My son loves to play chess and so do several of my young friends so I was very intrigued by the opportunity to review Fun Family Chess from Brain Blox!

As soon as the family chess set arrived, I bought it to our homeschool co-op. There are many chess fans in our co-op so I wanted them to try it out. 

Peter enjoyed playing the game and said that it was fun to play with the dice because it made the game more random and he was able to get his friend Daniel, who hates chess, to play. He also liked that you can play regular chess, too!

Samuel thought it was really fun and like the options. He thought it was a great way to introduce non-chess players to the game. 

Gracie loved all the pretty colors in the booklet and on the dice. She liked the easier version and said it made her want to keep playing. 

Daniel was surprised that he enjoyed it so much. 

Fun Family Chess contains a wooden chess board and 32 wooden chess pieces. In addition, there was a full color chess directions booklets, a pouch to hold chess pieces, two full color reference cards, and a chess cube. 

I love that everything is color-coded so that learning chess is made more simple. 

Sometime during the middle school years, each of my children took a world geography course where they did lots of mapping using blank outline maps. They filled in landforms like mountains, rivers, oceans, lakes, forests, grasslands, and deserts. They also filled in political maps with names of countries, capitals, and important rivers. 

At the end of the course, the children had to draw their own continents with national political boundaries using a grid. The end-of-the-year map included political boundaries, landforms, and important places. Some of them were works of art, being so precise, neat, and colorful. 

When my youngest son came along, I decided to let them do something a little more creative. They would make their final world map, but this time, it would be on the master bathroom wall. 

The first decision was to choose the map projection for the wall. They had to choose between the Robinson projection, Mercator projection, and the Universal Transverse Mercator System. They chose the Universal Transverse Mercator System which did make some of the countries look a little bit odd. 

Once we choose the projection, Jimmy and his friend carefully measured to make the lines of latitude and longitude drawing lightly with pencils. Later these would be erased. 

Using the lines, the outline of continents was drawn first with light pencil so that they could be erased if need be. 

"Let's do something different tonight!" I suggested. 

Every family night we played a game or watched a movie both of which everyone enjoyed, but I wanted a change. 

All eyes were upon me. 

"Let's create commercials!" I smiled at my brood. "It will be so much fun!" 

Before anyone could complain, my husband divided the family into 2 groups.

Each group would come up with a commercial and record it. Then we would watch each other's commercials together while we ate cookies and popcorn. 

With eyes on the popcorn, one group went upstairs to brainstorm and the other group stayed in the family room. 

The upstairs group decided to do a hair removal commercial. Use my mascara, they created a uni-brow on Jenny Rose, then 11.They also added massive amounts of "hair" to one leg. Jenny Rose would be the victim of peer cruelty because of excessive hair growth, but NADS hair removal would come to her rescue. The dialogue was priceless. 

The other group decided to do a cooking commercial in the kitchen with lots of slapstick comedy thrown in, including falling down and spilling things. The final scene would show everyone bandaged, but happily eating the delicious food cooked in the space age pots. 

Needless to say, the night was a huge success. We had a blast! And over the years we have watched these videos over and over. 

Here it is the end of August and we in the path of a hurricane. No one is worried. We know the drill. Get your supplies. Batten down the hatches and settle in to ride out the storm or evacuate if needed. 

I grew up in Florida and have been through many hurricanes, including some major hurricanes. You really never know what a hurricane will do. The slower moving ones often bring a ton of water which has meant mopping up water from our family room floor. 

Most long-time Floridians have a stash of hurricane items that are stored in the laundry room or pantry and include flashlights, lanterns, and a portable radio. We check the battery supply, stock up on non-perishable food items, buy bags of ice to throw into coolers if the electricity goes out, get more bottled water than we could possibly drink for a lifetime, and make sure we have at least 2 can openers that work before a storm hits. 

We charge up phones, tablets, and laptops before the storm. 

Of course, we get the house ready. We take in all furniture and lawn decorations, storing them in our already crowded garage. We trim off any branches that look like they could cause damage if they broke off, and we board up our windows. 

At the last possible minute, I scrub out the tub and rinse it sparkling clean. Then I fill it with water. This water is in case a water main breaks so we have water to do dishes and bathe. We've never had that happen, but others have so we keep doing it every storm. 

Did you know that you can buy many of the supplies you need online at Amazon and have them delivered right to your door? That makes things so much easier. 

You should have 3 gallons per person per day when a hurricane is approaching. But, remember I also fill our very clean bathtub with water. I usually run to the grocery store to buy bottled water, but you can purchase it at Amazon. Crystal Geyser Natural Spring Water is perfect when a hurricane hits!

Family Movie Nights are a weekly event in our home. We enjoy popping some popcorn and watching a good movie that everyone enjoys. 

Okay, there is a catch to this Hallmark moment movie night. 

We have trouble finding movies that we all enjoy and more importantly, we have a hard time finding a movie that is wholesome. 

