Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Day! Here's a little holiday cheer for you:

A wonderful a capella flash mob in a large mall in Florida. Make sure to watch the ending. 

A little girl's only Christmas wish comes true:

I've been teary eyed this morning!

Book Review: Onyx

Onyx by Debbie Izzo

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Allyson Katherine Baker grew up feeling rather unremarkable amidst her many brothers and sisters, and she was resigned to a life of feeling invisible. She was just glad to have her cousin Samantha as her one true friend. But when Sam suddenly gets married, Ally ends up feeling more alone than ever.

Life hasn't just changed dramatically for newlywed Sam, though. She and he new husband, Don, invite Ally, along with Don's brother, David, to spend the summer renovating their home.

As soon as Ally catches sight of David, her world changes. She is completely taken by the handsome, charming young man, but she knows better than to expect the feeling to be mutual.

As she and David get to know one another, however, Ally is forced to realize there is something between the two of them, but she has no idea how much of an impact it will have, just how big a secret the Saltate brothers protect, and how difficult life will become for David as he struggles with who he is and what he wants.

The premise of this story is a good one and it sounded really interesting but I was really disappointed. While the story is good, I didn't feel like there was enough character development or backstory before getting into the relationship aspect.

Additionally, the story was much too fast-paced for me. It made the story feel a little superficial and the flip flopping relationship fell flat. It was a little disjointed and didn't flow well for me.

Lastly, the book was littered with grammatical errors and that is not acceptable to me in a published work.

Overall, the story was good but it felt the like the book was rushed to get put into print without much editing. I would love to re-read this again if it was revised.

Click here to get your own copy of Onyx.

View all my reviews

Review & Giveaway! JumpStart Virtual Site for Kids

Finally we got a new computer in yesterday and I have the ability to post again! Woohoo!

That said, I'm excited to share my review of the Jumpstart virtual website for kids. 

JumpStart is an online world built for kids that's loaded with educational games and virtual friends. From training dragons to exploring lost islands, JumpStart includes thousands of games and activities for kids ages 3-12 that encourage and boost math, reading and thinking skills.

My kids were very excited to get started playing, even my 10 year old. After registering, they were each able to create their own virtual character (called aptly enough, a Jumpee).

After customizing your Jumpee, you can start your adventure. There are many areas to explore but  certain areas are geared toward certain age groups, although with a little help, even young children can explore the entire virtual world. There are also plenty of guides waiting to help your child get th emost of their JumpStart experience. Storyland is for the youngest players:

Adventureland for young elementary ages:

and Futureland is for older kids. I was concerned that my 10 year old would think that it was too "baby-ish" for her, but she enjoys the site just as much as the other two.

As your child completes various learning games and other challenges at JumpStart, they earn coins and points that can be used personalize the world even more.

There are animals called Mythies your child can hatch and take care of in the Enchanted Sanctuary, such as the pegasus:

Educational quizzes you can take in the Quizzinator:

 Currently, since it's so close to Christmas, everything is decorated for it and kids can even explore a new part of the JumpStart world called Winter Wonderland. My kids were super excited to try that out!

Overall, the kids really enjoyed playing JumpStart online. However, there were a few minor issues. It was glitchy for us, often freezing up or slow to load. However, that may have been due to an older computer with low memory. If you have a newer model or one with a fast processor, you may not have that issue. My oldest child complained that there were not enough options when creating your Jumpeez, such as hair color or clothing options. They also didn't like all the talking the animals did but you can usually click the mouse and bypass anything you don't want to sit through.

There is no replacement for real outdoor time and real friends, but JumpStart offers a fun site for downtime. The site is easy to navigate, fun and engaging for kids while still being educational and reinforcing key concepts, and there is no real end to the possibilities in this virtual world. It's also very safe, which as a parent, I can really appreciate.  With so many other unsavory online places that are geared toward kids, it's  nice to know that JumpStart has easy to use parental controls, limited chatting and pre-programmed usernames so your child doesn't give out any unnecessary information about themselves. You can also review and get updates on your child's gameplay so you can easily monitor them.

