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Showing posts with label Products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Products. Show all posts

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Amazon Outlet Deals

 Home Improvement and Tools

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Under $10 Deals

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Best Sellers




Thursday, August 1, 2024

Ulta Deals and Steals!!! There are SO MANY!!!!

 FREE Shipping on orders $35 and up

$10 off of $40 when you order online and pick up in store or curbside, use code SAVE24

 

Select Lipsticks up to 40% off https://mavely.app.link/e/6TbY13RbILb

BOGO 50% off Select Lip products https://mavely.app.link/e/Jf18Px9bILb

Buy 3 Tula products and get 20% off https://mavely.app.link/e/4aLvhhLcILb

Up to 25% off select skincare https://mavely.app.link/e/Fp8IfCRcILb

Buy 3 or more The Ordinary products and save 20% https://mavely.app.link/e/IODCWRAlDLb

FREE 12 Piece Conscious Beauty Set with a $80 purchase

FREE Tarte Mini Trio with select Shape Tape Purchase

All SALE items starting at $2.47 https://mavely.app.link/e/it2LEAodILb




Friday, June 26, 2015

Circle C Adventures Review #2

I did a review for this vendor earlier in the year and loved her book.  I was excited to be given the opportunity to review another one.  My 7 year old is an avid horse lover so these stories are right up his alley.  Circle C Adventures gives us the chance to jump right into a world of excitement, horses, farm life and more.  The best part is that they give you two other series called Circle C Beginnings and Circle C Milestones so that you can experience this world earlier and later then adventures.  Tales from the Circle C Ranch is a great collection of short stories that allow you a peek into Andi Carter's life.  I feel in love with the character as soon as read the first book and this book just continues to deepen that relationship.  I was also given access to Andrea Carter's Tales from the Circle C Ranch Learning Lapbook.  The lapbooks available for some of the books are great learning tools.

Tales for the Circle C Ranch was a great books to use for bedtime story read alouds.  That is how we used it in our house.  Since it was comprised of short stories I could read one each night and it only took a few minutes.  The kids loved them and the stories are so fun that I had no problem holding their attention while I read.  One of my favorite things about Susan K. Marlow's writing style is that is reads very easy.  The words flow from one to the other and in my opinion that is exactly how a good book should be.  She does such a good job of putting the stories together and describing the scenes in the books that you can let your imagination put you right into the story.  I love reading something that makes me feel like I am there and this book once again doesn't disappoint in that department.


The lapbook that goes along with the book is Andrea Carter's Tales from the Circle C Ranch Learning Lapbook.  We didn't use the lapbook this time around but we do plan on using it later on this Summer. I have used another one of her lapbooks and looked over this one.  They are great!!!  I really didn't expect much from the lapbooks originally, just assumed it would be a very simple add on to the book.  But these lapbooks are very extensive with many great activities to tie in with the book.  You could easily turn each book into a complete unit study using the accompanying lapbooks by just throwing in a few more simple resources.

The book can be yours for a very reasonable prices of $7.99 and the lapbook can be yours for $7.00-$12.00 depending on whether you choose the printed version or the ebook version.  You can follow this series and the author via social media Facebook and Twitter https://www.facebook.com/CircleCAdventures
http://twitter.com/SuzyScribbles.  I can't wait to read more of her books and I'm sure once you read the first one you will be the same way.  The best part is that these books are great, clean fun so you don't have to worry about letting your children read the or about reading them to them.  Be sure and check out all the books in the series about Andrea (Andi) Carter and enjoy all the great excitement!!!!



Tales of the Circle C Ranch Bookk ReviewTales of the Circle C Ranch Bookk Review
Dynamic Literacy Review
Crew Disclaimer

Thursday, June 25, 2015

SmartKidz Media Review

SmartKidz Media Review
SmartKidz Media is a really neat website.  I was super excited to get to review their SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers.  The program is a huge digital resource library for homeschoolers that includes songs, videos, and study guides.  You can choose from sections such as; Family Media- which includes World of Discovery and Music and Fine Arts or Reading and Learning Center- which includes ebooks, baby sign language lessons, animal families, study guides, special needs learning, life skills, songs and a fun zone.  I have never seen anything like this website and I have spent many years exploring homeschool options.  I was and still am very impressed with the content available on their website.  I have enjoyed it just as much as my kids have.

