I stumbled across KinderBach earlier this year, and immediately put it on my list of most desired homeschooling curricula once we receive Grade One funding in the fall of 2009.  Imagine my delight when I received a review subscription to their online music lessons, a new addition to their existing DVD course.  Unfortunately, due to our bandwidth restrictions I was only able to complete the first 3 weeks of their online program with Kaelynn, my 5-year-old daughter.

What we experienced only fueled my enthusiasm for purchasing the DVD version of the course next year for introductory piano instruction for our children.  KinderBach is designed to provide a 1 year (or 2 year if you stretch out the lessons in the online form of the course) introduction to the piano/keyboard for children ages 2 - 7 years of age.  Incorporating music, video, colouring pages, worksheets and fun characters, children are introduced to rhythm, note recognition, reading sheet music etc. in an interactive format.

My daughter loved the characters, story and most especially the movement and active participation in the program - I only wish we could have worked through the entire course together!  I’m so thankful for the 3 weeks that we were able to review while in the city at a relative’s with unlimited high speed internet.

The online version of the course is available by subscription.  Each lesson opens in a video viewing area and is accompanied by the appropriate colouring pages and/or worksheets if applicable.  Supplementary games and activities will also be included with the Gold level membership, which is still in development.  The course is divided into 60 weeks - the original 30 weeks of the DVD version (often used by teachers) have been extended into a 60 week format for parents in the home who may wish to work at a slower pace.

The currently available Bronze membership is available for $14.95/month OR $7.16/month when prepaid for an entire year.  With a program that can be used for multiple children, this is SO affordable compared to in person music lessons.  Because the founder of the program Karri Gregor provides all of the instruction through the video, no experience is needed on the part of parents, though you are encouraged to participate in the learning process with your children.  You’ll find all of the pricing details and purchasing information for the online program here.

However, if your family is like yours - limited internet connection speed or bandwidth capabilities, you’ll want to check out the DVD version of the course.  This is also an economical choice for families expecting to teach many children music throughout their years of homeschooling.  For example, in our home we have a 5-year-old, 2-year-old and 4 month old.  Though the program is recommended for 2 - 7 year olds, our toddler doesn’t get much from the program, though she does love to play along.  I feel that 2 is far too early for formal instruction, and wouldn’t go into a formal learning program until the age of 5, but this will differ according to the child and learning philosophies o feach family.  In any case, it soon becomes apparent that even if the Lord doesn’t bless us with additional children, we’ll be in need of music instruction for a number of years.  The COMPLETE 1 year package is $217.75 - an excellent value for even 1 child in comparison to traditional lessons (and that isn’t even factoring in fuel costs!).  If you spread the cost over multiple children it becomes very affordable.  This is what I hope to purchase next year.  Other packages are also available.

Of course, this remains a sizeable investment for many families.  Whether interested in the DVD version or the online version, you can view the first two weeks of the online course for free here to see what you think!  KinderBach also offers a 30 day money back guarantee, should you find the program to be a poor fit for your family.

Personally, I can’t wait to dig into this with my daughter next year.  From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like so much fun!  While my review is only of the first three weeks of the online program you may want to read some testimonials from satisfied users at KinderBach, or read the reviews of others who have received review subscriptions as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew initiative.

CONTEST CLOSED

Thanks for entering!  We have a winner!

Congratulations Jodi!

Jodi said: “I would have to get a moon baby for my youngest, and a Kleen Kanteen for me.”

Enjoy your gift certificate!

This review and giveaway is being posted in conjunction with the fall Bloggy Giveaways.  Head on over to see the WIDE selection of giveaways offered this week.  I believe there were over 900 last time!

Our family recently purchased a set of Klean Kanteen sippy cups for the entire family, and received one for review as well from Natural Pod.  After generally ignoring the concerns about BPA in plastics I finally took the offensive and purchased this safe alternative to dangerous plastics.  The Klean Kanteen is made out of a high quality food grade 18/8 stainless steel with no liner, providing a safe, non-leaching and toxin free alternative to plastic cups.  They are nearly endlessly reusable, durable, lightweight, dishwasher friendly and recyclable!  Even the caps and sippy cup components are made from safe plastics.

Klean Kanteens also come in a wonderful collection of sizes and colours.  Our local health food store carries a small selection, but only the stainless steel.  When we ordered through Natural Pod we were provided with a wide selection of colours and sizes.  For our three girls we ordered three of the 12 oz. pink sippy cups.  You just can’t go wrong with pink in a family of girls.

