Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others is an e-book from The Old Schoolhouse. It is a wonderful resource to have to help you share the love with your family and others.

Have you ever had a long road trip with a 3 year old? How about one with a 3 year old, a 5 year old, a toddler and a newborn? Oh, yes, you know what I’m talking about! Travel Kits will help make those long road trips a bit more fun for the family.

The idea of Travel Kits is to gather items, from coloring books to card games to funny glasses, wrap or package them in a fun way and give them to a family or your own when beginning a long trip. Or hey, even going to the doctor. Ever been in a waiting room long?

On the road trip every day the family, as a whole or individually, are given something to open and enjoy. If the road trip is shorter, you could have something to open every hour or at each stop. On a doctor’s visit, the “kits” maybe just be one or two things. A little something to help pass the time and keep hands busy and happy.

Travel Kits are not limited to your own family or even to children. You can prepare a travel kit for the college bound student who might need a little something each day as they adjust to being away from family, or maybe your sweet neighbor is going to be in the hospital for a bit. It could be your 6 year old is down with the flu. What a wonderful way to bless them with a “kit” to make these times a bit brighter.

Travel Kits is a thorough resource. Not only does it share the wonderful idea of these kits but it shares how and what to use. The e-book helps you to think about where the travel kit will be small car or big car? A family with older children or younger children? What to put into the kit for a girl or a boy?

It gives suggestion on presentation and packaging. This is one area I always need help in! There are so many ideas given on different items to include; edibles, books, recordings, games etc. Please note that many of the items mention can be pick up inexpensively at your local dollar store. Blessing others does not have to break the bank!

I found Travel Kits from The Old Schoolhouse to be a fabulous resource. I am thinking of so many ways to use this. I know my children would have a great time putting one together for others.

You can purchase the Travel Kits: A Simple Way to Bless Others  e-book from the The Old Schoolhouse Store and download it for only $12.45.

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Yes, this is one you must enter if you have a little one to carry around. An ERGO! Head over to Raising Olives right now! And look at all the ways you can enter to win!

I LOVE my wrap. It was such a blessing to use it with Hannah and Sarah. Now Sam is another little one who loves being snug against mommy. However, I have always wanted to try an ERGO but it hasn’t been in the budget. I was so excited to see this giveaway tonight.

Now, why are you still here? Go! Enter! And let me win! Giggle.

Our church hosts a Memorial Day picnic each year. This was our first year to enjoy the festivities and we had a blast! Games, food, military convoy rides and wonderful speakers and music.

Could you go wrong with a delicious BBQ meal? I don’t think so!

Sadly, I was a bit busy with the littles to take many pictures.

It is good to busy with littles. The big kiddos had a blast playing and working. It was a great day to serve!

Do you see that? Yes, that cute little red head. Do you know what she was doing? What she chose to do after her shower when everyone else was running around being goofy?

She is doing a bit of copywork. What is so special about that? It was her choice to copy from a book that she READ ALL BY HERSELF. To say she was a bit excited is putting it mildly.

My journey in teaching my children to read has been interesting. I always told myself that if I could teach my children to read, then nothing was too difficult. My phonetic background is not stellar so teaching reading scared me to pieces. I searched reading/phonics curriculum like crazy when Bekah was little. After failure with one program and a break for a few months, I ended up going with the curriculum I said I would never use. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

It worked for Bekah. It worked with Mary. It worked with Caleb (yeah, the boy who was going to be delayed in reading due to his speech issues and was going to need a special, slow paced curriculum). All three are fabulous readers; able to read above their age with no problem. Then along came LuLu.

Yes, my Lydia Lu has her own drumbeat going on. When it appeared to be time to teach reading, I pulled out my used $10 copy of 100 Easy Lessons and we hit the ground running. And she cried. Every day. As soon as she saw the book. It was not pretty. I put the book back on the shelf. We took a break from learning to read. After a few months, I pulled it back out and she cried some more. It just wasn’t clicking.

