Schoolhouse Review: Motivated Moms

A list maker by nature -- that's me in a nutshell.  I have even gone so far as to add things to my list just so I can mark them off.  Weird?   Maybe just a little, but effective nonetheless.  True story:  I USED to be super organized.  We still laugh about the time right before my Senior (blessing #2) was born when I had 32 casseroles in the freezer and had my MainMost vacuum out the attic.  Everything had a perfect spot and NOTHING was out of place.  Then she arrived 6 1/2 weeks early and my organized life hit a roadblock.  Not long after that, I blinked and our family of four was a family of six.  There were four children in our family.  Whew!  Bye bye "most organized mom around" status, hello chaos.

During a season of life where I find very little motivation to accomplish even the necessary daily routine (anyone else in this season?), I'm finding Motivated Moms and the Motivated Moms iOS App (with full year server access) to be a lifesaver.  Synced between my iPhone and my iPad, it is easier now than ever to actually get something done around here.

The MoMo app helps motivate me to accomplish small tasks.  I like the satisfaction of checking things off  -- I am more performance driven than I realized.  The tasks are designed in such a way to keep clutter at a minimum throughout your home once you've gotten a grip on the chaos.

I spent our two-week Christmas break cleaning and organizing and then stopped -- because life happens and we stay on the move.  I have SO much that needs to be done and no time to get it all accomplished.  Or at least that's the excuse I've been allowing myself.  Because I am a list maker at heart and find success in marking off a task, Motivated Moms is helping me to make every day count.   Through small, bite-sized tasks lists, I am remembering what it's like to find fulfillment in organization.  I'm finding TIME to clean, organize, refresh.

And the best part of it all?  You can pick up and start whenever you are ready.  It's okay if it's March and you have just decided to begin working on that New Year's Resolution from December 31.  The MoMo app is available to get you on the road to less stress right now -- it's never too late to begin because today's tasks don't rely on the completion of yesterday's chores.

Here's a first-hand look at how my morning starts.  This screenshot shows you just what I'm looking at today.  The ability to color-code tasks makes it easy for me to see quickly who needs to do what before we begin school.  The blue highlights my son's job, the lime green highlights something for me personally, and the purple highlights my Princess' main task.

For the most part, other chores listed are the responsibility of the entire family -- not relegated to just one person.  Each person in the family is required to take their dishes to the sink, rinse them off, and load them into the dishwasher.  Once it is full, either my Senior or I will drop the dishwashing pellet in and turn it on.   We have a field trip tomorrow to a theatre out of town, so each person will lay out their clothes before going to bed tonight -- that will make our morning go MUCH SMOOTHER.  I'll check off "Prepare Tomorrow's Clothes" once I see their outfits and give final approval.

Completely customizable, the MoMo app can be perfectly suited to fit MY individual needs/wants/desires.  I can edit tasks to remove them if they aren't something that fits my season of life (for example, I took  "Clip Children's Fingernails" right off of my list -- my "baby is almost 13 and she gives ME manicures) -- and I can add things that I need to be reminded of (preparing my Bible study lesson for Wednesday night at church).   I made sure to include the Quiet Time and Bible Reading in my screenshot above so that you could see just how detailed the tasks lists are.  The accountability of checking off that I have spent time alone with GOD just helps my days go smoother.  I AM reading through the Bible this year, but I'm not following this exact plan.  I could easily go in and change it to match the plan I am using, but it's baby steps, y'all.  Just seeing the scripture laid out for me reminds me to take time to soak in some JESUS.  I check off this task each night after I have read my chapters.  

Motivated Moms is teaching me how to get stuff done.  Through Daily Tasks, Weekly Tasks, Monthly Tasks, and Yearly Tasks, I am rekindling my love of organization -- and that goes right along with my word for this year.  GOD laid it on my heart to seek ORDER in my everyday, and the Motivated Moms iOS App  helps me to do just that.  It even gives me permission to spend time on ME -- through days of pampering and special crafts.  (And I HAVE to obey so I can check them off my list, right?  That's a WIN/WIN for me.)

Available for only $7.99 a year (I know, right?  That's an AMAZING price.) you can find yourself on the road to clean by downloading the app today.  If you want to try it out before committing to the full year, you can download a two-month access for $1.99.  If you prefer a paper and pen method of organization, you can purchase one of the Motivated Moms Ebooks.  With 16 different pdfs to choose from at only $8 each, there's sure to be one to help you take every moment captive and make every day count.

Join me in making this year the best ever.