Most of their activities are given in video format but you also have access to some great study guides.  The favorite part for my kiddos was of course all the great animal videos and information.  We are animal obsessed here and this website gives you an unbelievable amount of animal lessons that you can choose from.  I think we watched all the animal videos, and read the animal ebooks in the first few days of exploring the program.  That is all they wanted to do.  I loved the baby sign language section and plan on using it with our new little bundle of joy arriving in Fall.  We used this program several times a week and plan on continuing to use it.

As a homeschooling Mom with a large family I was super relieved to find out that you do not have to have membership for each child.  You pay one fee and get access to a family membership and the best part is that the fee is affordable!! You have the option to pay monthly for only $10 or save some money by purchasing a yearly membership for $99.  The material they provide is well worth the prices and on top of learning my kids were entertained.  There was only one con in my opinion and this isn't a con for most people but we live in a rural area was the amount of Internet you use.  Where we live we do not have access to unlimited data so watching the video definitely impacted our date plan but it is worth it.  As long as I use in conservatively I don't anticipate it being a problem.  But due to this I do wish more of their information was available in printable study guide format.

 Above is a view of one of the awesome study guides......

 This screen shot shows just a a few of the many video lessons available....

 This is one of the bright, fun ebooks offered.....



You can view their catalog and sign up for a membership on their website.  And make sure you check out SmartKidz Media on FACEBOOK and TWITTER
SmartKidz Media Review
Crew Disclaimer

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Field Trip Journal Review.....Apologia



Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal Review
One of the perks of homeschooling is the fact that you can take field trips whenever you want.  And we fully take advantage of this by taking a lot of field trips.  We take so many during the Spring and Fall that we do the majority of our official schoolwork during the cold of Winter and the heat of Summer.  The wonderful thing about field trips is that the can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be and you can incorporate an incredible amount of learning and life skills into each one.  We have visited local museums, zoos, state parks and local water spots.  We have also traveled for our field trips; to Chattanooga for the Aquarium and Children’s Museum, Nashville for ICE and the Opryland Hotel, Alabama for the Kennedy Space Center.  We were very excited when Apologia Educational Ministries offered us the opportunity to review their Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal.

I’m not sure what I expected I guess just a blank scrapbook like journal especially for the very affordable price of only $22 but what I got was something completely different.  The Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal is full of useful tips and information that make planning any field trip much easier.  Plus since we decided to use it as a family book we had a blast filling in the pages talking about all of our trips.  I can see us filling up about one book per year if we record our adventures (we repeat several adventures each year) so the price and easy use makes it a great way to keep track of your year.   
Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal Review

The first section; Preparing for a Field Trip is a great intro for someone new to homeschooling that might be a little intimidated about scheduling adventures.  It gives you tips on what to do before, during and after a field trip to make it a success whether it is a small family trip or a large group trip. The next couple of sections go over field trip idea (there are several that I had never thought of), and then a place to list all the destinations you decided to visit.  The remaining sections let you records your specific trips, special spots, and your own personal memories from all your trips.  You can use these sections however you want but at the beginning of each section Apologia Educational Ministries has gave you some great suggestions. 
The inside of the book is made up of sturdy pages and a durable cover, with bright colors and easy to read writing.  I can definitely see us purchasing some more of these in the future to continue recording all of our adventures.

There are a couple of bonuses that come with this book.  On the bottom of one of the field trip idea pages is a link and password to access additional useful activities that go along with the journal.  Apologia Educational Ministries includes this link in each book which gives you more field trip ideas and state maps. 

