Koru Naturals- TOS Review

We recently had the good fortune to review two products from Koru Naturals.  I am IN LOVE.

 

Emu Oil

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm

I have gone through more than my fair share of moisturizers in life. I have extremely dry skin to begin with and live on the Great Plains- think arid wind and cold. Even my kids with naturally oily skin can have split lips and cracked hands in the winter, depending on how dry it is and how much time they spend outdoors. Naturally, I was thrilled to get picked for this review. Also, as we We are steer farther away from products that add to the chemical load on our bodies, we are more interested in crunchy stuff in every area of life. But, it has to be affordable, right? This fits the bill all the way around, crunchy, all natural, and less than what I pay for most moisturizing products. 

I've tried tons of natural products but never Emu Oil. What was I waiting for? This stuff is amazing! It is light, non-greasy and super moisturizing. I've been using it as a nighttime moisturizer for my face, and applying it on my feet and elbows. I'm not sure why but when I fell a couple of months ago, I got a fever in my lower leg and it kept swelling on and off over a period of a couple of weeks. The end result was that the soles of my feet cracked. If it sounds painful, let me assure you that it was!  I've never had anything like that happen before, but Emu Oil., with the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm to the rescue. My poor, mangled soles of feet got swathed in this stuff twice a day and quickly healed! In fact, I think my feet are in better shape than they've been in years. 

Why is that you ask? Well, True Confessions- I'm a round the year sandal wearer from years of CA and NM living  and only wear socks under duress (such as winters on the Territories). I could take better care of my feet but I would rather not have socks on- who knows if that's a sensory issue, if I'm just old and quirky or I am channeling my inner Southern California girl. My feet  are now sandal worthy and actually match the cool polish jobs I get from my 12 year old girlie. 

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm

 The Koolpurrie Restoring Balm is just that. I've also been using the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm on several patches of excema that no amount of elimination diet, supplements or coconut oil concoctions will clear up- one on the palm of my right hand- which, imagine, as a right-hander, is less than convenient. Guess what? Excemabgone. My skin is truly restored! Woot.

Neither of these products is gloppy, thick or slimy (all of which I hate). It takes a small amount (maybe a dimes worth) of the Emu oil to really cover your face, and throat. I did use more than that on my feet and then put a layer of the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm over top. But still, I've been using this stuff  for over a month and have barely made a dent in the amount still left. 

In fact, I have it in my purse right now, which my sons especially get liberal use from. They are both nature lovers and are outside in all types of weather, many times working with tools or at least doing target practice. Their hands, tough as they are, have been known to bleed in the winter from wind-burn. Koolpurrie Restoring Balm to the rescue! Their hands have weathered this winter with equanimity. 


If I sound like a total groupie for Koru Naturals, I am. I've looked long and hard for something this effective, this inexpensive, and this natural for years. The closest I've come is an un-petroleum jelly a crunchy friend sells locally. Koolpurrie Restoring Balm is even better because it is absorbed by your skin immediately and is cream based, instead of gel based (which I prefer). 

Great products for Men, women, boys and girls of all ages.  Koru Naturals offers other products as well, including lip balm. These would make terrific stocking stuffers, a great addition to a college care package, a shower gift for a new Momma or a sweet gesture to give to a hard working Homeschooling friend. and of course, grab a few things for Momma's purse. The prices is reasonable and the products amazing. This is a product we'll be using for a long time to come. 

Check out all of the great products from Koru Naturals, starting with these great products:
Emu Oil
Koolpurrie Restoring Balm
Pure Lanolin Lip Balms
New Zealand Pure and Simple Lanolin Cream
Manuka Oil and Honey Shampoo and Conditioner

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals
Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

End of February Crazy Days

*1*

So Cub left last Sunday to spend the week the Capital with TeenPact. He loved every minute of it.

Feeche chaperoned Flower's for the 1-day class while I found a spot with wifi and worked. Our State Co (whom I LOVE) introduced me to all the interns as the "founder of TP in our state." I love that woman for so many reasons. Yeah, the "War Years." Oy vey. Getting stuff off the ground is not for the faint of heart.
God bless my sweet friend, Lori, who took her 3 plus Cub and another friend with her for the week, making lunches, keeping everyone in line. Good friends make the world go 'round!