Even though our girls are 5, 2 and 4 months we still have a great need for sippy cups.  Parents are all too familiar with the refrain “I’m thirsty.” that surfaces only after children are in bed.  This is where the secret weapon - the sippy cup - comes into play.  With a couple of these secreted in the bed, just whip them out and hand to the children.  No need to make an extra trip to the bathroom.  They also come in handy for our frequent road trips, when you live 30 minutes to one hour away from any destination, children often get thirsty while running errands.

For me the best part are the sippy cup lids; two are sent with each bottle.  I always lose lids, so this is such a bonus for me.  They are also easy to replace, the sippy lids are made for the standard Avent sippy cup, so are widely available should you lose both of the provided lids.

For the adults in the home I purchased two 27 oz. Klean Kanteens. When I emailed Bridgette to share our family’s needs she suggested that I request two sports lids instead of the standard lid, which I did.  Thanks for the speedy response and excellent service Natural Pod!  This way the bottles can serve as adult sippy cups.  As a Mom who has been breastfeeding for over 5 years, I often get thirsty in the night.  The sports cap is easy to pop up, take a swig from and close, without the danger of leaks in the bed.  Our little girls also enjoy drinking from these larger bottles, the smaller versions at 18 oz. would be a big hit with our children as well.  One warning though, due to the stainless steel construction, these aren’t quiet bottles to drink from with the sports lid, they do make a bit of gurgling, whistling noises, but we don’t mind.  The sippy cups are quite silent.

In addition to these cups that have become essential equipment for our family, Natural Pod carries a wide variety of products for natural family living.  Wood toys, musical instruments, clothing, games, arts and crafts and many others are amongst their naturally oriented offerings.  You’ll be amazed at their selection!

Thanks to Natural Pod I have one $50 gift certificate to their online store to offer one blessed winner anywhere in the world!

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, visit the Natural Pod online store and leave a comment on this post, telling me what you would like to spend your $50 gift certificate on if you win.  Please note you are not bound to choose this item if you are the winner.

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog for updates - see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

2. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

3. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

4. Digg, Stumble or otherwise share this post on a social networking site.  Leave an additional comment indicating how you shared this post.

5. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/quivermamma

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry.  A total of 6 entries are available if you complete all of these steps.

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Sunday, November 02nd, 2008. One winner will be randomly drawn for the gift certificate on Monday, November 03rd, 2008 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you.  The winner must respond with a mailing address within 72 hours of my email, or a new winner will be chosen.  This contest is open to everyone worldwide!

I look forward to seeing God bless a family with this wonderful prize, thanks so much to Natural Pod for sponsoring this contest!

Baby Insights and Baby Say Cheese are a baby software suite for new parents from Babblesoft.  Formerly titled “Baby Manager” the software is accessible through a web browswer, or by download to a mobile devices running a Widows operating system.

As a mother of three, including a newborn (just over a month old), I’m always interested in reviewing products that help to simplify the lives of new parents.  Being a new Mom or Dad is a trying time, and is often confusing as you try to sort out new schedules, routines, and figure out this whole ‘baby thing’.  Even as an experienced mother, I find that learning my new babies rhythms and preferences is a bit complicated with two other children in the house.

After trying the 15 day free trial of this software I can definitely see the benefits for new parents.  Using Baby Insights parents can easily track and generate reports for both the Mother and the Baby including categories such as:

• Breastfeeding frequency, including time, duration and side fed on - Mother and Baby
• Diaper changes, time, type, colour and consistency - Baby
• Medicine, time, type, frequency, dosage - Mother and Baby
• Pumping milk - time, duration, amount, side - Mother
• Sleep including SO many details - time, duration, who, where, how, interruptions etc. - Baby
• Bottle feeding - time, type - Baby

All trackable items include ample space for comments, and a handy graph to view the last week for each item.  I’ve never seen such comprehensive reports and tracking features for baby care before!

While this software is definitely useful for sorting through the confusion of the first months with a new baby, it will be particularly helpful for those whose babies experience health challenges such as reflux, prematurity and any other issues where careful attention must be paid to feeding schedules, pumping and medication.  It will truly shine, and be a life-saver in these circumstances for new parents.  Reports can be printed and shared with doctors, health care providers, lactation consultants etc.

Also included in the software suite is Baby Say Cheese.  Parents can upload their baby photos, create albums, develop a Family Tree for their baby, email picture postcards and record baby milestones.  When you purchase Baby Say Cheese, Baby Insights is included.  Baby Insights can also be purchased on it’s own at a slight discount.

This online software is available in subscription lengths of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months.  You can purchase it here or sign up for a 15 day free trial.

Enjoy your new blessing!

