Hearts and Trees Summer Kit Order Now!!

(This post will stay on top.)

As of July 31, 2oo8 I still have quite a few kits left, but

be sure to purchase yours soon. Supplies are limited!

a

Introducing the Hearts and Trees Summer Kit

I am now accepting orders for the Hearts and Trees Summer Kit!

Each kit includes the instructions and materials to complete easy and fun handicraft, art and nature study projects with a minimum of effort. (Please note that you will need to provide common art supplies such as paper, stapler, watercolors, markers, colored pencils, etc.)

This kit includes a wonderful garden nature study lapbook. Included in the lapbook is a 12 page cardstock nature journal bound with comb binding, 3 sunflower seeds, a sunflower observations section to record what you see as your seeds grow, a place to put a pressed flower, a nature poem, a 3x5inch Monet art print and a section about the parts of a flower and plant.

A worksheet to accompany the Monet print as well as an art element worksheet focusing on overlapping and depth is also included.

The materials are provided to make an amazing watercolor collage for the front of your lapbook.
This kit includes a sewing project: a drawstring treasure pouch. The fabric, ribbon needle, thread, pins, and instructions are included. (Please note the fabric for the drawstring pouch will not be the butterfly fabric shown above, but will be either a blue bee or a blue bandanna print.)

All of the materials and instructions are provided to make a cardboard flower press and then a bookmark using your pressed flowers.

A laminated 3x5inch nature study card focusing on things found in the garden is also included in the Hearts and Trees summer kit.

Complete Contents List:

1. Colored file folder for the lapbook
2. Garden nature study lapbook pages
3. 12 page cardstock nature journal with comb binding
4. 3x5inch art print: Claude Monet The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil
5. Watercolor paper for watercolor collage on front of lapbook
6. Sunflower seeds for sunflower observations
7. Cardboard and rubber bands for flower press
8. Cardstock and contact paper for pressed flower bookmark
9. Fabric and ribbon for drawstring treasure bag
10. Notions for sewing the treasure bag (needle, thread, pins and safety pin)
11. Instructions for the drawstring treasure bag
12. Instructions the flower press and pressed flower bookmark

These kits were gathered with children ages 6-12 in mind. Parents may need to help their students, especially younger children, with some aspects of this kit.

To purchase a kit you will just need to make a PayPal payment to my account. You can do that using the "Pay Now" buttons in my sidebar. Just be sure to use the button for the right number of kits you would like to purchase.

The cost per kit is $11.95 plus shipping. Shipping for one kit will be $2.75 First Class. Shipping for two kits will be $5.00 Priority. Shipping for three kits will be $7.50 Priority. For information about purchasing more than three kits, please email me for shipping information. Shipping prices are for the US and Canada. (For information about shipping outside of the US and Canada, please email me.)

Please note that the price per kit has remained the same. The cost of shipping has increased partly because this kits weighs slightly more than past kits and because of the increase of USPS shipping prices.

Kits will ship within the next two to three days after payment is received.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the PDFs I am currently selling (they are in my sidebar) and you wish to make a combined payment for multiple items, feel free to email me for a total.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at amandachristina@yahoo.com.

A Summer Ice Cream Project

When I worked at an elementary school, the children *loved* this project. I guess anything that involves ice cream they would probably have loved. Making ice cream is surprisingly easy and this project makes it so much fun, because everyone is involved: Ice Cream in a Baggie. And for me at least, there aren't too many things better than homemade ice cream in the summertime.

You could add chocolate syrup or mini choclolate chips or crushed up oreos once your ice cream has thickened. The possibilities are really endless! Is this a project you think your kids would enjoy? Feel free to leave me a comment letting me know what you think.

Some Summer Book Suggestions

Here are some links to Amazon with some summer books you might want to check out. Enjoy!

Watercolor Color Triangle

I haven't had time to put together another watercolor tutorial to share with you all. I expect to have a new one up on July 28th, when I get back from my camping trip. Here is a little watercolor project I came across online that you can do in the meantime: Color Mixing Triangle.

This is a great experiment in color mixing and demonstrates some of the wonderful blending properties of watercolors. I hope you enjoy and would love to see any watercoloring you and your children may complete using these instructions. Feel free to leave me links in the comments section.

Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons- Summer

So, in keeping with my tradition of posting Vivaldi's movement from the Four Seasons for each season, here is Summer- my favorite season and movement from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

As you listen you might want to try this idea from my mom's blog: Coloring to Classical Music.

You also might want to brainstorm and record any images of summer that come to mind when you and your children listen to this song and write your own poems.

If you are interested in studying a little more about Vivaldi you can check out the Harmony Fine Arts Free Dowload (Vivaldi is on page 8 of the PDF). It has links to biographical information and online listening.

If you want to purchase a Vivaldi CD from Amazon, here are some to get you started: (We own the first one and highly recommend it.)

And if you haven't seen my summer themed art, handicraft and nature study kit, check it out here!