Please follow this great vendor on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld/timeline
Twitter: https://twitter.com/apologiaworld
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125
And remember to check out the other reviews for the rest of the Review Crew!!!
Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal Review

Crew Disclaimer

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Critical Thinking Review.....Math Analogies Level 1

Critical Thinking Company Review
     This review is for Math Analogies Level 1 (which is for grades 2-3) a product from The Critical Thinking Company . This company offers over 150 different products covering all grades and subjects and I have used a couple of them previously.  I love their products but Math Analogies was not a huge hit in our house.  I love the concept and think that it 100% benefits the kiddos.  I was surprised at the analogies my children struggled with and also surprised at the ones they just sailed right through.  There is no doubt that this product encourages critical thinking skills (did you see what I did there) but for our house it was just a little too dry.  I had a hard time getting the kids to do it and usually they jump at the chance to work on their computer based school.  
     On the plus side Math Analogies Level 1 is a steal at only $6.99 for the Windows download so even though the kids aren't crazy about it I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it.  If I get them to work on it a couple of hours a week then I would call it a success because it requires them to think in ways that our everyday schoolwork does not.  I believe that one of the most important parts of child development that is overlooked is teaching our children to think in a variety of ways.   This product definitely covers a different way then what kids are used to and that is always a plus.  Problem solving skills are so important in our day to day existence and The Critical Thinking Company does a great job of encouraging those skills with this product.  Most kids will probably love it mine are just picky...they need lots of animation and color to keep them engaged.  
     I used this product with my both my 1st grader (he is advance in Math) and my 2nd grader (he's right on level).  My 2nd grader typically struggles more with his school work then my first grader as a general rule but on this product he excelled.  The analogies just seemed to click with his brain (proof that he is an out of the box thinker).  My 1st grader did wonderful it just didn't come as natural to him and I don't think it had anything to do with his grade level.  He excels at his daily work and tends to get "stuck" when I present anything a little different then what he is  accustomed to.  We plan on continuing to use this product for both the boys and will continue to make future purchases from The Critical Thinking Company.  
     Be sure you check out this company on all their social media.  Doing this is a great way to keep up with changes and special announcements that they make.  Plus it helps them no they have support and we want them to know that so they will keep offering these top of the line products!! Like their FACEBOOK page.  Follow them on TWITTER and of course PINTEREST.
    Please go check out the Schoolhouse Review Crew's  main post so that you can see what everyone else had to say about this company and their products.  My fellow reviewers are their to offer you a look into the same product as me Math Analogies Level 1.  And they can also give you a chance to check out other great products such as; Alphabet Song Game,
Math Analogies Beginning, Math Analogies Level 2, Editor in Chief Level 1, Editor in Chief Level 2, Pattern Explorer, and World History Detective Book 1.



Critical Thinking Company Review
    




Crew Disclaimer

Friday, November 15, 2013

Guest Post- Switched on Schoolhouse Review

Please enjoy this great review provided by my friend and fellow homeschooling Mom Candice!!!  Candice is wonderful Mom who is also an advocate for child allergy awareness.  She is an inspiration!!



Switched on School house

My son is eight years old and has severe food allergies, asthma, and Aspergers. I have had conflict with his school pretty much every year he has been in school. Things getting sent home in his backpack that he is severely allergic to, violations of his IEP, and bullying.

This year was actually going okay. I felt  like I had finally gotten the school where it needed to be as far as his food allergies go. So I was upset when they checked our address to see if we were in zone. They sent home a letter saying Elijah had a week before he had to move schools. I called the Principal and she said there was nothing she could do about it. I'm guessing they were happy to get rid of us. Going to another school would have been too much of a headache as far as his special education and food allergies were concerned so I decided to do homeschool.

Picking a homeschool curriculum was hard. I looked up different curriculums and stressed out over it basically. One night I was watching 19 kids and counting and Michelle Duggar mentioned she used Switched on Schoolhouse. I immediately for up and pulled it up on the computer. I read the reviews and did the demos. One of my friends has also used it before and really liked it. So I ordered it off Amazon. (It was cheaper than the AOP website)

It was weird receiving the little box by UPS. I was expecting a lot more, maybe a book or something. All it was was. Software box containing 5 cd's. You have an option of putting the curriculum on your hard drive or having to put in each individual cd every time you do that subject. I elected to go ahead and install every subject. This was the best option for me and I had extra space for it. Installation took a little under an hour.

