HOMESCHOOL REVIEW: Dover Coloring Books

Hello, everyone! It's been a few days since my last post, I know, but it's all been for good reasons. Sewing orders to fill, trip planning, anniversary (five years married!) and county fair entries... which, I would like to add, were my first entries ever, and I did quite well...

First place!! My chocolate cherry cookies won third. Not bad for my first time.

Anyway, enough bragging. I have so many things to blog about now, mostly about homeschooling items. I'm starting off with this one, because I kinda owe this one, and because I have to share how much I love these items.

So, real quick, I will say that I was gifted these books for my totally honest review.

These particular books are coloring books by Dover. I have to say, I squeaked when I first opened them up. They are beautiful. I actually have not let my kids even use them yet because, honestly, they need supervision or they will destroy everything and these cannot be destroyed. They are too nice for that! I kinda want to just keep them for myself, but I know I shouldn't... especially the human body one, that one is for kids. I have no excuse.

Dover has many different coloring books of educational topics. The ones I was gifted are National Parks, Historic American Landmarks, My First Human Body Book, and Medicinal Plants.

Pay no mind to the camera strap in the corner there, but these are the ones I was sent. They are just lovely.

This one above is the National Parks one. The images are very clear and detailed, and the text underneath is all facts regarding which National Park is pictured. It's certainly no full on text book, but it is valuable knowledge paired with fun. Many of the pictures are far more detailed than that, since they include images of places like The Grand Canyon and Big Bend. Lots of little lines and details are to be colored in, and that can be tedious for young kids. I would say use this one for ages 12 and up.

The one above is from the Historic Landmarks book. It, too, has lots of details to work with, although a bit less than the National Parks one, I would say. It has facts on the bottom as well. I would say this book is good for ages 10 and up.

This is from the Medicinal Plants book. The pages are all basically like this. No big backgrounds to color, just the actual plant, which makes this far easier for younger kids to color. The text describes the colors of the plants as well as a basic summary on how they are used medicinally. Being a natural healer myself, this book pleases my hippie heart. This book can be used for any age.

Finally, we have this one. This one is definitely meant for younger kids. It is called, My First Human Body Book, after all. This book is easy to color and gives basic information on topics like the digestive system, DNA, your senses, and your bloodstream. Its large text is very easy to read and understand. 

 As you can see, these book are not full-on school books. They can't really be used for a full lesson on a particular subject. However, they are still educational, plus they have the benefits of creativity and relaxation. Dover has books for all topics and ages, and each one is excellent quality. This allows coloring to be a fun addition to your lesson plan. These books are also inexpensive and available on Amazon.

How can we use these books to learn?

 •Do one page at a time and study the topic on the page. Seriously, their topics cover everything from Egypt to pirates to mythical creatures and gods and goddesses... and so much more. You can find books to make any topic more fun. Spending all day reading and researching can get tiring, and coloring is super popular for all ages right now. These pages are basically an art and history or science project all in one. If your child is having a hard time focusing, allow them to take a break and offer a coordinating page to color instead. Let them collect themselves.

•Save them for yourself; allow them to inspire your next lesson. Lets face it, teaching can be tiring. You may wind up stumped or just not feeling the lesson you are trying to get them excited about. That's okay. Maybe you are just feeling overwhelmed. That's okay, too. Get some of the more scenic ones, like the National Park one, and just relax and color them yourself. Look at photos for reference and enjoy nature from afar (since obviously, we can't just get to all the places we want to travel to). Color some flowers, you may find some new plants you want to grow. There is a reason coloring is so popular, even with adults. It's a creative outlet that is cheap and stress-free. Choose a book about something you love to learn about and brainstorm teaching ideas while you relax.

Now, remember, these age guidelines are loose. It all depends on your kid. Some kids stress out over having too many spaces to color in (I did as a kid), some are too young to really gain much from the information given on the page, etc. It all depends on your family, so you guys make that call. These coloring books are all gorgeous with beautiful images, excellent information, and plenty of pages to color in. I would recommend this brand to anyone.

Here are links to the ones I have, but you can find many more through their website, where they even break down the sections by 3D coloring, adult coloring books, and children's coloring books.

Here are some Amazon links here:

GETTING KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Easy Cheesy Bread Rolls

Hello, everyone! How was your dinner last night? Ours was delicious. We had chicken soup with cheesy bread rolls, which was made with the kids! 

When I told my daughter we were going to bake together, she got so excited. Big smile across her face, jumping and down, shouting, "YEAH YEAH YEAH!" She loves to help. It makes her feel like a big girl. My son didn't really care until we actually started making them. Then, he wanted in on everything. 

We used an extremely basic recipe. These guys are both under four, and there are two of them, so things get real messy and hectic, real quick. I asked my husband to take photos of our endeavor- I love the man, but he seemed to enjoy taking candid photos of my face more than his designated task.

 

 

At least he had fun, right?

For this recipe, we just used a premade raw dough from Basha's. You can honestly use any recipe. I am not going to go all out and say, "Here is my very own made-from-scratch sprinkled with love bread rolls recipe," because it is not that. It's sprinkled with love, but that's all. The point was to get two toddlers excited about cooking, and this certainly helped with that. I have plenty of original recipes, I promise! Those just tend to be desserts. Maybe I'll share them someday. Maybe. If you're good ;)

Anyway, you can also just use crescent roll dough, pizza crush dough, whatever. Our whole house actually really likes Basha's crust dough. It has a great flavor and always bakes nicely chewy and fluffy. My dad uses it for stromboli, and it's amazing. We then just used butter, shredded cheese, garlic powder, rosemary, black pepper, and paprika. No real measuring involved this time. We had to be quick, and we wanted the kids to have fun so they want to get involved more.

First thing we did was melt some butter and spread it around on the pan. I totally misjudged the size of the pan, but it got the job done, and it did provide more room for the kids to work without getting flour all over the table. The large size basically worked as a tray, so that worked in our favor.

 

After that, the kids had fun playing with the dough and rolling it into balls (and yes, they washed their hands first). It was pretty sticky, so we added flour to their hands as well as the bottom of the pan.

