Curriculum giveaway

Got some curriculum you would like to bless another homeschool family with?

Would you like to win some gently used, new-to-you homeschool books?

Then, I have found the bl0g event for you . . .

Jolanthe, over at Homeschool Creations (a fellow CREW member), is hosting a Curriculum Cleanout Giveaway the beginning of August.

Read her site for all the details, but basically she is asking homeschoolers to look through their shelves and come up with a new or gently used item to give away the first couple weeks of August (the second through fifteenth). You can post about it on your blog or just leave a comment with an email address for people to enter to win your giveaway.

You are responsible for shipping costs on any books you give away.

Any one can enter to win, so be sure to check out her site in a couple weeks and see if someone might be giving away something you have been wanting to own. You just might get it for free!

Head on over and check it out. Get your goodies together to giveaway, and get ready for entering some drawings for homeschool books and curriculum.

Website and offers from the Home Scholar

The following came from the Home Scholar (a website with lots of great helps for the homeschooler, especially those looking at homeschooling high school):

New Products and Free Resources!

July 2009

Improved Website and New Free E-book!

We have just completed a MAJOR upgrade to our website and we’d like you to help us celebrate! We have some free gifts and prizes to give away as well as some improved products and services to announce! I hope you will check them out!

Free Special Report E-book
“7 Secrets to Homeschooling Through a Financial Storm”
Free tickets to Heart of the Matter Online Conference
Every purchase this week gets a chance to win!
New edition of “Preparing to Homeschool High School”
Just in time for back-to-school, more info at a lower price!
New HomeScholar Website Design
Easy navigation with a search function for fast help!

“7 Secrets to Homeschooling Through a Financial Storm”
Free Special Report E-book

The First Secret will beckon you back to the olden days of homeschooling, before all the expensive and unnecessary add-ons.
The Second Secret will help you streeeetch your homeschooling dollar!
The Third Secret will point you toward homeschool treasure: abundant resources all available for FREE!
The Fourth Secret will help you bridge the financial deficit by adding some income.
The Fifth Secret was the one we used extensively, and we soon had colleges THROWING money at us!
The Sixth Secret will help you cover the college-prep basics, without breaking your budget!
The Seventh Secret may be the most important one of all. It will take away the guilt associated with investing in your homeschool.

Our Price: FREE!
Click here to receive “7 Secrets to Homeschooling Though a Financial Storm”

My mission is to help parents homeschool high school
and many of my services are free!

“Preparing to Homeschool High School” 2nd Edition DVD

Learn to Homeschool High School with Excellence! Turn Your Humble Homeschool into a Supercharged, High Octane,
College Prep, Homeschool Academy – with LESS STRESS. After much research, my husband discovered how to include MUCH more material on a single DVD! Since there is one disc, we were able to lower the price by 20%!! This completely updated DVD is 90 minutes longer than the first edition. That’s nearly 4 HOURS of instructional material, with much more information on every topic. It even includes information for parents who have never before homeschooled, so it’s perfect for every family facing high school.
More information, lower price! Buy Now

Our Price: $60.00
Introductory Price: $45.00

Heart of the Matter Online Home Education Conference

Join us online for the second annual Heart of the Matter Online Parenting and Home Education conference. In addition to participating in sessions with fabulous speakers and having a chance to ask them questions directly you will also receive hundreds of dollars worth of free downloads, a chance to win wonderful prizes, MP3s of the sessions (after the event), and lots of fun and fellowship with other parents like yourself. I will be speaking on “Finding a College” and “How to Afford Christian College.”

Regular Price: $12.95
Our Price: Free if you win!

Every single item purchased this week give you one chance to win free admission to the Heart of the Matter Online Parenting and Home Education Conference. Purchase more, and you have more chances to win! Winners will be drawn at random. I have three tickets to give away!

New and Improved Website!

After a lot of hard work (mostly by my beloved husband) we are finally able to unveil our new and improved website! Besides looking clean and new, there are benefits that go beyond the colors. There is a search function that will allow you to quickly and easily find answers to the problems you are facing. It has clearly labeled sections for easy navigation, including a great box filled with my free resources. There is also a dedicated member’s area to make it easier for our members to access the Gold Care Club and bonuses that came with their purchase!

Have I mentioned that my mission is to help parents homeschool high school, and that many of my services are free? The new website highlights our recent articles and blog posts, so that you stay in-the-know. There is a new welcome video, and I have made it easy for you to connect with me on social networking sites like Facebook. And my favorite part is the testimonials section, with photos of families I have worked with. I love seeing their smiling faces!

I can’t tell you how excited I am about these changes! My vision is that all families feel empowered and equipped about homeschooling high school. I believe the products and support available on our website can make a real difference for you and your family. Please check out my new website TheHomeScholar.com! I hope it will bless you in your job as a homeschool parent.

Blessings,

Lee Binz
The HomeScholar

If you want to win tickets to Heart of the Matter Online Conference, here is how it works. I’ll put each item you purchase on my list with your name. On July 25th, I’ll select three winners using a random number. My selections are final, and I will contact winners by email.

