If you are anything like me, life works out much better when it is scripted. “Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it’.” (Habakkuk 2:20) I have found this scripture to be of great importance; reminding me to prayerfully write things down rather than trying to remember everything on my own. Because of the importance of staying organized as a stay-at-home homeschooling mother, using planners has been a wonderful and necessary tool in my life.

Does this describe you? If so, then I have the perfect resource to recommend you!

Recently I had the honor to review the eBook, Planner Perfect: A Fresh Idea on Organizing Your Life by Jenny Penton. The Planner Perfect is unlike any planner that I have ever used in the past. It is truly a breath of fresh air that I know will help me out with planning many wonderful thins to come in the new year. It is well written, well organized, keeps God at the center of your planning, and very simple to understand. The beautiful thing about Jenny’s eBook is that it teaches you how to become a master life planner, taking control of your own scheduling, rather than being held captive by your schedule.

The story behind the concept is absolutely heartwarming. Jenny has fashioned the planner around the influence of her precious Proverbs 31 mother and the example she modeled while Jenny was growing up. Rather than the typical “task manager” planning, the Planner Perfect is a place where you create your life and can dream up new things birthed in freedom, rather than being tied down by an impossible to-do-list.

One of my favorite things about the Planner Perfect approach to goal setting is the simple fact that it is more about dreaming and living life than about the legalistic aspect of making lists to “check” off. While lists do serve their purpose, the Planner Perfect gives you a whole new understanding about the importance of not overbooking yourself and family. This new “mindset” will help anyone who has been giving their calendar too much control in their life plans.

Some of the many wonderful topics this fabulous eBook covers are:

• creating a space of your own
• secrets to why we can’t stay organized
• the role of your calendar
• daily and monthly pages
• organizing and exploring your strengths and talents
• organizing your wardrobe
• party planning
• vacations
• emotional and physical health
• keeping your home clean
• meal planning
• holiday’s and special occasions
• aspiring for more

I would highly recommend purchasing this eBook if you want a fresh and exciting new start to your life planning. I love the way Jenny teaches us to become the master of our own life planning accompanied with living life, accomplishing goals, creating and accomplishing dreams, and above all else; living a life pleasing to God.

You can purchase Jenny Penton’s ebook here: Planner Perfect: A Fresh Idea on Organizing Your Life.

We have FIVE copies of Jenny’s planner to give away!  To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. The giveaway will remain open until Wednesday 2/8 at 10pm EST. If you are reading this on Facebook, please note that you must enter your comment on the original blog post on our website.

Carlie has been blissfully married to the love of her life, Michael, since June of 2000. She has been a stay-at-home homeschoolin’ mama to their 3 children since 2001. Carlie currently resides with her family in Germany courtesy of the US Army. You can read about her homeschooling adventures and Christian faith at her blog: So You Call Yourself A Homeschooler?

Getting started with Pick and Draw is very simple. The entire Pick and Draw product is packaged to look like a deck of cards. Within the deck are five different facial features to draw, including eye and nose shapes and hairstyles. Then for each facial feature, Pick and Draw provides 9 distinctly different cartooning options.

To begin playing Pick and Draw, five cards are chosen at random, one from each facial feature category. Using paper and a pencil, a player first draws the face shape that is shown on the card. Next, the player adds the nose, eyes, mouth and hair shapes that are displayed on each particular chosen card. That’s it! The adorable cartoon face is done! It’s really that simple.

For added educational benefit, once the drawing of numerous faces are complete, homeschooling parents could assign creative writing assignments such as having kids give their cartoon faces a name and personality. Children will also enjoy writing a fanciful story to give life to their Pick and Draw cartoon faces.

My entire family really enjoyed Pick and Draw. My kids that have been enrolled in expensive art lessons loved Pick and Draw because of the ability to manipulate just one card (of the five needed for a particular face) in order to create some very different cartoon faces. As for me, I have no art training whatsoever. However, by following designs on the five cards faithfully, even I was able to draw adorable and funny cartoon faces!