 

This part got messy, but they enjoyed it. It is a good sensory experience for little ones, with the powdery flour, the sticky dough, and the slippery butter, if your kids rub their hands in it like mine did. Rolling the dough into balls does help work with their coordination. They really do not have to be perfect, either. This is something for them to make without much room for failure. A successful recipe will encourage them to do more.

 Aferward, my daughter poured on melted butter and my son spread it around with the basting brush. Teamwork, right?

 

He also helped eat the cheese after Luna helped dump it on.

Both of them added seasonings (my son likes to help add seasonings onto things. He'll even dump salt and pepper onto my food when he thinks I need it).

As you can see, they really enjoyed themselves. 

I wasn't able to get a photo of the baked result. They were pretty much eaten as soon as they came out of the oven. My brothers all loved the rolls, and hearing their praises really gave them a confidence boost. Here's an image of them before they were baked, though.

 

Not bad for a couple of toddlers, right?

They came out very fluffed up with a great texture. They were gone pretty darn quickly. The important thing, however, is that the kids got involved. When you're working with little bitty ones, a full on from scratch recipe can be overwhelming, especially if the kids have any sort of spectrum issues. It can be time consuming, and they can get bored easily. This was short enough for them to enjoy the whole process, which leaves them wanting more. A very basic and simple recipe leaves little room for error, which means they won't be discouraged. Over time, they will learn trial and error, but right now, the goal is to get them to enjoy working in the kitchen. They had fun, they contributed, they enjoyed the end results, and they loved the encouragement from their uncles and grandparents. 

What recipes did you first make as a kid? What recipes do you make with your kids now?

How to Make Birthdays Fun and Educational

Birthday time is an exciting time for me. I love celebrating the lives of my family. My oldest's birthday is the day before mine, and my husband's is just five days after my birthday.  The sight of my kids bouncing up and down with giant smiles on their faces when they see all the food, decorations, and birthday cake that I spent days on (literally, days. I go all out on their cakes and everything. Cake decorating is actually one of my hobbies) is worth all the labor. 

Those pink things were meringue cookies that were supposed to look like shrimp. We had rainbow coconut boba tea, rainbow fortune cookies, Hello Kitty snack cakes, homemade crab wontons, pot stickers, and so much more. The top tier was a "kawaii" sushi roll. Her outfit even matched the cake- a fun tradition of mine.

My daughter will be four in two months, and my son will be three just three months after her birthday. Now that the kids are reaching preschool age together, I figured it was time to change things up a bit, and make it so birthdays can be more than just fun, but also valuable in the long run.

Step 1: Change the gifts around.

The fact that the kids are entering schooling age was a big wake-up call to me. The fact is, if we were putting them in public school, we would be enrolling them in preschool this year. This encouraged me to look up resource material, projects, DIY kits, etc... and I found so much out there! I created a huge wish list on Amazon specifically for homeschool items- books, craft supplies, science kits, even mini excavation kits! There were so many things I wanted to do with the kids, there was just no way I could afford it all. So, I made a request to family. I asked them to please purchase gifts for them from the list for birthdays and holidays instead of sending out dolls and clothes. To be honest, those two don't really play with toys much anyway, with the exception of a few favorites. Toys that could teach them new skills, or enhance what skills they already had, would be far more beneficial and enjoyable to them. My son, while only 2 1/2, is actually very good at playing ball (when he focuses as opposed to running around everywhere). He plays ball every single day, and has great aim and coordination. I took the liberty of buying him a toddler T-ball set for his birthday while it was on sale (yes, five months early, but it was on sale!), and I put a basketball hoop on the wishlist. For my daughter, who adores books, I made note of which ones taught about her favorite things. This way, they aren't getting anymore dolls, purses, or electronic toys they use once or twice and never touch again. The kids get something valuable and rewarding instead- money well spent.

Note: Amazon wishlists have the options to add notes to the individual items and set a priority to them. I marked different items with priorities from low to highest, and made note of which ones would make the best gifts for the kids. 

Step 2: Choose a fitting theme.

Let me say first, if your child is dead set on a Spongebob cake (like mine is) or some other party theme based on a not-so-educational show, there is no shame in giving them what they want. The trick is to find ways of making it still something to learn from. My little Luna, while really looking forward to her own Spongebob party, does really love everything about fish. That includes eating fish, and learning about fish. Spongebob is a total guilty pleasure for me, not gonna lie, but I will say it isn't exactly meant to enlighten anyone. As a compromise, she's getting mostly an ocean themed party with bits of Spongebob thrown in. I ordered some little character figurines to put on her cake, and she is very satisfied. My son is another story. Last year, we went with a farm theme and made the cake a chicken on a nest (chickens were his favorite animal). This year is proving a bit tricky. He doesn't really have many "favorite" anythings. He has favorite colors and a couple favorite toys, and he has a shoe obsession. Otherwise, he just has a bunch of things he likes, but not much he is obsessed with. Because I was so badly stumped, I showed him photos of different cakes representing his favorite things. His favorite ones had lots of yellow and other warm colors, circles, and cutesy dinosaurs; particularly "Dinosaur Train" characters. That show teaches kids things, dinosaurs are educational, I can roll with that. He also really likes crayons and colors a lot, and art is certainly an educational subject, so I may go with that instead. He is still learning to speak fluently, so he can't really tell me exactly what he wants just yet, but we have time to figure it out.

So, short version, if they have a subject they like, go with that. If they want a theme that isn't educational, find ways to make that theme into something educational. 

Step 3: Choose activities.

Obviously, this will depend on how many kids are coming and how old they are, but there are different crafts and games you can do to go with the theme. We tend to keep our parties to just family, but we still find fun things for Luna and Fox to do with us. Making masks or puppets, playing games,  having scavenger hunts, coloring, and even movies are all perfect options. If you are willing to make an investment into a new board game, try out Telestrations, Monopoly in a matching theme (you can find a Monopoly game for just about anything, including Monopoly: National Parks Edition , and off brands like Dino-Opoly Monopoly Board Game and even Ocean-Opoly Monopoly Board Game,  but you may want to play the simplified versions with kids) or a Trivial Pursuit game that is easy enough for kids. Set up a scavenger hunt that allows kids to guess the correct answers to receive a clue as to where the next prize is. Print out coloring pages from the internet of different animals, places, people, and more. You can even add facts to the pages before you print them. Make simple salt dough clay and paints for a hands on experience. Just be prepared for a bit of a mess!

