On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

Come and join us for 12 Days of Christmas with Amanda Bennett!  Check in each day December 26, 2011 to January 6, 2012 for NEW special deals, and register to win our BIG giveaway!

Day Six

Exploring Creation!

Deal of the Day: Tremendous Trees Download N Go - $3

Download N Go - 1 week, K - 4 - $4

• Magnificent Moon
• Volatile Volcanoes
• Twisting Tornadoes 

Unit Study Adventure - 4 week, K-12 - $5

• Oceans 
• Space

And don't forget to register!

 The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - an iPAD2!

Register to win HERE.

Select as many interest groups on the signup list as you like, but make sure you check the "Win an iPad" list to win an iPad2!

For those of you already on our mailing list, submit your email address above, then watch for an email which will allow you to update your current profile to include the "Win an iPad" list. Follow the instructions given, to add the "Win an iPad" list to your preferences, and then click on "Save Profile Changes." This will enter you in the contest.

On January 7 we will draw one name from the "Win an iPad" mailing list to win the BIG, 12 Days of Christmas prize.

*See the Contest

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

Come and join us for 12 Days of Christmas with Amanda Bennett!  Check in each day December 26, 2011 to January 6, 2012 for NEW special deals, and register to win our BIG giveaway!

Day Five

Great Geography!

Deal of the Day: Expedition Mexico Download N Go - $3

Elementary students:

Download N Go - 1 week, K - 4 - $4

• Expedition Canada
• Expedition Africa
• Expedition China 

Passport Geography Scout Level - 1 week - $5

• Passport United Kingdom, Scout 
• Passport France, Scout

For Junior/Senior High :

• Passport United Kingdom, Explorer - $5
• Passport France, Explorer - $5

And don't forget to register!

 The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - an iPAD2!

Register to win HERE.

Select as many interest groups on the signup list as you like, but make sure you check the "Win an iPad" list to win an iPad2!

For those of you already on our mailing list, submit your email address above, then watch for an email which will allow you to update your current profile to include the "Win an iPad" list. Follow the instructions given, to add the "Win an iPad" list to your preferences, and then click on "Save Profile Changes." This will enter you in the contest.

On January 7 we will draw one name from the "Win an iPad" mailing list to win the BIG, 12 Days of Christmas prize.

*See the Contest Rules for more details

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

Come and join us for 12 Days of Christmas with Amanda Bennett!  Check in each day December 26, 2011 to January 6, 2012 for NEW special deals, and register to win our BIG giveaway!

Day Four

Deal of the Day: Football Frenzy Download N Go - $3

Listen to what one family had to say about Footbal Frenzy:

"We certainly had a great time with the Football Frenzy study.  After the first day, my boys were eager to complete each day's lessons and begged to do more than one lesson each day.  One of the things that I particularly enjoyed about Football Frenzy was that I could let my boys use the laptop at the dining table to complete each day's lessons, while I cooked supper.  This way they were learning independently but I was able to chat with them, answer questions and learn along with them without having to monitor every single step.  I also liked how my sons were eager to share what they learned with other members of the family.  One day they just had to make a phone call to their grandfather to tell them some interesting football fact they learned.  Another day, they were giving a younger boy who lives next door lessons in the proper way to hold the football."   

Here's what my sons had to say about Football Frenzy:

Joel (age 11):

" I enjoyed the Football Fantasy unit study.  I liked how the games was explained simply so that I could understand some of the rules that I didn't already know about.  I liked doing this study with my brother.  We really enjoyed practicing some of the throwing techniques that we saw in the videos.  There was history and science and even vocabulary words, but I never really felt like it was school stuff because I was learning so much about football.  This is a really cool unit for boys who love football." 

Nathan (age 9):

" I learned a bunch of cool techniques that now I can use when I play football with my brother and my dad.  For example, I learned that all the power for tackling comes from the waist.  I also learned to pass better and how to hold the ball in a good position.  There was some great science stuff, like horizontal and vertical arcs.  I learned about the science of throwing a pass, such as if I want to throw a deep pass I should release the ball at a higher point so that it stays higher in the air longer and travels faster and farther.  I love science and I love football and this was a great study for boys like me." 

