July 31, 2015

Maker Studio: Propellers Set~ Become An Engineer! {Product Review}


My boys love to build. They love tinkering with stuff and are big time LEGO fans. I was eager to turn them loose on the Maker Studio: Propellers Set I received to review from ThinkFun to see what they thought about it!
Maker Studio: Propellers Set Product Review

The links on this blog and in the posts may be affiliate links
Please see my disclosure policy for full details and thank you for your support!

Product Summary

Maker Studio is a line products from ThinkFun designed to ignite imagination, and foster a love of engineering. Designed by engineers, these fun sets are the ideal toy for budding engineers. 

Maker Studio~ Propellers Set, contains all you need to turn a simple empty pop bottle or chips can into a helicopter, biplane, windmill and more! 
For each build, you are even given engineering challenges--ways to engage your brain to experiment as you come up with a solution. You can follow the designs included, or explore and create your own!

This set is geared for ages 7 to adult and retails on Amazon for $19.99.

How Did We Use This Product?

The boys knew that this product was coming, and when it arrived, they fought over who was going to open the box first. I got them set up at the table and let Little Britches dive in with Baby Britches looking on. 
Diving into the build
Checking out the different designs
Little Britches analyzed all the pieces as they were revealed...while I snagged the directions to see what was supposed to happen. The directions gives you a complete list of parts/inventory, extra things that will be needed, and simple steps for getting started. There is also a parts explanation listing how each part can be used. 

Also included with the set is a ringed card set called Engineering Challenges & Tips. These are extra engineering challenges to do after the building of the designs. There are two for each build, plus two bonus challenges. These are fun extras like making the helicopter's tail propeller turn, or making the two plane props spin at the same time.
After we opened everything up, Little Britches flipped through the book and decided to go for the windmill as his first design since it was the only one that worked with a toilet paper tube. We didn't have the suggested chips canister. He worked through the design directions and was able to figure everything out!


He loved working through the building plans...though he didn't want to try the engineering challenges. He decided to take it apart and build his own creation for his second go!

A double prop helicopter

Baby Britches enjoying flying the new creation

What Are Our Thoughts on This Product?


Little Britches (Age 9) really enjoyed using the Propellers Set and was able to follow the design plans. The only thing he said was confusing was that he got a little confused on following the red lines to where the placement of each part was supposed to go. He had to take apart things a few times before he got it right.
Like these design plans
I liked watching Little Britches mind work as he analyzed how everything went together. I liked that it was simple to just open and go...as long as we had the right base--like the toilet paper roll. I plan on scrounging up some small Pringles cans and pop bottles for him to play with and see how he does with other designs. I think the pieces of the set were well made out of heavy duty plastic and Little Britches never felt like he was going break them as he was working them.

I absolutely think that we will be using this set in the future. I know the boys will be looking for ways to build more things out of these. 

I am now very interested in checking out the Maker Studio: Gears Set and Maker Studio: Winches Set because I know the boys would love playing and building with those too. I also like that it appears the set can be mixed and matched which takes them to another level!
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July 29, 2015

Educents Limited Time offer~ Free Minion Math Centers

What makes you happy? Minions? Freebies? Well, how about Minion Freebies? Minion Freebie - Educents 3 
The links on this blog and in the posts may be affiliate links
Please see my disclosure policy for full details and thank you for your support!

These free math activities on Educents offers 22 printable pages of math activities for Minion fans. It covers addition, subtraction, measurement, money, and more!

**FREE OFFER EXPIRES 8/2/2015**
(once it expires, price will return to $4.99)

Minion Math Centers Freebie

  • Minion Addition (to 12)
  • Minion Subtraction (to 12)
  • Minions Making Ten
  • Minion Measurement
  • Minion Money Match
  • Missing Minion Numbers
  • Minion Number Cards
Minion Freebie - Educents 2 
If you're looking for more ways to make math learning fun, check this out:

Early Math Musical DVDs

4dde_c6ab3b8_Early_Math_Collection copy
This DVD set from Rock 'N' Learn is a fun way to boost math skills for the early grades. Like the Minions, these DVDs have fun characters your little ones will love to get to know! Math facts are easy to learn with fun music and exciting animation. Learn all about counting coins and bills and practice making change. Kids will learn to tell time to the hour, half hour, and minute using traditional analog clocks. Includes Addition & Subtraction Rap DVD, Money & Making Change DVD, and the Telling Time DVD. I hope this math freebie made by Amy of Teaching in Blue Jeans makes you happy. 

