THEO DVD Review and GIVE AWAY

Next up for review is a delightful DVD entitled THEO.  We are suckers for animated shows/movies and so when I saw this one I just had to review it.  When it arrived all the girls wanted to watch it!

They did and loved it.  So did I, in fact.  It is a gentle approach to some pretty meaty topics written for kids to easily understand.

About Theo

The animation series of Theo guides children and adults through a careful study of systematic theology. Theo discusses doctrines about sin, Godʼs character, the Bible, salvation and godly living with easy-to-understand illustrations that make children want to learn more about the Christian faith.

Theo Presents recognizes a universal fact: children and adults alike love cartoons. Theo captures the attention of young minds with liberal amounts of humor and high quality animation to present the Gospel of the Christian faith through the teachings of Theo and with the use of his two object lessons, Belfry and Luther.

Theo Presents is designed to serve as a multi-media resource tool that will help men, women and children fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, to go into all the world and make disciples and to teach those disciples Godʼs Word. The multi-media outlets include a DVD series, curriculum, books and iPhone/iPad app. Each of these facets are designed to work with one another or individually.

Theo was created to reach kids of all ages. The lessons and teachings of Theo can be used for Sunday school lessons, Christian school curriculum, missions, evangelism and homeschooling.

About the creator - MICHAEL JOENS

Mike Joens has produced and directed scores of animated commercials for toy companies such as Milton Bradley, Hasbro, Kenner, McDonaldʼs and Playskool. In addition to commercial work, he produced and directed the animation segments for the award-winning video series “McGee and Me,” as well as the animated “Adventures in Odyssey” for Focus on the Family. After a waiting period of over 30 years, God opened the doors to Joens for the production of “Theo Presents.” At last, the dream of a cartoonist, called to teach the Word has come true. It is Mikeʼs hope that God will use Theo to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children and adults in every country of the world!

Web: http://www.theopresents.com

Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/theopresents

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Theo-Gods-Love/dp/B005ETZEPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314304071&sr=8-1

FREE app (available now for iPhone and iPad): http://www.theopresents.com/

If you have young kids in your house, I recommend that you check these DVD's out.  Head over to the websites and watch some sample episodes.  You won't be disappointed.

**As a bonus I have TWO COPIES OF THIS DVD TO GIVE AWAY!!  That's right, two copies!  To enter just tell me your favorite tv show from your childhood.  Oh and leave an email for me to notify you if you win!

I will draw TWO WINNERS on Sept. 21st!

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Another one dances

Another one of my darling daughters has decided to try her hand, or foot as it were, at dance.  Peanut, our third born, has forsaken soccer and gymnastics in favor of ballet.  Not that I mind.  It's just one of those things.  Ya know?

Peanut has been blessed with legs that go all the way up to her neck and long, graceful arms.  Her body type is practically perfect for ballet.  However, I don't think she is ready for the seriousness of most ballet studios so we are going with the Y for now.  If she loves it, I want her to continue loving it and not be pushed to do more than she wants to by a demanding instructor.  We have gone that route and won't go back.  Ever.

So for now, she is plie-ing and passe-ing with a smile on her face even if there is a little less money in our bank account.  ;-)

My Red Face

Okay y'all I have a confession to make.  With the puke-fest that was happening last week and the surgeries before that and on top of that  my forgetful blonde brain I forgot to draw a winner for the copy of The Grace Card. 

I am sorry.  :(

Bad blogger, bad blogger.

I promise to try and do better next time.  Really I will.

For now, I will just tell you the name of the lucky person to win their very own copy of the the wonderful movie The Grace Card...

KARLA!!!

Ginny Owens "Get In, I'm Driving" CD Review and GIVE AWAY!

I was excited to get this CD for review.  We love getting new music to add to our library.  But when I put it in and actually loved it, that made it even better! lol

A bit about Ginny:

A three-time Dove Award winner, including the Gospel Music Association’s 2000 New Artist of the Year recipient, and multiple ASCAP Award winner, Ginny Owens has sold nearly one million albums. A top performer on the Christian radio charts with hits like “If You Want Me To,” “Free” and “I Wanna Be Moved,” among others, Owens’ music has impacted mainstream audiences at Lilith Fair, the Sundance Film Festival and the White House. Her music has received widespread film and television placement, including songs on the popular WB series’ “Roswell” and “Felicity.” Owens was featured on national television, including NBC’s “Today” and CNN, for her contribution to help rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Born and raised in Jackson, Miss., Owens was discovering melodies on the piano almost before she could complete a sentence. Songs began to emerge from her fingers as the vision began to leave her eyes and by the age of three.  A degenerative eye condition left Owens completely blind.  Despite her physical challenge, Owens pursued a music career.  Songs provide a window into a world Owens can’t see and an outlet for her to express her thoughts and dreams. Owens’ unique musical style and inspirational lyrics continue to appeal to Christian and mainstream audiences alike.

In 2005 Owens launched The Fingerprint Initiative, a hands-on, non-profit organization designed to “bring hope to the world, one project and one touch at a time.” The organization has partnered with  and raised money for groups such as Compassion International, International Justice Mission and Habitat for Humanity.