Have you heard of Currclick?

If you are not familiar with their weekly freebies, you will at least want to check out their site and sign up for their email updates. They also offer a variety of virtual classes for homeschoolers. To find out more, read on in this excerpt taken from an email:

Planning your 2009-2010 School Year?

There are still spots available in our July 15th open house and kids activity. Get enrollment discounts and have fun. Don’t miss out!

Sign up for CurrClick Live’s Meet and Greet Open House from 7-9 PM CST including a FREE, totally live kids activity presented by Heart of the Matter Online: Amy Bayliss and her son will be leading a Flat Stanley, pen pal activity for kids of all ages!
Teachers will be answering questions, giving presentations about their classes and “handing out” enrollment discounts!

You can register here, right now!

Once you register at CurrClick, go here to register with GoToMeeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining our open house. Please note that you are not required to show up to every single session during the 2 hour period. Please see the itinerary below to determine which sessions you would
like to attend.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE:
7:00-7:15

Wieck Math and Science LC: Melinda Wieck discusses the Beginning and Advanced, Live Algebra classes she’ll be offering in the fall. Melinda is a highschool Math and Science teacher.

7:15-7:30

Bright and Blessed: Susan Bertrang is a Georgia Certified Teacher with over 10 years of teaching experience. Find out about her wide variety of fun, self-paced classes such as, “Getting to Know Shakespeare” and ‘Writing Well.”

7:30-7:45

Lessons Worth Learning: Loretta Rhodes, homeschool Mom of 4 and a teacher of 20 years talks about her very popular live History, Geography and Literature classes and answers questions.

7:45-8:00

Triple G Academy:Angie Marcum talks about her popular Art and Nature classes as well as her academic Saxon-based Algebra I and II classes. Mrs. Marcum is a homeschool Mom with her BS in Secondary Mathmatics.

8:00-8:15

Become a CurrClick Live Teacher Q&A:Interested in teaching for CurrClick Live? Attend this discussion, find out more and get your questions answered. Staley Krause, one of the CurrClick/CurrClick Live founders discusses the ins and outs of teaching for CurrClick Live.

8:15-8:30

MathTools: Patrick Martin, homeschool Dad and Math teacher and tutor, will discuss his live math lab, where he helps students with math problems they may be having, and his 1 on 1 live tutoring option.

8:30-9:00

Heart of the Matter Online:Night time activity for kids courtesy of Amy Bayliss and her son from Heart of the Matter Online.

We look forward to “seeing” you there. And, don’t forget to bring a friend!

Penny pencils and more!

Tis the season for back to school deals.

Grateful that I don’t have a school mandated supply list to follow, still I gleefully take advantage of the incredible deals on school supplies this time of year. I joked to my kids that we have enough paper and pencils for me to homeschool their children.

Some of the deals you don’t want to miss:

Staples :

Penny pencils (8 pack, yellow — limit two) only through Wednesday this week
Copy paper costs $3.69 and can be submitted for $3.68 rebate online (500 sheets per pack, limit two) also through Wednesday only
Lots of other dollar items, and a $5 off a $20 in store purchase coupon, but if you don’t need any of these dollar items you might be better off waiting, because sometimes even better deals are just a week away.
More details and scenarios at Money Saving Mom.

CVS (**These deals are only good through Tuesday** In order to enjoy their deals you must get an Extra Care card and the coupons will print out at the bottom of your receipt, good towards your next CVS purchase. More on that here if needed):

Items that give you Extra Bucks equal to their purchase price (essentially making them free): glue, scissors, ruler, one subject notebook, and pens. (see store or ad for more limitations and details)
3 subject notebooks are $3.99 with $3 Extra bucks.
Folders are on sale for a nickle

I’m sure there will be many more deals in the weeks ahead, but these you will need to jump on in the next couple days.

If you want to make sure that you don’t miss information about short term deals like these, or special events, don’t forget to subscribe to Chicagoland Homeschool Network.

Discount tickets at Legoland during off hours

Hangin’ with the locals at Legoland Discovery Center:

Hangin' with the locals at Legoland Discovery Center

This current deal at the Legoland in Schaumburg continues to be extended. We enjoyed the day there last week with our kids. If you have a Lego fanatic in your family this could be a great family activity. I honestly do not think it is worth the daily admission rate (which you can get $5 off if you order online), but our kids (ages 4-12) did have a really great time. They don’t have a lot to do there, but a simple dragon ride, a carnival-style techincycle, a 4-D movie, numerous Lego sculptures, and a room full of Legos to build with was more than enough to keep our kids happy for the day.

Here’s the details on the current promotion:

Visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center for only $7 per person!

Offer extended until 26th June!

Not sure what to do with the kids during the holidays, then bring them to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center!

