A Warm Winter Dawn ~ WW

Thank you for spending some of your precious time today

here at my home on the web! 

Have you signed up to receive my posts in your email inbox?

   If not, just click here to 

subscribe to Campfires and Cleats by email 

quickly and easily  so we can be in touch regularly!

You might wish to follow on Facebook as well.....

If you are shopping at  amazon and Target. 

why not consider clicking through my link? 

In this way, I will receive a small commission on the purchase.....

at no cost to you.

THANK YOU!

Until next time,

~Chris

BTW, I'm offering photo services and customized

photo packages for your blog or business!
< Subscribers receive a deep discount! > 

Monday minutiae~ Links I Love

                                                A gathering of thoughts,  links I love,

news highlights, funnies

and / or

 the latest goings - on here at the blog.

Sort of a weekly dumping ground of updates and features.........:

Calling all Moms and / or teachers.....homeschoolers,

child care providers, anyone who works with and cares for littles!

Have I got some pret-ty darn amazing deals for you!
Educents is offering huge huge reductions on some of their

best selling, most popular items.

And not "just" book - based items either.....

(Although the Life of Fred math series for such a low price 

IS attractive! ) 

But we're  also talking about 

kids building their own video games,

Learning to code with Mine-craft

Hopping on a brand new bike with Spring just around the corner

...or using Magfomers to create a light show!

Click over for more Spring sales, books, toys, crafts, mind games! 

Read/ watch Kathie Lee's  extraordinary and personal tribute to

her friend and "America's Pastor," Billy Graham,

who passed away this week.

A highlight: 

"There’s a wonderful verse in Micah that says, basically, this is what God requires of you — to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. And by those standards, Billy lived an extraordinary, exemplary life."

A compelling title, indeed!

I "met" Peter Davidson on Linkedin, among

freelance writers circles and became aware of his

brand new title, Marital Advice to My Grandson, Joel. 

From Peter's blog, a description of his new title that is 

certainly appealing!

"As the Marital Bus rumbles down the highway of life,

 there cannot be two people wrestling for the steering wheel, 

or surely the bus will crash.  

Know when it is your turn to drive and when it is time to quietly sit in the back seat. "

I've not yet read the book, but I'm hoping to at some point very soon.

I'm happy to share with all of you, because,  as I told Peter, 

it has all the features of a title I feel you would enjoy

and find inspirational! 

I happened onto this adorable video and have to let you on on the cuteness.

If you love babies and you love pugs

< and who doesn't? >  😉

You'll love THIS! 

A reminder for parents of high school/ college aged kids:

My newest sponsor,  Study.com's comprehensive CLEP test prep  

is offering a discount 

JUST for my readers:

Coupon code: CAMPFIRESANDCLEATS
20% off for the first 3 months' subscription
Must be redeemed by 4/15/2018

Click here for info.

Thank you for spending some of your precious time today

here at my home on the web! 

Have you signed up to receive my posts in your email inbox?

   If not, just click here to 

subscribe to Campfires and Cleats by email 

quickly and easily  so we can be in touch regularly!

You might wish to follow on Facebook as well.....

If you are shopping at  amazon and Target. 

why not consider clicking through my link? 

In this way, I will receive a small commission on the purchase.....

at no cost to you.

THANK YOU!

Until next time,

~Chris

BTW, I'm offering photo services and customized

photo packages for your blog or business!
< Subscribers receive a deep discount! > 

Authenticity and Loss in the Blogosphere ~ Rest in Peace, Denise

The opinion of the masses --- that  social media and the blogosphere
have taken the place of sincerity and superseded  authentic friendship?

I content quite the opposite.... 
If not for the virtual landscape
that irrevocably is interwoven through  our lives, 
would we not be blessed
 by crossing paths with certain individuals?

What starts as a simple comment of introduction 
 across many miles, sometimes continents, 
gradually becomes a solid and very "real" friendship.

~ Born in cyberspace,  but very  much  the opposite of virtual.~

If not for social media and the blogosphere, I would never
have been blessed by certain 
souls who've woven their care, their knowledge,
their selves into my life in the truest sense.
Think about it......you must have these same experiences, no?
.......friends  who do everything for you from prayer to recipe
swap, to chatting up the latest Stars Hollow binge watch obsession.

And when one of those dear genuine people is suddenly gone.....
we're faced with a deep gaping hole.
True grief for a "real" friend.
That's why it's taken me a month to write this...
to process the loss of our friend  one month ago when Denise,
entered into Eternal Life after a very long battle.....

