Monthly Archives: March 2013

Review: We Choose Virtues

Review: We Choose Virtues
Review: We Choose Virtues

Update: Want more opinions and get more information about the different versions available for this product? Please check out all the Mosaic reviews published!

Do you have problems with your kids not listening to you? Do you wish you had a simple way to review basic life-skills that help create a well rounded person, along with a happier family and home?

This product might be for you.

When something arrives in cute packaging, it’s always a good sign that the product inside is going to be cute and fun, too!

A small but cute touch to what normally would be a boring envelope.

Inside were these little goodies:

How cute are these flashcards from We Choose Virtues?

I love these cards. They are simple, bright, and colorful: perfect for younger children. Evelyn, even though she isn’t quite old enough to understand these cards, liked looking at the pictures.

Each card has a character (Oboe Joe), virtue (like obedience)  on one side.

On the back, you have an easy-to-remember saying on what the trait is, another statement saying what it is NOT, and a scripture to match. (I chose to have KJV, as that what I use and am familiar with, but they have NIV and Secular cards if that’s how you roll!)

Now, as a former English teacher who used to try to do meaningful vocabulary activities with my students, this is a perfect flashcard because of the multiple ways each trait is is explained. There is actual research backing up the effectiveness of teaching vocabulary in this way- or helping your children understand what these virtues are/mean. (You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but can’t take the teacher out of the girl!)

Now, there are several traits, and to meaningfully incorporate them into your family’s lifestyle, there are different ways to jump in. The cards and lessons are designed in a way that if your family is struggling as a whole on a particular virtue, you could focus on that for a week as a family group. When I was able to participate in a conference call with Heather, the creator of We Choose Virtues, she suggested that as a family, you start with the foundation traits: Obedient, Kind, and Helpful. If you have these traits down, the ability to work together as a family for the remaining traits should be easier. (These are also three great ones to focus on for younger children who would be overwhelmed with all the other traits.)

Another “plan of attack” is to let each family member sit down and decide what trait they need to work on first, after focusing on a family one the “first” three traits. (Personally, this mommy could use some more “self control” when it comes to sugary treats… hmmm.) This could work especially well with older children who could reason out their different strengths and weaknesses.

For older children, there are some ways to turn the flashcards into a family game, along with activities like coloring pages and lessons that you can use when you get the flashcards. I didn’t utilize those as much as I would like, as Evelyn is only 9 months old now, but I can imagine that for Pre-K and Elementary aged children, these could be a lot of fun!

Now, are you worried about your older, teenager kids scoffing at these kiddy cards? Don’t worry- Heather informed us that they have been working hard on releasing a Virtues curriculum aimed directly for teenagers! Many of us here at Mosaic Reviews were excited to learn more about that product when it is closer to a completed state. Check out the We Choose Virtue Blog for more updates on when that should be released.

Now, here’s the best news yet: I have discounts for you if you decide to look into these cards for you! (And who doesn’t love a deal? Seriously, who?)

For those of you who home school, there is this fabulous code for 20% off that is good through the end of April: home20 

Not into home schooling, but still like a good deal? Try the code virtue15 -Best yet, this coupon DOES NOT EXPIRE. So there’s no rush if you need a little more time to make up your mind on what you want.

Chicken Adventures Begin

Chicken Adventures Begin

For a little while now, Jared and I have been talking about getting chickens. I never thought I’d want to have chickens, but after hearing that one of our neighbors has them, I became curious and did some more research on getting chickens.

After a few attempts where I thought that things weren’t going to work out, but today we went on a little drive and picked up four chicks that are certified pullets (females), meaning that if they turn out to be roosters we can do an exchange. While I know we are allowed chickens, we may not be allowed roosters (the law was a bit confusing- plus I don’t really want to deal with the noise).

We have two Ameracaunas (sometimes called Easter Eggers for their blue/green eggs) and two Plymouth Rocks- Buff and Partridge.

Meet the chickens:

 

Jared is really fond of the coloration of the Plymouth Rock that I have labeled “his”, so he is in charge of naming her in the next week or two. I named the other Plymouth “Fliza Minnelli.” I couldn’t help it.

Now we need two good names for “The Twins”- our two Ameracaunas. I jokingly suggested “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum” but Jared thought that was degrading to the chickens. (Because the insult “bird brain” came from nowhere, right?)

