Art Book: Dangles

I don't know if you remember the handlettering A to Z book I put up a couple weeks back, but today I have a book called Dangles for you.  It's goes along with hand lettering quite handily, as well as being useful to mandalas, creative ring art and such like.

I have to be honest here, this book intrigues me yet scares me off.   Weird eh?

I am not what you'd call a girlie girlie, so I'm not into necklaces, charms, dangling things and such like.  Just not my style, Doesn't mean I can't enjoy them on others but for me...it's like NO. The art that is created with this concept just intrigues me cause it's actually kinda pretty.  :)

I know.. weird.   But it's me eh!  :)

Anyways, in Dangles you get 8 different section, each devoted to teaching you a different aspect of making a dangle.   From understanding what they are, to how to use them in different contexts.

 First off, just what is a dangle?   Dangles are "beautifully illustrated strings of charms that you can use to decorate letters, shapes and objects." (p.6)  They have no set boundaries, you can wrap them around an object, let them shoot up from the bottom of a page, let them dangle down from a letter and more.  They give you a way to personalize any design.

Ms. Kneibler starts with showing us how to add a dangle to a letter.
I appreciated how she took the time to show us a basic letter, how to add some style to that letter, and then showed how to add a dangle.   After that she gives the reader a chance to try their own hand at the letter, giving a letter outline so you can practice all the steps yourself.

She does this for every letter of the alphabet, showing how a dangle could work with both upper and lower case letters.


The letters section is followed by a section on adding dangles to complete words.    She repeats the process that she started with the letters, showing how to hand letter a word, then to add pattern to the word letters, and then to add dangles to that overall word.   Leaving room to practice what she just finished teaching you. 

One of the neat things that I found very helpful was how each section is colour coded.  You know if you are in the dark purple section that you will be learning about dangle shapes and mandalas.   In this section there is less room for practice.  It was more about showing you the different ways that dangles can be used in the making of shapes and mandalas. 

Isn't the finished mandala pretty?

 The golden rod section teaches us how to put it all together, the letters, the objects, just making it all work together.   It was hard to choose which one to share with you, but this bird and flower I thought was pretty neat eh?  The dangles just seem to flow naturally from it.

 Charming projects is the light blue section, it's not very large and focuses on how you can turn your dangle art into things like bookmarks and gift cards. 

One of the most helpful sections for me was the Charm Directory.   Seeing all the variety and the ways to put the different shapes together.  I just liked this section and found it helpful.  There were no names to put the designs, just showing all the variation which would be a huge boon when learning how to do this, so you can figure out more easily how to let your imagination soar. 

Aren't the possibilities astounding?

The final section is the colour gallery, here you will find each of the letters and words demonstrated, along with the page numbers they are found on for easy access. 

 So what do I think of the book overall?
Really well designed!   I like the step by step training, with the room and encouragement to try it out yourself.  Well done!

If adding charms to your hand lettering appeals, or you want to learn how to add charms to your drawings to add some pizzazz to them, this book will definitely help you learn how to do that, and to do it well.

Dangles: Creating Decorative Letters and Art with Charms.
Olivia A. Kneibler
Race Point
144 pages.
Type: Art Teaching Book, Drawing
Size: about 8 x 10 inches


Reviewed for Quarto Group


Where to find this book?
Amazon.ca: The Art of Drawing Dangles: Creating Decorative Letters and Art with Charms

Amazon.com:  The Art of Drawing Dangles: Creating Decorative Letters and Art with Charms
 


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Review: The Dolphins of Shark Bay

I thought this would be a super easy quick review to do.  Take pictures, read a bit of the text from The Dolphins of Shark Bay, and say whether or not it would be worth getting or reading.  I didn't anticipate that I would find myself so fascinated that I would simply put down my camera and read.  I didn't anticipate that I would talk with my lad about what I was learning as I read.  I didn't anticipate him coming over and looking over my shoulder as I read.   "What's that dolphin doing mom?" and then marvelling at how unique these dolphins seemed to us.   I love it when books surprise me, don't you?