If it's within budget, you can also look into having the party somewhere educational, like a museum, zoo, or aquarium. If not, you can always just take the birthday child, or do that in a couple days after you have all recuperated from the party!

Of course, you probably know by now that if it's teens we are talking about, they probably already know what they want to do for their birthday. The first thing I looked for in my teen years was concerts around my birthday.

Step 4: Get your birthday child involved.
There are several ways of going about this. Some parents actually give their kids a set budget and allow them to pick out everything involved in the party, even their own gifts! This allows them to understand budgeting and the value of money. Some parents would rather their kids not know how much they spend on their gifts, or they just want to keep it a surprise, which is totally fine. My kids don't really understand the concept of money at all yet. Currently, Fox thinks all coins are nickles, and Luna doesn't really ask for many things, so I don't really have to tell her if we can afford something or not. In the future, I think I will give a budget for them to work with, and to be honest, that can really teach them not only the value of money and labor, but also how to be creative on a budget, and build new skills. Instead of buying a pinata, which can run between $16 and $35 depending on the size, build one together out of paper mache, or even just paint a thin box. You can also teach them how to price match and compare your options. What costs $5 at one store may cost $3 at another. Although one option looks prettier, it is twice as much, so the better decision my be to sacrifice a bit of visual appeal for a better value, which may also be used on something else.

Some take this a completely different, more intense route. Some have their kids fully pay for their party, with the exception of gifts. If the child wants to rent a room at the aquarium, hire a princess, decorate the rooms with fancy cutouts, or have an extravagant cake, you can encourage them to earn the money for these things themselves. This can prove difficult for young children, so an alternative is to set up a chore chart. Taking out the trash every day and doing the dishes earns an extra $5 to spend on decorations, for instance. An option for kids too young to get a job is to have them do volunteer work somewhere in exchange for another party service. You can also have a middle ground and tell them you can spend X on gifts and part of the party, but if they want extra, they have to earn money to pay for it. Either way, they are learning the value of labor and budgeting. All this proves more and more doable as they get older, and more beneficial. Teens will soon be going to college, getting jobs, and living on their own, so it's vital they learn these skills soon. Either method will help them learn.

If they are old enough, allow them to design and help decorate their cake (unless they enjoy the surprise factor). Luna has been having lots of fun picking out the designs and colors on her cake! She has changed her mind a couple times, but she has kept the same elements of Spongebob and lots of blue and purple. You can also let them experiment with the flavor combinations. Cake doesn't have to be just chocolate or vanilla. If it's too weird of a flavor, you can take the time to try out a recipe together. You might be surprised! That's how I ended up with a surprisingly delicious recipe for black tea cake and honey buttercream. Alternate methods to cake decorating are letting them play with fondant and make their own sculptures (marshmallow fondant, while messy to make, only costs a couple bucks and about 15 minutes, other than setting time).  This may inspire a new marketable hobby. You can also simply cover the cake in white fondant, purchase edible markers or make edible paints with pure lemon juice or vanilla extract and food colors of your choice, and let them doodle and paint away on the cake. That can also be a very cute project for smaller parties, since the kids can sign it and decorate it together, and take a photo!

Not only can you get them involved with the cake, but you can get them involved with the snacks, meals, and drinks. Allow them to research what kind of foods can coordinate with their birthday theme (fish and fruits for underwater or pirate themes, Japanese food for ninjas, salads and drumsticks for dinosaur parties, etc). Let them create a menu, and if you choose to, budget the costs with them based on how many you need to serve. Let them help cook and prep.

Another thing you can do is help them design and make their own invitations and thank you notes. This inspires creativity and encourages good manners. You can do this together on the computer, with craft supplies, or even simply hand drawn. Any age can do this. They do not have to be perfect, just have fun with it!



Now, remember, nothing has to be over the top. I go all out with the cake because it is my hobby, then I throw in a few cute decorations and yummy food (the kids have three local young adult/late teen uncles, so plenty of good food is a must!), and I do like to take them somewhere fun and educational, too. Last year, we took Luna to the zoo on her birthday. This year, we may take her to the aquarium a couple days before. We do not invite a bunch of kids, though. We keep it to immediate family. Decorations are usually just a simple Happy Birthday banner and some balloons, a cute tablecloth, and matching plates. Do not stress yourself out making trying to make it all perfect. Please take note, I do not necessarily suggest you make them do everything. After all, their birthday is also a day for them to have fun! Perhaps consider splitting duties, or do them all together. That is, however, ultimately your call. You know your child better than I do! Just remember to make it enjoyable for them. That's the most important part.

Do you have ideas or traditions your family does for birthday parties?

KIDS SHOW REVIEW: Dinosaur Train

For new parents, it can be tricky figuring out which shows are actually good quality for kids. My husband and I certainly had no clue when we were expecting our daughter. We actually tried a few out out of curiosity, and found them completely unbearable. They were not just simple, they were just dumb. Very dumb. One could say they were interactive, I suppose, but certainly not of any educational value. 

When my kids were about 18 months and 3, I asked a group for suggestions. One of them was "Dinosaur Train," and thankfully, it was on Netflix! Here, we only have that and Amazon Prime's video watch.

Apparently, this show has been around for several years now, but I had never heard of it until I asked for suggestions. It is a Jim Henson show that is aired on PBS. Not only is it on Netflix, but there are even more episodes on Amazon Prime! You can get some episodes on DVD, too. 

The premise is pretty simple, but actually great, especially for homeschoolers and unschoolers. There is a happy family of pteranodons- a mom, dad, two girls, and a boy- who (inexplicably, somewhat) have a tyrannosaurus rex boy in the family. We do know he was adopted, and they do bring up that fact several times throughout the series, but the exact details are unknown. The theme song just shows that the three pteranodons hatched, they noticed a fourth egg, and there he was. He was immediately considered family. 

