Imagine a world where you can no longer live on earth. You have to leave to live on a foreign planet but you really don't know how to survive. This is the basis of The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh and we were able to review The Green Book - eGuide by Progeny Press.

The Green Book is a science fiction novel that is sure to thrill kids. Pattie, the main character, is one of the last families that is leaving the dying planet Earth. Her family boards a ship to go to a new planet and the journey takes four years to get there. Unsure how to survive on the planet, the adults build houses and begin farming. They are hopeful that their crops will grow and be edible on this new planet. Pattie and the other kids explore the new planet through the book and come across some interesting things like moth people and candy trees. The Green Book is Pattie's account on their new life on this strange planet.

If you've never tried an eGuide, it is a super fun way to become a part of the story you're reading. I love doing unit studies on the books we read in our homeschool. So many times there are hidden lessons in all books that go missed! With the The Green Book - eGuide by Progeny Press, you'll go in depth on a study of the book and learn about things that you might have missed.

What is so wonderful about the The Green Book - eGuide by Progeny Press is that the lessons also include scripture so you will look at the story through a Christian perspective. I love this because you can learn life lessons that apply to the characters. Each eGuide takes about 8-10 weeks to finish so it really is a great unit study tool! Each eGuide is in PDF format so you can print them out to make a binder or you can use them right on the computer and fill in the PDF as you go.

The Green Book - eGuide by Progeny Press is recommended for grades 3-5 and is 62 pages long. Since Mary is going into 5th grade in October, I thought this was the best one to start her with. I also enjoyed the storyline since she loves the idea of going into space.

The Green Book - eGuide by Progeny Press starts off with before you read activities like making travel plans and starting a journal like Pattie did in the main story. They also have other recommended reading for pioneer stories as well.

After the prereading activities, you will start with Chapter 1. Each lesson in the eGuide includes vocabulary words that are throughout the story. You get to understand them more in depth and figure out if they are in context or out of context. You also have questions for each lesson too to help you understand what you are reading and to think about it more.

There is a literary techniques section that teaches different things like similes and metaphors as well. This is great because it shows how it was used in the actual book. You'll also have a dig deeper section where you can learn about the story through the Bible's eyes with different verses. And then there is an optional activities and projects section that includes a multitude of different things you can do! There are cooking ideas, things to study in science, gardening, and more!

Overall we were super impressed with The Green Book - eGuide by Progeny Press. It's so in depth with the study of this book, you will walk away with a clear understanding of it that will last.

Progeny Press has a lot more eGuides on their site too! Make sure to check them all out if you're looking for an in depth look at a book for homeschool! And check out the other crew members reviews below!

Our family lives in North Georgia but we are only about 20 minutes from the Tennessee state line. For that reason, we visit Chattanooga much more often than Atlanta. And one of our favorite places is the Tennessee Aquarium.


The Tennessee Aquarium is located right at on the Riverfront in Chattanooga. What makes it so unique and special is that it is separated into two different buildings. The freshwater animals and the saltwater animals. The buildings themselves are called River Journey and Ocean Journey. Since we got to the aquarium a little after 3pm, we started in Ocean Journey since that building closes first at 6pm. At the top of the building, you start in the lemur forest and then the butterfly garden. Mary was so excited to see the butterflies and we were like butterfly magnets to them!


After the butterfly garden, you'll go to the mid level to see the penguins! We had so much fun seeing them but they're so quick it's almost impossible to get a good shot of them!


After the penguins, you'll start making your way through down the building with huge tanks on either side of you. There are sharks, stingrays, fish and of course green turtles everywhere.


You'll also see the coral reef which has some amazing fish in it! I love seeing the brightly colored fish. As you make your way to the end of Ocean Journey, you'll see the jellyfish before heading to River Journey.


River Journey is comprised of freshwater animals and starts with a four story high escalator ride to the top. Once there, you'll meet the otters and a whole bunch of turtles!


My favorite part was the alligators they have since my teenage years were spent in South Florida. There's nothing like a gator to a Floridian. After you make your way through the gators, you will get to a section completely devoted to turtles. Since Mary is obsessed with turtles at the moment, this was her favorite.


Overall the Tennessee Aquarium is our favorite aquarium in Tennessee now. But what really made the whole trip wonderful was that everyone was so friendly and hospitable. Everyone was so polite and kind. It really made the difference in the entire experience.