The news created shock waves  of sadness  across 
 social media channels and within the blogosphere.
My friend, Denise, was a blogger and encourager.
Her words and her online
presence was grace to me.......to many.
No, I'd never "met" her. 
Nor did the droves whose lives she graced with  her words. 
But, wow, those phone conversations, those emails, those fb messages.
Over this past decade of my friendship with Denise,
we shared sooo much....inside jokes,
 parenting hacks, love of our Catholic faith, homeschool adventures,
admiration for The Bard.
And of course, our favorite and most fun subject~ all things Whovian.
There wasn't enough time to hash it all out 
and I can't even 
speculate on how often we'd lament
 those pesky 500 or so miles between us.   
She always seemed to "know" just
when to check in.......to chat about the journey.
Perpetually  minimizing her effect.....her calm assurance,  warm advice.
Recently, during a particularly difficult time in my life,
Denise reached out, offering encouragement,
telling me I was in her heart and prayers and she'd reply when she was 
capable of  lengthier, more meaningful talk.
That's what friends do, yes.....
And that  message was her final one to me.
There was no mention of her pain, which I'm told was abundant.
Only that I was comforted.
That was Denise's true gift to all who knew her within 
the myriad of relationships, ministries, volunteer organizations.
Denise thought always of how she could help others...
she was out there managing  youth events in her  Ohio parish 
or
sharing  her musical talent in her parish's choir 
or
coordinating her local library's Doctor Who anniversary 
by  building........ you guessed it.....
a full sized TARDIS...and yes I do believe she actually
used Sherwin Williams "TARDIS blue" paint!
or
 hosting weekly Whovian gatherings for her kids and their friends 
in full costume, with themed snacks.

But the most important, and I know the most meaningful role
that Denise lived is right there in a short, simple
"bio" on her blog, St Elizabeth Ann Seton Exchange

I am a homeschooling mother of four living in rural northeastern Ohio. It's as simple as that.

Despite Denise's accessibility to and love for her parish and her community,
her devotion to her children, her advocacy for the best education possible for them
and the cultivating  of the homeschooling experience for all four of her precious kids....
that's her legacy.

 Denise's  blog header, too, 
summarizes the essence of how she lived her life:

Spiritual reflections, family,
 home educating typical and special needs children ~
 Dedicated to: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn. "Rejoice in hope, persevere in tribulations, 
be constant in prayer."
 Romans 12:12 Certe bonum certanem! 
Fight the good fight!

The last time Denise  updated her blog
was in her revealing and now-prophetic post, Time, Precious Time
I urge you .......go read her words.....you'll be rejuvenated by her
honesty, her pride in her kids, her humble fight against her illness
and her love of the Lord.

Denise entered Heaven and received her reward a few weeks before
the Lenten season began, but now that we're living this season, 
I can't help  reflecting on this passage~  
God promises beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3) 

God always keeps His promises.

While we mourn Denise, we thank God for the privilege
to know her virtually.... for the blessing that our world's technology
offers. We were gifted  the honor of genuine friendship with
one who sought no fame, no name, no recognition,
nothing more than, as her blog states,
"simply" being a "homeschooling mother of four."
   
Rest in Peace, my friend.
The honor is ours.

Thank you for spending some of your precious time today

here at my home on the web! 

Have you signed up to receive my posts in your email inbox?

   If not, just click here to 

subscribe to Campfires and Cleats by email 

quickly and easily  so we can be in touch regularly!

You might wish to follow on Facebook as well.....

If you are shopping at  amazon and Target. 

why not consider clicking through my link? 

In this way, I will receive a small commission on the purchase.....

at no cost to you.

THANK YOU!

Until next time,

~Chris

BTW, I'm offering picture services and customized

photo packages for your blog or business!
< Subscribers receive a deep discount! >

CLEP Test Prep Made Easy with Study.com! { An overview & a coupon just for my readers! }

Calling all parents of high school and university students.....
{ and students themselves~!}

Are you aware that "real" college credit can be earned by passing a test?
You may or may not be knowledgeable about just how this can happen.

CLEP,  or College Level Examination Program,
offered by The College Board,  
is a series of tests which assess prior knowledge in a myriad of subject areas,
 enabling students to  lower the cost of higher education.

Whether  your teens are home schooled or attend a brick and mortar
learning institution, the ability to utilize The College Board's program
has to sound enticing!
I know it appeals to me, mom of two high school aged kids.
  
So, just how do we begin the process of helping
 our kids prepare for the actual CLEP ?
Study.com, a leading education company, and a highly recognizable
 "name,"  appearing at the top of  searches for
  everything from English lit to Psychology to Calculus, 
to elementary math skills, 
has a brand new product, which includes comprehensive 
 study guides and practice tests.

The CLEP program includes 33 exams 
which will earn a student college credits  
accepted at 2,900 colleges and universities. 
And Study.com  offers a test prep course encompassing lessons, 
self-assessment options and practice tools to help equip students with
 enhanced background knowledge
of each course in order to pass the test with flying colleges.