The demo videos are a must when getting started or you will be so confused. I love the lesson planner. I just put in the school calendar and it plans out the lessons for me and even has off days for holidays and breaks already programmed in. It also has a place to take attendance. I can't wait to use the report card feature in a few weeks and it also has a transcript feature. I can be as involved as I want with the lessons or I can let him do it on his own. I do recommend if you do this or another type of computer based learning that you sit with them for tests and quizzes because it is really easy to cheat. Math, Language Arts, Science, Geography & History, and Bible were included with my software. You can also add a foreign language at an additional cost. We also do Art and I have him keep a journal, but that's not included.

The only complaint I have is that it doesn't come with readers or scientific equipment. It literally only includes the software, but that's all you need. There are excellent fb groups and a wonderful newsletter they send you that is inspirational and gives great tips. The only downfall for some people is that it is Christian based and that is clearly evident throughout the curriculum not just the bible subject. This was an added bonus for my family, but for some people it may be a turn off. I can't wait to share my journey as a new homeschooling Mom with you all and I will check back in with you in a few weeks!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Time 4 Learning

We recently had the chance to try a free trial of Time 4 Learning at https://www.time4learning.com/.  I signed up thinking we would use it for two weeks for something a little different and then move on.  I have became frugal with my homeschooling expenses;-) 

After two days my Kindergartner was hooked, getting him started for school each day is always a challenge but not with Time 4 Learning.  He is always asking to do school on the computer.  It's great!!  Time 4 Learning is a online curriculum for Preschool-8th grade.  It does a great job of covering everything and keeping them interested.  My favorite part is that it has really helped my son be independent.  He will go through the lessons on his own and because of the wonderful parent section I can always look at how much information he is mastering.  I get him logged on and let him have at it, I do come back when he takes the quizzes at the end of each section. 

If you have a hands on learner or someone who just needs a break for the pencil and paper then definitely check out their website Time 4 Learning. 

Even though our free trial has came to a end we still plan on continuing.  Time 4 Learning makes it very easy for us by costing us less then $20 per month and not requiring a contract.  I can pay month to month and not worry about being out of money if for some reason we need to stop.



Disclaimor- As a member of Time4Learning, I have been given the opportunity to review their program and share my experiences. While I was compensated, this review was not written or edited by Time4Learning and my opinion is entirely my own. For more information, check out their standards-based curriculum or learn how to write your own curriculum review

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Busy, Busy, Busy

We have had a wonderful start to 2013.  We wrapped up our marsupials unit study and have moved onto dinosaurs:-)  I will get caught up on all the activities and such this weekend!

I wanted to do a quick post regarding Pinterest.  As most of my followers know I am constantly pulling ideas from Pinterest.  I had a few request to follow so I am providing the link to my Pinterest homeschool board http://pinterest.com/aleciaj/homeschool-education/.  Now I wish I was on tops of things enough to have started a board per subject or unit study but it just didn't happen.  Still, this board has  wealth of activities; websites, activities, art lessons, music lessons, unit study materials, and tons of sensory and other OT ideas:-)

Enjoy!!!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Ready to Welcome 2013!!

Okay so I won't lie we didn't accomplish a lot at the end of December, we focused the majority of our time on family activities for the Holidays:-)  So I guess maybe we did in fact accomplish a lot, it's all in perspective.  Today was our first day back to school.  We started our Unit Study on Pocket Moms/Marsupials, they boys are really excited about the next couple of weeks.  One part of our Unit study is the interactive online Unit from Simple Schooling.  We are of course using the one on Pocket Moms but there are tons of different ones for all ages, check out their website it's worth it!!  There is a fee for their interactive units plus they have tons of printable units available on currclick that tie everything together.  I have used their printable stuff often but just recently became familiar with their online units via some freebies, we will be purchasing a subscription for the year. 

We started out our morning with a sensory activity.  Dollar store floam and pony beads keep everyone so busy and happy they don't even realize it's work:-)


Most of our sensory work is for the benefit of our blond Kindergartner here but the others love to participate and it definitely doesn't hurt to work on everyone's motor skills.