Pick and Draw really is easy to understand and can be enjoyed by the entire family. It’s small and as portable as a deck of cards, so you can also take Pick and Draw along on your next trip.

Pamela has been homeschooling her kids since 2005. She has visited 41 states and 16 countries and now calls the beautiful Pacific Northwest home. You can find her writing about homeschooling, books and downsizing her life at I Read. Do You?

Adapting the design of Mom and Dad’s favorite touchpad devices, the VTech InnoTab Learning App Tablet helps your child take learning to the next level with one of today’s most popular technologies. This multimedia tablet combines interactive reading, learning games, creative activities, and tools in a sleek and durable educational toy. Thanks to its 5-inch color touch screen and tilt sensor, kids ages four to nine can touch, flick, and drag their way to learning fun. *Amazon.com

I was very pleased with the quality and ease of use with this product. It was created with children ages 3-9 in mind, however because of the video and mp3 features, I would confidently say that the device would appeal to children up to age 12. Using an SD card (not included) you can upload music and videos, including full length movies, to your Innotab.

The tablet comes equipped with 2 games (Pinball Letters and Ice Escape), 1 book (What’s That Noise), an art studio, coloring book, calendar, calculator, video player, mp3 player, photo viewer, notebook, clock, and a contacts app. The games and ebooks are geared toward ages 3-9. Additional apps can be purchased on Vtech’s website for only $2.99 each.

The battery life on the Innotab was so-so, but this downfall can easily be remedied by using rechargeable batteries and making sure to have one set of fully charged batteries always available.

I think the Innotab is a wonderful introduction to a full-size tablet, such as the iPad, Nook or Kindle.

• Cost: $79.00
• Can be purchased in blue or pink
• Requires 4 AA batteries
• 9″ x 1″ x 10″ with a 5″ color touch screen

Disclaimer:  I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review.  This post was not influenced by the free product I received or by the company.

Simply Homeschool offers great practical tips on how to reduce the physical homeschool clutter, but also focuses on the very important step of reducing mental clutter in your life. This book is short and easy to read, consisting of 7 chapters as well as an appendix of worksheets to help you simplify your homeschool. Simply Homeschool encourages you to focus on the main reasons you started this homeschooling journey in the first place.

The worksheets that are included in the book are particularly helpful if you have no idea where to even start a journey towards a simple life. Personally, I was particularly convicted about the use of my online time after I completed the all of the questions for “Simplify Your Time: Accountability for Reducing Mental Clutter.”

Simply Homeschooling strikes a nice balance between living an uncluttered life and living a life of stark minimalism. This book doesn’t advocate throwing out every possession and canceling all extracurricular activities on the calendar. Instead this book encourages you to be purposeful with your homeschool, to make wise choices and seek joy each and every day.

It was an educational field trip left Karen DeBeus pondering on her family’s needs versus wants. That journey led her to start her blog, Simply Living…For Him. She was then encouraged to share her own personal homeschool experiences in her book, Simply Homeschool: Having Less Clutter and More Joy in YOUR Homeschool. Now you can follow along with a veteran homeschooling mom as you discover how to live your life simply and uncluttered.

Simply Homeschool: Having Less Clutter and More Joy in YOUR Homeschool by Karen DeBeus can help you discover all that God would have for you and your homeschool. Strive for joy in YOUR homeschool one simple, uncluttered day at a time.

Karen is generously giving away 3 copies of her ebook to 3 lucky winners. To enter, simply leave a comment telling us what area of your homeschooling life needs the most help. The giveaway will remain open until Wednesday, 11/23 at 10pm EST.

Pamela has been homeschooling her kids since 2005. She has visited 41 states and 16 countries and now calls the beautiful Pacific Northwest home. You can find her writing about homeschooling, books and downsizing her life at I Read. Do You?

We introduced Heart of the Matter readers to Library and Educational Services a couple of months ago when they gave away a set of Great Moments in American History.

Library and Ed received such a positive response from the homeschool community here at Heart of the Matter; they have generously decided to sponsor another fantastic giveaway!