The tyrannosaurus, named Buddy, has a big passion for learning about other dinosaurs. In fact, each child has an interest in different things. One likes collecting shiny things (probably because she is shiny and named Shiny). One, Tiny, often joins Buddy on his adventures and shares a desire to learn about other dinosaurs, but she also has a deep appreciation for nature, particularly flowers. The third pteranodon, Don, tends to follow along with what everyone else is doing (although he does love collecting rocks and digging holes). Neither child goes to a formal school of any sort, but they do go on trips frequently with their parents when they have a question they want answered. These trips are typically on the Dinosaur Train, which apparently has the ability to travel through time tunnels in order to go back and forward through prehistoric time and meet different species of dinosaurs. The train is ran by a friendly conductor who is always more than happy to help the family learn new things.

Basically, these kids are unschooled.

When they are not going on adventures on the Dinosaur Train, they are often at home exploring around their nest. As they say, they, "Get out, get outside, get into nature." They have built hurricane shelter, fished for their own food, grown their own garden, and much more. When they are going out, they make friends with any species they can find (even one whose main food was pteranodons) and of any age. Usually, they are of child age (judging by their voices), but many times, the species they meet are adults. The children are always with a trusted adult, either a parent, or the conductor. The kids then compare their features to whoever they are meeting and often play guessing games to guess what sort of dinosaur they are. They discuss where they live, which era they are from, what they eat, and other facts. They also say the full name of the species- no simplifying it. They flat out say, "We eat these guys, but we won't eat you guys because we are friends now." They keep it real without letting it get scary.

In addition, the show has segments with Dr. Scott the Paleontologist. He gives a brief and more realistic summary of the lesson the show is teaching, such as what their fossils looked like and where they lived. He, too, encourages going outside to make discoveries of your own.

Now, real quick, I want to take a moment and discuss Don.

 

Very quickly, I noticed something about him, and I am not the only one who has noticed this, according to a quick Google search.

I suspect Don to have mild Asperger's. He is very quirky. He has obsessions with very random things, like the aforementioned desire to just dig holes. He likes to collect things, and has quirky little sayings and happy sounds. He can be socially awkward, and he is often a bit slow catching onto things. At the end of the day, he has learned just as much as the other children, and never (from the episodes I have seen) have they actually directly said that he has any sort of mental disability. They have certainly shown that everyone is aware he is a bit different, but still treat him with just as much respect and patience as everyone else. 

So, as far as social subjects go, we have:

•The main character being an adopted, possibly abandoned, child, and while he cannot do things the pteranodons do, like fly, they still treat him with full love and accommodate his needs. 

•A possibly Asperger's (or some other special needs) child.

•Making friends with people of all ages and types, and staying with trusted adults in the process.

Other topics covered include:

•Overcoming and expressing fears

•Taking initiative to teach yourself

•Helping others in need

•Having respect for nature

•How to survive natural disasters

•Setting time for yourself to calm down and find a happy place

•Embracing and celebrating differences, but also acknowledging the bonds between those with similar issues, traits, interests, and needs.

Overall, the kids are very happy, well-mannered, and intelligent. They do have the occasional sibling squall, but it's always worked out without major issue. The parents are always very supportive of their kids and take excellent care of them. There are plenty of songs for kids to learn from and sing along to (my little boy loves babble-singing with them). It's a bright, sweet, and fantastic show for any young child eager to learn about dinosaurs. It's honestly I show I feel perfectly fine letting my kids watch this on days I have more work than usual (I don't like using TV as a babysitter, but everyone has those days). Adoption and *possible* special needs does not get in the way of their bonding or love for each other. It's just a good, clean, and educational show on multiple levels, and I would recommend this to anyone.

I know, this show has been around since about 2009 or so, but I had no idea of its existence until I had two kids. Hopefully, this is something that will help other parents out there who may need guidance, too! 

This show is really meant for younger kids, about ages 2 to maybe 8 or so. Kids can still learn from it at later ages (Heck, I learn from it), but the feel may be too babyish after that age. Because of this, I would not recommend any full on reports or anything to coincide with the show. Alternate options are:

•Draw a scene of dinosaurs with a theme: Mesozoic ones, ones that lived in the water, carnivores, etc. Maybe even write a story about them, build some of clay, or use any other art form they like.

•Write a song! The show has songs in every episode. If you kid loves to sing, help them write a song or poem about dinosaurs.

•Share projects that the Pteranodons do. Build a garden, look for shells, collect rocks, and more.

•Purchase fossils (you can get excavation kits for kids and even bags of fossils on Amazon). Scatter them around the yard and let them dig them up! If you really want to get creative, lay fossils of trilobites by the pool, leaf and bug fossils by the trees or bushes, and the rest in other coordinating places. It all depends on what fossils you have.

•Do crafts with fossils. Match up the fossils, learn what they are, and make magnets, picture frames, stamps, maybe even jewelry with them.

So, that is my completely honest and unbiased opinion. I'm going to look for "Dinosaur Train" birthday party supplies for my soon tomorrow.

Here are some examples of products used for homeschool paleontology. Please note that I have not used these items before and cannot give an accurate description of them.

HOMESCHOOL PROJECT: Tea Blending Online

Good day, everyone! Today is actually a very windy and cloudy day, here in Tucson. A perfect day for tea! If you are not a tea drinker, hold tight... you may be one after this post. 

By no means am I a tea connoisseur, or expert, or anything. I am a casual drinker. I do believe in the benefits, certainly. I've always liked the taste, but only really actively got into loose leaf instead of tea bags about a year or so ago. Honestly, I would not have gotten into loose leaf if it hadn't been for a really neat brand I found, Adagio. 