We have had this CD going in the kitchen almost non-stop since the first day we put it in.  The music is catchy and the words poignant.  We really love this album.  I think we are going to have to go and find the rest of her albums now! lol

If you want to check it out for yourself, head on over to these websites and see what it's all about.  The album is releasing today so have a listen and then go buy it! ;-)


       Website: http://ginnyowensmusic.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GinnyOwensMusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/GinnyOwens

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/before-you-fly-single/id442050145

What's even better is that I have one to give away! 

To enter the drawing tell me how you usually find new music.  That's it!  I will draw a winner on Sept. 20th so be sure to leave an email so I can get a hold of you.


"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Homeschool Group

Today marks the first day of our homeschool groups year.  It looks to be another full but great year with our group.  There are around 60 some kids in the group from 18 families.  We meet on Monday mornings for just over three hours and offer classes in core subjects as well as some fun electives for the kids.  Beings that it's a co-op, the moms volunteer to teach classes.  :)  This semester I am teaching two! 

I get to teach two classes to 4th graders.  My first class is on the Solar System and we are going to build a model during the semester.  I can't wait to see the finished product.  The second class is a fun with foreign cultures class.  We are learning about Australia.  But, we are also praying for the country and the people as we learn about them to broaden our horizon and grow a heart for unsaved people.

The older kids have a current affairs class, P.E., and a personal finance class.  The younger set has a character counts class and a few fun ones.  They are all great classes and the kids loved the entire morning.  Bug especially.  She was able to be in the nursery with other kids her age as well as some older kids and they played, read stories, and ate snacks!  By the time we were done for the day, she was falling asleep in her seat.  lol  She was so tired from playing that we could hardly get her to wake up and eat lunch.  :-)

I am sure that it is going to be a great year. 

On top of that we are going to be putting on a full length play this year!  Yours truly is directing it.  But there will be more on that later.  ;-)

For now, we are going to settle into the new routine for the year and try to remember to do everything that needs doing!

TOS Review TIme 4 Learning

Computers are here to stay whether we fight them tooth and nail or embrace them.  As homeschoolers we have an amazing opportunity in the technology area because it is opening up new venues to help us on our journeys.  One such website is Time 4 Learning.



Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today's technology. It's a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games.

The Time4Learning program has been refined through years of feedback from educators, parents, and students. Animated lessons are followed by interactive activities, printable worksheets, and assessments to assure a student's mastery of skills. The lessons teach the concepts that build a solid foundation and the exercises refine the skills and habits that provide ongoing success.

The Time4Learning educational software partner is CompassLearning®, which provides a standards-based online education curriculum for millions of students in school districts across the U.S.

Okay, but what is it?  Time 4 Learning is a website that has an online membership that then allows you to access their lesson plans that your children can use as their core curriculum or a supplement.  There are fun stories, pictures, questions and answers, and games to help the student learn the material.

When your child signs in they can choose which area they want to start in and that takes them to another screen filled with buttons.  They start on the left side and click a button which takes them to another screen to do the same thing.  Then the lesson begins.  Depending on their age/grade level the information is presented to them and a quiz is taken on the material.  Some levels and subjects have several "worksheets" to complete before a quiz is taken.  Once all the stars/buttons are complete in a given area they can choose another area and move through it in the same way.

Time 4 Learning covers Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Reading.  Each area is covered at the grade the student is at but they also have access to three levels just in case the run into struggles or want to move ahead.



The monthly membership is $19.95 for the first child and $14.95 for each additional child.  That membership includes:

• Online curriculum for grades Pre-K through 8th
• More than 1,000 interactive animated lessons
• Self paced lessons that kids will enjoy working on
• Math & algebra tutorials & printable worksheets
• Language arts, phonics & grammar lessons
• Interactive, project-based reading activities
• Science (grades 1st - 6th) & social studies (grades 2nd - 7th)
• Detailed reporting for easy record keeping
• Extensive lesson plans & teaching tools for parents
• and much more... 

Now, what did we think about it?  My 1st and 4th graders loved it!  They thought the lessons were just the right length and gave them the information in a way they understood it.  They also loved playing on the playground! lol  My 7th and 8th graders thought it was fine.  It wasn't that they didn't like it but they are more of a hold the book and turn the page type of kids for History and Language Arts.  So I don't think it was anything against the website just a personal preference for them.



I liked the Lesson Plan pages, being able to check on their progress, seeing what they are learning, and having them take control of their subjects.  I think it is a great option for some families but not one we would probably be able to afford with four kids for long.  It might be a good option to use as a way to supplement certain topics or subjects, though.  I can definitely see using this with just one child.  I would suggest making sure you know what they are learning as this is a secular curriculum and is taught from that mindset.


Time 4 Learning is a great tool for homeschool families.  It covers grades PK-8th grade.  If you want to find out more head on over to their website and check out the Demo Lessons and all the other great information they have available on their FAQ page.  Don't forget to check out this page to get an overview of what subjects are taught for each grade level. 

You can also check out what other Crew members had to say about their experiences by heading over to the Crew Blog and reading all about it!





**I received a free month subscription to Time 4 Learning for my children through The TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review.