We Choose Virtues Review + Coupon Codes!

When I first heard that we were going to be receiving the We Choose Virtues Flash Cards, I didn't really know what I was getting! I hadn't even  heard of We Choose Virtues, but I am always up for a new challenge - and to learn something new with new products that I've never seen before.

I currently "nanny" for my cousin's 4 kids. 3 of which these flash cards work for! I was excited to sit down and work with them to learn the different virtues that are given.

The virtues include: Obedient, Kind, Patient, Helpful, Gentle, Diligent, Self-Controlled, Forgiving, Attentive, Perseverant and Content.

To be completely honest, a lot of these words and concepts were just too big for the girls I watch to understand. They are 5, 5, and 3.

So I stuck to the 3 that I thought were the best for them. Those were Obedient, Kind, and Helpful. I worked with them on those for quite some time, and they seemed to really begin to understand - and love - the concepts of some of these virtues! You can buy these flash cards in KJV, NIV or any secular version. I have NIV, which I also think helped them understand a little better since they are so young.

(They messed up a little bit...but it's still pretty darn cute!)
They seemed to really love Obedient. I think that it helped that this one's "catchphrase" rhymed and was easy for them to remember. (I took them upstairs for their naps this afternoon after we had just finished working on this one, and they were still saying it over and over. I'd say that's a good review if I've ever heard one!)

 

Once they have finished learning these 3 better, we'll move onto some of the harder concepts to grasp. But they really seemed to enjoy working on these cards and learning new things. 

I also incorporated a "game". I held up a card and they told me what the word was, then the "catchphrase" on the back. They REALLY liked that, as I gave them points for every one that they got right! 

Although I ONLY used the flashcards, Heather from We Choose Virtues also included the following for me to use (I plan to use them with the girls as we get more in depth into what we're learning...they're still trying to grasp some of it): Kids of Virtue Coloring pages, Family Character Assesment, Memory Verses, Bible Heroes and Truths, Teacher's Handbook, a product comparison chart, and a Butterfly Award that you can give to your student when they've "mastered" the virtues.

I have enjoyed working with these virtues, and so have the three kids that I watch!

I also wanted to include Heather's Top 3:
We Choose Virtues Flash Cards: $14.99
Virtue Clues: $5.50
3 Rules Poster: $6.00

I think that this product is something that ANY homeschool family could use. You can add it into your school day in a snap, and it's easy to learn and remember!

Oh, and not to mention! I have coupon codes for you, my readers! These are for YOU to use for your set of Virtue Flash Cards, or anything else that you may want to purchase at the We Choose Virtues Store.

HOME20 is good for the months of March and April and can be used toward the purchase of a HomeschoolKit only. This, of course, gives you 20% off your purchase.
VIRTUE15 is good anytime for the purchase of anything in the We Choose Virtues store! There's some sales in their store right now, too, so now is a good time to go over and use the coupon code to get even more of a deal!

I thank Heather, and We Choose Virtues, for sending me all these great products that I'm sure that I will use in the future!

Beauty - It's Only Skin Deep

In the past, I had a blog with a friend of mine called Beautiful in Christ. That blog has long since been put on hold since neither Kylie or I have time to sit down and write regular posts for it. We had good intentions of turning it into a small magazine with articles and posts from many great teenage and young adult writers, but it just never came to be.

But I still have a heart for teenage girls and the hardships that they have to face in this day and age. I was in pubic school for only a few years, and I wasn't necessarily "bullied", but the girls were very petty - even in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

I hated almost every minute of my public school years, and I can't imagine what high school would've been like had my mother not pulled me out of public school and back into our home.

But, even though I was homeschooled, there were still pressures to be "beautiful". And beautiful, by definition of Hollywood is: perfect skin, perfect body, perfect clothes.

But like the title says, beauty is only skin deep. Real beauty radiates from the inside out, not the other way around. Someone can have a beautiful face, but their heart and soul could be as cold as stone and as black as ashes.

Whereas, real beauty - beauty through Christ - comes from the inside and shines through to the outside.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God sight. 

Wow, that's powerful, isn't it?

Sure, we love nice clothes and beautiful jewelry and cool hairstyles. But it's not only about that, and that doesn't make us beautiful. Sure, it makes us feel that way, maybe.  

But here's the reality: It doesn't last. Fashion changes, hairstyles change. Nothing is constant - except beauty that comes from Christ and trusting in Him always and forever.

Proverbs 31:30: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 

So, hold your head high today. Don't listen to what the mirror is trying to tell you - it's all lies. You are beautiful in Christ, and no one can ever change that as long as you hold onto Him, and keep your eyes set on Him.

Oh, and I want to share what I have on my mirror to remind myself of this daily, since I tend to look down on myself for one reason or another:

The world may say that you're not pretty enough, you're not skinny enough, you don't wear the right clothes.

But God says: You're beautiful.

Blog Planner Review: The Flourishing Abode

A few months ago, I got the opportunity to become a part of the Homeschool Mosaic Review Team! I have never been a part of a review team before, but I have always liked giving my honest opinions on things, so I thought this would be a great way to do it!

My first review was to be of a blog planner. Now, I'm going to be honest with you all. I am not much of a blog planner. I'm more of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants blogger. I like to blog about what I want, when I want.

So I knew that I needed to pick something simple that didn't have a lot of details.

That's why I picked The Flourishing Abode Planner.

What I liked about this specific planner is it's set up for a week at a time.

 

I wrote down the posts I wanted to do each day so that I could look at it for further reference. This was a simple set-up for me, and easy to follow. 

 There are also places to write in future post ideas, where you want to promote your blog posts, pictures to be made, and a place for extra little notes that you may need to remember throughout the week. I thought it was set up very nicely and had plenty of room for everything that you need to do!

I really enjoyed working with this planner, and tried to plan a week of blogging by using it. But to be honest, I probably won't use it again. If I have a blog post coming up that I have to post, I'll probably put it right on my regular calendar to remind me since I look at that more than I would ever look at a piece of paper.

But this WAS a nice 1-page, easy to follow planner that I would suggest if you wanted something simple!

Oh! And the best part? This is free! :D

Find out more about this planner here: The Flourishing Abode Planner.

Throwback Thursday: It's a Family Thing

This was when dresses like that were in style, I had bright red hair and big blue eyes, Mom's HAIR was in style, and Dad, well, he had hair! :D

Wordless Wednesday : Oh those crazy animals

Lazy Bums.