Thursday, April 5, 2012

Thursday's This and That



It's been a while since I've posted This and That on a Thursday, so thought I'd share a few goodies. Hope one or two strikes your fancy!

Links for Writers

The Non Fiction Writers Conference is an online event scheduled for May 16-18, 2012. Workshops will be given by Dan Poynter, Mark Coker, Peter Bowerman, Dana Lynn Smith, Stephanie Chandler and other notable writers. To register, go here.

The OC  Christian Writer's Conference will be held May 18-20, 2012 in Newport Beach, CA. Speakers include BJ Taylor, Alice Crider, Bill Belew, Bill Myers, and more. For info, click here. They also sponsor several writing contests, including fiction, book proposals, and memoirs. Visit their site for details.  

Doe Branch Ink sponsors week long writing retreats in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. Each week features a different speaker with workshops for writers of every level. For current retreat listings, click here.

Have you been to Word Hippo? If not, you must! This nifty site has a synonym and antonym search, a translation feature, definitions, and rhyming words. Fun stuff!

Grammar Revolution bills itself as "Grammar the Easy Way". It offers tips and  exercises, sentence diagramming help, grammar games, cool quotes, and more. They say, "Learning grammar can be fun." See if you agree!

Quick Review
 
This is my recent review of Carol Alexander's ebooklet for homeschoolers, Lessons from the Hen House.  Please feel free to pass this on to any homeschooling friends. :)

This handy guide is a wonderful resource for homeschool families! Its user-friendly content is divided into segments that address each age group – elementary, intermediate, and upper levels. The activities are further broken down by subject and include math, language, science, art, geography, and home economics. 

Carol not only offers advice on how to make the most of the guide, but also offers ideas to take studies further if there is time and interest. Her practical approach and friendly style immediately set you at ease, making you feel as though you have someone cheering you on through the process.  Links and pictures are sprinkled throughout the guide, and the resource section at the end includes a recommended book and magazine list and hatchery info. I think that this guide could be used even if you do not own chickens, for the ideas are varied and doable with or without them.

Lessons from the Hen House is exactly the type of resource I liked to use during our homeschooling years. It offers ideas that can be used immediately with little to no prep time, and can be used with one student, a family, and/or a homeschool, 4H, or other group. 

Come across any good links or reviews lately? Ever been to Word Hippo? :)

Taking a break next week, so will see you back on April 16th.

Have a great weekend,
Karen 

Photo credit: Stock Exchange

36 comments :

  1. Always love finding new writing resources. Never been to Word Hippo but can't wait to visit, just like your blog.

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  2. Ooh, I'm going to have to try Word Hippo. The online thesaurus is so boring!

    Thanks Karen! And thanks for your kind words on my blog. :)

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  3. Word Hippo and the grammar site are ones I'm going to check out for sure!

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  4. Just like everyone else, apparently, Word Hippo is the one that caught my eye. Going to put it in bookmarks 'til I get a chance to pop over there and check it out. I use the totally and completely boring, but helpful thesaurus.com when I'm stuck.

    Waving and grinning,

    R.

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  5. Annie,
    Aww, thanks, you are so sweet! Hope you like the Hippo! :)

    Lydia,
    I like the Word Hippo because it's a little different. Hope you do too. You are welcome; I can totally relate.

    Clarissa,
    Hope you like it! Let me know if you get any brilliant ideas from it, okay? :)

    Rhonda,
    I think you might like it. Thesaurus.com is great, but this is a little different. :)

    Happy weekend,
    Karen

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  6. Thanks for the links. Word hippo and grammar revolution? Gotta check 'em out!

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  7. I could go hang out in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a week.

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  8. Wow, what a great list of good stuff! Im still recouping from the Mt. Hermon writers conference, but now I'm officially a conference junkie. I would go to all of them if I could! I love, love the Word Hippo! Thanks so much and Happy Easter, Karen!
    Jan

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  9. Lessons from the Hen House sounds great, amigo. Word Hippo too. These links are bodaciously coolio. You rock. I'm heading over to Grammar Revolution right now. Hugs to you, amigo. :-)

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  10. Word Hippo sounds fun, and Hen House sounds helpful. Thanks for the great links!

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  11. Thanks for the links to the resources.
    And I love the photo of the tulips.
    Hope you have a blessed Easter.
    Donna

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  12. Just dropping by to let you know I'm still reading here. Happy Easter. :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  13. I shared Word Hippo with the entire fifth grade team at work.