The Tennessee Aquarium currently costs $29.95 for anyone 13+ and $18.95 for children 3-12. They also have the Imax theater that you can add on to your package as well.

Want to see just what was in my Furry Mystery Box for June 2018? Check out the unboxing video below!





Overall we were impressed with the quality of the items we got and we loved the shirt! Furry Mystery Box also has a subscription for just the shirts as well so if you just want a shirt each time with no other swag, that's an option for you too! Make sure to check them out if you love furry themed items too!

Stress. It sits on our shoulders and creeps up when we least expect it - when we are trying to get something done, when we are trying to sleep, or when we are trying to relax with our families. Stress is the most dreaded feeling and it’s hard to prevent, especially when you have so much on your plate. Being a business owner is a prime example of having too much to do and it is easy to feel stressed with the paperwork begins to pile up on your desk, but if you take a deep breath and work through it, you can get it done! I believe that reducing your stress-levels is extremely important when it comes to your work life, your home life, and to your overall health and well-being. So, with that being said, I have come up with a few ways to help you reduce your stress as a business owner. Reduced stress should result in more happiness, better sleep, and more satisfaction with life, in general, and that is what we should all be aiming for!

Stay on top of your finances 

Bad finances is one of the most common ways to get stressed out and unfortunately, America in general really struggles with poor finances, typically starting when in college. A lot of kids jump into college, rack up student debt, and have to live off of credit cards and loans. As a business owner, you want to make sure to limit your debt as much as possible, in order to stay stress-free. Of course, there will be some instances where some debt is good, but for the most part, the less debt you have, the better. You do not want to have to live paycheck to paycheck, stressed that you will not be able to put food on your table.

Delegate tasks 

This is one of the most important things you can do, in order to limit or reduce stress. Delegate tasks and find trustworthy help. When you have others to help you with your business (or home tasks), it reduces the amount of work on your shoulders and will lighten the load. If you are stressing out about cleaning your home or bathing your dogs, outsource it and find someone to do it for you. NCSU says, “Delegation is important for 1) efficiency and 2) development. Delegation improves efficiency when it allows work to be transferred to people whose skills are a better match for the work. You are in charge of planning and strategizing the next steps for your team. When your teammates are able to carry out most of the routine activities required of your team, it will allow you the time and effort needed to plan for your team’s next move. As a team leader, you possess important skills and abilities that you can pass on to your team members. The best way of doing this is to coach them in the new skills and then delegate tasks to them so that they may use those new skills. Delegating is a great way of encouraging your team members to develop themselves and for you to develop coaching and mentoring skills.”

Optimize your tax credits 

If you are not a CPA, this could be confusing for you, so I recommend hiring someone to help you out, but optimizing your tax refund and tax credits/incentives is very important for your business because it will ultimately put more money in your pocket. When you do this, you need to be very careful to make sure you are following the correct laws and optimizing correctly. Because of this, I recommend checking out Engineered Tax Services. Based Nationally, Engineered Tax Services is a professionally licensed engineering firm that offers tax, energy, insurance, and investment related strategies since 2001. They provide tax and investment analyses to design-build professionals such as architects, engineers, and contractors, real estate professionals such as commercial property investors, owners, and tenants, accounting tax professionals such as CPAs and financial advisors, and manufacturing & innovation services such as manufacturing, biotech, software, and more. CEO, Julio Gonzalez founded Engineered Tax Services “to marry the science of architecture, engineering with the principles of tax and accounting to arrive at financial solutions that result in increased cash flow, minimized tax payments and increased ROI and return on energy.” Now, Engineered Tax Services tax attorneys, engineers, and scientists are the leading experts that have performed millions of these tax services over the past decades. Engineered Tax Services, through these services, has generated billions of dollars in the United States stimulus that has impacted millions of jobs in our country.

Spend time with family 

Spending time with the ones you love is important because it will fuel your body and mind, which keeps you happier and more relaxed. Make sure you are taking breaks at work - if you over-work your body and mind, you will become burnt-out and will either not want to go back to work, or you will perform poorly at work. Family and happiness should always be a priority in your life, no matter how much work is on your table. This is another reason why delegating is so important - it creates flexibility for you, which allows you to take breaks and do the things that you love.

