Laurelwood Books Review

VENDOR: Laurelwood Books
PRODUCT: State the Facts: a Guide to Studying Your State
PRICE: $13.95
AGE: 3rd to 8th grade/ 8 years and up


ABOUT: Laurelwood Books gave me the chance to have a little but of an adventure teaching about Missouri using their book, State the Facts: a Guide to Studying Your State. This workbook is written by Mary Ellen Tedrow. It is for children ages eight years old and up with the focus on the state history. There is 58 pages total of activites, resources and maps to do. This can be used with any state of your choice, we just picked Missouri since that is where we currently live.

When you start the book there is a how to page. This page explains how you can use the book. This is a little fun as it isn't one you have to start at page one and work your way through till the end. You can go through and do it how you wish and how you are able to find the information. It does suggest starting with getting your address and people information first. This was information about people they might talk to in order to help more help; librarian, crongressmen, president, senators, and so on. Not only did they give a space to wrote down the contact information but also a speech/conversation starter to teach the kids how to ask for their own information without the parent having to do it for them!  Some of the other pages in the book include the following:

U.S. Flag & State Flag

Men and Women of This State

Jun for Fun Facts

Plan a Trip

Nature Walk

State Fact Pages

Weather

Travel

Taxes

Natural Resources

Physical Features

Final Thoughts & Further Study

Suggestions for Field Trips

Here is Our United States

It was nice to just let loose and let the kiddos go on the book. We actually all worked on it together since we only have one good writer but learning facts intrested them all. Something that really intrested my daughter, 11yo, further than other state studies is the tax information. While we have been really working on budgeting and she is starting to do her own spending, she is learning about tax. We travel frequently and she has noticed that when we are in different places, even just towns, the price for the same thing will be slightly different. So it was interesting to learn about how local tax varies from different places and then the state tax will be the same. 

We also enjoyed learning about the people from here. We always love a chance to plan a trip to Laura Ingles Wilder home. We did have to postpone it because of the massive rains we have been getting but are looking forward to getting back again. It was also interesting to learn about others from here like Mark Twain. 

My children are also really big outdoors kids so the nature walks and journals were a hit. We also got to learn about some of the natural resources in Missouri and things about our land that is different than other areas. Like we live in the Ozark and have a few mountains and the terrain is not as flat as if we were in a place like Kansas. 

Overall this was a super fun way to learn about the state instead of just doing a map and capital and calling it a lesson. It was much more fun learning about key things and people that make our state interesting. We look forward to learning more about other states using more of these workbooks in this coming year for out history lessons. 

I think it would be a great addition to your history lessons as well. It is also very easy to make this work for older students by making them dig deeper into the work. It is also simple to make easier for younger students by simply making the lessons shorter and more focused on the stories of the past. I think everyone in the family would love to try it out. 

Social Media is always a great place to check out a new company and interact with them. So go take a peek:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Laurelwood-Books-173789899339380/

Also another great way to learn about Laurelwood Books and many of their other great curricumum options check out what my fellow crew members got to review. Some reviewed the same as I did but many more got to review many other choices for a great variety to take a look at.

Angelicware Cloth Diaper

Fun and cute cloth butt. No leaks,  double gusset to hold in those massive...umm explosions. Lol it wasn't overly thick causing to much bulk which was nice for my slim baby.  However, I did try it with my toddler and it fit him well too. It absorbed great overnight which is a major plus in this home.

You can purchase your diaper at Amazon.

http://www.amztk.com/clothdiapers

I did recieve this free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. 

Talking to him

I don't know about you, but I know I spent a lot of time growing up wondering what people meant by talking to God. They would say things like, "God told me". I just could not
understand the concept of it. Sure I believed in God, I just never heard him talking to me. Was I supposed to hear him speak? Was it a sound I was going to hear with my ears? Was I going to have a "feeling" about something? How would I know what he was saying and that it was him who said it? 

I know I have sat and prayed and cried and pleaded and felt nothing. Then I end up thinking why is he not hearing me? Why is he not answering me? It wasn't until I learned to pray it ALL OUT. I mean every last drop of it, till there was no tear left, and no word left to be said. Because until you can get yo that point, you have not left it to God to deal with. 

Many years and lots of prayer I now know what it feels like to "hear God". I am sure it is probably different for everyone. I think God "speaks" to each person in a way he feels they will hear him best. 

As an example, this past month I have been having a hard time with the idea that it would have been the time I would be celebrating my little angles 1st birthday. Since my little angle went to be with the Lord I did not get to celebrate that. I have not really thought much on it since it happened but this past week I have really been asking why. I wanted to know why God would take my beautiful baby from me? A strong little heart beat just placed inside of me in the wrong position to grow big enough. 

Yesterday while driving home late in the dark from seeing the fireworks God spoke to me. No, I didn't physically hear any sounds. My heart sure did hear something though. I guess the reason why no one ever explains it to you is because it is hard to. Even though you don't hear a voice your heart and soul hears the words. Those words told me...

As much as you love being a mommy here on this Earth, this baby coming to Heave be for you will allow you to be a mommy when you get here too. 

My heart just sang. I know it may seem silly to most. Even maybe a silly reason to lose a baby but knowing that I will have an eternal baby waiting through those pearly gates for me to snuggle for the rest my eternal life gives me nothing but the greatest joy in the world. My kids are all going to grow up on me and move on with their lives. I'm going to get old myself. But boy oh boy I'll get my chance again to do what I love best! If that doesn't help make me strive to be the best Christian I can be then nothing in this world will. 

I will hear God and I will continue listening. I hope you will take the time to truly open your hearts and listen to him too. 

Bass Pro Shops in Memphis, TN

May 16, 2016 

Neat place to visit. There is ample parking, even for buses, RV, and big rigs. It is easy in and out access to get to as well. 

Elevator that takes you to a look out to the top. Did not ride it at $10 a person. Not sure the view of dirty Memphis was worth that much with our big family. 😂😂

Smallet than I would have thought from the outside. You have to remember that part of it is reserved for the hotel portion of it though. When you first walk in you will see the area to go for the hotel and then straight forward takes you into the store area.