What do you get?
Pictures OH MY this book is loaded with pictures, and they draw you in.  Pictures of baby dolphins with their moms, pictures of dolphins swimming in groups, pictures of researchers watching the dolphins, dolphins that are hunting, sponging, and/or swimming.

Chapters are as follows, 76 pages broken down into 8 chapters.
1. Mystery Dolphin
2. Monkey Mia
3. Mothers of invention
4. Young and restless
5. Dating Games
6. Advanced Dolphinomics
7. Sticky Questions

I found the images inspired me to read more, and then to beyond the reading to videos. :)
I never knew that dolphins hunted differently around the world. Yeah, I knew about the dolphins that swam in circles stirring up the water dirt so the fish rose to the surface, making it easier to catch them. But I didn't know a dolphin would drive a big fish toward the shore for the same reason, or that they would carry a sponge to protect their rostrum as they hunted for food on the ocean floor. 

 Reading about this inspired me to look it up on youtube. Skimming the water, the speed at which they can turn, it surprised me.

What else can I tell you?
The author brings you right into the life of the scientists, sharing their joys and sorrows.  Their sense of wonder and confusion.  Why do some offspring (usually just the girls) pick up their mothers hunting methods (like sponging) and others don't?   The text is quite readable.

 I love how the book leaves you with the questions that the researchers ask themselves 
1. How do the males choose their herd mates
2. Is it okay for dolphins to be used as swimming buddies or kept in aquariums where they are safe from attack?
3. What causes some dolphins to pick up sponging?
4. Why do some dolphins from the bay stick with their own families, and why do others mingle with the visiting dolphins?

My thoughts:
I am so glad I got this book as a review.  It was so fun learning about the Dolphins of Shark Bay.  Seeing the tools the dolphins use, learning some of their unique struggles, and oh.. the images bringing it all to life.  This is an excellent book to learn about dolphins, not just the dolphins of shark bay, though these dolphins have some unique skills.  Well written, good material, with no prejudices to say what is right or wrong.

The Dolphins of Shark Bay
Author: Pamela S. Turner
Photographer: Scott Tuason
Ages: 10-12 years (or older)
Approximately 11 by 8 inches
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Series: Scientists in the Field Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Where can you find it?

Amazon.ca: The Dolphins of Shark Bay

Amazon.com:  The Dolphins of Shark Bay (Scientists in the Field Series)

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

It was my turn to cook, and as I had found a roast on sale, I decided to make a recipe I had made in a long time (taking my lad's not doing cooked mushroom thing into account).  I loosely based it off this recipe off All-recipes.com.  

Ingredients and Directions: 

Put about a pound of cooked beef cut into strips or small pieces into a fry pan.  Add one largish onion, diced.  along with a wee bit of beef juices (from your leftover roast) to cook the onion in a bit.  

Add some spices... I did a red pepper mix with some black pepper and garlic.   Let that cook for a wee bit then add a can of cream of mushroom soup.   Let simmer on low for a while.  

You need to cook the egg noodles, about 8 oz.

When egg noodles are almost done, toss some peas into the water with them.  AND put 1 1/4 cup of greek yogurt (if you like a bit of tang) or the same amount of sour cream into your fry pan.  Let simmer til heated through (turn up heat a bit if necessary but not much and if you do stir it while it heats).   Drain noodles/peas.   Add to the fry pan and heat through.

Serve immediately.

Reactions:
Dad: Tastes good hun
Son: I like the noodles and sauce mom, not sure about the meat.  YEAH!!!  No mushrooms!
Me: Thought it tasted well, and I'd been in the mood for stroganoff for a while so it met that need.

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W is for ... Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,
Chubby, little cubby all stuffed with fluff.
He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,
Willy, nilly, silly old bear.

Thank you so much for joining Amanda and I today for week W of blogging through the alphabet, we are so delighted to have you here!  :)   Can you believe that we're this far into the alphabet already?

Anyways, getting on with things here...

 Did you know that Winnie the pooh was named after a bear called Winnie?