*2*

So Cub is exhausted, talked for 2 minutes with an angelic glow on his face about the week and then buried his face in a book for the remainder of the trip home. He has great plans to attend Survival this fall, TP Alumni next year and any other alumni event he can fit in. Maybe working this summer won't be as painful, if he knows what he's working towards.

*3*

We have been indulging out Anglphilia with YouTube episodes of Wooster and Jeeves. Woodhouse is a master wordsmith and oh so funny. Fry and Laurie are perfectly partnered, the well-know Downton Abbey castle features prominently, what's not to love?
I have discovered YouTubes of old Wimsey and Bunter episodes but I'm not sure if I'm willing to let my in-head love affair with Wimsey be subject to someone elses interpretation.

*4* 

Recent Reviews

In Freedom's Cause,
Indoctrination.
 Memoria Press (I'm going to start throwing oldies into the list every week, as they are still getting read, years later)
Stay tuned for Koru Naturals (Crunchy Love people!), Critical Thinking Press, It's NOT Greek to Me, and more! 

*5*

Good Reads: Flower has been deep into the WilderKing Series this week. She announced to Feeche, "You make an excellent Feeche." And we are on our 4 millionth read through of Narnia. She discovered old tapes and that our van actually has a tape player. So, guess what we've been listening too?!

Cub has delved into the Ranger's Apprentice Series, which looks a bit like apocalyptic fantasy.Not my cuppa but I am not a teen-age male. 

*6*

So, Flower was reading Calvin and Hobbes this week, when I told her to get back to school work, "But, Mom, I'm studying onomatopoeias! Nice try, kiddo! 

*7*

Speaking of which, Poetry and Morrocan Cultures class continues to be a blast. CC Essentials continues to challenge  us. Foundations continues to cause us to wake up in the morning reciting the Timeline! 

Memory Masters is providing drill for all of us on American Government!

The on-line classes continue to cause  a back-up of peeps needing to use the computer. Long gone are the days when 1-2 computers was more than enough.  

Feeche's full load, including Calculus Macro Econ, Bio II and Spanish, has provided him with lots of opportunities to push hard on what he knows,spend time in math lab, and wonder what he was thinking when he signed up for this semester!

It's all good, but oy vey, it's been a busy year! 

Are you surviving the Februaries?

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

PSA: Hard is Not the Opposite of Fun

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

TeenPact State Class

We've been involved with TeenPact for 8 years and it has provided our kids with amazing and varied opportunities. The State Class teaches the kids about local government, how they can make an impact regardless of age, teaches them the political process, how to write a bill, responsibility, familiarity with State Government officials and so much more! 

Not only is the State Class so totally worth going to, but the Alumni Events are every bit as good. Our kids have traversed the country, working on State and Federal Campaigns because of TP contacts, had free classes given them and made amazing friends. 

If you haven't discovered TeenPact yet, it's probably time to do so! 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

In Freedom's Cause- TOSReview

Heirloom Audio Productions 

presents

In Freedom's Cause Single Package

We received and reviewed the following products:
In Freedom's Cause (CD Set - Physical Copy)
In Freedom's Cause Study Guide (Digital Download)
In Freedom's Cause Soundtrack (MP3 download)
Printable copy of The Prayer Of William Wallace. (Digital Download)

We are long time lovers of radio theater and G.A. Henty. Ignore the detractors who claim that Henty was a racist and a bigot. He was a man of his times, a compelling historian and a copious author of historical fiction (144 books to his credit)- . Pair the two together (Henty and radio theater), and you have some serious audio love going on in my house. 

This audio theater production of the story of Wallace and Bruce (think BraveHeart) is fantastic. The real behind the scenes story of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce is about freedom, politics, who has the better army and a time gone by. It is also every bit as much about faith and patriotism. I had an interesting discussion with my newly turned 12 year old about what patriotism is, one's love for their homeland and just what that could or would mean. This is a discussion I had overlooked because of my own presuppositions, but one very much worth having. Loyalty- to ideas, people and places if what this audio-adventure addresses, and it such a winsome way. Just look at who they have on board:

What you have is a compelling story coupled with world class performers which gives us a radio theater worth listening to over and over again. In fact, the first day we got this out (a Saturday), Cub listened to it all the way through, not once, but twice! The cool thing about this dramatized version of the book is that it great history available to you even if you don't have time to actually sit down and read. We listened to this book on the way to and from town and the kids have continued to listen to it while cleaning the bathrooms and on the couple of evenings that we are occupied and they are not. It is good enough that you'll want to listen to it several times.