For even more information about Motivated Moms, please visit these Social Media links:
https://www.facebook.com/motivated.moms
https://twitter.com/momoplanner


Because This Day Has Great Potential . . .

I was given the opportunity to review the Motivated Moms iOS App (with full year server access) as a member of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: Mayan Mysteries by Dig-It! Games

There's a new game to play and it's all about those mysterious Mayans.  You may recall that we reviewed Roman Town a few years ago by Dig-It Games and LOVED it, so we were excited to have the opportunity to play their newest game this year.  Mayan Mysteries is available as an online game where you visit ancient Maya cities, excavate real Maya sites, explore the Maya calendar, and even learn Maya math ($21.99 for a one year, single-user license) or there's even an app for that on iPad ($9.99) if appschooling fun is part of your school plan.  We received the online, puzzle-based game that is designed with students in 5th - 9th grades in mind -- perfect for my 7th and 9th graders.

From Dig-It Games:  Mayan Mysteries is a unique adventure that turns gamers into real archaeologists as they embark on a thrilling expedition to catch a secretive loot-stealing thief. With more than 300 challenges and approximately 12 hours of game play, Mayan Mysteries is perfect for kids interested in a long-term gaming experience. The game is educational, too! Aligned with national education standards, Mayan Mysteries tests for reading comprehension, spatial reasoning, math and science skills, and more, all blended into a seamlessly fun and informative quest.

To begin playing AND learning, students need to simply sign into the online game.  Parents set the user name and password and turn their children loose on an adventure through Guatemala's historical sites and archaeological finds.  Students are invited to begin play by reading through a short comic-strip style story line where they join the detective team of Agent Q to help solve the mystery of an ancient artifact that was thrown through the window of the local police station.  (NOTE:  When welcoming you to the game, Officer Mateo remarks that you have a very special "energy" surrounding you.  He also shares that YOU will be the one to find the Hidden City because he can "feel" you are special.  This is in keeping with the beliefs of the culture.)

It is worth noting that the entire game is reading intensive.  Students will read a good deal of historical information as they work to solve the mystery (Who is stealing valuable artifacts?) and recover the stolen goods.  After reading details from each of the game's characters, students have the opportunity to work through challenges and games that bring history to life.  These questions help students truly comprehend what they are studying.  This reading and then playing helps to solidify what is being taught.  Within each historical lesson there are hyperlinks to be explored for further study.  Hands-on geography skills are improved through the making of virtual maps which include labeling and shading.  (This was the hardest part to me.  My geography skills need LOTS of improvement.)  Interactive play truly brings learning to life.

So how does it all fit together?  Students explore the five different countries that make up the Maya people. In each country, they visit archaeological sites and learn the history of the people group.  A "spirit guide" takes you on a visit back in time to see the people group in their everyday surroundings and students work analytically through a variety of puzzles on their quest to stop a thief.  As they answer questions and earn new artifacts in each country, they complete that level of play with a comprehensive challenge -- a test of all they have been reading and studying.  Once the player answers enough of the questions correctly, they visit the important dig sites of the next country to learn about the people group.  In the process, students gain quite a bit of knowledge of cultural and physical geography.

My 7th Grade Princess has been enjoying her study through Mayan Mysteries and shares this:

I really liked that the game took place in Guatemala because my mom and dad and sister have been there and we are planning a mission trip there in December.  I've seen real-life pictures from Tikal.  I love hearing about the beautiful weavings from the village, too.  My favorite part of the game was the True and False challenges when I was working to stay ahead of the looters.  You had to read and answer questions from what you'd been studying to earn points and keep moving ahead.  If you got the question right, your car would move forward.  There was a marker where you were supposed to end up (your goal for learning in that category) and if you got the question wrong, another car would move in behind you.  You were trying to read and understand all of the correct answers so that the car didn't catch you.  If it caught you, you would have to play again until you got the questions right.  I learned a lot as I read through each lesson and answered the questions about what I read.  I earned points and artifacts as I played and they helped me to solve the mystery for myself.  You should definitely play this game and see if you can outwit the looters from the archaeological dig sites.  It is fun.

Packed with history and geography, Mayan Mysteries gives you a real feel for the Mayan culture and is not for the faint at heart.  I would highly suggest that you take a bit of time and explore the website and play the demo game.  My Princess is enjoying the scope of the game and is learning a plethora of useful information in a way that makes it stick.  I'm thrilled to see her smiling while she learns.  I am also enjoying the game as I love a good challenging puzzle.  Mayan Mysteries is a great complement to your studies.  Enjoy.