Adagio is mainly a website. I believe they do have a store location, or two, but they are not a chain like Teavana. I don't think they even sell blends in other stores. Instead, you will probably have to order online... but, that is where the fun is. Adagio has a really cool feature that allows you to create your own custom blends, and they give you a pretty big variety of options to mix together. You can also buy the blends others have created. I have used this option over and over again, and other tea fans have actually quite liked my creations! If I, someone who doesn't know jack about tea blending can make yummies, anyone can, including you and your kids! I will post some screen shots of the creation process to guide you through, and of course, end with a summary of how this can be made into a great educational experience, along with some extra project ideas.

If you want to save your tea blends, you will have to create an adagio.com account, but they have you do that after you create a tea blend, so don't worry about that just yet. I already have an account, but I will create a new one to show the first steps. The reason for this is because the more blends you make, the more options you get, and I will demonstrate that as we go along.

Step 1: 

First, simply go to adagio.com. On the top-ish of the screen, click "blends," then "create a blend."

 

Step 2:

If you scroll down just a tad, there is a basic tutorial video, and you can watch that if you want, but it really is not that informative. Scroll down and you will see the first options, which is where you mix up to three different premade tea blends and flavors. Your options are a wide variety of teas, including different flavors or pu erh, green, white, oolong, Earl Grey, herbals, and more. They are all natural, even the flavored ones. There are even decaff options.

 

 When you select which teas to blend, you also have to choose the percentage of each blend. For instance, 30% white peach, 40% white chai, and 30% wild strawberry. The percentages are all in tens, and, obviously, you cannot make it add up to above or below 100%. Each flavor gives you a description of the taste and ingredients when you click it.

 

Now, here is something I noticed. When you are brand spanking new to the site, you do not have the option to add in inclusions, which are just extra little scoops of things like different flowers, fruits, and even candies. After you create a blend, you get the option to add in inclusions. Over time, as you create more blends, you are able to add in two, and eventually three. I am up to three inclusions per blend now. Now, of course, it may sound disappointing that you cannot immediately add these in, but not all is lost. We will get to that in a bit here. Lets go to step 3 for now.

Step 3:

Now that you have your blend chosen, you may now name and describe your tea. You can also give a little background on the inspiration for your special-TEA. Special-teeeaaa. See what I did?

Sorry.

Anyway, here is what that section looks like.

 

 Pretty neat, right? It's getting personal now.

Step 4:

The final step to creating the blend is the artwork. Adagio does ask that you do not use images created by other artists, as that is a risk of copyright infringement. However, you are free to upload your own photos and designs. You can also use one of the premade designs. Remember that custom designs have to be rectangular, or the designs will be squished to fit the format.

Step 5:

Now is wen you can create an account. You can set this particular tea blend to be private or public. The benefits to public blends are that others can purchase them. You do not get money for this, but you do get frequent user "cups," which can be used for credit to get more tea. 100 points is $10 in free tea! Points are earned by purchasing, reviewing, and "selling."You can also add tags that describe your tea to help others find them in their searches. When you are finished, clock "create blend."

Step 6:

Congrats!! You created your first tea blend! Doesn't it look pretty?

 

As you can see, you can like your blend on Facebook, pin it on Pinterest, or even Tweet it. Nothing wrong with sharing your creations!

Now, as for the prices, they may look hefty. To be honest, the sample prices are, but the pouches are actually a really good value. You get a lot more than it seems, and Adagio is cheaper than most loose leaf tea blends out there without sacrificing taste or quality. A full pouch, drinking once a day, can easily last you a couple months. Mine last me about a month if I drink every single day, but I also brew mine extra strong. 

Well, now that you basically know how to make your own blends, lets discuss how this can be used to educate your kids, shall we?

How can Adagio be used to teach kids?

1) Ratios and math. Young kids can benefit from using the percentage feature, as it helps them learn how to add tens to equal one whole, or 100%.

2) Advertising and marketing. What key words would you use to attract people to your blend? What sort of image portrays the flavors, colors, or ingredients used? Do you have a photo that works with the tea? Can you create an image? What age range do you think would like your tea blend the most? Does using other means of social media help attract customers?

3) Experimentation. How did your tea taste, if you ordered it? Is there anything you would change next time? How did it smell?

4) Health benefits. Teas have a huge range of health benefits, and different types all have different things that can aid your health. Some are full of antioxidants, and they all have different levels of caffeine. Look up the differences between loose leaf and tea bag. Fruits and herbs vary in health benefits as well. Even honey used to sweeten tea has healing properties. Research them together.

5) Gardening. How is tea grown? What is the difference between white, black, and green tea? What about oolong and rooibos? What sort of plants are used? Can you grow herbs for teas at home? What kind of bugs pollinate the plants used to teas?

6) Geography. Where does tea come from? What herbs and fruits grow best in different countries and climates?

7) History and social studies. Adagio even gives brief lessons on the origins, and even the growers, of their ingredients. History has a very huge history, and has been used for many things all around the world. Read up on how teas are used in different areas of the world.

What projects and lessons can be used in coordination with Adagio?

1) Grow your own tea ingredients. This is where that part about lacking the inclusions option comes in. If there is something you want to add to your tea, such as bits of fruit, spices, flowers, or even sprinkles and candy pieces (chocolate bits and candy cane can actually be quite yummy in tea!), learn how to grow them together, and start your own tea garden. If you don't want to wait a few years for a tree (in case you are thinking something like orange zest), then learn how to purchase the ingredient needed and properly dehydrate it for tea usage. That is a homestead and cooking skill that can be used for their whole lives!

2) Make it a sweet, artsy gift. Kids of all ages can have fun designing baggies, cards, or even making treats to go with their tea blends, and give them to friends and family. You can even use a tad bit of the tea blend in things like soaps, bath bombs, and lotion bars. 

3) Cook with tea. Yes, you can cook with tea! I have made my own recipes for green tea cake and black tea cake (which actually became a surprising family favorite). The trick is to boil about four tablespoons in the milk you use for your recipe, and leave the tea in the milk to bake in the cake. Experiment with different flavors of glaze, or add in extra coordinating fruits, spices, and nuts. You will have a truly unique dessert or breakfast cake.

