A pamper basket with champagne, champagne flutes, candles, bubble bath, chocolate, etc. has been well received by couples who already have their own homes set up. For younger couples, I usually buy something off the registry.

If you're thinking of sending new books, it might be worth considering Amazon.co.uk for a saving in the postage costs from the UK vs USA.

So, I just practically yelled "Be nice to your sister, use a gentle voice" to my dd. Tell me I'm not the only bad Mom around...

Just to add one more option...we're using the free Kiss Grammar. My 3rd grade started with the 2nd grade text. It's very thorough.

Wow Eliana, you are awesome! I have a file called "Eliana's recommendations" and I've not been dissapointed with yet! Regards, Hannah

Thanks for mentioning this! For others trying to find it, here's a direct link to lit2go.

We enjoy Storynory and Librivox.

I don't think that my dd had a very clear idea of the time periods involved (or that she has it now aged 8), but with the timeline, history cards and memory sentences she has visual reminders for the sequence of events. It also helped to reinforce what we'd learned earlier. Thanks Kelly! I use google images for the timeline pictures. If you're using SOTW1 and SOTW2, I've made our pictures and a template available at the Yahoo group.

In the triangle-like shape we have above, the strips are about 15 inches in length for 3000 bc to 0 and from 0 to 1499. 1500 to 1599 is about 2.5 feet, 1600 to 1699 about 2.75 feet and a bit longer piece for every following century. 1900 to 1999 is just over 3 feet long.

I like to see what ages a person's children are, but don't often look at what they might be using.

This may not be at all what you're looking for, and they are rather old fashioned, but at least they're free! Singing Science Records Here's a link to the science songs for sale at Songs for Teaching. And a link to Links to Science Song sites, the biggest of which is the Massive database.

You can find a template for the lines of a wall timeline and pictures for SOTW1 and SOTW2 as well as a template for the pictures at the file section of this Yahoo Group. It's not a very good picture, but you can get an idea of what our timeline looks like on the wall above the desk in this photo. The way we have it, it measures about 2 m wide (6.5 feet) and 1.2 m (4 feet) high. I have a prehistory line at the bottom left, and then it steps up from 3000 bc to the year 0. From 0 to 1500 it has a strips of 40 cm (15 inch) per century, 2 per line, that step down. After that the entire line is a century and it grows in length as the centuries follow one another. ETA: You could make a narrower timeline by starting at the floor and going up on century at a time as well. To fit our pictures our lines are about 7 cm (2.5 inches) apart, but if your pictures size differs, they could be wider apart or narrower. Hope this helps!

I'm not in the United States either and can see very few books in full view. Its very frustrating to be missing out on the great finds!

I was given the book Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen by a dear friend. I read the piece called Beyond Perfection a few days ago and as I'm a recovering perfectionist this really speaks to me. I thought I'd share.

This sounds like our library, except for the bad attitudes. People are very friendly, helpful and positive at our library. There is just no money for books available as there is such a lot of need elsewhere. Last year, the library got the equivalent of US$ 1000 for ALL their books + the small amount they made at the library sale from donated books. They did however get very much needed fresh paint and carpets as it came out of the municipality's maintenance budget. In the children's section there is one shelf of artist biographies (and I know exactly which they are), same with composers, science books, history books, etc. The books that they do have are often 30 years old. Of all the books recommended in the AG for SOTW2, they have 2 (Shakespeare stories and I can't recall which other). Adults can take out 5 books each, and children 3 books for two weeks at a time (and adults can't take children's books), there are no inter-library loans, no music CD's, no audiobooks or DVD's. I have a monthly book budget and over the years we've built up a nice library from online stores, used bookstores and Bookmooch. I walk around with a booklet of list in my purse of SOTW recommended, Sonlight readers, 1000 good books etc and I get the biggest thrill to find something on my list - especially if it's at a good price! These days, we go to the library to get specific out-of-print South African children's literature for our history program. I very seldom pick up anything else. Fast internet connection has also made a huge difference to our homeschooling.

Piano Lessons You can download the workbooks and sheet music for lessons. Guitar Guitar Music from easy lessons to more advanced pieces. Music Theory Music theory workbooks

Kiss Grammar has workbooks starting in 2nd grade. Find the Kiss Grammar Workbooks link and scroll down to Section 2. The Word document next to Grade 2, Main Book, is what you'll need. You can also find the stories that it is based on at the site. My dd is in grade 3 this year (starting in Jan) and we are doing the grade 2 book at the moment.

Free books! I recently heard that homeschoolers could partake in Books for Africa which is run by the Rotary and pick up educational books for free. The depot is about 100 miles away, but I needed to be in the area last week, so dropped in. They get donations from school districts, library discards and overruns from publishers in the USA. I got Science Explorer Focus on Physical Science Science Explorer Focus on Life Science, Saxon math textbooks for levels 54 to Algebra 1/2, Prentice Hall history textbooks, Art appreciation textbooks a number of old library discards for great children's books and some great composer biographies. I was absolutely ecstatic with these treasures and can't wait to be able to go again!

Here's a link to free Aesop's Fables Copywork at Lulu.com. It has the fable to read and the moral to copy. I made it for my then first grader.

You could split it into two posts. Copy and paste the top half of the list in your Word document to one post and then continue the bottom half in the next post or if you like, you can add it to the file section at this yahoo group.

I have a handbag and I keep money in a purse in my handbag. My husband has his money in a wallet (which folds open).

Materamabilis.org is a free Catholic Charlotte Mason curriculum.

I'm afraid I can't help you with those.

Thanks for looking! Now I'm wondering what is wrong on my computer.

I am trying to figure out if it is a general problem or just me having the problem.