July 8, 2008 Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

Welcome to the July 8, 2008 edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival. There are a lot of great entries included in this edition. Be sure to take a few moments to check them all out.

~Nature Study~

Nature Mama presents Nature Project ~ Seashell Music Makers posted at Nature Notes From Above - Homeschool Blogger, saying, "I have a fun nature project to share this month. My kids are always coming home with scads of shells so what better way to make good use of them than to make musical instruments! I've made a little tutorial out of it with lots of photos."

Lisa presents Nature Journaling with Photos posted at House of Many Blessings.

Jamie presents Nature Study: Pollen posted at Life & Love in the Rose Cottage, saying, "Another fun & relaxed summertime nature study right in our own yard."

Cindy West shares her post June's Creation Club from her blog On Our Journey Westward. In this post she shares with us her nature day in a place that at first might seem unusual.

Karen Flores presents The Accidental Nature Study at the Catskills, NY posted at By the word of their testimony - Homeschool Blogger. Here she talks about how she came across a birds nest and the "accidental" nature study that followed.

Amanda shares with us her Summer Nature Walk Worksheet PDF on her blog Hearts and Trees. Be sure to print this out for your next nature walk.

~Art, Music and Handicrafts~

MomToCherubs presents Making Butter With Fresh Cream posted at Adventures On Beck's Bounty. This looks like a really fun project which her children says makes the best butter they've ever had! She also shares with us her post Pickles !! about her family's Pickle Making Day.

Amy Lapain shares with us Hymns for a Kid's Heart outlining her current CM music efforts on her blog The Arts.

Jessica shares with us the results of her Watercolor Lesson #2 posted at Nest of Pleasant Thoughts.

~Writing~

Shez presents The Book Arts Bash - A Summer Writing Program posted at Homeschooled twins, saying, "Two Norfolk homeschool moms bring you the "Book Arts Bash: An exhibition of literary arts". You’ve heard of “Summer Reading Programs”? Now there is a “Summer Writing Program” for homeschooling families. Write your book, create your story, draw your comic, bust out your illustrations! Send us your work, and get your manuscript read by our judges: bestselling authors and industry professionals. Imagine having the opportunity to have your work critiqued by a New York agent or editor. Imagine having one of your favorite writers, or your kids' favorite authors, reading your work! Who knows -- will this be the start of a beautiful career?"

:: Suzanne :: shares with us her post writing & gardening from her blog :: adventures in daily living ::. In this post she compares writing to gardening and helps us to see how we can nurture little writers as we would a garden.

~General Charlotte Mason Education~

Leslie Romano presents With Seven Days a Week We Can Even Include Tea posted at Pockets of the Future Blog. This is a great post about how she discovered a hidden pocket of time on the weekends and how she is using that time to relieve some of the stress from other days of the week.

Tim's Mom presents Unconditional Parenting: The Child's Perspective (and CM) posted at Bona Vita Rusticanda Est, saying, "Drawing parallels between Alfie Kohn's and Charlotte Mason's perspective of the child using Kohn's book "Unconditional Parenting.""

Barb presents What is a Commonplace Book? Or Another Way to Narrate posted at Harmony Art Mom, saying, "If you read the article you will see how the commonplace book is just a form of narration which is encouraged in a CM education."

Elizabeth Foss presents Charlotte Mason Summer Study: Education is a Life posted at Real Learning: Education in the Heart of My Home.

Art Middlekauff a homeschooling dad writes his scriptural views about a Charlotte Mason education in his post For Whose Sake? posted at Le jardin féerique.

Swylv presents The Daily Three for Children posted at Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life., saying, "just my musings while re-reading A Charlotte Mason Companion"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Technorati tags: the charlotte mason blog carnival, blog carnival.

Outdoor Hour CafePress Store

~Outdoor Hour Tote Bag~

I just put together a small CafePress Store using the graphic logo I designed for my Mom's weekly nature study challenges she hosts over on her blog The Handbook of Nature Study. Our favorite item is the Outdoor Hour Tote Bag. It is a great size and very sturdily made. The graphic looks very cute and would be perfect to take along on your next nature study adventure.

~Outdoor Hour Magnet~

We wanted to check for quality before we advertised these items on our blogs. I purchased the tote bag, a magnet and the nature journal. The magnet is totally great. It would be perfect to hang on your refrigerator as a little reminder to participate in her nature challenges each week. We even designed it with the web address of my mom's blog!

~Outdoor Hour Unlined Nature Journal~

The Outdoor Hour Unlined Nature Journal would be a perfect to record all of you nature journal entries as you complete each challenge. The paper inside this journal is a nice weight and it is the perfect size to carry in your backpack. The only thing is the back cover is made of flexible plastic, which will surely withstand some wear and tear, but it does not make for a sturdy surface if you are not working at a table or on a clipboard or something. You can also purchase an Outdoor Hour Sticker and stick it on your own nature journal or binder.

I would love to hear what you have to say about these items, so be sure to leave me a comment. :)