Download the Free Minion Math Centers, then go ahead and do a little dance! :)


We saw the Minions movie this past weekend and enjoyed it...and I know my boys will enjoy this Minion themed math center!
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July 28, 2015

With Lee in Virginia~ A Civil War Story of Courage, Honor, and Duty {Product Review}

We have been blessed to be able to have reviewed Under Drake's Flag and In Freedom's Cause--audio dramas from Heirloom Audio Productions. These two stories, wet our whistle for all things G.A. Henty, and we were eager to get our hands on the latest of his stories to be adapted for audio theater by Heirloom Audio Productions to review...With Lee In Virginia.
With Lee In Virginia: Product Review

Product Information

With Lee In Virginia is the third audio drama from Heirloom Audio Productions. It's adapted from the book, With Lee in Virginia by G. A. Henty. The story is set during the Civil War and follows 15 year old Vincent Wingfield as he eagerly joins the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. He soon finds himself side by side with the likes of great  Confederate generals including Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson. He learns about what true Christian duty looks like from being around these men and it forces him to take a stand for his country and everything he holds dear--even if it costs him his own life. 

Brought to life with an incredible full original score by Emmy winning composer John Campbell, and voiced by an all star cast including Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Rudy), Kirk Cameron (Fireproof, Monumental, Left Behind series), Brian Blessed (Star Wars, King Lear) and more...this audio theater production is a must have!

With Lee in Virginia is a 2 1/2 hr production geared for ages 6 to adult.

With your purchase of With Lee In Virginia Single Package ($29.97 plus shipping/handling) you will also get access to the eStudy Guide and Discussion starter (digital), a printable copy of the inspirational quote by Robert E. Lee (digital), and the official With Lee in Virginia Soundtrack MP3 download. 

I received With Lee in Virginia (with special bonuses) to review with my family.

How Did We Use This Product?

I admit. We love what Heirloom Audio Productions has done thus far, and we were eager to dive into With Lee in Virginia when it came. Little Britches was especially interested since he had done a pretty extensive study during history this year over the time of the Civil War. When it showed up, we all did a dance.

The easy thing about this product, is you simply pop it into your CD player and begin. The soundtrack immediately fills your mind with a historic time period as you are taken back to where the story begins. My boys liked to play with their toys while they were listening at home, so it was easy to just go for it.

When we began, I pulled up the eStudy Guide and Discussion starter on my Kindle, so I could follow along and ask questions about the story. This new guide now has track numbers noted on the questions so it is easy to figure out what questions go with what part of the story. It was easy to get the download, as I simply visited the link included with my CD and then downloaded from it to my device. I like being able to have it pulled up on my Kindle for quick reference.

As we went along, it was easy to see that Little Britches just wanted me to leave him alone to enjoy the story, so we stopped pausing the story, and I just let him listen.

I really liked that in this study guide, there was a map at the beginning noting the different places from the story so that your child could follow along. And I always like how the study guide is laid out with questions from the story, vocabulary AND extra discussion questions.
Map for You to Follow Along With

from the eStudy Guide and Discussion Starter
Though we were given access to several bonuses, I chose to only use the eStudy Guide at this time. I do plan on reading the With Lee in Virginia eBook in the future.
All the Special Bonuses I received--and are available with purchase of the Family Four-Pack Package

What Are Our Thoughts on This Product?

As with our other Heirloom Audio Productions audio dramas, we love it. Little Britches really listens to the story because he is an audial learner, so he retains so much from what is shared. He remembered studying about many of the battles and men mentioned, which made him enjoy it even more.

I thought it clever that the CD's were blue and grey, matching the colors of each army. I thought the photographs/graphics were stunning and high quality. It added a lot having real historic photos to look at as we went through the study guide. To be able to put real faces with the famous men. I loved that it worked for my Kindle AND my iPhone 6 so I could always have it with me, even if we took the CD's to the car.

Any cons?
Well, I guess my one con is from a frugal family side...paying $30 for this fabulous product, even WITH the special bonuses, is going to be out of the price range of some. It would be mine. But I know that there will be specials offered by companies where you will be able to find it on sale--so keep your eyes open! It will be well worth the money spent--especially if you are homeschooling and like to add in extra historical goodies.

Would I Recommend This Product?

Definitely! Not only will you and your family learn more history, but the deep faith of these men who shaped our history is explored and brought out. These audio dramas are so perfect for long car rides and I have yet to hear one at a higher caliber than what Heirloom Audio Productions has produced!

Want to Know More?

