Welcome back to another week of Family Fun Friday, a weekly link up where you can share what fun things you have been up to with your family.  If it’s family friendly and fun, you can link up your post.

Here is a list of suggested topics you can choose from, but feel free to write about something else:

• Fun Crafts
• Fun Recipes
• Fun Family Outings
• Fun Mom Game, or,
• Funny Stories about your Family

Be sure to share our button on the side and check out my co-host, Frontline Moms, to see what fun stuff she is sharing this week.

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This week we started homeschooling Bear.  It has been fun working on her worksheets and listening to her cd.  The fun preschool prep DVDs I found have been a great addition.

But the real fun was her first day of our weekly Frontline Families Homeschoolers.  Bear is participating in Science, PE and Worldview this year in order to help her get the opportunity to hear more language from her peers.  This was one of the best ways we found to get her out their and yet still be under our supervision.

Here are a few pictures of her before we left for her first day:

She did so well!  I was very happy to get good reports from all her teachers.  The only down side was that she almost feel asleep with her head on the table in Worldview.  I guess I will be working this next week on keeping her and Lion awake until 2:00.

What fun things have you been up to lately?  Share a link below and I will be sure to come and check them out!

photo source

These past two weeks have been crazy in my little college town.  First of all, my sister in law started her first official year at our local community college while my brother in law is in his senior year at the local university.  It is crazy to see the two of them going after their dreams and realizing just how grown they have become.

Things really went crazy when I went to the grocery store to find everything out of stock.  Yep, the students are back in town.

And when school times come, it is important that you make a wise choice about your textbooks.  I should know!  I plan to head back this coming spring semester.

When doing research for textbooks, most people think you must buy your books, whether new or used.  But there is another option out there: Textbook rental.

CampusBookRentals.com offers a wide selection of books for you to rent for them for a fraction of the price.  Some of the great benefits of renting your textbooks are:

• save 40-90% off of bookstore prices
• free shipping both ways
• can highlight in the textbooks
• flexible renting periods
• money is donated to Operation Smile with each textbook rented
• and many more!

Check out the saving for yourself!  Here is an example on a copy of this textbook for sociology.  How about that for a deal?

I know if Daddy Head and I decide to have me finish my degree in the spring, I will be checking out Campus Book Rentals for the books I need.  Their site is attractive and easy to navigate.  I simply have to search for the book I need.

Are you heading back to school this semester?  Where do you get your books from?

August is almost complete, which is so hard to believe.  Here is my check in for the month’s reading:

B90Days has come to an end. I officially finished reading the whole Bible this past Sunday.  I was and am very proud of myself for getting the job done.  It was fun.

How to Potty Train a Toddler the Loving Way by Jenny Stapleton.  This book didn’t prove to be what I thought it would be.  I honestly was looking for a how-to, and this was more of a tips type book.  I got another book to read, which turned out to be the same thing.  We just bit the bullet and started.  We still have a while to go, but we started.  Bear has pottied quite a bit on the chair and we have even had a few poops.  We need to conquer the weekend issue of church and family time, though.  But we started

Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury.  Oh, sigh!  I can hardly believe what all this book entailed.  The shocking death of family made this a tear jerker and a hard one to put down.  I think Kingsbury has officially brought the Baxter family to a close.  I didn’t realize that I needed to read two other whole series to get everything, but thankfully it wasn’t hard to follow.  If you have read her other Baxter Family series, you need to finish up with this one.  Very good.

There is my check in.  I am not exactly sure when the next list will be up, but look for it in September.  And while you are here, check out the giveaways I have going on for a copy of Your Baby’s First Year and $50 and Free Shipping from Minted.

During the summer, I am always looking for some sort of change for my hair.  I don’t want to cut my hair, so color is the next thing I think about.

From now until June 15th, you can get a 20% off any color service coupon to use at participating salons in the U.S. and Canada! This offer is valid at Best Cuts, BoRics, Famous Hair, HairMasters, Head Start, Holiday Hair, Saturday’s, Style America and TGF Hair Salons.  To find a location near you and print a copy of your coupon, simply head to http://bit.ly/Kt8B36.

Stylists at participating salons provide services to make you look – and feel – your most fabulous. Color services are no exception: sit back and let the pros help you discover your dream shade for the summer months, and beyond!

Simply use the above widget to get your coupon.  And if you use it, be sure to leave me a comment letting me know how you love your new hair