  I agree that it does. My 9-year old daughter completed every lesson in less than an hour. This was not my intention, but when she saw what the program was like she wanted to finish it and never return to it. The website states, "We have replaced [the stress normally associated with typing] with adorable puppets who sing and dance. It was these puppets that made my daughter quickly go through every lesson. They state it is best for beginners ages 6-12. It seems it would be more appropriate for children ages 4-6. The puppets and ther opening sequence to the program are very juvenile. My boys, who are older, begged me to not make them do this typing program. Despite it being so juvenile, however, my daughter, a month later, was able to remember where every letter on the keyboard was.

I would encourage you to watch the video of the PALS method before purchasing this program because, even though it works, you wouldn't want to spend your money on a program your kids wouldn't use due it seeming to be more appropriate for a young audience.  This video is available at PALS Tutorial.


Keyboard Town Pals has a lot of different products for sale.  The "Learn To Type - Web-Based" program is $30.00.  It comes in English, French, and Spanish.  It works with PC or Mac and requires a broadband internet connection and the latest Adobe Flash player.  It is a single user license.  The same program sold as a bundle includes the concentration card game, coloring book, and stickers, and currently sells for $30.00 as well. The CD-ROM version for either Windows or MAC is $35.00.  The CD bundle is $45.00.  The CD with one companion item is $40.00.  The coloring books, digital and hard copy, are available separately as are the stickers and concentration card game.  The puppets with script are available for $70.00.


Keyboard Town Pals can be contacted via their webpage with any questions.  They can also be reached at 1-866-200-8881.  There is free shipping on all orders now.


DISCLAIMER: I received this product free of charge in order to provide an honest review.

Fallingwater and Ohiopyle

Pennsylvania is such a rich state. It is full of wonderful history and beauty.  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to Fallingwater with my homeschool co-op and then afterwards to Ohiopyle with a few friends.  Here are some pictures of our day trip.

Getting Fire Safety Training Out of the Way

As a homeschooling family, we are required to make sure we do fire safety training once a school year.  The co-op that I belong to usually goes to a local fire department, when they have time to fit us in, and they give us the safety talk including dressing up in their fire gear to show the kids they shouldn't be afraid of firemen who are wearing all those clothes and tanks.  They have a tiny fire house the kids can crawl through that has 3 rooms where they share specific fire safety techniques in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom.  They learn a lot through this method, but since we've done it for at least the past 5 years and since we are not a "school" group and they feel free to reschedule us to accommodate a "school" group, it is time for a change.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Marshall Publishing's video entitled, "Lots & Lots of Fire Songs and Safety Tips," and the book entitled, "Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks and Firefighters."

I thought the video was very well done.  It gives students all of the vital information that should be learned during a lesson on fire safety.  They have a couple of catchy tunes included, which are more appropriate for a younger audience.  The book is excellent.  It is full of wonderful information and pictures.

The video is approximately 30 minutes long in its entirety, but it can be used as a short, 12-minute program if a shorter program is needed where safety concepts such as stop, drop, and roll; home safety plan; and calling 911 are taught.  It was created in 2008 and is clear visually and audibly. The book has 128 pages.  It includes an excellent timeline of firefighting which makes this also applicable to history class.  The video and book can be purchased separately or together for $49.90 total, but if you go to Marshall Publishing and enter TOSF1 at checkout, you can receive both for a total of $19.95 (plus S&H).  You can also call toll-free at 888-300-3455 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. CST or visit their website, www.marshallpub.com or www.firesafetysongs.com.

I also had the opportunity to review another of Marshall Publishing's videos.  This was entitled, "George Washington Carver: His Life and His Work."  Based on the website, it appears that this video was made in 2009.  I have to say that I was disappointed by the quality of this video.  It looks like it was made in the '70s when the video picture from cameras wasn't quite as crisp and clean.  There is a lot of wonderful information about the life of Carver, and the viewer is sure to learn a lot; but as my 9-year-old daughter watched it with me she said, "This is really boring."  I had to agree.  The narrator was hard to understand in a few spots also.  The first few minutes of the video was just nature scenes and animals.  I suppose this was because Carver was so interested in nature, but it loses the interest of the viewer right from the start.  This video sells for $19.95 regularly, but Marshall Publishing is offering a discount on it with the code TOSC1 at checkout of 15%, which makes it $16.95 (plus S&H).  If you are interested solely in the biographical information, this is a good buy.  If you are interested in a video which will be visually stimulating as well as educational, I don't think I'd recommend this one.

Marshall Publishing has many books and videos available to purchase about such topics as animals, educational historical documentaries, fire truck/jets and planes, monster trucks and motor sports, rockets and space, etc.  Their products are appropriate for all age ranges.  However, the songs, I think, are geared to a younger audience.  They also have some music CDs.  It is definitely worth the look on their website to find something that fits into your studies.  Some videos are just $12.95 and 90 minutes long.  The DVDs come with a lifetime replacement warranty.

The address for Marshall Publishing is 123 S. Hough St., Barrington, IL  60010.

DISCLAIMER:  I received this product free of charge to provide an honest review of it.

Could You Use a Little Extra Help with the Grocery Shopping?

If you could use a little extra help coming up with a menu each week and knowing what you need to purchase at the grocery store, then E-Mealz might be able to help.