Review by:  Paige at http://paigikins.blogspot.com/

But wait, there's more!

Download N Go - 1 week, K - 4 - $4

• Simply Soccer 
• Handsome Horses

Unit Study Adventure - 4 week, K - 12 - $5

• Baseball 
• Auto Racing

And don't forget to register!

 The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - an iPAD2!

Register to win HERE.

Select as many interest groups on the signup list as you like, but make sure you check the "Win an iPad" list to win an iPad2!

For those of you already on our mailing list, submit your email address above, then watch for an email which will allow you to update your current profile to include the "Win an iPad" list. Follow the instructions given, to add the "Win an iPad" list to your preferences, and then click on "Save Profile Changes." This will enter you in the contest.

On January 7 we will draw one name from the "Win an iPad" mailing list to win the BIG, 12 Days of Christmas prize.

*See the Contest Rules for more details.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

Come and join us for 12 Days of Christmas with Amanda Bennett!  Check in each day December 26, 2011 to January 6, 2012 for NEW special deals, and register to win our BIG giveaway!

Day Three

American Adventures!

Deal of the Day: Constitution Celebration Download N Go - $3

Download N Go - 1 week, K-4 - $4
Ben Franklin

Unit Study Adventure - 4 week, K-12 - $5
NEW!- Elections 2012, American Government

Don't forget to register!

The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - an iPAD2!

 

 

Register to win HERE.

Select as many interest groups on the signup list as you like, but make sure you check the "Win an iPad" list to win an iPad2!

For those of you already on our mailing list, submit your email address above, then watch for an email which will allow you to update your current profile to include the "Win an iPad" list. Follow the instructions given, to add the "Win an iPad" list to your preferences, and then click on "Save Profile Changes." This will enter you in the contest.

On January 7 we will draw one name from the "Win an iPad" mailing list to win the BIG, 12 Days of Christmas prize.

*See the Contest Rules for more details.

On the Second Day of Christmas...

Come and join us for 12 Days of Christmas with Amanda Bennett!  Check in each day December 26, 2011 to January 6, 2012 for NEW special deals, and register to win our BIG giveaway!

Day Two

Let's Talk to the Animals!

Deal of the Day: Sunny Seashells Download N Go - $3

Download N Go - 1 week,  K-4th   - $4
Astonishing Animals, Creation Camouflage, Goofy Gekos, Dolphin Days, Whale Tales and Terrific Tigers


Unit Study Adventures - 4 week, K-12 - $5
Horses, Dogs


Don't forget to register!

The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - an iPAD2!

Register to win HERE.

Select as many interest groups on the signup list as you like, but make sure you check the "Win an iPad" list to win an iPad2!

For those of you already on our mailing list, submit your email address above, then watch for an email which will allow you to update your current profile to include the "Win an iPad" list. Follow the instructions given, to add the "Win an iPad" list to your preferences, and then click on "Save Profile Changes." This will enter you in the contest.

On January 7 we will draw one name from the "Win an iPad" mailing list to win the BIG, 12 Days of Christmas prize.

*See the Contest Rules for more details.

On the First Day of Christmas...

Come and join us for 12 Days of Christmas with Amanda Bennett!  Check in each day December 26, 2011 to January 6, 2012 for NEW special deals, and register to win our BIG giveaway!

Day One

Today the Easter Unit Study Adventure is just $4 (that's only $1 per week!).  Pick it up now at a huge saving, regular price is $10.95, and get ready to join us on our next Facebook Co-op beginning March 12th!
Easter, also known as Resurrection Day, is my favorite holiday of the year. We are able to set aside this special time to remember God’s gift to us – Eternity! From Palm Sunday to Ascension Day, this time helps us recall the events that changed our world forever, and gave us promise and hope. Even though our society has moved away from the Christian significance of Easter, we have a perfect opportunity to use these holidays to teach our children about our Lord and His love, His priceless gift to all believers. - Amanda B.


And, the announcement you've been waiting for...

The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - an iPAD2!

Register to win HERE.

