With homeschooling comes an entirely new set of papers to sort, books to stack, activities to plan and keep track of, and records to keep. It can very quickly get overwhelming.

Heather Bixler has created a wonderful printable resource to help simplify homeschooling. The Printable Homeschool Planner is a PDF document that, once downloaded, has a wide variety of forms and worksheets available for print any time they’re needed.

Heather graciously sent over a complimentary download of The Printable Homeschool Planner for us to try at our house. I must say I am very impressed!

Here’s what is included in this downloadable resource:

• The Cover Page – PDF Printable
• Art Project Planner – PDF Printable
• Attendance Record Keeper – PDF Printable
• Book Report Worksheet – PDF Printable
• Field Trip Planner – PDF Printable
• Project Planner – PDF Printable
• Science Experiment Planner – PDF Printable
• Scripture Verse Planner – PDF Printable
• Student Project Notes Worksheet – PDF Printable
• Thematic Unit Planner – PDF Printable
• Lesson Planner – PDF Printable
• Password for unlimited access to current and future homeschool printables in our exclusive member download page.

I must say my favorite printable pages are the Field Trip Planner and the Thematic Unit Planner. (I wish I had the Thematic Unit Planner sheets when I was piecing together my own curriculum when the kids were preschool-age!)

The pages, except for the cover page, are in black and white, so no extraneous color ink is used or wasted. (For those of you who are conscious about that — I am.)

All you need to put together your own, customized Printable Homeschool Planner, aside from this downloaded resource, is a 3-ring binder, a printer, paper and a 3-hole hole punch.

To download The Printable Homeschool Planner, just go to this website and follow the easy instructions. The price is just $4.99.

Win it!

Courtesy of Heather of The Printable Homeschool Planner, one of you will win a free download of this terrific resource!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, tell me why you’d love to have this wonderful resource at your house.

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Monday, October 3rd, 2011. US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product at no cost per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Bubbling Math

Bubbling Math, developed by teachers and children, is an app/game for kids who love math…and kids who don’t. It’s a fun, interactive app to help your child drill his or her addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Pleasant animations and cute music play while your child goes through the selected problems, which the parents can control by age and ability level. Unlocking new levels and gaining gold, silver, and bronze cups only add to the adventure. There are nine different graphic levels in all.

There’s a parental section to let you review which problems and skills your child mastered and which ones he/she answered incorrectly.

Bubbling Math is available for iPad/Mac for $1.99 (a back-to-school special price). Check out the website for more screen shots and download information!

Baby Monitor & Alarm

TappyTaps’ Baby Monitor & Alarm app is just what new parents need to help make life with a newborn easier, taking out much of the guesswork!

This app allows you to use your phone as a mobile baby monitor. Just place your phone in your child’s room and push “start.” Add an alert phone number for the app to call if the baby doesn’t settle down within a certain time frame. You can even change the sensor sensitivity, as well as the number of seconds/minutes you’d like to go by before an alert sends out.

If you would rather, you can set the app to do one of two other things before/instead of alerting you by phone:

1) Play a recording of Mommy or Daddy’s reassuring voice

2) Play a lullaby, chosen from your iTunes library.

This app gives you an activity log at the end of the night or naptime, showing you exactly how much your child slept (when the baby was quiet) and how many alerts were sent. It also allows you to send recordings of baby’s cries (and coughs) to his/her pediatrician. (How clever is that!?)

The Baby Monitor & Alarm app is available from the iTunes store for $2.99. (Again, check out the website for more screen shots, information, and download instructions.)

Win it!

Courtesy of TappyTaps, I can give away a free download of each app reviewed above! (Two winners, each receiving their choice of app.)

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, which app you’d prefer to win, and something about that app that you learned from their websites (here and here).

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, September 20th, 2011. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

#4, Natasha
#5, Shay

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product at no cost from TappyTaps per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Kleenex has some pretty nifty looking packaging to kick off the 2011 Back-to-School season!

Via Mom Bloggers Club, Kleenex sent over three of their newly designed, packaged Kleenex products:

Pretty cute, huh?

The Kleenex brand is adding a new line of on-the-go packs with Sneeze Shield this back to school season to make it easy to help keep stuff off kids’ hands in the classroom, on field trips, at home or wherever kids go.

The on-the-go packages include:

• The wallet pack. It is thin and sleek, so you can always keep a tissue on hand. Their trendy design and convenient size make it the perfect accessory for hip tweens and teens.
• The auto pack. It fits perfectly in the car door or glove compartment – no need to lug around a box of tissue or fumble in a purse for a tissue while driving.
• The new and improved pocket pack. A long-time favorite has been improved to feature three-ply tissue.