Keaton was a little less then impressed:-)
 
 
They rest of today continued with the Kangaroo part of our marsupial studies.  We worked some online, did some Math in the printable unit study available on currclick and some coloring sheets from Enchanted Learning.  We wrapped up the day with library books and our Kangaroo Dot art make sure you check out our previous post for details on it
http://icecreamandcookieslife.blogspot.com/2012/12/kangaroo-dot-patterns.html.
  
 
All in all the last day of 2012 was pretty successful.  I can't wait to spend a evening at home ringing in 2013 with all my guys!!!
 
Happy New Year!!!
 


Friday, November 9, 2012

My new addiction to 31


It happened.........I crossed to the dark side and fell in love with 31J  Okay so maybe it’s not quite that drastic but honestly I’ve never paid close attention to their products until recently.  A girl I worked with carried a Retro Metro Bag and I decided I had to have one.  So I called up a friend of mine who also happens to be the best 31 consultant out there and booked a party.  If you are familiar with 31 then you know why I booked a party instead of just ordering the bag but if you’re like me and not familiar with it then let me clue you in.  We all know when you host a party to sell a product you get hostess rewards, discounts, etc.  and 31 is no exception.  In fact they have one of the most impressive hostess rewards programs I have come across and I was instantly impressed.   Plus they have some great exclusive items that you can only purchase by hosting a party.
Here is my personal order....the retro metro bag in spirit grey, wristlet in patchwork paisley, the elephant icon change purse(how cute is that), and my hostess exclusive the perfect party set in say it taupe.  Love my products!! Since this was my first 31 party I wasn't sure what to expect but everybody loves it!!  When the shipment arrived and I notified everyone their excitement was obvious.

I'm going to brag on this product.  It is a hostess exclusive so you have to have a party or catalog order to purchase it.  It's insulated and has two seperate zipper pouches to hold two 9x13 or smaller casserole dishes........plus the spoons match!! At $20 this is a a must have for any 31, cooking, or baking fan. 
 
 
If you're interested in some more details about hosting a party, placing a order or just seeing a catalog then please let my consultant know.  Her name is Carmen Brooks and she is great.  Check out her website https://www.mythirtyone.com/carmenbrooks/.  There is a great special for November where for every $35 you spend you can purchase one of their brand new products, a medium utility tote for only $5!!!  I have one of those also....and love it!!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Tree, Leaf and Seed Unit Study plus some Tips, Recipes and FREEBIES!!







Our tree, leaf and seed unit study has arrived at an early end.  The kids just weren’t feeling it and neither was I so onto our Thanksgiving studies.  We did enjoy the first parts of it where we revisited the seasons, leaves changing colors, weather, etc.  We firmed up on some of our information we already knew about the local trees and animals that make them their homes.
Our shaving cream and paint leaves were tons of fun so please use the link to themJ The directions for this activity can be used with any shape or color scheme you want to work with.  We also loved doing our melted crayon apples.


Colton has made great progress with his number recognition thanks to a program called Touchpoint or Touchmath .  They have some great free printables on their website plus I found some great free poster printables on Pinterest that go along with it. We have been using this method for two weeks and the results are pretty impressive.  So far I am just using the free resources I have found but I plan on biting the bullet and purchasing the whole program soonJ

Another product that I found this past week was the The Lab of Mr. Q, they have great EBooks that are easy to follow and can be adjusted for a couple of different grade levels.  Right now you can download their Life Science student and parent copy ebook for FREE so be sure and take advantage!!  I also discovered that Hobby Lobby has a couple of back aisles that are a gold mine for all of us homeschoolers or just Moms in general.  Combined with my new knowledge that they offer a 40% off coupon on their mobile site each week and I purchased a fabulous wall map for just $8:-)
It's the Animals of the World Map.....
 
As we start learning about Thanksgiving it's important to me that my boys understand just how lucky they are and how wonderful our lives are so we are doing a Thankful tree.  I painted and cut out a tree trunk to go on the wall and each day everyone adds a leaf with something they are thankful for whether it is something small or something big.  The whole family is participating and we have had lots of fun.  The top looks a little puny right now but by the end of the month I expect a beautiful, colorful tree:-)
I need to print off a squirrel to add to it;-)

The kids have done great with their leaves!!
 
