FREE Language Arts & Literature Courses

The Good & the Beautiful is offering FREE Language Arts and Literature courses!

Photo credit: http://www.jennyphillips.com

About the course (from the website):

Language arts & literature courses combine several subjects (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, literature, geography, and art.) This not only connects learning and gives it deeper enjoyment and meaning, but it means you do not have to find, purchase, and use 6-7 different courses.) It also reduces the total time needed for the subjects.

• Connects learning to the good and the beautiful: family, God, high moral character, wholesome literature, and the wonders and beauty of nature and human life
• Requires no daily prep time—just open the book and follow the instructions, learning and exploring along with your child.
• Combines multiple subjects, connecting learning, adding meaning, shortening school time, making learning more enjoyable, and eliminating the need for 6 to 7 different courses. Reading, writing, literature, spelling, grammar & punctuation, vocabulary, geography, and art are all in one course!
• Emphasizes literature of the highest literary and moral merit.
• Full phonics reading program creates excellent readers. Phonics instruction is included through Level 3.
• Strong writing program creates excellent writers!
• Thorough and advanced courses leave no gaps! There is no need to supplement.
• Levels 1-5 are available as free PDF downloads!

We’re planning to do the Level 5 this school year instead of Voyages in English. Has anyone tried it yet? Any feedback?

Pregnancy Scare

Finding out you are pregnant after like 10 years is not easy. It’s like a new experience again. I think have forgotten how to be pregnant, and how to give birth!

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

We had a difficult first trimester. On our second month, I had an episode of bleeding. Not spotting, I’m talking about blood gushing. So we thought we were losing the baby then. An emergency trip to the hospital allowed us to hear the heartbeat for the first time. The following day, I had an ultrasound. The baby was OK, but the placenta grew right by my cervix opening, thus the bleeding.

I had to be on complete bed rest for a month, and had to take medicine to help the baby cling on more. This made our homeschooling harder. I had to be on the bed lying down while teaching. My blood pressure was also going up due to the baby, but it became manageable with medicine. After a month, I was on modified bed rest. I can move around the house now, but no heavy lifting, no driving, and no heavy house chores.

Thank God we’re all past that now. My recent ultrasound showed good placenta position now, and the baby is also on head down position. I just pray that my blood pressure doesn’t go up really high, so that I can get to deliver normally.

I’m Back!

So much for the long hiatus.

Photo by Nubia Navarro (nubikini) from Pexels

So much has happened since our Singapore trip. We found out we’re expecting another baby! That means I’m usually tired throughout the day. We had a miscarriage scare on the first trimester. Turned out I had placenta previa, but it has moved up now on the 2nd trimester so everything is good. We also traveled to Taiwan this January, so more on that on my later blog posts.

This might be a bit late to ask, but how was your new year?

2018 Planners

*This page will be updated as new planners get released.

Few more months before the year ends!

For those of you who love writing down your schedule and tasks, here are some choices you can check out:

Belle de Jour Planner

Photo credit: Spot.ph

Available in smythe, leather, and discbound, the 12th edition planner has weekly affirmations and special activity sheets to help you visualize your dreams and get things done. You can purchase the planner from ilovebdj.com for PHP598-PHP720.

Navi Journal

 

Photo credit: ilovebdj.com

This is the perfect companion for someone who likes to travel. It has special pages like the Backyard Excursions, Goals and Bucket Lists, Pre-trip Checklist, and Travel Guide. You can buy it for PHP598 from ilovebdj.com.

 

Focus Journal

For those who like minimalist design, then this planner is for you. It has clean, straight-to-the-point pages and monthly dividers that highlight power words. It also includes Monthly Check-Up and Year-End Workbook to help you reflect and become more mindful. You can buy it for PHP498 from ilovebdj.com.

Giving Journal

 

Every year, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf releases planners to help out Real LIFE Foundation. Collect 12 stamps at any CBTL store starting October 21. Click HERE for the full mechanics.

 

Singapore for Kids

Gardens by the Bay

Trail maps are available in the retail shops for SGD 1.00, but we decided to just follow the trail suggestions on their website. You can check out the self guided trails HERE. If the place is too big for you to go around, there’s an unlimited tram ride for SGD 3.00.

Head on to the Supertree Grove at night for the light and sound show. My son loved it. He didn’t want to leave until the end of the show. Come in early and look for a good spot where you can lie down under one of the trees.

Singapore Zoo

This is by far the best zoo that we’ve ever been in. We got our tickets from Klook, and good thing that it already came with the tram ride. I don’t think we could’ve gone through the whole zoo by foot.

There are animal feeding schedules, wherein you can make a donation of SGD 5.00 so you could feed the animals themselves. My son fed one of the giraffes, and it’s one of the highlights of his day.

Make sure to bring extra clothes, so your kids can play at the Splash Zone in the Rainforest Kidzworld. We got some postcards for SGD 1.00 each as souvenirs and sent it to ourselves addressed back home.

National Museum of Singapore

Super love the museum! It’s interactive and child friendly. Make sure to download the Activity Booklets from their website and print it out. We both had fun looking for the things mentioned on the booklet. Make sure to bring your kid to the Story of the Forest at the Glass Rotunda.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Make sure you come prepared for the long walk. My son even asked me if it’s considered a hike. You can download the trail guides HERE. Part of the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden was closed though, so we didn’t bother walking to that section anymore.