We Are In! The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, That Is...

(this is not the issue we are in...I couldn't find an image for the May issue...sorry)

Hello Friends,

I wanted to share the exciting news...this month you can check out the May digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and read my article, "The Blessings of Home Education." As the Show & Tell family of the month, we get to explain our home education philosophy here at Blessing Farm, tell about what has been going on with us lately, and we even "star" in a video in which I give you a brief tour of our home.

While you are at the TOS website, you might want to  check out the rest of this month's magazine, read back monthly issues, and even find back quarterly issues. I hope you enjoy your "visit." We had fun doing the article and video, even though I was a bit nervous about being filmed. Tex did an outstanding job as the cameraman, though, and the kids are naturals on film, whether photos or videos...absolutely adorable (Yes, I am their mom and must naturally think they are the cutiest, but they really are! I know, your kids are, too).

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for one free Family Pass to the HEAV Convention in Richmond, VA on June 6, 7, & 8 if you live within 8-10 hours of the area. It really is the best thing you can do for your homeschooling all year and will refresh and revive you. This weekend is your last chance to enter...the winner will be announced on Monday, May 6th. If you plan to attend, email me, and perhaps we can meet up for coffee or at least to chat. I hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Free Christmas Issue of The Old Schoolhouse Digital Magazine

You may have heard that The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is going all digital in 2012. Well, mostly digital, anyway. Yes, there will still be a HUGE annual print issue, but the rest of the year (monthly, in fact) there will be interactive digital issues instead of the usual print quarterly issues.

So really, you will be getting more for your money...more information, more features, and more great opportunities to find out about new ideas and curricula. That said, I am going to miss my quarterly print issues of TOS magazine. They were like friends who waited for me in my bag, ready to be pulled out in a busy doctor's office, in a car while waiting for the kids, or during a quiet moment to myself before the kids got up (now that was a rare treat!).

However, the digital issues look to be easy to navigate and offer some features that the print issues cannot offer...like one-click navigation to the sites of the many great advertisers...or am I the only one who likes exploring the new options for homeschooling by looking at the ads and then checking out the many free offers and trials online? Come on, you can admit it. I KNOW I am not the only one. I work with a nice bunch of ladies on the Crew whom I am sure are curriculum junkies, just like me...and there must be more of you out there.

Anyhow, if you are interested in FREEBIES, TOS Magazine, or a chance for your kids to try a nifty game I found in the FREE digital Christmas issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, then click on this link and see that digital issue for yourself. I have to admit that other than perusing the article topics, I haven't gotten very far in it myself since one of the first ads I came across caught my eye, and my kids are busy giving the new Bible Islands game a FREE week trial from now through Christmas. I had to kick them off my computer to post this, and to do a bit of last minute online ordering (I know, I am behind), and they are chomping at the bit to get back to the game (which involves companies like Answers in Genesis...you even get to take a trip to a virtual Creation Museum!).

So that's it...I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this fun freebie. Maybe you can score yourself some uninterrupted free time to wrap gifts earlier than midnight on Christmas Eve (or is that just me, too??) by letting your kids try out Bible Islands, or perhaps there is another great free offer hidden elsewhere in that digital issues virtual pages. If there is, be sure to come back here, leave a comment, and let me know. Who knows when I will get to read the rest of that issue...I am going to take advantage of the available time to finish up a few gifts I am making for the kids in lieu of store bought items this year. Yay!!


Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Blessings,

Heather

Aletheia---A Search for Truth

What is truth? That is the mission of Aletheia Magazine...to find out what Christian teens perceive as truth. Aletheia is the Greek word for "truth" or "unveiling ."

Today I was listening to a lecture about how it used to be that kids went from being children to being adults at around age twelve or so. Yup. No kidding. There was no such thing as a teenager a hundred years or so ago... no drawn out five to ten year period required for each individual to "find himself." Kids went from childhood to adulthood when puberty hit, with all the responsibilities and rights of an adult (including marriage and the privilege of defending their country) at a much earlier age than they do today, and I think that history shows, many of them did a much better job of it than even our twenty plus year olds do today. The bare truth is that general society did not consider the teen years an excuse to be immature. They were a chance to prove oneself as an adult.