We reviewed the audio theater drama With Lee in Virginia from Heirloom Audio Productions. You have seen what our thoughts were on the product, but what did the other reviewers on my team think? How did they use the study guide and extra materials? Make sure you visit and find out!
With Lee in Virginia Audio Drama Review
To stay in touch with the latest news from Heirloom Audio Productions, please follow them at these social media sites:
Facebook:
  https://www.facebook.com/WithLeeInVirginia
                https://www.facebook.com/heirloomaudio

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/HeirloomStories

Google+:
https://plus.google.com/b/114534826166314080647/114534826166314080647/posts
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We are so happy to now have three of these incredible productions in our inventory, and they will be great for us to pull out and listen to when we go on our big road trip later this year to Jekyll Island, GA!
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July 27, 2015

Poppins Book Nook...coming soon


It's the last Monday of the month and that means it's time for a new Poppins Book Nook post...I'm running a bit behind, but I will try to have it up soon! While you are waiting you can go ahead and check out what others in our group have put together for our theme of Composers this month!


*****
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July 26, 2015

My Top 5 Must-Have Products for the Canning Season

It's harvest season here on the farm. Our garden is putting out a record number of beets and cucumbers and I am working everyday to keep up with them! Soon it will be the tomatoes and beans turn. We can only eat so many fresh, which means we need to turn to ways to preserve them. While I do freeze some of it, over the last 3 years, I have shifted over to canning our harvest. To anyone who has never experienced it, canning can seem like a frightening venture. But I have learned that with the right equipment, it is actually a very straight forward process that will fill your pantry and cellar with great rewards!

The links on this blog and in the posts may be affiliate links
Please see my disclosure policy for full details and thank you for your support!

1. Water Bath Canner

When we made the decision to start growing a harvest for preservation, the first thing we purchased was a Water Bath Canner. I knew that more of our harvest was going to be used for high acid canning products, which meant I needed the Water Bath version first. 

Okay. Crash course lesson. If it has vinegar or a high acid content, it can be processed in a water bath canner--things like pickled products, salsa, and some tomato sauces. If it is something without much acid base (beans, corn, carrots, tomatoes, etc) you have to use a pressure canner instead.

I purchased my canner at Wal-Mart, and interestingly enough, it is identical to the one I grew up seeing my mom use. This is a great inexpensive beginning tool for successful canning! If you know you aren't ever going to do anything but pickles and salsa right now, it's all the canner you need.

2. Pressure Canner

Last year, we experimented with tomatoes and beans, which meant that I needed to go ahead and invest in a pressure canner. I wanted one that would last me for the long haul, so I invested in a solid cast aluminum one from All American. And yes, it's made in the USA which is a great bonus. This one is heavy duty, and it's so easy to use. Simply open the box, read the SUPER detailed directions and go for it.

Pressure canners can also be used for just pressure cooking--making it multi-purpose! Now that I own both types of canners, I can preserve any harvest. I look forward to trying it out on dry beans this year, and of course my tomato sauces. This is a 21.5 quart which is a great size for the amount of canning that I do, but they have smaller and larger volume ones available. 

3. Reusable Canning Lids

I was introduced to these gems a few years ago, then I forgot I had purchased any. One day I found them and I have been using them ever since. They are totally safe for canning (BPA free), AND once you invest in a batch you don't have to throw them out upon opening each jar. Simply toss the lid and rubber ring into a bag to use next canning season.

I highly recommend getting enough for the regular AND wide mouth jars--I purchased 24 of each to get started. They are so easy and yes, they seal well! I like that I know they won't rust like some of the metal ones do. They are so much cheaper in the long run than having to buy new boxes of the metal lids. And if you need to, you can replace the rubber ring at some point. I am going to buy myself another dozen more of each size since I have been using them so much. If you haven't tried them yet, snag a box and just give it a try. They are ideal for high acidic foods like salsa and pickles.

Something else I like, if you get a jar that doesn't seal, you can simply take off the lid and ring, wash them really well, and re-do the process. No throwing any lids away. I usually have 2-4 jars that won't seal...but when I re-process them, I usually get them all sealed the second time.

4. Canning Tools

I wouldn't be able to do my canning half so well if I didn't have a LARGE collection of jars of various sizes, my jar tongs, my magnetic lid grabber, my jar rack, my jar funnel, and my little blue headspace measure. Each of these things plays a vital role in my canning process and I'm lost if I can't find even one of them. Fortunately, you get the Utensil Set when you buy a water bath canner these days--but if you don't have them, you can still buy them individually for less then $10.

5. Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving

This is my best friend during canning season. it gives me a play by play on how to can just about any item I could grow AND it is chock full of canning recipes! I use it heavily every single year and am so glad I purchased it two years ago. I have my favorite pages marked and reach for it as soon as the harvest begins.

This year I've made pickles using a recipe from here, and will be doing beets and hopefully relish. I also used it last year when I was canning my beans.

Interestingly enough, compared to my grandmas from years past, it hasn't changed very much through the years! You can find it at most any store that carries canning supplies (I bought mine at Kroger), but you can also find the Ball's Blue Book online.

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I hope this gives you a starting place on the things that are useful for setting up your canning supplies. The great thing about canning is that once you set yourself up, there really isn't much additional expense...especially if you go with the reusable lids!
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July 18, 2015

Random 5 for Saturday~ 7/18: Summer Words

It's been awhile, but I figured I would do a Random 5 on Friday post...on Saturday. This week I have picked words to describe the summer we are having so far.
The Pebble Pond
Click image to add yours!

1. Busy. There have been activity after activity at church and it keeps me hopping! Throw in a couple trips and a visit from my family, not to mention normal farm busyness, and this summer is just flying by! Middle of July already? How is that even possible?

2. Rain. That pretty much describes this years summer. We had 2 straight weeks of storms and rain. We received around 9". And some of it came down so heavy our creeks rushed and the grass was flooded. Crazy amounts of rain this summer. So weird to think that on the other side of the country, they would happily take even a fraction of the rain we are having, because they are bone dry.

3. Green Tomatoes. My mom told me that the type of summer we are having here in Kentucky is what they called growing up a "green tomato summer". When you get more rain than sun and it seems like your tomatoes stay a perpetual green. Well that pretty much describes it here! We have quite a few tomatoes, but they just need more sun to ripen!

4. Humidity. Ugh. All that rain? Well the ground is saturated. And now we have HOOOOOOTTTTT weather. Put them together and there is 90%+ humidity which tacks on 5-10 degrees in "real feel" to our temperature. Today was 92, but tacking on the 95% humidity made it over 100 degrees. The kind that just covers you in sweat within seconds. Ew.

5. Flowers and Cucumbers. While the tomatoes might not be ripening, the flowers are loving the rain and sun, and so are my cucumbers. It's pickle season! Our cucumbers are growing fabulous and now it's time to make pickles. That's one thing about preserving your crops, when they are ready, you just have to do it, ready or not! Last night we had to put up corn because we discovered IT was ready. Soon it will be potatoes and melons. But right now it's cucumbers. 

Nine jars (pint-and-a-half) of pickles--whole and quartered

Fresh from the stalk corn-on-the-cob. Oh so delish!

The bees are loving my sunflowers this year!
Are you following me on Instagram yet? I love sharing snapshots of my life and hope you will come find me over there!

*****
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July 15, 2015

Homeschool Planet: An Online Planner for Your Home and Homeschool {Product Review}

When I discovered my favorite paper planner was not going to be available for the 2015-2016 year, I was not a happy camper. I am such a pencil and paper person, in a world where more and more planners are digital. I am slow to give a digital or online planner a try, but I was willing to make an exception for Homeschool Planet from Homeschool Buyers Co-Op when I had a chance to review it. With my history of disliking online planners, would this one break the cycle and be something I might actually like and...use?

Product Information

Homeschool Buyers Co-Op is a website dedicated to providing great deals and opportunities to homeschooling families. They are a family owned and operated company devoted to bringing the top-quality and top-rated curriculum to its buyers club members for the lowest prices. Unlike other buyers club, this one is FREE which makes it one of the largest, if not THE largest in the world. From being able to buy discounted curriculum, to designing student ID cards, to sharing field trip ideas, and much much more, the buyers club membership is just what every homeschool family needs.

One of the great features that Homeschool Buyers Co-op offers is Homeschool Planet, an online planner for organizing your home and homeschool. It's a full-featured planner that can be used right from the start without hours of trying to figure out what needs to be done. Simply open it, click the calendar and start adding in assignments, classes, and appointments! Because it's online, there is no downloading necessary. You also have the ability to create shopping lists and have them sent to your phone! There is also a mobile version of the program available for SmartPhones and tablets which allows you to view and edit (with some limitations) your calendar.

Everyone can enjoy trying out Homeschool Planet FREE for 30 days--no credit card required. If you decide you love it, you can continue your subscription for $65/year or $6.95/month.