"To be a true hero, you must be a true Christian," G.A. Henty

The bonus features are varied and rich, from a newly illustrated download of the book, a behind the scenes documentary, the official soundtrack and much more, all of it with professional and engaging graphics. 

The study guide is 44 pages of good stuff, including questions based on the reading, thinking further, vocabulary, maps, info on Henty, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, the history of Scotland, along with a Bible study guide and, again, terrific graphics.

Stay tuned for not one but two new releases for 2015! The first of the two will be With Lee in Virginia, a tale of the American Civil War. These are great additions to your homeschool, for kids and adults of all ages, as an addition to history or literature studies, biography, or as a complete stand-alone unit study. This would also make a wonderful gift, or great accompaniment on a road trip. Keep your eyes on this company because there will be more products continually added, the quality is fantastic and the subject matter historically intriguing with great moral lessons woven throughout.

Find Heirloom Audio Productions:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InFreedomsCause
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InFreedomsCause
Google+:  > https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112701427096792421838/112701427096792421838/posts
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jointhecause

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

IndoctriNation: the Movie- TOS Review

Great Commission Films presents IndoctriNation How to educate one's children is one of the single most important issues parents will face. How, when and where their kids will learn will dictate the families housing, extra-curriculars, socio-economic status and perhaps much more. It's not something to be taken lightly, but I find, often and shockingly, that many parents address their kids education with a sort of laissez-faire attitude, and an expectation that the local public school will provide all that they need and more. The point of IndoctriNation is to chronicle just what the "more" is- often, as Colin Gunn has found out, the "more" has to do with a philosophy that is not conducive with a Christian or Democratic (as in Democracy/ Republic, not a party) point of view. This movie follows Colin Gunn as he and his family as they cruise through America in a big yellow school bus chronicling the demise of the American Educational System. My literature review for my Master's Thesis was on the History of Education in America and Colin gives a terrific summation for viewers. He doesn't stop there, however, and continues to show how the educational system in America is quickly devolving from leadership and freedom-ship education to socialist training of the highest degree. He interviews folks along the way showing how we got from where we started to where we are now- we a huge educational monolith that serves up liberal values and very little in the way of academic success.  Gunn also shows the divide within the church on public education, with clips by both Charles Stanley and Franklin Graham, one who believes that sending ones kid to a public school is clear training in paganism and one who wants to see a Christian kid in every classroom. This really sums up the debate among Christians regarding public education. I would have liked to hear more from Franklin Graham about why he believes and trusts in missionary kids in the public school forum. While this film has a definite point to make, and does a terrific job of doing so, I think it would have made the film stronger to hear this side of the story in more detail.

"Every Christian parent with a child 

in a government school should see this.”

- Cal Thomas, FOX NEWS Commentator

All told, this was a very well done film. The graphics and filming were all excellent, the script was engaging without being fear-mongering and the case studies were engaging and left the viewer wanting to the know the end of their stories (which we had an opportunity to do). We watched this film together as a family. There is some disturbing content to the film as they discuss relevant social issues, so be advised that you don't want to just turn this on and walk away while your kids watch. We did spend time pausing the film occasionally to talk about some of the issues presented. This film is a great addition to a study on education in America, apologetics or how education is the transmission of culture and exactly what culture is being transmitted by what educational model.  If you are on the fence about public education, concerned about the state of affairs in education, or just want an excellent apologetic for alternative education, IndoctriNation, has all of that. A timely addition the debate on how we raise and educate our children.
Find out more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndoctriNationMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indocmovie
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/indoctrination
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IndoctriNationMovie Read more thoughts on this film HERE

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Poetry for the Win (again!)

I've been trying to upload pictures from poetry class for about a week, but all for naught. You'll have to content yourself with this and imagine the rest. The assignment was to tell the story "She sells seashells by the seashore," in 6 comic-book panes, using at least 4 onomatopoeia's, cramming as many other tropes, such as alliteration, in as possible. This group worked together; others worked individually or in a small group. Each one was amazing and unique and creative. 

Grammar of Poetry. Homeschooling (or just educated person) must have. 

You know you have a winner when everyone is learning, laughing and gaining skill and mastery.


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Here, There & Everywhere

It's been a pretty crazy busy spring. January flew by at the speed of sound and February has zoomed by almost as fast.

