Snow Day!

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin


Kindness is like snow--it beautifies everything it covers.

A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together! ~Author Unknown

Snowmen fall from heaven... unassembled. ~Author Unknown

When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels. ~Author Unknown

"A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship." — Markus Zusak -The Book Thief

The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.~ Doug Larson

"I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas: It brings people together while time stands still. Cozy couples lazily meandered the streets and children trudged sleds and chased snowballs. No one seemed to be in a rush to experience anything other than the glory of the day, with each other, whenever and however it happened " — Rachel Cohn

Expedition Ireland Download N Go Review

Our daughter will be studying abroad this spring in England, Ireland, and Scotland so we jumped at the chance to learn more about one of the places she will be visiting. We have really enjoyed all the Expedition DNGs that we have done.


Let me tell you a little bit about Download N Go in general. Each Download N Go is a comprehensive unit geared to K-4 students but could be easily modified to older or younger students. Everything you need is included –websites, videos, activity pages, lapbook components. Planning and Preparation is so easy because all the work is done for you. There is also an extensive book list included on each topic. Each unit is very reasonably priced and available for immediate download.

Now on to the beautiful emerald isle!

Each unit is broken down into 5 days/objectives. Here are just a few of the things you will be learning with the Expedition Ireland Download N Go.

Day 1: Where on Earth is Ireland?
Day 2: The Places of Ireland
Day 3: A Bit of History
Day 4: Cool Things to Know about Ireland
Day 5: Fun and Games in Ireland

These are a some of the books we used to go along with our studies. Click on the picture below to take a look at some samples from Expedition Ireland.

As I have said before, these units have so much meat in them that they can easily be spread out over a longer period of time. So we decided to dig in and spend a few weeks in Ireland.

Every day there are beautiful videos that really give you a feel for the country (and a deep desire to visit!!) This week we have spent time learning about some of Ireland’s major cities, animals unique to the country, geographical features, St. Patrick, and of course the little green guys! *smile* History, Geography, Science, Vocabulary…it’s all here!

I have to tell you I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these units!! They really have changed our homeschool in a very positive way!

Check out the Expedition Ireland Blog Tour to see what other reviews have to say.

If you want to learn more about Amanda Bennett Units Studies, check out her website here.

Check out the $5 Dollar Deals going on right now through Feb 21st.

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review here on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***

Homeschool Mothers Journal 2-13-11

In my life this week...lots going on, and hubby is on a trip to Germany.

In our homeschool this week...the little boys are continuing their study of Medieval times, birds and we are reviewing DNG’s Expedition Ireland. Josh is spending time learning about the events that were going on during Abe Lincolns life time.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We've been to the orthodonist’s office two different times, big grocery shopping trip, lunch and movies for Valentine's Day, piano and guitar lessons, skating for Noah, and a sleepover.

My favorite thing this week was...playing games with the boys.

What's working/not working for us... I really need to work on our school schedule for Mondays. We have to be out for several hours in the afternoon for music lessons and so we are always running behind or rushing.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...I am already making plans, thinking about next year. I try to be careful about that because I don’t want to miss the rest of this year.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
“Life is not an emergency” ~Ann Voskamp from One Thousand Gifts

George Washington DNG Review

If you read my review of the Ben Franklin DNG, you know how much I love anything history. So once again I was extremely excited to have the opportunity for our family to review the new George Washington Download N Go.

What an interesting man and a wonderful role model!



Download N Go is a comprehensive unit study geared to K-4 students but could be easily modified to older or younger students. Everything you need is included –websites, videos, activity pages, lapbook components. Planning and Preparation is so easy because all the work is done for you. There is also an extensive book list included on each topic. Each unit is very reasonably priced and available for immediate download.




These are a few of the books/videos we used this week.

This unit was jam packed with information, as well as, some beautiful activity pages filled with quotes and pictures from George’s life. I printed every single page to be included in our lapbook/notebook! Click on the picture below to view some sample pages.




Each unit is broken down into 5 days/objectives. Here are just a few of the things you will be learning with the George Washington Download N Go.

Who was George Washington?
People & Places in George Washington’s Life
The Accomplishments of George Washington
Lessons to Learn from George Washington
Remembering George Washington

We spent time this week learning about our nation’s capital, what our president does, finding out more about several national monuments. While this unit covers a lot of history, we also talked about character traits and leadership skills. Math, Geography, and Art Appreciation are a few of the other topics that are included.





We even took time to throw George Washington a little birthday party!

Here are a few shots of our completed lapbook. It turned out so nice and we had a great day of review when we put it all together.

If you want to learn more about Download N Go units or any of Amanda Bennett's other unit studies (which are fabulous by the way) Check them out here.

See what other bloggers have to say about this unit at the DNG George Washington Blog Tour.

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review her on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***

DNG's Magnificent Moon Review

This week we have been learning all about the Magnificent Moon. True to form, this Download N Go is just packed with information. You could easily use this unit for several weeks. That is one of my favorite things about Download N Go. You can absolutely expand on the topics or use it just as it is and have a wonderful week of learning.



If you remember my other reviews, you know that these Download N Go units are geared to children K-4 but could easily be expanded to use with older children. Planning and Preparation is so easy because all the work is done for you. Everything you need is included – websites, videos, fun activities, and lapbook pieces. I spend about 30 minutes over the weekend looking over the unit, printing, putting books on hold, and cutting lapbook pieces. (I always cut them out ahead of time and sort them by day.) Some might think there is a lot of printing but you can print as much or little of the materials as you decide. Just as the name implies- you just download and go!

Click on the images below to see some samples from Magnificent Moon.

Here are some of the topics covered in Magnificent Moon.

What Exactly is the Moon?
Getting to Know the Moon
The Story of the Moon
Science Secrets of the Moon
Cool Things about the Moon

Geography, History, Art, Science, Vocabulary…it’s all in there! We spent time learning about the Apollo missions, spacesuits, gravity, Issac Newton and Galileo and so much more. Each day you will learn about an astronaut as well. There are also lots of games and recipes to try! One of our favorite parts of this study was the art study of Astronaut Alan Bean. Fascinating!

We also took some time to learn about moon phases and how the moon controls the tides.

I loved the video of the lunar astronauts as they began to read....In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Mom got a bit choked up *smile*

My future astronauts!!!

Here are a few shots of our completed lapbook.

Front & Back Cover



Inside front

Inside Back

There are some great specials and contests going on over at the Download N Go Blog.

Magnificent Moon Blog Tour

The Cabin Fever Fun Pack- which includes Magnificent Moon, Winter Wonders, Hoppin Popcorn, & Expedition Canada is on sale until 1/31/11 for only $20. (reg. $28)

There will be a Moon Map Giveaway beginning on Jan 24th. Enter for you chance to win!

Check out all of Amanda Bennet’s Unit Studies here!

***Disclaimer Statement: We were provided a copy of this product, free of charge, for the purpose of writing an honest review her on my blog. The opinions expressed here are those of my children or myself.***