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  14. Theresa,
    Glad you liked Word Hippo enough to share! I like the site; it's really useful. :)

    Alex,
    I know it! Sounds like a great retreat!

    Jan,
    Glad you had a good time at Mount Hermon. Also glad you liked Word Hippo! :)

    Robyn,
    It is a great resource, amigo! Just the kind I always liked to use. Hope the other links are useful. :)

    Tyrean,
    You are very welcome! Hope you get some use out of them!

    Donna,
    You are welcome. Loved that photo too - so spring-like!

    Jules,
    Always good to see you. Hope things are looking up!

    Have a great weekend,
    Karen

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  15. Hi Karen!
    Thanks for the references. I just have one left that I'm home schooling, but I can always use the help!!

    I'm going to check out the Word Hippo too!

    Happy Easter!

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  16. I'm going to check out Word Hippo!
    Thanks!

    I'll be on break too next week, so have a blessed and happy EASTER!

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  17. Cheryl,
    I didn't realize you were still homeschooling - well, hope this info is helpful then! I like Carol's style, and she knows what she's talking about! :)

    Jennifer,
    Hope you find it helpful! Have a good week at the shore! :D

    Happy weekend,
    Karen

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  18. Thanks for Word Hippo, I'm always marking those type of resources. The tulips are lovely, would they happen to be in your yard? I have a hard time getting tulips to do well here. I'm not sure if it's my not-so-green thumb or the weather, but I try.
    Have a happy Easter!

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  19. Your This and Thats are so awesome, Karen. I've bookmarked them all. Now I just need someone to cook supper.

    Happy Passover.

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  20. Sally,
    Hope you like the Word Hippo! No, the tulips aren't from my yard; the picture came from Stock Exchange. Perhaps I need to plant some in my yard - they would be so pretty!

    Joylene,
    Hope you find them helpful. I'll see what I can do about getting you some of that dinner help, okay? :)

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  21. Have a great Easter weekend and break, Karen! I like the title "Lessons from the Hen House" especially knowing its contents! Take care
    x

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  22. Word Hippo sounds like loads of fun. I'll have to check it out.

    Have a happy Easter, Resurrection Sunday.

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  23. nice post thanks for sharing looking for to visit more..blessings

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  24. Thank you for all the links! I hope you're having a lovely Easter!

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  25. Kitty,
    Hope you have a great week as well! I like that title too. Carol's a smart lady!:)

    Nancy,
    It is rather fun, and a nice change from some of those other sites.

    Little of Me,
    Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Nice to meet you!

    Talli,
    You are welcome. Hope you are having a lovely weekend as well!

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  26. Have a great vacation, Karen.

    Word Hippo, huh? It sounds like one I'll want to add to my favorites list when I get home (I'm on a break at work).

    Hugs,
    Jen

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  27. A non-fiction writers' conference that's also online?? Am jumping up and clicking my heels together like Fred Flintstone right now. Thank you, thank you for the links. Love that one in particular, plus the Word Hippo one.

    Hope you enjoy your break!

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  28. Thanks for the links, Karen. The one on Grammar the Easy Way caught my eye. :)

    Enjoy your blog break.

    Blessings,
    Susan

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  29. Jen,
    Thanks a bunch! Congrats on your book release! :)

    Janette,
    Hope that the conference is helpful. I thought it looked good. :) Word Hippo - great name, isn't it?

    Icedgurl,
    Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming by!

    Susan,
    You are welcome! Thought you might like a few of these. :)

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  30. Word hippo and grammar revolution sound good. I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the links!

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  31. Word Hippo sounds cool. I will check it out. Thanks for the links.

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  32. Ruth,
    Hope you enjoyed the sites! I thought they were good. :)

    Rachna,
    It is cool! Hope you get some use out of it! :)

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  33. Hi, Karen.

    I didn't know about Word Hippo. Thanks for the link!

    Blessings,
    Jean

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  34. Jean,
    You are welcome! Hope you like it!
    Blessings,
    Karen

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  35. Hi Karen, I'm so excited to learn about Word Hippo and have already added it to my iPhone for my Words With Friends games. :)

    So fun to meet a fellow grandmother at the Ultimate Blot Party and I had fun introducing you at SandwichINK - www.sandwichink.com/the-sandwich-generation-pink-saturday-ultimate-blog-party-2012

    Have a blessed week.

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  36. It's great to meet you too, Kaye! Thanks so much for the shout out on your post. Wishing you many wonderful Words with Friends games using Word Hippo!
    Blessings,
    Karen :)

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Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Have a blessed day!