Off subject just a bit but as many of you know I am addicted to pinterest and I am not alone.  So in an attempt to make up for virtually not cooking the entire month of October I have decided to incorporate  several new recipes that I have found on Pinterest into our menu over the next couple of weeks!!  Last night’s hits were Million Dollar Spaghetti and Chocolate Chip Pie.  These were approved by my Hubby, our friends and most importantly the kiddos!! Plus they were both super easy and the spaghetti would be a great make ahead and freeze meal.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Pumpkin Unit....

The past two weeks have been all about pumpkins.  Our schooling has took a bit of a slowdown since I am back at work 2-3 days a week for the month of October.  We are sort of taking an extended Fall Break with lots of hands on activities and field trips:-) 

Our pumpkin unit has consisted of some really neat activities such as Erupting Pumpkins and Pumpkin Pie play-doh.  Our bookwork was a great unit study provided by Simple Schooling via Currclick Pumpkin Fun Book it was wonderful and helped me introduce lots of new skills into our daily lessons, normally it is $6.99 but if you hurry you can get it for only $0.99!!  It has a total of 59 pages and it's worth it regardless of which price you end up paying.  Since we have so much going on we have been running a little behind schedule BUT we finally finished our Life Cycle of a Pumpkin craft be sure and check it out.

Weston's preschool work...

Kindergarten....We covered life cycle of a pumpkin, numbers 1-10, introduction to addition and subtraction, measuring, number lines, area and perimeter.  We also worked on parts of plants, some pumpkin coloring and letters.



The favorite part of October for the whole family is the fact that I work at a local corn maze and pumpkin patch Life Down on the Farm.  I have nearly as much fun working here as the kids do visiting me so this past weekend they dropped in to say hi:-)  Consider a field trip away from the house and come see us one day, it's a great opportunity for the kids to learn about farm animals and equipment plus they get to have a blast.  Like their facebook page to keep up to date on the activities scheduled Facebook @Life Down on the Farm. 









Dalton tags along with me at least one day a week but he usually opts not to pose for pictures ;-)

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Fall Family Giveaway!!!



THE WINNER IS STEPHANIE GENTRY!!!!!!!
 
 
Life Down on the Farm is a local and family friendly Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch located in Powell, TN.   It is a must do for Fall!!! They have partnered with my blog to give away a Free Admission for a family of four!! The giveaway with end on October 5, 2012.
 
 
 
 
Nigerian Dwarf Goats...make sure you check them out at Critter Corner located in the lower barn.

New additions this year:-)
 
 

The corn boxes are always a huge hit for the kids and adults!!

Buggy Rides


Hay Ride to the pumpkin patch.
 
 
 
They have lots of other great activities; bounce pillow, face and pumpkin painting, corn maze, cow train and of course concessions featuring me!! Be sure to stop by and say hi!!
 
 
 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, September 3, 2012

Free Art Curriculum

I recently discovered this wonderful free art curriculum.  It is for grades 1-7 and offers 10 lessons per grade.  Well worth the download.  Each lesson consists of an informative two pages.  You decide what activities you want to go along with it and how it should be taught to your child.  Enjoy!!

http://www.cuchicago.edu/experience/arts/visual-arts/art-lessons/

Friday, July 27, 2012

Classroom, Curriclum Planner, and Folder System

Our classroom area is finally finished so I thought I would share pictures:-)  I'm also going to share a step by step for the curriculum planner I am using and the folder system we decided to try for Colton.  I will include links for everything!!
We just took one corner and wall of the dining room and made our classroom space.


Curriculum Planner

Schedule Tab

Attendance Tab

Field Trip Tab
Evaluation/ Progress Tab

Calendar

Lesson Plan

  

Curriculum Resources Tab

Long-Range Planning and Notes Tab


Colton's Subject Folders

Each one contains the entire weeks worth of work for that subject:-)


http://littlepassports.com/ Where the map and the small blue suitcase came from

http://www.newbeehomeschooler.com/freecurriculumplanner.htm All of the curriculum planner printables FREE

http://pinterest.com/pin/180707003768891475/ This is where I got the idea for the folders.... I did my system a little differently though:-)