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Teaching French with Middlebury Interactive Languages {Review}

October 27, 2016 by Emilee Evans

I have been teaching French to my kids on and off over the past few years. Because I studied French for so long, I thought it was only natural that I’d be teaching French to our kids! One of my favorite resources for teaching French is Middlebury Interactive Languages. Our daughter (age 8) has used their French Courses in the past. Although she wasn’t ready to move on to French II she was definitely ready to move up to the higher grade level. So, she has been using Elementary French I (Grades 3-5).
 Middlebury Interactive Languages Review
Middlebury Interactive Languages is an online language curriculum for Kindergarten through 12th Grade. They offer various languages including: French, Spanish, German and Chinese. The courses help students learn both the language and culture. Courses are offered based on both the skill level AND the grade level. This means a high school student who is just starting a new language can learn in a way that is more appropriate for their age/grade level versus the learning style that is more appropriate for a young child.
Aurora has been using the Elementary French I Program for grades 3-5 about 3-4 days per week. Last year she was doing French I for grades K-2, and they definitely take a different approach. The K-2 lessons were a little shorter and more basic. This year, she is still getting the full immersion as told through recognizable stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” as well as stories that may not be familiar to us. Each lesson takes her about 20-30 minutes to complete.
Middlebury Interactive Languages is an online account based program. To access it, we simply go to the website on one of the computers (with internet access). All of her progress is saved as she goes. When first logging in, she has the option to start where she left off or the course that is scheduled for the day. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to change the schedule, so if they get ahead or behind, it’s definitely much easier to just choose where they left off.
Spanish, French, German or Chinese {Middlebury Interactive Languages}
There are 16 total Units for the French I (Grades 3-5) program. Each Unit starts with an Introductory video for the first lesson and is broken down into 6 total lessons. Each lesson is anywhere from 4-8 “slides.” The whole lesson can be viewed as slides on the left hand side. The lessons vary by day so on some days she may have been watching a story and participating in learning activities while other days she might be taking reviews and recording more phrases. The lessons are interactive, which I think is definitely helpful. Some of the interactive lessons she’s been doing include: listening to and then recording words and phrases, moving the correct word or phrase to the correct picture, watching stories and songs, exploring French culture and more.
Once logging on and choosing her lessons, Aurora is able to navigate the program on her own. When she completes activities they are marked off showing how many were correct. For activities that include recording words and phrases, it is marked off as complete when she is finished, and I can go in and review them. Although the program does have a “Gradebook,” I can review, it only shows the grades for things like quizzes and tests.
One feature I particularly appreciate is the “Table of Contents.” From there I can see every lesson in the course. When I click to expand the lessons, I can also see what she has completed as they are marked with a check mark. This way I can easily see if she has missed anything as well as what will be coming up!

Teaching French

Teaching French with Middlebury Interactive Languages

Overall, Middlebury Interactive Languages is still one of my favorite resources for teaching French. Although there are still a few features I would change (like being able to adjust the calendar), I love that the lessons are fun for her, and she enjoys them. I appreciate that the lessons include so many details and even include culture, which is a detail I think many other programs miss. I like that they offer lessons not only for experience level but for grade level as well so the lessons are better adapted for that age range. I definitely think it was much more appropriate for her to take French I in the Grades 3-5 level, and she has been doing great with the lessons as well!

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Members of the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed the different languages, levels and grades Middlebury Interactive Languages offers. Be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner below!
Spanish, French, German or Chinese {Middlebury Interactive Languages}

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Bluetooth Technology for Health and Home

October 22, 2016 by Emilee Evans

Bluetooth technology has made a lot of things easier! Connecting no longer requires wires and opens up the door to many possibilities. I am a big fan of convenience and definitely appreciate what Bluetooth technology offers!
Beets BLU Bluetooth Products
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. Please refer to my Disclosure Policy for more information.
Beets BLU offers a variety of electronics with Bluetooth Smart support. Their products use a modern communication protocol Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth 4.0) and work directly with most smartphones (iPhone 4S and later, iPad 3 and later, Android 4.3 and later with Bluetooth 4.0).
For my review I received the Wireless Heart Rate Monitor and Wireless Key Finder.
Beets BLU Bluetooth Technology