Any good ideas of literary heroines, particularly twins, that we could give them? We’re open to ideas! 🙂

“Snow” Storm

“Snow” Storm

Everything is bigger in Texas. Especially when it storms.

A few nights ago, Jared and I woke up around 2:30am to a pounding sound. A thunderstorm was moving through, and with it, about 5-10 minutes of intense, bigger sized hail. The noise was deafening. It sounded like there were people outside shooting rocks at our windows.

I immediately went to check on Evelyn to see if the noise had bothered her. She was out. I then went to check on our dogs, since the majority of the noise was coming from the hail hitting the windows right above their crates where they sleep at night. They, too, were just fine. Even Jared was pretty blah about the whole thing.

Guess I was the only one excited about a hail storm at 2:30 in the morning. :-p

I went to the front door and peaked out, and this is what I saw:

(Sorry about the poor quality, but my phone camera doesn’t do that well in anything darker than the light of the sun.)

After the worst of the storm passed us by and I could tell the hail had stopped, I went out to see the size of the “Texas Snow”.

There were some pieces here and there that were a little larger, and it was still raining pretty heavily at the time which was melting away much of the hail, but it was still a decent size!

And some of it still lingered in the morning as I was taking all three dogs out to do their business in the back yard. They looked at me as if I were crazy to force their little precious feet on the icy patio and grass in the backyard. Poor babies.

(See Mom? I knew there was a reason we hadn’t gotten around to planting anything yet in the garden. A sixth sense was telling us to hold off!)

Fun times for us and our Texas Snow storm.

So yay and all that jazz, but answer me this. How is it that my 8 1/2 month old could sleep through the racket of a hail storm, but if I step on the wrong part of the carpet and get a creaky floorboard, she zeroes in on me and all bets for a nap time are off????

Happy Green Day!

Happy Green Day!

Well, at least I am pretty sure St. Patrick’s Day is one of Evie’s uncle’s FAVORITE days. Right, Stephen? Yes? Oh yeah, he probably doesn’t read my blog because he’s busy being a college student. *eye roll*

And I am a fan of most things Irish. (Gotta try to talk Jared into watching “The Secret of Kells” with me again….)

Here’s Evie wishing you all a happy day of wearing green and not getting pinched by others.

Crocheted Converse shoes and Barefoot Sandals

Crocheted Converse shoes and Barefoot Sandals
Crocheted Converse shoes and Barefoot Sandals

When I came across this FREE pattern for crocheted baby Converse-style shoes, I couldn’t help myself. (Thanks again, Pinterest and Ravelry, for feeding my yarn addiction). I just had to make them for Evelyn.

Turns out, they are DARLING.

The first shoe took me a really long time to make. The pattern was really tough to follow and you kind of just had to pay close attention as you went with it. Jared found my frustration amusing, I think, as I may have cursed the creator of this pattern several creative ways under my breath.

By the second shoe I had gotten the maker’s style and was able to complete the shoe much more quickly.

Not too shabby, right? The first shoe probably took me four or five hours to make, but I think I cut the time nearly in half with the second. If I were to do it again, I think it would go even more quickly.

Oh, would you like to see these shoes on my lovely model?

Hmm… Nope. Bonnie photo-bombed, too. Let’s try again:

Huh. Still nope.

Guess it’s harder when the baby learns you can crawl away from the camera. I’ll have to try again sometime when my 8 1/2 month old will hold still long enough for me to take some better pictures of the product.

Another fun (not to mention QUICK and EASY and FREE!) pattern I tried was this barefoot sandal. This style is all the rage in the baby fashion world.

I did make little flowers to attach to the top, but this little girl’s daddy thought

  1. Sandals with no bottoms seem ridiculous.
  2. Sandals with no bottoms and a giant flower on top are even more ridiculous!

I don’t think my eyes can roll far enough back into my head for this major silliness. Just imagine me with my hands on my hips saying, “Men!” in the most exasperated way possible.

I will have you all know that I had at least A DOZEN people stop me and ask about those “Ridiculous” sandals when Evelyn and I went adventuring to Michaels, Target, and the vet on Monday. (AND in case you were wondering, they all LOVED them and wanted to know where I had gotten them, JARED. I still love you even if we disagree on Evelyn’s style.)

Fun times for yarn in this household. I am making some other new stuff that I am excited to share with y’all soon!