During these times of economic trouble, it is refreshing to find a resource filled with ideas to not only save money, but to make money as well. This issue is overflowing with sound advice and great ideas to boost your income from home.

As a Work at Home Mom (WAHM), I know very well how difficult it can be to make the time that is necessary to bring money into the household. When I began working from my home, it was because I had a strong desire to help by bringing in some money into the household and still be able to stay home with my child. Since we homeschool, it perhaps makes it even more challenging to balance everything that I need to do each day to make it happen.

It is because I understand this need for balance, that I was so thrilled to see the coverage of this topic in the March 2009 edition of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest. In this issue, you will find stories from 3 different women who all do different things to bring money into their homes. I found that the information was honest and well laid out in that they didn’t sugar coat the work that must be done to accomplish this venture. It takes hard work and determination. However, for someone who has the real desire to stay at home with their children and still be able to contribute financially to the household, you will find some great information on how to make it happen.

The one common thread that I found throughout the digest, was to do your homework and think things through. Very sound advice! When you are prepared, then things will happen and you will be able to find that careful balance that you must to be a mother, wife and business owner. When you take the time to determine your needs and priorities, then you will be able to easily set the boundaries that you must and begin working from home.

If you are considering working from home as a way to boost your income, then you will want to be sure to get this issue of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest. It is what I would term a Must Read Publication. It will help you to decipher the questions you must ask yourself first and then help you figure out the path you will take. And then, you will be able to turn that plan into action and find success in whatever business venture you decide to do from your home.

And here is some great news! If you pre-order the March edition of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest, you can get it for just $3.95! That is a $1 savings from the normally low price! But hurry, because the edition is due to hit the virtual newsstand March 5^th!

I Choose to give this product 3 1/2 out of 5 Gold Teacher’s Stars!

If you love Anne of Green Gables, then you will adore the unit study from Cadron Creek, “Where the Brook and River Meet.” The entire year-long study is based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. The study is filled with activities that can be used for High School Credit, which is explained well in the front section of the unit study.

I found the unit study to be well thought out and filled with many opportunities for learning in the same fashion that Anne, herself learned. The study is filled with lessons in writing, Bible, dictation, and history. There are some science lessons, but I personally would add more and would of course add in some math as well.

While the study of Where the Brook and River Meet is intended for girls, I used it very successfully with my son. We adapted a couple of things, but overall, it was very simple to do. He really enjoyed learning about Anne and reading about her many antics. In fact, I found him perusing the bookshelves looking to see just how many more Anne books I had available.

As with most Unit Studies, there are many supplements that you will need in order to complete the study as it is written. I would recommend purchasing the Anne’s Daily Pack if you are able as there are several of the books that you use daily included in this pack, and it will save you a little money than if you purchased them separately. I received the Anne’s Anthology with the study and then I purchased the Annotated Anne of Green Gables and the Writers Inc. books on my own. We used all of them over and over again. I didn’t purchase the Green Gables Letters, but wished that we had as it would have enriched our studies.

One of the things that I found quite funny along the way was how the bible lessons began to line up with what we were learning in church each week. It was neat to be able to talk with my son about the concepts in depth and see him make connections between the study and church. It is always nice to have that happen, especially when we are coming so close to his teenage years.

As we didn’t have time to complete the entire study, I let my son read ahead and finish the book. We watched the movie, Anne of Green Gables, at the conclusion of our study as a celebration. He really enjoyed it and I now have a kindred spirit in our home for the Anne of Green Gables series.

Cadron Creek also offers other unit studies that we want to pursue in our homeschool. The first is based on the Little House on the Prairie book series and is titled “The Prairie Primer.“ The second is based on the Narnia series and is called, “Further Up and Further In.“ Other members of the crew were able to review these studies, and you can read about them here.

We have learned that Unit studies can be a fun way to study literature. We are grateful for our opportunity to study Where the Brook and River Meet from Cadron Creek.

I Choose to give this product 4 1/2  out of 5 Gold Teacher’s Stars!

If you are looking for products to help the special needs of your child, then you will want to be sure to check out the great products from Heads Up! This company specializes in helping the child with special needs to succeed.

We were given the opportunity to try out an assortment of the readers and frames that Head Up! offers for use by children who have difficulty focusing while reading and doing other school work.  The frames and readers are available in an array of colors:  yellow, green, red, blue, orange, pink, and clear and are only $1 each.  I wasn’t sure how these products would work in our homeschool as my son is colorblind and has difficulty when things are embedded in the colors of green, yellow and brown.  His favorite color is red, and I imagine that is because it is a bright color and one of the colors he can see.

So you can imagine my surprise when he was immediately drawn to using the yellow frames and readers.He consistently picked the yellow ones and preferred to use the reader when he was reading a novel and then use it as a bookmark.  He actually thinks they are just cool bookmarks that he can read through.  I like them because it actually slows him down a little bit when he is reading.  Sometimes his mind processes the words he is reading out loud quicker than he can say them.  Using the readers helps to slow him down a little bit and makes him take his time.

Here is some information about these products from the Head Up! website:

Heads Up! Top of the Line This reading aid has a blue or yellow highlighted strip along the top to help readers “keep their place” along a line of text, graphs, or charts. Use of color has been shown to be helpful in focusing attention, so the Heads Up! Top of the Line is helpful even for proficient readers who are distractible or have difficulty maintaining visual attention for adequate periods of time. Makes a great bookmark, too! (Size 2-3/8″ by 8″)

Heads Up! Double Time This reading aid has a transparent yellow or blue strip along the top that highlights an area large enough for the reader to view two lines of most texts. A visual reminder to continue reading to the next line, the Heads Up! Double Time is also a helpful tool for proficient readers who benefit by using color to help focus attention. Makes a great bookmark, too! (Size 2-3/8″ by 8″)

Heads Up! Frame - 4 x 4 1/2 Our own creation, these frames are made of transparent colored polycarbonate with a printed frame. The large Heads Up! Frames are 4″ x 9″ rectangles. You can direct attention and focus by placing the frames over workbook pages or other written materials to be examined. The frames block in key material while the color contrast helps maintain attention. These frames are especially useful for marking the place on the page for individuals who tend to look away from the page frequently. When looking back at the page they can easily and quickly find the framed-in area. Available in the following colors: yellow, pink, blue, red, green, and orange.

Heads Up! Frame - 4 x 9 Our own creation, these frames are made of transparent colored polycarbonate with a printed frame. The small frames are 4” x 4-½” squares. These frames are useful for the child who feels overwhelmed when viewing an entire page of material; the teacher can frame in just a section of the page so that it appears more manageable to the child. Available in the following colors: yellow, pink, blue, red, green, and orange.

Heads Up! Reader The Heads Up! Reader has a highlight strip of color between two strips of grey. The highlighted section aids in visual tracking and the color helps maintain attention to printed text. The straight edges can be used to neatly underline key words or phrases. The Reader is thin and flexible, and can be used as a bookmark for added convenience. Choice of yellow, green, red, blue, orange, pink or clear.

Again, I want to emphasize that these products are only $1 each!  I think that is a fabulous buy and well worth trying in your homeschool.  And if you have other needs, be sure to visit Heads Up! and check out the other products that they have available to help with all of your special needs.