From Big Picture Thinking to a Written Daily Schedule: Plan Your Year Review

I had planned to post this review after I finish all of my Teaching from Rest book studies for the summer next week, but the price on this resource is going up this Wednesday (June 21, 2017)! I did not want you to miss out, my friends. I am not being compensated in any way for this review; I just really want to share how much I love this kit!

THE KIT

Pam Barnhill, a fellow homeschooling mama, has created a remarkable resource to bridge the gap between the theoretical homeschool and the day to day reality. Her Plan Your Year Kit is a true gem, and if you are hoping to be more intentional about planning your homeschool year, every page is worth every penny!

The current price is $24, and this includes the Planning Guide in PDF format, (currently) 74 beautiful downloadable forms for planning, two inspiring audio workshops, an invaluable Facebook group, and lifetime updates to the product. Pam updates calendars every season and adds custom forms requested by users.

She has also just added a 14-page student planner, The Independent Student, in 4 different graphic formats with an audio workshop, specifically for this new planner, which is included in the kit for free until July 2! You can download free sample pages from all of the above now to see if this product is for you.

Now, let me share why this kit has been such a gift to me!

NEXT STEP

I have found that PlanYour Year is the logical next step after reading Teaching from Rest. Most of my readers and friends know how much I love Sarah Mackenzie’s wise words. She regularly challenges us all to imagine our vision for our homeschools and focus on our priorities. Pam’s guide insists that the first thing one should do before buying materials or making a schedule is to write down on paper (or you can even type into Pam’s forms and save a pretty typed version) our overall vision and our goals for each child.

Once I have read about how I should “bring [my] basket,” “simplify the curriculum,” and “plan to breathe,” personally, I will completely forget about those ideas once I walk into the homeschool conference and start talking planning with my homeschooling friends. Even the subtitle of Pam’s guide, Plan Your Year: Homeschool Planning forPurpose and Peace, reflects the subtitle of Sarah’s book, Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guideto Unshakable Peace. (Yes, I think they did that on purpose; they’re pretty good friends, if you hadn’t guessed!)

And another day I’ll post a review of MySchoolYear.com, a homeschool record-keeping program, which has totally improved the day to day execution of the plans I make with Plan Your Year! My process includes: Step One, read Teaching from Rest; Step Two, Plan Your Year; and Step Three, use MySchoolYear.com to make it happen! (3 fantastic resources created by fellow Catholic homeschooling families!)

HOW TO

As I said in my testimonial above, there are probably thousands of free homeschool planning forms on the internet today. I have used many of them, but none of them come with a how-to guide to filling them out. Pam’s planning guide walks you through the ten steps to planning your year: Vision, Goals, Course of Study, Scheduling Options, Plan a Week, Purchase Resources, Booklists, Organization, Records, and the Daily Plan.

The forms themselves are clean and pretty, and I love that you can type right into the spaces to make your own personalized planning pages. There are so many different forms for so many different situations, including everything you would expect for homeschooling planning and a selection of specialized forms for family chores, morning time, loop scheduling, transcript planning, reading logs, etc. But the guide also includes links to resources and action steps to be sure you’re putting your family’s priorities first when you plan.

If you are like me and get overwhelmed by the details such that you forget the big picture, PlanYour Year is for you. I used to start with a long list of the things I wanted to teach the following year without stopping to consider why to teach those things and which were realistic for my family. I would see the shiny new books and the bargains at the used book sales and decide to jump in without evaluating our needs. Going through Pam’s careful planning steps ensures that I walk in to each conference or sale with a list of what my priorities are and which books I think will best fit those principles.

PERSONALIZED

I admit that I am the type of homeschooler who cannot use somebody else’s plans. When I look at sample pages to purchase daily lesson plans from whatever provider, I would make so many changes that I see them as a waste of my money. You may not be that way. Perhaps you love the structure of daily plans and maybe are enrolled in a full time or hybrid homeschool program. Plan Your Year can work for all of us!

This kit really is personalized. You decide the goals and print out the forms you want. You make a list of resources you need and when you need them. You plug in the activities and lessons on the calendar if you want. You map out the best approach to each day based on the needs of your family. And since an individualized education is one of the reasons many of us homeschool, this is the tool to make those wishes come true!

Finally, I cannot say enough good things about the wonderful ladies in the Plan Your Year Homeschool Planning Facebook group. Pam’s assistant, Dawn, guides the group in regular discussion during key planning times, and Pam pops in to share relevant wisdom, opportunities, and resources, including a file section with some of those customized forms I mentioned above. If you have a question or need someone to look over your plans, the mamas there are ready to help you make a plan that works for you!