Bluetooth Technology – Wireless Heart Rate Monitor Review

The Beets BLU Wireless Heart Rate Monitor includes the Pod and Strap. It is used simply by snapping the Pod onto the Strap. The adjustable Strap is made of an elastic material. I adjust it to a comfortable length ensuring the electrodes are against my skin. As with many heart rate monitors, it is recommended to wet the electrodes before putting it on. It is definitely helpful.
What I found most unique about this wireless heart rate monitor is that it doesn’t require its own app. I have tried a few heart rate monitors and most of them required their own app and only worked with that app. This wireless heart rate monitor is compatible with many different health and fitness apps (over 35!). The device is paired within the application.
Wireless Heart Rate Monitor
I have my wireless heart rate monitor paired with the MapMyFitness App. It was extremely easy to pair. The strap is easy to adjust and comfortable. The snaps are a little tough for me, though. It usually takes multiple attempts for me to get it snapped completely. It works well, and I never need to turn it on and off as it automatically goes into sleep mode after it loses contact with the skin. I continue using it regularly with no issues and love that I have a quick and easy option to monitor my heart rate.

Bluetooth Technology – Wireless Key Finder

I don’t know about you, but I’m always losing stuff. The Beets BLU Wireless Key Finder is helpful for more than just keys! You can track any valuables within 33 feet. You can also attach it to wallets, bags, cameras, etc. It uses the sonar function of the PagerTag app to send an alarm.
After installing the PagerTag App (which I found easily in the iOS App Store) I paired it with the wireless key finder. Pairing it actually sets up an encrypted channel between the phone and device. So only your phone will have access to it. This also makes it impossible to pair it with another smart phone, though it can be reset when needed. The app is easy to find and install, but it took me a bit of time playing around with it to figure out exactly how to use it.
Wireless Key Finder
Once I got the hang of how to use it, though, it surely does come in handy! The alarm is loud and clear. If you happen to be out of range, you can set up an out of range alarm. It has a variety of features and options. Again, it took me quite a bit of time navigating the app to get the settings I thought were best. I love that is has so many options! This is definitely a gadget that makes things much easier!

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Improve Joint Health with NeoCell Joint Bursts

October 16, 2016 by Emilee Evans

We have really enjoyed NeoCell products. The NeoCell Corporation is a leader in the natural supplement, skin care and health and wellness industries. They are actually the largest collagen company in the world! NeoCell products are designed to promote youth, beauty and wellness, and I’ve had the opportunity to try a variety of their products. When they asked if my husband would like to try and share a Joint Bursts review, I thought it was a great idea!
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
For our review he received the new Joint Bursts as well as their Super Collagen Powder.
NeoCell Super Collagen and Joint Bursts Review

Joint Bursts Review

The idea of the Joint Bursts really reminded me of the Beauty Bursts, which continues to be one of my favorite NeoCell products. The Joint Bursts combine Collagen Type 2, Turmeric, and Hyaluronic Acid in a tasty tropical chew. They are designed to help keep joints hydrated and healthy. After learning more about them, I was excited! I love that they combined their amazing collagen supplements with turmeric. I actually take turmeric daily for my own chronic pain. I was definitely hopeful this supplement would help my husband’s chronic pain!
As with the other great NeoCell supplements, the Joint Bursts are all-natural and contain no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, gluten, or GMO ingredients. They are individually wrapped in a chewable form, which can definitely be easier to take than pills and capsules! My husband doesn’t have a great record for taking his supplements regularly, but he could easily remember to take them every day. He did notice an improvement in his joints after the first week or so. He loves that it’s easy to take and tastes great, too.

Super Collagen Powder Review

The NeoCell Super Collagen Powder contains a different type of collagen. It contains Collagen Type 1 and 3. It not only helps support bones but also provides benefits for the skin, nails and even circulation as well. Simply add it to a glass a water! It’s soluble and is basically flavorless. My husband had a harder time remembering to use this one regularly, but he has been using it in conjunction with the Joint Bursts. I do believe it has added to the effects.
I am so glad my husband has found some relief, and that it’s in a form that is easy to take (and remember to take)!

Connect with NeoCell

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Freezer Meals Made Easy {MyFreezEasy Review}

October 12, 2016 by Emilee Evans

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please refer to my Disclosure Policy for more information.
Freezer meals have always been something I know would make things a little easier, but I didn’t know where to start. Despite multiple pins it still just felt like it was something that wasn’t attainable. When I was presented with the opportunity to share a MyFreezEasy review, I was thrilled! I was ready to jump right in with the MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership.

MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership {MyFreezEasy}

What excited me most about MyFreezEasy is not that it offers detailed information and meals plans for freezer meals, but that it was designed to make freezer meals easy. As a busy homeschooler and homemaker, anything that saves time is a huge blessing. Freezer meals have always seemed overwhelming due to the time required to prepare the meals. I knew that it would save time and be better overall, but 2-3 hours of preparation? It didn’t sound too difficult, but it was surprising how hard it was to set aside that time!
Of course, as someone who has never prepared freezer meals, there was a major learning curve as well. With so many different ingredients and meals, it got overwhelming quickly. That’s why I was so encouraged by MyFreezEasy. MyFreezeEasy offers meal plans and instructions for creating 10 meals in less than an hour. That definitely sounded like something I could easily commit to!
10 Meals in 1 Hour with MyFreezEasy
MyFreezEasy offers a variety of different meals plans including: Traditional Plan, Gluten-Free Plan, Slow Cooker Plan, Clean Eats Plan, 20 Meals Plan, All Chicken Plan, All Ground Beef Plan and All Pork Chop Plan. I love that there are different options. The Traditional Meal Plan and 20 Meals Plan offers a variety of different meals for both the slow cooker and oven. If you prefer the slow cooker, you’re all set! If you need gluten-free options, the Gluten-Free Plan not only has gluten-free meal plans but also tips for making sure ingredients are gluten-free. If a certain meat is on sale at your local grocery store, you can use one of the plans for that specific type of meat.
Members get access to all 8 of the meal plans each month. They are only available in your account for that month but can be downloaded as a PDF for later use. I love this because we quickly discovered a few favorites that I definitely plan on making again! It’s also great to receive a set of new meals each month! There is even a Build Your Own Meal Plan option! It’s really so flexible!

MyFreezEasy Review

To get started, I chose the Traditional Plan for my first time. I did this for a couple of reasons – I wanted to have a variety and because the Traditional Plan has a step-by-step video for preparing the meals. It’s recommended to start with watching this video even if you do choose another plan. Because I am completely new to (or basically new to) freezer meals, I figured this would be the best place to start. I actually watched the video while preparing the meals and paused as necessary while I went.
Shopping for the Traditional Plan was easy. With each meal plan there is a list of ingredients to print out (or save on your phone). I chose to print out the list that included the sides and listed ingredients by sections in the store. It was so easy, and having a list made my whole shopping trip that much shorter.

Freezer Meal Prep Day

On Prep Day I laid out all ingredients on my table. Unfortunately, we have a tiny kitchen with no counter space, so this is the best way for me to prepare the meals.
Freezer Meal Prep
The first time, it did take me a little longer, which is expected. Plus, since I was following the video step-by-step, this delayed it as well. I still got it all done under 2 hours, though, which was still exciting for me! As I prepared meals the next time, it definitely went much quicker.
With the Traditional Plan for September, there were a few more pre-prep ingredients. Because I was using my stove for those ingredients, I did have to go back and forth from the kitchen to dining room. I do feel if I had watched the video first rather than during, this time would have been quite a bit faster. I did use some of my fancy kitchen tools to make things easier, though, like a mandolin for slicing onions. Meat scissors would have also been very helpful! Even without fancy tools, though, I do think it’s possible to make the 10 meals in less than an hour.

Building the Meals

There are different ways to build the meals – by ingredient or by recipe. I chose to do so by recipe mostly because that’s what was in the video. I have chosen to stick with this method, though, and it works well for me. With everything laid out and prepped, it was easy to just put the meals together. I love how the ingredients for the recipes work together to make it quick and easy! I actually think it’s kind of fun, too!
I did find I was able to leave out and/or substitute ingredients to better fit my family’s taste. Then I simply printed out the labels (which also includes cooking instructions) and stuck them to the bags or lids. Easy!

MyFreezeEasy Review

Overall, I find MyFreezEasy to be the solution I was looking for. The meals are easy to shop for and prep and it saves me time and money. I’ve had a lot less waste in both my fridge and pantry, and I can continue to make and freeze meals to have a variety of meals for dinners to come! It’s really been a great blessing for our family. I wake up and simply dump a meal into the slow cooker or get ready to bake a meal about an hour or so before dinner. That’s it! Now we have good meals made at home!

Connect with MyFreezEasy

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Many members of the Homeschool Review Crew shared their MyFreezEasy review as well. Be sure to check them out by clicking on the banner below!
MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership {MyFreezEasy}

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