Old Schoolhouse Magazine Cover

Contest Closed - Thanks for entering!  We have a winner - Melissa C. who posted on the sticky post for the contest.  Here are her comments:

“I feel that your contest was a sign that we are doing the right thing. The articles about special needs children came at the best time. We are homeschooling are oldest but planned on sending one of our triplets to a special needs preschool. Our daughter Gianna is turning 3 and has cerebal palsy. She is unable to sit, crawl, stand or walk. After months of fighting with the school system and getting no placement, no equipment and only ending up with headaches we decided enough is enough. Last night I wrote my letter of intent to homeschool and was trying to get up the courage to go and mail it today. After reading these great articles about other moms homeschooling their special needs children I feel better about going through with homeschooling our daughter. I took these site as a sign that I am doing the right thing. After I finish typing this I am off to the post office to send my letter certified mail. Thanks again for the contest. My prize is now knowing that I am doing the right thing.”

Congratulations Melissa!  I know this subscription will be a blessing for you!  God bless you in your homeschooling journey with ALL of your children!

Review: Long time readers of my blog may remember when I subscribed to the digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine back in March. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and all that they do (newsletters, free e-books, contests, reviews etc.) are the most comprehensive homeschooling resource available today - and they operate from a Christian worldview. My top reasons for loving them can be found in an archived post here on the blog from April. Instead of repeating myself in singing their praises for their varied outreaches to homeschoolers, head on over and read my short list.

Now that you’re back I’m sure that you’ll share in my excitement for being able to host a giveaway here on my blog for a free, 1-year subscription to the digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - retail value $16.95, to one blessed reader! If you’d like to test-drive the digital version of the magazine, there is a free sample available online for you to browse through to get a feeling for how the digital edition works.

The digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine features the exact content of the print magazine. Readers can expect to find excellent feature articles from experienced home educators, all the latest homeschooling resources, regular columns, contests and much more. All of the full colour photographs, illustrations and high quality design are present just as in the print edition. If you are a new homeschooler, or are unfamiliar with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine I can assure you that they are the standard against which to compare all other homeschooling magazines. The writing quality is excellent and coverage is broad and varied. A variety of teaching styles, special needs, homeschooling challenges, the best homeschooling resources and so much more are covered in each issue.

Unlike many downloadable magazines, it is organized and browseable just like a real magazine, only on your computer screen. Vastly superior to a .pdf document, you can turn the pages and view them as a two page spread, as though you were holding the magazine in your hands.

As a Canadian the cost of a print subscription was somewhat prohibitive to our family budget, but the digital edition makes The Old Schoolhouse Magazine accessible to all readers at a low price - even those of us who live in international locales. At $16.95, the digital subscription is 32% less than the US print subscription price, 43% less than Canadian print subscription prices, and 65% less than international print prices. I leapt at the opportunity to be able to read this high quality magazine at such an affordable price and subscribed as soon as this option was available.

Many print subscribers have also signed up for the digital edition. The instantaneous delivery means that subscribers can feel the support and encouragement that each issue is soaked in without delay. The web integration with clickable links and advertisements is very handy. The search functionality also makes this a convenient way to read the magazine at your computer if you need to rapidly search for a specific resource or article without flipping and reading extensively to find what you are searching for.

In addition to the benefits already mentioned, some of the main features of the digital edition include:

• Instant delivery - no waiting for the mail to arrive!
• The ability to download a copy to your computer for reading when you are off-line
• Simple page navigation structure
• Share articles with up to 5 friends by email
• The option to print your magazine
• Fully integrated links, click from the front cover to feature articles, and from advertisements and links directly to webpages

Just like the print edition, when you subscribe you will receive free gifts, 19 in fact. To see the current gifts, and the list of articles included in the Summer 2008 issue (the first issue you will receive) or subscribe, click here. Subscribers also receive the Teacher’s Toolbox each month, a thematic study that is web linked and includes a free teaching resource.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, visit the sample magazine online and leave a comment on this post, telling me what features or articles you enjoyed the most.

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog for updates - see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

2. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

3. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry.  A total of 4 entries are available if you complete all of these steps.

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Sunday, August 17th, 2008. A winner will be randomly drawn Monday, August 18th, 2008 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you.  This contest is open to everyone - internationally!

I look forward to seeing who God blesses with this prize!