Find ways to de-stress 

From bubble baths, massages, and pedicures to extra sleep, laughing with family, and curling up on the couch with a movie and some popcorn, there are many ways that you can de-stress on the weekends, after work, or whenever you need it most. De-stressing is essential because if you let all of the stress build up, it is very hard to control it. Managing it as it comes along is much better for your health and happiness.

It is important for a woman to take care of her health, especially during pregnancy, as there is a fragile life growing inside your body. Complications that arise during such time can take a significant effect on the mother’s health, the infant’s health, or both. One such complication is obesity or weight gain, which is common among pregnant women.

Obesity and Pregnancy 

People who are overweight have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, whereas those who are obese have a BMI of 30 or higher. Relatively, those with a BMI of 40 or greater are at the highest risk of complications during pregnancy.

Research suggests that women who are heavier than normal before pregnancy are at greater risk of pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and C-section.

Obesity during pregnancy can also put the baby at great risk of certain health problems, such as birth defects; macrosomia, or a baby that’s larger than normal; preterm birth; stillbirth; and even pregnancy loss. Furthermore, having too much fat in the body may make it difficult to detect certain problems in the fetus’ anatomy through an ultrasound exam. This is also especially difficult when checking the baby’s heart rate when labor comes.

How to Keep Weight under Control 

Women may catch health problems while they are pregnant or before they have conceived. This is the main reason why women are urged to receive prenatal care throughout their pregnancy: to decrease their risk of pregnancy complications. Aside from this, expecting mothers can also try different interventions to avoid maternal obesity altogether.

Work Closely with Your Doctor 

During your prenatal checkups, your healthcare provider will closely assess your health status all throughout your pregnancy. Your doctor will also discuss how much weight gain is necessary while you are pregnant.

Women with the average weight should be able to gain twenty-five to thirty-five pounds during pregnancy, but women who are overweight may need to gain less or even lose some pounds to reach the recommended pregnancy weight.

Record Your Pregnancy Weight Gain 

Keeping track of your weight gain throughout pregnancy is extremely necessary, especially for women at risk of obesity. Doing so will help you and your doctor compare any progress in your weight and implement essential interventions to keep it under control as much as possible.

Women who are overweight may only need to add up fifteen to twenty-five pounds to their weight during pregnancy. This extra weight will go not only to the baby, but also to the placenta, the blood supply, the uterus, the amniotic fluid, and the stored fat in preparation for delivery and breastfeeding. 

Eat a Balanced Diet 

Pregnancy may give you unusual cravings in unnecessary amounts, but you may want to mind what you eat while pregnant, especially if you are concerned about your weight gain. However, it is still important not to deprive yourself of the vitamins and nutrients needed to keep your pregnancy healthy; you just need to choose what to eat and how much to consume.

For overweight mothers, slow your weight gain by choosing lower-fat food, limiting sweet and sugary drinks, avoiding whole-milk items, leaving out salt when cooking food, using fats in moderation, and baking or broiling food instead of frying your food in oil or butter.

Exercise Regularly 

Yes, pregnant women can definitely exercise, especially among morbidly obese women. With your doctor’s go signal, you should be able to do moderate exercise for thirty minutes or more most days of the week. Doing so significantly reduces one’s risk of certain pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes.

However, exercise may be contraindicated during pregnancy if certain conditions or symptoms arise, such as dizziness, headache, vaginal bleeding, chest pain, calf pain or swelling, preterm contractions, amniotic fluid leakage, or decreased fetal movement. Such symptoms may require you to undergo a nonstress test to detect whether or not your baby is receiving adequate oxygen inside the womb. This procedure uses a toco transducer to measure uterine contractions and another sensor to keep track of your baby’s heart rate in response to his or her activity.

Get Regular Prenatal Care 

Seeking prenatal care as early as possible can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy pregnancy. If you think you’re pregnant, schedule a visit to your doctor as soon as possible, especially if you have existing problems with your weight.

Getting regular health-care assistance throughout the course of your pregnancy can greatly help monitor your condition and prevent any further complications to arise. It also allows doctors to treat a specific condition as early as possible.

During your checkups, you will be assessed and required to undergo a series of prenatal tests and examinations, which are all crucial to closely monitor your health as well as your baby’s. More importantly, religiously follow your doctor’s advice, as he or she knows best how to keep you and your baby healthy.