We were given a one year subscription to Homeschool Planet to try for our family.

How Did We Use It?

When I received my subscription, I was able to easily log in and get started...and the first thing I did was watch the video about the online planner. It really is a crash course in everything the planner can be used for and I HIGHLY recommend everyone watching it because it can give you a MUCH greater view than what I am going to share.

What I am going to talk about is the ways that I used this program, because if you remember, I'm not really into online planners. I focused my attention on a few areas:
#1 Getting all the basics set up
#2 Setting up appointments on the calendar
#3 Setting up assignments for homeschooling
#4 Setting up reminders on the calendar
#5 Checking out the shopping list option

These were areas that I was the most interested in trying out because it was what I could use on a regular basis.

#1 Getting all the basics set up
When I logged in with my set up information, I noticed immediately the toolbar at the top of the page. It has the following options: Reports, Helpers, Print, Settings, Help

I clicked on Settings to check out the options:
I could see that here I can set up all the basic information as follows:

*General allows me set up basic things like date form, setting up your daily digests (your emailed planner pages), your school details, helpers--to help you reschedule quickly, and your display which is just the sizing you want.

*School Years simply has you go through and set up what your school year looks like. You can set perimeters and check or uncheck the days you are in session.

*Subjects/Category is where you set up all the subjects your students are going to be doing, and where you are going to note the different categories you want for your calendar appointments and events. You can even color code them.

*Grading is where you can set up your perimeters for any grading you will be doing on the assignments. You can also set up your percentage weights for grades--what percentage will be an A, B, C, etc.

*Track Class hours is where you denote whether or not you are going to be tracking the class hours for your students

*Share is the place where you can set up Google Calendar's events inside your Homeschool Planet one. You can also share your Homeschool Planet calendar out to a Google Calendar. This works for any internet calendar that supports iCalendar.

*Theme allows you to customize the colors and backgrounds for your Homeschool Planet experience

I worked through each section adjusting them as I wanted to. I was really happy to find the Theme because I love customizing designs. I like that I can change anything in this section of the program if I need to at any time.

I looked at Reports next and saw that I can create a report for Assignments, Class Hours, Class Notes, and Grade Reports. Each of these areas are customizable. I only used the Assignment list. It was very cool to see that I could customize it to show me assignments broken down by day, student and class and that I could change how I wanted it broken down. Every assignment had a check box to be marked and the list was printable! Printable means--paper and pencil style! Which is right up my alley.

Once I peaked around the toolbar, I decided to set up each member of my family. This was easy to do by clicking on the "My Family" link which is to the left of the calendar.
When I got logged in, it only had me as the primary user, so I simply clicked "Add Person" to set up each family member. This let me set up their name, email (if I wanted them to receive digests), cell number (for text messages), login information, grade level, attendance and other details like that...and to add pictures!

#2 Setting Up Appointments on the Calendar
Once this was done, everything was a go for moving to the next step. The calendar. The calendar was so very easy and pretty self explanatory. You click a day and then go for it...

This handy menu pops up and you can pick what you want to add--whether something for school, a holiday/event, or...everything else! And yes, you can even simply copy over an existing class. It was very simple to set up appointments, events, vacations from here. It's smart to make sure you set up that Subjects/Category menu first because you will use those things here. When you set up an event you can even add all types of notes to anything you add. Here I added an activity, but I had a list of things I needed to do as part of it.

Here is what it looks like on the calendar...

You can see that it makes check boxes which I can check off. If I click on any activity, it will let me check off, edit, delete, or change what I have listed.

#3 Setting Up Assignments for Homeschooling
I set up assignments for homeschooling by clicking on the students name, then click "class". Now I can click a subject I want to add--say "Daily Devotions". Now I can determine what days of the week will it be done, if it's going to be done at a specific time, and which student is going to be doing it. Now I can set up if there is a generic assignment to be done across all the days, and then I can add specific needs for each day of the assignment. I can even add the following to any of the day's assignments by clicking "more": a reminder, a website, upload a file, assign a resource, even add another assignment to the day. Once something has been added, I can even move it around if I need to--simply click and drag.
Under the notes tab, I can make any detailed notes I want about each assignment if needed. Resources tab gives a list of all the resources I have assigned to the subject.

Once the assignments are set up, they pop up on the calendar even labelled by student. You can adjust your calendar to show you a view for each person, or to see everyone all at once. A simple drop down menu lets you do this.

Now that the assignments are set up, your student can log in and start working through their list...remember you set them up a login for them to be able to do this. Because Little Britches doesn't have his own email, he uses my email and then his own password. He can choose his own theme when he logs in...he chose a dinosaur one.

