Life has gotten very busy the past several months. I don't mind - that's the stage of life I'm at and I feel blessed to be busy. My mother told me a few years ago, "Mary, it's GOOD to have a sense of purpose". Those words have stuck with me. Believe me, I have purpose! (can you hear me laughing?)
I feel as if I haven't posted as much of the "nitty gritty" homeschool stuff that I have in the past because I've been reviewing products. I'm trying to strike a balance between the two, so please be patient with me. I know I haven't kept up with Twitter and commenting on blogs. I think this has been God's way of steering me away from too much social media. I spent WAY too much time in the alternate universe of Twitter and Facebook and I'm happy to say I'm not there much anymore.
I have not monetized my blog and I don't do ads or sponsors. I also don't conduct giveaways on my blog for legal reasons. (I've been amazed by the companies that say it's perfectly fine to not do a giveaway on my site... I always thought it was kind of something you just had to do, but guess what? It's my blog, and I run it my way!) It's just something that I can't keep up with and can't see the benefit for my family right now. I am in awe of the bloggers that can manage their home life and their blogs -- I'm not so good at it, so I have to keep it simple, especially since I am a part of Three Thinking Mothers, too!
My first obligation is to my God and family, not my blog. I do, however, enjoy blogging and it has some distinct benefits for myself and my family. Here's a little breakdown of how I spend my online time. 
If you're not aware, I am a part of the TOS Review Crew for the 2011-2012 year. If you aren't familiar with the crew and what we do, you should be! We help The Old Schoolhouse Magazine review products... there is a huge crew of homeschool bloggers who receive products and offer our honest opinion of these products. Sometimes they are WONDERFUL, other times they are average. I always try to give my honest opinion. I hope you've read some of my reviews!
Last year I remember reading a review post about something called Talking Fingers: Read, Write and Type. Wow. It looked great and upon ordering it for my son he LOVED it. From then on I kept my eyes on the crew blog, and when they were accepting applications for reviewers you can bet I applied.
In the beginning I thought it would just be excellent to get some free products. Little did I know the service the crew offers to other homeschool families, or the friendships I would make on the crew. I am blessed to be involved in such a wonderful program. 
Recently, I've also become a Tommy Mommy - reviewing just one or two products for Tommy Nelson each month. The Tommy Moms are a great resource for you, too. So far I've completed one review (for a product which I thoroughly recommend.)
As you shop for Christmas, or consider curriculum needs for your children, please take advantage of reading reviews and visiting The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew and Tommy Mommy.
**And here's a tip: my FAVORITE thing I've reviewed this year was Wits and Wagers and Say Anything -- two FUN games for your family. These would be GREAT Christmas presents!!!