Select as many interest groups on the signup list as you like, but make sure you check the "Win an iPad" list to win an iPad2!

For those of you already on our mailing list, submit your email address above, then watch for an email which will allow you to update your current profile to include the "Win an iPad" list. Follow the instructions given, to add the "Win an iPad" list to your preferences, and then click on "Save Profile Changes." This will enter you in the contest.

On January 7 we will draw one name from the "Win an iPad" mailing list to win the BIG, 12 Days of Christmas prize.

*See the Contest Rules for more details.

No Time to Shop....

No time left to shop?  Let us help you - today, we are giving away Two - $25 Amazon Gift Cards!  This giveaway is a little bit different, enter today (until midnight EST) and we'll announce a winner and send it to you tomorrow morning!  You will have an entire day to do that last minute shopping :-).

"Finding the perfect gift for someone isn’t always easy. Amazon.com has an incredible selection of products, but sometimes you just can’t find the right gift for that special someone. Whether it’s a birthday present, holiday gift, employee reward, a gift to celebrate a special occasion, or a simple gesture of appreciation, an Amazon.com Gift Card is the perfect present. Amazon.com Gift Cards are redeemable toward millions of items at Amazon.com and never, ever expire."


PS - More BIG news coming Monday - watch your email inbox!

Christmas JOY

Oh, what fun our first Christmas Facebook co-op has been! We focused on JOY this year, and what an amazing international gathering we have enjoyed over the past four weeks. Follow this link to visit our Facebook page, and take a few minutes to scroll down through our Christmas co-op posts and comments. The daily exchanges have included Scriptures, craft ideas, recipes, daily joy reflections, and wonderful photos from around the world—and it has been AMAZING! Thanks to all who participated in the co-op, and stay tuned . . . we’ll be having another co-op in the months ahead!

I pray that you all have a very blessed Christmas, and that you find time to focus on the JOY of Christ’s birth and God’s faithfulness. I’ll be celebrating His birth here on the mountain, enjoying the company of family and friends, and giving thanks for Emmanuel!

Starting Monday, we begin our gigantic 12 Days of Christmas Sale here at USAB! All I can tell you right now is that you will love the specials AND the very VERY special giveaway—you will NOT want to miss this one!

Merry Christmas,

Amanda B.

Triple Chocolate Delights

Triple Chocolate Delights

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups dried canberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Using spatula, stir in cranberries, all chocolate chips, and nuts.

For large cookies, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 21/2 inches apart. For small cookies, drop dough by level tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 11/2 inches apart.

Bake cookies until just golden, about 18 minutes for large cookies and about 15 minutes for small cookies. Cool on sheets. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Yield: 36 servings

Thank you Elizabeth Brandt for this award-winning, mouth-watering recipe!

Do you have a recipe to share, leave it in comments section.  Come visit us on Facebook this week for more  Christmas inspiration.

It's Time for Christmas Reading & Listening

It's not too late to spend some time enjoying Christmas reading (and listening) with your family!

Before and After Christmas: Activities and Ideas for Advent and Epiphany, by Debbie Trafton O'Neal. Published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers.

Looking for ways to add meaning to the season---from Advent through Epiphany? Here's an
idea-a-day! Activities, service projects, crafts, recipes, worship plans, stories, and more.

The Step-By-Step Bible: A Panoramic Journey Through God’s Word, by V. Gilbert Beers. Published by Chariot Victor Publishing.

Outstanding illustrations, and a wonderful telling of the events of the Bible in chronological order with scripture references and more. Grades K–3.

Silent Night, Holy Night: The Story Behind Our Favorite Christmas Carol, (Traditions of Faith from Around the World), by Myrna Strasser. Published by Zonderkidz.

Introduce your children to the touching story behind "Silent Night"! Learn how a moonlit visit to a humble woodcutter's cottage inspired the immortal words to the best-loved Christmas carol. Telling how the song quickly spread throughout Germany, this tenderly illustrated tale will be a family favorite year after year. Ages 4 to 8.

From Heaven Above: A Christmas Carol, by Martin Luther. Published by Concordia Publishing House.