JumpStart does cost to join, however you have several options to choose from (monthly, yearly, or lifetime), and I was thrilled to see that you don't have to use a credit card! You can use Paypal or choose from other payment options. In my opinion, it's a fair price to pay for all that you get. Also included with your membership is free access to the popular MathBlaster games on MathBlaster.com!

Now for the fun part! If you would like the opportunity to join the JumpStart world for FREE, enter the giveaway below and you could win a membership for your family!

Giveaway starts on Dec. 22nd at midnight and ends Jan. 6th!

Disclosure: In exchange for my review, I received a membership to the website courtesy of JumpStart. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Tri-Moms: Focusing on Christmas

My computer died a while back and we just now got this one up and running so I apologize for being a day late. Today's topic is about focusing our hearts for Christmas.

My favorite holiday is only a few short days away and admittedly, I have not done a good job with this. Instead of focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, I've been stressed out over making gifts and baking and just being in a general frenzy. I haven't had time to stop and enjoy just spending time with my family most days. This week our activities have stopped so I have made a vow to do one Christmas related thing to do with the kids each day like baking cookies, reading the story of Jesus' birth, reading Christmas books, watching our favorite holiday movies, or helping wrap presents to each other. It's a simple way to slow down and relax with my family.

However, I will share something with you that really made me stop and think about what Christmas and giving really is about. This is something that my friend Sarah posted on Facebook the other day about an encounter with a homeless man:

Tonight I passed a homeless man with a sign... "Will work for food." Everyone else passed him too... I thought to myself, "Boy do I wish that I had a job for him... Then I thought, "Wow, everyone here is being very selfish... We are all passing him by..." You see, I had just gotten an unexpected check and I was getting ready to go spend it on some Christmas items for the children in my life... No, they don't need anything but my gifts are all small this year, and they are my loved ones... Then I wondered about this man's family... What had happened to him that made him have to beg for food? Wouldn't anyone that loved him take him in? Then I thought about how I have acted this past year... There have been many moments even recently that I have been dissappointed in myself. I wondered if the people that loved him had hurt him like I have hurt people that I love this past year.

So, an hour and a half after seeing the man, after contemplating all of my bad decisions and replaying all the hurt that I had caused and suffered over the past year, I drove back. I drove back and hollered to him outside of my car window... "Sir, if you walk to Wawa I'll buy you a nice hot dinner, does that sound ok?" He said yes and proceeded to gather his belongings and walk to the Wawa... He waited outside while I got Jack out of the car, and when he saw me pulling the baby out of his car seat he stopped me and said, "Ma'am you don't have to do this..." "I know I don't," I replied, "Now get inside where it's warm and let's find you some dinner..." He didn't know what to do once he walked through the door so I just started asking questions... Would he like some soup? A hot sandwich? He ended up with a meatball sub and I bought him the biggest one they made. I told him to go grab a drink, and he got a small soda.. I sent him back for a second one and he went almost sheepishly to get a second. Then I took him to the sweets... "You've got to have a favorite... It's Christmas! Pick one out..." "No Ma'am, I couldn't..." "Yes you can, I'm buying... Would you like some chocolate? A candy bar? A cake? Some pie? Pick your favorite! Go ahead!" He smiled... "Well, I guess I COULD get one of these..." He had grabbed an eclair... I smiled back... "Good!" I said. We paid and while we waited for his sandwich he looked at Jack and Jack smiled at him... I told him that Jack was the best Christmas present I've ever gotten and he just smiled... When his sandwich was ready I handed it to him and he said, "Thank you, God bless you Ma'am..." His eyes were teary... I said, "God bless you right back, and Merry Christmas! Now find yourself somewhere warm, I think it's going to rain!"