I'd like to see those days return to our world. After all, that concept of early maturity worked for centuries before modern psychologists came around and created the idea of teen angst being a necessary rite of passage. The lecturer I was listening to pointed out that at age 14, John Quincy Adams was assigned as the Ambassador to Russia and was sent to serve in Catherine the Great's court. Age fourteen. Wow. Obviously, someone thought he was mature enough to be trusted with the reputation of his nation as a very young man. Should we think less of our own children's ability to act and think responsibly or deeply?

Well, Aletheia Magazine is an online and print publication that is attempting to acknowledge the fact that teens (those young adults who are ages 13-19) are mature, thinking, feeling, imaginative, creative, purposeful, and dedicated individuals and that they have something important to say, and to give them an outlet by which to express their ideas.

Aletheia offers an opportunity for your teens to write creative works, as well as non-fiction and poetry, and to get them published. In print. Now that's something. I mean, anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can start a blog these days and be "published" (just look at me!), but not everyone can get into print. To me, print is still "the holy grail" of writing achievement. How special would it be to see the words your son or daughter labored over written on a page in a professionally printed magazine that arrived in your own very real mailbox? Wow. That would be special.

A long time ago in a land far away, I was a Junior Apprentice at Colonial Williamsburg. One day, during a demonstration, someone with a camera snapped my photo and it wound up on the cover of a national magazine. I wasn't really doing anything special (just listening to my mentor and doing what she told me to do...spinning wool into yarn), but you'd better believe it that when that magazine came out, my mom bought a dozen copies or so...one for each of the grandmas and a few for us. I still have several. One was framed and hung up on my folks' wall for years. It was a treasured reminder of something I accomplished. Now, imagine how amazing it would be for your teen to actually have their original writing, art, or photo published? That would be priceless.

Artwork by Heather Greenwood, age 17. WOW!!

For only $26 a year, you can subscribe and receive four issues (published quarterly) of Aletheia Magazine to inspire your teen who loves to write stories or articles, draw, or take photos. Aletheia accepts submissions from kids aged 13-19, and has a clearly Christian theme, which is addressed very seriously and deeply in many individual ways. Aletheia publishes poetry, non-fiction, fiction, drawings, and photography. 

In each 40 page issue, readers will find a new Writer's Challenge (a contest), a book review, a spotlight on a Featured Contributor (a fellow student), an interview with a writer, selections of original artwork and photography, plus plenty of poems and stories from readers and fellow writers.

You can head over to Aletheia's website to check out a free online issue before you decide if it is a good fit for your family.

Who Would Like Aletheia Magazine?

• If you have a creative teen who LOVES to write, and likes to read what others their own age write about, this magazine would likely be a good fit for you. Check out a sample issue just to be sure.
• If your teen would LOVE to be published, and would find the challenge and potential of writing to be published motivating, then this magazine is a good fit for you.
• If the quarterly writing challenges would motivate your budding writer to greater heights of journalistic performance, then you should order this magazine right away and make your homeschooling easier! Check out this quarter's challenge HERE. There is also a good page of writing tips to help you get started.

• If your teen likes to draw or take photos (which they would eventually want to try to submit for publication), and also enjoys reading what other people their own age write, this magazine would be a good investment.
• If you have a teen who is thinking they might like to get into printed publishing and writing, then this magazine could be a good place to start.
• I know that if a magazine like this had been available to me when I was a teenager, I would probably have been inspired to write for it. I liked to write poetry and short stories, and perhaps my chosen subjects might have been more edifying, had I the example of the writers I read in the issues I had access to. I was impressed...even brought to tears once. If you think you've got a budding writer, but you'd like to see them hone their craft along a more Christian vein, this magazine might be the answer...Check out the sample issue HERE.