So, I will share some of the movies we've found that the whole family enjoys. These movies are hits in our house. I think you will enjoy them too. 

Some of the movies are Christian (Risen, Facing the Giants, Polycarp​). They inspire us and motivate us to draw closer to Jesus. 

Other movies make us laugh (Mom's Night Out, Cars, Princess Bride). Some our Hollywood versions of Christians stories (Chariots of Fire, Sound of Music)

Movies can impact us in a positive or negative way. Everyone loves a good story. A good movie with a delightful story and sparkling acting is a blessing for the whole family. 
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Movies often lead to discussions afterward or even weeks/months later. 

​This is the story of Eric Liddell, a gold medal winner in the 1924 Olympics. His devotion to the Lord is exempliary and inspiring! The movie also follows another runner who must overcome anti-Semetic prejudice in his quest for winning.
This awarding winning movie (Academy Award for Best Picture) was released in 1981. 

Learning is a lifestyle. Whether it's educational placemats or nature walks, we are learning every moment. 

The question is: what are we learning? 

I want to cultivate a sense of wonder and curiosity in my children. Putting things in their pathway like classical music, educational placemats, or a coffee table book of Impressionist paintings. This allows my children to pick things up, observe, and ask questions if and when they want to.

​Yes, I do formal teaching, but I also try to sprinkle their lives full of opportunities to ask questions and wonder. 

​We fell in love with educational placemats when our children were little. I just happened to pick up a USA map placemat on sale and little did I know how much it would impact my children. I had to get a second one so they each could eat off their very own map. 

When they were quite young, my children learned about numbers, A-B-Cs, USA states and capitals, and the periodic table (long before we studied chemistry) while they ate their breakfast cereal and sandwich for lunch. 

There is something fun about a placemat that is bright and colorful that captures the imagination of a child. When its educational, it makes learning fun! 

In our home, educational placemats jump-started curiosity. 

Now, I'm a grandmother and my two little grandsons sit at my Nana's old table and eat when they visit. And I have pulled out the colorful, cheery placemats their mommy enjoyed. Now, they enjoy them, too. 

Of course, I've been shopping for new placemats and I thought I'd share what I've found with you. 

These placemats would make a great addition to your homeschooling and lunchtime fun. ​

We love to watch movies while we work on our timelines in our house. So, when we decided to study the 20th Century for a year, the first thing we did was look for movies. 
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​There are so many good movies to choose from. It was hard to narrow it down. 

We looked at ​HIS Story of the 20th Century​ to choose movies that would dovetail nicely with the material covered in each decade. 

The great thing about movies is that they bring another place and time alive for the whole family. We can enjoy Prince Edward Island with Anne or experience the danger of World War I with Sergeant York. We can cheer Eric Liddell on in Chariots of Fire and hope racial tensions will be overcome in Remember the Titans. 

When it comes to World War II movies, there are so many to choose from. Over the years, we have watched so many good movies about World War II. I just couldn't include them all. 

​Anyway, here are the movies we chose. 

​​Tap the picture to learn more about each movie. 

I looked back on all our family vacations since we were married in 1984 and evaluated them with the peaceful quotient. Some have been so peaceful and refreshing. While others--well, let's just not go there. 

Interestingly, it doesn't seem that busyness is a factor. Last year we went on a tour of Italy and every day was jam-packed with activities. We fell into bed each night exhausted. However, we laughed, we enjoyed one another, we were kind to each other, and everyone agreed it was a refreshing time. 

As I pondered what makes a vacation peaceful, I came up with some factors that surprised me. In peaceful family vacations, we all had similar expectations and shared common goals. There might have been surprises (like arriving at a cabin where every single door was locked), but for the most part, we were all on the same page and everyone felt an ownership of the trip. Mike and I weren't just dragging the kids along. 

Over the years, we've stayed with family, cabined in the mountains, condoed on the beach, toured a country where we didn't speak the language, and done the Disney thing. Some of those trips have been spent swimming in the hotel pool, playing games, or walking along the beach. Others have been spent at museums, art galleries, and cathedrals. Yet each different kind of vacation has the potential to be peaceful or not-so-peaceful 

Here's what has helped create a peaceful vacation. 

Summer is a great time to relax. 

The weather is warm, the skies are blue, and sunshine is smiling on everything. 

Summer is the perfect time to curl up with a book or have an Anne of Green Gables movie marathon.

Nothing relaxes me more than lying on a beach chair listening to the waves crash on the shore. Soon, I am far away in a happy places. Oops! I hope someone is watching my kids!

Summer is a great time to make memories. 

We love to swim in the pool, play games, craft, scrapbook, enjoy museums, and visit amusement parks in the summer. Afternoons at the playground or discovering where a dirt road leads are fun, too! 

Summer is a great time to learn. 

We always take a break from formal schooling in the summer, but learning continues on. After all, we live a lifestyle of learning as homeschooling families. There is always something to discover and investigate!

With all of this in mind, here are some happy ideas to celebrate summer, make memories, learn new things, and have a blast this summer!