This boxed set of eight delightful stories feature the complete works of James Herriot which were later reprinted as the three best-selling volumes: All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and All Things Wise and Wonderful.

I remember the James Herriot books from my own childhood – my sister read them over and over, and today she works in veterinary medicine. These warm and funny stories recount James Herriot’s adventures as a country vet in England from 1940 to 1995.

Not only is Library and Ed giving one lucky Heart of the Matter reader a chance to WIN this terrific set, they are offering a substantial coupon code to the rest of us!

To enter, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite childhood book (personally, I have very fond memories of Harriet the Spy…and The Bagthorpe Saga…and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle…and Cheaper by the Dozen…and now I’m getting sidetracked). This giveaway will be open until Friday 11/25 at 10:00pm EST. The winner will be notified by email.

To take advantage of this coupon code, click HERE and use the coupon code JAMES at checkout. This will reduce the price of the set from $39.95 to $17.95. That’s a savings of over fifty percent!

These books would make a lovely addition to any homeschooler’s library or a special gift under the Christmas tree. The coupon code will remain valid until November 30^th.

Happy shopping!

Thank you to Library and Ed for being so very generous with this give away and coupon.

Deb is a knitting, cooking, home schooling mom. Who is way cooler than that sounds. Really. She blogs about all sorts of random and sometimes even mildly interesting things at Not Inadequate.

The young children will love the Alphabet Matcher Twisterz the best. Children choose a letter, then pick five pictures that correspond to that letter. For example the Letter “B” matches with ball, butterfly, banana, boat and books. Some of the pictures might be a bit tricky (is that a boat or a sailboat?), so thankfully the matching instructions are included. In order to cover all 26 letters of the alphabet and their coordinating pictures, the Alphabet Matcher Twisterz requires parents to reassemble the Twisterz wand. This is done easily enough by unscrewing the end of the wand, sliding off the old rings, then putting on the new rings which are coordinated by colors on the stickers.

Early spellers will enjoy the Word Builder Twisterz. By spinning the rings on the Twisterz Toys wand, kids can spell a variety of words using the letters found on the rings. Like with the Alphabet Matcher Twisterz, the rings can easily be removed and changed allowing your child to spell many more words. This particular Twisterz is limited to the letters on the rings and the order in which the rings are put on the wand, so the Word Builder Twisterz Toy can really challenge your child to create some unique words.

Kids and parents will like the Story Starter Twisterz. Spin the rings to set the stage for some very creative story-telling fun. With four different rings each with 10 possible storylines, the Story Starter can spin up some great story beginnings such as “The man of mystery…noticed the Queen…and rang the bell. Somehow…” or perhaps “The game contestant…pulled the switch…and peeked inside…However…” This Twisterz would be great for family game night or would work great as a creative writing device in your homeschool.

Educational, electronic-free and engaging, Twisterz Toys are really great. More information on Twisterz Toys can be found at http://twisterztoys.com/. To help your kids kids the most out of the Twisterz Toys, supplementary learning material can be found at http://twisterztoys.com/learn/.

Twisterz Toys is giving away a set of all 3 toys, just in time for Christmas! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on the original post. This giveaway will be open until Friday, 11/18 at 10:00pm.

Pamela has been homeschooling her kids since 2005. She has visited 41 states and 16 countries and now calls the beautiful Pacific Northwest home. You can find her writing about homeschooling, books and downsizing her life at I Read. Do You?

We are eclectic homeschoolers. For those who are not familiar with this term it simply means we use various teaching methods. One method we incorporated into our eclectic style is that from Charlotte Mason, living books. I feel living books are more interesting for the boys to read versus a dry text book. Living books are written in a story format making them more interesting. We utilize living books for history because the boys do not care for history and this makes it more appealing to them.

One series that we have used is published by Bramely Books, called “What Really Happened.” There are three books in the series, Ancient Times, During the Middle Ages, and Colonial Times. The books are geared towards fourth through eighth graders and are available as soft back books or e-books. The books can be purchased individually or as a set through Knowledge Quest, where you can also view samples.