This online service was created by two sisters in an effort to make meal planning easier and fit within a tight budget.  They also wanted meal time to be less chaotic and provide an opportunity for the family to come together and share with each other the day's events.

There are a number of different options when subscribing to the e-mealz program.  You can choose a menu for two people or a family plan.  You can also choose from Aldi, Kroger, Publix, Wal-Mart, Ralph's, or a menu that will work at any store.  You can also choose specialty menus such as vegetarian and gluten free.  All of the plans, except for the vacation plans, are $15.00 for 3 months of service which is automatically renewed.  You can cancel the automatic renewal, however.

The plan I chose was a low-fat Wal-Mart plan for a family.  Each week you print out the week's menu along with the grocery list.  The list has each item that is used in the week's menu plan and signifies which days they are used.  I found this helpful in cases where I didn't want to make a particular item they had on the menu.  I simply reduced the amount to buy because I knew I wouldn't need it on a certain day.

Now, certain people in my family are very picky and will only eat a limited variety of entrees.  Because of this, there were a few menu items each week I would not prepare.  Each item included a recipe and listed what sides were to go with it.  

I think there are a lot of benefits to this type of a program.  If you aren't picky and are willing to cook the easy recipes they provide, this could save you a lot of time.  You can tailor it to your store and your diet preference.  Because my life is very disorganized and I don't have a lot of time to do anything but make the simplest recipes that I often make on a regular basis, it was easier for me to go to the store, walk up and down each aisle, and pick and choose.  Perhaps as I get some more time back, after reducing the amount of time I work or cutting back on my kids' activities, this type of a system would be wonderful FOR ME.  Right now, it's just easier to keep it very simple by continuing to make those things I know my family loves and will eat.  You are able to change your store and your type of menu if you find your first choice doesn't work for you anymore.

These sisters have developed a very useful tool, and it would be of great benefit to many people out there.  It removes the task of deciding what to make every day; somebody already did it for you, and they even made you a grocery list.  It sure does simplify things a lot.  I wish I had had the time to really get into the habit of using it but, like I said, I am too disorganized right now to be even fit into someone else's organization.  I'm sure most of you, though, would love what these sisters have done for you.

E-mealz can also be given as a gift subscription to friends and family.  E-mealz can be reached at feedback@e-mealz.com.  They have folks available to answer questions Monday through Friday 8-5 CST.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this product for free to try so that I might provide an honest opinion.

Always Ice Cream

I LOVE ICE CREAM!!!!!  I also love Always Icecream!!!

This online educational and game website is for girls only, ages 7 to 12.  It was created by Dr. Johannes Ziegler who was looking for an appropriate internet site for his girls.  He and his team have created a wonderful place for girls to go to learn and have fun online in a safe environment.  Thankfully there are people out there with the know how to do this so that those of us who are less technologically savvy don't have to create anything from scratch.

From the first time my daughter started on this website, she has loved it and has learned a great deal from it as well.  Some of the educational choices are subjects such as language arts, math, geography, history, science, music, art, foreign languages, and religious education.  When the girls log in they create a minime, a mini version of themselves, and take up some challenges in order to win ice cream scoops.  With these ice cream scoops, they are able to "buy" things online.  On the home page, you buy an egg with the scoops you received from your first challenges and then with more scoops you can buy things for your egg.  It eventually hatches into a pet.  As I was doing this review, my daughter was helping me navigate the site.  When she realized there were new games, she started screaming, "Yay!  They added new games!"  She just loves this website.

It is impossible to list all of the different educational opportunities, aka games, there are on Always Icecream.  They are always adding new ones.  There are challenging games that stretch their understanding of different topics.  This is a screenshot of one of the geography games.  The student is supposed to click on the state they ask for.

The girls are able to invite friends to join them on Always Icecream.  They can chat on a moderated chat page.  They can "sell" things to each other for scoops and trade for other items.  They can send each other mail through the website as well.  They can go to MiniWorld where they can build items to sell.  A picture of various items appears.  They choose an item and paint it, then they can enter it into their store in MiniWorld with the price they put on it.  They can buy houses with scoops and also visit the neighborhood and see what all of their friends have inside their houses.

This website is so clever and imaginative and CLEAN!!  I just love it!  There is one thing that is just slightly annoying.  Often when clicking into a different portion of the website, a window pops up letting you know that a friend made a new minime.  If you have a lot of friends (who are all girls and you know the way girls change their minds), this can happen on a very frequent basis.

The girls are also able to send suggestions to the website designers to improve the website, which are taken into consideration and often acted upon.  This is a great way to help the girls learn how to use their voices to improve things.

There are videos that girls can watch as well that show them how to do math problems or language arts problems or listen to geography songs, etc.

Parents are able to receive email updates of their daughter's progress and can disable the community features so that chatting cannot take place.

Always Icecream offers a free trial membership.  It is free of advertising and costs $4.99 per month (the first month is only 99 cents) after the free trial per child or $29.99 per year per child.  It is payable through PayPal.  There is also a two-month membership for $9.98 or a lifetime membership for $99.99 (this option is best for girls 10 and younger).  Parents accounts are always free.  German is an alternate language the website comes in if that is the language you speak.

Always Icecream can be reached via email at feedback@always-icecream.com.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALWAYS ICECREAM!!!

DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to use it and provide an unbiased review.