Just in time for the 2011 – 2012 school year, Kleenex brand facial tissues is committing $500,000 to help schools across America keep field trips as a part of the educational curriculum.

Right now, you can enter the Kleenex brand Back to School sweepstakes to help your school win a share of the cash to help fund school field trips. Here’s how:

• Visit www.Facebook.com/Kleenex.
• Click on the “Field Trips” tab at the top of the page
• Vote for your favorite participating school -or-
• Register the school of your choice by clicking the “Add a School” box and filling out the digital registration form
• The top 100 U.S. schools that finish with the most votes on the Kleenex brand Facebook page will receive a $5,000 award from the Kleenex brand.
• Voting ends on September 14 • Visit Facebook.com/Kleenex for complete entry requirements and to learn how you and your friends and family can help win field trips for your child’s school.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product at no cost from Kleenex via Mom Bloggers Club per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Now I usually don’t go all “Southern” in my review writing.

But y’all.

I have come across quite possibly one of the most “together” journals/helps for “getting and keeping it all together,” and I just can’t keep quiet about it.

What am I talking about?

Stephanie O’Dea’s Totally Together Journal.

Published by Penguin Group, this new journal by the NY Times bestselling author and popular mom blogger O’Dea will, if followed, can quite possibly whip any home/life/schedule into shape in a snap!

I am all about keeping a planner. I’m all about becoming more organized. What I’m not good at is scheduling things so as to 1) not get overwhelmed, 2) not become so type-A that no one wants to be around me, and 3) not miss anything. (Like….did you know that if you never remember to change out your air conditioning/heating intake filters it’s very bad for your heating and cooling system?)

It’s seemingly little things like that that are BIG in Stephanie’s book, big enough to warrant a gentle nudge/reminder every few weeks….a dose of discipline, but one that’s done in a fashionable and fun way.

Who doesn’t love to check off things from their to-do list? This journal is filled with tons of checkboxes….little tasks that help your home run smoothly, make your schedule more efficient, and even make sure you take time for YOU, Mom (she calls these weekly tasks of a more personal nature the “WoMom” reminders).

Daily, weekly, and quarterly tasks are all laid out for you — no pre-planning needed. Family meeting ideas are jotted down to make sure those living underneath your roof are all in sync and on board with the new, more organized family plan. Fun and inspiring quotes line the bottom of the page, and each week has large daily blocks for writing in whatever you need to accomplish.

You’ll also find within Totally Together:

• Seven daily chores that anyone in the family can do in just minutes
• Yearly, seasonally, monthly, and weekly chores divided into bite-sized chunks
• Household tips and cleaning shortcuts
• Guide for setting up meal plans
• Fun, fast recipes
• Reproducible grocery list with check boxes
• An action plan for keeping the entire family organized

The spiral-bound Totally Together retails for just $15 and is pliable enough and small enough to be able to be crammed into any purse, diaper bag, or laptop case. (Amazon sells it for less….look for it wherever books are sold. It’s a worthwhile investment…I guarantee it!)

Win it!

Courtesy of Penguin Group, one of you will win your very own Totally Together Journal!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, something helpful or noteworthy you learned from Stephanie O’Dea’s Totally Together website!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, August 24th, 2011. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, #68, Rajee!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product at no cost from Penguin Group per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

If you have kids that go here and there and everywhere during the week, Mabel’s Labels is for you.

If you love cute things, Mabel’s Labels is also for you.

Mabel’s Labels is a mom-founded company that creates superior quality, durable labeling products. It’s “labels for the stuff kids lose!”®

Since its start in 2003, Mabel’s Labels, headquartered in Canada, has been committed to fine quality and over-the-top customer service. The Mabel’s Labels line includes dishwasher-proof, washer-and-dryer-proof, dishwasher and microwave-safe labels for most everything kids need to tote.

Mabel’s Classic labels include Sticky Labels (for lunchboxes, baby bottles, sippy cups, portable electronic gadgets, and much more) and Skinny-Minis, just right for pencils and small toys. Tag Mates make keeping up with your child’s athletic wear, jackets, rain slickers and other apparel a snap. Iron-Ons are available, as well. (And let’s not forget the Shoe Labels!) These are just some of the fine products offered by Mabel’s Labels. Most come in a wide variety of colors and designs.

Mabel’s Labels are available separately or in combo packs.

We were recently contacted about receiving the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo. I jumped at the chance to see these labels in person that I’ve heard so many great things about!