The Sleepy Wrap baby carrier is the best baby carrier I’ve ever owned.  I don’t say that lightly.  I started wearing my babies when my first was born, over five years ago now.  I’ve owned a Rebozo, Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, Kangaroo Adjustable Fleece Pouch, Ergo, Mama Baby Ring Slings, Shower Sling, Baby Bjorn, hmmm am I missing any?  I wish that the Sleepy Wrap had been available with my first born.  I wish that I hadn’t been intimidated by baby wraps in the past.  My husband thinks we should buy more of them, in many different colours!  They are certainly affordable enough - for a baby carrier that is so easy to use, $34.00 is a steal of a deal, I doubt you could buy a similar, high quality fabric in the quantity needed for that price!  The Sleepy Wrap is made out of a mainly cotton material that is similar to a cotton French jersey, very thick, soft and high quality; much thicker and more durable than the other knit fabrics I have baby carriers made of.

Our Sleepy Wrap, in red (available in a variety of colours to suit any taste), arrived before our new baby did.  The first thing I noticed was that the instruction booklet was first class.  Printed on glossy paper, full colour, step by step photographs and clear instructions.  Though I had been intimidated and NEVER considered buying a baby wrap in the past (how complicated all that twisting and tying looked) I was surprised at how terribly easy it was to learn the basic ties.  The first time I tied too loosely and my two year old was a bit timid in the carrier.  So I tied on again, making sure to tie it snug, not leaving any extra room (don’t worry, it will look like your baby won’t fit in, but that is where the special, stretchy fabric comes into play) - and this time when I put her on she felt happy and secure.  I haven’t been carrying her in a sling or carrier much during this pregnancy, so she was out of practice, but she caught on very quickly.

As you can tell from the photograph I am quite pregnant.  The Sleepy Wrap is definitely one size fits all, from teeny tiny Mamma’s to big, nine month pregnant Mamma’s, like me in the above photograph.  Rose is in the Classic, Love Your Baby hold, with her legs out, you can also choose to have the child’s legs inside of the fabric.  Rose is a big two year old, over 30 lbs. and quite tall.  Due to my pregnancy I tied the wrap under my belly, and it didn’t make it around to the back again, but no problems!  One thing I am very pleased with is that the circulation in Rose’s thighs was never cut off, her thighs never discoloured, the fabric never pinched,  and it was very soft and comfortable against her legs.  We’ve had problems with thigh constriction in other slings and carriers in the past - in order to get the child high enough and close enough to my body I had to cinch them in pretty tightly, sometimes resulting in thigh marks and discoloration….ick!

This is really the best carrier for getting your baby high and tight, once you have the wrap tied on snuggly, the rest is so simple, just pop your child in and you are ready to go with a high, tight, close, secure hold.  Soon after Sarah was born, and we got to try the wrap with her, she is around 1 week old in these photos.

Again, very easy, Sarah is in the upright newborn/infant hold.  When she falls asleep I can cover her head with some of the stretchy fabric to keep it from being floppy.

I stretched out the tying portion of the wrap to cover my belly (not all of those lumpies are baby, some are me!), but you can leave it looking more like ’straps’ if you’d like to.  This time I did get the ties to go around to my back again, but you can leave them on the front if they don’t make it back around.  I like to wear baby carriers with the fabric spread well over my shoulders and back for even weight distribution.  I can do this so well with the Sleepy Wrap that I can hardly feel my baby on - more comfy than being pregnant!  This miraculous stretchy fabric accomodates pretty near any size of child, just tying the carrier on snugly you can pop in either a newborn or a two year old, and you will still have a high, secure hold.  This carrier will also fit any member of your family.  My five year old likes to have me tie it on her so that she can carry her baby doll in it.  She keeps volunteering to carry the new baby, but I think she needs to grow a little still before she can wear Sarah.

We were shopping at the Toys R’Us for our new recliner rocking chair while I was still pregnant and I saw some expecting mother’s looking at the limited selection of baby carriers on hand (mostly Snuggli and Bjorn style carriers).  I wished that I had my Sleepy Wrap with me to show them how excellent it was, thankfully I can show you!  If you are a first time parent you can save yourself baby carrier buyer’s remorse and just buy a  Sleepy Wrap to start with.  If you are an experienced parent, you may feel reluctant to buy yet another baby carrier, or you may have felt intimidated by wraps in the past - I know that I certainly did.  I encourage you to step out in faith and buy a Sleepy Wrap as well, it is really the best carrier that our family has owned, and I only wish we’d had one for our previous children, particularly my very fussy firstborn.

Thanks so much to Sleepy Wrap, and Parent Reviewers for the opportunity to try this excellent baby carrier.

My oldest daughter is 5 years old, and she was SO excited when the cool t-shirt she had picked out from Huddy Buddy arrived in the mail. We had spent some time perusing the Huddy Buddy website looking for just the perfect shirt to review.

Huddy Buddy was founded in 2007, a few years after an entrepreneurial couple became parents to Hudson in 2003. They discovered the lack of unique, casual clothing for their son, and Hudson’s Dad turned to designing his own. After “Huddy’s Buddy” (his little sister) arrived, the unique girly-tee designs were added.