A Canadian soldier bough her in Ontario.  An orphaned bear cub living in a trappers cabin.   He spent $20 on her and brought her along with him to England. She became the mascot of his unit, to the point of sleeping under his bed.

When he was deployed to the front lines he worried that Winnie (named after the city of Winnipeg) would not do well so he gave her to the London Zoo.  

At the zoo a young boy named Christopher loved Winnie so much he named his stuffed bear after her.  His love for Winnie (and his stuffed bear) caused his dad to start writing stories about Christopher and his bear Winnie.   (to learn more go here)

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Review: UnLock Math

Do you have a child needing a good grounding in math facts? Are they acting like they are ready to take an Algebra course but you aren't certain, or you want to make sure they have all their facts before they embark on a full Algebra course?   If so UnLock Math's UnLock Pre-Algebra is just the course you need! 

Unlock Math is a online computer program designed to take incremental steps to solidly teach your children the math they need to know.   Step by step, day by day, using a set method to teach.

Working from the warm up through to the challenge section.  My lad has been known to ask "why do they sometimes have harder questions in the warm up section than they do in the practice section?"   And honestly.. I don't know.  I do like that it makes him think without giving him a time pressure to deal with. 

He likes that it has a set method for each lesson, knowing what to expect and about how long it takes for him to complete it. 

It took us a bit of time to understand how to start, you see those rockets next to the name of the chapter?   Click on that!   We kept thinking we needed to click on the chapter title, but it's the rocket that launches the lesson.

 The rocket will lead you to a new section which shows the scope of the chapter. This section will show which lesson has been completed, and which lessons yet to be completed.   I liked how the quizzes and tests were in one column and how they lined up with the lessons completed.   Made it very easy to follow and once my son understood the system I could just let him fly with it.   Often times he completed his lesson without any input from me.  Nice to have that eh?

He told me the videos were very easy to understand.

One section I want to mention that my lad told me he never used "cause I didn't ever need to mom" was the reference notes section.   This section opens up a PDF which are basically the notes of the lesson in written form.  A practical help for those students needing to see things written down.

 It's a well put together, logical math program, designed to encourage your students to do well at math.  The grading is automatic, and you can watch their progress as the teacher.

With the students being able to watch their progress as well.  For the overall course

 as well as for the individual course.

 My Thoughts:

So son, what do you think of Unlock Math?
"It teaches me new things in a way that makes sense."

Which you do like better?  Your favourite ever math program or Unlock?
"I don't know mom, I like them both."

You get to choose what math you want to do today, which one will you do?
"I think I will do...Unlock Math. is that okay?"

I have to admit, I'm surprised.  My son has a math program that he loves, to the point that he'll argue with me over it's merits versus any other program.   He started Unlock Math with a great deal of trepidation.  Would it be as good as his favourite math program or not?   What happened if he hated it?   Would he be forced to endure another math program that he hated?

About the second lesson in he came to me with a great deal of surprise "Mom, Unlock taught me something I didn't know!!!"   I smiled.  My lad was hooked.  This.. this is a good math program.  A program that can cause my lad to forego the "best ever math" for it.   It's left me surprised as I listen to my lad explain what an integer is, and how I missed teaching him one of the greater than, less than signs, and (on and on).  It's good to have a boy talking math and what he's learning.  Very good indeed.

Vendor: UnLock Math
Product received: Unlock Pre-Algebra
Type: Math Program, On-line.
Do you want to use UnLock Math? If you follow this link you will save $50 off on an annual purchase of UnLock Pre-Algebra, UnLock Algebra1, or UnLock Algebra2.

Other programs reviewed are:
UnLock Pre-Algebra
UnLock Algebra1
UnLock Algebra2
UnLock Geometry 

To see what all 65 reviewers thought, please click here or on the image below.
Social Media Links:

• Facebook:  https://facebook.com/UnLockMath    Tag:   @UnLockMath   
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/UnLockMath    Tag:   @UnLockMath   
• Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/UnLockMath            Tag:   @UnLockMath 
  
    

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Hymn Study: Jesus, I Come

 This past Sunday we sang this hymn and I wanted to share it with you.