I don’t see the need to spend hundreds of dollars on phonics and no way can I handle silly songs and games to teach phonics. There are not enough hours in a day, folks. So I did what I always do when I want a book. I check the library first to see what phonics curriculums they had. One that was available was Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading. I knew a few people how used it and highly recommended it. Hmm, I’m pretty ordinary. I’ll take a look.

It was similar to 100 Easy Lessons in that the lessons were short and doable in 15-20 min a day. I liked that. However, it was different in an important way. It was set up by sounds. You learn short vowels sounds, then long vowels with silent e, etc. Very organized. No illustrations. Every now and then a “game” is tossed in as an optional activity. No special books or accessories are needed. Just OPGTTR, pen and paper. 100 Easy Lessons just seemed random in what was presented.

The great thing? It is working for Lydia. She doesn’t cry. She hasn’t really been jumping for joy about it, either, but she is not having breakdowns. I’ll take it. We took a short break when we moved and had Sam. I decided for Lydia backing up and doing some review would be a good thing. And it was. The review gave her time to get back into a “reading groove” and built her confidence. When we went to the library a few days ago she grabbed a book (an early reader type deal) and read it. Then she grabbed a reader off our shelf at home (Pathway Reader) and read two or three stories to her sister. She took the book with her tonight to read on the way to Bible study.

And she was excited. Thrilled. She read a story to her daddy this afternoon and you could see her beaming happiness. She has worked hard. I’m so thankfully she is enjoying the fruit of her labor. And I am BLESSED that I get to see every moment. She is already planning to read to me tomorrow. I can’t wait.

God’s Promises for Girls by Jack Countryman and Amy Parker

When I first requested the book, I was prepared to not be impressed. I was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Countryman and Amy Parker have taken various topics/situations and selected Scripture to be an encouragement and comfort to the young girls. Topics mentioned are feeling sad, lonely, afraid, etc and God’s protection, love and forgiveness. Here is a sample text:

Monsters. Spiders. Being alone. Do any of these things make you feel afraid? When you start to feel fear, hold on tight to these words: God promises to take your fear away!

“So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you. I will support you with my right hand that saves you.” Isaiah 41:10

There are two or three Scripture selections for each topic, along with a little rhyme at the top of each page. The illustrations are charming and my younger ones have looked at it over and over again. Since my 6 and under can’t fluently read, I used my 10 and 11 year old girls as “test readers”. My 11 year old thought it was nice but wasn’t overly impressed. She felt it was a bit youngish for her in looks and presentation. My 10 year old has enjoyed it. She likes how it is organized and she can easily find Scripture that fits a situation.

Personally, it isn’t a book I’d buy. I’m not big on the “God’s Promises” type of books. I think of them as gift books; you know, ones that Sunday School teachers get for their classes. And there is nothing wrong with that. Just not my cup of tea. I prefer that my children learn to use the concordance to search the Word for Scripture that applies to difficult situations.

God’s Promises for Girls also used the International Children’s Bible. I’m not a fan of “children’s” versions of the Bible. I know that versions of Scripture can be a huge issue for some so I thought it should be mentioned.

Overall, it was a lovely book; sharing Scripture with charming illustrations.

Disclaimer – I am a member of BookSneeze.com. I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. I received no compensation of any kind.

I really missed playing in my little blogging world. So thankful to be back!

And I have been going crazy waiting to share my two cute little ones. Sarah always wants to hold Sam and well, it must be a highly supervised occasion. Therefore it doesn’t happen as often as she would like.

Love it. Every moment. I am blessed!

She graciously donated her recipe box to hold the names.

And the winner, hand-picked by Mary, is…..

Congratulations, Christy!!!! Please get me your mailing address and I will get The Heart Mender to you!

Caleb: Daddy, I know why God made trees.

Daddy: Why?

Caleb: For boys like me to climb them.