Last year my youngest son, twelve, was studying American History so I purchased “What Really Happened in Colonial Times.” There are eight stories in this book and all are written by different writers. It is interesting to note that two of the stories were written by a seventeen year old homeschooler and another by a fourteen year old boy who has Friedreich’s Ataxia. This rare disease affects his ability to walk, write, or even type. His mother comments in the book that she enjoyed helping him. Other writers who contributed to this particular book are a pastor’s wife and various women who have homeschooled.

This book covers American history between the years of 1600 to 1775. Some stories include Pocahontas – Maiden of Peace, James Cook – Explorer of the South Sea, and Catherine Ferguson – Really, Really Free! All the stories contained in the Colonial Times book also include pencil drawings of maps and the individual personalities profiled by Darla Dixon.

If you are using living books for history and are not familiar with this series I highly recommend it. This book can be read by your student alone or is the perfect read aloud. If your student/students are suffering from text book syndrome consider introducing them to living books. While we use living books just for history they can be used for other subjects as well.

Joyce Wheeler is the mother of three and has been homeschooling since 1997. She has one daughter, already graduated, a son she is homeschooling through high school, and the other is a junior high student. Currently she is re-organizing her nonprofit organization, Education Jump-Off. Her mission is to aid in the education of the world’s greatest natural resource, the children, and “never stop learning” is her personal motto. A blogger and free lance writer you can find her at Homeschooling High School and Baton Rouge Homeschool Examiner./a>

I Wish I Knew That is subtitled “Cool Stuff You Need to Know” and that is really true. Part educational, part trivial, the focus of this book is a quick understanding of basic educational subjects such as history, math and science. I Wish I Knew That also includes chapters that explain art, nature and “classic stuff.” This book does finish on with the science chapter with a section titled “where do you come from?” which is a 2-page detail explaining the theory of evolution. From Shakespeare to the Water Cycle to how to say “Hello” in Chinese, this book has a little bit of something for everyone of all ages and would really make a great gift book.

Write (or is that “Right”?) Every Time is a great summary of all things Language Arts, including grammar, spelling rules and punctuation guidelines. With short tidbits explaining topics such as the parts of speech, spelling plurals and when to use a comma, this book is an overview of Language Arts knowledge and is not intended as a complete curriculum. Homeschoolers might really like this book as a reference tool for elementary language arts rules. Want to know when to use quotation marks or what the object of a sentence is? This book is filled with short, easy to understand definitions and examples that can clear up Language Arts confusion with ease.

My Grammar and I…or Should That Be Me? is a great book for older homeschoolers who might want a little bit more help when it comes to grammar. Like Write (or is that “Right”?) Every Time, this book is an overview of language arts and would not work as a complete curriculum. With random quotes from Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and Edgar Allan Poe, My Grammar is is written for an older audience than Write Every Time. For example, a gerund is explained in My Grammar, but not in Write Every Time. To be honest, Write Every Time is more readable, but My Grammar is a better reference tool in our homeschool.

Reader’s Digest is giving away a set of all 3 books to two winners! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on the original post. This giveaway will be open until Friday, 11/11 at 10:00pm.

Pamela has been homeschooling her kids since 2005. She has visited 41 states and 16 countries and now calls the beautiful Pacific Northwest home. You can find her writing about homeschooling, books and downsizing her life at I Read. Do You?

Family Time Fitness has created a great curriculum for those families that just might be lacking when it comes to incorporating total physical fitness into their homeschooling routine. The program is impressively well organized and easy to use. At the core of the program is a series of four workbooks that are available for different age groups (K-1, grades 1-2, and grades 4-5). Each workbook has 20-35 activities that are spread throughout the workbooks so students have a variety of activities and (hopefully) never get bored.Within each workbook is a daily fitness plan. Each specific exercise is written with detailed instructions and also contains a video link, if necessary. In addition, Family Time Fitness sends its members daily emails to motivate and instruct families on a journey of total physical education.