4) Encourage your child to practice their marketing and advertisement skills. For young kids, allow them to design the label for the tea, and also an "poster." They can use paint, card stock, paper, stickers, whatever is on hand to design a poster used to grab a customer's attention. Have them draw pictures and use colors to represent the ingredients, or the actual product, and learn to use key words. Maybe, even have them act out a commercial. For older kids, they can design from scratch, or even use real photos they took (if they are into photography) and photo editing software such as PhotoShop, PhotoFiltre, and Gimp. Allow them to research the age range and gender that will be more likely to appreciate their tea blend. Teach them to use social media to spread the word on their new blend. Adagio also has a feature for leaving video reviews. If your child is curious about video reviews and commercials, allow them to work with that feature and create a well-made review. Advertising and marketing is a highly sought-after skill in any business, as it is what attracts customers. Pay attention to font style, colors, images, and descriptions. You can even suggest they research the cost of ingredients and discover how much ingredients from the source would cost so they may create an imaginary price for the blend.

5) Research the history of the ingredients. Where was white tea first used? Why is green tea so commonly used in Asian culture? How did Earl Grey tea get its name? Tea is full of rich histories. Research which cultures use and grow the types they used in their blends, how different cultures drink their teas, and how tea is used in everyday life and celebrations. You can also turn it into an English lesson and have them write a research paper on it.

6) Create specific teas meant to do specific tasks. For instance, if you are looking for a tea that is meant to calm the body before bed, research which teas have low caffeine and which herbs have calming effects. For teas that heal colds, look for ingredients that have high antioxidants and vitamin C. Teas can be used for nausea, headaches, illness, relaxation, and rejuvenation, depending on what is used. Remember that this includes tea leaves, fruits, herbs, and spices. If there is a pregnant woman in the family (or a friend), consider looking into what teas and herbs are safe to use on pregnant women, and what the benefits are. Be careful, though, as many doctors and midwives warn about using certain herbs. For instance, raspberry leaf is great for the third trimester, but heavily not recommended before that. Chamomile is also considered not safe during pregnancy. Young adults and teens can benefit from learning which herbs are safe and which aren't, for whenever they decide to start a family.

7) Research local tea growers. What local brands are there? What sort of unique ingredients are native to your home? What ingredients grow best in your climate? How much do they make in profit? Perhaps set up an interview with a local tea grower, and sample some of their product!

As you can see, something so simple can really be highly beneficial. I have been using the site for at least a year, and it only just hit me today that this can be a very educational tool for any age. Obviously, purchasing tea all the time can add up, especially is you are using loose leaf, so you may want to only do this every now and then. An alternate option is to buy some mixed sample boxes of tea bags from any grocery store, cut the bags open, and blend together, but honestly, you will not have the same quality. Tea bags also have to be heavily sweetened to even be palatable (to me, anyway) while loose leaf usually doesn't, since it contains whole fruits and higher quality ingredients. That's just my two cents, though.

So, relax, and have fun <3

What sort of teas do you like?

 

FAQ: Common Myths of Homeschooling (and Brutally Honest Answers)

We've all heard them... the annoying questions and comments about homeschooling. Questions like, "How will your kids get the socialization they need to become properly functioning adults?" and, "What makes you think you are qualified to teach?" Comments like, "No one hires homeschooled graduates, employers don't take them seriously!" and even, "Isn't it illegal to keep your kids home all the time?" I've been told, "You have no right to homeschool them. You owe it to your kids to let them decide where they want to go to school." The older generations seem to have some of the worse comments, in my experience. "Kids need to experience drugs and bullies to become stronger adults," (WHAT!?) and, "Keeping your kids home to learn is child abuse," are all things I have seen, heard, and been told. I am going to touch up on some of the most common misconceptions regarding homeschooling parents and kids, because, as you can see, some of the things (pretty much all of the things) people who disagree with the idea of teaching from home say are just plain whack.

Now, keep in mind, I have a pretty big history of switching schools, and school types. Just to give you an idea...

Preschool to third grade: Homechool/charter school, classes three times a week for a few hours.

Fourth grade: All home school.

Fifth grade through sixth grade: Standard public school.

Seventh and eight grade (middle school): Full time charter school/college prep school.

Freshman year: Standard public high school.

Sophomore: Two different standard public high schools, then independent study/charter school where I took classes only a couple days a week for a few hours. That is where I graduated from.

Why so many changes in schooling? Oh, goodness... divorce, moving over and over, student bullies, teacher bullies... It was so bad, that I started going to the independent study program because I was coming home in tears every single day, begging to not have to go back. I went from Honor Roll student to miserable blob, absolutely despising the public school system, fearing her life because of death threats from other students, and because teachers wouldn't take those threats seriously at all. Never mind the on campus rape, students held at gunpoint, teacher taking inappropriate photos of female students, all that year... and this was at once of the highest rated high schools in California. When I started independent study, I was so much happier. Teachers were less overwhelmed, and happier as well! They were all just wonderful. I did all my work on my own at home, except for Spanish and Biology, which I had classes for twice a week for about an hour and a half each. I did have to see a teacher to look over my other main courses once a week for an hour. That was it. I also passed my California High School Exam with some of the highest scores the school had ever seen. I THRIVED. Now, with that said, there were definitely ways the school could have improved. The courses they had available, especially electives, were very minimal. They did work very hard at encouraging the students, and finding their unique skills, as well as forming a bond with the students and working with them to find a curriculum that suited them better. It's certainly a better option than basic public schooling, but I do not feel it's the best option. We all want the best, right?

As I have mentioned, though, many do not feel homeschool is the best. Usually, when you ask them why, it is because of all the negative myths they have heard from other skeptical parents, or even on the news.

I'm gonna sound a little less serious than I usually do here, because people like that make me sassy, and I am going to be totally real with you here.

Anyway, lets look at one of the first things people question when they hear those oh-so-dreadful words, "I am going to homeschool the kids."