Jesus I come was written by William T. Sleeper in 1887. Mr. Sleeper was a home missionary serving with the Congregational Church in Massachusetts for over 30 years.   The tune I am familiar with was written by George Stebbins.  Mr. Sleeper also wrote the hymn Ye Must be Born Again.   Beyond that, little is known about this evangelist and part-time hymn writer.

Lyrics:

1. Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come; Jesus I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health,
Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

2. Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress into jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

3. Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward forever on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

4. Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

I'll leave you with a tune by Thompson.  It's a rather different tune to me, but it might be one you are more familiar with.

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Review: Kids NIV Visual Study Bible

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get tired of the variety of kids bible out there.  Brick bibles, fairy bibles, Storybook bibles and more.... Sometimes I wonder why they can't make a bible that is just a helpful aid to a child, truly geared toward them without compromising the integrity of the scriptures.  

Zonderkidz has come out with a Visual study bible geared toward youth age 8-12, and I think it's rather well done.   

So what do you get?
The full bible, in the NIV translation,  which admittedly is not my favourite translation, but one can find something to not like in many translations.  :)  It is is a translation and not a paraphrase!   :)

Since it is a study bible it has the features you would expect in a study bible.

Each chapter starts off with a book synopsis.
Stating such things as who wrote the book, what the major themes are, why it was written and more.

Written in easily understood language without overwhelming the youth with all the details found in adult study bibles.   There is just enough information to help youth learn to appreciate how a study bible can help them learn more about the grace and grandeur of God.



The way the bible is designed is the biblical text is printed on white paper with the sidebars in a yellowish-beige colour.   In the sidebar you will find images, notes and questions to ponder. 

You might from a picture of Jezebel, or a censor, or a grape vine.

 You might also find a break out for a Character study.

Or a highlight of important lessons to consider.

Lots of visual ways to increase interest in what a person is reading. Over 700 images, with full colour maps throughout, numerous infographics and more.  I especially liked when I would find questions in the sidebar relating to a particular verse on the page. All these little features to draw young readers into the text.

 
My Thoughts:
I have to admit, I LIKE this bible.   If I didn't make use of an online version I'd be tempted to make this my bible.  :)   Ergo I think it will be a good bible for my lad to use.  :)

NIV Kids Visual Study Bible
Zonderkidz
Hardcover
Glossary sections on cover.
Version: NIV

Reviewed for: BookLookBloggers

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible, Hardcover, Full Color Interior: Explore the Story of the Bible---People, Places, and History

Amazon.com: NIV Kids' Visual Study Bible, Hardcover, Full Color Interior: Explore the Story of the Bible---People, Places, and History

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Garden, What about the bushy one?

Garden, The Bushy One

Come see my Love

Come see won't you?

See...how much progress has been made?

This patch, you used to not see the spinach, 

Remember that my love?

Ah, yes, I can see it.

The weeds were knee high.

Good job hun, 

but 

Can you tell me.

What is the bushy thing in with the lettuce?

Oh shush hun

The weed grew while I was...

See hun...See that garden there?

See how you can see the tomatoes again?

Ah yes, I see hun.

So when is the bushy thing getting out of the lettuce?

Argh, 

I sigh.

I shake my head.

I don't get annoyed.

Because he is who he is.

A perfectionist who 

Can only see the bushy thing in the lettuce.

My boy is the same.

Good thing I've learned from his dad eh?

Helps me show more grace to a lad.

Who...

Only sees "the bushy thing".

This garden of a lad I grow as well.

Pleased I am when I see sin falling away.

Sorrowful I am when sometimes a lad only sees 

"the one thing" and

Doesn't see his own growth in the Lord.

Prayer and patience.

That's the way to get any kind

Of Garden to Grow.

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This post is in response to a word prompt the crew does for Instagram fun.

I find it relaxing and fun to do them as random word posts for myself and you.  :)

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time .

Perspective in Worthiness

I am struggling lately with perspective.

You see I'm reading a book lately called Parenting by David Tripp, and I recently finished a book called The Imperfect Disciple.   Both make me think.