Here in Florida, swimming is part of life. There are lakes, pools, springs, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico to swim in. 

I remember taking swimming lessons as a little girl at a neighbor's pool. I blew bubbles underwater and learned to float. 

My children grew up in the water, too, but we taught them to swim ourselves, introducing them to the water while they were still in diapers. 

I definitely recommend swim lessons if you can afford them. All children should be safe near water. You never know when you will have to swim to escape danger or help rescue someone. 

The other day, we were swimming with my grandchildren and children in their neighborhood pool. Rusty got out of the pool, took off his floaties, and jumped back in. "He can't swim!" my son-in-law said sharply as I was watching him struggle in a state of shock. That jolted me and I scooped him up. My heart was pounding as I realized how quickly accidents happen. 

It reminded me of my baby sister who did the same thing. Took off her floatie and jumped right back into our next-door neighbor's pool. My neighbor Tommy jumped in and saved her life. She had quickly sunk to the bottom of the deep end. 

All children should be able if they jump or fall in a pool, lake, or other body of water to swim, escaping to safety. 

If you are looking for lessons or teaching children yourself, here are some steps to take babies and toddlers on their first steps to swim proficiency. 

​The beach is a great place to explore. You and your children can have all kinds of learning adventures along the shore, in the tide pools, and climbing the sand dunes.

Here are some great ways to learn at the beach.

Engineer a Castle that withstands the Waves

Here’s a great STEM project. Construct a castle with a moat that will withstand the occasional wave. This might take several tries.

Mark Off the Tides

Place a sturdy stick that will withstand the waves every hour at the average place where the waves stop before rolling back. Then figure out how many feet the tide changes each hour. Estimate where it will be in 2 or 3 hours. 

Explore a Tide Pool

When the tide goes out, a tide pool is often left behind. Explore the tide pool for little creatures.

Sketch Nature

Bring along a sketch pad, or easel with paper and pretend you are a world famous artist working on your next masterpiece. You can sketch the waves and the sky or zero in on a bird. 

We are up and running. It’s a brand-new year. So much to be excited about. It’s hard to believe that soon this school year will just be a memory.

My Missing Photos

I have been homeschooling since 1991 and as I look back at our photo albums—yes, I used to get photos printed and put them in albums before digital—I find one set of photos missing. The photos of my children reading, working on a math problem, reading to a sibling, or doing chores.
I have lots of photos of birthdays, holidays, field trips, and special days, but I wish I had more photos of ordinary school days.

Maybe you do take lots of photos of school and chores, posting them on Instagram for the world to see. Good for you! You will treasure those memories one day.

Storing My Photos

As you go through the school year, don’t forget to snap photos and save mementos. Maybe you don’t scrapbook or print photos and put them in leather albums, but you can label and save them in folders.

I don’t print up photos much anymore, unless I am framing them, but I do label photos with the date and list the people in the photo. Sometimes I just use initials like this: “Christmas Day 2016 JR JA Dad Jim KB Rusty.”

My photos are organized on my computer, too. There is one folder for every year: 2000, 2001, 2002, etc. Then, I also have all twelve months in separate folders: Jan 2015, Feb 2015, March 2015, etc. Inside these folders are all kinds of folders: Beach 6 6 15, Road Rally 6 17 15, Mom’s BD 6 2 15, etc. These folders are descriptive, so I can easily remember the day by looking at the title.

Finding Photos

​All the Gospels in the New Testament devote several chapters to the last week of Jesus’ life.

After all, there was so much going on that final week when Jesus took the sins of the whole world on Himself and died for us.

Satan thought he won, but he lost! Jesus rose from the dead on the third day!

When Holy Week and Easter roll around, I want my children to learn about and celebrate everything!

​Besides being real history, this week is foundational for our faith in Jesus.

​So, let me give you a birds’ eye view of the last week of Jesus life and ways to celebrate with your family. 

Starting on Saturday, Jesus dined with Simon the Leper in Bethany. Bethany was where Lazarus, whom he had just raised from the dead, and his sisters Mary and Martha lived. Anyway, while Martha served, Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. Jesus said that she had anointed Him for burial and commended her.
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Family Fun: Give one another foot rubs

(Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-9)

​On Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The people were so excited, they worshipped Him, as well as spreading cloaks and palm branches on the ground for Him to ride over.

Family Fun: Dress up and act out the Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem
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(Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19)

​I just hosted a baby shower and we had a blast playing a brand new game, The Price is Right.

You’re right! It’s based on an old TV show with a baby shower twist.

The Price is Right Baby Shower game is the perfect game to entertain guests at a baby shower.

It’s quite fun to see your guests pricing skills!

​Everyone was laughing and having a great time while we played.

The game is easy to play, and afterward, all of the products from the game can be given to the new mom as an extra gift.

What is so great about this game?

Well, each element can be customized to fit the baby shower theme.

From the items you purchase, down to creating the handout – You can be as creative as you want to be!