1) Kids will not get the socialization they need. This comment is one of the most common ones you will hear, or already do hear. It's also one of the most incorrect ones. There are hundreds of ways to get your kids socialized. Sign them up for a class like martial arts, music, dance, anything. Get them in a sports team. Look for volunteer opportunities for them to do. Set up play dates. Let them make friends at the park. There are usually groups on Facebook for local homeschooling parents, and these groups often organize social functions together. If you can't find one, start one! It's okay if it starts off small. Your kids will benefit more from having a small group of real friends over 35 acquaintances. It also allows the opportunity to bounce off ideas with other parents, find new materials, make friends with the parents, and the kids can greatly benefit from learning how to socialize with others from a wide variety of ages as opposed to strictly kids their age like standard classes do. And, lets be real... are kids who are abusive or socially awkward any better examples of socialized kids? Yes, many bullies have emotional issues going on, and awkward children can be awkward for a variety of reasons, but public school won't always fix that. If these kids are still mean or shy in high school, then obviously, public school didn't fix it. That isn't a convincing argument for public socialization. If your child is well behaved, then you may not want your kids around other misbehaving kids all the time. Honestly, it's stressful for many kids to be part of.

2) You will not have the patience to homeschool them.  This one throws me off a bit. I know of some parents who have been told that, but I also know of a lot of parents who say that about themselves. Now, I am going to rebut that with a question... Patience for what?

Here is the thing about that. If you see homeschooling as strictly giving worksheets and textbooks, basically what public schools do, and you don't see your child being able to focus on those, and you will drive yourself crazy trying to get them to do their homework... then yeah, no patience for that. We are not meant to conform. Conforming makes things difficult. That is not what homeschooling is about. It's not supposed to be like public school. It's not supposed to be about forcing your kids to do homework, obeying teachers, conforming to strict schedules... Especially if they are young kids. Kids pay attention better if they are having fun and are frequently allowed to play, and be creative. What is there to be "patient" about with your kids playing and learning? If it's because they are loud and obnoxious, well, guess what? Your teacher will have even less patience. If you don't have patience for teaching your own child, why do you think someone with a group of 30+ they have never met before will have more? Do you have patience for frequent calls from their teachers or principle because they didn't follow their rules, or were late, or skipped, or wore shorts a tad too small, or weren't paying attention? Do you have the patience to try and hunt down the issues based on what third parties are telling you? Do you have the patience to deal with a child who is failing school because they feel unmotivated? Do you have the patience to deal with making sure a bully actually gets punished and made to stop bullying your kid? Do you have patience for arbitrary rules?

Please, remember... many teachers go into the job with the purest intentions of shaping the kids for the future. However, they get a lot of the students with parents who feel like they do not have the patience to teach, and they get 30 of them, at least, at once. These teachers get overwhelmed, and when they do, so do the kids, and when they both get overwhelmed, so do you, because you have to deal with the aftermath. You are the parent. You are the one who knows your kids. If you are using entertaining and interactive methods that you and your child are enjoying together, then you will not have to find a ton of patience. That is one of the biggest benefits to homeschool.

3) You cannot afford to homeschool. Now, I understand, there are exceptions to this. Not everyone has a decent source of income because times are tough. Single parents do not always have strong family support to watch kids while they work, and daycare is freaking expensive. However, there are alternatives to look into and consider. One of the benefits to homeschooling is that it all works on your schedule. You do not have to be an 8-3 schooling family. You don't have to have a particular schedule at all! If you are a married homeschooling couple, if possible (and if needed), one of you work a night shift job. If you feel like that may be too overwhelming, there is no shame in breaking the educational times into different times so that one parent can work while the other is with the kids, then trade off. There may be less "family time," but having your kids in school plus doing homework from 8-5 doesn't exactly leave room for family time, either. As far as single parents go, I cannot give 100% surefire advice on that. My mother, with four kids, cleaned houses and sold on eBay for a living, using by grandmother as a babysitter, when needed. Some parents are taking to sewing, baking, and catering as a profession. There are options, but since every situation is drastically different, it's up to you to do the math and see what works. I have met mothers who send their kids with another homeschooling parent and work out a payment deal with them. It's usually possible to find a way to homeschool on low income, you just have to figure out what you are willing to do and know what is possible (and again, every situation is different, so if you really do not feel it is possible, that's okay. Don't risk losing your house or something).

 4) They need to be on a specific set schedule because the real world has schedules. *ahem* WRONGWRONGWRONGWRONGWRONGWRONGWRONGWRONGWRONG. Public school and full time jobs have set schedules. Your kid isn't in public school, so there goes half your problem. Your kid probably won't even have a full time job until they're well into college age, so there goes the other half. Colleges don't even have ones that strict as many allow you to choose what time of day you study, or even just let you view lessons online when you can. What schedules are we talking about? When your teen or young adult gets his or her first job, it's most likely going to be part time, and finding a part time job with a solid schedule is an uncommon blessing. They are usually, "We'll fit you in when needed," or, "It's a slow day, you can go home," OR, "We're understaffed and really busy, can you be here in twenty minutes?" Heck, your work schedule can change! Do not get your kids used to a particular schedule, unless they honestly do thrive on one. Some kids, especially ones with ADHD, Asperger's, etc do function better on a schedule, which is fine! However, what often happens is that if something unexpected happens, they can get overwhelmed. That's something that is quite based on the individual, though, which is great about homeschooling! Some kids need a "10:00 is when I study history, 11:00 is science, etc" type thing because it helps them stay on track and not forget anything. Others, like myself, do best with, "Well, these are my tasks and goals, I feel really curious about this particular thing right now, so I am going to focus on that because I am motivated and can retain the information better." The only real schedule the world has is night and day. The weather has no true schedule it follows, nor traffic, nor illness... anything can happen at any time, and it helps to be prepared to deal with random things being thrown at you so you know how to work around them. The methods are all up to you, based on how your child learns and functions, which can only be done by homeschooling.