Imperfect Disciple reminding me to stop and behold the Lord, to REALLY see him, and to keep walking forward in my faith even though I stumble and fall, but that God's great love for me holds me and comforts me and reminds me of whose I truly am (despite my frailties).

The parenting book is CONSTANTLY reminding of a truth I hold close.  I am a fallen person.  God has given me the job of raising a fallen person, to help him see his need for Christ and to turn out to be a man of Character for God.

These are truths I hold in my heart.  They are right there lately every time I turn around.

And yet.

I have this other perspective of

I'M TIRED.
WHY does this lad have to push my buttons today?
WHY do I want to grump at the world?
WHY do I have to have a stubborn young rabbit, due to have babies any moment now, want to not use her nestbox?
WHY does my hubby have to struggle so to fix the truck when it should have been an easy fix!!!

All these whys work hard to crowd out what I know is my worth in Christ.
Why does that perspective of my worth change?

I feel so worthless.  So beaten.   So full of struggle to remember truths I hold in my heart.
But God has, so some strange reason, chosen to call me worthy in Christ?!

Why can't I just hold God's perspective of my worth before my face even in all my struggles?

My worth in God is set.
And yet my worth in my own eyes falters so.

It's perspective right?   I don't have the answers, not today, today... today I just feel a tad weary.
My worth feels shattered.

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This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday?  Well it's a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It's fun, though it's not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won't you?  You are always welcome.
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Review: Outdoor Leadership

 I remember going away to camp for a week in the summer, doing things outside, bring kept busy by counsellors, crafts, hikes and so much more.  I remember the lack of fairness, the hurt when I was put in charge of a foster kid, and not allowed to just be a kid a camp having fun.  Being held responsible for that child's poor decision making skills.   I also remember one counsellor and his love of the outdoors, his willingness to point out animal tracks and cool insects.     Therefore when I offered a chance to review "Outdoor Leadership" I took them up on the offer, I wanted to see what type of training one should look at if wanting to be a leader for outdoor activities.

This book is nothing if not thorough, and I freely admit I did not read all 384 pages of smaller then average typeface.    Printed in black and white throughout, Outdoor leadership is divided into four sections, 18 chapters in total.

1. Foundations of outdoor leadership
    1. The Journey Begins
    2.  History of Outdoor Leadership
    3. Outdoor Leadership as Professional Practice
    4. Cultural and Social Justice Competency
2. Outdoor Leadership Theory
    1. Theories of Leadership
    2. Leadership in Practice
    3. Decision-making and Judgement
3. Teaching and Facilitation
    1. Understanding Facilitation
    2. Facilitating Personal Development
    3. Facilitating Interpersonal Development
    4. Challenge Course Leadership
    5. Teaching Strategies
4. Natural Resource and Program Management
    1. Parks and Protected Areas Management
    2. Environmental Stewardship
    3. Program Management
    4. Safety and Risk Management
    5. Expedition Planning
    6. Assessment and Evaluation
As you can see from the photo, each chapter has several subsets.

Each chapter contains a variety of exercises to work though, all with the end purpose of making you a better leader and manager. 

with inspirational quotes to guide your way

I really liked it how each chapter lays out the goals of the chapter and breaks down how they plan to do that.

Book Synopsis:
Outdoor Leadership, Second Edition, is the definitive text for developing student leadership in outdoor and adventure settings throughout the world. Crafted by an author team internationally recognized for their research, teaching, and experience in outdoor and adventure leadership, this new edition provides students with the foundational knowledge they need to develop as competent professionals in the field.

My Thoughts: 
I think this is a great technical book that has plenty of exercises and thought provoking work for those who want to be an outdoor leader. It covers basically every aspect needed to be successful.  If running an outdoor program is a goal that you have, Outdoor Leadership will help you reach it!

Outdoor Leadership: theory and practice, 2nd edition
Bruce Martin, Mary Breuning, Mark Wagstaff and Marni Goldenberg.
HumanKinetics.com
Pages: 384
Type: Softcover, technical manuscript

Reviewed for: HumanKinetics.com

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time .