The activities are fun and will engage the whole family. For example, instead of assigning repetitive leg lifts on a certain day, Family Time Fitness asks kids to lift their leg in the air while using their leg to write the alphabet. Kids love doing the “Superman” pose which consists of laying on the floor, bringing your straightened arms and legs off the floor and holding the pose for 10 seconds.

In addition to utilizing typical workout items such as balls and jump ropes, exercises might incorporate music and hula hoops. A supply list is included in the workbooks, but most of the equipment consists of common household items.

Family Time Fitness really is an impressive comprehensive curriculum for Physical Education. In addition to physical activities, Family Time Fitness incorporates lessons in anatomy and nutrition. And most importantly, with Family Time Fitness, Physical Education can be lots of fun.

Pamela has been homeschooling her kids since 2005. She has visited 41 states and 16 countries and now calls the beautiful Pacific Northwest home. You can find her writing about homeschooling, books and downsizing her life at I Read. Do You?

Maybe it has been a difficult homeschooling day. Math facts were a disaster and spelling words were forgotten. And now it’s dinner time? What on earth is a mom to do? Panic! Well, at least, that is what I do. I can organize a unit study in a few short minutes and teach a co-op class as a substitute teacher, but cook? Uh, no. I’m not very good with menus or grocery shopping and I’m really not very good at preparing meals that my family will actually eat.

And that is precisely why I was so incredibly impressed with E-Mealz!

By offering weekly menu based on grocery store ads, E-Mealz has made dinnertime fun again.

Step One is to pick a menu plan. E-Mealz is based around the shopping/menu option that you choose. With almost 30 menu options, you are sure to find a plan that works for you. Maybe you would like to have a vegetarian menu designed for a family? Or perhaps you need a shopping/menu plan that is tailored to a small family of 2 people? With plans ranging from gluten free options for a family to low fat options for 1-2 people, E-Mealz plans are very easy to choose.

Step Two is to pick a shopping plan. E-Mealz also tailors their shopping/menu plans to a few specific grocery stores found throughout the country. Based on a store’s weekly ad prices, E-Mealz offers its subscribers shopping plans for Kroger, Publix, Wal-Mart, ALDI and Ralphs (CA). If none of these stores are available, E-Mealz has an “any store” shopping plan as well.

Step Three is to print out a weekly meal plan. By accessing your account on the E-Mealz website, you are given a full plan that includes a complete shopping list, a 7-day menu plan AND simple recipes for preparing the food! Yes, not only does E-Mealz make it easy to shop and plan a week’s worth of dinners, they also provide the recipes that make meals easy to prepare! With dinners such as Sweet and Sour Chicken to Deep Dish Pizza, these meals are quite yummy too. E-Mealz plans are published weekly, but in case you forget to print off a plan, menus can be accessed for two weeks. Meals are simple and the necessary ingredients are clearly listed, so meals could actually be prepared by any cook in your family, young or old.

E-Mealz is impressive on many levels. First, it is amazing that these plans are tailored to store ads. Given the current economy, saving money at the grocery store is always something to be appreciated, especially if I don’t have to spend the hours it takes to do all of the comparison shopping. Second, the menus themselves are so orderly and easy to read. It is so easy to see what ingredients are needed on a particular day. Finally, the meals themselves are easy to fix and really taste great. Being a not-so-creative cook, having the recipes laid out right next to the shopping plan was the best part of E-Mealz for me.

Based on a $15 for a 3-month subscription plan, E-Mealz has literally done all of the work for you, except chop the onions!

Gone is the menu planning. Gone is the comparison shopping for the best shopping bargains. And, best of all, gone is that terrible “What am I going to make for dinner” feeling. Really, I love E-Mealz!

E-Mealz is giving away a 3 month subscription to the plan of the winner’s choice. To enter the giveaway, go to E-Mealz’s website and tell us which menu plan you would wan to try if you win. This giveaway will be open until Friday, 10/28 at 10:00pm.

Pamela has been homeschooling her kids since 2005. She has visited 41 states and 16 countries and now calls the beautiful Pacific Northwest home. You can find her writing about homeschooling, books and downsizing her life at I Read. Do You?