The favorite Christmas hymns by Martin Luther, "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come" and "Welcome to Earth, O Noble Guest," serve as the text for this Christmas picture book. You're invited to come to Bethlehem and hear the angel's announcement that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, has been born. A melodic book, it captivates children with the drama and the excitement of this amazing night. Adults, also, will welcome the opportunity to tell of the birth of Christ, the fulfillment of God's Promise to send His people a Savior. Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

A Christmas Carol Sing-A-Long--CDs and SongbookCrunching snow and woolen scarves, rosy cheeks and joyful voices---warm your hearts and homes with an old-fashioned caroling party! Ideal for church groups, shut-in visits, and fun family get-togethers, it includes two songbooks and 25 Christmas favorites on two CDs.

Please come and visit us on our Facebook and Pinterest pages for more ideas and inspiration during this blessed Christmas week!

It's Christmas Week!

Good morning, friends! Welcome to our Christmas Unit Study Facebook Co-op, the final week! 

We 've enjoyed how you have shared your experiences during the Christmas Unit Study Adventure. Book suggestions, craft ideas, and even cute dittys... Thank you for sharing the JOY in this journey with us!

Keep visiting us as we share this Christmas week together.  We'll have more ideas, inspiration and even some BIG news that you do not want to miss later in the week...

Blessings,

Amanda B.

 

This Week's Learning Objectives:



Understanding the nature of the relationship between Herod and the wise men


Grasping King David‘s connection to Jesus


Tracing the flight of the new family to safety in Egypt


Following the history of the celebration of Christmas

Looking for the Perfect Gift - We have 3 USAB Coupons for You!

Give them a gift that lasts . . . lasting memories, lasting knowledge, and lasting fun!


Are you still searching for the perfect gift?  Let us help you with this Giveaway - 3 USAB Gift Coupons!  $7.95 - Download N Go Unit, $8.95 - Passport Geography Unit, $10.95 - a 4 Week Unit Study Adventure Unit!

USAB gift coupons are a great gift idea. Please note that they are not gift certificates, which can carry a balance from one purchase to another, but must be used during one checkout process. They can be used to purchase any of the value-packed studies USAB offers.

Some benefits of unit studies:

• Students learn more detailed information with an in-depth study of a topic. Capturing a child's natural curiosity with many exciting themes to choose from opens up the path to deeper understanding and better retention.
• Unit studies encourage the use of imagination, creativity, and thinking skills. The basic subjects are covered while reinforcing other academic abilities.
• The topic studied is perceived as a whole instead of bits and pieces scattered throughout their education. They are not likely to forget what they have learned and experienced!
• It's a fun way to learn and bring the whole family together!

If you have any questions about how USAB gift coupons work, please contact Customer Service.

 

“If we can teach our children with interesting materials, challenging them to think, reason, analyze and dig deeper for further information, we will find them to be well-educated and ready to move on to a lifetime of challenge and questions and adventure.” —Amanda Bennett

Christmas: A Study of Love Part Three

Now, for the Twelve Days of Christmas! I read a beautifully written book, The Christmas Book by Alice Lawhead. The author has a whole section about slowing down the frenzy and focusing on the meaning of Christmas.

 She offers ideas like celebrating Christmas throughout the original Twelve Days of Christmas, which begins on Christmas Eve and continues until January 6, the celebration of Epiphany, marking the Wise Men's visit to the Baby, the first visit of Gentiles to see the new King. Why not make cookies and have more of the festivities throughout those twelve days with family, instead of spending December in a flat-out rush to get it all ready for that one day and then being so eager to have it all out of the house? This way, we can avoid the letdown of December 26 and keep the focus of the celebration where it should be.

We also used this study to learn more about the many Christmas traditions—those celebrated in this country as well as other countries. These might include the Yule log, mumming, Las Posadas, and on and on. Have the children help with the research and then share their findings.

Use the season to read some classics aloud in the evenings while everyone is working on Christmas projects. Consider books such as The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates by Mary Dodge, and, of course, we read the Gospels in the Bible.