However, 

• If you have a teen who likes to write, but is happy just being read by mom and dad, is already happy publishing a family or neighborhood newsletter, or feels  adequately "heard" on their free blog, then maybe this would not be a necessary investment (though your student might find the magazine to be an additional challenge they could rise to or an inspiration, if you have the budget for it). 
• If you have a teen who is "young" and might not understand allusion, allegory, satire, and irony...or one who might be disturbed by sometimes very serious and thought-provoking topics (such as modern slavery or martyrdom), then perhaps you should wait a few years and check this opportunity out again later.
• If you are looking for a publication that offers tips on how to be a writer, illustrator, publisher, or editor, then this magazine will not fit the bill.
• If your teen is not a budding writer, editor, publisher, or a voracious reader of teen-written fiction and non-fiction, I think you need to really look at the sample issue and consider whether this is your best option. You might also want to see what other reviewers from the TOS Crew have to say about Aletheia Magazine.

I commend the publishers of Aletheia Magazine for the service they are doing for young adults and the homeschooling community by providing this creative opportunity for our students...by giving them a voice so they can be heard, and be taken seriously as the concerned, aware, and involved young people they are. Thanks, Aletheia Magazine!

Blessings,

I was provided with a copy of Aletheia Magazine for the purposes of reviewing it here on Blessings Pour Out. The opinions you read here reflect my own personal experiences with and opinions about this product. If you have any questions, you may feel free to contact me.

An Awesome Deal from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

One of my favorite ways to keep up on new curriculum choices and teaching ideas is to read homeschooling magazines. So far, my favorite homeschooling magazine is The Old Schoolhouse (TOS) Magazine. I have been a subscriber for many years now, and still look through my old issues when I have some free time (like in doctor's offices, waiting for the kids, etc.) Some of my favorite days are the four days each year that I receive the magazine in my mailbox. Sometimes I tear open the plastic protective wrapper and dive right in. Other times, I save it for a special occassion and savor the knowledge that it is waiting for me to brew a cup of Earl Grey, find a quiet chair, and curl up with it for a few hours...Weird, I know, but us homeschooling moms take our moments where we can find them...and we really do appreciate the effort that is put into this colorful and professional publication.

Each issue is packed with great information and advice from homeschooling experts. From product reviews to tips for the homeschool beginner, every homeschooling parent or grandparent can find something to enjoy. Other regular features include lessons on art and science, a Freebie Directory, information on the ABCs of homeschooling, write ups and interviews about different homeschooling styles and topics, and a homeschool show and tell column. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has a decidedly Christian tone, which I very much appreciate. Many of the column writers have challenged me on a personal level on different occassions, and I appreciate that, too.

Yes, I AM part of the TOS Homeschool Crew this year and YES, I do receive some free products through them for review purposes, but I promise you that they are NOT paying me to say nice things about their magazine. I just LOVE it!! I really do!!

So, if you are new to homeschooling, or if you are a veteran who has somehow missed out on this gem in years past, this is a deal you will not want to miss. For one day only, you get a two year subscription for $17.76 AND a free Homeschooling With Heart book bag PLUS five free downloadable e-books from TOS. HERE is a link to the offer page where you can see the titles of the five e-books and get more information about them. Hurry over now before this offer ends...

 ENJOY!! I know I will be.

**The sale continues on through July 4th, but the best deals and the most FREE stuff are what is available today, July 1st, only, so if you think you might be interested in claiming one of these subscriptions, ORDER TODAY!!

1776 was a spectacular year, and it's a smashing, save-more-money price! Grab your subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine during their four-day Fourth of July sale, and check out the craziest price on July 1 only! Receive a 2-year subscription, free Homeschooling with Heart tote bag, and five FREE E-Books for just $17.76! While supplies last. U.S. and Canadian residents. July 2 through July 4 the unprecedented savings continue. The sparks are flying at TOS Magazine . . . join in the celebration and savings! Get the details HERE.