The Ultimate Back-to-School Combo includes the following:

• 50 Tag Mates™
• 40 Skinny-Minis™
• 16 Shoe Labels
• 2 Teeny Tags™

The Tag Mates are already stuck on our daughter’s coats, jackets, and ballet apparel:

The Shoe Labels and Teeny Tags have also found homes:

I can’t tell you how versatile the Skinny-Minis are….they’re probably my favorite!

Each Ultimate Back-to-School Combo is available for $42 from Mabel’s Labels’ website. Ordering is a snap (and fun, I might add) and the turnaround time is exceptional.

Fingers are crossed for a school year without lost or left items…but if something gets left behind, Mabel’s Labels has us covered. *grin*

(Check out Mabel’s Labels on Facebook!)

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above products at no cost from Mabel’s Labels per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From, Levi’s, the creator and crafter of rugged and fashionable jeans for generations, comes a new sub-brand of jeans for the entire family.

dENIZEN jeans are available in everyone’s favorite styles: Straight leg, skinny, boot cut, relaxed, regular, straight, and more. They’re available for the entire family: Men, women, girls, and boys. A variety of washes is available, as well, not to mention different rises in the waist. For women, there’s a waist slimming option on some styles.

Through Child’s Play PR, I was sent a pair of Levi’s dENIZEN jeans to try out.

I chose a boot cut in the dark wash. They are super comfy and look great dressed up with heels! I’ve already washed and dried them with no ill effects (shrinking, that is….the label specifies that dark washes need to be washed alone the first few times).

At just $24.99, this is a pair of jeans my budget can love!

dENIZEN jeans are available exclusively now at Target stores across the nation (and Target.com)!

(Use the dENIZEN “Find Your Fit” sizing guide to ensure a flawless fit.)

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product at no cost from dENIZEN via Child’s Play Communications per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From the founder and director of Green Ivy Educational Consulting comes a book for parents and educators of boys who are disorganized and easily dissuaded from their tasks. That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life is the product of Ana Homayoun’s extensive research and experience working with boys who are struggling to get organized and succeed in various areas of life, only one of which is academics.

Ana Homayoun is a nationally acclaimed motivator for junior high and high school students. This book offers tips and helps for parents and educators of boys in particular.

“Why single out boys?,” you may ask.

Statistics show that boys just don’t multitask as well as girls when it comes to academic planning and production. Boys are also more likely to be kinesthetic learners, making a “one size fits all” teaching mentality useless much of the time.

I am a mom of a son who is extremely kinesthetic in nature. I found so much advice from this book empowering and helpful at the same time:

- Boys don’t learn to be organized if parents are too organized FOR them. (They begin to use their parents as a crutch, even unintentionally. Helicopter parenting is a no-no if self-sufficiency is your goal.)

- Paying your son money for good grades is not encouraged; it gives value to grades (output) rather than value to learning itself.

This book also:

- Shows how to easily identify (dis)organizational styles
- Instructs you how to make steps toward setting academic and personal goals (all work and no play = decreased output and quality)
- Shows how to set up and organize a binder and a planner
- Gives tips on setting up a specific space for learning and studying, preferably not in the bedroom (but still gives tips if the bedroom is the only available spot)
- Shows how to effectively help your child prepare for and take quizzes and tests
- Has chapters on disadvantaged kids due to learning disorders as well as special environmental situations (such as divorce, when time is spent between two homes)
- Gives helpful worksheets such as a goal planning sheet, essay outline, time management sheet, and supply lists.

You can order That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week from Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble or Indie Bound.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product at no cost by Green Ivy Educational Consulting per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As a mom, you do lots of things.

As a mom, you do lots of things RIGHT.

Don’t you wish there was some way to tell the world when you celebrate these triumphs? Have you ever found yourself saying, “I should get an award for that!”?

Thanks to The First Years, there is, and you can!

The First Years’ Facebook Page has a new Brag Badge app, a neat way to proclaim your parenting victories as well as record those precious milestones in a creative way.

Celebrate the firsts, like “First Smile,” “First Laugh,” even “First Time with Peas.” You can share these fun, and sometimes unexpected moments, with your friends and family on Facebook….a cute way of bragging, so to speak, about your little one’s progress!

Head over to The First Year’s Facebook page, “like” them, then proceed in making your very first Brag Badge for FREE.

Win it!

Courtesy of The First Years, to celebrate the release of the Brag Badge app, I am able to give away one The First Years Compass B570 Pathway Booster Car Seat!

The features of the Pathway (B570) Booster Seat include:

· As with all of the booster seats from The First Years, this has the patented one-hand fold, making storage and moving from car to car easy and stress-free.