*1*

Earlier in the week I drove to Denver and back for a quick 2 day training. I almost didn't make it as the day was a complete and total comedy of errors starting with a pancake flat tire (which the repairman could never fully explain) and ending with me at a different hotel than my training crew because they could find neither my name or an empty room on the rooster when I finally arrived at o'dark:30.

*2*

The first full day I was there, it was 60 degrees; clear, with a full view of the mountains and snow on the ground. Really lovely. But, I drove out in a hurry, with 4" of snow on my car, even though it was still sweater weather, as they expected a storm bringin with it a full foot of the powedery stuff.
Denver has to have the worst road signage in the history of city driving. Thankfully, I made it out alive, even though I feared getting stuck in Toll Road purgatory for a while. I was saved by parking lot purgatory and an OCD toll booth worker. Out on the prairie, it was less snowy and scenic and a whole lot more cold and clear- both overhead and signage wise.

*3*

Cub spent the week getting ready for TeenPact and we dropped him off tonight to travel and stay with good friends for the week. I didn't even get a picture of how cute he was in a suit and tie. He'll be gone all of this week, but we did spend the day together- even if it was mostly directed by finishing up and printing off homework.

*4*

Friends to the rescue, and Flower had a great time with some of her favorite peeps while I was gone. She did a few Essentials charts, a bare minimum of memory work, read The Wilderking Series (which is where the term, "Feeche" comes from) and made a cool mosaic at art class.

*5*

The boys went ballroom dancing and then DQ and the imitible Mr. A spent the night so he could go with. He is a whole lot of fun and I'm so glad he continues to hang out past Tantara!

*6*

It's -5 degrees tonight. 5 Degrees below zero. It feels as cold as it sounds.

*7*

Flowers Sculpey obessesion has not abated and we have every manner of clay dragon gracing the coffee table at any given time. She's branched out a bit and doing water color, since that has been the latest 6 week focus in CC.

How was your week?


 @Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Do Good. Don't Quit

My sweet friend Jannell is a wise woman. One of her mantras is this: Do not grow weary. She says it in good times and challenging times and tiring times and joyful times. She says it as a reminder and as a challenge and as a comfort.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galations 6:9

I understand why the verse is a complex sentence. Because not growing weary is a complex task. We must endure and not give up if we hope to reap a harvest.

Praying this day for our Christian brothers who were martyred in Egypt. May God use their sacrifice to draw others to Him.



@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

The Danger of Words

I am a Dorothy Sayers fan to the core. I came late to the party and only discovered her mystery writing, Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane just a couple of years ago. This led to reading everything by DS I could get my hands on, including biographical memoirs. I love the woman. She was strong, courageous, brillant and wise. Read for yourself,

"For we let our young men and women go out unarmed, in a day when armor was never so necessary. By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and the radio, we have made certain that no aversion to reading shall secure them from the incessant battery of words, words, words. They do not know what the words mean; they do not know how to ward them off or blunt their edge or fling them back; they are a prey to words in their emotions instead of being the masters of them in their intellects. We who were scandalized in 1940 when men were sent to fight armored tanks with rifles, are not scandalized when young men and women are sent into the world to fight massed propaganda with a smattering of "subjects"; and when whole classes and whole nations become hypnotized by the arts of the spell binder, we have the impudence to be astonished. We dole out lip-service to the importance of education--lip- service and, just occasionally, a little grant of money; we postpone the school-leaving age, and plan to build bigger and better schools; the teachers slave conscientiously in and out of school hours; and yet, as I believe, all this devoted effort is largely frustrated, because we have lost the tools of learning, and in their absence can only make a botched and piecemeal job of it." 

Read the rest of the Lost Tools of Learning essay here.

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Plink, Plink, Plink- Weekly Report

*1* 

A little Blog love to get the weekly going:

You can read my interview this week at Homeschoolers at Home in a whole series Blogger Buddy Kemi is hosting.
For those looking for other Classical Conversations blogs, check out Too Many Pies. Her side bar features a handful of bloggers who regularly post about CC (including GG)!

I've got some great reviews coming up, including Radio Theater, History, on-line classes, and crunchy stuff. Review LOVE! 