As children get older, there are two books they might enjoy: Two From Galilee: A Love Story of Mary and Joseph and Three From Galilee: The Young Man From Nazareth, both by Marjorie Holmes. These books have made the people and the Nativity so much more real to all of us and added new depth and understanding to the event on a human level.

There are so many books about Christmas available now, and most of my favorites can be found at local Christian bookstores. Some of them are: Let's Keep Christmas by Peter Marshall, The Patricia St. John Christmas Book, Christ Is Christmas: A Family Advent Celebration by James Dobson, and Tomorrow We Go to Bethlehem by John McTavish. It is my hope that you all relax and enjoy the holidays, learning and sharing as a family, and that the adventures will bring you many happy memories in the years to come. May God bless you and your family abundantly!

Blessings,
Amanda B.

Read Part One and Part Two of this article!

Visit us on our Facebook page and join us for sharing, inspiration and encouragement this holiday season.

Christmas Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

½ cup butter, softened           

2½ cups flour

½ cup shortening                 

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup confectioners sugar        

Red food coloring

1 egg 

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add confectioners sugar and blend. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla and mix until well blended. Measure the flour in a separate bowl and mix in salt. Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, scraping down the bowl as needed. Divide the dough in half in 2 bowls. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one half of thed ough. Mix in the food coloring until well blended and the color you desire. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and allow the dough to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Here is the part our children like the best, since it’s like rolling play dough: For each cookie, make a rope of plain dough and a rope of red dough; twist the two ropes together and shape into a candy cane.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 9 minutes until lightly brown. Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with red sugar or confectioners sugar.

Thank you Laura Clark, for sharing this family favorite with us!

Do you have a cookie recipe to share - leave it in our comments below!

                           

More Christmas Memories to be Made!

More Christmas memories are just waiting to be made.  Here's some recommendations -  reading, cooking and listening as well!

Family Memories:

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson. Published by HarperCollins.

A classic Christmas favorite, this book tells the story of a family of incorrigible children that discover the true Christmas story for the first time -- helping the readers get a refreshing perspective on the story as well.

The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale, by Ted Dekker. Published by Thomas Nelson.

 One clear Bethlehem night, a poor boy greeted the Christ child with the "pa rum pum pum pum" of a drum. Two thousand years later, Christmas has been banned and replaced by a prosperity-driven holiday. Into the spiritual wasteland steps another boy who marches to the beat of a different drum---and transforms darkness into light.

Kitchen Memories:

A Quilter's Christmas Cookbook, by Louise Stoltzfus. Published by Good Books.

Enhance your Christmas celebrations with any of the thousand delectable recipes gathered together in this cookbook treasure.

Cuddle Up Memories:

Christmas ABC's by Alice Gold. Published by Thomas Nelson.

The story of Christmas rings out in rhyme from A to Z in this charmingly illustrated board book. Recommended for ages 4 and under.

The Very First Christmas, by Paul Maier. Published by Concordia Publishing House.

Many children's Christmas books are long on fancy and short on fact. Most of them ignore the themes of the first Christmas and opt instead for fairy tale settings or winter tableaus. This beautifully illustrated book, a Gold Medallion Book Award winner, fills the gap by presenting fresh insights into the Christmas story from both the scriptural and secular context. The book tells the story of a young boy Christopher, who no longer wants to hear fairytales; he only wants real bedtime stories. So his mother tells the amazing and miraculous story of Jesus' birth. Along the way, Christopher learns the answers to some challenging questions about the Christmas story. And all the answers are right from the Bible. Recommended for ages 5 to 10.

Listening Memories:

The Living Room Sessions: Christmas CD by Chris Rice.

Christmas and music have always gone together. The angels sang at the birth of Christ, and now Chris Rice offers his part in the song. As he states in the liner, "I sat at my piano in my living room, and recorded some of my favorite Christmas songs. The songs that bring back the memories. The simple melodies that remind me that a Savior has been born. The songs that celebrate God and sinners reconciled." Includes Joy to the World, What Child Is This?, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and ten others. Simple, joyful, and elegant, this music evokes the majesty of a candlelight service and will bring the peace of Christmas into your busy schedule.

Come share your Christmas Memories with us on our Facebook Christmas Unit Study Cooperative!