GUARANTEE

Need another reason to click and buy? Pam offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied for any reason, she will give you a full refund.

Whether you are an orderly thinker who loves filling out forms, or tend towards being a scatterbrain and need someone to help you focus step by step through planning, I think Plan Your Year will work for you! I have just begun to print forms and dive into the process this year, but I am looking forward to pulling together all the thoughts swimming around in my head about next year into a definite plan.

Let me know in the comments here if you decide to join me and tell me what you think about Plan Your Year. Maybe we can even meet here or on Facebook to share our plans as we develop them!

Review: My First Prayers for Christmas - Catholic Board Book!

So untimely of me! Through the generosity of TiberRiver.com, I received a copy of My First Prayers for Christmas by Maite Roche. Part of my delay in posting this review is that I wanted to be sure to include my children’s responses, and the book ended up being the perfect Christmas present for the baby.


To me, it is so rare to find quality Catholic children’s literature, much less in board book format. Most religious board books I find are beautifully Christian but not authentically Catholic. This book is just that, and I am thrilled to see there are three other board books in the series put out by Magnificat and Ignatius Press: My First Prayers with Mary, My First Bedtime Prayers, and My First Prayers for My Family.


In this title, there are seven unique prayers, and each one can play a special role in a child’s preparations for and celebration of Christmas. The first prayer is a prayer of anticipation, and it echoes the joy children have in preparing their homes and hearts for Christmas. The next two prayers are of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the birth of Christ. The fourth prayer is appropriate for Christmas Eve, while the fifth is in thanks for the happiness of Christmas Day. Finally, there is a prayer to honor the three wise men, appropriate for the Epiphany, and another to honor the Holy Family on the Feast of the Holy Family.


Such a subtle yet meaningful touch to this book is that each page begins with “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The words are simple and clear, printed in a text that is both bold and clean, spaced and sized perfectly for little eyes. A beginning reader could certainly read the book with only a little help from mom or dad.


The illustrations are done in bright colors, often depicting a family of five with wonderful detail, such as wedding rings and cross necklaces. There is great joy and peace on the faces of everyone depicted, whether it be Mary and Joseph or a cat playing with an ornament. These pictures are delightful to study as you pray the corresponding words for both young and old.


The baby is not quite old enough to fully appreciate board books yet, but he did seem to enjoy looking at the colorful pages. My older children read the prayers together and were inspired by the ease with which they could pray together with the book. My son, an emerging reader, mostly enjoyed looking through the illustrations and seemed to spend quite a bit of time before bedtime one night really soaking in the scenes.


Overall, I am thrilled to find such a quality series for my littlest children! I look forward to bringing this book out next year during Advent to read with my youngest, who will be a toddler more capable of understanding the prayers. I will definitely look for the other titles in the series, as I think they would make wonderful gifts for Easter and Baptism Day! I really do not think you will be disappointed in these treasures, as the care and thought put into them show through in the sincerity of each page.

Review: Little Acts of Grace 2

If you have the first volume of this set, Little Acts of Grace, and love it (which I know you do if you own it), you will also love the second book. These slim little gems are nearly perfect in sharing sometimes overlooked and/or underemphasized elements of our faith to our children. These books are affordable, too, and might just be the perfect thing for your family's upcoming Lenten journey!


Little Acts of Grace 2 is every bit as wonderful as the first volume! We received the original Little Acts of Grace as a gift from godparents several years ago. The Catholic Company was gracious enough to send me a copy of the sequel to review for you and my family. Rosemarie Gortler and Donna Piscitelli have once again put together a gem of a volume on small ways our children can show their love for and faith in God.

The book’s focus, in fact, is how we can show our love for God in little ways. Each section speaks eloquently of common ways to honor God. The first section reminds me of St. Therese’s Little Way, as children are invited to “Seeing the Lord in the Little Things.” The suggestions in this section, and throughout the book really, are quite simple and easy things for children to do, giving them an immediate sense of accomplishment and connection to God.

Subsequent sections introduce children to the ideas of choosing to attend Mass, participating in the Mass, noticing the candles and incense, loving others through service and forgiveness, and loving Jesus by spending time with Him in prayer. Each section has numerous suggestions for children of all ages, from lighting a candle to celebrating birthdays with family and friends.