I wanted to take him home, but all I can do is buy him a sandwich, an eclair, and two drinks... I hope that doing something nice for someone else's loved one will somehow mend the mistakes I've made over the past year... I'm not writing this to brag, but hopefully to inspire, and to ask forgiveness from the ones I've let down. Hopefully we can all learn to be a little more compassionate and a little less selfish in this next upcoming year.

I have to say I was very inspired by Sarah's story. I have been so saddened lately by the amount of homeless people I'm seeing on our very own streets. It's not just a "hidden" epidemic anymore in our small town. I've always wanted to help but I haven't known how. This story is a wonderful example of what Christmas is all about--sacrificing your time, your money and even maybe some fear to give back to someone who's less fortunate than you. Instead of spending more money on toys that my children don't need, I could take that money and make a huge difference in someone's life with just a simple meal.

I have made a resolution for the upcoming year that I will try my hardest to remember and live out the principles that my friend did. Maybe I can become more involved in the homeless ministry at my church. Maybe with our Christmas budget next year, I can cut it in half and spend one half on the kids and one half on another family in need.

What are some ways that you help keep your mind and heart on the real meaning of Christmas? You can my fellow Tri-Moms' ideas at Kristin's blog Bits and Pieces from My Life and Allyson's blog A Heart for Home.

HOT Package Deals 75% Off at Knowledge Box!

Knowledge Box Central has package deals that are OVER 75% off the retail price right NOW! There are 3 packages to choose from: Ancient History Package, American History Package, and Holidays Package.  All 3 packages are worth OVER $100 and are on sale now for $20! 

Why not get all 3?  You can check them out HERE.

Tri-Moms: Handmade Gifts

Christmas is my favorite holiday and the most special to me. It's the one time of year that I try to make something special for family members and friends. If you're like me, you have a lot of people on your list that you'd like to show your appreciation to. This can get expensive if you don't get creative and thrifty. This year, I'm excited to make this easier with the help of Pinterest (LOVE it!) to give me lots of ideas. 

I haven't decided on what to get for everyone but some things I'm planning on are...

This yummy pumpkin bread 

Swirled Christmas cookies

Kitty cat hat

Button ornaments

Marbled painted ornaments

Felt owls

A handmade journal made with dyed tissue paper

Haven't decided for my other two nephews or my husband but I'm hoping something that Kristin or Allyson posts will inspire me! You can read about their respective homemade gift ideas at Bits and Pieces from My Life and A Heart for Home.

Up next: December 20: Focusing Our Hearts For Christmas

Winter Schedule of Topics

January 3: Time Management For Busy Moms

January 17: The Winter Blahs

February 7: Frugal Date Ideas

February 21: Romancing Your Husband

Unit Study on Ice & Snow for Only $.99

CurrClick has a 57 page unit study on Ice & Snow by Simple Schooling for only $.99! It's meant to use for December, but we will be using a slightly modified version for January. 

"[Students] begin the unit with the states of matter, where ice and snow are located on Earth (and in space!) and learn about the water cycle and the differences between fresh and salt water ice.  The second portion of the unit is all about snow crystals and avalanches and the unit winds up with people and animals in the northern lands.  There are several workbook pages to review what they learn along the way, a learn to draw a snowman activity, and some Christmas cards to print out and send to friends and family.  At the end students will find a short copywork poem (both print and cursive) that will complement their previous units on trees and make them think about the seasons.  Parent solutions are also included at the end.  57 pages for only 99 cents!"

See a preview and purchase this great deal by going HERE. A little tip: subscribe to CurrClick's Simple Schooling newsletter (under My Account) and get discounts on downloads. For example, I got the above Ice & Snow unit study for just $.25!

My Computer is Dead

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. My computer has decided to die on me. :( I'm typing on my husband's computer which I have to fight 4 other people for. So, that said, it's difficult to find time to write and I don't have the money to get mine fixed right now. I will try to post some later tonight. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!