 I was given the opportunity to play Mayan Mysteries by Dig-It Games as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: KinderBach iPad App

It's a musical world I'm living in.  The MainMost is a drummer.  I played clarinet and bass clarinet in high school and college.  We have guitar players and pianists in the house and the Boy Scout drums every chair he comes in contact with quite nicely.  The Princess enjoys picking out songs on the piano -- but isn't so fond of her piano lessons.  I'm determined that she's going to persevere though -- poor thing, both of her older sisters wish they'd never stopped taking piano lessons so by default she's forced to continue.  It doesn't hurt that I know how important music is to the soul -- and to an education.  Studies prove that music helps students perform better in both math and reading and those are areas that can always use improvement.

Last year, we had the opportunity to try out the KinderBach online program (please click on the link to read that review) called KinderBach at Home.  The Boy Scout enjoyed it immensely.  This year, though, KinderBach has a new iPad App and my Princess was all over it.  A classroom app, KinderBach brought a smile back to her face concerning piano lessons. That girl loves appschooling and she loves music, so the KinderBach iPad App was right up her alley.  It was the perfect way to encourage her to practice piano.

A Classroom or School Version app (just in case iPad apps are new to you) is one in which the in-app purchases have been removed.  You pay for the entire app when you buy it and there are no unexpected or hidden costs that come up as you progress through the app.  I downloaded Classroom KinderBach:  School Version to both my iPad and my iPhone which kept the Princess busily entertained.   For only $26.99 you can add a musical component to school and life without ever leaving your home for lessons.  You don't even need a piano or a keyboard as the app supplies one right on the screen for lessons.

iPad view which includes video lesson, supplied keyboard, and further studies.

Now I realize that die-hard music teachers will tell you your child need a real-live piano for hands-on learning, but I daresay that the on-screen keyboard makes for a great introduction.  I have found the Princess sitting at our computer (with the iPad open in front of her) more than ever since we began this review.  The excitement she feels by learning on-screen is making her WANT to practice and feel the ivory beneath her fingers.  In this case, the technology goes hand in hand with the reality and that's a winning combination in my opinion.

The KinderBach app is comprised of three levels with 10 lessons in each level.  Each lesson includes an intro video and 4 teaching videos as well as a link to one of six games used to reinforce the lessons taught.  That's 150 videos (or "private" lessons from music educator Karri Greggor) that begin at the very beginning of music education and teach all of the concepts needed to take your student from listener to performer.  Ideal for children in the 3 - 7 year-old range, KinderBach teaches children to play the piano, read notes, and learn intervals, rhythms and music patterns -- all from the convenience of your iPad.  How simple is that?  The videos are short so students can do more than one lesson in a sitting if so desired OR can watch the same lesson several times if they'd like.  This entire user-friendly curriculum can be tailored to meet the needs of YOUR family.  Perfect, huh?  Now keep in mind, although KinderBach is ideal for children ages 3 - 7, my Princess is 11 and she enjoyed it immensely.  We were able to move quickly through some of the beginning lessons (they acted as great review for her though) and reinforce concepts and music theory.

Our new friend, Dodi

Because your child is meeting new friends as they learn to play the piano, they find it exciting and enjoy continuing their lessons.  With this app, you have a FULL YEAR's worth of music at your fingertips.  When you download a teaching video, it is yours to keep forever.  That means multiple children will have the opportunity to learn and play along.  Our iPad has fast become a family favorite due to the portability it offers.  We can easily load up and take school on the road and as often as we are on the run, that's a big positive for KinderBach with us.  Earbuds plugged into the iPad make piano lessons appropriate anytime anywhere.  There are also coloring sheets and activity pages available to print (a simple thing to do from your iPad if you have installed air-printing) that reinforce each lesson.  That's even more fun for my girl and as you can see in the sample below, these printable sheets act as theory pages, too.  We printed out the pages and 3-hole-punched them for a Theory Notebook to accompany music lessons.

You can purchase the new Classroom KinderBach:  School Version App directly from the Apple Store for $26.99.  The simple downloading process only takes a short while and then your child is ready to begin playing and learning.  It's a brand-new app and steps are already being made to make it even better.  How's that for technology advancement?

~Disclaimer:  I was given the opportunity to use and review the KinderBach App as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  The opinions stated are mine and mine alone.  I was not paid to share my thoughts and feelings with you.  I received the App in exchange for my honest review.  You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Crew thought of KinderBach.~

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