5) Homeschooling is illegal. Yeah, no. Granted, every state has different laws, and some are more strict than others, but illegal? No. Maybe if you live in Germany, but not if you live in the U.S. However, as mentioned, every state is different with their laws. Some states do (unfortunately) make you follow a very strict curriculum and gain approval by the state (blugh), but others, like where I live, have very few regulations (yay, Arizona!). I most certainly do not know all the individual state laws, so you will have to look them up. I know here, you have to fill out a very basic form that basically just says, "Yeah, I am homeschooling" when they hit age six. As long as you teach them something that counts as math, science, social studies, history, and English arts, you're good. There are no particular guidelines as to what defines those since there are thousands of things that can be defined as any number of those subjects. When your child graduates, you can have an official, certified diploma printed out, either a normal sized one for $30, or a "pocket" one for your wallet (great for showing at job interviews) for $10. It is that easy. That's Arizona law, though! Be sure to look up by county, since they can vary.

6) It is child abuse to keep your kid home all day. Sorry, I think it's worse to send my kids somewhere where they are subjected to bullies, made to feel stupid because they failed a test that really will not matter in the future, or feel like a loser because cliques don't want to talk to them because they are different. I think it's worse to force my kid to study what the world wants them to study instead of what makes them happy and confident. It is worse to make your kid feel like their struggles are always their fault and they deserve it instead of realizing that they simply have different needs. 

7) Your child has every right to choose where they want to be schooled.  Look, I get it. You want your kids to make decisions for themselves. Learn from consequence, be more confident, etc. I see where you are coming from, but here is the thing... kids are still kids. Yes, their voice matters. Yes, they should be encouraged to make decisions... but here is the thing. They should be encouraged to make educated decisions. A four-year-old is not going to have enough understanding of life to make a truly informed decision on schooling options. If I let my daughter choose, she would eat nothing but cookies all day. She is just about four. It does not matter how much I tell her, "That is bad for you, you will get sick, and you need to brush your teeth," because she does not understand the trials of obesity and tooth decay, she's a child. I have to put my foot down. I will continue to have to put my foot down with different things as they get older. That is okay to do. I repeat, that is okay to do. You are their parent. Even older kids will have difficulties because they often do not know what they even want to focus on, especially in places that teach only a handful of subjects. It is literally your job to protect them because they are too young and inexperienced to fully understand why you decide to homeschool them. That is why you hold their hand when you cross the street, whether they like it or not. That is why you give them medicine when they need it, if they like the taste or not. You may think those are extreme comparisons, but they aren't, because we are talking about how your child will be able to handle adulthood. That is a huge thing. That is the most important thing they need to learn. I cannot stress that enough. Do I think you should decide everything they learn? No. That is why I support homeschooling and unschooling, because they can choose the subjects themselves. I liked writing educational essays. I did not like writing poetry. I still hate poetry. I am almost 25 and still do not use poetry. Why was I forced to learn poetry for so many years!? My interests were ancient history, cryptozoology, astronomy, things like that. X-Files stuff. Those things have actually been my interest since about age six. I sometimes slacked in school because I was too busy reading about UFOs and genetic engineering (I kid you not) instead of studying about Shakespeare. Those things made me happy. I don't friggin use Shakespeare in my life. I felt dumb for failing tests on Hamlet, and made to feel dumb by teachers and finals, yet I knew more about the M-Theory than probably any other student (or even many teachers) in school, but that didn't matter. Screw me for not having an interest in an overly dramatic teen drama from hundreds of years ago. 

Anyway, introduce your kids to different things, but do not take away their interests they naturally have. Encourage those. Heck, if it's that important to you that they learn all about something in particular, encourage them to look up any connections between their interest and the lesson you want. Columbus got way more interesting after I found out he reported a UFO sighting, I can tell you that much. It also helped me learn that public school is teaching very incorrect things about him. You can still allow your kids to make decisions on what they want to learn. That is still giving them power. After all, home resources have more subjects it can teach you than public school does. Another thing... your child will not have the power to say no in public school. They will have to learn, say, read, eat, and even wear what they are told to wear. They will not have power of choice at public school like they will at home, as long as you allow it. Public school teaches to follow authority (no matter what), schedules, and trends. That is not freedom of choice.

8) They will not be able to learn real political issues from home. Um, it's illegal in some areas for teachers to discuss political issues because it is too easy for them to slip political bias in their lessons. Allow your child to research issues from home, listen to the stories of different sides, and formulate conclusions. Do you really want a stranger giving an unsupervised political bias anyway?

9) They will not learn about other cultures and lifestyles at home. Considering that it's actually very frowned upon for students of various faiths to practice their faiths in school, I feel okay saying that school is not the way to learn about different cultures. Many kids are shamed for their beliefs. I was, and I know I am by far not the only one. Teachers shamed me hardcore for not making Christmas cards for teachers I never met. Text books often give drastic misrepresentations of religion, and can no way cover all sects and beliefs. Many want religion kept out of school anyway. There are many different resources for learning about various cultures. Cookbooks, movies, games, inventions, clothing, music, stories, festivals, museums, jewelry, friendship... these can all be used to teach different cultures. It's also way more fun to learn that way instead of reading poor summaries of a handful of lifestyles.

10) No one hires homeschool graduates. Very untrue. Homeschooled kids statistically graduate earlier and do better in college. They are actually quite sought after! They often have a stronger sense of responsibility and taking initiative since they are encouraged to self educate.

11) You are not qualified to homeschool. You know what teachers use? Curriculum given to them. Guidelines given to them. Answer sheets given to them. They do not come up with every single lesson plan from scratch, in most cases. Heck, it's against the law for them to do that, often times, because they have a strict set of lessons they have to give. Every state varies, but in general, teachers have support systems and are told what to teach. You can find support and answer sheets just as well as they can (and yes, I know many do come up with extra ways of teaching, but that is also something you can do!). There is a huge range of support out there, just like there is for teachers. And really, if you feel like the public school failed you, why have so much faith they will be better for your kids? Especially in a generation that people claim is far more spoiled and lazy than before? 

Trust me, I have so much more I can say on pretty much all these subjects, but that will be very lengthy. Over time, I will elaborate in detail more on the individual subjects in different posts. My goal is to help you understand that you can do this. It's not as bad as it sounds. 

What comments have you been told when you expressed your desire to homeschool? What was your answer?