When he logs in, he sees his calendar with all his assignments. He can switch to the planner view which puts all the assignments onto a page (like above). This can be printed by him clicking the "print" at the top of the page. He can log in and check off anything he has completed.

The next day, if something wasn't marked off, it shows up on my screen.
I am using an example of one where there are a lot of assignments to deal with. We aren't doing school during the summer right now, so mine is rather blank at the moment

Here I can quickly work my way through and determine what I want to do with each assignment or event that didn't get finished.

#4 Setting up reminders on the calendar
Because I chose the option for a "Daily Digest", I get an email every morning listing all the things on the schedule to be done. I also have it set up to give me a weekly look at what is on the schedule. Every assignment and event can also have individual reminders which you get notified by. You can even choose to be notified via test message which is great--and the method I prefer.

#5 Checking out the shopping list option
I was most intrigued by the shopping list option. I discovered that the shopping list is one of the widget options.

There are several pre-loaded stores that you can pull down and then fill up with your list. Once your list is filled, you can have it sent to someone's email or cell phone via text message! You can even "call" your list and have it sent to your phone even if you aren't home! I told the program to send this list to my phone...

See how handy that is?? I have tried it, and I can send it to my husband's phone too. I can also use another widget to send him a message to his phone...pretty nifty if I do say so myself!

There are so many other things that this program can do, but these were the five areas that I wanted to explore it the most.

What Are My Thoughts On This Program?

Okay, I have to admit. Out of all the online programs I have tried out as a planner, this one was definitely the easiest and most useful for me and my needs. I loved that it was simple to set up and that I could cater it to exactly what I needed. My favorite aspects were the emailed daily lists, the detailed way I could set up an event, and getting my shopping list sent to my phone. I also liked that I COULD print off my pages if I wanted it.

It was easy for Little Britches to figure out what I had set for him that day by simply logging on. He preferred to NOT print his schedule, because he liked to check things off.

This program was very very user friendly and if I had any questions on how to get it to do something, I simply sent them a message and they responded. There is also a neat widget at the top of the screen where the company notes any changes that have been made to the program. I loved seeing when they made it possible to upload PDFs to assignments.

I also loved that i had the option to add on widgets--little sidebar boxes for things like "to do" lists, a daily quote, a daily scripture and more.

So, any cons? Well, it IS an online planner which means you have to have internet access. Now it is mobile friendly, but I only just got a SmartPhone and haven't had a chance to test it out yet. But the downside would be that if your electricity went out, well, you would be up a creek without a paddle if everything you had was on that planner---unlike my good old paper and pen version.

Another con, might be that you kind of have to explore it to see what it can do. There is a lot of trial and error involved, but I am okay with that because I like to learn by "doing".

For what it can do and compared to the prices of even full year paper planners, I think the price is very very reasonable because you are getting a great tool!

So, now the real question...Will I continue to use Homeschool Planet now that my review is done?
Yes--with reservations. I don't know if I will use it for all the assignments for school because I just flat our prefer the paper/pen method, but I do like the calendar and DEFINITELY the shopping list features.

Would I Recommend This Product?

Absolutely. I think it is very useful to the busy mom, even if you are NOT a homeschooler because of what the program is capable of. It is super easy to get set up, easy to get your events and appointments logged, easy to get the reminders set up...it's just EASY to use.

But if you are person who doesn't like being tied to the computer and like it all in front of you to go and grab and make changes with a simple stroke of a pen, well, then the program won't be right for you.

**ETA: But wait there is more...until FRIDAY the 17th, you can get THREE months of Homeschool Planet for FREE! But only until July 17, 2o15, so act fast and sign up quickly!

Want to Know More?
I reviewed Homeschool Planet from Homeschool Buyers Co-Op with great success. Make sure you head over to see what the other members of my review crew did with it and what they thought about it for an even better look!
Homeschool Planet Review
Want to stay in touch with Homeschool Buyers Co-op? You can find them on these social media networks:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolbuyers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hsbuyerscoop
Google+: https://plus.google.com/112069021534542740249/about

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So, Homeschool Planet ended up being a great online planner, and the best one that I've tried...but I still am most definitely a pencil and paper kind of person. I will continue my quest for a printed planner that meets my standards, but I do plan on using Homeschool Planet for as long as I have it because it did have several things I liked. I hope you will at least give the 30 day free trial a go, because I think you just might enjoy what the program can do!
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