Toydle Fort ~ TOS Review

A few weeks ago I shared with you about a company named Toydle.  You can read that post HERE.  So, I bet you’re wondering how we like the BIG Toy Fort that we received?  Well, it’s fantastic!!  When it arrived, the kids were so excited that it was here, and couldn’t wait to begin setting it up.  The great thing about it is that it didn’t come with any instructions, so they were free to use their imaginations and set it up however their hearts desired!  First they decided to set it up in the den, until we realized just how HUGE this thing was!  My husband and son ended up taking it down and rebuilding it in the basement, where there is a lot more room for it.  After it was reassembled, The Princess and her dad draped a sheet over the top for a roof, and over the “awning” that they decided to include in their individually-designed fort.  You can see her enjoying it in the photos above.  Toydle accidentally forgot to include the clips that hold the sheets onto the PVC piping, but when I contacted them about it, they were very courteous and sent them out to me. 

 

I think The Princess had enjoyed the fort the most, as she likes getting in there and playing with her dolls.  She likes to spend lots of time in the basement practicing her dancing and doing crafts, so it was perfect to have this fort for her to use down there.  It’s like her own little playhouse!  And, it will be great to have over the cold winter months when the kids are cooped up inside.  The product is very well - American-Made and comes with an excellent, unlimited warrantee, so that your child or children can enjoy the fort for many years to come.   And, since the fort is so versatile, the kids can design and redesign to their hearts’ content to build the Fort however they like!

 

If you’d like to purchase your own Toydle Fort, you can do so here on the website.  A regular-sized fort is $149.  The BIG toy fort that you see here in this post is available for $229.99.  To read what my Crewmates thought of the forts they received, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Toydle. 

Jodi

Disclosure:  *My honest review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. I was not further compensated in exchange for this review, other than receiving a free product.*

Teacher Geek ~ TOS Review

 
Teacher Geek was created by a technology teacher that was used to customizing existing products to fit their needs.  Eventually they began designing and manufacturing their own custom components to give students the best educational experience possible.  Teacher Geek carries all kinds of products for the homeschool, such as electronic “bugs”, wind turbines, vehicles, hydraulics and more.  We received the Advanced Hydraulic Arm for our review.  This hydraulic arm is available for purchase from the Teacher Geek website for $16.18. 

I passed this product on to my son and husband, who find things like this right up their creative alleys.  They put the arm together in just an hour.   My son is almost 12, but definitely needed his dad’s help in putting together this product.  That’s okay though, because my husband had as much fun with it as my son did.  The best part was when they were actually able to use the arm after the project was complete.  This product teaches students about fluid mechanics, simple machines, and other design and engineering concepts.

One important note about this product is that it comes with a sharp tool, which my husband cut himself deeply with.  This product is intended to be used with adult supervision; as a learning tool.  It is not intended for your child to use on his own.  It is not intended to be used as a toy.  So, I suggest that you either supervise your child very closely, and participate with your child building this project, as you enjoy learning building it and learning together.

To learn more about this product, as well as other products Teacher Geek offers, please visit the website. 

Jodi
Disclosure:  *My honest review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. I was not further compensated in exchange for this review, other than receiving a free product.*

Pitsco ~ TOS Review

 
Pitsco Education is an online store that carries tons of educational products and curriculum for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  Hands-on products such as a the Medieval Machines Pack which I received for my review is one of those such innovative products.  This pack includes a Trebuchet Kit, a Catapult Kit, the Siege Machines book, and counterweights for the Trebuchet.  Also included was a box of Klean Clay used to make projectiles for the kits, which is normally sold separately from this particular kit.  All we needed from home to complete these kits and use them was some glue, scissors, and a ruler.  There is a Teacher’s Guide available for both the Trebuchet Kit and the Catapult Kit that includes many hours worth of activities and lessons. 


I don’t know about you, but I have two boys, er I mean one boy and one boy-at-heart – my husband - whom I knew together, would enjoy using this product for my review.  This product is great for teaching kids basic math, science, and problem-solving skills.  Teaching kids in a hands-on way such as this helps them to retain their learning and have a memorable academic experience in the process.  This particular kit covers three areas:

• Science: Tension versus torsion, elasticity, gravity and levers, and force and motion
• Math: Metric conversion, calculating averages, and prediction
• Experiments: Mass versus distance, testing rubber bands, targeting, and more

With this kit, kids will learn not only about the history of the medieval siege machines, but the concepts required to build such machines.  There are all kinds of learning possibilities and what fun children will have learning by building these machines?!
While these machines would have been difficult for my almost 12 year old to put together on his own, it was a great project for he and his dad to work on together.   They enjoyed creating the machines and trying out different activities with these machines.  I think to be completed on its own, a child would need to be an advanced 12 year old or older. 
This kit is available for $21.95 from the Pitsco website.  To learn more, please visit the website and to view the additional educational products that Pitsco offers, such as more machines like these, math games, puzzles, and much more. 
To read my Crewmates’ thought on this product, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Pitsco. 