*2*

Did you catch all of this year's Virtual Curriculum Fair posts? This is the 3rd Years I've participated and it is so fun to see what everyone else has posted about! Find link-ups to over 20 other bloggers at the end of every post.
Seeking Beauty- the Arts: The Shadow of Divine Perfection
Geography, Social Studies and More: Globe Trotting
Science and More: Classical STEM
Playing With Words: Loaded Pistols

*3*

Cub won a "Best Actor" Award, following in the footstpes of Feeche and KB!

Now that Tantara is over, we have jumped head first into Memory Master work and homework for TeenPact- Cub is doing the 1-week class, and Flower is going up for the 1-day class. 

*4*

Homework for on-line coursework is fast and furious. Getting a 1/2 credit of work done in 10 weeks  of time means a significant amount of homework each week. Good news is they are both learning a ton- Flower in Computer Basics and Cub in Myths and Legends. 

*5*

Flower has been a clay crafting fool of late, specializing in dragons and flowers (thanks to input from Jannell, Pinterest and Wings of Fire).

*6*

*7*

I am low on creativity, haven't read much in over a year, and am mostly just keeping my head above water as I tackle three things at once on a weekly, daily hourly basis. We keep moving forward, plink, plink, plink (my nod to Onomotopia- Poetry's trope of the week), step by step. 

How was your week? 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Homeschooled at Home Blog Interview

I'm being featured over at Homeschoolers at Home. My blogger buddy Kemi has been interviewing fellow homeschoolers to glean their homeschooling, homemaking, in some cases home working lives. I hope you stop by and read my interview and leave her a comment! Her blog is terrific and loaded with home-making information! 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Classical Conversations Community Day

I Tutor the Master's Class so I try to get my kids up front and leading as much as possible. Here is Mr. J, who has boundless energy, is easily bored ready to move on and is as sharp as a tack, leading the class in Latin memory work. He is hopping on one foot, while doing the "robot" while reciting Latin with an English accent. Yeah, our class rocks. 

Presentations this week featured lots of Bible Memory, including the first couple chapters of an entire book, recitation of all of the Presidents as well as the Books of the Bible, a Book Report and this little gem- a remote control flying thingamajig. Look at that happy face.

How to blow up a ballon without hot air? Our science experiment for the week showed the kids how to do just that. Cool beans.

Throw in water color painting ala Andrew Wyeth, Map Blobbing, an Irregular Verb Tense review sheet and Human Tic-Tac-Toe and it was a full and fantastic morning. 

We followed up with Essentials. Which we love no matter how much I could be re-convinced I missed the grammar gene. My kids totally know more than I do about grammar but I keep sticking with it. Thank the good Lord I have other admirable qualities. 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Busy as Bees

*1*

So, I'm a few days late with the Weekly Report. I was going to fore go it but it was an awesome week and so here goes:

*2*

Tantara Festival of One Act Plays took place yet again this past week-end. I directed a terrific troupe who garnered laughs and applause. I'll post more pics, but for now, suffice it to say that it was  great fun, great food, great peeps. Love these kids! My plucky co-director, Lisa, had no idea what she was getting in to, but she was the best sport of all!

*3*

Feeche spent the week at the State Capital last week, shadowing the Family Policy Director and having a marvelous time schmoozing, drinking weak coffee and hanging with political types. He had a blast. Meanwhile, Mr. A, from down south, spent the week here and brought us no end of laughs, tried to convert us to Whovianism and kept Cub on his toes with literary and historical discussions and references. We were glad when Feeche came home and sad to see Mr. A take his leave. 

*4*

Now that the play is over, we are turning our attention to TeenPact, which involves some homework, prayer and letters written ahead of time. 

*5* 

In the midst of the seasonal stuff the kids have 3 on-line classes that are keeping us on our toes with homework deadlines. Flower is taking a Computer Class on-line through Bridgeway Academy and I'm learning a ton of new things, along with her. Cub is taking Myths and Legends and loving it. 

*6*

Classical Conversations Memory Masters is challenging our schedule, but ohsogood if your kid can handle it. Essentials just keeps getting more challenging and better by the week. We are all learning way more than we thought we would but working hard- which is a winning combo, right? 

*7* 

Blizzard this week-end so we laid low yesterday to nurse the scratchy throats and horrible, hammering headache that followed a week of non-stop action, too much fun and veering way off of the sugar, dairy and gf diet. This ageing thing- oyvey. It is not for the faint of heart. 

"Acting is acting like you're not acting." This role wasn't a big stretch for Cub. He ate and yawned. Love that kid. 

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!