My children have truly enjoyed the first volume of this series. My daughter, in particular, often struggles with how hard it is to remember to do everything in love for God, but she finds these books comforting. The simple actions done with sincere and loving hearts can easily lead our children towards greater virtue and charity.

As before, Mimi Sternhagen has created pictures that illustrate the ideas in the book beautifully. The drawings are soft but use bold colors and depict children doing the many things suggested in the book. I am again impressed at how she is able to combine several different “acts of grace” into one drawing, so children have a visual reminder of almost all of the little things in the book and not just a few chosen ones.


Whether you have the original Little Acts of Grace or not, Little Acts of Grace 2 would be an excellent addition to any Catholic home! The books can stand alone; you do not need the first book to appreciate the second one. But, they both do offer different ideas for living our lives in love for God. In fact, they are a wonderful inspiration for me, as well, since once I read a section with my children, I, too, am motivated to put forth the effort to remember these small steps to holiness.


This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Little Acts of Grace 2 . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

Review: Cat Chat Vol. 4 - The Mass Comes Alive

I requested Cat Chat Volume 4: The Mass Comes Alive, because my daughter was preparing for First Holy Communion last spring, and I really wanted to excite her about the Mass. She loves the other Cat Chat CDs we own (I think we have all of them now), so I hoped she would especially enjoy this one.

I was not disappointed! As usual, the creators of this series have presented the Catholic faith in a solid way with songs and stories full of contagious enthusiasm for the Holy Mass! If you have never listened to Cat Chat before, you should know that the entire show is presented as a father teaching his children about the faith. This simple but ingenious way of presenting the audio show always makes me feel like I am sitting in the Millers' living room, benefiting from a loving parent guiding his beloved children.

The stories are real and meaningful to my children, ages 5 and 8, and even to me! On this show, there is an excellent explanation of the Creed and beautiful reminders of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. My enthusiasm for the faith (and for teaching it in a way that will excite my children) is definitely renewed whenever we listen to a Cat Chat CD.

The quality of the music continues to amaze me, compared to some other Christian songs for children. These songs are catchy, memorable, and beautifully sung, not at all irritating to adult ears. I especially enjoyed "Come Live in Me," since my original goal was preparation for receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.

The Mass Comes Alive is now a favorite in our van, and we enjoy the sincerity of the programs so much that we feel like we are a part of the Miller family! It helps, I'm sure, that we have a cat just as tenacious as Moses!!!

Also, I was excited to see that they have a Catholic Vacation Bible School program based on this audio show called "Marvelous Mystery!" I will be looking into that for next summer!

You can purchase this CD here.

I wrote this review of Cat. Chat Volume 4 for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.


I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

CD Review: L'Angelus ~ Sacred Hymns

I truly enjoyed this beautiful music from L'Angelus! Their mix of instrumentation with vocals and acoustic sound is simply breathtaking. To be completely honest, guitar is one of my least favorite instruments, especially for sacred music, so there were a couple of songs which I will regularly skip. Nevertheless, the remaining tracks are so masterfully done, I will listen to them again and again, and even a few with guitar are so excellent, they won my approval.

I did enjoy the diversity in the music, as well, from Spanish to Irish to Latin to a hint of country, it is all done well! You will enjoy guitar, bass, piano, fiddle, cello, accordion, violin, organ, french horn, keyboard, mandolin, whistle and vocal talent that is beyond compare..all from one family!

Here are some brief notes on a few of my favorite tracks:

• Ave Maria ~ This one is beautiful and light, full of joy!


• T'irai la Voir Un Jour ~ With precise instrumentation and angelic voice, I felt as if I was sitting in a French cafe amid flowers and a sunny breeze.


• Salve Regina ~ The vocals for this hymn give new definition to angelic, and its lack of instrumentation is truly brilliant.


• Muerto Para El Mundo ~ While my Spanish is in need of work, this song was so sincere that I did not have to work to understand the love put into its production.


• Holy God We Praise Thy Name ~ Nothing could be more traditional and sacred than traditional organ hymns; this one is nearly perfect.

This talented family truly has it all. The music is well-played and does not sound amateur at all. The girls' voices are absolutely heavenly, and they are what really made this CD worth it. To listen to such familiar and traditional hymns sung with such sincerity is uplifting and calls me to a presence of mind, which other Christian music fails to inspire. The entire family will enjoy this gem!

You can purchase this CD here.

I wrote this review of Sacred Hymns for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.



Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

Review ~ Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice

My husband and I recently had the opportunity to review Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice: A Guide for Spiritual Survival by Rev. Joseph F. Classen. We were very much attracted to the title, as its principles seem absolutely fabulous, and in the end, I feel it is an inspiring read...for the right audience.