Jodi
Disclosure:  *My honest review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. I was not further compensated in exchange for this review, other than receiving a free product.*

Just in time for Christmas!! You're Getting a Chance to Win a HUGE Toy Fort for Your Kids!

  
Toydle is a toy company that creates toy forts for children.  Their toy forts are manufactured in the U.S. and have a fully backed guarantee.  Toydle was created by Robert Brownfield.  Rob is the president of Worry-Free Manufacturing in Boise, Idaho, and has been making quality products for many years.  He is also the father of fraternal twins.  Frustrated with the quality of toys that his children owned, he decided to build a better quality toy that all children could enjoy.

The Toydle Fort is over 45 square feet of space!  It is available for $149 .  The BIG Toydle Fort is double the square foot and available for $229.99.  One of these would make a fantastic Christmas gift for your kids!  Toydle products are available for sale through Amazon.

The Toydle Fort

The BIG Toydle Fort

All Toydle Forts are constructed with hand-made wooden blocks 3” sq. made with high quality, laminated poplar.  The high quality PVC tubes are 29” long and 1/2in wide.  All Toydle Forts include clips to help secure your sheets and blankets.  All Forts are the strongest, longest lasting, and highest quality forts that you will find anywhere with an unlimited warrantee.  They are however not intended for climbing.  They also use safe plastic, so you do not have to worry about the safety of certain chemicals associated with plastic toys.  These chemicals are not used with PVC pipe. 


Toydle Forts are American-made in Boise, Idaho.  Each tube is cut, each piece of wood is hand-shaped by an American worker.   Every Toydle product is guaranteed for product or piece replacement if it fails for any reason, even if your child leaves a block out in the rain, or accidentally break one of the tubes.  

I’m received a BIG Toydle Fort for my review which will be posted at a later date.  In the meantime, please be sure to check out the Toydle website to check out this amazingly cool toy!  And, don’t forget to enter to win your own Fort on the Crew blog!  They are giving away not one, but THREE of the BIG Forts!!

If you’d like to enter to win a Toydle Fort for your family, please visit the Crew Blog HERE. 

NOTE: This contest is open to residents of the United States ONLY.  TOS Staff and TOS Crew Members (and their families) are not eligible to enter this contest.

Jodi – This informational post was written for Toydle in exchange for a free product and review for the 2011-2012 TOS Homeschool Crew. 

Wreaths of Maine ~ TOS Review

 

 

Mmmm…the scent of Christmas.  I love it.  And, now that we’ve finally bought our first home, I can’t wait to decorate for Christmas this year.  It’s so exciting!  We’re planning on purchasing a real tree this year, which we haven’t done in several years.  So, I was delighted to find out that I would be receiving a real, fresh Balsam fir wreath from Wreaths of Maine for a TOS Review.  I also received a Homeschool Fundraising Packet from them.  What a great idea for a fundraiser!  Let me tell you a little bit about the fundraiser materials, and then I’ll share with you all about this gorgeous Christmas wreath displayed on my front door. 

  

Wreaths of Maine is a mail-order wreath company that was started by a homeschooling family in the 1990’s.  Most of the wreaths sold are done so by homeschool families or groups.  Wreaths of Maine has a great plan for earning funds for your homeschool or group.  To begin fundraising, you will need a fundraising kit.  You can purchase one for $10.00 or you can earn one for FREE by submitting a drawing of a Christmas scene or a minimum 50-word essay about what you plan to do with your earnings from selling your Wreaths of Maine.  Your materials packet includes everything you need to begin selling.  Sellers are also given a Seller ID number so that customers can place an order on the web and the seller will still receive the commission for that sale.  In your packet, you’ll have color brochures  to show potential customers.  You will earn $6.00 for each wreath sold, except for the Homestead Wreath, which you will earn $4.00, and the Presidential Pine Roping, which you will earn $10.00 for each sold.  You have the option of purchasing a demonstration wreath for $27.00 with Free shipping.  There will be an invoice for each address, and a gift card to show the customer what their card will look like when they receive their wreath.  There are envelopes and shipping labels included for you to send in the orders to Wreaths of Maine.  If you need more materials, they will send them to you for free.  Wreaths of Maine will send the wreaths directly to the customer the week they have chosen to receive it.  The great part about this fundraiser is that you will be earning commissions for your family or group.  You will receive your commission check the third week of December.  It is normal to start sales of the wreaths in October, and you send the orders in weekly as you receive them.  Also included in your sales packet is a sheet with “Quick Overview for Selling Wreaths”, “Ideas to Help You Sell”, “Important Directions for Taking Wreath Orders”, “How to Fill Out an Order Form” with a  sample order form filled out, and a “Sales Record”.  There are plenty of materials included with clear instructions on how to earn funds for your homeschool or group.  We have tried many fundraisers with different groups over the years, and let me tell you, this one looks organized and easy to sell.  Who wouldn’t want a beautiful, aromatic, fresh Christmas wreath for their front door?  Sellers can go door to door at local businesses which would most likely love to have one of these fine wreaths for their business door. 