Let me share with you the following ~
this list of CLEP exams,
 which link to the study resources at Study.com,
followed by how one would actually log on and utilize 
Study.com's comprehensive review program:

Composition and Literature

American Literature (3 credits)

Analyzing and Interpreting Literature (3 credits)

College Composition (6 credits)

College Composition Modular (3 credits)

English Literature (3 credits

Humanities (3 credits)

World Languages

Spanish Language: Levels 1 and 2

History and Social Sciences

American Government (3 credits

)History of the United States I (3 credits)

History of the United States II (3 credits)

Human Growth and Development (3 credits)

Introduction to Educational Psychology (3 credits)

Introductory Psychology (3 credits)

Introductory Sociology (3 credits)

Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credits)

Principlesof Microeconomics (3 credits)

Social Sciences and History (6 credits)

Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 (3 credits)

Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present (3 credits)

Science and Mathematics

Biology (6 credits)

Calculus (4 credits)

Chemistry (6 credits)

College Algebra (3 credits)

College Mathematics (6 credits)

Precalculus (3 credits)

Business

Financial Accounting (3 credits)

Information Systems (3 credits)

Introductory Business Law (3 credits)

Principles of Management (3 credits)

Principles of Marketing (3 credits)

Now, as for the details on optimally utilizing

Study.com's CLEP program of review:

Login and create your Study.com account right here:

You'll be taken to your own personalized dashboard, shown here: 

.......where you can sign in to any of the CLEP review programs

Now, let's take a look at Study.com's lead page for the

 American Government study guide and test prep module

( This course  falls within the History and Social Sciences offerings):

As you can see, the course consists of 120 self paced lessons, 

for an average of 8 minutes each.

Now, you'd click on the "Start this Course" button, leading  you

to a pop up in which you have the option to ~

**  set an end date for the test prep

and

 ** receive reminder texts, helping you adhere to your review goals.

and

** become aware of your next lesson's topic

(Oh my goodness, this just keeps getting better, doesn't it? ) 
And here's what that looks like~

An added perk? You can easily and quickly edit each course's

 goals right in your dashboard! How convenient and organized is that?!

You can then peruse the course's syllabus :

Here's a glimpse~ 

I have to share with you, the bottom of the syllabus, which posts  

 a "timeline," if you will, of a student's projected goals

 in order to be successful with the review and examination.

Of course, this will enable the student to plan appropriately: 

Study Schedule for the CLEP American Government Exam

This prep course consists of about 13 instructional hours. The lessons are available in a flexible format, allowing you to easily incorporate study time into your schedule. We've provided a timetable below to help you determine the number of weeks you'll need to prepare for the exam. To make sure you get the test time slot that you want, call the test center early and make an appointment.

Study Frequency	When You'll Be Ready for the Exam
3 hours a day; 3 days a week	About 1.5 weeks
2 hours a day; 3 days a week	Just over 2 weeks
1 hour a day; 3 days a week	About 4 weeks

From that overview page, a student can 

take one of many  practice exams. 

So that you can get a sense of what's being asked,

 here are a few questions on the Constitutional Democracy 

exam within the America Government review we've been examining:

Overall, why is study.com CLEP review the best solution for students who wish 

to take a PLA ( Prior Learning Assessment ) and earn college credit ?

**Study.com presents materials in a variety of methods which accommodates

 students of all learning styles.

** Study.com's test prep courses are designed with the express purpose

of helping students pass the CLEP successfully and earn those credits.

**Study.com's program includes short, intriguing videos 

( as well as corresponding transcripts)

** Study.com offers quizzes and practice exams along the way

** And my favorite feature: the personalized study program! 

And once you've registered for the CLEP  

( followed by successfully passing the test! ) 

the educators at study.com want to be sure students know the 

exact step by step 

guidelines for transferring those college credits, as seen here in this screenshot:

Another of Study.com's impressive offerings?
A CLEP scholarship!  

Get the details and application form right here.

COUPON~~ ! 
I'm really excited to share a  special discount
 JUST for my readers 

offered by the generous folks at study.com:

Coupon code: CAMPFIRESANDCLEATS
20% off for the first 3 months' subscription! 

~~~~ Must be redeemed by 4/15/2018~~~~

Just login right here and use that code to begin 
your course review and take the first steps to
earning those college credits with Study.com's CLEP review!

It's easier than ever to find and follow Study.com across social media platforms
 not only for their CLEP prep, but all of their  guides and resources.
Hey, those 30 million - plus students & teachers helped by Study.com each month
cannot be wrong!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
Googleplus 




While this is a sponsored post featuring Study.com's CLEP reivew program,
opinions are my own.
I highly highly recommend this unique and comprehensive
CLEP review program and without a doubt,
 plan to use the program
with my oldest, who is a senior in high school currently!

Thank you for spending some of your precious time today

here at my home on the web! 

Until next time,

~Chris