· This booster seat is used with children 30-100 lbs. or 3-10 years old. MSRP: $99.99

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Describe to me, in a comment below, the Brag Badge you made!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close the contest on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011, at 11:59pm EST. US mailing addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, #37, Hannah Gardner!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product from The First Years at no cost per my endorsement of this app and my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Today and through this week, Lands’ End has paired up with Curvy Girl Guide to promote the very first National Swimsuit Confidence Week!

Lands’ End contacted me about being one of the supporters/participants and I just couldn’t resist! Although I’m somewhat extremely self-conscious about my super-pale skin, small bust, and spider veins (and the various rearrangement of things due to having two children!), I knew that shamelessly posting photos would project confidence toward other women who could also use some encouragement.

I received from Lands’ End the Women’s Beach Living Adjustable Tunic Swim Top and the Women’s Beach Living Shirred Mini SwimMini, both in “Deep Sea.”

The Adjustable Tunic Swim Top is comfortable and, as it says, fully adjustable thanks to the shirred sides with drawstrings. The straps are thick and don’t cut into the skin….and the front enhances your figure well without being revealing. The Shirred Mini SwimMini is simply adorable. The pant part adequately covers, and the overlaying mini skirt adds visual charm!

I was impressed at the perfect fit via the online sizing guide. I’m usually wary of ordering clothing online, especially swimwear, because of so much size variation and fit issues…but Lands’ End made this sight-unseen purchase simple and perfect! The 80% nylon/20% spandex fabric combo is ultra comfortable….and not to mention, the fabric provides UPF 50 sun protection…good news for my complexion!

What’s great about Lands’ End is that there are so many different styles and suits, for every taste and every body type. So many colors and cute prints to choose from — it’s a tough decision! But rest assured, Lands’ End will have something you’ll love to wear at the pool or on the beach this summer…and with confidence, too, I might add!

Join Lands’ End each day this week (May 23 – 27, 2011) from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CDST and participate in a series of National Swimsuit Confidence Week events on Twitter. The week-long movement was created to celebrate women of all shapes and sizes as well as educate and inspire them to embrace their swimsuit beauty and have fun this summer. Each day Lands’ End will give away 10 Lands’ End Swimsuits, 10 Lands’ End Beach Towels and announce exclusive swimsuit promotions!

Date: Each Day – May 23 – 27, 2011

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDST

Location: #landsend

Follow: @LandsEndPR

I have Swimsuit Confidence! – Get the Twibbon – Go to http://twb.ly/j2GmLn and display the “I have swimsuit confidence!” Twibbon on your Twitter profile photo. Send a tweet to @LandsEndPR proclaiming “I have swimsuit confidence!” #landsend for a chance to be entered to win a $500 Lands’ End gift card. Send now through May 27 – winner announced at 5:00 p.m. CDST May 27, 2011.

Schedule: (Date — Topic — Twitter hosts to follow)

5/23 Swimsuit Coverage @LandsEndPR, @5minutesformom

5/24 Swimsuit Trends for Real Women @LandsEndPR, @MomSpark

5/25 Swim Slenderizers @LandsEndPR, @CurvyGirlGuide

5/26 Bring Your Confidence to the Beach @LandsEndPR, @bookieboo

5/27 Ultimate Swimsuit Confidence Celebration @LandsEndPR, @MomTalkRadio

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received a product sample from Lands’ End at no cost per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I got dressed up for church, complete with a flower corsage in honor of my own mom, like I’d always worn growing up. When I got home, my sweet husband had a surprise for me.

Laying on my pillow was a white card with this simple word written on it: “Mommy.”

Just seeing that written? Words can’t express the joy and pride I felt. I opened the envelope to find a card that our son (via the pen of my creative husband) “wrote” to me on my first Mother’s Day. It told how he already loved me and knew that I loved him. It wished me a very special day….but the truth is, it was that sweet card that made the day truly special to me.

How will you express your gratitude and sentiments to your mom this Mother’s Day? Tiny Prints has some beautiful and original Mother’s Day cards that are sweet and special.

Tiny Prints offers Mother’s Day cards for any relationship or type of mom: Your own mom, friends, sisters, mothers-in-law, stepmoms.

Tiny Prints provides simple, modern and unique stationery from Father’s Day Cards to personalized greeting cards to thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations or photo birth announcements. Offering exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch! They offer perfect party invitations for every occasion and memorable personalized photo-gifts like notebooks, photo books and calendars to commemorate the event.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received a gift code from Tiny Prints in exchange for my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”