Review: Ginny Owens CD

 

I recently received a new cd by contemporary Christian artist, Ginny Owens. Ginny Owens is a gifted musician who began learning music about the same time she began to lose her vision. She has a degenerative eye condition that left her blind early in life. It is clear that she has been given a special talent and she is desiring to use it to praise the one who gave it to her.

She has won several awards during her career, including Dove, GMA, and ASCAP awards. Some of her more popular songs in the past were “Free,” I Wanna Be Moved,” and “If You Want Me To.

Her latest album is called “Get in, I’m Driving!”  There are 11 tracks on this, somewhat jazzy sounding album. This particular cd sounds a bit different, to me, than her earlier music. If you would like to hear for yourself, head on over to iTunes.

If you are a fan of Ginny you can follow her online:

Her Personal Website

Facebook

Twitter

 

Disclaimer: I received this product for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

TOS Review: Games for Competitors, Tri-Cross

 

The boys and I have a new game to love. We are a game playing family so we were very excited when we received Tri-Cross to review. This is the perfect type game for us because it’s quick and challenging. Some of the games we play take hours (or even days) to complete, so we don’t play them often. Tri-Cross is one of those games that you can sit down at the spur of the moment and play. In fact we do just that, quiet often.

The first time we played we spent the afternoon learning how. We read the directions and watched the video that was sent to us.  All of that was helpful but the best way to learn is to just jump in and play.

Basically you have a certain amount of tiles, depending on the number of players (2, 3, or 4), and you place them around the board face down. As you begin to play the tiles will be forced to show their face and certain ones will beat others. For example: the 6 tile beats everything except the Tri-Cross tile. The Tri-Cross however will only beat the 6. So you have to think ahead and use some strategy.

As part of our review we were blessed with TWO Tri-Cross games. We received the board game which is shown in the picture above and also the travel eco game, seen below.

This eco version is made entirely of cloth, except the tiles. It was this particular version of the game that won Games for Competitors (makers of Tri-Cross) the Dr.Toy Best Green Toy Award in 2010.

2010 was a big year for Games for Competitors because they also won the Mom’s Choice Award that year.

Some history on Games for Competitors:

• Family owned out of Atlanta, GA
• Tri-Cross debut in 1986 but due to financial difficulties the family wasn’t able to properly market it
• 2007 the Burns family reintroduced Tri-Cross and it began to thrive

Tri-Cross offers 3 different versions of the same game. The basic board game is $24.95, the cloth travel game is $19.95, and the wooden game board is $35.95. Click here to order now.

If you would like to see what other homeschoolers thought of Tri-Cross, click here.

**Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received this product free of charge, in exchange for my honest opinion/review. For more honest reviews from real homeschoolers, visit the TOS Crew website.

 

TOS Review: How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids

My first review product for the year is from APOLOGIA  I was very excited about this because I love the products those folks publish.  
  The book I received was written by Rachael Carman who, along with her husband, are owners of Apologia. Her new book is called How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids. This book was part of a presentation Rachael shared during previous homeschool conferences and was so well received and relevant for all homeschooling moms, she decided to turn it into a book.
You can purchase a copy of the book on their website, for $13 and be sure to read a sample chapter while you’re there. This is a small, hardbound book, with approximately 200 pages.
Mrs.Carman uses the word HEART to give the reader step by step ideas on what we can do to help our children have a heart for the Lord. After all, isn’t that every Christian mom’s ultimate goal?
Here’s a short overview to help you understand the content:
H= Have a Heart for the Things of God (how can we expect our kids to if we don’t?)
E= Enrich your Marriage (loving one another helps your children see what a healthy marriage relationship is supposed to look like )
A= Accept your Kids (God used this one to convict me. He also used two other (random) sources to show me THE SAME THING. You know it’s from God when you get it from different sources…He never stops pursuing us!)
R= Release Them to God (I had a very difficult week and the last thing I felt like doing was reading this book but I knew I had fallen behind and needed to finish it. Boy, God must have had His hand in it because as I read I felt Him telling me “everything’s going to be okay, trust ME!” I really, really needed to hear from Him, and I did! His timing was prefect! Isn’t it always?)
T= Teach Them Truth (My husband happened to read this chapter and loved the illustration she used to show how God’s truth is ALWAYS TRUTH! In fact, he loved it so much he decided to use it during his Saturday night chapel at the youth center where he works. He’s also planning to use it during his Sunday morning children's sermon. Good stuff!)
Would I recommend this book? Oh yeah! God blessed me in and through it! I have some pages dog eared and I will be revisiting them. If you would like to see what others thought of this book, visit the crew website.

**Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received this product free of charge, in exchange for my honest opinion/review. For more honest reviews from real homeschoolers, visit the TOS Crew website.

Did someone say chocolate??

 

Yes I believe they did say Chocolate, and journal, and soft throw, and brown mug!! What in the world am I talking about? Well, Got Chai’s latest giveaway of course!

You could win your own sample of Pillsbury’s latest greatest dessert and a mug, throw, and journal that are chocolate brown!!!

Check it out here!!!

New Book by Dr. Kevin Leman and Contest

 

 

Dr. Kevin Leman has a new book, It’s Your Kid, Not A Gerbil. The name gave away the content to me, especially after I saw the picture on the cover.

I have felt guilt at times over not joining the rat race and signing my kids up for every activity available. I’m looking forward to being encouraged by this book.

Tyndale House Publishers is offering a give away on their blog. Prizes include, an iPod touch and book packages.  Good Luck!!

Review: The Grace Card, DVD

Enter below to win your very own copy of GraceCard!  Drawing will be September 3!! *Extended*


Family movie night was great last night. We watched GraceCard, which is the first movie produced by Graceworks Pictures with the help of Calvary Pictures, creator of Fireproof.
The core theme of the movie is forgiveness with some racial tensions interwoven. I cried during parts of the movie and laughed at others. I would highly recommend it to anyone desiring a clean, thought provoking movie.
There are some adult type themes such as selling drugs, drinking, and robbery. These are done very tastefully and are not overpowering or glorified in anyway.
I would also say this is a new production company and the acting, as you might imagine, is not Hollywood status, but it is easy to overlook that and see the greater story. Forgiveness. Just as Christ forgave us, so we must forgive. We MUST! Bitterness will tear us apart, we are the ones who suffer when we choose not to forgive.
GraceCard does a great job of showing just how bitterness, anger, unresolved conflicts, and grief can consume us and eat away at us. But also, how free we can truly be when we choose to let go of it all and simply call on Jesus. He’s the ultimate Healer of all our pain, suffering, sorrow, and infirmities. 
For more information about GraceCard visit: http://www.thegracecardmovie.com/themovie
You can also check them out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thegracecard
If you would like to win a copy please do one or more of the following (one entry for each):
1) Follow me on GFC
2) Follow me on Facebook
3) Follow me on Twitter
4) Follow me on Networked Blogs

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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.”

School’s In!

 

We started back to school this week and I must say, things went very well. The schedule I created will need some tweaking but I’ve kept a record of how much time we spent on everything this week and I have some ideas in mind for making our day’s, not only run more smoothly, but hopefully quicker as well.

This is Lucas and Shiloh’s first year of kindergarten.  Shiloh isn’t exactly “old enough” for kindergarten but hey, this is my homeschool and we do things my way around here, hee-hee. Seriously, I don’t know if she’ll be able to do it, but we’re going to try.

 

School Buddies

Our Morning Board in Action

Josiah hung out with and helped us a lot this week!

 

 

I think it’s going to be an amazing year!