First, I gave the book to my husband, since it was written for guys. Quite simply he said he could not get into the book. The anecdotes and conversational style were not conducive to his reading of the subject matter. True, the book is written as if Fr. Classen is speaking to his buddies after a long day of wild boar bowhunting (and if you do not know anything about wild boar bowhunting, read the book). So, I think it was simply written for a different audience. My husband prefers books on the faith that are very direct and applicable to his life. He doesn't hunt (although, for the record, neither of us are opposed to such sport) and isn't much of an outdoorsman. I guess I shouldn't have handed him the book.

So, in order to do justice to this review, I decided to pick up the book and read it myself. Honestly, I skimmed it. Once again, the stories and jargon definitely do not appeal to me. Several chapter titles can tell you why: Turkey Love, Hog Wild!, and Elk Lust, to name a few. This book definitely targets a very specific audience --- male.

Instead of detailing why I did not enjoy the book, however, let me instead tell you what type of person probably would enjoy this book (in my imagination). To its credit, it is creatively written and theologically sound, and overall an excellent book, just not my style.

This book is for men, preferably men who do some kind of hunting or at least wish they could, but live in a modern world. These men appreciate Tommy Lee Jones, Eddie Van Halen, and a couple of priests telling tales about their adventures in the wilderness, hunting and loving God. Their minds are willing to stretch a bit to understand the comparisons Fr. Classen makes between our spiritual life and sitting in a tree stand before dawn waiting for nature to come alive. He does an excellent job explaining such analogies clearly, but the reader has to be willing to follow them through. Should you know such a man, here is what he will enjoy:

• Fr. Classen's easy-going writing style will inspire men to consider more seriously the virtues of faith, hope, and love while on a turkey shoot.
• Pride and humility will make more sense while hog hunting.
• Greed, envy, and charity come to the surface through the stories of the Trick or Treat Buck and a summertime float trip.
• The perfect fishing trip introduces readers to positive ways to cope with anger and wrath.
• A new humongous outdoor catalog will lead to an evaluation of greed, and he does manage to get to chastity with a great story about his first elk-hunting trip (okay, so I found that one pretty interesting).
• Of course, finally, he explains the opposites of sloth and diligence with an outline of what makes a successful outdoorsman.

Overall, yes, I would recommend this book if you have an outdoorsy, hunting kind of man who wants some spiritual guidance that makes sense without making him give up his "man card." The creativity of this book just might captivate those reluctant readers, too! Head on over to The Catholic Company to order a copy for a father, brother, husband, etc...



This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice.

Magnificat

If you are like me and cannot concentrate on prayer in the morning unless you have a guide to follow (or any time of the day, really), you should consider subscribing to Magnificat if you do not already get it. It will help you, not only in the morning, but also throughout the day to focus on the Lord and remember to pray. I subscribed to it years ago, but trying out the June 2009 issue has renewed my appreciation for this gem!


Many, many Catholics now subscribe to this monthly publication, which includes a prayer for the morning and prayer for the evening based on the Church's Liturgy of the Hours, Mass readings, meditations, and saint biographies and quotes for each day of the month. There is also the Order of the Mass and some additional prayers and articles. The publication is completely faithful to the Church and bringing her people to a deeper spiritual life.



Now, let me be honest and tell you that I am not planning to subscribe again to Magnificat. The reason is that I use the Liturgy of the Hours for Morning Prayer and Night Prayer already. The Magnificat shortens the Morning Prayer, and since I am already used to praying the longer form, I found that in praying the shorter form, I felt I was missing some quality time with God, since all I can manage in the mornings is to reflect on what I am reading.


The opposite is true for me for Night Prayer. I do not pray the longer form of Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours; instead, I pray the shorter Night Prayer. Magnificat does not have Night Prayer, only Evening Prayer. So, those prayers, for me, are too long, when I am exhausted at the end of the day and falling asleep while reading them. I hope that was not too confusing.



Regardless of my personal experience, if you do not already pray the Liturgy of the Hours or read the daily Mass readings, Magnificat is a fabulous resource to add these things into your day in the simplest way possible. (The Liturgy of the Hours books involve a lot of colored ribbons to mark various pages of liturgical seasons and feasts, so it can be pretty complicated to a beginner.) Try out a subscription and see. You will not regret how it will remind you to spend time in prayer!



This review was written as part of the Catholic Company Reviewer Program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Magnificat.