Download this coupon, and you and your family can visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center for only $7 each! This is a saving of $12 for adults, and $8 for children. The coupon is valid Monday – Friday after 4pm. Last admission is at 5pm, but the Center is open until 7pm.

To get your $7 ticket, simply download this coupon, fill in your details and bring a print out of the completed coupon to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. One coupon is required per person.

Download your $7 ticket coupon here!

This is just one among many field trip and family activity destinations that can be enjoyed with smaller crowds and lower prices during off hours, which definitely works for me!

HSLDA membership giveaway

Every homeschooler in the US, and many international ones as well, owe a debt of gratitude to the HomeSchool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They have worked passionately to maintain and advance the freedom of homeschoolers nationwide.

If you are not already familiar with HSLDA I would encourage you to take some time and look over their site. They work on a national and local level defending and communicating for and to homeschoolers.

They offer a variety of resources including speakers, books, and online resources that can benefit the homeschool family.

My interaction with HSLDA has been very positive. They are there to help. They stand behind homeschoolers with a passionate determination and want to assist you in any way possible. I have not needed their legal assistance, but have heard many stories of their willingness to serve and defend families in need. They are an incredible resource and defense that all homeschoolers should tap into.

Free days

Just when we thought summer had arrived, we head into days with lots of rain predicted. So, what to do?

Of course, the free or $1 movies are beginning at many theaters this week.

Or, general admission to the Shedd Aquarium is free this week (June 14-19), with reduced admission to the various exhibits.

The Museum of Science and Industry is also free this Friday. This is your last chance to get in free here until October, so take advantage of this great museum!

Any other free (or inexpensive) options for these rainy days? Please share your favorites!

Conventional offer

On Thursday I enjoyed a day of shopping and encouragement at the Illinois homeschool convention. Great speakers, vital topics, and almost limitless shopping venues.

A couple years ago I took advantage of the option to buy all of the workshops in MP3 format and I am so glad that I did. I have enjoyed listening to various speakers again and again — when I needed to hear it (not in June, when life seems a bit sun-shinier and smooth anyway). This was a purchase definitely worth the investment and I did the same this year.

Even at the regular price of $88 I would consider this a worthwhile purchase, but during the convention it is available for $57. Now I received an email from ICHE that you can order the set at convention prices for this whole weekend, whether you attended or not. If you are looking for some encouragement, or want some weapons to tuck away for “those” days you know we will all face in September, this might be something you would want to consider as well.

Some of the highlights: Tedd Tripp’s workshops on child rearing, Jeannie Fulbright on science, Stacey McDonald on motherhood and passionate housewives, and Vicki Bentley on home organization. Check out the full list here.

Here is the email from ICHE:

Thank you to all those who attended the convention this weekend!

For those of you who weren’t able to attend, we wanted to make sure you were aware of the opportunity to purchase the Entire Convention on MP3.

Buy the entire ICHE Convention on MP3 at a special price of $57 including Tedd Tripp’s workshops – this weekend only!

Order before midnight on Sunday June 7th!

( after this weekend the price will be $88 and Tedd Tripp’s workshops will no longer be available)

Order on line at:

www.bestchristianconferences.com

Blessings,

Your Convention Committee

info@iche.org

(847) 603-1259

Chuck E Cheese reading incentive

Even Chuck E. Cheese is getting in on the action when it comes to encouraging kids to read.

Simply print out these reading reward calendars, have your child read every day for two weeks, and bring it in for 10 free tokens per child with a food purchase. You can get one for each child without needing seperate food purchases for each one (we have 5 children, buy 1 pizza and redeem 5 calendars, plus report cards if it is the end of a grading period).

These are great calendars, and they have a number of other ones on their site as well. If you want some extra encouragement while instilling good habits in your child, check out their other reward calendars (clean room, getting dressed, sleeping all night, manners, etc.) You can only redeem one calendar per child each time you go to Chuck E Cheese, and you must make a food purchase at that time as well, but these are great boredom busters and motivators all year round!

Don’t forget to bring your child’s report card with as well.

They earn tokens for good grades. Need some help putting together your end of the year grades? Check out Donna Young’s site for report cards that you can use for this important record keeping step.

Doorposts coupon!

Dear Friends,

Doorposts will be exhibiting at the Illinois Christian Home Educators’ Convention in Naperville, IL next week. If you are attending, we invite you to stop by our booth in the exhibit hall. And don’t forget to print out this coupon and bring it with you for $5.00 off your purchase. Feel free to share copies of this coupon with friends who might use it as well!

To browse our Biblical character training materials, visit www.doorposts.com. We will have most of these materials available for viewing and for sale at the convention, including our new “Put On Chart.”

For more details about this event, visit http://www.iche.org/. For a complete list of the conventions we’re attending in 2009, visithttp://www.doorposts.com/conventions.aspx.

Thanks and God bless,

Daniel Forster

Doorposts, 5905 SW Lookingglass Drive, Gaston, OR 97119
orders@doorposts.com (888) 433-4749
www.doorposts.com

Category: Special offers