We had a hard time choosing from amongst all of the hip tshirts. We eventually decided on the Big Sister tshirt for her! We picked size 6, short sleeved - it looks like an 8 might have been a wee bit better for her. It is just the right shade of pink, and she definitely loves pink! And what with a new baby sister arriving in a week or so, it’s ideal for her! She already has one little sister, so we’re safe there, even if the ultrasound prediction turns out to be wrong! Of course I’m biased - but I think she looks adorable in it!

Not only do they offer a line of onesies and tshirts for boys, girls, sibling sets and twins featuring snazzy sayings and retro designs in sizes 3 - 6 months to size 8; but all of their clothing is 100% cotton and made in the USA - no ethical concerns with these tees! Huddy Buddy is based in Canada!  How neat is that - I love Canadian companies!  I found their shipping speeds in Canada to be very prompt!  They also send many t-shirts to the US.

For the smaller sizes, the designs are available as cool onesies, and the larger sizes are hip tshirts - short and log sleeved. They now have co-ordinating leggings and pants available as well.

Our daughter couldn’t wait to get her shirt on, and as you can see, managed to spill a bit of juice on it before we could snap a photo. K can be a bit sensitive to textures, seams, tags etc. but has never complained about this shirt. The cotton is both soft and comfy while being thick enough to be durable. Our 2 year old is looking forward to the day when she gets this shirt ‘handed down’ to her, she’s due to be an official big sister in a week or so, and I think this tee will still be going strong when she is big enough for it!

Some of the sweetest designs were the sibling tee sets for twins - too bad we don’t have any though! the big brother and big sister tees are a clever way to tell your husband you are expecting - just pop a tee or onesie onto your youngest and wait to see his reaction!

When you stop by the Huddy Buddy website , you might want to make sure there are no children peeking over your shoulder. If my daughters are any indication, they will find these unique designs irresistible.

A non-greasy facial sunscreen that is as easy (and pleasant) to use as your daily moisturizer? That is what the founders of Screen Inc. - two mothers - Lori and Heather, set out to develop with their line of Screen Routine Facial Sunscreens.

I’m happy to say that they suceeded! My family recently had the opportunity to test the complete line of facial sunscreens including: Man Screen, Chic Screen, Teen Screen and Tweeny Screen.

I started by applying the Tweeny Screen to the nearest thing I have to tweens - my 5 and 2 year olds. My 2 year old went first, I was a bit skeptical when I saw the white lotion gliding over the skin of her face (zinc is the main active ingredient in the sunscreen), but it soon blended in completely with her skin as I rubbed it in, no white visible. The lovely, mild and clean scent of the Tweeny Screen made the application process enjoyable for us both, and I sniffed her soft skin several times. I love the gentle tropical scent, very coco-nutty! The aroma makes this my favourite screen - even for grown-ups!

Moving on to my 5 year old daughter I applied the Tweeny Screen once again.  When my 2 year old saw this, she said, “More skin cream Mommy!”.  She wanted more, obviously a big hit.  My 5 year old is very sensitive to synthetic fragrances (my husband as well), but neither of them had a problem with the lightly scented Tweeny Screen - in fact they both commented on how they enjoyed the fragrance.  Normally we are a low/no-odour environment, so I was delighted.  No headaches here!  All of the other formulations are fragrance free.

My husband got to try the unscented Man Screen.  He didn’t mind volunteering his face (well, the upper portion, he has a large beard on his chin!) for the review, and noted that after the screen was applied he couldn’t even tell it was on.  I tried out the Chic Screen and Teen Screen (both unscented), and came to the same conclusion - this facial sunscreen is so easy to wear!  Just rub it on and forget it as the screen gets to work with it’s SPF 16 protection levels.  It is so light and spreadable - it feels like it absorbs right into your skin with no oily or greasy film.  I can see why teenagers love this product, adults with oily skin can also rejoice in this simple to use facial sunscreen.  The instructions say to apply liberally every two hours, but it seemed as though it didn’t take much sunscreen at all to achieve comprehensive facial coverage.  It seems as though a little of this ’screen’ goes a long way.

All of the sunscreens are made in the USA, and unlike many skin care products - they fully disclose their ingredients on all packaging!  All of the sunscreens contain important UVA/UVB broad spectrum protection and have been approved by both dermatologists and the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective UV sunscreen.  Screen Inc. currently has a new lip sunscreen in the works, as well as an “Extreme” line of facial sunscreen with SPF 35 protection levels.  If these new products are as excellent as their original facial sunscreen is, I’m sure they will be a huge hit!