 

Now, let me tell you about this gorgeous, amazing scented wreath that I received!  I was so excited to see my box arrive on my front porch.  I carefully opened it up, and the aroma filled my nostrils.  I received the Classic Christmas Wreath.  What a lovely scent…Christmas – from a FRESH wreath.  And, this aromatic, Balsam fir wreath is absolutely beautiful.  Wreaths of Maine wreaths are double faced, using both sides of the wreath because it is plentiful, but more so, because it smells even better that way!  And, if you have ever imagined a “Christmas in Maine”, this is what it would smell like.  Each wreath has greens on both sides to give it a full appearance.  It measures a full two feet across and is just right for the front door.  Each wreath is hand made by a skilled wreath-maker, forming bouquets of Balsam fir greens that are wired onto both sides of a ring to form a wreath.  The bow is shipped unattached so as not to crush it.  The wreaths are delivered in decorative boxes using the fastest and most efficient delivery possible so that they arrive fresh at your door.  They also come with a personalized gift card and a hanger attached.  They can go straight from the box to the front door.  How wonderful is that?!  They ship to all 50 states in the U.S. 

 

The wreaths are made from the Balsam Fir trees called Abies balsama, which is a native fir to New England that only grows in the colder sections of the region and into Canadian Maritimes.  It is known for its aromatic scent and is used in incense and potpourri.  Balsam wreaths are only used in the winter time and have become a Christmas tradition.  The prices of the wreaths vary from $31 on up to $47. 

 

There are various types of wreaths available, and they are all so lovely, it’s hard to choose!  I know that I am going to enjoy coming home to my front door with this fabulous, gorgeous, aromatic Christmas wreath hanging on the front door of our new home.  What a blessing to have received this for review.  Thank you to Wreaths of Maine for providing me with this fresh wreath for my review.  It’s going to make a lovely addition to the new Christmas decorations on our new home! 

You can also find Wreaths of Maine on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

If you’d like to learn more about this fundraising opportunity for your homeschool or group, or to purchase a wreath, please visit the Wreaths of Maine website.  To learn what my Crewmates thought about their wreaths, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Wreaths of Maine. 

Jodi  

Disclosure:  *My honest review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. I was not further compensated in exchange for this review, other than receiving a free product.*

friday favorite things–things to be thankful for

This week I am linking up to my friend Rachel @ Finding Joy’s  friday favorite things with the things I am thankful for this week…

I’m thankful for my Lord and Savior, who..even when I don’t understand His timing and plan knows all that is in store for my family.  He is good, all the time. 

I am thankful for my husband.  We recently celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary, and I’m happy to say that we’re still in love and looking forward to more years together as husband and wife.  I have been blessed by a hard-working, loving man, who is a jack-of-all trades, and a great dad to boot.  God knew what He was doing when He put us together.  We’re a perfect match, and he’s my very bestest friend.  *grin*

I am thankful to finally be in our own home.  After being in limbo for almost a year, and staying with family, it’s like a huge weight has been lifted.  It’s also nice to finally be homeowners for the first time ever.  I still have a lot of unpacking to do, but that’s okay.  I’m just so thankful for our family to finally be “home”.  It’s been a long time coming. 

I’m thankful for homeschooling.  Being in our own home has made homeschooling much more manageable, and we are finally getting back into a normal school routine. 

I am thankful for my children and their incredible sense of humor.  They are such loving, sweet kids.  I am so blessed.  We were at an eye appointment the other day, talk about boooring…but they turned it into one of the funnies days we’ve had in a while, with their silly jokes when trying on different pairs of glasses.  They keep me laughing, that’s for sure!  I love that about them!

I’m thankful that I now have my own car.  It was an *anniversary present*, since we purchased it on our anniversary a couple of weeks ago!  And, I love it!  It’s a Kia Sportage, and really fun to drive.  You see, we’ve been a one car family for many years, while Big D drove a company truck.  He no longer drives a company truck, so we’ve been sharing our only vehicle – our Chevy truck for several months.  I’m thankful that I finally found something affordable and good on gas.  Now I can take my kids where they need to be without having to drive Big D forty minutes each way to work at 5am just to use the truck for the day. 

I am thankful for all of the friends and family I have in my life, those that are near, and those that are far.  I love you all.  Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for? 

Jodi